US1849081A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing and assembling cathode starting sheets for electrolysis - Google Patents

Description

March is, 1932.

1 8 0 w 8% 11 M B M E SS A Y 3 A R T M EN I W TR NC 0 .I EF S TWT s E N M Ems w m I Em M T F A MT w M hm N A C METHOD Filed May 23, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS 3?- By Attorneys, aha/am. W k? w. F. EPPENSTEINER ETA]. 1,849,081

' March 15, 1932.

" METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND ASSEHBLING CATHODE STARTING SHEETS FOR ELECTROLYSIS Filed May 23, 1929 4 Sheets-"Sheet 2 w 0 T N E V N By Attorneys, @mm 9 w 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 5 1932- w. F. EPPENSTEINER ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLING CATHODE STARTING SHEETS FOR ELECTROLYSIS Filed May 23, 1929 W. F. EPPENSTEINER ET AL March 15, 1932. 1,849,081

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND ASSEIIBLING CATHODE STARTING SHEETS FOR ELECTROLYSIS 4 Sheets-Sheet '4 Filed My 25. 1929 Z INVENTQR By Attorneys, G' W y Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED [STATES WILLIAM F. nrrn'nsrrnmnn, or woonnarnC-n, WILLIAM F. errnnsrrnmnn. or nnnwarnnw (JERSEY, nssrenons T UNITED strn'rn's utants REFINING COM; rnnY or cnnrnnnnnnw annsny, A eonronn'rIoN or new JERSEY PATENT oFFIcs METHOD nnnerrnnn'rus For; MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLING cATnon-E STARTING sHnETs non ELECTROLYSIS a V Application fil'ed May 23,

This invention relatesto: the manufacture of cathode sheets used in the eleotrolytlc refining of copper. Such Sheets'have usually been: flat sheets of electrolytic; copper, but a recentimportant improvement is set forth 1n our patent granted December 15, 1931, numbered 1,886,368, wherein the sheets are straightened and stiflened by corrugation and have the loops for connecting them to thecopper conduetingrods united by a clinching method. Reference is made to that application for a more complete understanding of the precise preferred construction of the starting cathode. J

The present invention provides for the more economical manufacture and assembl ng of such cathodesh'eets. The nature of the operationsand the mechanismsfor perform ing them will be made apparent as the description proceeds. V a 7 Referring tothe accompanying drawin 's'- v I Figure 1 is a plan showing .a suitable relative location of the various apparatus to be described. I V

. Fig. 2 is an elevation partly invertrcal section, showing the apparatus for feed ng the electro-depositedcopper sheets into the annealing furnace.

, Fig. 3 is a similar elevation showing the means for removing the sheets, quenching them, and stacking them for reconveyance.

Fig. 4C is an elevation, partly in dlagram, showing themeans whereby the operations. of

' feeding the sheets into-the corrugating press,

and feeding the completed sheets therefrom and stacking them on raoks, are performed.

Fig. 5is afragmentary elevationshowing the top and bottom of one of the completed sheets. p g o;

-Fi-g.,6 is. a vertical transverse section thereof, on alarger scale. v I g Figs. 7 and 8 are enlargements of a portion. of Fig. 4 showing two successive stages ofthe operation of applying loops.

Referring to Fig. 1, he-sheets-ofelectrol-yticcopper having beensuitably stacked one on top. of another and piled onto suitable cars 'or trams, these stacks being shown'at 00,11, are carried inpairs or'groups. of three or 1929.. Serial No. 365.537. I

more). upon a table or support located at b, and from this are fed into an annealing, furnace or oven A (preferably of the tunnel type), from which they are. fed out and then immersed in water-in a'bosh B ,to cool them, after which they. are superposed'to form stacks c of which any convenient number locatedin, for example, the positions'o' may be accumulated and held in reserve ready for the next operation. Any one of these stacks c .is then carried. along tra,cks d,. e, to either of thepositions indicated at f,/",.vvhere theystand in, convenient relation'tocor'rugating presses CpGr Meanwhile the custom ary'rods used with such sheets having been deposited in any suitable container g, are fed Y out therefrom and straightened in an apparatus located, for example, ath, and such portions 10f them as require tobep-olished: arc brightened by revolving wire brushes or wheels located at i, the rods being fedalong a track or .way shown in dotted linesat j,

and finally carried to a feeder Z6, whereby the D, may then be trammed over tracks m leading ftoJthe part of the works where the elec;

trod'cposition to form electrolyticv copper performed]- Referring now to Fig. 2, the stack a is lcarriedfon. a platformn transported on atc ar i E, andis li-ftedby any. suitablemeans' uch as ahydraulic ram F, to bring the top sheet with-inrange of a. pneumat c sucker or other feeding dev ce p.. As thestack diminishes in height. it will be gradually fed up by theram.

