US3886053A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Programmable pulse electroplating process
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-11-01
•
Granted: 1975-05-27
•
Expires: 1993-11-01
Abstract
Abstract An improved electroplating process is achieved by pulsing the current through an electrolyte containing a chromium plating solution generating hydrogen at the surface of a workpiece while simultaneously performing honing operation, to enable the hydrogen to escape intermittently during the reduced current periods to avoid the build-up of stress and to provide a softer plating coating adjacent to the workpiece, and, to thereafter, decrease the duration of the reduced current periods to retain the hydrogen and thus to increase the hardness of the outer layers of the plating where necessary to provide a heavy duty wearing surface.
Inventors
- 👤 James M Leland
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:13
CPC Classifications
C; C25; C25D; C25D5/00; C25D5/22; C25D5/627; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S204/00; Y10S204/09; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/922; Y10S428/9335; Y10S428/934; Y10S428/935; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12493
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE PLATING HARDNESS IN A HONEFORMING PROCESS IN WHICH THE SURFACE OF A METAL WORKPIECE IS CATHODICALLY ELECTROPLATED IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CHROMIUM PLATING SOLUTION GENERATING HYDROGEN AT THE WORKPIECE SURFACE, WITH A TOOL HAVING A HONING SURFACE MOVABLE RELATIVE TO AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WORKPIECE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: APPLYING A DC CURRENT THROUGH SAID ELECTROLYTIC SOLUTION; INTERRUPTING THE FLOW OF CURRENT THROUGH SAID SOLUTION TO PROVIDE ALTERNATE DEPOSITION PERIODS AND NON-DEPOSITION PERIODS OF PREDETERMINED DURATION; GRADUALLY DECREASING THE DURATION OF THE NON-DEPOSITION PERIODS DURING THE PLATING PROCESS; WHEREBY DURING THE DEPOSITION PERIOD A LAYER OF CHROMIUM IS DEPOSITED ON THE WORK SURFACE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE HONING OPERATION, AND DURING THE NON-DEPOSITION PERIOD A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF THE HYDROGEN IS ALLOWED TO ESCAPE TO CONTROL THE HARDNESS OF THE CHROMIUM APPLIED TO THE SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE AND TO REDUCE THE STRESS BETWEEN THE PLATING AND THE WORKPIECE, THE HARDNESS OF THE PLATING INCREASING AS THE DURATION OF THE NONDEPOSITION PERIOD DECREASES.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
167 words
A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE PLATING HARDNESS IN A HONEFORMING PROCESS IN WHICH THE SURFACE OF A METAL WORKPIECE IS CATHODICALLY ELECTROPLATED IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CHROMIUM PLATING SOLUTION GENERATING HYDROGEN AT THE WORKPIECE SURFACE, WITH A TOOL HAVING A HONING SURFACE MOVABLE RELATIVE TO AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WORKPIECE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: APPLYING A DC CURRENT THROUGH SAID ELECTROLYTIC SOLUTION; INTERRUPTING THE FLOW OF CURRENT THROUGH SAID SOLUTION TO PROVIDE ALTERNATE DEPOSITION PERIODS AND NON-DEPOSITION PERIODS OF PREDETERMINED DURATION; GRADUALLY DECREASING THE DURATION OF THE NON-DEPOSITION PERIODS DURING THE PLATING PROCESS; WHEREBY DURING THE DEPOSITION PERIOD A LAYER OF CHROMIUM IS DEPOSITED ON THE WORK SURFACE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE HONING OPERATION, AND DURING THE NON-DEPOSITION PERIOD A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF THE HYDROGEN IS ALLOWED TO ESCAPE TO CONTROL THE HARDNESS OF THE CHROMIUM APPLIED TO THE SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE AND TO REDUCE THE STRESS BETWEEN THE PLATING AND THE WORKPIECE, THE HARDNESS OF THE PLATING INCREASING AS THE DURATION OF THE NONDEPOSITION PERIOD DECREASES.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the duration of the deposition periods is substantially constant throughout the plating process.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the deposition period is not substantially longer than the time necessary to deposit one complete monolayer of the chromium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the non-deposition periods are gradually decreased to approach zero during the progression of the plating process to obtain the maximum hardness desired on the outer plating surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the electroplating process utilizes only one plating bath.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-26 | 1978-11-25 | 1979-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-26 | 1982-11-25 | 1983-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-26 | 1986-11-25 | 1987-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |