US866959A

US866959A - Electroplating apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US866959A
Application number: US31464906A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis Potthoff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-05-01
Filing date: 1906-05-01
Publication date: 1907-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1924-09-24

Description

PATENTE D SEPT. 24, 1907.

L.POTTHOPP. BLEGTROPLATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. UNITED STATES LOUIS rorrnorr, OF rnusnmei NEW YORK.

ELECTROPLATING APP AR ATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, LoUIs Por'rrrorr, a citizen .of

the United .States, residing at Flushing, in the county of .Queens'and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Electroplating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear,and

exact specification.

This invention relates to' electroplating apparatus and more particularly has for its object the production of an apparatus wherein the entire handling of the material shall be accomplished mechanically, in transferring it from one tank to'another.

The invention is shown herein in two forms,'oneadapted for the automatic handling of small articles such as nails, et'c., and the other for elongated material such'as rods, pipes, etc., but both embodying the same general principles of operation.

A further object is to improve upon apparatus heretofore devised by me for handling small articles by the provision ofmeans whereby the material canbe auto matically discharged outside the tank, and to provide improved and simplified circuit connections.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an apparatus for handling small articles; Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the electrical arrangements; Fig. 3 shows an apparatus for handling elongated. material, and Fig. 4 is a plan view. x

Beferring first to Figs. '1 and 2, 1 represents a tank for the galvanizing solution, of usual construction and lined with acid proof "material. 2 is a similar tank containing a washing-solution of hot water into which the articles are automatically discharged-from the galvanizing tank, and thence, automatically discharged onto a table or other receptacle 3. The apparatus for small articles comprises a rotatable barrel conveyer4 composed'of

heads

5, 5, a side'6, and is mounted on a shaft 7, which is driven by a sprocket 8. The side 6 is composed of a number'of slats 9, within which is a porous lining'or support 10, for the material, composed of burlap, cane matting er similar material. Outside of the slats is an anode -11 of sheet zinc, and the latter is connected by wires 12 to a copper'bushing carried by the shaft 7 and turning in copper bearings.

1i connected to the positive terminal of the current supply. The negative current connection is from the oppoeite bearing 15 to a copper bushing 16 and thence to arms or stirrers 17 which rotate with the drum and stir up the material which rests on the porous sup-' port10 v In order to automatically discharge the material, the

barrel is provided with a longitudinal opening 19, and

over this is a shield 20, forming a chamber 21, which prevents escape of the material except when the bar-'- rel-is rotated counter clockwise in Fig. 1. .When rotating clockwise, the. material falls over the opening 19 Specification of Letters'Patenti i Application-filed Mav 1,1906.- Serial No. 8191.649.

Patented Sept. 24. 1907.

other direction a: quantity of the material passes through the opening 19 into the chamber 21 and thence falls outside the barrelwhen it reaches the position shown in Fig. 1.

washing tank '2, a pivoted door 23 is provided, which automatically falls open so as to form a chute, down which the'material fromJchambe'r 2l slides onto a chute 24 leadingto washing tank 2,

ofthe door, and 26 is a roller thereon which rides on a of the" material trapped in chamber 21 will open door and slide down into washing tank 2.

29 is a stop which lever engages and 30 isa pin mounted on an upright 31 carried by the frame for closing the door automatically by engaging the lever 25. [In Fig. 1, arrow 32 indicates the direction of rota-' tion when galvanizing, and the material" falls across opening 19 without being trapped in chamber 21. When the material is to be'discharged, the barrel is rotated'in the direction of arrow 33, thus trapping material in chamber 21, which cannot escape until the roller 26 rides off the right end of track 27, thereby enabling the material to fall out on the door 23 and closed, the lever clears pin 31, so that in the ordinary rotation while galvanizing, no interference between supplied to contact with. the orstirrers 17, and the current passes from the anode, through the soluthence out through the arms 17. I

In the water tank 2 is mounted a rotary conve' .formed of a plurality of baskets or buckets having straight sides 36 and curved sides 37, and rotating in a porous circular basket 38, which forms a' continuation of the chute 24. At the opposite side is a chute 39 leading to table 3, and positioned so as to form a continuationnof the straight sides 36 of the buckets. As

barrel down chute 24' into one of the buckets and is carried up through'the water and' automatically discharged onto table 3.. The conveyor will be driven synchronously withthe drum in any suitable manner;

prevents escape of material.