The lifter may be any. knownriconst'ruction ofpneumatic suction device operated,'for example, by a reciprocating pistonwithin acyllinder g and carried on a car 7* rolling one.

of sheets.

trolley track 8. In operation the feeder p descends, picks up the top sheet from the stack, ascends, and then by the movement of the car 1" along the track 8, brings the sheet to the position, shown in dotted lines, over the table or support 7), whereupon the pneumatic suction ceases and the sheet is dropped onto this table. The feeder 10 then returns and repeats its operation, bringing a second sheet and dropping it on the first. The pair of sheets thus superposed are then fed into the annealing furnace A. This furnace, being preferably of the continuous tunnel type, has one or more endless chains 10 carried around sprockets 11, 11, and traveling through the muffle chamber A of the furnace, the chains being provided at suitable intervals with pusher pawls 12 for pushing along the pairs The sheets are first fed into the furnace by means of a feeder it carried on a carriage Q) which may roll along the same track 8, and reciprocates at timed intervals, being provided with feeding toes which engage behind the successive pairs of sheets and push the two sheets at a time into the furnace, from which point they are fed along in succession with other pairs through the furnace by the chain feed. The feeders 'uL work in slots in the table or support 7), and the carriage 0 has its supporting members so far apart as to move freely beyond the outer edges of the sheets. The muiiie or annealing furnace A is of any known or suitable construction. A stack G is shown with a connecting flue 13 controlled by a damper 14 for drawing vapors from the muffle up the stack.

Referring to Fig. 3, the other end of the furnace A is shown (the furnace being of any suitable length), and the same feed chain 10 appears in this figure, carried at this end on sprockets 15, 15. The chain is fed by any suitable driving mechanism, and either continuously or intermittently. During their progress through the furnace the pairs of sheets are suitably heated according to the usual annealing process. They are fed out of the furnace by feeders H, H, each consisting of a car 16 rolling on a track 17 and carrying arms 18 which at their advancing ends have drop dogs 19 pivoted to them, which are adapted to slide freely over the tops of the sheets and drop down behind them during the movement to the left of the feeders; and during their movement to the right in Fig. 3 the dogs push the sheets along. The feeders H, H, may be connected together and driven as one, or they may be separately reciprocated, as desired. The essential operation is that the feeder.H feeds the sheets off from the chains 10 and out of the furnace, and to the position shown at 20, where they are above the bosh or cooling tank B. At the next stroke the feeder H slides the sheets from the position 20 to position 21, where they are over the stack 0.

this instance is not mounted on a car.

Between the two successive feeding operations the pair of sheets in position 20 is plunged down into the water in the bosh, as, for example, to the position shown in dotted lines at 22. In position 20 they are received on a grating of any convenient kind, and this grating is itself plunged down, carrying the sheets with it into the water bath. To insure that the sheets shall promptly go under water, a push device (not shown) is provided, which may conveniently be formed as a series of pins.

In position 21 the sheets are first received on any suitable support and then this support is withdrawn abruptly so as to drop the sheets bodily onto the stack O. For falling onto this stack they are suitably guided, in order to form a straight stack, by any suitable gauging devices such, for example, as is shown at 23; like devices being provided on all four sides of the stack if desired.

The stack is thus piled on a platform 24 which is carried on a car 25 running on suitable trac-ks, and this car then may be run to carry the platform 24: into any of the positions shown at c in Fig. 1, and eventually the stacks will be carried to either of the positions shown at f in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 4:, the same car 25 is here shown, and the same platform 24. On arriving in this position 7, a hydraulic ram J (or any other suitable lifter) rises up through an opening in the car body and lifts the platform 24, so that the top of the stack is brought up Within convenient reach of another suction feed to which in its construction is essentially similar to that of the suction feed p of Fig. 2; It hasa similar cylinderg, but Iin n operation, this suction feed descends upon the stack, engages the top sheet, and lifts it to the position shown, holding it there while a rolling platform or car K having wheels traveling on a track as, rolls under the elevated sheet, whereupon the suction is released and the sheet is dropped onto the platform K.

