W. WALLACE & L. L. SMITH. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING WIRE. No. 189,533. Patented April 10, 1877.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WALLACE, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT, AND LUTEER L. SMITH, OF PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO WALLACE & SONS, OF --- ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT. IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING WIRE,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1s9,533, dated April 10, 1877; application filed February 5, 1877.

To all whom it may concern: . . for supporting and conveniently arranging the Be it known that we, WILLIAM WALLACE wire on the said rotating device. of Ansonia, in the county of New Haven and A represents the vessel containing the bath, State of Connecticut, and LUTHER L. SMITH, across which the shaft B is arranged in suit of Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State able bearings, and so as to allow its free rev of New Jersey, have invented a new Improve olution. To this shaft a slow revolution is ment in Process and Apparatus for Electro imparted, preferably by means of a revolving plating Wire; and we do hereby declare the worm Working in a corresponding pinion on following, when taken in connection with the the shaft, as shown. Onto this shaft the coil accompanying drawings and the letters of ref. of wire is hung, and spread upon the shaft, erence marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and so that the convolutions rest thereon, and exact description of the same, and which said practically separate from each other, as seen drawings constitute part of this specification, in Fig. 1. Therefore the rotation of the shaft and represent, ill imparts to the coil of wire a very slow rota Figure 1, a perspective view of the frame; tion, and in such rotation the wire passes and in Fig. 2, a section of the bath, showing through the bath, and is there acted upon in the arrangement of the frame in the bath. the usual manner of electroplating-baths. This invention relates to an improvement Preferably the shaft is arranged above the in apparatus for facilitating and improving level of the bath, so that the Wire is not en the electroplating of wire. tirely immersed therein; but it may be below The usual method of electroplating wire has the level of the bath, and thus be always im. been to immerse coils or bundles of the same mersed. in a bath, subjecting them to an occasional This rotation of the coil and the contact of change of position while therein, the object of the convolutions with the shaft constantly such change being to facilitate the distribution changes the relative position of the several or deposition of the coating on the wire. convolutions to each other, so that contact of In such method the convolutions of the coils one convolution with another cannot hold for or bundles will lie in so close contact with each any considerable length of time. Heuce the other while in the bath as to cause many im surface of the wire throughout is regularly perfect and defective spots in the coil, perfect and evenly exposed to the action of the bath, deposition depending upon the freedom and and the most perfect result attained. equality with which all parts of the wire-sur For conveniently arranging the wire upon face may be exposed in the solution of the the shaft, a frame is provided, (shown in Fig. bath. 2,) in which the two ends a a are made circu To overcome these difficulties is the object lar in form, preferably as a ring, and in di of this invention; and it consists, first, iri com ameter substantially that of the coil of wire, bining with the vessel containing the bath a These heads or rings are distant from each slowly-revolving shaft or device, upon which other according to the length of the frame re the coil of wire may be placed, and spread quired, and they are connected by two or more upon the shaft, so as to separate the several pairs of rods, b c, one end of each pair con convolutions from each other, and the rotation nected to one ring and the other to the other of the shaft impart to the wire so arranged a ring, so as to support the rings at the required slow rotary movement within the bath, and distance from each other, and in a plane sub which movement more or less changes the rel stantially at right angles to the axis of the ative position of the convolutions to each oth frame. The one bar 0 of each pair is arranged er, and so that all parts or the entire surface radially inside the other or outer bar b, and of the wire will be evenly exposed to the ac so as to leave a narrow space between the two. tion of the bath; and, secondly, in a frame The inner rods c of these pairs form the sup

2 S9,583 porting frame or ribs of what may be termed confining this invention to the particular meth the 66 reel' od described for imparting the rotary move The coil of wire is placed upon the inner ment. In any case it will be desirable that bars, the outer being removed for the purpose, the shaft or revolving mechanism in contact and spread or distributed along the surface, so with the frame shall be a part of the electric that the wire lies in substantially single con circuit. volutions. The outer bar is secured over these We claim convolutions of wire and, preferably, connec 1. The method herein described for electro tions are made between the two bars of each plating coils of wire, consisting in separating pair at intervals along their length to hold the or distributing the convolutions forming the wire, or prevent the convolutions working to coil in substantially an axial line with each gether, and to secure their even distribution other, and then subjecting them to the action along the inner rods. of the coating-bath during their gradual rota In this condition the frame and wire are tion, substantially as described. hung on the shaft B, the two rings a a resting 2. The herein-described reel or frame, con thereon, and so that the revolution of the shaft sisting of the two rings or heads, connected will impart a corresponding rotary movement together by one or more pairs of longitudinal to the frame, the friction between the shaft rods, the outer one of each pair being detach and the ends being sufficient for this purpose. able from the end rings, and between which This rotation of the frame has the same ef. and the inner rods the wire to be plated is se fect upon the wire as if hung upon the shaft cured before placing in the bath, substantially independently, as first described, but with this as and for the purpose described. advantage, that the connections which are 3. In combination with an electroplating made between the bars prevent the possibility vessel and a frame for holding the coils of of the convolutions working together, which wire to be plated, a friction rotating axis, for they might possilby do in the first instance un imparting a rotary motion to the said frame, less special attention was given to prevent it. the combination being substantially as alld While it is preferred to suspend the frame for the purpose described. on the shaft, as described, and the shaft to be above or near the top of the bath, it will be WMI, WALLACE. evident that the shaft may be below, and the LUTEER. L. SMITH, frame or reel to rest on the shaft. In this case Witnesses: suitable side supports would be necessary. W. H. K. GoDFREY, We therefore do not wish to be understood as F. L., GAYLORD.