Improvements in and connected with Apparatus Employed in the Electrodeposition of Copper and other Metals.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1897 -Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by EMILIEN DUMOULIN of 23 Boulevard de Stras-
bourg, Paris, in the French Republic, Electrical Engineer.]
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus Employed in the
Electrodeposition of Copper and other Metals.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS, of 70 Market Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
In the Electrodeposition of Copper and other Metals upon rotary mandrels, there
aro fequently arranged in contact with the rotary cathode, impregnators, brushes,
rubbers, burnishers and the like, which for brevity are hereinafter called rubbers.
But when these rubbers are used, it is generally found that the deposits and the
sheets cut therefrom have unequal circumferential and longitudinal strengths.
My Foreign Correspondent ensures the equality of these strengths according to his
present Invention, by so arranging that any point in the rubber shall trace a path
on the deposit having an angle of 45° or thereabouts. It will be obvious that this
result may be obtained in oither of two ways, that is to say by reciprocating the
rotating cathode under a stationary rubber, or by reciprocating the rubbor upon
the deposit. The latter method is preferred. In this case, the rubbers are
mounted upon a carrier moving in slides parallel with the axis of the mandrel.
The carrier is connected, by slide blocks or otherwise, with a connecting rod and
a crank on a transverse shaft driven from the first motion shaft which also drives
the mandrel. The driving of the transverse shaft is best done by a belt running
on fast and loose pulleys so that the reciprocation may be stopped when required.
To facilitate the removal of the deposit and mandrel from the vat, and to give
it a certain degree of elasticity, there may be formed at each end of the mandrel,
a central recess for the reception of the point of the carrying spindle at that end.
Each of these spindles is arranged in and to rotate with a sleeve in which it can be
moved longitudinally. At the outer end it is connected with a longitudinal screw
by the rotation of which the spindle can be moved longitudinally so as to engage
or liberate its end of the mandrel. The spindles are insulated to prevent the deposi-
tion of metal thereon. The fixed nut in which the longitudinal screw works, can
be attached to the bearing by means of a flange integral with the nut through
holes in which flange studs, fixed in the bearing, pass and are fitted with nuts
outside. The flange and the stud holes therein may be deep and the outor parts
of the holes be large enough to admit the stud nuts, at the back of each of which
there is arranged around the stud, a spiral spring.
Dated this first day of February AD 1807

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Apparatus employed in the
Electrodeposition of Copper and other Metale.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS, of 10 Market Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
In the electrodeposition of copper and other metals upon rotary mandrels, there
are frequently arranged in contact with the rotary cathodes, animal membranes,
brushes, burnishers and the like appliances all of which will hereinafter, for the
sake of brevity be called "membranes" since it is with membranes of animal
origin that my Foreign Correspondent more commonly employs his improve-
ments. When membranes are thus used it is found that if they are stationary the
plates and sheets cut from the deposited metal have unequal transverse and longi-
tudinal strengths. According to the present Invention these strengths are
equalized by so constructing and arranging the apparatus that any point in the
membrane shall trace a path on the deposit having a momentary angle of about 45°
as hereinafter described.
To facilitate the removal of the mandrel with the deposit thereon from the vat
and to give the mounting of the mandrel a certain degree of elasticity there may
be formed at each end of the mandrel a central recess for the reception of the points
of the carrying spindles. Each of these spindles is arranged in and to rotato with
a sleeve in which it can be moved longitudinally. At the outer end it may be
connected with a longitudinal screw by the rotation of which the spindle may be
moved longitudinally so as to engage or liberate its end of the mandrel. The
spindles are insulated to prevent the deposit of metal thereon. The fixed nut in
which the longitudinal screw works can be attached to the bearing by means of a
flange integral with the nut through holes in which flauge pass studs which are
fixed in the bearing and fitted with nuts outside. The flange and stud holes
therein may be deep and the outer part of the holes be large enough to admit the
stud nuts at the back of each of which there is arranged a spiral spring.
In the accompanying drawings to which referenco will heroinafter be made:-
:-
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section,
Figure 2, a plan,
Figuro 3 an end elevation, and
Figure 4 a vertical cross section of electrodepositing apparatus in which these
improvements are embodied.
Figure 5 represents in longitudinal section the mounting of the mandrel.
Figures 6 and 7 shew in sectional side and end elevation respectively the micaus
for rotating the mandrel and reciprocating the membranes.
Figure 8 shews in sectional side elevation, Figures 9 and 10 in cross sections,
Figure 11 in plan, and Figure 12 in full side elevation the appliances for varying
the reciprocation of the membranes as hereinaftor described.
A is the rat in which the electrodeposition is effected on the rotary cathodo B,
which is carried by the mandrel or cathode support C. The membranes D) (see
Figure 4) are attached to a carrier E secured upon a rod E' parallel with the man-
drel axis. This rod together with a second parallel rod has its ends fixed in
two sliding brackets F F which are capable of reciprocation longitudinally in the
guide blocks G G¹. At one end, preferably the driving end, the sliding bracket F
is attached by a connecting rod H to a crank pin H' on a disc J driven by a belt
from the pulley J¹ on the first motion shaft I from which shaft the mandrel also
is driven,

