Method and apparatus for continuous vacuum metal coating of metal strip

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUS METAL COATING A METAL STRIP COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING THE STRIP MATERIAL IN INDIVIDUAL COILS, TRANSVERSELY SHEARING THE TRAILING END OF A FIRST COIL AND THE LEADING END OF A SECOND COIL AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME ANGLE TO ASSURE THE MATING OF THE ENDS OF THE COILS, WELDING TOGETHER THE STRIP MATERIAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL COILS IN END-TO-END RLATION TOFORM A CONTINUOUS STRIP, FINISHING THE SURFACES OF THE CONTINUOUS STRIP IN THE WELD AREA TO FORM A JOINT HAVING SMOTH SEALABLE SURFACES AND A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THEN THE COMBINED THICKNESS OF THE TWO JOINED STRIP MATERIAL, STORING CERTAIN OF THE CONTINUOUS STRIP TO ASSURE A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF STRIP MATERIAL DURING THE TIME REQUIRED FOR THE ADDITION OF ANOTHER COIL OF STRI MATERIAL TO THE CONTINUOUS STRIP, PASSING THE STIP THROUGH AN ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS TO CLEAN AND CHARGE THE STRIP WITH HYDROGEN, RINSING THE STRIP, DRYING THE STRIP, PASSING THE STRIP THROUGH A SEAL INTO A VACUUM CHAMBER AND MAINTAINING A TENSION ON THE STRIP WHILE WITHIN THE VACUUM CHAMBER TO FACILITATE TRACKING ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH WITHIN THE VACUUM, CHAMBER, HEATING THE STRIP TO RMOVE GASES AND OXIDES FROM THE STRIP, THERMALLY TREATING THE STRIP TO MAINTAIN THE STRIP AT THE DESIRED COATING TEMPERATURE, DEPOSITING METAL ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF THE STRIP FROM SOURCES OF METAL VAPOR BY CONDENSATION OF METAL VAPOR ON THE MOVING STRIP, PASSING THE STRIP OUT OF THE VACUM CHAMBER THROUGH A SEAL, REWINDING THE COATED STRIP MATERIAL IN COIL FORM, TOGETHER WITH THE STORING OF PORTIONS OF THE COATED STRIP MATERIAL AS IT PASSES OUT OF THE VACUUM CHAMBER DURING THE REMOVAL OF A COIL AND FEEDING THE COATED STRIP MATERIAL DURING THE WINDING OF A COIL AT A FASTER RATE THAN THE FEED RATE THROUGH THE VACUUM CHAMBER TO SUBSTANTIALLY DEPLETE THE STORED COATED STRIP MATERIAL, AND THEN CUTTING OFF THE INDIVIDUAL COIL.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUS METAL COATING A METAL STRIP COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING THE STRIP MATERIAL IN INDIVIDUAL COILS, TRANSVERSELY SHEARING THE TRAILING END OF A FIRST COIL AND THE LEADING END OF A SECOND COIL AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME ANGLE TO ASSURE THE MATING OF THE ENDS OF THE COILS, WELDING TOGETHER THE STRIP MATERIAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL COILS IN END-TO-END RLATION TOFORM A CONTINUOUS STRIP, FINISHING THE SURFACES OF THE CONTINUOUS STRIP IN THE WELD AREA TO FORM A JOINT HAVING SMOTH SEALABLE SURFACES AND A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THEN THE COMBINED THICKNESS OF THE TWO JOINED STRIP MATERIAL, STORING CERTAIN OF THE CONTINUOUS STRIP TO ASSURE A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF STRIP MATERIAL DURING THE TIME REQUIRED FOR THE ADDITION OF ANOTHER COIL OF STRI MATERIAL TO THE CONTINUOUS STRIP, PASSING THE STIP THROUGH AN ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS TO CLEAN AND CHARGE THE STRIP WITH HYDROGEN, RINSING THE STRIP, DRYING THE STRIP, PASSING THE STRIP THROUGH A SEAL INTO A VACUUM CHAMBER AND MAINTAINING A TENSION ON THE STRIP WHILE WITHIN THE VACUUM CHAMBER TO FACILITATE TRACKING ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH WITHIN THE VACUUM, CHAMBER, HEATING THE STRIP TO RMOVE GASES AND OXIDES FROM THE STRIP, THERMALLY TREATING THE STRIP TO MAINTAIN THE STRIP AT THE DESIRED COATING TEMPERATURE, DEPOSITING METAL ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF THE STRIP FROM SOURCES OF METAL VAPOR BY CONDENSATION OF METAL VAPOR ON THE MOVING STRIP, PASSING THE STRIP OUT OF THE VACUM CHAMBER THROUGH A SEAL, REWINDING THE COATED STRIP MATERIAL IN COIL FORM, TOGETHER WITH THE STORING OF PORTIONS OF THE COATED STRIP MATERIAL AS IT PASSES OUT OF THE VACUUM CHAMBER DURING THE REMOVAL OF A COIL AND FEEDING THE COATED STRIP MATERIAL DURING THE WINDING OF A COIL AT A FASTER RATE THAN THE FEED RATE THROUGH THE VACUUM CHAMBER TO SUBSTANTIALLY DEPLETE THE STORED COATED STRIP MATERIAL, AND THEN CUTTING OFF THE INDIVIDUAL COIL.