US1552938A - Agitating means for electrodepositing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 8, 1925. 1,552,938

w. w. MCCORD AGITA'I'ING MEANS FOR ELECTRODEPOSITING APPARATUS Filed May 16. 1924 -Wyandotte, in the 'county State of Michigan, have invented new and 'Patented Sept. 8,1925.

. UNITED srA'rss PATENT or 1,552,938. FICE.

a Mrs. 00., or DETROIT, mo nman, a conronp'rxon or MAINE.

Aonul'rmo umiws r013. ELECTRODEPOSI'IING arrana'rus.

I Application flledlay 16, 1924. Serial No. 718,667.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thMG I WILLIAM W. MoCoRn, a citizen of the United States, residing at of Wayne and useful Improvements in Agitating Means for Electrodepositing Apparatus, of which the following 18 a specification. This invention relates to means for agitat ing the metal stock inthe deposition tank of anv electro-depositing apparatus to pre vent the stock from matting and making faulty the operation of the device.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front view, partly n sectlon, of an electro-depositing apparatus supplied with the agitating means of my invention;

and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, taken on line 22 of 1.

In Fig. 1, the electro-depositlng units 1, 2, and 3 are connected together for electrolyte circulation in accordance with my invention as described and claimed in my copending application, filed May 16, 1924, Serial No. 713,668. Each unit has a depositing tank 4, in which is journaled a drum or mandrel 5, on which the metal content of the electrolyte is deposited in sheet form. Copper sheets are stripped from the drums 5 when theelectrolyte contains copper sulphate. Each tank 4 is arranged over a storage tank 6, the dividing wall. 7 between them having an outlet openlng 8 whereby the depositing and storage tanks have communication.

For each unit 1, 2, and 3, I provide a pump 9.- Each pump 9, as shown in Fig. 2, has a pulley 10 by which it may be operated.

The inlet pipe 11 of the pump is connected with the storage tank ,4,- while the discharge pipe 12 opens into the depositing tank 4 adjacent its upper end.

Units 1 to 3 are connected together for electrol te circulation in the following manner. The depositing tank 4 of unit 1 is connected by a pipe 13 with the storage tank 6 of unit 2. The depositing tank of unit 3 is connected by a pipe 14 with the storage tank 6 of unit 2. The storage tanks of the three units are connected by pipes 15 and 16, respectively, as shown in Fig. 1.

In operation, the pump 9 of the first unit 1 draws electrolyte from its storage tank 6 and by pipes 11 and 12 delivers the same to its deposition tank 4. On passing the drum 5 in this unit, the electrolyte flows by pipe 13 to the storage tank 6 of the next unit 2, thence by pump 9 and its pipes 11 and 12 of unit 2'into its tank 4, past drum 5 of unit 2. The electrolyte passes to the storage tank 6 of unit 2 through the outlet 8 in the wall 7 and by pipe 15 is returned to storage tank 6 of unit 1, or by pipe 16 is delivered to the storage tank 6 of unit 3. The electrolyte is pumped throu h unit 3 by its pump 9 past drum 5 of sai unit. A return to the storage tank 6 .of unit 2 may be made by pipe 14 or pass on to another unit included in the system, as suggested in Fig. 1, by pipe 13. By pipes 14:, 15, 16, Fig. 1 shows how the units illustrated are included in a circuit with other units for electrolyte circulation.

Each unit is provided with an insoluble anode face 17, preferably a perforated lead sheet, following the contour of the drum 5 of the unit and connected by conductors 18 with the bus bars 19 on the tank 4 of the unit for current'flow in accordance with the electrical hook-up in an apparatus of this kind. Of the three, unit 2 is the only one that is supplied with metal stock from time to time to furnish the metal content for the electrolyte. When copper is the metal being deposited on the drums 5 to make sheets, scrap copper, preferably of light gage in small pieces as produced in making automobile and like radiators, is placed in the tank 4 of'unit 2 in the space 20 to furnish copper sulphate to the electrolyte. Units 1 and 3 are not supplied with scrap metal.

Supplying unit 2 with metal stock or scrap copper and not supplying units 1 and 3 withmetal stock produces in unit 2 copper sulphate in excess of the amount that canbe deposited out by unit 2. Circulating the electrolyte from one unit to the other, the excess metallic content or copper sulphate is deposited out of the electrolyte in those units not supplied with metal stock. This maintains a substantially constant or even percentage of metallic content in the electrolytic bath at all times, thus keeping the electrolyte in a workable state and making the unlts operate at a low current cost and producing a good grade of copper on the drums, all as set forth in my said copending application.

When the metal stock employed is in the WIIIQIAII w. moon, or wYAnnorrE, MICHIGAN, AssIdNoIt T0 Mcoonn aama'roa lot . apart at regular intervals of about eighteen form of small pieces of light-gage copper scrap, this material, after being wet by the electrolyte and in some cases becomlng slightly covered with small copper sulphate crystals, has a tendency to mat together 1n a bulk part way down the inclined walls of the tank 4, in which the metal stock is introduced. The scrap is fed in at the top of the tank, passing down by gravity to the bottom under the anode 17. When it becomes matted, it 'revents this passing to the bottom, with t e result that eventually all the scrap at the bottom becomes :drawn inches endwise of the drum 5 and being in the space between the bottom wall 7 of the drum and the anode sheet 17 are in the stock or scrap in the tank. These rods may be agitated either by hand or mechanically for a few inches each way in a sidewlse direction at frequent intervals and, inasmuch as the rods follow the contour of the anode 17, they extend throughout the tank 4 and on being agitated agitate the scrap or stock to prevent it matting in the tank so that the scrap flows freely of itself to the bottom as it is used therefrom, thus maintainin the voltage and current cost at an even gure. Conductors 22 connect these rods with the bus bars 20 to increase the current supply to the scrap.

By two collector ring and brush assembles 23 on-each drum shaft 24 connected by a conductor 25 with a bus bar 26, each drum 5 is placed in the electrical current required for an apparatus of the kind described. Each drum 5 is rotated through a pulley 5 on its shaft 24.

I claim as myinvention:

1. In an electro-depositin unit having a deposition tank and a catho e and an anode therein, of means in the tank for agitating the metal stock to prevent it matting in the tank.

2. In an electrodepositing unit having a deposition tank and a cathode and an anode therein, of means in the tank for agitating the metal stock to prevent it matting in the tank, and current conductors connected with said means for supplying current to the stock.

3. In an electro-depositing unit having a deposition tank and a cathode drum there- 1n, of a curved perforated anode sheet in said tank under said drum, and means in the tank under said sheet and following the contour thereof for agitating the metal stock to prevent it matting in the tank.

4. In an electro-depositing unit having a deposition tank and a cathode drum therein, of a curved perforated anode sheet in said tank under said drum, a plurality of rods in the tank under said sheet and followin the contour thereof, said rods being spaced apart endwise of the drum and adapted to be agitated to prevent matting of the metal stock supplied to the tank under said sheet, and current conductors leading to said anode sheet and bars for supplying current thereto.

5. In an electro-depositing unit having a deposition tank, a cathode and an anode therein, the bottom wall of said tank having downwardly extending inclined sections to feed the metal stock introduced therein toward the bottom of the tank, and means in the tankfor agitating the metal stock to prevent it matting in the tank.

6. In an electro-depositing unit having a deposition tank with a cathode therein, a

plurality of rods in the tank and supported thereby, said rods being spaced apart and extending down into the tank and through the metal stock and adapted to be agitated to prevent matting of the metal stock in the tank.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I afiix my signature this 8th day of May, 1924.

WILLIAM W. MCCORD.

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