US3634223A - Contact assembly - Google Patents

Contact assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
US3634223A
US3634223A US14150A US3634223DA US3634223A US 3634223 A US3634223 A US 3634223A US 14150 A US14150 A US 14150A US 3634223D A US3634223D A US 3634223DA US 3634223 A US3634223 A US 3634223A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
sheet
contact member
reduced portion
sealing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US14150A
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English (en)
Inventor
Daniel T Carter
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
United States Steel Corp
Original Assignee
United States Steel Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of US3634223A publication Critical patent/US3634223A/en
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D7/00—Electroplating characterised by the article coated
    • C25D7/06—Wires; Strips; Foils
    • C25D7/0614—Strips or foils
    • C25D7/0657—Conducting rolls

Definitions

  • the contact assembly has a contact member on the periphery of the rotatable member of the plating apparatus, which contact member is engageable with the unplated side of the sheet during the path of movement of the sheet through the electrolyte and makes electrical contact with the sheet.
  • the contact member has a contact edge.
  • Sealing means are adjacent the contact member on the rotatable member for receiving an outer edge of the sheet and for sealing the unplated side of the sheet from the electrolyte and for maintaining the cumulative plating current in the sheet and for guiding the cumulative plating current toward the contact member.
  • the sealing member has a sealing edge in sealing engagement with the contact edge of the contact member, thereby forming a contact assembly seal.
  • the contact member has a reduced portion adjacent the end of the contact assembly seal adjacent the contact edge.
  • the reduced portion has a high resistance and a low conductance so that a portion of the cumulative plating current is carried by the reduced portion and the remainder of the cumulating plating current is carried by the sheet so that the transfer current density in the reduced portion is below the hotspot-producing level in the sheet and below the pickledband-producing level in the reduced portion.
  • the contact member also has a substantially full portion adjacent the other end of the contact assembly seal.
  • the full portion has a lower resistance than the resistance of the reduced portion and a higher conductance than the conductance of the reduced portion so that the transfer current adjacent the full portion is substantially the residual cumulative plating current in the sheet.
  • the contact member also has an intermediate portion intermediate the reduced portion and the full portion for increasing the transfer current density into the contact member between the reduced portion and the full portion.
  • conductor rolls employed in a radial-type plating cell have been of the type shown in FIGS. 20-22 of U.S. Pat. 3,483,113, issued Dec. 9, 1969, to applicant and assigned to United States Steel Corporation.
  • Such a conductor roll consists of a low carbon steel body having a stainless steel contact ring secured to the roll body and resilient sealing bands formed of rubber or the like covering the roll body and lapped over the contact ring, as shown particularly in FIG. 22 of the above mentioned patent, to effect a seal between the sealing band and the contact ring.
  • a high transfer current density occurs approximately /2 to 1" from the edge of the contact ring. If the transfer current density were uniform over the entire contact ring surface, the transfer current density would be about 8.05 amperes per square inch for a plating cell having about a 5 foot diameter, and about 25,000-ampere capacity.
  • the actual transfer-current density at a distance at about /2 to 1" from the edge of the contact ring is approximately 48 ice amperes per square inch.
  • This high current density is due to the sheet plating current load outside the contact ring and the difference in total conductivity between the strip being plated and the contact ring on the conductor roll.
  • the contact ring on the conductor roll in conventional insulations is a better total conductor than the strip.
  • the majority of the plating current travels to the edge of the contact ring, then transfers to the strip, thereby resulting in a high transfer current density at the edge of the contact ring.
  • This high transfer current density causes hot spots in the strip and an uncleaned pickled band on the edge of the contact ring.
  • the adhesive bond between the rubber resilient sealing band and the stainless steel contact ring often fails thereby permitting the high acid electrolyte (about 8% acid) to seep under the rubber sealing band and to attack the low carbon steel in the conductor roll body.
  • the resultant loss of bond between the sealing bands and the contact ring will permit foreign materials to gather under the sealing ring, thereby elevating the sealing ring in a circumferential band near the edge of the stainless steel contact ring with attendant distorted strip shapes.
  • This contact assembly has a contact member on the periphery of the rotatable member of the plating apparatus, which contact member is engageable with the unplated side of the sheet (or the plated side of the sheet when making a twoside coating) during the path of movement of the sheet through the electrolyte and makes electrical contact with the sheet.
  • the contact member has a contact edge.
  • Sealing means are adjacent the contact member on the rotatable member for receiving an outer edge of the sheet and for sealing the unplated side of the sheet from the electrolyte and for maintaining the cumulative plating current in the sheet and for guiding the cumulative plating current toward the contact member.
  • the sealing member has a sealing edge in sealing engagement with the contact edge of the contact member, thereby forming a contact assembly seal.
  • the contact member has a reduced portion adjacent the end of the contact assembly seal adjacent the contact edge.
  • the reduced portion has a high resistance and a low conductance so that a portion of the cumulative plating current is carried by the reduced portion and the remainder of the cumulating plating current is carried by the sheet so that the transfer current density in the reduced portion is below the hot-spot-producing level in the sheet and below the pickled band producing level in the reduced portion.
  • the contact member also has a substantially full portion adjacent the other end of the contact assembly seal.
  • the full portion has a lower resistance than the resistance of the reduced portion and a higher conductance than the conductance of the reduced portion so that the transfer current adjacent the full portion is substantially the residual cumulative plating current in the sheet.
  • the contact member also has an intermediate portion intermediate the reduced portion and the full portion for increasing the transfer current density into the contact member between the reduced portion and the full portion.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially diagrammatic, showing a rotary plating apparatus for electroplating a metal onto one side of a moving sheet, which apparatus contains the improved contact assembly of this invention;
  • FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the lines 22 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic enlarged vertical sectional view of the improved contact assembly and showing diagrammatically the cumulative plating current, the plating currents in the sheet, and the plating currents in the contact member along the contact assembly seal of the contact assembly;
  • FIG. 4A is an enlarged diagrammatic fragmentary vertical sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the contact assembly and showing a serrated contact assembly seal;
  • FIG. 4B is a figure similar to FIG. 4A and showing a corrugated type contact assembly seal
  • FIG. 4C is a view similar to FIGS. 4A, 4B and showing a concave arcuate contact assembly seal
  • FIG. 4D is a view similar to FIGS. 4A-4C of another alternative embodiment of the contact assembly and showing arresting surface portions on the reduced portion and intermediate portion of the contact assembly;
  • FIG. 4B similar to FIGS. 4A-4D shows a convex arcuate contact assembly seal
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of one member of the contact member or the sealing member, in this case the contact member, provided with a plurality of various kinds of dimples or holes;
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic enlarged side elevational view showing the contact member and the sealing means provided with protuberances of various kinds.
  • this invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with a rotary-type plating apparatus for electroplating a metal onto one side of a 4 moving sheet and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.
