US3901788A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cup plating rack
Assignee: Dare Pafco Inc
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Filing: 1973-10-24
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Granted: 1975-08-26
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Expires: 1993-10-24
Abstract
Abstract A rack for use in electroplating interior surfaces of cups or other similarly shaped recessed articles. The rack includes a multiple electrode carrying an anode support member and a multiple article or cup carrying cathode support member, the two members being longitudinally movable with respect to each other. The electrodes of the anodes are aligned with and project into the recess of each cathode supported cup or article. Upon insertion into an electroplating solution, floats attached to one of the support members cause it to move longitudinally with respect to the other so that the cups are disposed or tipped to an upwardly facing position so that gas will not collect on the interior surface. Upon removal of the rack and the attached floats from the solution, the support members move longitudinally with respect to each other to a position in which the cups are tipped downwardly to a draining position whereat each supported article will drain of plating solution.
Inventors
- 👤 Glenn R Schaer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 19:30
CPC Classifications
C; C25; C25D; C25D17/00; C25D17/06; C25D17/08; C25D7/00; C25D7/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
356 words
A RACK FOR SUPPORTING OPEN MOUTHED RECESSED ARTICLES DURING ELECTROPLATING OF AN INTERIOR SURFACE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR FRAME, A SECOND ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR FRAME, AT LAST TWO SUPPORT MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH SAID FRAME MEMBER, AT LEAST ONE CROSS BRACE MEMBER CONNECTED AT OPPOSITE ENDS TO ONE SUPPORT MEMBER TO FORM A SUPPORT FRAME WHICH PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTS EACH SAID PLANAR FRAME AND PERMITTING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF ONE FRAME WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER FRAME, SAID CROSS BRACE MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IN A MANNER SO THAT EACH SUPPORT MEMBER IS ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM THE OTHER, AT LEAST ONE STOP MEMBER MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID FRAMES TO LIMIT THE RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT ALLOWABLE OF ONE FRAME WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER FRAME, THE TWO LIMITS OF RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FRAMES DEFINE A PLATING POSITION AND A DRAINING POSITION, A PLURALITY O SPRING CLIP MEMBERS EACH SHAPED TO FIXEDLY SUPPORT A RECESSED ARTICLE BY ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH ARTICLE GENERALLY AT THE ARTICLE BASE, EACH SAID SPRING CLIP MEMBER BEING FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE CONSTRUCTION AND MOUNTED ON ONE SAID SUPPORT MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST FRAME, SAID SPRING CLIP MEMBERS BEING OPERATIVE TO SUPPORT ARTICLES BETWEEN SAID FRAMES, A PLURALITY OF ELECTRODES MOUNTED ON SAID SUPORT MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND FRAME, EACH SAID ELECTRODE BEING DISPOSED TO EXTEND THE MOUTH OF AND INTO AN ARTICLE SUPPORTED BY ONE SAID SPRING CLIP MEMBER, FLOAT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND FRAME TO DISPLACE SAID SECOND FRAME UPWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST FRAME WHEN SAID RACK IS DISPOSED IN A PLATING SOLUTION, SAID RELATIVELY UPWARD MOVEMENT BEING OPERATIVE TO POSITION SAID FRAMES AT SAID PLATING POSITION AT WHICH POSITION EACH RECESSED ARTICLE SUPPORTED BY A SPRING CLIP MEMBER IS DISPOSED WITH ITS MOUTH FACING UPWARDLY, THE WEIGHT OF SAID SECOND FRAME BEING OPERATIVE TO DISPLACE SAID SECOND FRAME DOWNWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST FRAME TO SAID DRAINING POSITION WHEN THE RACK IS REMOVED FROM THE PLATING SOLUTION WHEREAT EACH SUPPORTED RECESSED ARTICLE IS POSITIONED WITH ITS MOUTH FACING DOWNWARDLY TO PERMIT DRAINING OF PLATING SOLUTION THEREFROM.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
356 words
A RACK FOR SUPPORTING OPEN MOUTHED RECESSED ARTICLES DURING ELECTROPLATING OF AN INTERIOR SURFACE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR FRAME, A SECOND ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR FRAME, AT LAST TWO SUPPORT MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH SAID FRAME MEMBER, AT LEAST ONE CROSS BRACE MEMBER CONNECTED AT OPPOSITE ENDS TO ONE SUPPORT MEMBER TO FORM A SUPPORT FRAME WHICH PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTS EACH SAID PLANAR FRAME AND PERMITTING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF ONE FRAME WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER FRAME, SAID CROSS BRACE MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IN A MANNER SO THAT EACH SUPPORT MEMBER IS ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM THE OTHER, AT LEAST ONE STOP MEMBER MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID FRAMES TO LIMIT THE RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT ALLOWABLE OF ONE FRAME WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER FRAME, THE TWO LIMITS OF RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FRAMES DEFINE A PLATING POSITION AND A DRAINING POSITION, A PLURALITY O SPRING CLIP MEMBERS EACH SHAPED TO FIXEDLY SUPPORT A RECESSED ARTICLE BY ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH ARTICLE GENERALLY AT THE ARTICLE BASE, EACH SAID SPRING CLIP MEMBER BEING FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE CONSTRUCTION AND MOUNTED ON ONE SAID SUPPORT MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST FRAME, SAID SPRING CLIP MEMBERS BEING OPERATIVE TO SUPPORT ARTICLES BETWEEN SAID FRAMES, A PLURALITY OF ELECTRODES MOUNTED ON SAID SUPORT MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND FRAME, EACH SAID ELECTRODE BEING DISPOSED TO EXTEND THE MOUTH OF AND INTO AN ARTICLE SUPPORTED BY ONE SAID SPRING CLIP MEMBER, FLOAT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND FRAME TO DISPLACE SAID SECOND FRAME UPWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST FRAME WHEN SAID RACK IS DISPOSED IN A PLATING SOLUTION, SAID RELATIVELY UPWARD MOVEMENT BEING OPERATIVE TO POSITION SAID FRAMES AT SAID PLATING POSITION AT WHICH POSITION EACH RECESSED ARTICLE SUPPORTED BY A SPRING CLIP MEMBER IS DISPOSED WITH ITS MOUTH FACING UPWARDLY, THE WEIGHT OF SAID SECOND FRAME BEING OPERATIVE TO DISPLACE SAID SECOND FRAME DOWNWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST FRAME TO SAID DRAINING POSITION WHEN THE RACK IS REMOVED FROM THE PLATING SOLUTION WHEREAT EACH SUPPORTED RECESSED ARTICLE IS POSITIONED WITH ITS MOUTH FACING DOWNWARDLY TO PERMIT DRAINING OF PLATING SOLUTION THEREFROM.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
131 words
A rack for supporting open mouthed recessed articles during electroplating of an interior surface comprising, in combination: a main frame; an auxilary frame; a plurality of support frames, each support frame being pivotally connected to both said main frame and said auxilary frame; means on each said support frame for supporting a plurality of recessed articles; means on said support frame for supporting a plurality of electrodes so that each of said electrodes projects through the open mouth of one of said supported recessed article into the article interior without contact therewith; means on said auxilary frame responsive to inserting the rack into an electroplating solution to dispose supported articles with their mouth facing upwardly and responsive to withdrawal from the solution for disposing supported articles with their mouths facing downwardly.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
131 words
A rack for supporting open mouthed recessed articles during electroplating of an interior surface comprising, in combination: a main frame; an auxilary frame; a plurality of support frames, each support frame being pivotally connected to both said main frame and said auxilary frame; means on each said support frame for supporting a plurality of recessed articles; means on said support frame for supporting a plurality of electrodes so that each of said electrodes projects through the open mouth of one of said supported recessed article into the article interior without contact therewith; means on said auxilary frame responsive to inserting the rack into an electroplating solution to dispose supported articles with their mouth facing upwardly and responsive to withdrawal from the solution for disposing supported articles with their mouths facing downwardly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The rack of claim 2 wherein said electrode supporting means and said article supporting means are rigidly connected to said support frames with each said electrode being aligned in one fixed orientation with respect to each said supported article.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The rack of claim 2 additionally including at least one stop member disposed between said main frame and said auxilary frame, said stop member being operative to limit longitudinal movement of said auxilary frame with respect to said main frame.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The rack of claim 2 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a floatation member mounted on said auxilary frame, said floatation member having sufficient buoyancy to displace said auxilary frame upwardly when the rack is inserted into an electroplating solution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
346 words
