US1798994A - Electroplating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1931. 1 1 wHA| }N 1,798,994

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Figi.

Inventor: lohn J. whahn,

His Attorneg.

Mmh 31, 1931.` J J. WHALW 1,798,994

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: John J. Whdir1 His Attorheg.

Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN 3'. 'WHALIIL OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ENERAL'ELECTBIC COH- IANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTROPLATIN G APPARATUS Application led January 4, 1929. Serial No. 330,297.

rlhe present invention relates to electroplating apparatus and more particularly to to electroplating apparatus in which rotatable barrels mounted in the electrolyte carry t5 the articles to be plated.

lt is among the objects of the present invention to eliminate the costly and laborious methods heretofore employed in still plating and to reduce the time heretofore ret quired to electroplate materials with the usual large standard barrels. A further object of the invention is to provide a barrel plating apparatus in which the barrels not only rotate but travel through the electrolyte l thereby keeping the solution constantly agitated and producing a very uniform plate.

rlhe novel features which 1 believe to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. im 'lhe inventionitself however will best be understood from reference to the following specication when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which lil-ig. 1 is a perspective view of an electro lating apparatus embodying the features o my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken lengthwise through the tank disclosed in Fig. 1a; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View of the electroplating tank; while Fig. 4 is a. view partly in elevation and partly in section of a plating barrel employed in carrying my invention into effect.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l have indicated at 1 an electroplating 3-'5 tank filled with a suitable electrolyte 2. The

tank may be made of metal or wood depending upon the electrolyte employed. A plurality of metal supports 3 are mounted crosswise on the tank and spaced lengthwise thereof. At opposite sides of the tank these supports carry insulated bolts 4 which in turn carry the busbars 5 and 6. At the central portion of the tank similar insulated bolts 7 carry an endless grooved rail or rack 8 provided on its lower or under side with gear teeth 9 adapted to engage gears 10 on plating barrels 11. At one end of the plating tank.

the lower side of the rail is smooth, as indicated at 8a in Fig. 2. 50

opposite ends of the tank 1 and engage an endless chain 14 which is provided wlth supports 15 adapted to slide on the inner side of the rail 8, as indicated in Fig. 3. Sprocket 12 is driven from an electric motor 16 through shafts 17 and 18 and a worm gear 19 which is mounted on the same shaft as the sprocket wheel 12.

The perforated barrels or containers 11 and the gears 10 are made of a phenolic resinous condensation product or other suitable material. The containers have removable end portions 20 which are provided with short metal shafts 21 secured to circular metal plates 22 which are in contact with the inner side of the end portions 20. Shafts 21 are each mounted in insulating sleeves 23 in order to prevent depositionof metal thereon during the plating process.

A plurality of brackets 24, substantially U-shaped in cross section, are mounted on the endless rail 8 and secured in any suitable manner to the supports 15 on the chain 14 so as to be movable therewith. Ordinarily, the brackets 24 are provided with openings through which the supports 15 on the chain 14 extend. Short shafts 25 and 26 are secured to opposite sides of each bracket 24 and provided at the outer ends thereof with hangers 27 and 28 which have supporting hooks 29 at their lower ends to accommodate the shafts 21 on the plating barrels 11. Spring contact members 30 are also mounted on the end portions of the shafts 25 and 26 and bear against the outer end portions of the shafts 21. Hooks 29 on hangers 27 and 28 are reversely associated with one another, i. e., the open portion of one hook faces one end of the plating tank, While the open portion of the` other hook faces the opposite end of the tank, providing in this marrner an arrangement whereby the plating barrel by a slight sidewise movement may be removed from the supporting hooks while in motion. The anode material comprises metal bars 31 which are mounted so as to rest on the edge and bottom of baskets 32 and to extend in a longitudinal direction in the plating tank. This disposition of the anode material brings it very close to the work to be 10 plated and maintains the anode material atl ing an endless rail provided with gear teeth an approximately constant distance from a engagmg said gear, .and means for rotatmg large portion of the work to be plated. The sald contalner on said gear. baskets 32 are suspended from the busbars In wltness whereof, .I have hereunto set 5 5 and 6 which are mounted on opposite sides my hand hlS 2nd day 0f January, 1929. 70

` of the tank. Current is supplied to the elec- JOHN J. WHALIN.

trodes through leads 33 and 34 which are connected to busbars 5, 6 and rail 8 respectively.

10 To provide for the removal of sludge or 75 other solid materials from the plating solution, a pipe 35 is connected with the bottom of the tank 1. A motor driven pump 36 delivers the plating solution and sludge from the'bottom of the plating tank to an auxiliary 80 tank 37 which is connected by a pipe 38 to a series of filters 39 extending across one end of the tank 1.

In operation, the electric motor 16 drives 20 the endless chain 14 through the system of ,85

gearing disclosed in Fig. 1. As the endless chain moves ina longitudinal direction, it carries along with it the brackets 24. mounted on grooved contact track 8. and the shafts 25 and 26 secured thereto` thereby rotating 90 the plating barrels 11 on the stationary rail or rack 8. As the barrels travel around to the end 40 of the tank the gears 10 come to the smooth portion 8a of the rack 8 and the 3D barrels 11 cease to rotate and are removed 95 from the tank, the plated articles removed and new material inserted in its place.

With the arrangement disclosed, I have found that the combined motion of rotation and translation given to the barrels keeps .100

the electrolyte constantly agitated, produces a very uniform plate on the articles inthe barrels and that the provision of a smooth portion 8a on the underside of rack 8 permits unloading of the plating barrel at one 105 point without interfering with the operation of the system. v

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. In electroplating apparatus, a tank for no the electrolyte, a perforated container mounted therein and adapted to contain ar- 4 ticles to be plated, a gear secured to said container, a stationary rack mounted on the tank and provided with gear teeth adapted to 115 engage said gear, and means for moving said container on said rack.

. 2. In electroplating apparatus, a tank for the electrolyte, a perforated container mounted therein adapted to contain articles m0 to be plated, a gear secured to said container, a stationary rack engaging said gear, supporting means for said container, said means being mounted on said rack, and means for moving said supporting means to thereby 125 rotate the plating barrel. 3. In electroplating apparatus, a tank for the electrolyte, a container provided with a `vgear mounted in the electrolyte, means for supporting said container, said means includl 13

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