Method of continuously bonding a narrow solder stripe on metal strip material

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY BONDING A PREFORMED FLEXIBLE, NARROW AND THIN SOLDER SRIPE ONTO AND LONGITUDINALLY OF A WIDER METAL STRIP MATERIAL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY PULLING THE STRIP AND STRIPE MATERIAL TOWARD EACH OTHER, WIPE-WETTING AT LEAST ONE OF THE STRIPES AND A NARROW PRESELECTED LONGITUDINAL AREA OF THE STRIP HAVING A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF THE STRIPE WITH A LIQUID FLUX IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO WET BUT INSUFFICIENT TO CAUSE ANY READILY NOTICEABLE LATERAL FLOW OF FLUX BEYOND THE WIDTH OF THE STRIPE UPON SUBSEQUENT COMPRESSION OF THE STRIPE TO THE STRIP MATERIAL, SUPERPOSING THE SOLDER STRIPE ONTO AND LONGITUDINALLY OF THE PRESELECTED LONGITUDINAL AREA OF THE STRIP, COMPRESSING THE STRIPE ONTO THE STRIP UNDER THE COMPRESSION INSUFFICIENT TO DIMENSIONALLY DEFORM THE SOLDER STRIPE BUT SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE STRIPE TO ADHERE TO THE STRIP WHILE PULLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP, PROGRESSIVELY HEATING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP BY PULLING THROUGH A HEATING ZONE UNTIL THE SOLDER STRIP MELTS AT THE END OF THE HEATING ZONE, MAINTAINING THE SOLDER IN ITS MOLTEN CONDITION FOR ONLY A SHORT PERIOD DURING WHICH IT IS STILL CAPABLE OF LATERAL CONFINEMENT SOLELY BY ITS MOLTEN SURFACE TENSION, THEREAFTER IMMEDIATELY CHILLING THE SOLDER TO A SOLIDUS CONDITION BY PULLING THROUGH A CHILLING ZONE, THEREAFTER RINSING AND COOLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP BY PULLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP THROUGH A RINSING AND COOLING ZONE, THEREAFTER PASSING BY PULLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP THROUGH A LIQUID BATH AND THEREIN DISSOVING AND INCIDENTAL FLUX REMAINING ON THE STRIP, SAID PULLING OF THE STRIPE AND STRIP BEING CONTINUOUS AND UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE SAID STEPS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY BONDING A PREFORMED FLEXIBLE, NARROW AND THIN SOLDER SRIPE ONTO AND LONGITUDINALLY OF A WIDER METAL STRIP MATERIAL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY PULLING THE STRIP AND STRIPE MATERIAL TOWARD EACH OTHER, WIPE-WETTING AT LEAST ONE OF THE STRIPES AND A NARROW PRESELECTED LONGITUDINAL AREA OF THE STRIP HAVING A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF THE STRIPE WITH A LIQUID FLUX IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO WET BUT INSUFFICIENT TO CAUSE ANY READILY NOTICEABLE LATERAL FLOW OF FLUX BEYOND THE WIDTH OF THE STRIPE UPON SUBSEQUENT COMPRESSION OF THE STRIPE TO THE STRIP MATERIAL, SUPERPOSING THE SOLDER STRIPE ONTO AND LONGITUDINALLY OF THE PRESELECTED LONGITUDINAL AREA OF THE STRIP, COMPRESSING THE STRIPE ONTO THE STRIP UNDER THE COMPRESSION INSUFFICIENT TO DIMENSIONALLY DEFORM THE SOLDER STRIPE BUT SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE STRIPE TO ADHERE TO THE STRIP WHILE PULLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP, PROGRESSIVELY HEATING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP BY PULLING THROUGH A HEATING ZONE UNTIL THE SOLDER STRIP MELTS AT THE END OF THE HEATING ZONE, MAINTAINING THE SOLDER IN ITS MOLTEN CONDITION FOR ONLY A SHORT PERIOD DURING WHICH IT IS STILL CAPABLE OF LATERAL CONFINEMENT SOLELY BY ITS MOLTEN SURFACE TENSION, THEREAFTER IMMEDIATELY CHILLING THE SOLDER TO A SOLIDUS CONDITION BY PULLING THROUGH A CHILLING ZONE, THEREAFTER RINSING AND COOLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP BY PULLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP THROUGH A RINSING AND COOLING ZONE, THEREAFTER PASSING BY PULLING THE COMBINED STRIPE AND STRIP THROUGH A LIQUID BATH AND THEREIN DISSOVING AND INCIDENTAL FLUX REMAINING ON THE STRIP, SAID PULLING OF THE STRIPE AND STRIP BEING CONTINUOUS AND UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE SAID STEPS.