Continuous process of preparing and metal coating rolled steel

Claim 1

THE CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF PREPARING AND COATING ROLLED STRIP OR SHEET STEEL WITH ANOTHER METAL WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE STEEL THROUGH A RELATIVELY DILUTE NITRIC ACID BATH WHICH ONLY OPENS THE GRAIN BOUNDARIES OF THE STEEL WITHOUT DESTROYING OR REMOVING THE SAME AND WHICH EXPOSES UNDESIRABLE MATERIAL PRECIPITATED THEREIN DURING THE SOLIDIFICATION, HEATING AND ROLLING THEREOF, THENCE THROUGH A PLURALITY OF HEATED ZONES, THE FIRST OF SAID ZONES BEING A PREHEATING ZONE TO BRING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID STEEL TO UP TO APPROXIMATELY 1000* F. AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A NITROGENOUS NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE CONTAINING A RELATIVELY SMALL QUANTITY OF HYDROGEN AND A RELATIVELY SMALLER QUANTITY OF WATER VAPOR, THE AMOUNTS AND PROPORTIONS OF HYDROGEN AND WATER VAPOR BEING SUFFICIENT TO AID IN THE REMOVAL OF THE UNDESIRABLE MATERIAL EXPOSED BY THE NITRIC ACID BATH AND ANY REMAINING ROLLING OILS AND OTHER CONTAMINATIONS FROM PREVIOUS STEPS OF PRIOR PROCESSING, ANOTHER OF SAID ZONES BEING AN ANNEALING ZONE AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A NITROGENOUS NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE CONTAINING A RELATIVELY SMALL QUANTITY OF HYDROGEN AND A RELATIVELY SMALLER QUANTITY OF WATER VAPOR, THE AMOUNTS AND PROPORTIONS OF HYDROGEN AND WATER VAPOR BEING SUFFICIENT TO COMPLETE THE REMOVAL OF THE CONTAMINATIONS, THUS COMPLETING PREPARATION OF THE SURFACE WITHOUT CREATING NEW SURFACE AND PROTECTING SAID SURFACE FROM OXIDATION AT THE TEMPERATURES OF SAID HEATED ATMOSPHERES, THENCE THROUGH A COOLING ZONE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A NITROGENOUS NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE CONTAINING A RELATIVELY SMALL QUANTITY OF HYDROGEN AND A RELATIVELY SMALLER QUANTITY OF WATER VAPOR, THE AMOUNTS AND PROPORTIONS OF HYDROGEN AND WATER VAPOR BEING SUFFICIENT TO COMPLETELY PROTECT AND PREVENT OXIDATION OF SAID PREPARED SURFACE AND THENCE IMMEDIATELY THROUGH A MOLTEN BATH OF SUCH OTHER COATING METAL TO DIRECTLY APPLY THE SAME TO SAID COMPLETELY PREPARED SURFACE.