Improvements in Nickel Plating Engraved Rollers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Nickel Plating Engraved Rollers.
I, JOSEPH PARKINSON, of South Regent Street, in the Town and County of
Lancaster, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as
follows:-
The nickel plating of engraved copper rollors which have been coated by the
ordinary process of nickel plating is liable especially on the plain parts of the roller to
shell off in consequence of the plating not adhering firmly to the surface of the copper
roller-In the ordinary process of nickel plating the roller is washed to get the
surface to be plated, clean, before it is inserted in the electro nickel plating bath, and
between the process of washing and placing in the electro plating bath the roller is
exposed more or less time to the action of the atmosphere which I believe acts to
oxidise its surface more or less though this may be imperceptible to the eye, but
whother this be so or not, I have discovered that the improved treatment in the
process of electro nickel plating hereinafter described produces rollers to which the
plating adhores in a satisfactory manner.
My improvements in the ordinary process or treatment for nickel plating engraved
rollers, consists in operating upon the surface of the roller to be nickel plated after it
has been immersed in the nickel plating solution to scrub or scratch its surface and I
prefer to do this scrubbing or scratching by an arrangement of metallic wires which
torm a scratcher" applied with pressure sufficient to remove any film of oxide, or
other coating that may have formed on the surface of the roller and to give a slightly
toothed surface.
"
This metal bristle scratcher may extend from end to end and be reciprocated to and
fro while the roller is being rotated and is immersed in the nickel solution bath and
before the current of electricity begins to operate for electro plating-The metal
bristle scratcher may be removed when the scrubbing has been effected or may be put
in contact with the roller from time to time during the entire electro plating operation.
I do not confine myself to the metal bristle scratcher or to the manner of using it.
It may be a metal bristle cylindrical scratcher extending the length of the engraved
roller and may be rotated while the roller is slowly rotated in the plating bath, or
there may be one or more narrow metal bristle cylindrical scratchers or their
equivalents both rotated and at the same time traversed to and fro in the lengthway of
the engraved roller while the latter is being slowly rotated.
The main feature of my invention is the scrubbing of the surface of the engraved
roller while immersed in the electro plating solution.
The plating electric current may be conveyed from the roller by means of the
scratcher, in which case the scratcher would always have to be in contact with the
roller.
In some cases I use a cloth of india rubber or other suitable material to wrap round
and cover the roller when immersed in the wash bath after the process is finished, the
roller thus wrapped in cloth being removed from the wash bath to the Electro plating
bath, the cloth being then removed from the roller when it is immersed in that bath-
This cloth or cover may be used as and for the purpose described with or without the
scrubbing process.
Doted this TL 1
T
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Nickel Plating Engraved Rollers.
I, JOSEPH PARKINSON, of South Regent Street, in the Town and County of
Lancaster, Electrician, 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 nickel plating of engraved copper rollers, which have been coated by the
ordinary process of nickel plating, is liable especially on the plain parts of the roller
to shell off in consequence of the plating not adhering firmly to the surface of the
copper roller. In the ordinary process of nickel plating the roller is washed to get
the surface to be plated, clean, before it is inserted in the electro nickel plating bath,
and between the process of washing and placing in the electro plating bath, the roller
is exposed more or less time to the action of the atmosphere which I believe acts
to oxidise its surface more or less, though this may be imperceptible to the eye, but
whether this be so or not I have discovered that the improved treatment in the process
of electro nickel plating, hereinafter described, produces rollers to which the plating
adheres in a satisfactory manner.
My improvements in the ordinary process or treatment for nickel plating engraved
rollers, consists in operating upon the surface of the roller to be nickel plated after it
has been immersed in the nickel plating solution to scrub or scratch its surface, and I
profer to do this scrubbing or scratching by an arrangement of metallic wires which
I term a "scratcher" applied with pressure sufficient to remove any film of oxide, or
other coating that may have formed on the surface of the roller and to give a slightly
toothed surface.
