Apparatus for electrochemically processing metallic surfaces

Claim 1

An apparatus for electrochemically treating metallic surfaces of workpieces arranged in a contact-free manner relative to the electrodes of an electrolytic cell, which includes: an electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode, a diaphragm dividing said electrolytic cell into a first and a second chamber, one of said chambers having said anode and the other one of said chambers containing said cathode, a treatment chamber for receiving workpieces to be treated electrochemically in a contact-free manner with regard to said electrodes by an electrolyte comprising electrically conductive bodies, a conveying line leading from said chamber with said anode to said treatment chamber, conveying means interposed in said conveying line, said conveying line between said conveying means and said treatment chamber being surrounded by an outer pipe arranged in radially spaced relationship to said conveyed line so as to form an annular chamber with the outside of said conveying line, the wall of said conveying line, within the area of said outer pipe being sufficiently porous to permit unhindered passage of the electrolyte therethrough into said annular chamber to effect uniform metal ion concentration at the cathode and precluding hydrogen development simultaneously with cell tension remaining constant in said electrolytic cell while preventing passage of electrically conductive bodies in the electrolyte from the pressure side of said conveying means into said annular chamber, and conduit means leading from said annular chamber into said electrolyte cell chamber with said cathode, the electrolyte from said electrolytic cell chamber with said cathode being positively guided through said diaphragm provided in said electrolytic cell, said diaphragm thus being made free from said electrically conductive bodies eventually depositing upon its anode side of said diaphragm.

Claim 2

An apparatus for electrochemically treating metallic surfaces of workpieces arranged in a contact-free manner relative to the electrodes of an electrolytic cell, which includes: an electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode, a diaphragm dividing said electrolytic cell into a first and a second chamber, one of said chambers having said anode and the other one of said chambers containing said cathode, a treatment chamber for receiving workpieces to be treated electrochemically in a contact-free manner with regard to said electrodes by an electrolyte comprising electrically conductive bodies, a conveying line leading from said chamber with said anode to said treatment chamber, conveying means interposed in said conveying line, said conveying line between said conveying means and said treatment chamber being surrounded by an outer pipe arranged in radially spaced relationship to said conveyed line so as to form an annular chamber with the outside of said conveying line, the wall of said conveying line, within the area of said outer pipe being sufficiently porous to permit unhindered passage of the electrolyte therethrough into said annular chamber to effect uniform metal ion concentration at the cathode and precluding hydrogen development simultaneously with cell tension remaining constant in said electrolytic cell while preventing passage of electrically conductive bodies in the electrolyte from the pressure side of said conveying means into said annular chamber, and conduit means leading from said annular chamber into said electrolyte cell chamber with said cathode, the electrolyte from said electrolytic cell chamber with said cathode being positively guided through said diaphragm provided in said electrolytic cell, said diaphragm thus being made free from said electrically conductive bodies eventually depositing upon its anode side of said diaphragm.