  • a rotary-type plating apparatus for electroplating a metal, such as zinc or the like, onto one side 10a of a moving sheet 10, such as cold-rolled carbon steel sheet or the like, is indicated generally by the reference numeral 12.
  • This apparatus 12 is of the type shown in the above mentioned US. Pat. No. 3,483,113.
  • the reference numerals shown in FIGS. 1, 2 are the same as those in such patent.
  • the moving sheet 10 is provided with a sheet edge such as 101;, (FIG. 2) and is mounted under tension by means of an entry roll 14 and an exit roll 16 (FIG. 1).
  • the apparatus 12 has tank means, such as an electrically insulated tank 18 (FIGS. 1, 2) which tank 18 is adapted to contain an electrolyte 20 (FIGS. 1-3) of the type disclosed in such US. Pat. No. 3,483,113.
  • a rotatable member, such as the drum 22 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) is mounted on a shaft 24 (FIGS. 1, 2) and is rotatable on bearings 27 (FIG. 2) in the electrolyte 20.
  • Such drum 22 receives the other side 10d (FIG. 1) of the sheet 10 and guides the sheet 10 along its path of movement, as shown in FIG. 1 through the electrolyte 20.
  • Anode means FIGGS.
  • the anode 26 (suitably formed, for example, of about 99.5% lead and the balance silver), is disposed in the electrolyte 20 adjacent the drum 22 and the unplated side 10d of the sheet 10.
  • the anode 26 defines with the sheet 10 a cavity 29 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3).
  • the apparatus 12 is provided with a contact assembly 28 (FIGS. 2, 3) of this invention for limiting transfer current density in the rotary type plating apparatus 12.
  • the contact assembly 28 (FIG. 3) has a contact member 30 (FIGS. 2, 3) suitably a contact ring formed of stainless steel, nickel, or the like, mounted on a carbonsteel body 32 (FIGS. 2, 3) of the drum 22.
  • Carpenter 20Cb3 alloy stainless steel manufactured by Carpenter Steel Company, Reading, Pa. is a suitable material for the contact ring 30.
  • the contact member or ring 30 is engageable with the unplated side 10d of the sheet 10 during the path of movement of the sheet 10 through the electrolyte 20 and makes electrical contact with the sheet 10.
  • the contact member 30 has a contact edge 34 (FIG. 3). Sealing means, such as the resilient sealing bands 36 (FIGS.
  • Neoprene synthetic rubber manufactured by E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Wilmington, Del. is a suitable material for the sealing bands 36.
  • the sealing member or band 36 has a sealing edge 38 (FIG.
  • an adhesive 40 for example, Typly ambient temperature adhesive manufactured by Marbon Chemical, Division of Borg-Warner Corporation, Gary, Ind., with the contact edge 34 to form a contact assembly seal 42 (FIG. 3).
  • the contact member 30 has a reduced portion 44 adjacent the right-hand end, as viewed in FIG. 3, of the contact assembly seal 42 adjacent the contact edge 34 of contact member 30.
  • the reduced portion 44 has a high resistance and low conductance so that a portion I of the cumulative plating current I is carried by the reduced portion 44 and the remainder 1, of the cumulative plating current I is carried by the sheet 10 so that the transfer current I in the reduced portion 44 is below the hot-spot-producing level in the sheet 10 and below the pickled-band-producing portion in the reduced portion 44.
  • the contact member 30 also has a substantially full portion 46 (FIG. 3) adjacent the left-hand end, as viewed in FIG. 3, of the contact assembly seal 42.
  • This full portion 46 has a lower resistance than the resistance of the reduced portion 44 and a higher conductance than the conductance of the reduced portion 44 so that the transfer current 1, adjacent the full portion 46 is substantially the current 1,, in the sheet 10.
  • the contact member 30 has an intermediate portion 48 (FIG. 3) intermediate the reduced portion 44 and the full portion 46 for increasing the current 1 1 etc. in the contact member 30 between the reduced portion 44 and the full portion 46.
  • FIG. 3 shows a typical set of values for the cumulative plating current 1 the transfer currents I Itz, etc. the current in the sheet 1 I etc., and the current I 1 etc. in the contact member 30 along the contact assembly seal 42.
  • FIG. 3 Suitable dimensions (FIG. 3) for a typical contact assembly seal 42 are shown in the following table:
  • the contact member or ring 30 and the sealing band 38 are provided respectively with a serrated contact edge 34 and sealing edge 38%, to form a generally serrated contact assembly seal 42.
  • FIG. 4B shows a generally corrugated type contact assembly seal 42
  • FIG. 4C a generally concave arcuate contact assembly seal 42 is shown.
