Electroplating

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF ELECTRODEPOSITING A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, BRASS, SILVER AND ZINC UPON A BASE MEMBER FROM AN AQUEOUS CYANIDE ELECTROLYTE SUITABLE FOR THE ELECTRODEPOSITION OF THE METAL, THE STEPS COMPRISING APPLYING TO THE BASE MEMBER THE AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE CONTAINING CYANIDE, PASSING AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT THROUGH THE BASE MEMBER AND ELECTROLYTE TO RENDER THE BASE MEMBER CATHODIC FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OF FROM 2 TO 40 SECONDS TO ELECTRODEPOSIT METAL UPON THE BASE MEMBER, DISCHARGING IN ABOUT 1/4 OF A SECOND THROUGH THE BASE MEMBER AND ELECTROLYTE A CONDENSER CHARGED TO A POTENIAL OF AT LEAST 30 VOLTS AND NOT IN EXCESS OF 1000 VOLTS, THE CONDENSER HAVING A SUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO DISCHARGE FROM ABOUT 0.003 TO 10 COULOMBS OF CURRENT PER SQUARE FOOT OF BASE MEMBER SURFACE BEING PLATED, THE BASE MEMBER BEING ANODIC DURING THE DISCHARGE, TO DEPLATE UNSOUND AND INFERIOR ELECTRODEPOSITED METAL, AND REPEATING THE CATHODIC CURRENT AND ANODIC CONDENSER DISCHARGE CYCLE UNTIL A DESIRED THICKNESS OF METAL HAS BEEN ELECTRODEPOSITED ON THE BASE MEMBER.