Improvements relating to the Electric Deposition of Metal on Pipes, Tubes, and other Articles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897.
Improvements relating to the Electric Deposition of Metal on
Pipes, Tubes, and other Articles.
I, WALTER WRIGHT, of Tranmere, Yardley Road, Acocks Green, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements relating to the electric deposition of
metal on pipes, tubes, and other articles, my object being to construct and arrange
effective mechanical appliances upon which such articles can be readily mounted and
be revolved in the plating solution for the purpose of coating them with zinc or other
metal in a rapid and efficient manner.
In constructing an apparatus in accordance with my invention for coating tubes
with zinc or other metal both externally and internally at one operation, [ employ a
shaft or spindle carried by suitable bearings and mount upon the same three built
up discs, two of which support the tubes to be coated whilst the third carries the
anode rods, each tube having one of such rods extending through its entire length.
The complete apparatus, which I term a tube frame, may be made to receive tubes
of any length or gauge.
The discs are adjustable upon the shaft and may thus be set in any required
relative positions to suit the length of the particular tubes to be mounted between
them.
Upon the inner faces of the tube supporting discs I mount sockets, arranging them
concentrically around the discs for supporting the tubes to be operated upon. The
sockets at one end of the machine, or upon one of the discs are preferably each
provided with an inner neck or projecting flange at the front end against which a
spiral spring presses a brass or other washer. To insert the tubes in the frame, one
end of each tube is pressed against the face of the said washer which is thereby
forced back, a sufficient extent to enable the opposite end of the tube to be placed
in its socket on the other disc. The spring will then force the washer out to its
normal position; the discs are so set or fixed upon the shaft that the space or
distance between the sockets is rather less than the length of the tubes and thus
the latter cannot become detached until the spring retaining washers are forced back
as described.
The shaft is revolved by means of a power transmitting chain or band working
over a suitable chain wheel or pulley keyed or secured to the shaft, and as the tubes
are loosely mounted in the sockets they are free to revolve during the rotating
movement of the complete frame.
The anode rods herein before described are connected with a copper ring which
rests upon the central plate or disc of ebonite or other non-conducting material,
interposed between the outer plates of like material comprised in the complete built
up disc. An ebonite or other non-conducting two part strap embraces the copper

page_text: ring, the two parts being secured together by bolts fitted with springs to give a good
frictional contact between the ring and the conducting strip pressed on to its
periphery. The negative strip is in like manner pressed upon a copper ring fitted
within the built up disc at the opposite end of the frame and the connection between
such ring and the adjacent sockets and thence with the tubes is formed by means
of conducting studs or pins. The anode rods are prevented from touching the
tubes by the provision of insulating rings arranged at intervals along each of them.
When the plating is in progress the revolving frame with attached tubes are
entirely submerged in the bath of solution. To provide an efficient circulation of
the solution through the tubes, I arrange or dispose the tubes between the discs in
positions inclined to the driving spindle, thus giving one end of each tube a lead
during the revolution of the frame.
Suitable appliances are arranged in conjunction with my improved apparatus for
the purpose of rapidly lowering and raising the same.
For plating only the exterior surfaces of tubes I employ but two discs upon the
driving shaft one or both of such discs being adjustable to suit tubes of varying
length. The tubes are supported on pins or sockets attached to the discs, and spring
retaining pieces are employed upon one of them somewhat similar to the springs and
washers of the sockets as herein before described, permitting of ready attachment of
the tubes and preventing accidental detachment of the same. The pins are in
connection with the dynamo or battery through the copper ring at the centre of the
disc. The independent revolution of the tubes during the rotary motion of the
complete frame, causes a continual change of surface to be presented to the anodes
at the sides of the tank, thus ensuring an equal coating of metal upon the exterior
of the tube.
I do not limit myself to the particular method of attaching the tubes to the
frame, and I adapt my invention to the purpose of plating solid rods or bars or
other articles, making such modifications as may be necessary to meet varying
requirements.
Dated this on day of January 1897.
Improvements relating to the Electric Deposition of Metal on
Pipes, Tubes, and other Articles.
I, WALTER WRIGHT, of Tranmere, Yardley Road, Acocks Green, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer, 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 :-
This Invention consists of improvements relating to the electric deposition of
metal on pipes, tubes, and other articles, my object being to construct and arrange
effective mechanical appliances upon which such articles can be readily mounted and
be revolved in the plating solution for the purpose of coating them with zinc or other
metal in a rapid and efficient manner.
to.―
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation illustrating my plating machine or tube
frame.