  • This contact assembly seal 42 may be circular, elliptical, hyperbolical, parabolical, or the like.
  • FIG. 4B shows a convex arcuate contact assembly seal 42 It will be understood for a consideration of FIG. 5 that either the contact member 30 as shown in FIG. 5, or the sealing bands 36 (not shown in FIG.
  • the dimples 54 may be (as shown in FIG. 5) circular holes 54a, slots 54b, square or rhombic holes 540, cross holes 54d, mesh holes 542, zig-zag holes 54;, corrugated holes 54g or the like.
  • the contact member 30 may be provided with protuberances.
  • protuberances such as the divergent prong type protuberances 56a, frusto-spherical hollow protuberances 56b, frustoconical hollow protuberances 56c, hollow cylindrical protuberances 56d, parallelepiped type protuberances 56e, pointed protuberances 56 round protuberances 56g, or the like.
  • a rotary type plating apparatus for electroplating a metal onto one side of a moving sheet provided with a sheet edge and being under tension, said apparatus having:
  • said contact member having a contact edge
  • sealing member having a sealing edge in sealing engagement with said contact edge to form a contact assembly seal
  • said contact member having a reduced portion adjacent the end of said contact assembly seal adjacent said sheet edge, said reduced portion having a high resistance and low conductance so that a portion of said cumulative plating current is carried by said reduced portion and the remainder of said cumulative plating current is carried by said sheet so that the transfer current density in said reduced portion is below the hot-spot-producing level in said sheet and below the pickled-band-producing level in said reduced portion,
  • said contact member also having a substantially full portion adjacent the other end of said contact assembly seal, said full portion having a lower resistance than the resistance of said reduced portion and a higher conductance than the conductance of said reduced portion so that the transfer current density adjacent said full portion is substantially the residual cumulative plating current in said sheet,
  • said contact member having an intermediate portion intermediate said reduced portion and said full portion, said intermediate portion having a gradient resistance between the resistance of said reduced portion and said full portion and a gradient conductance between the conductance of said reduced portion and said full portion to gradually increase the transfer current density into said contact member between said reduced portion and said full portion.
  • a contact assembly for limiting transfer-current density in a rotary-type plating apparatus for electroplating a metal onto one side of a moving sheet provided with a sheet edge and being under tension and having tank means adapted to contain an electrolyte, a rotatable member rotatable in said electrolyte and for receiving the other side of said sheet and for guiding said sheet along a path of movement through said electrolyte, and anode means in said electrolyte adjacent said rotatable member and said one side of said sheet, said contact assembly having:
  • said contact member having a contact edge
  • sealing member having a sealing edge in sealing engagement with said contact edge to form a contact assembly seal
  • said reduced portion having a high resistance and low conductance so that a portion of said cumulative plating current is carried by said sheet so that the transfer current density in said reduced portion is below the hot-spot-producing level in said sheet and below the pickel-band-producing level in said reduced portion,
  • said full portion having a lower resistance than the resistance of said reduced portion and a higher conductance than the conductance of said reduced portion so that the transfer current density adjacent said full portion is substantially the residual cumulative plating current in said sheet
  • said contact member having an intermediate portion intermediate said reduced portion and said full portion, said intermediate portion having a gradient resistance between the resistance of said reduced portion and said full portion and a gradient conductance between the conductance of said reduced portion and said full portion to gradually increase the transfer current density into said contact member between said reduced portion and said full portion.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electroplating Methods And Accessories (AREA)
US14150A 1970-02-25 1970-02-25 Contact assembly Expired - Lifetime US3634223A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US1415070A 1970-02-25 1970-02-25

