Improvements in or relating to Electro-plating, Typing, or Depositing Devices.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Electro-plating, Typing, or Depositing
Devices.
1, JOHN BOSSARD, of Dubuque, in the County of Dubuque, State of Iowa, one
of the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to electro-plating, typing or depositing devices, wherein the
article to be deposited upon is caused to automatically travel through the bath, in
such a manner that the deposit will be evenly, smoothly and rapidly made upon the
articles and consists, preferably, in an oblong tank or vat with a firm bridge
longitudinally over the tank from which the articles to be deposited upon, are
suspended.
It further consists in means for causing the articles to travel automatically
through the bath in the tank, while they are suspended from the bridge, without
the carrier coming in contact with the bath in the tank.
It further consists in means wherein the anodes are suspended within the bath
from individual carriers and connected in such a manner that each individual anode
can be brought into the circuit in the bath and cut out at pleasure without
destroying the effects of the remaining anodes, whereby the anode surface may be
increased or diminished at will to any extent and at any place along the line of
travel of the article.
My invention further consists in means for imparting to the articles to be
deposited upon, an undulatory or wavy motion in its passage through the bath,
thereby causing the bath to be gently stirred, whereby the deposit is made much more
rapidly and evenly on the articles in the bath.
And still further it consists in devices for regulating and controlling the speed of
the travel of the articles to be deposited upon through the bath.
As to the manner in which I accomplish these and other minor objects, attention
is invited to the Specification and accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1, is a perspective of my invention, showing the tank with the bridge, the
endless belt and means for causing the belt to travel along and over the bridge.
Fig. 2, is a plan view of my tank, showing the endless belt, the manner of sus-
pending the anodes and means for imparting an undulatory, or wavy motion to the
articles to be plated in their passage through the bath.
Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the tank and bridge with a portion cut away,
showing the manner of suspending the articles to be plated, from the bridge.
Fig. 4, is an end view of the tank, bridge and cathode bar.
Fig. 5, shows the form of the cathode bar.
Fig. 6, is a modification of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7, is a plan view of the anode carrier.
Fig. 8, is a side elevation of one of the anodes.
Like letters denote corresponding parts in all of the drawings.
A, represents my improved tank, which is made watertight in the usual manner
and preferably of much greater length than width and is firmly set on the
horses B, B. Above the tank A, is secured a rigid and nearly inflexible beam or
bridge C, with a smooth metallic upper surface which extends longitudinally over
the tank A, from end to end. To either side of which bridge C, is secured a
piece b, both of which extend above the body of the bridge and serve as a œnide

page_text: for the endless belt, presently to be described. The endless belt E, encircles the
tank, longitudinally, passing over the bridge a short distance above it and
between the guides b, b, attached to the sides of the bridge, and entirely free from
any contact with the bath in the tank. The belt E, is preferably made of leather
and is perforated at t, t, near its outer edge, at short intervals throughout its length
and through it the hooks T, T, pass with their upper ends resting on the upper metal
surface of the bridge C. To these hooks T, T, are suspended the articles v, v, to
be plated.
At one end of the tank are set the pulleys D, D', and at the other end the
pulleys D, and d, upon all of which pulleys the endless belt E, traveis. For the
purpose of regulating and controlling the time in which the article, to be plated
shall travel in the bath before it is sufficiently plated, which varies according to the
size of the article and the character of the metal in the article, there is secured a
wheel F, at the same end of the tank as the pulley d, and in line of the travel of
the belt E, and from which wheel F, said belt E, receives its motion. The wheel F,
is securely fastened to the axle of the ratchet-wheel G. To the outer end of the
axle of the wheel G, is pivoted the rocker-arm H which is also pivoted at its outer
end to the arm I, to which arm I, power is applied. Upon the arm H, is set a
pawl h, which engages with the notches a, a, on the wheel G, the object of which
will presently appear.
It is manifest that various other means may be employed
for driving the belt E, at any given rate of speed and controlling the length of the
time the article to be plated shall remain in the bath before it is sufficiently plated,
the one above shown being a simple and convenient one.
The
Beneath the tank A, is an idle and weighted puiley K, which rests on the belt E,
and serves to take up the slack of the said belt E, and always keeps it taut.
axle k, of the pulley K, is loosely held between the arms of a guide 1, which guide
is secured to the floor.
Along each side of the tank A, is placed a copper rod e, to which the anode
pole P, of the electrical force, is attached and to which the anode carrier may be
connected and from which they may be disconnected at will. Along the sides of
the bridge C, are fastened two cathode rods g, g, which are connected to the cathode
pole N, of the electrical force and connected together by the straps 9', g', or the
cathode element may be connected directly to the metal surface of the bridge. The
rods
9, 9, are preferably flat strips of copper having one edge straight and the other.
crooked, as shown in Fig. 5, the object of which will presently appear.
It is
manifest that these rods may be crooked on both sides as shown in Fig. 6, and
answer the same purpose.
From the inner side of the tank A, are suspended the anodes W, W, from the
upper edge of the side of the tank and so close to the anode rods e, e, that they may
be readily connected with them by the means hereinafter described. A number of
straps or carriers x, x, are placed upon the edge of the tank A, and are held in place
by ears or straps y, y, from which carriers the anodes are suspended. Near the
centre of each of these straps or carriers x, x, is pivoted a metal tongue z, which
can be turned at right angles to the carrier a, and connect the anode W, with the
copper rod e, and thus connect the anode with the electrical force and when this
tonguez, is turned in a line parallel with said carrier .c, this connection with the
electrical force will be broken. All of which is shown in Fig. 2, with part of the
anodes connected and part disconnected.
Having now described my invention, the manner of operating is as follows. To
the hooks T, T, at their lower ends are secured the articles v, v, to be plated, which
are suspended from the bridge at one end, with the upper end of the hooks T, T,
through the holes t, t, of the belt E, and the point of the hooks resting on the
top of the bridge C, and the body of the hooks bearing against the cathode rod 9.
The circuit is then established within the bath through the bars 9, 9, and e, e, or
through the bridge alone.
Power is applied to the arm I, which pushes the rocker-arm H, back out of
a perpendicular and this movement draws the end of the pawl h, along on the