page_text: Figure 2 is an end view of the disc carrying the anodes.
Figure 3 an end view of the intermediate tube supporting disc, and
Figure 4, an end view of the negative tube supporting disc.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
In constructing an apparatus in accordance with my invention for coating tubes
with zinc or other metal both externally and internally at one operation, I employ a
shaft or spindle as A carried by suitable bearings and mount upon the same three
built up discs, B, C, and D. The discs B and C support the tubes to be coated whilst
the disc 1) carries the anode rods E for the internal coating of the tubes, each tube
as F having one of such rods extending through its entire length. At Figure 1 only
one tube is shown in position. The complete apparatus, which I term a tube frame,
may be made to receive any number of tubes of any length or gauge.
The discs B, C, are adjustable, being made to slide upon the shaft A and may thus
be set in any required relative positions by the set pins a or by other means, to suit
the length of the particular tubes to be mounted between them.
Upon the inner faces of the tube supporting discs B and C I mount sockets, or
hollow pins, arranging them concentrically around the discs for supporting the tubes
to be operated upon. When employing sockets I provide those at one end of the
machine, or upon one of the discs, with an inner neck or projecting flange at the
front end against which a spiral spring presses a brass or other washer. To insert a
tube in the frame, one end of the tube is pressed against the face of the said washer
which is thereby forced back a sufficient extent to enable the opposite end of the
tube to be placed in its socket on the other disc. The spring will then force the
washer out to its normal position; the discs are so set or fixed upon the shaft that
the space or distance between the sockets is rather less than the length of the tubes
and thus the latter cannot become detached until the spring retaining washers are
forced back as described.
But instead of such sockets and spring I preferably employ hollow gun-metal pins
as G upon each of the discs B and C, for supporting the tubes and to admit the
anode rods. The discs B and C are then set at such a distance apart and the pins
are of such length that when the tube is placed over the larger diameter of one of
the pins, or the part adjacent to its disc, the other end of the tube can be placed
upon the opposite pin in the other supporting disc When in position the tube rests
upon the smaller part of each of its supporting end pins, and is quite free to revolve
thereon, but undue end movement is prevented by the shoulders formed by the
junctions of the smaller and larger diameter of the pins.
The shaft is revolved preferably by means of a power transmitting chain working
over the chain wheel H keyed or secured to the shaft A, and as the tubes are loosely
mounted in the sockets or on their supporting pins they are free to revolve during
the rotating movement of the complete frame, their rate of revolution or rotation
being proportionate with the relative smaller diameter of the supporting pins and
the internal diameter of the tubes. Thus if a tube with an internal diameter of two
inches rides upon pins one inch diameter, the tube will make one revolution for
every two revolutions of the frame.
Such epicycloidal motion or independent revolution of the tubes during the rotary
motion of the complete frame, causes a continual change of surface to be presented
to the anodes hung at the sides of the tank, thus ensuring an equal deposition of
metal over the whole surface of the tube.
The cast iron or other metal disc D is built up on the chain wheel H as illustrated
at Figure 1, being insulated from the wheel by sheets of gutta-percha or other
insulating material.
Tapered holes are drilled within the disc D to receive the ends of the anode
rods E, the rods are prevented from touching the tubes by insulating sleeves
as J.
In the negative disc B the supporting pins G are screwed directly into the circular
cast iron or other metal plate forming the central part of the disc, and are thus in
good electrical connection with it. The plate is grooved around its periphery to

page_text: receive a copper rod K for the conveyance of the negative current, such rod
embracing the plate and being kept in contact therewith by the spring L, connecting
the two ends. An insulating band as b Figure 4 is secured upon the exterior of the
conducting rod K preferably by screws as b¹. The central metallic plate portion of
the disc is insulated from the boss B¹ by which it is secured to the shaft A.
In the intermediate disc C the supporting pins are insulated from contact with the
rim or other inetallic central plate by an insulating sleeve and washers. () the
inner face of this disc I attach a number of vanes as M so shaped and arranged that
on revolving with the disc they throw out a stream of solution towards the tubes.
Such stream or current is diverted by the rubber band N, embracing the whole of the
supporting pins G of the disc D, and cause to flow through the tubes.
The anode rods as E for the internal plating of the tubes are secured at one end
within the tapered holes formed in the positive disc D as described, and such disc is
fitted with a conducting rod K arranged similarly to the rod K of the negative
disc B hereinbefore described. The opposite ends of the anode rods are bent over at
right angles and each rod is held by a clip as O arranged upon each of the supporting
pin lock nuts O¹ on the outer face of the disc B.
When the plating is in progress the revolving frame with attached tubes is
submerged in the bath of solution. To provide an efficient circulation of the solution
through the tubes, I sometimes arrange or dispose the tubes between the discs in
positions inclined to the driving spindle, thus giving one end of each tube a lead
during the revolution of the frame.
Suitable appliances are arranged in conjunction with my improved apparatus for
the purpose of rapidly lowering and raising the same..
The double pawl P, Figures 1 and 2, pivotted upon the suspension bar Q arranged
above the bath of solution, is for the purpose of sustaining the frame in a stationary
position when necessary, the free ends of its arms being arranged to engage with the
teeth of the chain wheel H.
When requiring to plate tubes on the outside only I use but two of the
discs, B and C, and in the construction of such exterior plating I employ only two
discs upon the driving shaft, one or both of such discs being adjustable to suit tubes
of varying length. The tubes are supported on pins or sockets attached to the discs,
such as hereinbefore described, permitting of ready attachment of the tubes and
preventing accidental detachment of the same.
If the tubes are to be plated on the inside only I cover the entire outer surface
of the frame and the tubes with a rubber sleeve or other insulating sheath or
covering, such covering may be formed. as an extension of the band N herein before
described.
I adapt my invention to the purpose of plating solid rods or bars or other solid
or hollow articles, making such modifications as may be necessary to meet varying
requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is.
1. In apparatus for the electro-deposition of metal on pipes, tubes, and other
articles, the imparting of an epicyeloidal or like motion to such articles when
immersed in the plating solution, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. In apparatus for the electro-deposition of metal on pipes, tubes, and other
articles, the combination comprising a pair of revolving discs having pins or sockets
for supporting the articles to be plated and arranged with electrical connections,
substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for the electro-deposition of metal on pipes, tubes, and other
articles, the combination with a pair of adjustable revolving discs carrying the
articles to be plated, of a revolving disc carrying anodes for the internal plating of
the articles, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The arrangement and combination of parts forming the tube frame or plating
machine, substantially as described and as illustrated.
Dated this 6th day of October 1897.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.