Year: 1894

page_text: ate of Application (in United Kingdom), 5th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th ept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
FTOCESS TOT
We, LA SOCIÉTÉ DES CUIVRES DE FRANCE (Incorporated) of 5 Rue
Cambon, Paris, France, Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a process for the direct production by electrolysis of
articles of copper or other metal, in a finished form, the process being particularly
applicable for the production of objects whose general external form is that of a
surface of revolution.
The process consists essentially in the electro-deposition of a layer of refined
tough metal upon pattern cores or moulds of corresponding shape to the object to
be produced and which serve as cathodes and are caused to revolve about their axis
in front of plates of appropriate form which serve as anodes. The pattern cores
or moulds forming the cathodes may be made of metal or other material rendered
conductive, and may be placed in any suitable position in the cell but preferably
with their axis of revolution vertical. The rotary motion imparted to the cathode
should not be sufficiently rapid to agitate the electrolytic liquid, so that it shall not
be rendered turbid by the slime which comes off the anode. The electrolyte may
be any of those usually employed in electrometallurgy, and would necessarily vary
according to the kind of the metal to be deposited. The anode would be arranged
as hereinafter described, and be of such form as to give a deposit of varying
thickness upon the cathode.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of an apparatus for directly obtaining in
the electrolytic cell a case for containing case or canister shot.
Figure 2 represents a corresponding view of a similar apparatus in which the
anode is made of slightly different form.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of an apparatus for making metallic basins or other
vessels.
Figure 4 is a plan of the anode.
In all these figures, a is the tank or cell, the electrolyte, c the anode, and d the
cathode. The cathode is suspended from a shaft e to which rotary motion at a
suitable speed is imparted by a pulley and belt g, or by means of gear wheels, or
a crank handle or other mechanical equivalent. h represents the article produced
by electrolysis.
In Figures 1 and 2 the anode e surrounds the cathode, its form being such that
the distance which separates it from the cathode varies inversely as the thickness
of metal to be deposited. Thus the concave form of the bottom of the anode gives
n
017

page_text: rise to a corresponding, but opposite, concavity of the base i of the article, while
the rim is caused by the internal rib 1 on the anode. In Figure 1 the upper end
of the anode being vertical whilst the upper part of the cathode is conical, has
the effect of causing a deposit of diminishing thickness, whereas in Figure 2
the parallelism of the two electrodes causes a deposit of uniform thickness on the
conical and cylindrical portions.
The apparatus represented in Figure 3 is designed to produce a vessel having a
bottom of greater thickness than the sides, and for this purpose the distance
between the anode and cathode is less at the bottom than at the sides while a
portion of the side of the anode is removed, as clearly shewn in Fig. 4, thus
varying the superficial area of the anode relatively to the cathode.
The anodes preferably have holes m at bottom, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, to
allow the sediment to deposit at the bottom of the cell.
The process is independent of the nature of the solutions, or the electrolytical
arrangements, employed, and the liquid may be kept homogeneous by being caused
to circulate and maintained at a constant temperature by known means. When the
cathode is not to form part of the article produced, it should be coated with some
suitable substance, such as plumbago, so as to enable the metal deposited to be
detached. Where the configuration of the article is such as to render it difficult to
detach from the pattern or mould, the cathode may be made of fusible alloys or in
separable parts.
The invention is, therefore, independent of the form of the object made as well as
of the particular arrangements of the apparatus employed for carrying it out in
practice, those which have been described being merely given as examples for the
purpose of explanation. Thus, in practice, one tank might contain a number of
cathodes and anodes, and the whole of the cathodes be geared together, so as to be
revolved from a single driving shaft. Or the mode may be rotated, and the
cathode remain stationary, the principle of the invention residing in their relative
movement. This relative movement may also be produced by rotating the
anode and cathode in reverse directions, or in the same direction but at different
speeds.
It is to be observed that the term "surface of revolution," as herein employed,
should not be understood in its narrow geometrical sense, as by this expression it is
intended to include not only objects such as those represented in the drawing but
objects the general form of which is that of a solid of revolution, although their
surfaces may bear ornamental or other projections or be more or less irregular
in form.
Dated this 5th day of December 1894
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Process for the Manufacture of Metallic Articles by Electrodeposition.
We, LA SOCIÉTÉ DES CUIVRES DE FRANCE, of 5, Rue Cambon, Paris,
France, Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to a process for the direct production by electrolysis of
articles of copper or other metal, in their final form, the process being particularly
applicable for the production of objects whose general external form is that of a
surface of revolution.
The process consists essentially in the electro-deposition of a layer of refined