A rack for supporting recessed articles during electroplating of the interior surface, comprising, in combination: a first elongated substantially planar frame; a second elongated substantially planar frame; at least two support frames, each said support frame being pivotally connected to each said planar frame thereby permitting longitudinal movement of one planar frame with respect to the other planar frame; at least one stop member mounted between said planar frames to limit the relative longitudinal movement allowable of one planar frame with respect to the other planar frame, said stop member also preventing one planar frame from contacting the other planar frame, the two opposite limits of relative longitudinal movement of said planar frames define a plating position and a draining position; a plurality of article support members mounted on said support frame to fixedly support an open mouthed recessed article each article support member being formed of a flexible construction and mounted on one of said support frames to thereby dispose each supported article between said planar frames; a plurality of electrodes mounted on each said support frame and electrically insulated from said article support members, each said electrode being so positioned that it will not contact the interior surface of the article into which it projects as the frames move between their plating and draining positions; float means mounted on one said planar frame to displace upwardly the frame on which said float means is mounted when the rack is disposed in a solution, said relative upward movement being operative to position said planar frames at said plating positiOn, said upward movement also being operative to position recessed articles fixedly supported on each said article support member with its mouth facing upwardly to permit bubbles generated during electroplating to escape from each recessed article, said planar frames being operative to move longitudinally with respect to each other upon being removed from the solution to move said planar frames to said draining position whereat each recessed article supported on each article support member is disposed with its mouth facing downwardly to permit draining of solution therefrom.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
346 words
A rack for supporting recessed articles during electroplating of the interior surface, comprising, in combination: a first elongated substantially planar frame; a second elongated substantially planar frame; at least two support frames, each said support frame being pivotally connected to each said planar frame thereby permitting longitudinal movement of one planar frame with respect to the other planar frame; at least one stop member mounted between said planar frames to limit the relative longitudinal movement allowable of one planar frame with respect to the other planar frame, said stop member also preventing one planar frame from contacting the other planar frame, the two opposite limits of relative longitudinal movement of said planar frames define a plating position and a draining position; a plurality of article support members mounted on said support frame to fixedly support an open mouthed recessed article each article support member being formed of a flexible construction and mounted on one of said support frames to thereby dispose each supported article between said planar frames; a plurality of electrodes mounted on each said support frame and electrically insulated from said article support members, each said electrode being so positioned that it will not contact the interior surface of the article into which it projects as the frames move between their plating and draining positions; float means mounted on one said planar frame to displace upwardly the frame on which said float means is mounted when the rack is disposed in a solution, said relative upward movement being operative to position said planar frames at said plating positiOn, said upward movement also being operative to position recessed articles fixedly supported on each said article support member with its mouth facing upwardly to permit bubbles generated during electroplating to escape from each recessed article, said planar frames being operative to move longitudinally with respect to each other upon being removed from the solution to move said planar frames to said draining position whereat each recessed article supported on each article support member is disposed with its mouth facing downwardly to permit draining of solution therefrom.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The rack of claim 6 wherein each said article support member provides an electrical contact between the surface of the container supported thereby and the support frame on which each said clip is mounted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The rack of claim 7 additionally including: an electrical power supply having two output terminals, each terminal having a different electrical voltage; electrical connection means between one said terminal and each said electrode; and electrical connection between the other said terminal and each said article support member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The rack of claim 6 wherein each element of said rack excluding said article support members and said electrodes are coated with a chemically inert substance which will not chemically react with any plating solution into which the rack may be inserted.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-25 | 1979-02-24 | 1979-08-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-25 | 1983-02-24 | 1983-08-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-25 | 1987-02-24 | 1987-08-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |