Improvements in the Manufacture of Metallic Articles by Electrolysis, and Apparatus for that purpose.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th July, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metallic Articles by Electrolysis,
and Apparatus for that purpose.
I, ALEXANDER STANLEY ELMORE, Annaside, Cockermouth, in the County of
Cumberland, Electro-Metallurgist do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture by electrolysis of metallic articles such
as tubes, cylinders or other pieces of circular section, also of sheets, strips, rods or
other pieces obtained by cutting cylindrical shells electrolytically deposited.
The depositing, as is well known, is effected in an electrolytic bath on a
revolving core or mandril, the deposited metal being rendered strong and compact
by the action of a burnisher on it as it is deposited. These burnishers which are
moved to and fro along the revolving metal, become worn so that the area of their
pressing surface becomes gradually enlarged and less effective for burnishing.
Sometimes, in order to distribute the wear, the burnishers are made as rollers
retarded so as to revolve more slowly than the metal surface on which they act,
but these are not well adapted for uneven or corrugated surfaces. Now, according
to my present invention I make the burnisher in the form of a wheel mounted to
revolve on an axis perpendicular or nearly so to the axis of the revolving mandril,
and I cause this wheel to travel to and fro along the metal surface and at the same
time to rotate, so as to present always a fresh acting surface. When the surface
of the deposited metal is uneven or corrugated, the burnishing wheel is made of
radius less than the least radius of any of the hollows of the surface, and is thus
capable of entering into and acting in all the hollows. For making sheets, strips
rods or the like, by depositing on a core or mandril and then cutting the cylindrical
shell so deposited, considerable time and labour are involved in removing the
mandril from the bath, taking off and cutting the shell and replacing the mandril
in the bath for a fresh deposit.
I reduce the time and labour required for the production of successive deposits
in the following manner. After one shell has been deposited I treat it in situ with
sulphur, grease or other matter which will prevent adhesion of a fresh deposit. In
many cases it is only necessary to reverse for a short time the action of the bath,
in order to produce a coating on the shell already deposited. In this manner
successive shells of metal can be deposited on one mandril without having to remove
it from the bath, and afterwards these can be cut or slit so as to produce sheets,
strips or other pieces.
Dated this 14th day of Santambar 1800
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metallic Articles by Electrolysis,
and Apparatus for that purpose.
I, ALEXANDER STANLEY ELMORE, Annaside, Cockermouth, in the County of
Cumberland, Electro-Metallurgist 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture by electrolysis of metallic articles such
as tubes, cylinders or other pieces of circular section, also of sheets, strips, rods or
other pieces obtained by cutting cylindrical shells electrolytically deposited.

page_text: The depositing, as is well known, is effected in an electrolytic bath on a
revolving core or mandril the deposited metal being rendered strong and compact
by the action of a burnisher on it as it is deposited. These burnishers which are
moved to and fro along the revolving metal, become worn so that the area of their
pressing surface becomes gradually enlarged and less effective for burnishing.
Sometimes, in order to distribute the wear, the burnishers are made as rollers
retarded so as to revolve more slowly than the metal surface on which they act,
but these are not well adapted for uneven or corrugated surfaces. Now according
to my present invention I make the burnisher in the form of a wheel mounted to
revolve on an axis perpendicular or nearly so to a plane passing through the axis
of the revolving mandril and I cause this wheel to travel to and fro along the
metal surface and at the same time to rotate so as to present always a fresh acting
surface. When the surface of the deposited metal is uneven or corrugated, the
burnishing wheel is made of radius less than the least radius of any of the hollows
of the surface and is thus capable of entering into and acting in all the hollows.
For making sheets, strips, rods or the like, by depositing on a core or mandril and
then cutting the cylindrical shell so deposited considerable time and labour are
involved in removing the mandril from the bath, taking off and cutting the shell
and replacing the mandril in the bath for a fresh deposit. I reduce the time and
labour required for the production of successive deposits in the following manner.
After one shell has been deposited I treat it in situ with a sulphide grease or other
matter which will prevent adhesion of a fresh deposit. In this manner successive
shells of metal can be deposited on one mandril without having to remove it from
the bath, and afterwards these can be cut or slit so as to produce sheets, strips or
other pieces.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a part transverse section through an
electrolytic bath shewing the application according to my present invention, of a
wheel burnisher to a revolving cathode mandril.
M is the mandril revolving in the direction of the arrow. A is the arm which
as described in my previous Specifications-No. 11778 of 1888 and 18896 of
1890 is caused by suitable gearing to travel to and fro parallel to the axis of the
mandril carrying the burnisher along the surface of the metal deposited on the
mandril. In any part of a slot formed in this arm I fix by setting screws_a
bracket B and a rod R which can slide in a socket S pivotted on the bracket B.
This rod R is forked at its lower end and in the fork is mounted the wheel W of
agate or other suitable material presenting its edge to the periphery of the
mandril against which it is pressed by the strain of a caoutchouc band C which is
passed round the rod R and engaged in one or other of a set of notches formed in
the bracket B. As the arm A moves longitudinally to and fro the wheel W rolls
along the mandril presenting always a fresh portion of its edge to effect the
burnishing. When the one edge is worn the wheel may be turned round on the
axis R so as to bring the other edge into use. In order to insure the rotation of
the. burnishing wheel W either at the rate due to its rolling or, if desired, at
greater or less speed, I adopt the arrangement shewn in the part transverse section
Fig. 2 and longitudinal section Fig. 3 in which the parts described with reference
to Fig. 1 are indicated by the same letters. In this case I fix on the axis of the
burnishing wheel W a grooved pulley P round which I pass a wire or cord T
which extends along the bath and is tightened by a weight X or otherwise. The
pulley P in travelling along the wire or cord is caused to revolve giving rotation
to the burnishing wheel W which may be made to revolve more quickly or more
slowly than the speed due to its rolling by making the pulley P of less or greater
diameter..
lis
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
T
1

page_text: into sheets strips or rods, the herein described method of depositing on the mandril
successive shells providing against their adhesion to one another without removing
the mandril from the bath.
2. For burnishing the metal deposited by electrolysis on a revolving mandril, a
wheel of agate or other suitable material having its edge pressed against the
mandril, while it travels to and fro rotating as it travels, substantially as
described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.