GB2176498A

GB2176498A - Plating walnuts or replicas thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2176498A
Application number: GB08602443A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kum Tatt Dr Lee; Sai Ing Miss Tan; Chong Phoh Kam
Original assignee: RISIS PRIVATE Ltd
Current assignee: RISIS PRIVATE Ltd
Priority date: 1985-06-10
Filing date: 1986-01-31
Publication date: 1986-12-31
Also published as: GB8602443D0; GB8514592D0

Abstract

A method of decoratively plating a walnut or a plastic replica of a walnut. The process including the steps of sealing the surface of the walnut, rendering it conductive, plating with a base metal layer, and then a final coat with a decorative metal layer.

Description

SPECIFICATION Process for plating a walnut The present invention relates to the process for plating and/orfinishing the whole orselective surfaces of walnuts, whether natural or artificial and whether whole or part walnuts. Thewalnutfruit possesses beautiful surface texture and, after plating, can form an ornamental object of beauty. The size and configuration of walnuts are such that they can be suitably used singly or in multiples for hand exercises, as utility containers, etc.

Natural walnuts can be plated. However, "manmade" replicas of walnuts can be cast, injection moulded or otherwise formed in plastics materials such as epoxy, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, polyester etc or other materials (eg wax) before plating orsurfacefinishing in the desired colour.

According to the present invention there is provided a plated walnut, whether natural or artificial and whethera whole or partwalnut, as well as a method of making such a plated walnut, which method comprises, if necessary, rendering the surface to be plated conductive and thereafter plating the conductive surface of the walnut.

One of the cheapest methods according to the in vention can be the use ofthe natural fully matured walnut fru it. As the natural fruit is not conductive to electrical current, the surface thereof has to be spe ciallytreated to make it conductive and impervious to strong chemical solutions before plating. There are several procedures for this. The fruit can be presealed with a chemical resistant coating such as wax, plastics material (eg acrylic lacquers) orthe like before application of a conductive film orsimply coating the fruit with a water and chemical resistant conductive layer (any proprietary conductive paints) straightaway before plating with a strong base metal, such as copper or nickel.These processing steps can be applied to cast or otherwise formed "walnuts" of electrically non-conductive materials.

Afterthe fruit has been given a reasonably strong metal coating by electrodeposition, it can then be made more attractive with a decorative metal such as gold, chromium, nickel, palladium, etc, chemical colours, enamels or combinations of such finishes.

These decorative processes can also be applied directly on moulded replicas of the walnut fruit whether as a whole nut or aswalnutartefacts such as in the form of containers, etc.

The invention will be described by the following example which further illustrate the present invention.

Processing sequence forpla ting natural walnuts 1. Fully grown walnuts with good shape and defect free surfaces (ie no deep crevices or other imperfections) are selected.

2. In cases where fillings such as heavy beads and/ or sound emitting devices, etc are to be introduced intotheinteriorofthewalnut,thisstepistobe effected by removing part of the inside ofthe nut, putting in the fillings and sealing upthe opening with the appropriate sealant at this stage.

3. The clean, dry fruit is coated with a layer of water and chemical resistant lacquer and the applied coating cured according to the manufacturer's specification.

4. The lacquered surfaces are sensitised by any of the methods known in the prior art, such as by silvering, applying conductive lacquers, etc such that the surface plated was completely metallised. Only certain areas of specific design can be sensitised, if desired.

5. The metallised walnut fru it is plated with a strong enough layer of base metal, such as copper. An acid copper bath capable of forming fairly thick deposits can be used. Any unsightly irregularities are then removed from the metal surface by such methods as grinding,tumbling orthe like.

6. If the walnut fruit is to befabricated into containers, the coppered shells are to be split into required segments and the natural fruit removed before making walnut artefacts out of the electroformed metal shells.

7. The metal surfaces are cleaned thoroughlyand the fruit motif finished with decorative processes such as decorative plating (electrolytic, electroless, ion, etc), chemical colouring, enamelling orcombination thereof.

The metal coated orfilled walnutscan befinished attractively by various decorative processes, some of which are briefly given below: i. By electroplating decorative metals. All contaminants such as grease, oxides etc, are removed from the metal surface with appropriate cleaners. The clean walnutorwalnut based replica isthen plated with a thin layer of bright copper and nickel followed optionally by gold or others such as silver, palladium, chromium, etc.

ii. By electroless deposition of decorative metals such as nickel, gold in the same manner as for (i).

iii. Colouring by chemical processes such as de- veloping colours of metallic surfaces by treatment with proprietary chemical admixtures.

iv. Enamelling by cold or hot processes.

Combination of various finishing processes can be applied to walnut to make it a novel creation for ornamental and utility purposes.

1. A method of plating a walnutwhich includes rendering the surface ofthe walnut conductive and then plating the conductive surface of the walnut.

2. A method according to Claim 1 when applied to the natural fully matured walnut fruit, wherein the external surface thereof is made impervious before rendering the surface conductive.

3. A method according to Claim 2 wherein the surface is sealed by the use of a polymeric material.

4. A method according to Claim 3 wherein the surface is sealed with an acrylic lacquer.

5. A method according to Claim 1 when applied to a natural fully mature walnutwherein the external surface of the walnut is made both conductive and impervious by the application of a coat of conductive paint.

6. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-5

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

SPECIFICATION Process for plating a walnut The present invention relates to the process for plating and/orfinishing the whole orselective surfaces of walnuts, whether natural or artificial and whether whole or part walnuts. Thewalnutfruit possesses beautiful surface texture and, after plating, can form an ornamental object of beauty. The size and configuration of walnuts are such that they can be suitably used singly or in multiples for hand exercises, as utility containers, etc.

Natural walnuts can be plated. However, "manmade" replicas of walnuts can be cast, injection moulded or otherwise formed in plastics materials such as epoxy, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, polyester etc or other materials (eg wax) before plating orsurfacefinishing in the desired colour.

According to the present invention there is provided a plated walnut, whether natural or artificial and whethera whole or partwalnut, as well as a method of making such a plated walnut, which method comprises, if necessary, rendering the surface to be plated conductive and thereafter plating the conductive surface of the walnut.

One of the cheapest methods according to the in vention can be the use ofthe natural fully matured walnut fru it. As the natural fruit is not conductive to electrical current, the surface thereof has to be spe ciallytreated to make it conductive and impervious to strong chemical solutions before plating. There are several procedures for this. The fruit can be presealed with a chemical resistant coating such as wax, plastics material (eg acrylic lacquers) orthe like before application of a conductive film orsimply coating the fruit with a water and chemical resistant conductive layer (any proprietary conductive paints) straightaway before plating with a strong base metal, such as copper or nickel.These processing steps can be applied to cast or otherwise formed "walnuts" of electrically non-conductive materials.

Afterthe fruit has been given a reasonably strong metal coating by electrodeposition, it can then be made more attractive with a decorative metal such as gold, chromium, nickel, palladium, etc, chemical colours, enamels or combinations of such finishes.

These decorative processes can also be applied directly on moulded replicas of the walnut fruit whether as a whole nut or aswalnutartefacts such as in the form of containers, etc.

The invention will be described by the following example which further illustrate the present invention.

Processing sequence forpla ting natural walnuts

1. Fully grown walnuts with good shape and defect free surfaces (ie no deep crevices or other imperfections) are selected.

2. In cases where fillings such as heavy beads and/ or sound emitting devices, etc are to be introduced intotheinteriorofthewalnut,thisstepistobe effected by removing part of the inside ofthe nut, putting in the fillings and sealing upthe opening with the appropriate sealant at this stage.

3. The clean, dry fruit is coated with a layer of water and chemical resistant lacquer and the applied coating cured according to the manufacturer's specification.

4. The lacquered surfaces are sensitised by any of the methods known in the prior art, such as by silvering, applying conductive lacquers, etc such that the surface plated was completely metallised. Only certain areas of specific design can be sensitised, if desired.

5. The metallised walnut fru it is plated with a strong enough layer of base metal, such as copper. An acid copper bath capable of forming fairly thick deposits can be used. Any unsightly irregularities are then removed from the metal surface by such methods as grinding,tumbling orthe like.

6. If the walnut fruit is to befabricated into containers, the coppered shells are to be split into required segments and the natural fruit removed before making walnut artefacts out of the electroformed metal shells.

7. The metal surfaces are cleaned thoroughlyand the fruit motif finished with decorative processes such as decorative plating (electrolytic, electroless, ion, etc), chemical colouring, enamelling orcombination thereof.

The metal coated orfilled walnutscan befinished attractively by various decorative processes, some of which are briefly given below: i. By electroplating decorative metals. All contaminants such as grease, oxides etc, are removed from the metal surface with appropriate cleaners. The clean walnutorwalnut based replica isthen plated with a thin layer of bright copper and nickel followed optionally by gold or others such as silver, palladium, chromium, etc.

ii. By electroless deposition of decorative metals such as nickel, gold in the same manner as for (i).

iii. Colouring by chemical processes such as de- veloping colours of metallic surfaces by treatment with proprietary chemical admixtures.

iv. Enamelling by cold or hot processes.

Combination of various finishing processes can be applied to walnut to make it a novel creation for ornamental and utility purposes.

1. A method of plating a walnutwhich includes rendering the surface ofthe walnut conductive and then plating the conductive surface of the walnut.

2. A method according to Claim 1 when applied to the natural fully matured walnut fruit, wherein the external surface thereof is made impervious before rendering the surface conductive.

3. A method according to Claim 2 wherein the surface is sealed by the use of a polymeric material.

4. A method according to Claim 3 wherein the surface is sealed with an acrylic lacquer.

5. A method according to Claim 1 when applied to a natural fully mature walnutwherein the external surface of the walnut is made both conductive and impervious by the application of a coat of conductive paint.

6. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-5 wherein after the surface ofthe walnut is rendered conductive said surface is plated with a metal base layer, which is subsequently plateable by a decorative metal layer.

7. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 2-6 wherein the interior of the natural walnut is removed and is replaced by an artifice, the walnutthen being re-sealed priorto coating with an impervious coating.

9. A method for decorative plating of walnuts and which is substantially as described herein.

10. A decoratively plated walnut which is pro ducedbya method as claimed in any one of Claims 1-9.