US1977499A

US1977499A - Electrolytic apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1977499A
Application number: US649185A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tetrault Michael
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-12-28
Filing date: 1932-12-28
Publication date: 1934-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1951-10-16

Description

Oct. 16, 1934. M, TETRAULT ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS Filed Dec. 28, 1932 Michael TiraaZZ" Patented Oct. 16, 1934 ETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

5 particularly those relating to the electrolytic deposition of metals such as zinc or copper, it is important that the anodes and cathodes be positively spaced and insulated from each other. For this purpose a strip or as it is commonly called, a stick, is used. The usual stick comprises a strip of wood which is longitudinally grooved, the width of the groove being slightly less than the thickness of the plate electrode so that the stick may be forced onto the edge of the plate and held :frictionally thereon within the groove. The sticks, being held on the electrodes merely by friction, often become detached from the electrodes and besides become warped and rotted, and split or cracked and therefore useless, due to the action of the electrolyte. As a result a considerable expense for labor and material is involved in maintaining the wooden stick insulators.

To overcome these difiiculties, considerable experiments have been made with various materials, but up to the present time no solution could be found for the problem. It was proposed to use sticks of rubber of a similar shape to the wooden sticks, but up to the present time rubber sticks have not proven satisfactory for use in general.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a stick composed of aluminum and having a rubber binding and insulating member in association therewith, the principal objects being to provide a stick which is not subject to and which will overcome the difficulties herein enumerated that are encountered with the sticks now in use.

To this end and with other objects in view as will be apparent from the disclosure, the invention consists of the following described parts and combination thereof, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective fragmentary View showing a plate electrode provided with an insulating member constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded fragmentary view in perspective.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The invention comprises an aluminum strip or stick 1 and a strip of flexible rubber 2.

The stick 1 is in the form of an elongated strip, substantially U-shaped in cross section and may be of any desired length and thickness, having

side walls

3, 4 respectively and edges 5, 6 and a channel 7. The edges 5, 6 serve as tearing edges for stripping off metal from a plate electrode 8 which metal accumulates upon the plate as a result of deposition thereon during the electrolytic deposition process. This metal is generally known as twenty-four hour metal. The rubber strip 2 may be of any desired length or thickness and is adapted to be fitted snugly within the channel 7 of the stick 1. The strip 2 has edges 9, 10 respectively, which edges do not project beyond the edges 5, 6 of stick 1, but lie in alignment therewith. The strip 2 when fitted in the channel '7 defines a space 11 for enabling the assembled stick and rubber strip when forced upon an edge of the electrode plate 8, to be held frictionally thereon. The rubber 2 acts to bind the plate firmly within the channel 7 and at the same time spaces and insulates the stick 1 from the plate 8.

This construction provides a stick for use in electrolytic deposition processes, which is adapted, to be forced upon the edge of a plate electrode to be frictionally held thereon. The stick will last 5 as long as the plate and does not have to be renewed as it is not subject to becoming warped or worn away and is not affected by the electrolyte. If the insulated metal stick or strip is properly applied to the plate edge, the strip will preserve the edge of the plate which is eaten away very fast when wood or rubber strips are used.

This invention is not limited to the specific use set forth, but may be employed wherever an edge protecting member is desired for a plate or where an insulating member is to be secured to a conductor and in other analogous applications.

What I claim is:-

In an electrolytic apparatus, an electrode stick comprising a metallic member of channel-shaped cross section lined throughout with rubber for bearing directly against marginal portions of the electrode bordering an edge of the latter, said rubber lining acting to elastically couple the electrode with said member and to insulate the latter from the electrode.

MICHAEL 'I'ETRAULT.