US2916431A - Electroplating rack - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 8, 1959 s. F. o'coNNoR 2,916,431

ELECTROPLATING RACK mea Jan. 22. 195e f/f i United States Patent O ELECTROPLATING RACK Stephen F. OConnor, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application January 22, 1958, Serial No. 710,495

2 Claims. (Cl. 204-297) This invention relates to electroplating racks and more particularly to electroplating racks having article-holding hooks threaded into helical inserts mounted in threaded holes in the rack.

In electroplating racks used in the past, it has been a common practice to thread article-holding hooks directly into tapped holes in an electrically conductive plate. The diiculty with this construction is that it has been difcult to obtain a good electrical connection between the rack and the hooks.

Keeping this problem in mind, one of the objects of this invention is to provide an electroplating rack having a good electrical connection between the rack and a plurality of article-holding hooks.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electroplating rack having threaded holes in which are mounted helical inserts having resilient portions for electrically connecting the rack to threaded article-holding hooks mounted in the inserts.

With these and other objects in mind, the present invention contemplates an electrically conductive rack having a plurality of threaded holes in which are mounted stairdess steel helical elements or inserts for receiving threaded article-holding hooks, each element being provided With a tang for engaging the hook to provide a good electrical connection between the rack and the hook.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of an electroplating rack embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the manner in which a st iinless steel helix is mounted in a threaded hole in the electroplating rack; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the stainless steel helices showing the configuration of a tang thereon.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a pper electroplating rack 11 having electrically conductive supporting hooks 12 and 13 is shown provided with a plurality of electrically conductive hooks 16 for holding 'articles to be electroplated. The hooks 12 and 13 are hung over a bar 14 which carries electrical current from a source (not shown) to the rack 11. The outer surface of the rack 11 is covered with a heavy layer 17 of an electrically insulating and corrosion resistant material such as rubber. The layer 17 prevents the plating of metal onto the rack 11 and also prevents corrosion of the surface of the rack 11. The hooks 16 are provided with bodies 21 having at faces 19 which abut with the layer 17 of rubber. The dat face 19 of the body 21 compresses the rubber 17 and provides a seal whereby the 2,916,431 Patented Dec. 8, 1959 electrolyte is normally prevented from entering into the hole 18 and corroding the threads therein.

The rack 11 is provided with a plurality of threaded holes 18 into each of which is threaded a helical stainless steel insert 20 having a diamond-shaped cross section. The cross-sectional configuration of the insert 20- is such that the outside surface dened by the helical turns in the insert forms a plurality of threads which mate with the threads in the hole 18. The inside surface defined by the turns of the insert 20 forms a plurality of threads which mate with threads on the article-holding hooks 16.

The innermost end of the insert 20 is provided with a tang 22 which projects diametrically across the hole 18 to engage the end of the hook 16 when it is threaded into the insert 20. This serves to provide a good electrical connection between the rack 11 and the hooks 16.

In using the rack, a plurality of articles to be plated are hung on the hooks 16 and the hooks 12 and 13 are hung on the bar 14 to support the rack in a plating solution. Electrical current is then passed through the rack 11, the inserts 20, the hooks 16 and the articles to electroplate these articles. The tangs 22 of the inserts 20 'provide a good electrical connection between the copper rack 11 and the hooks 16.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrange- `ments are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A rack for supporting articles in a plating solution comprising an electrically-conductive member having a plurality of helically grooved apertures therein, a plurality of corrosion resistant helically coiled electrically- `conductive elements entering the grooves in said apertures, each said helically coiled element having a tang extending therefrom diametrically across said aperture, and a plurality of electrically-conductive article-holding members having helically grooved portions positioned in said apertures in abutting relationship with the tangs on the helically coiled elements, said helically coiled elements also entering the helical grooves in said portions of the article-holding members for holding said helically grooved portions in said apertures.

2. A rack for supporting articles in a plating solution, comprising an electrically-conductive supporting member having therein a plurality of threaded apertures, a plurality of corrosion resistant helically coiled electricallyconductive elements.threaded into the threads in said apertures and each having at one end a diametrically projecting tang, and a plurality of electrically-conductive article-holding members threaded into the corrosion resistant elements and engaging said projecting tangs.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,056,354 Morgan Mar. 18, 1913 2,439,190 Schroeder Apr. 6, 1948 2,511,037 Bedoiseau June 13. 1950 April 1956 a es 152 153. P

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