Electroplating apparatus

Claim 1

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS, WHICH COMPRISES AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING AN ELECTROPLATING SOLUTION AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE CELL, A SEAL MOUNTED AT THE OPENING FOR PREVENTING LEAKAGE OF THE SOLUTION FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CELL WHILE PERMITTING A WIRE BEING ELECTROPLATED THEREIN TO ADVANCE VERTICALLY THERETHROUGH, AN ANODICALLY CHARGED ELECTRODE IMMERSED IN THE SOLUTION IN THE CELL, A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE CONDUCTORS CLOSELY SPACED IN END-TO-END AND SIDE-TO-SIDE RELATIONSHIP TO FORM A SERIES OF RINGS ENCIRCLING THE WIRE, RESILIENT MEANS FOR URGING THE CONDUCTORS IN EACH OF THE RINGS RADIALLY INWARD INTO CONTACT WITH THE WIRE, MEANS FOR IMPRESSING A NEGATIVE POTENTIAL UPON EACH OF THE RINGS TO MAKE THE WIRE CATHODIC IN THE CELL, A HOLLOW RUBBER SPHERE ENCLOSING THE RINGS AND THE ADJACENT PORTION OF THE WIRE, SAID SPHERE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF VERTICALLY ALIGNED APERTURES ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF AND OF SUCH SIZE AS TO PERMIT THE WIRE TO ADVANCE THERETHROUGH BUT TO FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY LIQUID-TIGHT SEAL THEREWITH, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE SPHERE CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE LEVEL OF THE SURFACE OF THE ELECTROPLATING SOLUTION.