Wave retardation lines having periodic tapering pitch

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A LAMINAR DELAY LINE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING METAL SPACES, PUNCHING METALLIC LAMINATES HAVING DEPENDENT DIGITS FROM SHEET STOCK HAVING A UNIFORM THICKNESS, SUSPENDING SAID LAMINATES FROM A HOLDER IN THE ORDER IN WHICH SAID LAMINATES ARE TO BE ASSEMBLED, IMMERSING SAID LAMINATES IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH, CAUSING EACH OF SAID LAMINATES TO BE PLATED FOR A DIFFERENT LENGTH OF TIME DETERMINED BY ITS POSITION UPON SAID HOLDER, REMOVING SAID HOLDER AND ITS SUSPENDED LAMINATES FROM SAID BATH, CONSECUTIVELY REMOVING SAID LAMINATES STARTING AT ONE END OF SAID HOLDER, ALTERNATELY STACKING SPACERS AND SAID LAMINATES, AND BONDING THE STACK INTO AN INTEGRAL UNIT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A LAMINAR DELAY LINE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING METAL SPACES, PUNCHING METALLIC LAMINATES HAVING DEPENDENT DIGITS FROM SHEET STOCK HAVING A UNIFORM THICKNESS, SUSPENDING SAID LAMINATES FROM A HOLDER IN THE ORDER IN WHICH SAID LAMINATES ARE TO BE ASSEMBLED, IMMERSING SAID LAMINATES IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH, CAUSING EACH OF SAID LAMINATES TO BE PLATED FOR A DIFFERENT LENGTH OF TIME DETERMINED BY ITS POSITION UPON SAID HOLDER, REMOVING SAID HOLDER AND ITS SUSPENDED LAMINATES FROM SAID BATH, CONSECUTIVELY REMOVING SAID LAMINATES STARTING AT ONE END OF SAID HOLDER, ALTERNATELY STACKING SPACERS AND SAID LAMINATES, AND BONDING THE STACK INTO AN INTEGRAL UNIT.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A LAMINAR DELAY LINE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING METAL SPACERS, STRIKING LAMINATES HAVING DEPENDENT DIGITS FROM SHEET METAL OF UNIFORM THICKNESS, ARRANGING SAID LAMINATES UPON A HOLDER IN THE ORDER IN WHICH SAID LAMINATES ARE TO BE ASSEMBLED, IMMERSING SAID LAMINATES IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH HAVING AN ELECTRODE DIVERGING FROM SAID HOLDER, CONCURRENTLY CONNECTING SAID LAMINATES IN PARALLEL TO A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC CURRENT WHEREBY EACH OF SAID LAMINATES ARE COATED WITH A METALLIC PLATE WHOSE THICKNESS IS DETERMINED BY THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LAMINATE AND SAID ELECTRODE, REMOVING SAID HOLDER AND THE ATTACHED LAMINATES FROM SAID BATH, ALTERNATELY STACKING SAID SPACERS AND LAMINATES UPON A JIG WHICH ALIGNS SAID DEPENDENT DIGITS, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING PRESSURE AND HEAT TO THE STACKED ASSEMBLAGE TO FORM AN INTEGRAL STRUCTURE.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A LAMINAR DELAY LINE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING METAL SPACERS, STRIKING LAMINATES HAVING DEPENDENT DIGITS FROM SHEET METAL OF UNIFORM THICKNESS, ARRANGING SAID LAMINATES UPON A HOLDER IN THE ORDER IN WHICH SAID LAMINATES ARE TO BE ASSEMBLED, IMMERSING SAID LAMINATES IN AN ELECTROPLATING BATH HAVING AN ELECTRODE DIVERGING FROM SAID HOLDER, CONCURRENTLY CONNECTING SAID LAMINATES IN PARALLEL TO A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC CURRENT WHEREBY EACH OF SAID LAMINATES ARE COATED WITH A METALLIC PLATE WHOSE THICKNESS IS DETERMINED BY THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LAMINATE AND SAID ELECTRODE, REMOVING SAID HOLDER AND THE ATTACHED LAMINATES FROM SAID BATH, ALTERNATELY STACKING SAID SPACERS AND LAMINATES UPON A JIG WHICH ALIGNS SAID DEPENDENT DIGITS, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING PRESSURE AND HEAT TO THE STACKED ASSEMBLAGE TO FORM AN INTEGRAL STRUCTURE.