Because of the difference in the character of terial, the apparatus for long material, such as pipes,

'ance.

without escaping, but when the barre rotates in the l is the tank, 2the washing tank, as before. The

. In order to guide the discharged material into the,

25 is a cam shaped forked levercarried at one endthe door and the pin occurs; 'Sufficient material istion and the porous support 10 to.the" material and bars, channels, &c., is somewhat different in appear- '110 track27 to hold the door closed and prevent the escape a of material before the door has reached its highest elev'ation and is about to descend, whereupon the weight chute Further rotation of the'barrel in this direction, automatically closes the door by the engagement of lever 25 with pin 31, and while't-he .door remains a yer35,.."- v

will be seen from Fig. 1, the material falls from the the ma- The porous basket38 permits circulation of water but tank 1 is somewhat longer, and contains a pair of fixed cathode rails 40 inclined to the direction of travel, which support the material at the same time changing the point of contact therewith.

41 is a conveyer having wooden pins 42 for moving the bars or pipes 43, one being provided for each side.

44 is a conductor carrying brushes 45 which bear on the material 43 -as it is moved along to help take out the current, as the contact with therails 40 is no always sufficient to prevent burning.

46, 47, are'rotary arms which take the weight of the material at each end in order to prevent breaking the pins 42, and thearms 47 are curved in such manner that after lifting the material out it can roll down on to an oscillatory latch 48, which is operated by a lever 49 and cam 50 to periodically discharge the material into tank 2, through which it is moved and washed by arms 51 and discharged onto table 3 by a mechanism similar to that between

tanks

1 and 2.

52is an anode of sheet zinc and is connected with a source of current in the usual manner, and the cathodes 40 and 44 are connected to the other side of the current supply as will be well understood. The shafts for the conveyer and the other parts will be suitably driven as before described. If hollow articles are to be galvanized on both sides, it is desirable to provide within the pipes inside anodes consistingof bars of zinc. wrapped with porous material and connected to the current source in any suitable manner, these inside anodes dissolving away to produce the inside coating as described in my Patent No. 786,776, dated April 4, 1905. From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided an electroplating apparatus which will, as long as it is supplied with material, perform automatically the operations of galvanizing and washing, obviating entirely the necessity of handling the material by hand. It has been found thatwith my improvements, one man can attend to a number of machines, and consequently largely reduce the expense.

- At the same time the contact of the material and the support will be automatically changed during the plating operation, so that an even coating will be secured o'n all parts of the material. g

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,"is,

1. In an electroplating apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, and a washing tank, of a single means for moving material through the galvanizing'tank to be galvanized and mechanically discharging the material into the washing tank from the. galvanizing tank, substantially as described.

2. In an electroplating apparatus, the-combination with a galvanizing tank, and a washing tank, of a single means for moving material through the galvanizing tank to be galvanized and mechanically discharging the material into the washing tank from the galvanizing tank, and means for automatically discharging the material from the washing tank, substantially as described.

3. Inan electroplating apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, and a washing tank, of means for moving material through the galvanizing tank to be gulvm nized while automatically changing the points of contact between the material and its support, and mechanically discharging the material into the washing tank, substantially as described.

4. In an electroplating apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, of a single means for moving material washing tank, substantially as described.

through the galvanizing tank to be galvanized while automatically changing the points of contact between the material and its support while being moved nnd mechanically discharging the material into the washing tank, and means for automatically discharging the material from the 5. In an electroplating apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, of ii tumbling barrel therein for shaking material while being galvanized, a washing tank, said tumbling barrel mechanically discharging material directly into the washing tank, substantially as described.

