Improvements in Apparatus to be Used in the Deposition or Treatment of Metals by the Electrolytic Process.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus to be Used in the Deposition or
Treatment of Metals by the Electrolytic Process.
1, WILLIAM TERRILL of 3 Hanover Street Swansea in the County of Glamorgan
Metallurgist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the apparatus as at present employed in coating metals with metals and in the
deposition of metals generally by the electrolytic process, it is customary to let the
liquid from one bath flow over a lip into the bath next in order. It is of course
necessary that the said bath should be an electric conductor in order that the
current may travel from the anode to the cathode, but in practice it is found that part
of the current remains in the bath and passes with it from tank to tank, and eventually
Lo waste.
By my present invention most of this loss may be avoided and to this end my
invention consists in offering a considerable resistance to the passage of the current
from tank to tank while permitting the liquid to pass at the predetermined rate.
By experiment I have found that this desirable result may be obtained by abolishing
the lips or connections as at present employed and substituting therefor a syphon tubo
of considerable height and passing from near the bottom of one tank to the top of
that next in order. When it is desired to start the flow the syphons are filled in the
usual manner after which the liquor will flow continuously but be limited by the size
of the syphon, the small sectional area and considerable length of the conducting
liquid flowing therethrough offering a considerable resistance to the passage of
the current, the main portion of which will then pass to the cathode as offering less
resistance.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1887
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Treatment of Metals by the Electrolytic Process.
1, WILLIAM TERRILL formerly of 3 Hanover Street but now of 42 St. George's
Terrace Swansea in the County of Glamorgan Metallurgist, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner tho same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
In the apparatus as at present employed in coating metals with metals and in the
deposition of metals generally by the electrolytic process, it is customary to let the
liquid from one bath flow over a lip into the bath next in order. It is of course
necessary that the said bath should be an electric conductor in order that the current
may travel from the anode to the cathode, but in practice it is found that part of the
current remains in the bath and passes with it froin tank to tank and eventually to
waste.
By my present invention most of this loss may be avoided and to this end my
invention consists in offering a considerable resistance to the passage of the current
from tank to tank while permitting the liquid to pass at the predetermined rate.
By experiment I have found that this desirable result may be obtained by abolishing
the lips or connections as at present employed and substituting therefor a syphon tube
of considerable height and passing from near the bottom of one tank to the top of
that next in order. When it is desired to start the flow the syphons are filled in the
usual manner after which the liquid will flow continuously but be limited by the
size of the syphon, the small sectional area and considerable length of the con-
ducting liquid flowing therethrough, offering a considerable resistance to the passage
of the current, the main portion of which will then pass to the cathode as offering less
resistance.
In practice I have obtained good results with a glass syphon of inch internal
diameter reaching to within 3 inches of the bottom of the tank at one corner and
standing 24 inches above the level of the bath, bending and passing down to the
outside edge of said tank and being conducted along its side to the opposite corner
on the adjacent side of the tank next in order; or in other words by conducting the
liquid from say the far left hand bottom corner of one tank to the near right hand top
corner of the tank next in order, through a syphon standing about 2 feet above the
level of the bath. The tanks may have a capacity of about 90 gallons each, and the
electrodes a conducting surface of about 30 square feet.
For the purpose of depositing copper I have used in a solution of sulphate of copper
anodes of impure copper, that is to say, plates containing about 97 to 98 per cent of
copper with various impurities and a small per centage of silver and golil, the pure
copper being deposited on the cathode, and the silver and gold falling from the anode
to the bottom of the tank, and being subsequently obtained from the residue by
smelting and refining in the usual way.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In apparatus to be used in the deposition or treatment of metals by the electrolytic
process the application and use of lengthened columns of liquid or syphons to carry
on the circulation substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this o0th of 1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.