Apparatus for use in the coating of electrically conducting members by the process ofelectrophoresis

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE PROCESS OF COATING AT LEAST ONE SELECTED PORTION OF AT LEAST ONE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MEMBER WITH AT LEAST ONE FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL FROM A LIQUID SUSPENSION THEREOF BY ELECTROPHORESIS; WHICH COMPRISES A CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT, A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF RAISED, ELECTRICALLY INSULATED PROJECTIONS SPACED PERIPHERALLY ON SAID SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING THE CONDUCTING MEMBERS TO BE COATED, SAID ROWS OF PROJECTIONS BEING IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SUPPORT WITH THE SPACING THEREBETWEEN DEFINING THE PORTION OF THE MEMBERS TO BE COATED, AN ELECTRICALLY INSULATED TROUGH POSITIONED BELOW SAID SUPPORT FOR A DISTANCE SUCH THAT A LOWER SEGMENTAL PORTION OF THE SUPPORT EXTENDS INTO THE TROUGH, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED RIBS POSITIONED IN SAID TROUGH AND COATING WITH SAID ROWS OF PROJECTIONS TO DEFINE A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS IN SAID TROUGH WITH ALTERNATE COMPARTMENTS THEREOF BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN SUSPENSIONS OF COATING MATERIAL AND THE REMAINING COMPARTMENTS THEREOF BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCING LIQUID WHICH SERVES TO ENABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT TO BE MADE WITH SAID CONDUCTING MEMBERS AND ASSIST IN CONFINING SAID SUSPENSIONS OF COATING MATERIAL TO THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPARTMENTS, AND AN ELECTRODE EXTENDING INTO EACH COMPARTMENT.