Method and means for coating wires

Claim 1

IN A PLANT FOR ELECTRO-PLATING A PLURALITY OF WIRES WHICH ARE DISPOSED TO MOVE IN SPACED APART AND PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER ALONG STRAIGHT PATHS FROM RESPECTIVE SUPPLY REELS TO CORRESPONDING TAKE-UP REELS, ELONGATED TANK MEANS HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN AN ELECTROLYTE FORMING TREATMENT LIQUID. A PLURALITY OF ELECTRRICALLY INSULATED, UPRIGHT GUIDE BAR MEANS SUCCESSIVELY ARRANGED TO AND SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER, SAID GUIDE BAR MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS AND WITHIN SAID TANK MEANS, EACH OF SAID GUIDE BAR MEANS HAVING FIRST NOTCHES FOR NORMALLY LOCATING SAID WIRES THEREIN DURING THEIR MOVEMENT ALONG THEIR PATHS WITHIN SAID TANK MEANS FOR CONTACT WITH SAID TREATMENT LIQUID WHEN SUPPLIED TO SAID TANK MEANS AND HAVING SECOND NOTCHES ON THE TOP OF SAID GUIDE BAR MEANS FOR POSITIONING PREDETERMINED WIRES DURING THEIR MOVEMENT TO KEEP THE LATTER OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID TREATMENT LIQUID, TREATMENT LIQUID CIRCULATING MEANS FOR SAID TANK MEANS, SAID GUIDE BAR MEANS INCLUDING END GUIDE BAR MEANS PROVIDED WITH RESPECTIVE END WALLS SLOPING TOWARD THE ENDS OF SAID TANK MEANS GRADUALLY ORIENT OVERFLOW OF SAID TREATMENT LIQUID BEYOND SAID FIRST NOTCHES TO END COMPARTMENTS DEFINED BY SPACES BETWEEN SAID END TANK MEANS AND SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TANKS, AND BY-PASS MEANS LEVEL WITH THE BOTTOM OF AND INTERCONNECTING SAID END COMPARTMENTS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CIRCULATING MEANS, SAID TANK MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH ANODE CONSTITUTING TRAY MEANS LOCATED BELOW SAID GUIDE BAR MEANS, SAID WIRES CONSTITUTING CATHODES IN SAID TANK MEANS.