Method for electroforming and coating

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF COATING AN ARTICLE WHICH COMPRISES MAKING SAID ARTICLE A CATHODE IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH, CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING PAST SAID ARTICLE AN ELECTROPLATING ELECTROLYTE HAVING SUSPENDED THEREIN SOLID PARTICLES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY INSOLUBLE IN SAID ELECTROLYTE, CONTINUOUSLY MOVING SAID ARTICLE WHILE IN SAID ELECTROLYTE TO CAUSE CONTINUOUS SHEDDING OF UNADHERED PARTICLES FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID ARTICLE DURING SUCH MOVEMENT WHILE SAID ARTICLE IS BEING ELECTROPLATED WITHIN SAID BATH, WITHDRAWING ELECTROLYTE AND PARTICLES FROM SAID BATH, REINTRODUCING CONTROLLED AMOUNTS OF THE WITHDRAWN ELECTROLYTE AND PARTICLES BACK INTO THE BATH TO THEREBY CONTROL THE CONCEN-TRATION OF ADDITIVE PARTICLES IN SAID BATH, AND CONTINUING THE STEPS OF ELECTROLYTE FLOW, ARTICLE MOVEMENT, SHEDDING, AND ELECTROLYTE WITHDRAWAL UNTIL A UNIFORM DISPERSION OFOF DISCRETE PARTICLES WITHIN AN ELECTROPLATED MATRIX IS BUILT UP ON THE ARTICLE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF COATING AN ARTICLE WHICH COMPRISES MAKING SAID ARTICLE A CATHODE IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH, CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING PAST SAID ARTICLE AN ELECTROPLATING ELECTROLYTE HAVING SUSPENDED THEREIN SOLID PARTICLES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY INSOLUBLE IN SAID ELECTROLYTE, CONTINUOUSLY MOVING SAID ARTICLE WHILE IN SAID ELECTROLYTE TO CAUSE CONTINUOUS SHEDDING OF UNADHERED PARTICLES FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID ARTICLE DURING SUCH MOVEMENT WHILE SAID ARTICLE IS BEING ELECTROPLATED WITHIN SAID BATH, WITHDRAWING ELECTROLYTE AND PARTICLES FROM SAID BATH, REINTRODUCING CONTROLLED AMOUNTS OF THE WITHDRAWN ELECTROLYTE AND PARTICLES BACK INTO THE BATH TO THEREBY CONTROL THE CONCEN-TRATION OF ADDITIVE PARTICLES IN SAID BATH, AND CONTINUING THE STEPS OF ELECTROLYTE FLOW, ARTICLE MOVEMENT, SHEDDING, AND ELECTROLYTE WITHDRAWAL UNTIL A UNIFORM DISPERSION OFOF DISCRETE PARTICLES WITHIN AN ELECTROPLATED MATRIX IS BUILT UP ON THE ARTICLE.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF ELECTRO-FORMING AN ARTICLE WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A MASTER, MAKING SAID MASTER THE CATHODE IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH, CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING AN ELECTROLYTE CONTAINING A UNIFORM DISPERSION OF SOLID PARTICLES INSOLUBLE IN SAID BATH PAST SAID MASTER TO CAUSE AT LEAST SOME OF THE PARTICLES TO IMPINGE ON SAID MASTER, CONTINUOUSLY ELECTROPLATING METAL FROM SAID BATH ONTO SAID MASTER TO THEREBY TRAP PARTICLES IMPINGING THEREON BY THE DEPOSITED METAL, MOVING SAID MASTER DURING SUCH ELECTROPLATING TO CAUSE CONTINUOUS SHEDDING OF UNADHERED PARTICLES FROM THE SURFACR OF SAID MASTER, COLLECTING NONADHERING PARTICLES, RECIRCULATING THE COLLECTED PARTICLES TOGETHER WITH ELECTROLYTE BACK INTO THE BATH TO MAINTAIN A UNIFORM DISPERSION OF PARTICULES IN SAID BATH, CONTINUING THE FLOWING, IMPINGING AND ELECTROPLATING UNTIL A UNIFORM DISPERSION OF PARTICLES IN AN ELECTROPLATED METAL MATRIX IS BUILT UP AS A SELF-SUSTAINING STRUCTURE ON SAID MASTER, AND THEREAFTER REMOVING THE MASTER FROM THE MATRIX.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF ELECTRO-FORMING AN ARTICLE WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A MASTER, MAKING SAID MASTER THE CATHODE IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH, CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING AN ELECTROLYTE CONTAINING A UNIFORM DISPERSION OF SOLID PARTICLES INSOLUBLE IN SAID BATH PAST SAID MASTER TO CAUSE AT LEAST SOME OF THE PARTICLES TO IMPINGE ON SAID MASTER, CONTINUOUSLY ELECTROPLATING METAL FROM SAID BATH ONTO SAID MASTER TO THEREBY TRAP PARTICLES IMPINGING THEREON BY THE DEPOSITED METAL, MOVING SAID MASTER DURING SUCH ELECTROPLATING TO CAUSE CONTINUOUS SHEDDING OF UNADHERED PARTICLES FROM THE SURFACR OF SAID MASTER, COLLECTING NONADHERING PARTICLES, RECIRCULATING THE COLLECTED PARTICLES TOGETHER WITH ELECTROLYTE BACK INTO THE BATH TO MAINTAIN A UNIFORM DISPERSION OF PARTICULES IN SAID BATH, CONTINUING THE FLOWING, IMPINGING AND ELECTROPLATING UNTIL A UNIFORM DISPERSION OF PARTICLES IN AN ELECTROPLATED METAL MATRIX IS BUILT UP AS A SELF-SUSTAINING STRUCTURE ON SAID MASTER, AND THEREAFTER REMOVING THE MASTER FROM THE MATRIX.