Process of electroplating on aluminum

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF PREPARING ELONGATED ALUMINUM IN WIRE OR STRIP FORM PRELIMINARY TO A FINAL PLATING, THE STEPS COMPRISING CLEANING THE ALUMINUM TO OBTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY CHEMICALLY PURE SURFACE THEREON: CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE ALUMINUM AS A CATHODE THROUGH A FIRST AQUEOUS ALKALINE SOLUTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF LEAD AND ZINC IONS IN THE RATIO OF FROM 0.4 TO 2.0 GRAMS OF LEAD TO 5 TO 15 GRAMS OF ZINC PER LITER, A CHELTING COMPOUND, AND SODIUM CYANIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CARBON ANODE WHILE PASSING AN ELECTRIC CURRENT BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND THE ANODE, PRODUCING A LEAD-ZINC STRIKE DIRECTLY ON THE ALUMINUM; AND CONTINUING THE TRAVEL OF THE ALUMINUM DIRECTLY FROM SAID SOLUTION IMMEDIATELY INTO AND CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH, WHILE CONNECTED WITH SAID CURRENT AS A CATHODE, A SECOND SOLUTION CONTAINING COPPER CYANIDE TO RECEIVE A COPPER STRIKE OVER SAID LEAD-ZINC STRIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF A COPPER ANODE WHILE PASSING AN ELECTRIC CURRENT BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND THE ANODE; THE DWELL PERIOD OF THE ALUMINUM IN SAID FIRST SOLUTION RANGING FROM APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO TEN SECONDS, AND PROVIDING A LEAD-ZINC STRIKE LIMITED TO FROM TWO TO THREE MILLIONTHS OF AN INCH.