Process of and Apparatus for Making Compressed Electrolytic Copper, applicable also to other Metals capable of being Deposited by Electrolysis.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th D.c., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1995-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Process of and Apparatus for Making Compressed Electrolytic
Copper, applicable also to other Metals capable of being
Deposited by Electrolysis.
1, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
(a communication to me by La Société des Cuivres de France, of 5, Rue Cambon,
Paris, France, Manufacturers,) to be as follows
This invention relates to a process of making compressed electrolytic copper,
characterized by the employment, as cathodes, of laminating rollers which
compress the metal deposited thereon.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, which indicate, in principle and in an elementary manner, the
arrangements employed in carrying out the process.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section shewing the general arrangement of the
apparatus, and Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a modified arrangement.
The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
This improved process consists, as above mentioned, in causing the copper to be
deposited upon laminating rollers which form the catholes of the electrolytic cell,
the anodes of which are constituted in any suitable manner.
The process may be carried out with the aid of the following apparatus :-In a
tank a containing the electrolyte are placed cathodes formed of laminating rolls b, c,
in any suitable number, disposed either beside or above one another according to
circumstances. In the example, a pair of rolls are employed placed vertically one
above the other. The lower roll b is journalled in insulated standards d in the
guide slots e of which the journals of the upper roll c are also received. The
lower roll is rotated by means of a band pulley f, a crank, or other mechanical
movement. This motion is transmitted by frictional contact to the upper roll e
which is capable of rising in proportion as the thickness of the layer of copper
deposited upon each of the rolls increases. The rolls are maintained in contact by
At the
the weight of the upper roll or by the action of springs or weights, etc.
com.mencement of the operation, however, the two rolls should not touch each
other, otherwise they would mutually remove the layer of plumbago or other
suitable material with which they are coated, before any metal is deposited. To
prevent this frictional contact, a copper ring g is placed on each end of the upper
rolle of slightly larger diameter than the roll and of a few millimetres thickness,
whereby to give passage to the electric current from one roll to the other without
permitting contact of the rolls at any other part. After the action has been in
progress for some minutes, and when the entire surface of the two rolis has become
erated with copper, the rings g are removed by sliding them off the ends of the roll.
Any other suitable means may, however, be adopted for preventing the contart of
the rolls at starting; his a brush which rubs upon the surface of roll to ensure
the transmission of the current.
As before mentioned, the axes of the rol's may also be placed in the same hori-
zontal plane, the arrangement being similar to that before described, that is to say

page_text: motion is transmitted to the one roll while the other roll is capable of shifting in a
horizontal direction as the thickness of the deposit of copper increases, the two
rolls being pressed into contact as above mentioned. The anodes k, l, may be made
of any suitable form, depending on the arrangement of the cathodes b, c, and they
may be of any suitable niaterial. The current entering by the conducting wires m, n,
causes the copper to become deposited upon the rolls b, c, in a uniform manner and
when the desired thickness of metal has been obtained, the separation of the
deposit from the roll is effected by any suitable means.
For tubes of larger diameter it might be inconvenient to employ tanks of great
depth, and in this case two or more small rolls e, e², may be employed in connection
with a roll of large diameter, as shewn in Figure 3, the current being supplied
by means of brushes to one of the rolls and transmitted therefrom to the remaining
rolls. This arrangement permits of obtaining one tube of large diameter and two
or more tubes of small diameter simultaneously.
The process, which may be applied to all metals susceptible of being deposited
by electrolysis, permits of obtaining deposits of superior quality without waste, by
the employment of apparatus of a simple and economical character. The progress
of the operation requires no overlooking, and the deposit of the metal is effected
with regularity over the whole surface of the rolls. The deposits may be employed
either as tubes capable of being drawn, or as rolled plates or sheets, or as wires,
rods, or bars, etc.
Dated this 5th day of December 1804
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A Process of and Apparatus for Making Compressed Electrolytic
Copper, applicable also to other Metals capable of being
Deposited by Electrolysis.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. and Win. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by La Société des Cuivres de France, of 5, Rue Cambon, Paris, France,
Manufacturers,) and in what manner the same is to be performe I to be particularly
de cried and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a process of making compressed electrolytic copper by
the employment, as cetheles, of luminating rollers whereby the metal is empresse
as it is deposited thereon.
Reference is to be hal to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specifi-
cation, which illustrate in an elementary manner the arrangements employed for
carrying out the process.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, shewing the general arrangement of the
apparatus. Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a modified arrangement.
The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
This improved process consists, as above mentioned, in causing the copper to be
deposited upon laminating rollers which form the cathodes of the electrolytic cell,
the anodes of which are of any suitable kind.
The process may be carried out by means of the following apparatus:-In an
electrolytic tank a containing the electrolyte the entholes are formed by pairs of
laminating rolls b, r, in any suitable number, disp is either side or ve one
another according to circumstances. In the example shewn in Figures 1 and 2, twe

