Improvements in the Manufacture of Copper Wire, Strips, Sheets, or the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov.. 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Copper Wire, Strips, Sheets, or
the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, EMILE VIARENGO, of Via St. Gulia, Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of copper wire, bars, strips, sheets and
the like by the electro-deposition of copper upon a mother wire or core.
Hitherto in manufacturing such wires or the like it has been usual to make use
of the current of a dynamo electric machine and furthermore the length of the
wires formed was limited owing to the fact that the ends of the inother wire were.
connected.
According to my invention the electric current is produced in the same vessel as
that in which the electro deposition takes place thereby dispensing with the use of
a dynamo electric machine or other apparatus for the production of an electric
current and I provide for the production of wires, strips or the like of continuous
or unlimited length.
In carrying out my invention I employ a tank having within it a series of cells,
preferably vertical, composed of vegetable parchment, thin wood, clay or other
suitable porous material. In the tank and surrounding the cells I place a solution
of sulphate of copper and in the cells a solution of sulphate of iron or of sulphate
of zinc. In each of the porous cells I suspend a plate of wrought or cast iron
or of zinc according as to whether the solution in such cells is sulphate of iron or
sulphate of zinc and in the bath and between the cells I pass the mother wires
or cores upon which the electro deposition is to take place. If now the metallic
plates (which form the anode) be placed in electrical connection by means of wires
with the mother wires or cores which form the cathode a current will be produced
and at the same time a deposition of copper from the solution of sulphate of copper
will take place upon the mother wires or cores, whereby the diameter or dimensions
of such wires or cores will be increased. The wires or cores are wound upon réels
or bobbins outside the depositing tank and enter the tank at one end and pass out
at the other end through stuffing boxes or the like so that the liquid of the bath
cannot escape. The travel of the wires or cores through the tank must be so
regulated that by the time they leave the tank they are of the required thickness
or dimensions.
I
In order that the liquids in the tank shall be of uniform density at all parts
provide a pump or the like which draws the liquid from the bottom of the tank and
delivers it again at the top and so on and in order to prevent the liquid from
becoming weakened or attenuated I provide a funnel at one end of the tank and an
overflow at the other end the strength of the liquid being maintained by intro-
ducing fresh liquid from time to time.
The weakened solution which overflows from the tank may be used for effecting
the lixiviation of cupreous ashes. The liquid in the cells is also caused to circulate
by the constant introduction of fresh liquid.
The wires as they leave the tank are passed between several series of rollers in
order to render the deposit homogeneous and through a draw plate or plates; and
to prevent the slitting or cracking of the surfaces of such wires I heat the same by
electricity. After the wires have been rolled and drawn they are wound onto
suitable bobbins.
En manufacturing strips I produce a wire as hereinbefore described and then
flatten the same. For making flat bands, bars or the like I take a thin mother
strip either of lead or corner one side of which is coated with a material which

page_text: will prevent copper from being deposited thereon. This strip is passed through
a tank in the same manner as the wires but it is supported at intervals upon
brackets which at the same time serve as contacts for communicating the electric
current.
Dated the 28th day of November 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Copper Wire, Strips, Sheets, or
the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
1, EMILE VIARENGO, of Via St. Gulia, Turin, in the Kingdon of Italy,
Gentleman, 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:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of copper-wire, strips, sheets and the
like by the electro-deposition of copper upon a mother-wire or core, and consists in
improvements on the inventions described in the former Specifications of Alphonse
Edouard Tavernier No. 1680 of 1891 and of The Rovello Syndicate Limited and
John Charles Howell No. 8836 of 1891.
In manufacturing wire or the like according to the said Specifications the
mother-wire is passed in endless lengths round rollers mounted in an electrolytic
tank, to which rollers motion is imparted so as to cause the wires to travel around
the same until they have been coated with an electro-deposit of the required
thickness. The ends are then disconnected and the wires are passed in a
heated condition through rolls and draw-plates in order to render the deposit
homogeneous.
I have found that the curving or bending, to which the coated wire is subjected
by its passage around the rollers before it reaches the rolls, is very prejudicial to
the manufactured article, the deposit being liable to slit or crack, notwith-
standing the subsequent rolling and drawing process. This method of manufacture
has also the disadvantage that the wire or the like can only be made in short
lengths.
According to my invention I obviate these objections by causing the wire or the
like to pass in a continuous or unlimited length through the electrolytic tank in a
straight line to the rolls and draw-plates, the travel of the wires or cores being so
regulated that by the time they leave the tank they are of the required thickness
and dimensions, thus producing wire, strip or the like of continuous length and
without bending or curving until they have been rolled and drawn.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it
can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in
which-
Figure 1 is a plan; and,
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus illustrating the manufacture of
copper-wire and strip according to my invention.
Similar letters in both the figures indicate similar parts.
a is the tank of the apparatus having within it a series of cells
vegetable parchment, thin wood, clay or other suitable porous material.
composed of
In the tank and surrounding the cells I place a solution of sulphate of copper
and in the cells a solution of sulphate of iron or of sulphate of zinc. In each of
the porous cells I suspend a plate c of wrought or cast-iron or of zinc according to
whether the solution in such cells is sulphate of iron or sulphate of zinc and in
the bath and between the cells, I pass the mother-wires or cores d, d' upon which
the electro-deposition is to take place. The metallic plates (which form the
anode) are placed in electrical connection by means of wires with the mother-wires
C