Then by any suitable automatic mechanism this platform is rolled along on its track to bring the sheet into the press O. This press is of any usual construction of corrugating press and may be operated either mechanically or hydraulically. As here shown, the bed 30 is movable and the head or platen 31 is immovable. On the bed is carried the lower die 32, while the upper die 33 is fastened beneath the head 31. These dies have reciprocal faces to impart the necessary corrugations to the sheet as it is squeezed between them. At the instant when the sheet is fed into the press, the bed 30 is lowered enough to afford the sheet free passage over the lower die. Or if the bed is immovable, the carriage is located to carry the sheet at a level suitably.

above the top of the lower die. The sheet is located in the press by any suitable gauges amazes:

(not shown) andis held against displacement bylsucha gauges or by any suitable stops of, well-known character. 7 thus located, and before the upper die: descends, the supporting barfor the sheet is fed into. place and the suspension loops are applied, as will nowbe described.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the sheet islettered L, and its rod is M, the connecting loops being letteredN, N. These loopsare of copper, which are folded closely around the rod.

The rods,having-been fed from their hopperg through apparatus h, 2,16 (Fig. 1):, are pushed endwis-e by'the feeder 70 to a position. (Fig. 4) above the entering side of the press, and then are carried downsuccessively by afeeding mechanism 36until finally,after the sheet has been fed into place in the press,

one of the rods is brought down toposition,

40, where it is in the horizontal plane" of the sheet and directly in front of it. In this position thetwo strips of copper to form the loops N, N, are fed into place against the rodand partly Wrapped around it. These strips are thus fed into avertical plane, as shown at 39, and while the rod is held fast at-its ends the strips are bent around the topand bottom sidesof the rod in the manner shownin Fig. 7.. T hisbending may be variously accomplished, the ineansshown consisting of. a plunger 41* which approaches therod from the position shown at41 in Fig. 4 and, encountering the strip, bends its upper and lower halves into horizontal positions against the top and bot.- tom-faces of the rod, as shownin Fig. 7. The plungers 41 are then moved forward with the rod: untilthe latter'is brought tothe position in Fig. 4. Thus'the two ends of the-strips to constitute the loops are brought above and below the plate L, and are then moved into contact with the plate by vertically-moving pressersbl, 52, as shown Fig. 8. While thus held, the loop endsarein correct register with the clinching punches 37, which then descend and penetrate through the threethicknesses of copper formed by the loop and sheet,

so that the upper thicknesses are carried down through the'low-er' ones turned outward and pressed or clinched down firmly into place, soas to bindthe three layers of copperintimately together. The clinched joints thus formed are shown clearly in Figs; 5 and that 38. he precise construction of punches or similar clinching means for accomplishing this cutting and clinchingof' the metal pref erabl y at a singlestroke, forms no necessary part" of the present invention, but'will beinade the subject of a separate apphcationafor-pa-tent. The punches 87 may conveniently ,be carried on the platen 31,; or. they mi 'ht be otherwise mounted. Ifon the platen,.thefirst upward movement of the-he'd 3.0hcausesthe punches 37 to penetrate the metaland perform their function, andultimately, as the dies 32, 33-,cometogether and' sque-eze the While the sheet is freeing themselves from therod and loops,

require to bemoved outof; the wayof the carriage K, ,foriwh-ich purpose they .may be droppedto theipositionshown in dotted lines at 4l;-iIr*Fig.. 4.

The out-feedingvof the :finished cathode sheet is. preferably. performedbya movement in the same direction as the i-n-fee'cl, and whereby it is carried outztothe-right in Fig.

4. For this, of course, the stops or gaugeswhich orig'inallylocated itsaremadeito move out of the way. The feeding out isperformed by any suitable grippers whichaseize the sheet and moveit out, transferrin-gxit first-to the horizontal position shown: at 42. The same feeding mechanism preferably then swings the sheet from the horizontal ,pl'aneinto a vertical -plane,'passingthrough. the; transitory positions indicatedby dotted lines,;at;43 and 44 and bringing it to the vertical plane shown."

at 45; The sheets are thus: successively brought (Fig. 1):, and theffinalmovementv 0f:tl1e' feed deposits. the sheetibetween two racks, with the projecting endsr'of the rod M. over -the upper edgesof these racks, and leaves the sheet'there suspended by therod. f I

The sheets require. to beput into the, racks this purpose the rods. arexreversed in the apparatusshownat g-,=h,;orik (:Fig. I), and at any convenientil'ocation, so that every alternate Y rodihas its. twisted end. at the opposite side. The: rods retain these relative locations duringthe successive operations, and consequently as they aresuccessively fedto the-pd sition 45 in Fig.4, they are presented onto} the racks 46 in the proper alternatedrelations,so that aseach rack is: filled it carriesthe: prescribed number and,v succession of, cathode sheets in proper relation for;being transported :1

cessity of handling'ormanipulating the sheets inany way: other than: directingazthe proper travelz'of' the cars-ifrom place; toiplace.

