Deposition of metal on a nonmetallic support

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF VACUUM DEPOSITION OF A METAL ON A NONMETALLIC, FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE WHICH YIELDS GASES OR VAPORS WHEN HEATED, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING SAID SUBSTRATE THROUGH A HEATING ZONE EVACUATED TO A PRESSURE ON THE ORDER OF 50 TO 500 MICRONS HG, HEATING BOTH SIDES OF SAID SUBSTRATE DURING PASSAGE THROUGH SAID HEATING ZONE TO DRIVE FROM SAID SUBSTRATE OCCLUDED GASES AND OTHER VOLATILES RESULTING FROM SAID HEATING, SAID HEATING BEING ACCOMPLISHED BY ADVANCING SAID SUBSTRATE ALONG A CIRCUITOUS PATH BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF HEATING ELEMENTS SO THAT RELATIVELY LARGE AREAS ON BOTH SIDES OF SAID SUBSTRATE ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO HEAT SIMULATANEOUSLY, SAID SUBSTRATE BEING ADVANCED THROUGH SAID HEATING ZONE AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THROUGH HEATING OF THE BODY OF SAID SUBSTRATE, THE SUBSTRATE BEING HEATED TO A DEGREE SUFFICIENT ONLY TO DRIVE OUT VOLATILE FROM THE BODY OF SAID SUBSTRATE, REMOVING SAID SUBSTRATE FROM SAID HEATING ZONE PRIOR TO THE TIME WHEN THE REMOVAL OF SAID VOLATILES IS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL EMBRITTLEMENT OF SAID SUBSTRATE, SUBSTANTIALLY IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER ADVANCING SAID SUBSTRATE INTO A COATING ZONE EVACUATED TO A PRESSURE LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE IN SAID HEATING ZONE, GENERATING METAL VAPORS IN SAID COATING ZONE, CONDENSING SAID METAL VAPORS ON SAID SUBSTRATE, AND SHIELDING SAID SUBSTRATE IN SAID COATING ZONE FROM VAPORS DRIVEN FROM SAID SUBSTRATE IN SAID HEATING ZONE, THE AREA OF SUBSTRATE BEING HEATED AT ANY INSTANT OF TIME BEING GREATLY IN EXCESS OF THE AREA OF SUBSTRATE BEING COATED AT ANY INSTANT OF TIME.