Vapor deposition regulating apparatus

A vapour deposition regulating apparatus for continuously regulating the deposition thickness from vapour as it is being vacuum deposited across and progressively along one side of a substrate, comprising:

• (a) a central shaft,
• (b) at least two hollow shafts rotatably supported in end-to-end relation on an intermediate lengthwise portion of the central shaft, each hollow shaft having two substantially parallel flats on opposite sides thereof and an externally screw threaded end portion adjacent an end of the central shaft,
• (c) disc bearing means on the central shaft and separating the adjacent ends of the hollow shafts,
• (d) for each hollow shaft, a fixed, profile disc thereon, each fixed profile disc being adjacent the disc bearing means and having substantially the same external dimensions as the disc bearing means,
• (e) for each hollow shaft, a series of similarly shaped profile discs having substantially the same external dimensions as the disc bearing means and the fixed, profile discs and being disposed along that hollow shaft in side-by-side relationship to form a profile, each profile disc having a slot slidably locating that profile disc on the flats of the hollow shaft extending therethrough so that each profile disc is displaceable to form a desired masking profile,
• (f) for each hollow shaft, a screw threaded sleeve having a bore portion located on the central shaft and a larger screw threaded portion bore portion screwed on to the threaded end portion of the associated hollow shaft to secure the profile discs thereon,
• (g) driving means coupled to the screw threaded sleeves for rotating each hollow shaft independently, and
• (h) mounting means for rotatably mounting the screw threaded sleeves in a vacuum deposition apparatus.