Method and apparatus for feeding articles

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC PROCESS FOR CLEANING AND PLATING ARTICLES ATTACHED TO AND CARRIED BY A FLEXIBLE CONDUCTIVE TAPE TO A SUCCESSION OF VARIOUS TYPES OF CONFINED CLEANING AND PLATING SOLUTIONS, THE STEPS OF: APPLYING A FIRST REFERENCE POTENTIAL TO SAID ARTICLES THROUGH SAID TAPE, POLARIZING SAID ARTICLES AS ANODES WHLE IMMERSED IN A FIRST CLEANING SOLUTION OF SAID SUCCESSION OF SOLUTIONS, SAID POLARIZATION BEING ESTABLISHED BY THE PROVISION OF A FIRST ELECTRODE SUBMERGED IN SAID FIRST SOLUTION AND BIASED AT A POTENTIAL WHICH IS NEGATIVE RELATIVE TO THE REFERENCE POTENTIAL APPLIED TO SAID TAPE, POLARIZING SAID ARTICLES ALTERNATING AS ANODES AND CATHODES WHILE IMMERSED IN A SECOND CLEANING SOLUTION OF SAID SUCCESSION OF SOLUTIONS, SAID POLARIZATION BEING ESTABLISHED BY THE PROVISION OF A SECOND ELECTRODE SUBMERGED IN SAID SECOND SOLUTION AND HAVING AN ALTERNATING POTENTIAL APPLIED ACROSS SAID TAPE AND SAID SECOND ELECTRODE, POLARIZING SAID ARTICLES AS CATHODES WHILE IMMERSED IN AN NTH PLATING SOLUTION OF SAID SUCCESSION OF SOLUTIONS, SAID POLARIZATION BEING ESTABLISHED BY THE PROVISION OF AT LEAST A THIRD ELECTRODE SUBMERGED IN SAID NTH SOLUTION AND BIASED AT A POTENTIAL WHICH IS POSITIVE RELATIVE TO THE REFERENCE POTENTIAL APPLIED TO SAID TAPE, AND ORIENTING SAID TAPE AT A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR POSITION WHILE SAID ARTILCES ARE BIASED AS CATHODES IN THE REGION OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SOLUTIONS SUCH THAT ONLY SAID ARTILCES ARE IMMERSED THEREIN.