Means for and method of producing smooth electro-polished surfaces
OwnerJohn F. Jumerinventor
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Abstract
Means for and method of electro-polishing generally planar upright surfaces of relatively large areas on machine parts of various shapes and sizes. The means and method constitute improvements on the method and apparatus disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,459 dated Nov. 28, 1978. In a preferred embodiment the surface to be electro-polished is a pattern-free, directionless, abrasively finished metal surface. When such a surface is electro-polished in accordance with this invention the resulting polished surface is waveless, ripple-less and uniformly smooth in all directions so as to exhibit superior anti-stick and release properties. Such a surface is particularly suited for numerous purposes such as head box components for paper-making machines.
Claims11
A method of electro-polishing an elongated flat or slightly curved surface on an object which comprises positioning the object with said surface being vertically oriented on the horizontal leg of an elongated L-shaped member formed of impervious material and having the horizontal leg covered by a strip of resilient rubber-like material at least in the area on which said object is supported when said elongated vertical surface is uniformly spaced a small distance from the upright leg of said L-shaped member, positioning said object on said L-shaped member so that said elongated vertical surface and the opposing surface of the upright leg of said L-shaped member define two elongated walls of a vertical elongated chamber for holding a polishing bath, closing the opposite ends of said chamber by providing end wall members thereat in liquid-tight relationship therewith, movably supporting cathode means on said upright leg with said cathode having a generally planar active portion depending into said chamber and said polishing bath therein in uniformly spaced relationship with said elongated vertical surface when moved to different positions in said chamber, conducting direct electrical current between said elongated vertical surface having a positive charge and said active portion of said cathode having a negative charge, and moving said cathode means between opposite ends of said chamber until said elongated vertical surface is electro-polished.
Apparatus for electro-polishing an elongated flat or slightly curved surface on an object, said surface being disposed in a vertical position which comprises, an elongated L-shaped member, a strip of resilient rubber-like material extending along the top of the lower horizontal leg of said L-shaped member and providing a liquid-tight seal with bottom edge of said object adjacent said elongated vertically disposed surface, a block disposed outwardly of said resilient strip and providing a bearing surface for said object when said elongated flat or slightly curved surface is vertically disposed and uniformly spaced a short distance from the upstanding leg of said L-shaped member, end walls closing off the opposite ends of the narrow vertical space between said surface and said upstanding leg so as to form a chamber for a polishing bath, and cathode means movably mounted on the upstanding leg of said elongated L-shaped member having an active portion paralleling said elongated vertical surface and having a horizontal dimension not more than a small fraction of said surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.