page_text: periphery of the ratchet-wheel G, partly around and as the belt E, passes around
the wheel F, attached to the same axle as the wheel' G, where will be given a
movement forward of the belt E, which will draw along the hooks T, T, on the
bridge and with them will be advanced the articles v, r, in the bath the same
distance as the travel of the belt E. It will be noticed that this movement of
the wheel G, is intermittent and imparts an intermittent motion to the articles in'
the bath, this motion gently stirs the bath and causes the deposit to be malè
quickly upon the articles. The rapidity with which the articles travel through
the bath is regulated by the length of the swing of the arm H, and the number
of notches compassed by the pawl on the wheel G.. It will be readily understood
that when it has been determined how long it will require to thoroughly plate an
article in the bath, that this device may be set so as to cause the belt to travel the
length of the tank in exactly that length of time by regulating the length of the
swing of the arm H, and the number of notches compassed by the pawl h, at each
swing of the arm H.
As the articles advance through the bath, the hooks T, T, being suspended from
the bridge and bearing against the cathode bars g, g, which are crooked on their
outer edge, the articles are given a lateral, undulatory movement, as the body of
the hooks to which the articles are suspended, passes over the crooked surface of
the cathode bars g, g. This also has a further tendency to gently stir the bath
and cause the plating to be done much more rapidly and evenly. In order to
control the amount of the anode surface, the tongues z, z, are turned to contact with
the rods e, e, or disconnected from said rods and thus the influence of the anodes is
under complete control of the operator, without removing any of the anodes from
the bath. It will be seen that they or any one of them may be connected at will,.
along the tank and in this manner any desired amount of the electrical force may
be imparted to the bath, through the anodes at any place at will, along the tank
and the deposit be effected much more rapidly, smoothly and evenly and with little
or no trouble to the operator. For the purpose of giving still another movement
to the articles in the bath, the upper surface of the bridge or the upper edge of the
guides may be made uneven and the same general wavy or undulatory movement
will be imparted to the articles in the bath as is imparted by the crooked cathode
bar but the movement will be an up and down movement, instead of a lateral one.
It will also be noticed that by the use of the ratchet-wheel with the pawl, the belt
and by it the articles in the bath, will be given an intermittent motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An electro-depositing device, consisting of a tank and depositing bath therein,
a bridge over said tank, hooks from which the articles to be deposited upon are
suspended, electric connections between said bridge and hooks, an endless belt
traveling outside of the bath and engaging with the said hooks by means of which
the articles are automatically drawn through the bath, and means for imparting
an intermittent motion to said belt while drawing the articles through the bath for
the purposes shown.
2. An electro-depositing device of the character described, consisting of a tank
containing a depositing bath, one or more anode bars suspended in said bath, hooks
above the bath for supporting the articles to be deposited upon, one or more crooked
cathode bars, along and against which the said hooks engage while passing through
the bath, and an endless belt engaging with the aforesaid hooks for causing the
articles to travel through the bath, whereby said articles are given an undulatory
or crooked movement for the purposes shown.
3. In an electro-depositing device of the character described, a tank containing
a depositing bath, one or more anodes suspended in said bath one or more cathode
bars arranged above said bath, hooks supporting the articles to be deposited upon
and bearing against the side cathode bars and means for increasing and decreasing

page_text: the anode surface to any extent and at any place at will along the line of travel of
the articles through the bath, as and for the purposes shown.
4. An electro-depositing device, consisting of a tank containing a depositing
bath, an endless belt for moving the articles to be deposited upon through the bath,
one or more cathode bars above said bath, hooks for carrying the articles to be
deposited upon and connected to the said belt, one or more anodes suspended in
said bath and a switch attached to each anode whereby the electric current may be
directed to any one or more points along the line of travel of the articles in the
bath at will, for the purposes shown.
5. An electro-depositing device, consisting of a tank and depositing bath, a
bridge over said bath from which the articles to be deposited upon are suspended,
a belt above said bridge means for causing said belt to travel above said bridge
and outside of the bath, whereby the articles to be deposited upon are advanced
through the bath and a cathode bar above said bath and having an undulatory or
crooked bearing face for causing the articles to be deposited upon to take an
undulatory or crooked movement through the bath for the purposes shown.
6. An electro-depositing device, consisting of a tank containing a depositing bath,
a bridge spanning said bath longitudinally and above the bath, means for suspending
the article to be deposited upon in the bath and from said bridge and an endless
belt traveling above said bridge and outside of the bath for advancing the articles
through the bath for the purposes shown.
7. In an electro-depositing device the combination of a tank containing a
depositing bath, one or more anode carriers above said bath, anodes suspended in
the bath from said carrier connections with the source of electrical supply and a
separate switch for each carrier, whereby the current to the anodes may be
controlled, as and for the purposes shown.
8. An electro-depositing device, consisting of a tank containing a depositing
bath, one or more anodes suspended within the bath, means for connecting and
disconnecting at will one or more anodes with the electrical current without
connecting or disconnecting the remaining anodes, one or more crooked cathode
rods above the bath a bridge from which the articles to be deposited upon are
suspended, an endless belt for advancing the articles through the bath with their
supporters bearing against said cathode bar, and means for determining the rate of
speed the articles shall travel through the bath, for the purposes shown.
Dated the Twenty-second day of July 1895.
'
JOHN BOSSARD,
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.