Process and apparatus for treating by vapour deposition a plurality of articles introduced at several levels, while maintaining the same vacuum

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF TREATING BY VAPOUR DEPOSITION A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES INTRODUCED AT SEVERAL LEVELS INTO A VACUUM CHAMBER WHILE MAINTAINING THE SAME VACUUM, COMPRISING CREATING A VACUUM IN SAID CHAMBER, PRODUCING WITHIN THIS VACUUM A STREAM OF VAPOUR, AND CONDUCTING GROUPS OF SUPERPOSED RINGS THROUGH THE VAPOUR STREAM AT THE SAME LEVEL IN SUCCESSION BY PASSING ARTICLES SITUATED AT THE SAME LEVEL THROUGH THE STREAM OF VAPOR, AFTER ALL ARTICLES SITUATED AT THE SAME LEVEL HAVE BEEN PASSED THROUGH THE STREAM OF VAPOUR, MOVING THE ARTICLE SITUATED AT AT LEAST ONE LEVEL TO THE LEVEL WHERE THE ARTICLES TREATED BY VAPOUR DEPOSITION ALREADY HAS BEEN SITUATED, AT THE SAME TIME SHIELDING THE ARTICLES ALREADY TREATED BY VAPOUR DEPOSITION AGAINST THE STREAM OF VAPOUR, AND PASSING THE ARTICLES THROUGH THE STREAM OF VAPOUR AT THAT LEVEL AT WHICH THE ARTICLES ALREADY TREATED BY VAPOUR DEPOSITION HAD BEEN SITUATED WHILE BEING THUS TREATED.