An Improved Apparatus for Pickling or Cleaning the Surface of Iron and other Metal to Prepare the same for Coating with Tin or other Metal.
Year: 1888

page_text: An Improved Apparatus for Pickling or Cleaning the Surface of
Iron and other Metal to Prepare the same for Coating with Tin
or other Metal.
We ADOLPH GUTENSOHN of the Globe Works Old Ford in the county of Middlesex
Manufacturer of tin plates and JAMES MEYER JAMES of 25 Bucklersbury in the City
of London Merchant 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 :-
In the specification of the Patent granted unto us dated the 23rd day of June 1886
and numbered 8324 we described a certain construction of the bath in which the
metal is to be pickled or cleaned and a certain manner of placing the metal in this
bath and of sending an electric current therethrough to cause this pickling or cleaning
to be properly effected according to which construction and manner it is found that
although the desired pickling or cleaning is very efficiently performed for some time
the effect is not produced so quickly as is desirable and becomes gradually slower and
slower.
Now the object of this our invention is to provide a bath in which the metal is so
placed and through which the electric current is so sent that by this our apparatus the
desired operation of pickling or cleaning the metal shall be quickly as well as
efficiently performed.
To carry out this object our apparatus is constructed in a similar manner to and on
the principle of the ordinary secondary battery and of any desired shape and size
wherein the metal to be pickled or cleaned forms one of the principal factors of the
battery the other being formed in and by the apparatus.
In the accompanying drawing we shew one very convenient shape of the bath and
one method of fitting the same when required to receive plates of metal to be pickled
or cleaned.
Figure 1 is a plan of the bath Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof
taken at A B in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof taken
at C D in Figure 1 and Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the partitions in the bath.
We make a watertight bath A of wood or other suitable nonconducting material
and according to the method of fitting the same shewn in the drawing a series of

page_text: vertical wooden or other nonconducting partitions B are placed transversely in this
bath A preferably sliding in grooves or between guides C formed in or on the sides of
the bathi A for convenience of removal when desired. On the inner side of one end
of the bath A and on the corresponding side of each partition B are placed sheets D
of metal preferably of lead which do not reach quite down to the bottom of the bath A
and over each sheet D are secured two or more wooden or other nonconducting
battens E. Wooden or other nonconducting shoes F may be fitted in the bottom of
the bath A preferably separately in each compartment therein and can conveniently be
separately attached to each partition B in such wise that the plates of metal to be
pickled or cleaned can rest thereon on which shoes F if any or in corresponding
positions on the bottom of the bath A are placed strips or blocks G of metal preferably
of lead and to preferably only one of these strips or blocks G so fitted separately to
and arranged for each partition B is connected an insulated wire H which passes up
the partition B either as shewn up the outside of the same or it may be up a passage
formed therefor inside the same the other end of which wire H is connected to the
sheet D on the other side of the partition B in the next compartment.
The bath A is duly filled with the desired pickling liquid which may be either an
acid or an alkaline solution and the desired number of the plates K of metal to be
pickled or cleaned are duly placed in position in the compartments between the
partitions B their lower edges resting on the strips or blocks G. The electric current
is then led by the conductor L to the sheet D on the inner side of one end of the
bath A from which there is no direct communication by metallic contact as this
sheet D does not reach down to or touch the strips or blocks G while the plates K are
prevented touching the sheet D by the battens E. The electric current therefore
passes through the pickling liquid to the plates K thence through the strips or.
blocks G to the insulated wire H by which it is led to the sheet D on the other side
of this partition B in the next compartment where the aforesaid action is repeated and
so on through all the compartments until it finally passes away through the
conductor M at the other end of the bath A.
In the same manner other shaped pieces or articles of iron and other metal can be
pickled or cleaned the bath and the compartments thereof being made and shaped
accordingly.
According to another method of fitting this bath the partitions with the sheets of
metal thereon as also the sheet of metal on the inner side of one end of the bath if
necessary and the strips or blocks of metal on which the plates rest may all be fitted
in a similar manner in and on a nonconducting crate or other similar appliance which
can when required be bodily lifted out of and replaced in the bath.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
The apparatus for pickling or cleaning the surface of iron and other metal to
prepare the same for coating with tin or other metal substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and declared.