This metal bristlo scratcher may extend from end to end and be reciprocated to and
fro while the roller is being rotated and is immersed in the nickel solution bath, and
before the current of electricity begins to operate for electro plating. The metal
bristle scratcher may be removed or its operation may be stopped when the scrubbing
has been effected or may be put in contact with or made to operate upon the roller
from time to time during the entire electro plating operation.
I do not confine myself to the metal bristle scratcher or to the manner of using it.
It may be a metal bristle cylindrical or endless belt scratchor extending the length
of the engraved roller, and may be rotated or put in motion while the roller is slowly
rotated in the plating bath, or there may be one or more narrow metal bristle
cylindrical scratchers or their equivalents both rotated and at the same time traversed
to and fro in the lengthway of the engraved roller while the latter is being slowly
rotated.
The main feature of my invention is the scrubbing of the surface of the engraved
roller while immersed in the electro plating solution.
The plating electric current may be conveyed from the roller by means of the
scratcher, in which case the scratcher would always have to be in contact with the
roller.
In some cases I use a cloth of india rubbor or other suitable material to wrap round
and cover the roller when immersed in the wash bath after the process is finished, the
roller thus wrapped in cloth being removed from the wash bath to the Electro plating
bath, the cloth being then removed from the roller when it is immersed in that bath-
This cloth or cover may be used as and for the purpose described with or without the
scrubbing process.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tank or bath, and mechanism connected therewith,
for carrying out the nickel plating of engraved rollers according to one modification
of my invention, one side of the tank, bath or vessel being supposed broken away
to show the apparatus more completely.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation in section, fig. 3 is an end elevation in section,
and fig. 4 is a partial end elevation in section illustrating another mode of carrying
out my invention.

page_text: Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the roller to be treated, and the mechanism
for operating upon it shown detached from the tank or bath illustrating two other
modifications for carrying out my invention.
In the modification shown by fig. 1, E is the tank or vessel to contain the electro
plating solution.
e, are standards at each end of the tank to carry the bearings of a rotary shaft f,
and a sliding rod A.
The shaft, is rotated from any suitable motive power by an endless belt f¹,
working upon a pulley, on one end of the shaft f.
There are two grooved pulleys f³, secured on the shaft f, for two endless belts or
ropes, each of which works in a grooved pulley ?, one of which is placed at each
end of the roller R being treated, and thus the roller is suspended by these endless
belts or ropes f, and rotated in the solution in the bath.
In some cases an adjustable hook is used at each end to carry a part of the
weight of the roller which hooks are suspended on a rod across the trough for
the bath.
Above the roller R there is a brush or scratcher B which is a brush with metallic
bristles, in a back of wood or other suitable material.
This brush or scratcher B is connected by uprights 6, from it, with the sliding
rod or bar A, the uprights having slots to allow of the metallic bristles of the
scratcher being adjusted to the surface of the roller R which is being operated upon.
The sliding rod or bar A receives end movement to and fro by being connected
with one end of a lever a' having its fulcrum on a bracket from one standard e, the
other end of the lever having a pin or bowl, or pin carrying a bowl to enter the
groove of a cam a², secured on the shaft, which cam groove is formed to cause
The lever a¹, and thus the slide rod A and scratcher B to move to and fro while the
roller R is being rotated in the solution in the bath.
In the modification illustrated by figs. 2, 3 and 4. the roller R to be treated is
rotated and suspended in the bath as described in reference to fig. 1. There is a
conical mandril 1, inserted in the roller R at each end, and each mandril has the
grooved pulleyr, and there is a neck formed at, at each end for the hook herein-
before referred to for carrying a part of the weight of the roller R which is hung upon
a rod passing across the trough or tank, or it is arranged as shown in fig. 4, the
hook, being bent as shown at its lower end to fit the neck, and at its upper end
to span the edge of the lath tank, having an adjusting screw, which screws through
the metal, the end of which screw rests upon the upper edge of the side of the tank or
trough by which screw, the height of the hook can be adjusted as required.
