Improvements in Electroplating Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 29th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
Improvements in Electroplating Apparatus.
1, RICHARD JOSEPH MARKS, of No. 7 Winter Street, in the City of Hartford,
County of Hartford and State of Connecticut, United States of America, Gentleman,
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 that class of electroplating apparatus generally known'
as a "work-holder," which work-holder is adapted for use in connection with an
electroplating-bath for holding the work during the process of electroplating.
The object of the invention is to furnish a simple and improved work-holder
adapted for use with electroplating-baths and embodying means whereby a
multiplicity of articles may be electroplated and may be supported therein, and
whereby a uniform electroplating treatment of the several articles contained therein
will be positively insured.
To this end my invention consists in part in the embodiment, in a work-holder of
the class specified, of a suitable non-conductive frame, a series of relatively-
insulated permeable conductive floor sections secured to said non-conductive frame,
and two conducting-hangers located at opposite ends of the frame, respectively,
and one of which is conductively connected with alternately-conductive sections at
one end of said frame, and the other of which is conductively connected with the
intermediate alternating conductive sections at the opposite end of the frame.
It further consists in the peculiar construction and organization of the several
parts of the work-holder, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly
pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a work-holder of the class specified embodying
my present improvements, said figure showing the work-holder furnished with a
permeable cover.
Fig. 2 is an under side view of the work-holder, parts thereof being broken
away; and
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the work-holder, taken in dotted line a-a,
Fig. 2.
Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The work-holder in the preferred form thereof shown in the drawings comprises
in part a suitable non-conductive open frame, (designated in a general way by F,)
a suitable permeable bottom or bed (designated by F') embodying a series of
relatively-insulated conductive sectious secured to the framework, and two
conducting-hangers (designated by H and H', respectively) secured to opposite
ends of the frame, and one of which hangers is connected by the conductive stripa
i

page_text: to alternating conductive sections of the bottom or bed at one end of the frame,
and the other of which is secured to intermediate alternating sections in a
similar manner at the opposite ends of the frame, as will be hereinafter more
fully described.
In the form thereof shown in the drawings the framework F, which will
preferably be constructed of wood or any suitable non-conducting material, is in
the nature of a relatively shallow, oblong, open frame comprising the two parallel
side pieces 2 and 3 and the two end pieces 4 and 5, secured to said side pieces.
The floor or bed F1 comprises, in the preferred form thereof shown in the
drawings, a series of elongated or relatively narrow permeable conductive strips.
(herein shown as four in number and designated by 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively,)
preferably constructed of wire-netting and secured at opposite ends to the end
pieces 4 and 5 of the framework and insulated from one another by non-conductive
strips 10, 12, and 13, respectively, which are interposed between the adjacent side
edges of the successively-adjacent conductive strips 6, 7, 8, and 9, and which
non-conductive strips 10, 12, and 13 are shown located in parallelism and are
secured at their opposite ends to the end pieces 4 and 5 of the non-conductive
frame F. The adjacent edges of the conductive strips 6, 7, 8, and 9 are relatively
separated and are preferably clamped against the under sides of the insulating-
strips 10, 12, and 13 and against the under sides of the two side rails 2 and 3 of
the frame, preferably by means of clamping-cleats 14, 15, 16, 17, an 18, secured
at their outer ends to the end pieces 4 and 5 of the framework below the end
rails 2 and 3 and the insulating-strips 10. 12, and 13, respectively, as will be
understood by reference to the figures of the drawings.
The insulating-strips 10, 12, and 13, which will preferably be convex at their
_upper faces, also constitute dividing-partitions for separating the interior of the
'work-holder into a series of relatively separated compartments, each compartment
of which constitutes one section of the bottom of the work-holder and is adapted
for receiving a number of articles to be plated.
As will be understood by reference to the drawings, the conducting-hangers H
and H are shown formed of wires bent at their upper ends, as shown at 20
and 20, to form hooks whereby the work-holder may be suspended from the
negative terminal wire, (shown at W in dotted lines, Fig. 1,) said hangers being
disposed vertically with relation to the plane of the bottom of the work-holder and
being connected with the end pieces 4 and 5 of the framework near the middle
portion thereof, preferably by means of straps 21 and 22, which straps are secured
to the outer faces of the end pieces and have inward or lateral projections 23
and 23 and 24 and 24. The projections 23 and 231 of the hanger H are shown
in direct connection with the conductive sections 6 and 8, and the projections 24
and 24 of the hanger H' are shown in direct connection with the conductive
sections 7 and 9. Thus it will be seen that when the frame is hung upon the
negative terminal wire of the battery, dynamo, or other current-producer and
submerged in the electro-plating-bath the current from the positive pole of the
battery or dynamo (not shown) will pass through the solution to the insulated ends
of the several conductive sections and through said sections to the conductive
hangers connected with the respective sections, different portions of the current
entering at one end of one section and at the opposite end of the other section
and passing each other in opposite directions to their respective conducting-
hangers, thereby insuring the travel of the current over the entire areas of the
several conductive sections and preventing short-circuiting, as frequently occurs
with metallic work-holders of ordinary construction.
For the purpose of facilitating or shaking up the contents of the work-holder
to provide means whereby said work-holder may be inverted I have shown in
connection with the work-holder proper a cover, which is designated in a general
way by C and which in the form illustrated comprises an open frame similar to
the open framework F of the work-holder proper, and which framework is covered
by a wire-netting 26.

page_text: 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. A work-holder of the class specified, comprising two elongated parallel con-
ductive sections; a non-conductive stop interposed between adjacent edges and
insulating said conductive sections; and a conducting-hanger in connection wit
each section.
2. A work-holder of the class specified, comprising an open-frame of non-
conductive material, having a floor composed of a series of elongated parallel
conductive and non-conductive stops alternating with each other and conductive
hangers fixed at opposite ends of said frame and one of said hangers being con-
ductively connected with alternating conductive sections at one end of said frame
and the other hanger being conductively connected to alternating conductive
sections at the opposite end of said frame.
3. A work-holder comprising two adjacent relatively-insulated conductive
sections and two conducting-hangers, one of which is connected to one section at
one end and the other of which is connected to the adjacent section at the
opposite end.
4. A work-holder of the class specified, comprising a suitable non-conductive
frame; a series of relatively-insulated permeable conductive floor sections secured
to said non-conductive frame; and conducting-hangers, one of which is con- .
ductively connected with alternating conductive sections at one end of the frame
and another of which is conductively connected with intermediate alternating
conductive sections at the opposite end of the frame.
5. A work-holder of the class specified, comprising a suitable non-conductive
frame; a series of relatively-insulated permeable conductive floor sections secured
to said non-conductive frame; conducting-hangers, one of which is conductively
connected with alternating conductive sections at one end of the frame and another
of which is conductively connected with intermediate alternating conductive
se tions at the opposite end of the frame; and a permeable cover in connection.
with the section-frame.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..