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US 4,183,799 AGranted
Apparatus for plating a layer onto a metal strip
AssigneeProduction Machinery Corporation
InventorsThomas A. Sellitto, Allen W. White
Life of this patent
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AssigneeProduction Machinery Corporation
InventorsThomas A. Sellitto, Allen W. White
Estimating the term…
An improvement in a device for plating a thin layer of a first metal onto the surface of a generally flat metal strip formed of a second metal as the strip is moving in a selected direction along a given path, wherein the device includes an anode in the chamber and means for supplying electrolyte containing ions of the first metal between the anode and the moving strip. The improvement involves providing the anode as an electrically conductive, non-consumable, anode element having an outer surface with a transverse width substantially as great as the width of the strip. A plenum chamber is formed behind the anode element and generally coextensive with the outer surface of the element so that apertures in the anode element direct jets of electrolyte through the anode element and directly against the surface being plated to provide a uniformly turbulent flow of electrolyte at the surface of the strip.
In a device for plating a thin layer of a first metal onto a downwardly facing surface of a generally flat metal strip having a downwardly facing surface, an upwardly facing surface, and a width, said metal strip being formed from a second metal as the strip is moving in a selected direction along a given path through a chamber filled with a stable electrolyte containing a supply of ions of said first metal, said strip having a longitudinal center portion and outer longitudinal edge portions generally defining the width of said strip, said device including means for making said strip a cathode and an anode in said chamber and coextensive with and generally parallel to said lower surface to define a space between said anode and said lower surface and means for applying a voltage differential between said strip and said anode to electrically deposit said ions onto said lower surface of said moving strip, the improvement comprising:
In a device for plating a thin layer of a first metal onto one or both surfaces of a generally flat metal strip formed of a second metal as the strip is moving in a selected direction along a given horizontal path through a chamber filled with a stable electrolyte containing a supply of ions of said first metal, said strip having an upper surface, a lower surface, a longitudinal center portion and outer longitudinal edge portions, said device including means for making said strip a cathode, a first anode facing said lower surface and a second anode facing said upper surface, the improvement comprising means for selectively changing the level of electrolyte in said chamber between a first level with said electrolyte covering said strip and said anodes and a second level with said electrolyte covering only said first anode and at least a portion of said strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.