Improved Apparatus for Nickel Plating and for Polishing.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by ERNST PAUL, of No. 28, Maltheser Strasse,
Aachen, in the German Empire, Technician.]
Improved Apparatus for Nickel Plating and for Polishing.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lan-
caster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present application relates to an electro-plating apparatus for coating iron
or steel goods in quantity, such as needles, spikes, and other articles, with nickel.
The essential novelty of the apparatus consists in that the objects to be nickeled
by means of the electric current, are contained in a box attached to the cathode,
and placed upon supports preferably constructed in the form of pockets, said box
being open above and below, and separated by means of cross walls into separate
divisions, whilst above and below the goods the anodes are arranged adjustably
in the form of plates, and receive from an oscillating frame a horizontal to and
fro motion.
The accompanying drawing illustrates the apparatus.
Figure 1 shews a longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 2 a transverse section.
Figure 3 a view from above.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate separate important parts on a larger scale.
The box a open above and below, which rests upon the feet a', a', and is placed
in the vat containing the electrolytic bath, possesses at two of its opposite sides
a series of ribs o in which corresponding glass partitions d d can be inserted so
that the whole interior of the box is divided by means of the arrangement or of
the displacement of the said pieces d d into magnetic fields of various extent
proportioned to the size of the goods to be nickeled. In each of these magnetic
fields there are two or more strips e e forming pockets, which pockets are open
at the top, and in which the needles, spikes, or other goods are placed. The
ends of these strips project outwards on the walls of the box at the two sides
provided with the ribs cc; they are perforated outside the box, and through all
the perforations there passes a little bar f, which bar connects all the strips e e
one with another. This connection of the curved metal strips aforesaid by means
of the said bar f may take place at each side of the apparatus, and then the
ends of the bars should be connected by connecting wires with the negative
pole y (Figures 1 and 2). The two other sides of the box have attached to them
from the outside two metal strips g g which are provided with slots above and
below the walls of the box. The anodes A, which consist of a nickel plate cover-
ing the entire box a, are correspondingly provided with two projections h h by
means of which they can be secured in slots of the strips g g at various heights.
The anodes A are fixed above and below the aforesaid box. The walls of the

page_text: box a which are provided with ribs c have also two or more perforations i i.
Near these there are angle pieces k k attached at the outside to the box walls.
These angle pieces possess slots (Figure 1) in that portion which projects
from the box wall, and in these slots the bar m can be adjusted by means of
screw nuts. The said bar is parallel with the wall of the box, and after being
unscrewed can be adjusted in the vertical direction. In the middle of the per-
forations ii in the walls of the box are placed upon the bars m m the rollers n n
so that the same can rotate. The angle pieces kk, together with the bars mm
are also arranged on both sides of the box Upon the rollers n n lie the main
bars o o of the agitator, which are connected at one end by means of the cross
bar p to which moreover the lever is attached. To this lever q the eccentric
lever is connected, and this, by means of gearing, as shewn, actuates the said
lever g, and the parts p and oo connected therewith, and imparts to them a to
and fro motion. The bars oo of the agitator resting upon the rollers n n are
connected in the interior of the box by means of the cross pieces o¹ o¹, and these
latter have upwardly projecting paddles z z so arranged that for each division of
the strips ee there is one paddle, which, on the actuating of the driving gear,
moves the goods s placed in the field to and fro.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The box a with its contents is placed in the vat containing the electrolyte, and
the gearing is actuated by a suitable motor, whereby the agitating mechanism o o¹
and the paddles z receive a to and fro motion. The goods placed in the pockets
of the strips e e are rolled to and fro by means of the paddles. The strips e e
form the cathode by aid of the bars f, and above and below the box a are placed
the anodes A, and the goods under operation receive by aid of the electric
current the deposit of metal in uniformly distributed quantity.
The above described box a open above and below may also be provided with
a bottom in the form of a sieve and which supports the goods, which are kept
apart by means of the closed partition, and prevented from becoming displaced
thereby upon metal projections or wires or the like placed upon the perforated
or sieve bottom. The agitating mechanism should then consist of bars covered
with india rubber arranged cross-wise to the goods, and actuated either as above
described, or the paddles instead of being operated from beneath might agitate
the goods from above.
The apparatus can also be employed for the polishing of the goods.
Improved Apparatus for Nickel Plating and for Polishing.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, and G, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lan-
caster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer, 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:―
The present application relates to an electro-plating apparatus for coating iron
or steel goods in quantity, such as needles, spikes, and other articles, with nickel.