Publications (1)

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US3634223A true US3634223A (en) 1972-01-11

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ID=21763826

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US14150A Expired - Lifetime US3634223A (en) 1970-02-25 1970-02-25 Contact assembly

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US (1) US3634223A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5434691B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE763226A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA936832A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2108787C2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES388534A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2078951A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1338651A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL173982C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ZA (1) ZA71934B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3900383A (en) * 1974-07-24 1975-08-19 Nat Steel Corp Apparatus for electroplating
US4264416A (en) * 1973-10-04 1981-04-28 Noz Francis X Method for continuous application of strip ribbon or patch-shaped coatings to a metal tape
EP0089790A1 (en) * 1982-03-15 1983-09-28 Uss Engineers And Consultants, Inc. Conductor roll for electrotreating of metal strip
US4500400A (en) * 1983-10-07 1985-02-19 Kawasaki Steel Corporation Counter flow device for electroplating apparatus
US4661230A (en) * 1985-08-12 1987-04-28 Centro Sperimentale Metallurgico Spa Radial cell electroplating device
US4800004A (en) * 1987-04-17 1989-01-24 Kawasaki Steel Corp. Conductor roll profile adjustment
US4849083A (en) * 1987-07-07 1989-07-18 Sollac Rotary conductor roll for continuously electroplating metal strip or other electrically conductive strip
US5069762A (en) * 1991-01-18 1991-12-03 Usx Corporation Appartaus for improved current transfer in radial cell electroplating
US5188719A (en) * 1990-09-11 1993-02-23 Yoshida Kogyo K. K. Electrolytic processing system
US5228965A (en) * 1990-10-30 1993-07-20 Gould Inc. Method and apparatus for applying surface treatment to metal foil
US5242562A (en) * 1992-05-27 1993-09-07 Gould Inc. Method and apparatus for forming printed circuits
US5393396A (en) * 1990-10-30 1995-02-28 Gould Inc. Apparatus for electrodepositing metal
US5721007A (en) * 1994-09-08 1998-02-24 The Whitaker Corporation Process for low density additive flexible circuits and harnesses

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4236927A1 (de) * 1992-10-31 1994-05-05 Hans Josef May Vorrichtung zum einseitigen elektrolytischen Beschichten von Metallbändern

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3483113A (en) * 1966-02-11 1969-12-09 United States Steel Corp Apparatus for continuously electroplating a metallic strip

Cited By (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4264416A (en) * 1973-10-04 1981-04-28 Noz Francis X Method for continuous application of strip ribbon or patch-shaped coatings to a metal tape
US3900383A (en) * 1974-07-24 1975-08-19 Nat Steel Corp Apparatus for electroplating
EP0089790A1 (en) * 1982-03-15 1983-09-28 Uss Engineers And Consultants, Inc. Conductor roll for electrotreating of metal strip
US4415425A (en) * 1982-03-15 1983-11-15 United States Steel Corporation Conductor roll contour
US4500400A (en) * 1983-10-07 1985-02-19 Kawasaki Steel Corporation Counter flow device for electroplating apparatus
US4661230A (en) * 1985-08-12 1987-04-28 Centro Sperimentale Metallurgico Spa Radial cell electroplating device
AU580505B2 (en) * 1985-08-12 1989-01-12 Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.P.A Radial cell electroplating device
US4800004A (en) * 1987-04-17 1989-01-24 Kawasaki Steel Corp. Conductor roll profile adjustment
US4849083A (en) * 1987-07-07 1989-07-18 Sollac Rotary conductor roll for continuously electroplating metal strip or other electrically conductive strip
US5188719A (en) * 1990-09-11 1993-02-23 Yoshida Kogyo K. K. Electrolytic processing system
US5228965A (en) * 1990-10-30 1993-07-20 Gould Inc. Method and apparatus for applying surface treatment to metal foil
AU644022B2 (en) * 1990-10-30 1993-12-02 Gould Inc. Method and apparatus for applying surface treatment to metal foil
US5393396A (en) * 1990-10-30 1995-02-28 Gould Inc. Apparatus for electrodepositing metal
US5069762A (en) * 1991-01-18 1991-12-03 Usx Corporation Appartaus for improved current transfer in radial cell electroplating
US5242562A (en) * 1992-05-27 1993-09-07 Gould Inc. Method and apparatus for forming printed circuits
US5429738A (en) * 1992-05-27 1995-07-04 Gould Inc. Method for forming printed circuits by elctroplating
US5721007A (en) * 1994-09-08 1998-02-24 The Whitaker Corporation Process for low density additive flexible circuits and harnesses

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE763226A (fr) 1971-08-19
ZA71934B (en) 1971-10-27
GB1338651A (en) 1973-11-28
CA936832A (en) 1973-11-13
JPS5434691B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1979-10-29
DE2108787C2 (de) 1985-09-26
NL173982B (nl) 1983-11-01
FR2078951A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-11-05
ES388534A1 (es) 1973-05-16
DE2108787A1 (de) 1971-09-09
NL7102472A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-08-27
NL173982C (nl) 1984-04-02

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