6. In an electroplating apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, of a tumbling barrel therein for slinking material while being galvanized, a washing tank, said tumbling barrel mechanically discharging material directly into the washing tank, and means for automatically discharging material from the washing tank, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a tumbling barrel adapted to contain material to be treated, and a tank, ofv menus whereby the mnterial can be discharged by the tumbling barrel outside the tank without removing the barrel from the solution, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a tumbling barrel adapted to contain material to be treated, and a tank, of means whereby the material is retained in the barrel when rotated in one direction and discharged by the barrel directly outside the tank when rotated in the opposite direction, substnntially as described.

f). The combination with a tumbling barrel adapted to contain material to he treated, and a tank, of means where by the material is retained in the barrel when rotated in one direction and discharged therefrom down an inclined surface directly outside the tank when rotated in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

10. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, and a washing tank, of a tumbling barrel .therein adapted to retain material when rotated in one direction and to discharge material when rotated in the other, a washing tank, and means whereby the discharged material is discharged by the barrel into the washing tank, substantially as described.

11. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, and a washing tank, of a tumbling barrel therein adapted to retain material when rotated in one direction and to discharge material into the washing tank when rotated in the other and means for discharging the material from the washing tank, substantially as described.

12. In a galvanizing apparatus, the combination with a galvanizing tank, of means for moving material through a galvanizing solution therein comprising a tumbling burrel having a door, means whereby said door acts as a, .chute, means for discharging material from the barrel, and

a washing tank for-receiving the discharged material, substantially as described.

13. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a tumbling barrel, having a-door, of means for positioning said door to act as a chute, means for discharging material carried by the barrel onto said door when so positioned, a washing tank to receive the discharged material, and a conveyor in said tank for discharging the material therefrom, substantially as described.

14. The combination with a tank, of tumbling barrel therein, and the barrel having means for automatically discharging material outside the tank through the side of' the barrel, substantially as described.

15. The combination with :1 tank, of u tumbling barrel 'partiaily'immersed therein, and means for preventing the discharge of material from the barrel until the material is carried out of the solution, substantially as described.

16. The combination with a tank, of a tumbling barrel partially immersed therein, means for confining the ma- .teriai. and means whereby the material can be carried out and means for automatically discharging the material from the conveyer, substantially as described.

18. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a closure for the side of the tumbling barrel, of means for automatically opening said closure to permit discharge,

of thematerial, substantially as described.

19. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a closure for the side of a tumbling barrel, of means for automatically opening said closure upon reversal of the.

direction of movement to discharge the material. substantially as described.

20. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a barrel having an opening in the side, of a pivoted door for closing said opening, and means for positively preventing the opening of said door during a portion of the. revolution of said drum, substantially as'described.

21. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a barrel having an opening in the side, of a movable door for closing said opening, and a shield for keeping material away from the door, substantially as described;

22. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the combination with a barrel having a longitudinal opening in the side, of a pivoted door for closing said opening, and a shield within the barrel and preventing the access of materialto J said door except when the barrel is rotated in one direction, substantially as described.

23. In a tumbling barrel apparatus, the. combination with a barrel rotatably mounted on a shaft, of rotatable cathode terminals mounted to rotate with said'barrel, said cathode terminals being within the barrel, an anode carried by the barrel, and electrical connections for said anode and cathode passingthrough the shaft bearings, substan-- tially as described.

. 24. In a. tumbling .barrel apparatus, the combination with a barrel having a pivoted closing door, of means whereby the door opens when a certain point is reached, and means for automatically closing the door upon further movement in the same direction, substantially as described. 25. The combination with atank, of a tumbling barrel therein provided with means for mechanically discharging the material outside'the tank without removingthe barrel from the solution, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS POIITHOFB.

Witnesses JUL AN S. Woosrrm, Gno. A. HOFFMAN.