Metal coating of long lengths of metal bodies

Claim 1

A METHOD OF COATING A STEEL STRAND WITH A METAL COATING SUCH AS ALUINUM AND ALUMINUM ALLOYS WHICH COMPRISES TREATING A CONTINUOUSLY TRAVELLING LENGTH OF SAID STRAND TO RENDER ITS SURFACE AMENABLE TO ALLOYING SAID COATING METAL THEREWITH, PASSING THE SO-TREATED CONTINUOUSLY TRAVELLING STRAND IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION THROUGH AN APPLICATOR DIE HAVING AN ORIFICE COMMUNICATING WITH A MOLTEN BATH OF SAID COATING METAL THROUGH WHICH SAID STRAND PASSES AND A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE COATED STRAND SO THAT THERE IS AN ANNULAR CLEARANCE SPACE OFPREDETERMINED SIZE AROUND SAID STRANDAS IT TRAVELS THROUGH SAID ORIFICE, CAUSING MOLTEN COATING METAL TO FLOW FROM SAID BATH IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION THROUGH SAID ANNULAR SPACE IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID STRAND IN CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID STRAND, THEREBY APPLYING A COATING OF SAID COATING METAL TO SAID STRAND, CONTINUING THEMOVEMENT OF SAID STRAND HAVING THE MOLTEN COATING METAL APPLIED THERETO DOWNWARDLY THROUGH AN ELONGATE CHAMBER COMMUNICATING AT ITS UPPER END WITH SAID ANNULAR SPACE AT THE OUTLET END OF SAID DIE AND CLOSED AT ITS LOWER END BY A LIQUID SEAL AND CONTROLLING THE THICKNESS OF THE COATING ADHERING TO SAID STRAND AS IT EMERGES FROM SAID DIE BY MAINTAINING A GAS UNDER CONTROLLED POSITIVE PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER WHICH EXERTS ONLY A STATIC PRESSURE AGAINST THE OUTER ENDOF SAID DIE AT SAID ANNULAR SPACE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSED TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID STRAND, AND COLING SAID COATED STRAND AFTER IT EMERGES FROM SAID DIE TO SOLIFIGY SAID COATING METAL.