Improvements in the Manufacture of Thin Tubes or Sheets of Copper or other Metal by Electro-deposition.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 19th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Thin Tubes or Sheets of Copper
or other Metal by Electro-deposition.
I, SHERARD OSBORN COWPER-COLES, of Grosvenor Mansions, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
My invention has for its more especial object to provide an economical and
rapid means whereby sheets of copper, or other metal, can be manufactured where
it is desired to produce a number of thin sheets of the same size.
According to my invention I provide a mandrel of polished brass, or other
suitable conductive body, to constitute the cathode and I provide an anode of the
copper, or other metal to be deposited, or it may be of other conductive material
when the electrolyte consists of a solution of a salt of the metal to be deposited.
When the copper, or other metal, has been deposited to a sufficient thickness for
one sheet the mandrel carrying it is removed from the cell and a thin coating of
a greasy matter, or of an oxide, or of a sulphide, or the like, is applied to the coat-
ing of copper, or other metal, and the mandrel and copper, or other metal coating,
thus covered with a greasy matter, or an oxide, sulphide or the like, are again
placed in the cell, and another coating of copper, or other metal, is deposited to
form another sheet, and the mandrel with the two deposits of copper, or other
metal is again removed from the cell and greasy matter, or an oxide, sulphide,
or the like is applied to the outer coating of copper, or the like and the mandrel
with its coatings is again placed in the cell, and another coating of copper, or the
like, deposited, and so on alternately, coatings of copper, or other metal, and a
greasy matter, or oxide, sulphide or the like, are applied until coatings of copper,
or the like, in number in accordance with the number of sheets required have
been obtained, when the mandrel, with its coatings thereon, is removed and the
coatings are cut so as to take the form of sheets, which can be simultaneously
cut, or trimmed, to shape the intervening greasy matter, oxide sulphide or the
like, allowing the sheets to be readily separated. If tubes be required the coat-
ings of copper, or the like, will not be cut. The mandrel is rapidly rotated in
the electrolyte during the deposition of the copper, or other metal, as this gives
a dense and compact coating of good surface without the necessity for burnishing
in the process and enables a current of high density and low voltage to be
employed.
Dated this 9th day of August 1899
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Thin Tubes or Sheets of Copper
or other Metal by Electro-deposition.
I, SHERARD OSBORN COWPER COLES, of Grosvenor Mansions, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
[Price 8d.1

page_text: tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention has for its more, especial object to provide an economical and
rapid means whereby sheets of copper, or other metal, can be manufactured where
it is desired to produce a number of thin sheets of the same size.
According to my invention I provide a mandrel of polished brass, or other
suitable conductive body, to constitute the cathode and I provide an anode of the
copper or other metal to be deposited, or it may be of other conductive material
when the electrolyte consists of a solution of a salt of the metal to be deposited.
The cathode is rapidly rotated as hereinafter explained during deposition. When
the copper, or other metal, has been deposited to a sufficient thickness for one
sheet, the mandrel carrying it is removed from the cell and a thin coating of a
greasy matter, or of an oxide or of a sulphide, or the like, is applied to the coat-
ing of copper, or other metal. This may be done as follows:-The mandrel may
be coated with grease by dipping or brushing it over with a solution of spirit in
which a small quantity of bees wax which has been dissolved, or the mandrel may
be covered with oxide by means of steam or with sulphide by immersing or
brushing the mandrel over with a solution of sulphide of potassium or ammonium.
A similar coating is of course applied to the cathode before the first deposit is
made. The mandrel and copper, or other metal coating, thus covered with a
greasy matter, or an oxide, sulphide, or the like, are again placed in the cell,
and another coating of copper or other metal, is deposited as aforesaid to form
another sheet, and the mandrel with the two deposits of copper, or other metal
is again removed from the cell and greasy matter, or an oxide, sulphide, or the
like, is applied as aforesaid to the outer coating of copper or the like and the man-
drel with its coatings is again placed in the cell, and another coating of copper
or the like deposited as aforesaid and so on alternately, coatings of copper or other
metal, and a greasy matter, or oxide, sulphide, or the like are applied until coat-
ings of copper, or the like in number in accordance with the number of sheets
required have been obtained, when the mandrel, with its coatings thereon, is
removed and the coatings are cut so as to take the form of sheets which can be
simultaneously cut, or trimmed, to shape the intervening greasy matter, oxide,
sulphide or the like, allowing the sheets to be readily separated. If tubes be
required the coatings of copper, or the like will not be cut. The mandrel is
rapidly rotated in the electrolyte during the deposition of the copper or other
metal. The rotations of the cathode should be such as to give at least a circum-
ferential speed of about 1000 feet per minute to obtain the best results. A dense
and compact coating of good surface is thus obtained without the necessity for
burnishing in the process and enables a current of high density and low voltage
to be employed. The means by which this rotation is effected may be such as
are described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 21974 dated the 19th day
of October A.D. 1898 granted to me.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
:-
In the manufacture of thin tubes or sheets of copper or other metal succes-
sively depositing coatings or layers of metal upon a cathode or mandrel whilst it
is rotated at a high speed as herein before explained and applying a thin coating
of greasy matter or of an oxide or sulphide or the like before each coating or
layer of metal is deposited substantially as herein before set forth.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.