Continuous anodizing process and apparatus

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY TREATING THE OPPOSITE SURFACES OF AN ELONGATED ALUMINUM ARTICLE TO PRODUCE AN ANODIC COATING THERON, COMPRISING ADVANCING SAID ARTICLE LENGTHWISE THROUGH A REGION OF SUBMERGED CONTACT OF SAID SURFACES WITH CLEANING ELECTROLYTE AND CONTINUOUSLY THEREAFTER THROUGH A REGION OF SUBMERGED CONTACT OF SAID SURFACES WITH ANODIZING ELECTROLYTE WHICH PRODUCES A POROUS COATING ON ALUMINUM, SAID ARTICLE BEING MAINTAINED IN SUBMERGED POSITION AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS CONTACT WITH ELECTROLYTE, BENEATH THE UPPER PARTS OF SAID REGIONS DURING ADVANCE BETWEEN THEM,WHILE PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH THE CLEANING ELECTROLYTE TO THE ARTICLE AS CATHODE IN THE FIRST REGION AND WHILE PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT FRO THE ARTICLE, AS ANODE, INTO THE ANODIZING ELECTROLYTE IN THE SECOND REGION, SAID CURRENT IN THE SECOND REGON BEING PASSEED AT A DENSITY, OF AT LEAST 100 AMPERES PER SQUARE FOOT OF SAID SURFACES EXPOSED IN SAID SECOND REGION, FOR PRODUCING, IN COACTION WITH SAID ANODIZING ELECTROLYTE, A POROUS ANODIC COATING ON THE SURFACES, AND MAINTAING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS IN THE ELECTROLYTE BODIES ADJACENT THE ARTICLE SURFACES IN THE SAID REGIONS AS THE ARTICLE ADVANCES, BY TURBULENTLY ADVANCING THE ELECTROLYTE IN EACH REGION OVER THE SURFACES IN A DIRECTION LENGTHWISE OF THE PATH OF THE ARTICLE, AND RECIRCULATING THE ELECTROLYTE FROM EACH REGION THROUGH HEAT EXCHANGE PATHS FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL THEREOF.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY TREATING THE OPPOSITE SURFACES OF AN ELONGATED ALUMINUM ARTICLE TO PRODUCE AN ANODIC COATING THERON, COMPRISING ADVANCING SAID ARTICLE LENGTHWISE THROUGH A REGION OF SUBMERGED CONTACT OF SAID SURFACES WITH CLEANING ELECTROLYTE AND CONTINUOUSLY THEREAFTER THROUGH A REGION OF SUBMERGED CONTACT OF SAID SURFACES WITH ANODIZING ELECTROLYTE WHICH PRODUCES A POROUS COATING ON ALUMINUM, SAID ARTICLE BEING MAINTAINED IN SUBMERGED POSITION AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS CONTACT WITH ELECTROLYTE, BENEATH THE UPPER PARTS OF SAID REGIONS DURING ADVANCE BETWEEN THEM,WHILE PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH THE CLEANING ELECTROLYTE TO THE ARTICLE AS CATHODE IN THE FIRST REGION AND WHILE PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT FRO THE ARTICLE, AS ANODE, INTO THE ANODIZING ELECTROLYTE IN THE SECOND REGION, SAID CURRENT IN THE SECOND REGON BEING PASSEED AT A DENSITY, OF AT LEAST 100 AMPERES PER SQUARE FOOT OF SAID SURFACES EXPOSED IN SAID SECOND REGION, FOR PRODUCING, IN COACTION WITH SAID ANODIZING ELECTROLYTE, A POROUS ANODIC COATING ON THE SURFACES, AND MAINTAING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS IN THE ELECTROLYTE BODIES ADJACENT THE ARTICLE SURFACES IN THE SAID REGIONS AS THE ARTICLE ADVANCES, BY TURBULENTLY ADVANCING THE ELECTROLYTE IN EACH REGION OVER THE SURFACES IN A DIRECTION LENGTHWISE OF THE PATH OF THE ARTICLE, AND RECIRCULATING THE ELECTROLYTE FROM EACH REGION THROUGH HEAT EXCHANGE PATHS FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL THEREOF.