Apparatus for automatically vacuum coating of interior of glass tubes with metal

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC VACUUM COATING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A STATIONARY FRAME SUPPORTING AN ENDLESS MOVABLE CONVEYOR, A PLURALITY OF DETACHABLY MOUNTED CARTS SPACED ON AN DRIVEN BY SAID CONVEYOR AND HAVING MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID FRAME FOR HOLDING EACH CART UPRIGHT WITH ITS TOP SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL, MEANS AT THE TOP OF EACH CART FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING SUBSTANTIALLY VACUUM-TIGHT THE NECK OF A TUBE, SAID TUBE NECK RECEIVER MEANS HAVING MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH COMPRISING A SUPPORTED HEATING FILAMENT ADAPTED TO ENTER THE NECK OF THE TUBE AND ADAPTED TO HOLD A PIECE OF VAPORIZABLE METAL, THE FILAMENT BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTABLE BY ELECTRODES TO A SOURCE OF POWER, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE TUBE NECK RECEIVER MEANS FOR CREATING A VACUUM, VALVE MEANS BETWEEN THE RECEIVER AND VACUUM CREATING MEANS, SWITCHING MEANS MOUNTED N SAID CART FOR ACTUATING THE VALVE MEANS, THE CACUUM CREATING MEANS AND TO EFFECT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OF THE HEATING FILAMENT AND MEANS PROJECTING INTO THE PART OF SAID SWITCHES IN SPACED COOPERABLE RELATION THEREWITH TO EFFECT AUTOMATICALLY THE SEQUENTIAL OPERATIN OF THE VARIOUS MEANS VIA THE SWITCHES DURING A VACUUM COATING CYCLE.