Method of electroplating and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR OBTAINING A SUSTANTIALLY UNIFORM ELECTROPLATE ON THE CONCAVE SURFACE OF A PLURALITY OF SIMILARLY SHAPED, SEMI-CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS, EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES AN INSULATING MEMBER SHIELDING THE CONVEX SIDE THEREOF, THE STEPS COMPRISING; STAGGERING THE OBJECTS IN ROWS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A CENTRAL PLANE WITH THEIR CONCAVE SURFACES FACING ONE ANOTHER, OVERLAPPING PORTIONS ONLY OF THE OBJECTS IN ONE OF SAID ROWS WITH THE OBJECTS IN ANOTHER OF SAID ROWS SO THAT THE CLOSETS SPACED OVERLAPPED PORTIONS OF EACH PAIR OF OPPOSED OBJECTS ARE SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND ARE DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTRAL PLANE FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE RESPECTIVE OBJECTS FOR SHIELDING THE CONCAVE SURFACES OF THE OBJECTS, ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING ALL OF SAID OBJECTS TO ONE TERMINAL OF A POWER SOURCE, IMMERSING SAID ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED OBJECTS IN SUITABLE ELECTROLYTE, PROVIDING A PAIR OF ANODES CONNECTED TO THE OTHER TERMINAL OF SAID POWER SOURCE, IMMERSING SAID ANODES IN ELECTROLYTE IN SPACED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER AND EACH FACING THE CONVEX SIDES OF THE OBJECTS IN ONE OF SAID ROWS OF OBJECTS, WHEREBY A UNIFORM THICKNESS OF ELECTROPLATE IS DEPOSITED ON THE CONCAVE SURFACES OF SAID OBJECTS.