Particle separator device for plating baths

Claim 1

IN A NICKEL PLATING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRODEPOSITING A SATIN-LIKE NICKEL FINISH ON THE SURFACE OF A BASE METAL, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A TANK, A LIQUID SLUURRY IN SAID TANK INCLUDING A SOLUBLE NICKEL SALT AND EXTREMELY FINESIZED INSOLUBLE PARTICULATED SOLIDS CONTENT SUSPENDED THEREIN RANGING IN CONCENTRATION FROM ABOUT 10 GRAMS TO ABOUT 500 GRAMS PER LITER AND HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE PREDOMINANTLY LESS THAN ABOUT 5 MICRONS, PUMPING MEANS INCLUDING INLET MEANS IMMERSED IN SAID SLURRY FOR WITHDRAWING A QUANTITY THEREOF, A FILTER APPARATUS DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID TANK, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PUMPING MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A FLOW OF SLURRY TO SAID FILTER APPARATUS, SAID FILTER APPARATUS COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE, FILTER MEANS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND POSITIONED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE, COMBINATION NOZZLE AND DEFLECTOR MEANS FOR DISCHARGING SAID SLURRY FROM SAID CONDUIT MEANS IN AN OUTWARDLY DIRECTED RADIAL SUBDIRECTION ADJACENT TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF AN ABOVE SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER PORTION OF SAID FILTER MEANS, SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS INCLUDING A BODY DEFINING AN ARCUATE DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FLARED SURFACE OF A CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION, SAID NOZZLE MEANS INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY ORIENTED DISCHARGE MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE UPPER END OF SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE SLURRY DOWNWARDLY ALONG SAID FLARED SURFACE AND IN A RADIAL AND OUTWARD DIRECTION FROM THE CIRCULAR PERIPHERAL EDGE THEREOF IN THE FORM OF A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS CURTAIN ACROSS THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID FILTER MEANS, SAID FILTER MEANS HAVING A POROSITY TO RETAIN SOLIDS THEREON OF A SIZE GREATER THAN ABOUT 10 MICRONS ENTRAINED IN SAID SLURRY AND TO PASS THE LIQUID AND REMAINING SOLIDS CONTENT OF SAID SLURRY BY GRAVITY FLOW THROUGH SAID FILTER MEANS, AND DRAIN MEANS AT THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RECEPTACLE FOR DISCHARGING THE FILTERED SAID SLURRY FROM SAID FILTER APPARATUS TO SAID TANK.