Apparatus and method for the electrodeposition of rare metals

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING A THIN LAYER OF METAL OR AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL BASE COMPRISING AN ANODE HAVING A SURFACE COVERED WITH AN INERT ABSORBENT MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE WETTED WITH A SOLUTION OF SAID METAL, A CATHODE HAVING A SURFACE CONSTITUTED BY SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL OPPOSED TO AND OF THE SAME SHAPE AS SAID ABSORBENT MATERIAL COVERED SURFACE, TWO FIXED SPACED GUIDE POSTS POSITIONED TO GUIDE THE CATHODE INTO CONTACT WITH THE ABSORBENT MATERIAL, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CATHODE INTO CONTACT WITH SAID INERT ABSORBENT MATERIAL, MEANS FOR PASSING A CURRENT BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE OF SUFFICIENT DENSITY AND FOR SUFFICIENT TIME TO EFFECT ELECTRODEPOSITION OF SAID METAL ON SAID CATHODE SURFACE, SPARY MEANS ADJACENT TO SAID ANODE AND CATHODE FOR APPLYING A WASH LIQUID TO SAID CATHODE AND SAID ANODE WHILE MAINTAINING SAID CURRENT AFTER A SUFFICIENT THICKNESS OF SAID METAL HAS BEEN DEPOSITED ON SAID CATHODE AND EXIT MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID WASH LIQUID FROM SAID ANODE AND CATHODE.