page_text: rolls are employed, placed the one above the other. The lower roll is journalle1
in insulating standards d, having guide slots e in which the journals of the upper
roll
are also received. The lower roll b is rotated by means of a band pulley f,
crank, or other mechanical movement, and this motion is transmitted by frictional
contact to the upper roll which is capable of rising as the thickness of the layers
of copper deposited upon the two rolls increases, the rolls being maintainel in
contact by the weight of the upper roll or by the action of springs or weights, etc.
At the commencement of the operation, however, the two rolls should not touch
each other, otherwise they would mutually remove the layer of plumbago or other
suitable material with which they are coated, before any metal is deposited. To
revent this frictional contact, a conducting guard ring 9 of copper a few milli-
metres in thickness is placed on each end of the upper roll e, to convey the electric
current from one roll to the other without permitting contact of the rolls at any
other part. After the electro-deposition has made such progress that the entire
surface of the two rolls has become coated with copper, the rings g are removed.
Any other suitable means may, however, be adopted for preventing the contact of
the rolls at starting. The current is taken from the roll by a brush h which rubs
upon its surface.
"
As before mentioned, the axes of the rolls may also be in the same horizontal
plane, the one roll being driven and motion being transmitted from it to the other
roll which is pressed into contact with the first but is capable of receding in a
horizontal direction as the thickness of the deposits of copper increases. The
anodes k, l, are of a form suited to the arrangement of the cathodes b, c. The
current entering at m, m, causes the copper to be uniformly deposited upon
the rolls b, c, and when it has attained the desired thickness the separation of the
deposit from the roll is effected by any suitable means.
To produce tubes of large diameter without employing a tank of great depth,
two or more small rolls c', c², may be used with a roll b of large diameter, as shewn
in Figure 3, whereby one tube of large diameter and two or more tubes of small
diameter may be obtained simultaneously.
The process, which may be applied to all metals susceptible of electrolytic
deposition, enables deposits of high quality to be obtained economically and
without waste, by the employment of simple apparatus. The progress of the
operation requires no overlooking, and the deposit of the metal is effected with
regularity over the whole surface of the rolls." The deposits may be employed
either as tubes to be drawn, or as plates or sheets to be rolled or as wires, rods, or
bars, etc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described process of producing compressed metals by electro-
deposition, the said process consisting in electrically depositing metal upon revolving
rolls which are kept separated until a surface coating of metal has been deposited
upon each roll and are thereafter pressed together with their coated surfaces in
contact, the flow of current through the rolls and coating being maintained during
the operation, as specified.
2. In apparatus for compressing electrolytic copper deposited by electrolysis, the
combination in an electrolytic tank of a cathode consisting of a pair or pairs of
revolving rolls, insulating supports in which the rolls are so mounted and caused to
press the one on the other as to be free to recede as the deposits thereon increase,
and an anode conforming approximately to the form of the cathode, all contained
within the tank substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for compressing electrolytic copper deposited by electrolysis, the
combination in an electrolytic tank of a cathode consisting of a pair or pairs of
revolving rolls, insulating supports in which the rollers are so mounted and cause t
to press the one on the other as to be free to recede as the deposits increase in

page_text: thickness, an anode conforming approximately to the form of the cathode, and
means whereby the rolls may be maintained in electrical contact but with their
collecting surfaces separated at the commencement of the operation, and a brash in
contact with the cathode, substantially as described.
4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with a suitable
tank, of an anode, a cathode consisting of rolls in contact arranged one above the
other, the upper roll being freely suspended and bearing its weight upon the lower
roll, and circuit connections, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of September 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.