Apparatus for electroplating

Claim 1

AN ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS COMPRISING A TANK FOR ELECTROLYTE, A BUS BAR HAVING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO CARRY CURRENT TO ANODES, SAID BUS BAR EXTENDING ACROSS THE TOP OF THE TANK, NEAR ONE SIDE WALL OF THE TANK, A PLURALITY OF ANODES DEPENDING FROM SAID ANODE BUS BAR, EACH ANODE COMPRISING A DEPENDING PLATE HAVING A HOOK AT ITS UPPER END MOUNTED ON THE BUS BAR, AND EACH ANODE HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PLATE CARRIED BY THE ANODE TO EXTEND OVER THE WORK PIECES TO ASSURE UNIFORM CURRENT DISTRIBUTION THROUGH THE ELECTROLYTE TO THEM, A CATHODE BUS BAR CARRIED BY THE TOP OF SAID TANK AND SUPPORTED AT ITS ENDS BY AN ELECTRIC VIBRATOR CARRIED BY THE TANK BY MEANS OF RESILIENT CUSHIONS TO PERMIT FREE VIBRATION OF THE LATTER BUS BAR, A WORK SUPPORTING TRAY COMPRISING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING BARS HAVING HOOKS AT THEIR UPPER ENDS MOUNTED ON SAID VIBRATING BUS BAR AND HAVING MEANS FOR SECURING THE HOOKS TO THE LATTER BUS BAR TO PREVENT RELATIVE MOTION, THE WORK SUPPORTING TRAY COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR MEMBER, THE END WALLS OF WHICH ARE SECURED TO SAID VERTICAL BARS TO SUPPORT THE TRAY BENEATH THE HORIZONTAL PLATES OF THE ANODES, SAID TRAY HAVING A MESH BOTTOM FOR FREE ACCESS OF ELECTROLYTE THROUGH THE BOTTOM TO THE WORK PIECES CARRIED THEREBY, THE SAID HORIZONTAL PLATES BEING PROVIDED WITH A MULTIPLICITY OF APERTURES FOR DISCHARGING UPWARDLY BUBBLES OF GAS FORMED ON THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID HORIZONTAL PLATES DURING THE ELECTROPLATING OPERATION, A SOURCE OF ENERGIZATION OF ALTERNATING CURRENT FOR SAID ELECTRIC VIBRATOR, INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT, SAID ELECTRIC CIRCUIT ALSO INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC TIMING DEVICE ADAPTED TO REPEATEDLY TURN ON THE ELECTRIC VIBRATOR FOR A SUFFICIENTLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO CHANGE THE POSITIONS OF THE PIECES AND ADAPTED TO REPEATEDLY TURN OFF THE ELECTRIC VIBRATOR OVER A LONGER AND MAJOR PERIOD OF TIME DURING WHICH MOST EFFECTIVE ELECTROPLATING TAKES PLACE.