sheets in: pairs (tor-groups of" three 0 mm) for carrying them throughthe annealing:

i with their rods alternatelyureversedc For i While it is'preferableto superposeutlre nace, yet it is within the invention to carry the sheets through singly instead. Carrying them in pairs (or groups), however, is preferable, as it increases the capacity with a given length of furnace and duration of heating. r V

We claim as our invention:

1. The described mode of manufacturing cathode sheets of electrolytic copper, comprising (1) feeding successive sheets froma stack; (2) entering such sheets into an elongated muffle furnace; carrying such sheets through such furnace, whereby they are heated to a suitable temperature; (4) feeding such sheets out of said furnace; (5) plunging the sheets into abosh for cooling them; (6) stacking the sheets and transporting them to a press; (7) feeding the sheets from such stack into the press; (8) simultaneously feeding rods and loop-s to their prescribed relation with the successive sheets; (9) wrapping the loops around the rod'and holding them with their ends embracing the sheet; (10) punching through the superposed layers of copper and clinching them together to unite the loops and rod to the sheet; (11) squeezing the sheet between the members of the press; (12) feeding the completed sheet out of the press, and (13) turning the sheet into a vertical plane and depositing it in a carrying rack with the projecting ends of the rod resting on the rack. 2. The described succession of apparatus, comprising a mufie furnace adapted for heating the sheets to proper temperature for annealing, .means for feeding successive sheets from a stack, means for feeding the sheets into said furnace, means for propelling such sheets through the furnace, means for feeding the sheets out of said furnace, a bosh, means for plunging the sheets into the water of said bosh to cool them, means for stacking the sheets so that they may be transported; a press forsqueezing the sheets, means for feeding the sheets from said last-named stack to the press, means for feeding rods successively into relation with the sheets, means for feeding pairs of copper strips to the rods, means for bending such strips into loops around the rod and holding them in prescribed relation with the sheet, means for clinching together the superposed layers of copper to firmly attach the loops and rod to the sheet, means for feeding the completed sheets from the press, and meansrfor turning them into a vertical plane and for delivering them onto a rack.

3. The described mode of handling sheets of electrolytic copper for the manufacture of cathode sheets comprising (1) feeding successive sheets from a stack, (2) enteringisuch sheets into an elongated muffle furnace, (3) carrying such sheets through such furnace whereby they are heated to a suitable temperature, (4) feeding such sheets out of said furnace, (5) plunging the sheets'into a bosh for cooling them, and (6) stacking the sheets one upon another and transporting them away from said bosh.

4. The described mode of manufacturing cathode sheets of electrolytic copper comprising the successive operations of feeding the coppersheets to a stamping press, simultaneously feeding rods and loops to prescribed relationwith each of the successive sheet-s, wrapping the loops around the rods and holding them with their ends embracing the sheet, punching through the superposed layers of copper loops and sheet and clinching them together to unite the loops and rod to the sheet, squeezing the sheet between the members of the press, and feeding the completed sheet out of the press.

5. The described mode of handling cathode sheets of electrolytic copper from a stamping press, said sheets including an attached suspension rod, comprising feeding the completed sheet horizontally out of the press, turn ing the sheet into a vertical plane, and depositing it in a carrying rack with the projecting ends of the rod resting on the rack.

6. As a sub-process in the described mode of manufacturing cathode sheets of electrolytic copper, the successive steps of feeding the sheets singly from a stack, depositing such sheets on a support until a plurality of sheets are superposed thereon, and then feeding such plurality of sheets together into and through the furnace.

7. The described apparatus comprising a muffle furnace, means for carrying sheets through such furnace, means for feeding successive sheets into said furnace, means for feeding the sheets out of the furnace, a bosh, means for plunging the sheets into the water of said bosh to cool them, and means for stacking the sheets so that they may be transported.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further com prising means for feeding sheets individually from a stack, means for depositing them upon a support until a desired plurality of sheets are superposed on such support, and means for feeding such superposed sheets together into and through said furnace.

9. The described apparatus comprising a press for squeezing the copper sheets, means for feeding the sheets individually to said press, means for feeding rods successively into relation with the sheets, means for feeding pairs of copper strips to the rods, means for bending such strips into loops around the rod and holding them in prescribed relation with the sheet, and means forclinching together the superposed layers of copper to firmly attach the loops and rod to the sheet.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

WM. F. EPPENSTEINER. WILLIAM F. EPPENSTEINER,

Images