There is a shaft 9, which extends the lengthway of the roller R and at each end is
in a bearing which has a screwed stom g', that passes through a hole in a bracket
secured to the side of the trough, and has an adjusting screw on it.
On the shaft there are two arms g³, one of which is adjustable by screw nuts on
the shaft g, in its lengthway. The end of each arm g², carries a pulley g³, for a
narrow endless belt scratcher B, which can be stretched tight by moving the arm
which is adjustable on the shaft g. One pulley 9³, has a grooved pulley g*, for a rope
or belt which is driven by a pulley yʻ, on the shaft f
On one arm g³, there is an arm 9, secured that is bent to come over one edge of the
irough E and has an adjusting screw 9', coming upon the edge of the trough-By
this screw the endless helt scratcher can be adjusted to the roller R or raised clear of
it, and when required the shaft g, can be turned to lift the endless belt scratcher B up
out of the way.
Fig. 5 illustrates the roller R being operated upon by a scratcher formed by a
flexible brush D similar to wire cards or "filleting" for carding fibrous materials,
the staple formed wire teeth being set in a belt of leather, cloth or other suitable
material same as wire card teeth are set in belts of leather or other suitable materinl
for carding fibrous material, except that the staple wire teeth need not be bent as
for carding, but may be straight staple wire teeth, and secured by stitching or

page_text: otherwise, so that the staple teeth will not be forced through the holes for them in
the helt of flexible material carrying them when operating upon the engraved roller.
This endless belt D is driven by passing over a pulley on the shaft f, fig. 1 or
another shaft above it, in suitable bearings. The shaft, for the pulley has a key
groove in its lengthway so that as the pulley rotates, it may be slided along the
shaft f, to and fro, from end to end of the roller R by a fork entering a groove in the
boss of the pulley, this guide being traversed to and fro from end to end of the roller R
by a shaft in bearings on the standards e, fig. 1, having a reversed screw thread formed
upon it, there being a swivel on a stud in the fork which fits one groove of the screw
thread and follows it to the end, and then reverses and travels back on the reverse
thread of the screw, which is an arrangement of mechanism for producing a to and
fro traverse motion well understood.
The screw shaft is or may be rotated by being geared or driven from the shaft f,
fig. 1.
Or in place of this reversed screw, any other suitable traversing mechanism may
be employed.
The endless card helt scratcher is just long enough to bear with sufficient pressure
upon the surface of the roller R to be scratched, and the scratcher rotates either in a
reverse direction to the roller R or in the same direction but at a greater surface
speed.
In fig. 6 there is a shaft or rod A the ends of which can rotate or be carried in
bearings or in the lower ends of arms C the upper ends of which arms are pivotted
upon studs in the framing or from the standards e, fig. 1, and these arms can be
adjusted to bring the shaft A carried by them parallel to the axis of the roller and
nearer to or further from its surface, and when so adjusted the arms are or may be
each secured by a screw to a segment bar c³, secured to the standard or framing.
This shaft A has a circular short cylindrical brush B upon it, with metallic bristles,
and is rotated by an endless rope or bolt 61, working upon a groove on the boss of the
pulley B and a grooved pulley on the shaft f, fig. I which latter pulley and the brush
pulley B is traversed while it rotates against the roller R to and fro, from end to
end of the roller R by mechanism similar to that described for traversing the card
belt fig. 5 or other suitable traverse mechanism.
The arrangements and mechanism for nickel plating engraved rollers are well
known except as to the scratching operation hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. Scratching the surface of engraved rollers before, during the process, or at
intervals during the process of nickel plating and while in the bath, substantially
as heroin before described.
2. The combinations and arrangements of mechanism for scratching the surfaces
of engraved rollers in the process of nickel plating substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. When scratching engraved rollers in a bath separate from the nickel plating
bath, the use of an india rubber or other suitable covering to envelope the roller
while being transferred from the wash and scratching bath to the nickel plating
bath substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this Second day of September 1889.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.