page_text: If a fixed path of reciprocation be followed by the membranes it is found that at
the points where the reversal of motion takes place rings may be produced upon
the cathode of thicker and thinner deposit. To obviate this defect it is arranged
that the point of reversal shall be gradually shifted first to the right and then to
the left. This can be accomplished by the agency of the disc H mounted to
rotate within one end of the connecting rod and provided with an excentric crank
pin h to which the bracket is attached by a rod or the like. Upon the crank
pin H there is mounted a tangent screw which gears with the worm wheel u¹
fixed on the spindle u³ mounted on and parallel with the connecting rod H. The
opposite end of the spindle u has mounted or formed upon it the second tangent
screw which gears with a worm wheel concentric with the disc 13 and moving
therewith. By the rotation of the crank pin once in every revolution a slow rotary
motion is given to the spindle and this is transmitted through the tangent screw
and wheel to the disc H3 which is thereby rotated at a still slower speed. The
rotation of the disc produces a very slow reciprocal displacement of the membrane
carrier so that the points of reversal of the more rapid reciprocations are, as
herein before described, gradually moved alternately to the right and to the left
with a more uniform result in the product.
The driving motion is also illustrated on a larger scale by Figures 6 and 7 which
represent part of an apparatus in which there are two rotary cathodes or mandrels
in a single vat.
The first motion shaft I may be driven by fast and loose pulleys or preferably by
the single loose pulley K, which is capable of being engaged by the conical fric-
tion clutch K keyed upon the shaft and which may be engaged and disengaged by
means of the lever L cam L' and crank handle L. To control the motion of the
membranes, the belt from the pulley J' may be caused to run on fast and loose
pulleys J J the crank pin H' moving with the fast pulley or disc. The belt may
be shifted from Je to J3 or the reverse by means of the sliding strap fork j and the
reversing lover 1.
The mandrels are driven from the smaller pulleys M on the shaft I to the larger
pulleys on the mandrel spindles.
The driving pulleys M can be engaged and disengaged from the shaft by means
of friction clutches. As represented the friction clutches are of the conical type
and are actuated by the handles N rod N¹ helical cam № levers N" and N.
The mandrel has at each end an axial recess C for the reception of the ends of
the carrying spindles 001 (see Figure 5). Each of these spindles is arranged in
and to rotate with a sleeve P P within which it can be moved longitudinally, this
movement being provided for by a fast key and a longitudinal slot or key way.
The outer end of each spindle is connected with a co-axial screw Q Q' which can be
rotated by the hand wheel Q so that by rotating this hand wheel in one direction
the spindle may be released from the mandrel and the reverse.
At one end or at both ends if desired, the fixed nut Q3 in which the screw Q
works can be attached to the bearing R by means of a flange or deep collar
integral with the nut through holes in which there pass the studs R¹ which are fixed
in the bearing and are provided with nuts on their outer ends. The holes Rª
through the flange have a considorable depth and aro large enough to admit the
nuts on the studs. Between the bottom of each hole and the uut on the stud
therein there is arranged a spiral spring R³. This arrangement gives an elasticity
to the mandrel bearing permitting the spindle to yield langitudinally.
T is a switch of any suitable and convenient construction by the operation of
which the following results may be obtained:-1. The current passes from the
conductor to ay thence through the anode electrolyte and cathode to the switch T
aud conductor a, which leads to the next vat or to the return circuit. 2. The
switch being moved closes a shunt circuit d, thus reducing the amount of current
passing through the vat. 3. The switch being further moved closes also the shunt
circuit a, thus further reducing the amount of current passing into the vat. 4. A
further movement of the switch opens the vat circuit and no current passes,

page_text: The anode support bearers S have flanges which rest on the rat sides. They
are shaped to the contour of the cathode, have open tops and may be provided with
perforated walls or sheets SS,, leaving a space between them for the reception of
the anode metal. All the metallic parts of the anode supports may be constructed
of aluminium.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to mo
by my Foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In apparatus for the electrodeposition of copper and other metals in which
a rotary cathode moves in contact with "membranes" the hereinbefore described
means for imparting to the membranes a longitudinal reciprocation substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for the electrodeposition of copper and other metals on rotary
cathodes the herein before described means and appliances whereby the mandrel is
suspended between two adjustable spindles, one or both of which is or are pressed
against the mandrel by springs and one or both of which may be withdrawn longi-
tudinally for the removal of the mandrel, substantially as hereinbefore described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
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