US1695795A - Plating tank - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18, 192a 1,695,795

W. E. BELKE PLATING TANK Filed April 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l I go 3 fnzzenzar WW? W Dec. 18, 1928.

w. E. BEHLKE PLATING TANK Filed April 14. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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w. E. BELKE PLATING TANK Filed April 14, 1927 3 SlgeptsSh'eet [72 0672??? 6&

Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

siren STATES WILLIAM E. BELKE, or onIo G iLLmois.

r 'rmG TANK.

Application filed April 14, 1927.- SerialNo. 183,731.

tion is shown in the accompanying draw-.

ings in which C l V Fig. 1 is a perspective vlew oftheeleotroplating machine, a portion of, the tankbeingbroken .away to show the interiorthereof.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same from the opposite side, showing the operating mechanism for the container which holds the articles beingplated.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the container for the articlesto be plated.

Fig. 4; is anenlarged perspective view of an arbor which is adapted 'to besupported in the center of the container. and which carries a plurality of depending, loosely mounted fingers for making electrical contact withthe articles placed' in the container.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, .fragmentary, ,sectional detail ofone end of the container and supporting means therefor, showing one of the removable pintles, and the means of making electrical connection therethrough. I

Fig. 6 is a plan View jjof the removable panel of the plating drum. I

In the construction shown in the drawings, the apparatus'comprises a tank. ofsuitable material, such as .wood, securely bolted together and made water-tight, :for Chnta'ining an electroplatingsolution, or electrolytic bath in theusualma-nner,..and aidrum or cylindrical container adapted toqreceiveand retain thearticles while they are being electroplated, and which is actuatedbytwo s,e-. ries of operating mechanisms,-oneseries. of which is for the purpose of lowering and raising the drum intofand'out of-theeleotroplating ,bath and the other series of which is arranged to rotate the drum while immersed inthe solution.

The tank 1 is preferably; formed of a plu rality of boards or planks securely bolted together by tie-rods andbol-ts 2 in'the usual,

manner in which electroplating tanks are constructed. Resting on the top .of the tank, at opposite sides thereof, and closely adjacent to the ends of thetank, are sup- 1,695,195 PAT NT OFFICE.

porting rods 3an d-4c which carry a plurality of anodes 5, suspended therefrom and eX-.

tending down intothe tank closely adjacent to the bottom thereof, the lower ends of which are curved inwardly towards each other, as shown at 6. Suitable lead wires 7 and 8 areprovided for the rods. 3 anda respectively 7 for conducting the current V to the anodes in the usual manner.

receptacle is provided for receiving and holding the articles which are to be electroplated, and comprises a drum .10, having.

end plates 11 and 12, preferably formed oi: Wood and bound around their outer periphtion by a series oftransverse-barslfi, which are placed .in equally spaced relationship LbQutthe peripheries oi -the end ,.pieces,.and

eries with iron straps l3 and "1, 1 suitably secured thereto by screws 15 The ends 11. and 12 of the drumare heldin spaced rela- Which are suitably grooved to provide seats for a.plurality oiielongatedpanels 1.7 which are .retainedtherein by molding stripsrlS, fastened tothe cross bars by screws 19., The panels-are all providedwith aplurality of closely positioned perforations 120, so as: to allow-the admission of-Lfluid to. the interior of the drum and at thesame time retain the articlesto be plated therein. One of the panels 25 .is arranged to be readily remov able, and is provided with a suitable fastener secured to one end thereof, which coacts with :a ifastener 27,;that is fastened in a notch 28 formed ,in the periphery of the end piece/.12. The notch 28 isfdeep enough to receive the fasteners 26 and .27 without the fasteners protruding. beyondthe -normal'-'p,eripheral [surface of the drum. The end piece 11 is provided witha removable pintlewpin. 3,0 concentrically located withrespect to the head, and protruding a short distance fromthe vinnerfside thereon The pin 30 is carried int-he hub portienof a flange 31 which is secured to -tl ie outer surface v0i the. end piece 11,.and .retained secureda sprocket wheel '82, in spaced relation to the flange 31. Said space between the flange 31 and sprocket 32 provides a so that the ends of the fingers terminate in.

The end piece 12, at the opposite end of the drum, is provided with a concentrically located pintle 35, mounted concentrically in a tubular sleeve 46 of suitable insulating material, such as hard rubber, which is'carried in an outwarr ly extending hub 38 of flange36. The flange 36 is secured to the end piece 12 by suitable means, such as screws 37. The hub also provides a bearing surface for a drum supporting arm 39 at that side ther of, which is retained thereon by a collar 40 that is heldin place on the hub 38 by a set screw 41. The outer end of the axial bore through the sleeve 46 is closed by a screw 45, preferably of hard rubber, which is threaded into the bore.

The end of the pintle pin 35, adjacent the screw 45, is drilled and threaded to receive the threaded end 35 of a copper rod 35 which is surrounded by an insulated sleeve or tube 47. The tube 4L7 and rod 35" are supported and carried by the tubular head 48, rigidly mounted on the arm 35). A suitable electric lead wire for the electroplating circuit is attached to the copper rod 35 at its outer end.

' This construction provides a heavily insulated electrical conductor for the electroplating circuit through the rod 35 and pin 35 into which the rod is threaded.

In order that the electrical contact will be maintained at all times with the articles placed in the drum 10 to be electroplated, an arbor or supporting bar 50 is provided which has weighted yokes 51 and 52 mounted on the opposite ends thereof, and secured thereto by set screws 53 and 54 respectively. The yokes are identical'in construction, and have a pair of spacedparallel arms 55 and 56, which terminate in enlarged portions 57 and 58, said enlarged portions being of a weight sufficient to keep them from rotating when placed on the pintles 30 and 35 and the drum rotated. The supporting bar 50 is provided with a series of depending fingers 6O loosely mounted thereon and held in spaced relation to each other by spacing sleeves 61, said fingers being of a length substanti ally the same as the radius of the drum closely spaced relation to the perforated panels, but out of contact therewith.

, The back edge of the tank has a pair of upwardly and forwardly curved projecting supporting arms 65 bolted thereto, and the upper ends of the ar-ms terminate in transversely bored trunnion heads 66 for receiving a main supporting shaft 67. The drum supporting arms 39 and 39 are keyed to the shaft 67 in spaced relation so as to re ceive the drum 10 therebetween. Midway between the point of support of the drum supporting arms is keyed an upwardly pro- ]ecting arm 70, the upper end of which terminates in an elongated transversely dis is adjustably mounted a counterweight 4 by a set screw 74. 1

Means are providec. for rotating the main shaft 67, and thereby swing the arms and drum supported thereon into and out of the electrolytic bath, and comprise an electric motor 7 5 which drives a worm 7 6 which ena gear 77. 'The gear 77 in turn drives a worm 7 8, which coacts with a gear 7 9 which is rigidly keyed to the main shaft 67. This motor is of the reversible type, and is wired to a double-throw switch 80, preferably mounted at the front of the tank in convenient position to be operated by the user of the tank.

In place of the reversible motor, a suitable reversing gear can of course b 9 i which can be secured at any position thereon substituted and used for accomplishing the same purpose.

VlThcn' articles have beenplaced in the drum and the drum immersed in the electro plating bath, it is desirable that the drum be so moved or rotated that "the articles therein will be agitated so as to receive a uniform plating thereon. Means are provided for'rotating the drum in this manner, and comprise an electric motor 85, mounted on thebracket 86, bolted to one side of the tank. The shaft of the motor carries a worm housed in an oil container 87, which drives a gear 88 keyed to a sleeve 89, and is mounted on the main shaft 67 The inner end ofsleeve 89 has a sprocket gear 90 keyed thereto, which carries a sprocket chain 91, that is in alinement with the sprocket gear 32 of the drumlO. A suitableswitch'93 is'preferably mounted on the front side of the tank for controlling the motor 85. I

In the operation of the device, the drum is rotated until the removable panel is uppermost, and then the. panel removed, and

the articles to be electroplated are placed in the container. The supporting bar which carries the contact fingers 60 is then placed in position on the pintles 30 and 35, the fingers 60 coming in contact with the articles to be electroplated. The panel is then replaced and locked in position by the fasteners 26 and 27, and the switch 80 operated so as to cause the electric motor 75, through its reduction gear, to rotate the shaft 67 and thus swing the drum l0 downwardly into the electroplating bath, and to a position which will be substantially equally spaced from the anodes 5. The lower ends of the anodes being curved in at 6, causes them to assume a concentric position with respect to the drum when the drum is properly posiiii tioned in the tank. The switch 93 is then closed, thus causing the motor 85, through its reduction gearing and sprockets and sprocket chain, to rotate the drum in the bath. During this rotation the weights 57 and 58 on the supporting bar 50 prevent the bar from rotating andthus keep the contact fingers 60 in electrical contact with the articles being electroplated.- The current for the plating operation is turned on at the same time that the container is lowered in the bath, the electrical contact being made through the copper rod 85 which is threaded into one end of the pintle pin 35, yoke 52, bar 50, and contact fingers 60, to the articles which are to be electroplated.

The pint-les 35 and will become electroplated at the same time that the articles in the container become electroplated, and these pintles are made readily removable so that they can be replaced by new'ones by removing the screws 45 and 31? and reaching in through the opening when the removable panel is not in place, and lightly tapping on the inner ends of the pintles. The copper rod 35 is of course unscreweo from the pin before it is attempted to slip this pin out of its insulated sleeve. This is especially desirable, as otherwise, 1n a short time, with certain kinds of plating, the pintle 35 would not give a goodelectrical contact with the yokes 52 and supporting bar 50.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention, as defined by the following claims:

I claim:

1. In an electroplating device, a tank for an electrolytic solution, an anode for contacting the solution, a pair of supporting arms each having a transverse shaft jour naled thereto, a container for the pieces to be electroplated rotatably mounted on said shafts, an arbor having depending slotted ends adapted to be detachably supported by said shafts, a plurality of contact fingers depending from the arbor, means for immersing the container in the solution, and means for rotating the container.

2. In an electroplating device, a tank for an electrolytic solution, a drum for articles to be electroplated rotatably mounted in said tank, a pint-le protruding inwardly from each end or". said drum, an arbor for said drum, a

'yoke'on each end of said arbor for slidably receiving said pintles, the ends of the arms of said yokes being weighted sufliciently to prevent rotation of said arbor when said drum is rotated. c

Signed at Chicago this 18 day of March, 1927.

WILLIAM E. BELKE.

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