US1848391A - Tumbling device for electroplating - Google Patents

Description

Mawh 1932. H. D. SIMPSON ING DEVICE FOR ELECTROPLATING TUMBL 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 29 1929 I INVENTOR ATTORNEY? March 8, 1932. I S 1,848,393

TUMBLING DEVICE FOR ELECTROPLATING Filed Jan. 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented" Mar. 8,- 1932,

' metal upon. articles :made of another metal,-

plating; 4

HARRISON n. SIMPSON, ornnwenn nnw JERSEY, AssIGnoRfBY mnsnn'jassion- MENTS; TO BAKER &

TUMVBLING DEVICE non ELEGTROPLATING a plication filed anuar 29,1929. Serial n; 335,890..

' i This inventionrelates to apparatusused in electrically depositing, a coating of one the process being commonly-called electro':

The present invention specially .priate for depositing the more/precious mete als, asgoldyplatinum, etc,,'-upon smalli objects, such [as finger rings',*i;buttons, medals and like articles of vjewelry made ofleiss valuabl'e material. a

small unit comprising: a fsubstantially-nonmetallic container for the articles to be plat ed, thus presenting a minimum 7 of metallic surface to takeadeposit from the chemical solution held in the t ank in which the con-t. taine'rfis submerged, and the tank is also na- 1 teriallyreduced in size from that commonly 9 employed;

i-One object of the inventionis Mata a barrel container made in two equal longitu dinal parts which may be easily" and expedltiously united or separated; thus rendering 'the contents readily entered and accessible,-

and in which the few metal parts areremovable forreplacement' and refining to recoverthe plating which'may have been deposited;

' A further feature is in the means for sup porting the barrel andconveying rotary niotion to it without permitting working metallioparts to enter the bath.

Another purpose 1s to a provide forcurrent voltage measurement in the barrel rather than at the lead-in conductor so that the true condition of thecurrent at its'point of application can be; ascertained. g V

' These and analogousobjects, whichiwill presently appear, are, accomplished by the novel construction, combination and arrange-' ment of parts, hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying" drawings, con

of disclosure,

Figure Sis a samepartially broken away to show the formationflj i U Figure 4 is a plan view of one side of the barrel;

Figure; 5' is a similar view showing the other side thereof.

*As shown in F igure the apparatus consists'of a platform base 10 'having'twouprights 3.1,pref'erably of-ohannelcross section, V e0 posed ongthebase is a-tank'l3, of anypre-H fer-red shape, and: capable 'ofcontaining .the chemicalsolutionor bathbywwhich plating 1 united at the top by a cross bar =l2,and disiscaccomplished;

Rotatablyinounted in the uprights, 1l, just below the crossbar 12, is. a shaftl l its Vex tending ends being 4 respectively :provided with agcollar and manually operable han- Fixed to the are the endsiof two] spacedapart flexible cords l6 capable of beingwound thereon, their free ends engaging in eyes set in. a narrow platform 17 guided at its ends within the -inreaching uprights 11'. r

v In order to support theweight, of the plat flanges of the form and elements carried by it, a ratchet wheellS is fiXed'on the shaft 14 and provided with a detent 19 arrangedpto be turned out of the way whennot required.

Mounted on the platform 17 is a motor 20,

driving, by means of a belt 21,a speed reduc tion device 22, the drivenpulley 23 ofwhich conveys a relativelylslow rotary motion, by c the belt 24: and pulley 25, toa shaft 26 mounted in a doublebracket27 held suspendedfrom thelunder side of the platform 17.

Held against the lower face of the bracket 27. is a barf28', adjustable lengthwise there along and fclampe d by a pair of binding,

screws :29.

uAisimilar is held manner-by the same screws and interposed therebetween isa stripofinsulation 3l. v i Both bars-28 30 are bent] at right. angles downwardly at' th eir outer ends and fixed to these ends are lugs32 and '34 respectively, the c lugs being drilled and clamp screws 33 and 35.

provided with hand These screws impinge upon rods36 andti'i,

Fixed on the pintles are grooved pulleys 39 driven by belts 40 from corresponding pulle S 41 on the opposite ends of the shaft 26, w icli', as has been seen, is driven at'a slo rate of speed by the motor 20.

It may be stated, here that the rods'36 37-v'v merely maintain the belts40iin suitable driving tension and do not act as supports for the barrel, the weight of whic-h is taken by the belts.

The tumbling barrel, shown in detail in Figures 2 to 5, includes a pair of semi-cylindrical heads 42-43 at each end, each having outstanding semi-conical projecting ends." 'I'he half heads 42 have fixed axially in them the pintles 38, carrying the pulleys 39,

and are grooved annularly to engage the ends of the rods 3637 by which they are 'uided. "'The opposite half heads 43 have fixed in them hal'f bushings or sleeves 44 toireceii e the exposed portions of the pintles 38 therein,

the face portions ofthe heads making i-nti mate'contact when the barrel is assembled. These half; heads, which are preferably made of wood or some other non-metallic marelsections. I

Y thebinding screw 33.

terial, are held when assembled by bands 45 forced overthe conical portions of the heads% 7 these bands being relatively narrow and 0 such diameter as topermit the entrance of a lever bar between them and their flanged portions when itis desired to disconnect the bar- The flanged portions of the half heads have attached to them semi-cylindrical, perforate casings 46.47, through which li uid may easily flow, these casings, like the eads be ing non-metallic. Y Fixed-on the inner surfaces of the heads 42,

to extend in opposite directions, are con-'- ductor strips 48 connected "at their ends by wires 49 arranged sinuously against the easing 46, the strips being in contact'with the pintles 38. I