page_text: tough metal upon cathodes forming pattern cores or moulds corresponding in shape
to the object to be producel and which are caused to revolve about their axis in
front of anodes of appropriate form. The cathodes may be made of metal or other
material rendered conductive, and may be placed in any suitable position in the
cell but preferably with their axis of revolution vertical but the rotary motion
imparted to them should not be so rapid as to agitate the electrolyte and render it
turbid by the slime from the anode. The electrolyte may be such as usually
employed in electro-metallurgy, but would necessarily vary according to the kind
of metal to be deposited. The anode would be of such form and so arranged as to
produce a deposit of varying thickness upon the cathode for the purpose of giving
the article the desired external form as will hereafter appear.
Reference is to be had to the drawings accompanying our Provisional
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a cell for the direct electrolytic
deposition of the body of the projectile known as case or canister shot.
Figure 2 represents a corresponding view of a cell having an anode of slightly
different form.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of a cell for making metal basins or other vessels.
Figure 4 is a plan of the anode.
In all these figures, a is the tank, 6 the electrolyte, e the anode, and d the
cathode. The cathode is suspended from a shaft e rotated through pulley f and
belt g or other mechanical equivalent. h represents the article produced by
electrolysis.
In Figures 1 and 2 the anode c surrounds the cathode and is of such form that
the distance between it and the cathode varies inversely as the thickness of metal
to be deposited at particular points. Thus the concave form of the bottom of the
anode causes a corresponding, but opposite, concavity of the base i of the article,
while the rim is produced by the internal rib on the anode. In Figure 1 the
upper part side of the anode being cylindrical whilst the upper part of the cathode
is conical, has the effect of causing a deposit of diminishing thickness, whereas in
Figure 2 the parallelism of the two electrodes causes a deposit of uniform
thickness on the conical and cylindrical portions. The anode preferably has
holes m at bottom, to allow the sediment to deposit at the bottom of the tank.
The cell represented in Figure 3 is designed to produce a vessel having a
bottom of greater thickness than the sides, and for this purpose the distance
between the anode and cathode is less at the bottom than at the sides, while the
anode only partially encircles the cathode, thus varying the relative superficial
areas at these two parts.
Any suitable electrolyte may be employed and may be kept homogeneous by
being caused to circulate and maintained at a constant temperature by known
means. When the cathode is not to form part of the article produced it should
be coated with some suitable substance, such as plumbago, so as to enable the
metal deposit to be detached and when the configuration of the article is such as
to render it difficult to detach the cathode may be made of fusible alloy or of
separable parts.
The invention is therefore independent of the form of the object made as well as
of the particular arrangements of the apparatus employed for carrying it out in
practice, those which have been described being merely given as examples for the
purpose of explanation. One tank might contain a number of cathodes and
anodes, and the whole of the cathodes be geared together so as to be revolved
from a single driving shaft. Or the anode may be rotated and the cathode remain
stationary, or they may both be rotated in opposite directions or in the same
direction but at different speeds, the principle of the invention residing in their
relative movement.
It is to be observed that the term "surface of revolution" hereinbefore
employed, should not be interpreted in its narrow geometrical sense, as it is
intended to include not only objects such as those represented in the drawing but

page_text: all objects the general form of which is that of a solid of revolution, although
their surfaces may bear ornamental or other projections or be more or less
irregular in form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In the herein described process for the production of articles by electro-
deposition, the combination of anodes and cathodes to which relative rotary
movement is imparted, as specified.
2. In the herein described process for the production of articles by electro-
deposition, the combination of a cathode in the form of a pattern core or mould
and having rotary motion about its axis, with a stationary anode, as described.
3. In the herein described process for the production, by electro-deposition of
articles of varying thickness at different points, the combination of anodes and
cathodes whose distance apart and relative superficial areas is varied, as herein-
before described.
4. In the herein described process for the production of articles of varying
thickness, by electro-deposition, the combination of anodes and cathodes receiving
rotary motion relatively the one to the other and whose distance apart and relative
superficial area is varied, as specified.
Dated this 5th day of September 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents