Overflow cell for plating strip

Claim 1

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS FOR PLATING A PERMANENT COATING OF A METAL ON A MOVING STRIP SERVING AS A CATHODE AND HAVING: (A) A TRAY ADAPTED TO CONTAIN FLOWING ELECTROLYTE AND TO SERVE AS AN ANODE; (B) A WEIR DISPOSED AT ONE END OF SAID TRAY TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF FLOWING ELECTROLYTE IN SAID TRAY; (C) MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING SAID MOVING STRIP THROUGH SAID FLOWING ELECTROLYTE AND OVER SAID WEIR AT A LEVEL JUST BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID FLOWING ELECTROLYTE TO SUBSTANTIALLY ELIMINATE PLATING OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID MOVING STRIP; (D) SAID TRAY HAVING AN ELECTROLYTE INLET SPACED FROM SAID WEIR AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL WITH OF SAID TRAY; (E) COLLECT MEANS ADJACENT SAID WEIR FOR COLLECTING THE OVERFLOW OF ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID WEIR; (F) AN INLET CHAMBER IN COMMUNCATION WITH SAID ELECTROLYTE INLET AND SAID COLLECTING MEANS FOR REDUCING THE VELOCITY OF ELECTROLYTE FLOW FROM SAID COLLECTING MEANS TO SAID ELECTROLYTE INLET AND FOR ELIMINATING ANY FOUNTAIN EFFECT, EXCESSIVE TURBULENCE AND SPLASHING AS SAID ELECTROLYTE FLOWS INTO SAID ELECTROLYTE INLE AND TOWARD SAID WEIR;