page_text: or cores d, d¹ which form the cathode. A current will thereby be produced and at
the same time a deposition of copper from the solution of sulphate of copper will
take place upon the 'mother-wires or cores, whereby the diameter or dimensions of.
such wires or cores will be increased.
The wires or cores d, d¹ are wound upon reels or bobbins e outside the depositing
tank a, and enter the tank at one end and pass out at the other end through
stuffing-boxes or the like so that the liquid of the bath cannot escape. The travel
of the wires or cores d, through the tank is therefore in a straight line and must
be regulated as hereinbefore stated so that by the time the wires or cores leave the
tank they are of the required thickness or dimensions.
is a pump for causing the liquids in the tank a to be of uniform density at all
parts by drawing the liquid from the bottom of the tank and delivering it again at
the top in the following manner.
The liquid introduced through a funnel flows through a tube h and through
branch-tubes into the tank a. When the required level has been reached the
pump is set in action, so that it draws the solution through a tube placed at the
bottom of the tank at the opposite end to the inlet and forces it through a tube k
into the tube which delivers it again at the surface or inlet and so on until the
solution has become sufficiently weakened; a solution of the original strength is
then allowed to flow through the funnel g and the overflow is opened at the other
end of the tank. These weakened solutions may be used for effecting the
lixiviation of cupreous ashes.
and mare small openings for the introduction and outlet of the liquid which
acts upon the anodes.
This liquid is introduced through a funnel and passing through a pipe ?
reaches the cells through the openings and leaves through the openings m and
through the overflow 7 the circulation being constant in consequence of the
constant introduction and egress of the liquid.
The reels or bobbins e are fitted loosely on small fixed shafts on which they
are caused to turn by the traction of the rolls, three sets only of which are shewn
at s, t, . The reels or bobbins are provided with a brake such as an india-rubber
washer or the like interposed between their interior and the shafts in order that
the wire or strip may be kept tant when entering the tank a.
»
is the driving-gear for giving motion to the rolls through which the wire or
strip heated by an electric current is passed. After leaving the draw-plates, not
shewn in the drawing, the wire is wound upon suitable reels or bobbins and is
ready for use. , ware copper hooks by which the anodes are suspended in the
cells. The wires and strips are supported at intervals upon brackets or
supports i. These hooks and brackets serve as conductors for communicating
the electric current.
In manufacturing strips I produce a wire as hereinbefore described and then
Hatten the same. For making flat bands, bars or the like, I take a thin mother-
strip, either of lead or copper, one side of which is coated with a material which
will prevent copper from being deposited thereon. This strip is passed through
the tank a in the same manner as the wires and similarly supported at intervals
upon brackets which at the same time serve as contacts for communicating the
electric current.
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 manufacture of copper-wire, strip, sheets or the like by passing a mother-
wire or strip of continuous or unlimited length in a straight line through an
electrolytic tank to rolls and draw-plates, so as to avoid curving or bending the
wire or the like during its passage through the tank and before its passage through
the rolls and draw-plates, the said wire or the like being heated during its passage
through the rolls and draw-plates, substantially as herein before described.

page_text: 2. The improved apparatus for the manufacture of copper-wire, strips,
sheets or the like hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.