page_text: The essential novelty of the apparatus consists in that the objects to be nickeled
by means of the electric current, are contained in a box attached to the cathode,
and placed upon supports preferably constructed in the form of pockets, said box
being open above and below, and separated by means of cross walls into separate
divisions, whilst above and below the goods the anodes are arranged adjustably
in the form of plates, the goods receiving from an oscillating frame a horizontal
to and fro motion.
The drawing filed with my Provisional Application illustrates the apparatus.
Figure 1 shews a longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 2 a transverse section.
Figure 3 a view from above.
Figures 45, and 6 illustrate separate important parts on a larger scale.
The box a opens above and below, which rests upon the feet a¹ a¹ and is placed.
in the vat b containing the electrolytic bath, possesses at two of its opposite sides.
a series of ribs c in which corresponding glass partitions d d can be inserted so
that the whole interior of the box is divided by means of the arrangement or of
the displacement of the said pieces d d into magnetic fields of various extent
proportioned to the size of the goods to be nickeled. In each of these magnetic
fields there are two or more strips e e forming pockets, which pockets are open
at the top, and in which the needles, spikes, or other goods are placed. The
ends of these strips project outwards on the walls of the box at the two sides
provided with the ribs cc; they are perforated outside the box, and through all
the perforations there passes a little bar f, which bar connects all the strips e e.
one with another. This connection of the curved metal strips aforesaid by means.
of the said bar f may take place at each side of the apparatus, and then the
ends of the bar f should be connected by connecting wires with the negative
poley (Figures 1 and 2). The two other sides of the box have attached to them
from the outside two metal strips g g which are provided with slots above and
below the walls of the box. The anodes A, which consist of a nickel plate cover-
ing the entire boxa, are correspondingly provided with two projections h by
means of which they can be secured in slots of the strips gg at various heights.
The anodes A are fixed above and below the aforesaid box. The walls of the
box a which are provided with ribs c have also two or more perforations i i.
Near these there are angle pieces kk attached at the outside to the box walls.
These angle pieces possess slots (Figure 1) in that portion which projects
from the box wall, and in these slots the bar m can be adjusted by means of
screw nuts. The said bar is parallel with the wall of the box, and after being
unscrewed can be adjusted in the vertical direction. In the middle of the per-
forations in the walls of the box are placed upon the bars m m the rollers n n
so that the same can rotate. The angle pieces kk, together with the bars mm
are also arranged on both sides of the box Upon the rollerslie the main
bars oo of the agitator, which are connected at one end by means of the cross
bar P to which moreover the lever q is attached. To this lever the eccentric
lever is connected, and this, by means of gearing, as shewn, actuates the said
lever q, and the parts 7 and o o connected therewith, and imparts to them a to
and fro motion. The bars o o of the agitator resting upon the rollers n n are
connected in the interior of the box by means of the cross pieces o¹ ol and these
latter have upwardly projecting paddles z 2 so arranged that for each division of
the strips e there is one paddle, which, on the actuating of the driving gear,
moves the goods s placed in the field to and fro.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
-
The box a with its contents is placed in the vat containing the electrolyte, and
the gearing is actuated by a suitable motor, whereby the agitating mechanism o o¹
and the paddles z receive a to and fro motion. The goods placed in the pockets
of the strips e e are rolled to and fro by means of the paddles z z. The strips e e
form the cathode by aid of the bars f, and above and below the box a are placed

page_text: the anodes A, and the goods under operation receive by aid of the electric
current the deposit of metal in uniformly distributed quantity.
The above described box a open above and below may also be provided with
a bottom in the form of a sieve and which supports the goods, which are kept
apart by means of the closed partition, and prevented from becoming displaced
thereby upon metal projections or wires or the like placed upon the perforated
or sieve bottom. The agitating mechanism should then consist of bars covered
with india rubber arranged cross-wise to the goods, and actuated either as above
described, or the paddles instead of being operated from beneath might agitate
the goods from above.
The apparatus can also be employed for the polishing of the goods..
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. The improved apparatus for electroplating or coating with nickel small
articles, such as needles, spikes, and so forth, characterized by the arrangement
that the goods are placed in a receptacle open above and below and divided into
separate parts by cross partitions; said goods resting upon supports in the form
of plates or strips preferably having pockets, said supports being in connection
with the cathode; the goods being kept in motion by means of an agitator working
to and fro, the anodes in the form of plates being adjustably arranged above
and below the receptacle, and the whole apparatus with its contents immersed in
a bath filled with the electrolyte, substantially as described.
2. The improved apparatus for coating small metal articles with nickel, con-
structed and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
T110LL
T1 1900
Dated this 10th day of July 1800.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.