In a similar manner corresponding, strips 50, in contact with the sleeves 44, extend through the casing to be connected bya wire Ii Within the tanks 13 are any preferred number of anodes 5253, receiving current from a "lead-in wire 54, connected by a wire 55 to TA voltmeter 59 is'shunted between the positive and negative linewires tomeasure the potential before entering the apparatus, and anammeter 58 is connected between the binding screw 35 and the lead-out wire 57 to 4 measure the current passing through the entire circuit. I I Anothervoltmeter 56, is connected in the circuit by a wire 55, connected to the positive:

circuit, and by another wire tothe contact screw 33, the current passing through binding post 32, rod 36, pintle 38, to the contact wires 48 and 49, which are in the negative circuit. The object of this second voltmeter is to measure the drop in potential between the 1 rod 37, and the pintle 38, which is readily certained, by comparing it with voltmeter 59. Thus the? efiectivevoltage between the age a? t ci flt lst a quality of heden inall plating work. I

In operation. the bars 2830 are adjusted to suit the length of the barrel to be used, the barrel. supplied with;the articles to be plated and thereafter firmly secured by the bands 45, whereupon they are adjusted as plainly indicated in Figure l.

"By'lowering the platform 17 and its several'attachedparts,by turning the handle 15, the barrel with its contents 1s easil' y lowcred so that its lower portion enters below the surface of-the plating bath. Y

U on s'tartingthe motor 20, the barrel wil! be slowly rotjated,'causing, its contents be subjectedto-the' bath and an electric current of suitable voltage passed through the articles to 'deposit'a coatingof any desired degree in accordance with the time period of immers on; a o

- It is to be noted thatthe pintles'38, sleeves 44, and lower ends of-the' conductor bars 36- 37, together with the connections inside the barrel, only are subjected to possibly receive'a coating, thereby reducing loss of-metal and efficiency to a minimum, and that the latingmay be recovered from these parts y" means commonly employed.

" "Due "to the, arrangement of: the voltmeter theactual efiective fall of potential at its point of application is readily ascertainedat all times. I i i As the barrel is constantlyrotated the resultant effect upon the articles undergoing treatment is unusually" uniform and satisfactory.

' It, is'further apparent that the sim licity of the apparatus issuch that no di culty shouldzbeencountered in its operation, even by unskilledlabor.

Although I have, described my improve ments. with 'considerable detail and with respect to certain particular, forms of: my invention, 1 do not desire tobe limitedlto such details since, may changes and modification s may we'll be made without departing frbin he, S l P a dsc re m n tiQn inits hroad estaspect.

lHavil 'thus describedtheinvention, what is clalmec as'new andl'desired secure by barrel and having conica'l extensions, the

Walls and heads being split longitudinally to sections as a unit, all of said elements being Wholly composed of con-conducting material, metal ,pintles fixed axially in said heads, metalguides for thepintles, said guides being in an electric circuit, means for conducting current between said pintles through the and rotating the barrel.

3. In an electroplating apparatus, an article heads of said barrel," metallic guides for the pintles, conductors carried by said heads in contact with the pintles, said conductors onsaid base, a platform guided by said up 'rights overfthe tank, a perforate tumbling barrelto contain :the articles to be plated,

said barrel being whollymade of nonducting material, a motor driven shaft on said platform, belts connecting said shaft and barrel ends toconvey rotary motion and supoport'the barrel, a Winchto raise and lower said platform relative to the tank whereby said barrel may be immersed in plating bath in said tank, anodes in said bath, said anodes, bath and barrel being in series in same electrio circuit, and avoltmeter disposedin shunt circuit between'anode and barrel. c

In testimonyv whereof I have hereunto alfixed my signature. 7 i

e HARRISON D. SIMPSON.

barrel, and'combined means for supporting container comprising "a sectional barrel 7 holly composed of non-conducting material and having perforate walls, removable means 'for clamping the sections of said barrel together, metallic vpintles passing through the I reaching Within the barrel from onepintle to the'other, and flexible supports for said barrel engaging saidpintles, said supports i i being operative to convey rotary motion to. 1 the barrel. w

4.; An eleetro-plating apparatus comprising a base having a pair of 'uprights,.a tank on said base, a platform guided by said uprights, a tumbling barrel for articles to be plated, motor driven means onthe platform including a belt drive at each endof the barrel tofcause its rotation, said belt drives acting to supportthe barrel, manual means for raising and lowering the platform and barrel relative 'to-said tank, and means forz conducting an'electric current through said tank and barrel. I

s 5. An electro-plating apparatus comprisit ing a base having a pairof uprights, a tank on said base, a platform guided by said uprights over the tank, aperforate tumbling barrel to contain the artifclestobe'plated, i said barrel being Wholly made of non-conducting material, a' motor driven shaft having supports carriedbysaid platfor'm,belt

connections between said "shaft and barrel ends, said connections supporting the barrel, insulatedflbars on: the shaft-support, guide rods for said barrel adjustable in. said bars,

manual means for raising andloweringlthe platform and barrel relative to said tank,

, rent through said tank and barrel. I 6; Anelectro-plating apparatus comprisf ing a base having a'pair of uprights, a tank I and means for conducting an electric cur-

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