Improvements in and relating to the Electro-deposition of Metals.
Year: 1892

page_text: ate of Application, 15th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Electro-deposition of Metals.
We, ERNEST NOEL ALEXIS PICARD of Rue du Lac 18, St. Mandé, Seine,
Merchant, and JEAN AMANT TANIERE, of 165, Rue de Charonne, Paris,
Merchant, both in the Republic of France, 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 relates to improvements in the electro-deposition of metals and
consists in subjecting the metal being deposited by electrolysis to a beating or
hammering operation.
It is not necessary to describe here the principles of electrolysis as employed for
industrial purposes as they are well known and have been in use for fifty years
past and remain invariable for the different arrangements employed according to
the objects to be manufactured by such process and also according to industrial
requirements which require either a simple deposit of metal upon an object
previously formed and imparting simply its colour thereto, or an object of suitable
shape deposited on a mould or false cathode. In the latter case the deposited
metal, copper, gold, silver, zine or iron has no strength, the metal simply takes the
form of its false cathode and while being chemically pure does not give satisfaction
when employed for certain purposes.
The object of the present invention is to give the necessary cohesion and con-
sequently strength to metals deposited by electrolysis and upon false cathodes,
moulds or mandrels, plates, tubes whether conical, cylindrical or square, either
fixed or rotating and for this purpose we beat or hammer the molecules of metal as
they are deposited upon the cathode. This beating operation is continued from
the commencement to the end of the depositing operation and the metals thus
treated are rendered both strong and malleable and suitable for all purposes. This
process further possesses the advantage of preparing for the removal from the
mould or false cathode of the metal formed thereon in consequence of the
lengthening obtained by the beating or hammering. Metals thus treated are
equally strong throughout.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a transverse section of an electrolytic
tank or vat arranged with hammers or beaters according to my invention.
A carriage m rests on a frame x and receives a longitudinal movement parallel
to the tank which movement is alternating and of an extent equal to that of the
metal to be obtained. The carriage m rolls upon the frame by means of roller.
guides n which allow of the carriage being easily moved. The said carriage is
provided with an electro-magnet a and a vibrating or trembling arrangement
similar to that employed in electric bells. The electro-magnet a successively and
alternately attracts the soft iron armature b, and thus produces by means of the
vibrating arrangement a quick succession of strokes. This movement is transmitted
to the hammers e through rods c jointed at one end to an extension from the
armature and at the other to a bent lever forming part of the hammer levers d, d'
and the said hammers e which are fixed to the levers d' in suitable manner are
any
put in operation by means of the electro-magnet and of a spring which causes the
hammers to sharply strike upon the cathode C immediately the current ceases to
pass into the electro-magnet. The hammers are advantageously made of hard
stone, ivory or the like.
When several cathodes C are employed the levers d, d' are coupled by a spring g,
which allows of slight elasticity in cases where these cathodes C are not exactly
parallel.
It is necessary to successively present all the points of metal deposited on the

page_text: periphery of the cathode to the action of the hammers during the depositing
operation. For this purpose the haminers receive a to and fro movement and the
cathode is caused to rotate when a revolving surface is operated on.
Figure 2 shews a section of the carriage with the vibrating arrangement; when
the thickness of the deposit increases the arc of oscillation of the hammers e is
regulated by the set screw o. In some cases the hammers can be operated by
mechanical means as will be seen by reference to Figure 3 in which a cam having
three projections i turning in the direction of the arrow, raises the hammers e by
means of levers d, which levers are quickly returned by means of springs f, as above
described; it should be understood that we do not confine ourselves to any
particular mechanical or electrical arrangement for operating the hammers.
The anode A connected to the positive pole of the apparatus is composed either
of lumps or grains of the metal to be treated or of vertical plates as in the ordinary
electrolytic process; the lumps or grains of metal are placed in movable cases,
the bottoms of which are each formed of a metal plate / serving as a conductor and
arranged at a suitable distance from the cathode C the said bottom i being con-
nected to the positive pole. The current returns to the apparatus by means of
rubbers or brushes k connected to the negative pole.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Depositing and working metals such as copper, zinc, silver, gold etc., by the
herein described process of beating or hammering combined with an electrolytic
process the said beating or hammering operation being effected in any suitable
manner while the metal is being deposited, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with an electrolytic tank of a vibrating arrangement for
operating the hammers or beaters substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
3. The combination with an electrolytic tank of cams having one or more pro-
jections for mechanically actuating the hammers or beaters, substantially as
herein before described.
4. The arrangement of wheeled carriage for moving the hammers substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 14th day of October 1892
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.