Method of coating a cylindrical photoconductive element for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and apparatus for the same

In a method of immersing a plurality of cylindrical bodies in a bath, which stores a coating liquid, at the same time and then lifting said plurality of cylindrical bodies to thereby form a film on each cylindrical body, said bath comprises a plurality of chambers each being positioned beneath one of said plurality of cylindrical bodies and storing said coating liquid,

• the plurality of cylindrical bodies are positioned in a space that is closed at a top, surrounded by a flexible hood at sides, and open at a bottom for discharging vapor of a solvent, which is contained in the coating liquid, produced during immersion or drying to touch,
• the plurality of cylindrical bodies are immersed in the coating liquid in the bath while being confined in said flexible hood,
• the plurality of cylindrical bodies and said flexible hood are lifted together when said plurality of cylindrical bodies are lifted at a constant speed or a varying speed, and
• the bottom of said flexible hood is positioned, when the plurality of cylindrical bodies are brought to a stop after a lift, at a level coincident with or lower than a level of bottoms of said plurality of cylindrical bodies.