Electrostatic coating of metal powder on metal strip

Claim 2

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal on metallic strip as defined in claim 1 including: means for oscillating the carriage means to move the charging wires transversely of the path of movement of the metallic strip through the passageway.

Claim 3

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal on metallic strip as defined in claim 1 including: a compaction mill comprising a pair of metal compacting rolls, means for passing the metallic strip from the passageway to the compaction mill and between the rolls thereof, and bristle brushes rotating in contact with the rolls.

Claim 4

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal on metallic strip including: means for wetting metallic strip with liquid, a plurality of carriage means, support means supporting the plurality of carriage means in successive relationship, means for continuously moving metallic strip through the wetting means and then successively through the plurality of carriage means, each carriage means supporting a plurality of charging wires extending transversely of the direction of movement of the metallic strip and spaced from each other in the direction of movement of the metallic strip, a charging circuit for the charging wires of each carriage means including the metallic strip and a source of potential connected to the charging wires, means for introducing an aerosol of metal powder and a carrier gas to between the metallic strip and the charging wires of each carriage means generalLy in the direction of movement of the metallic strip, a metallic strip heating furnace and a metallic strip compaction mill, and means for moving the metallic strip from the carriage means through the heating furnace and then through the compaction mill.

Claim 5

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 5 in which the support means includes: nonelectrically conductive material separately supporting each carriage means at a singular point of support.

Claim 6

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 6 including: means for oscillating each of the carriage means to move the charging wires transversely of the path of movement of the metallic strip through the carriage means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 5 including: an elongated housing of nonelectrically conductive means defining an elongated passageway enclosing the plurality of carriage means in out-of-contact relation with the carriage means and the metallic strip, the support means for the carriage means being in out-of-contact relation with the nonelectrically conductive means of the housing, the elongated housing having an entrance opening and an exit opening and the metallic strip moving through the passageway in a direction from the entrance opening to the exit opening, and means for withdrawing excess metal powder at a point contiguous to the exit opening of the housing.

Claim 8

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 8 including: means for introducing auxiliary gas into the entrance opening of the housing, and means for withdrawing auxiliary gas at a point contiguous to the exit opening of the housing.

Claim 9

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 8 in which the support means for each of the plurality of carriage means includes: nonelectrically conductive means in out-of-contact relation with the housing joined to a rigid support located outside the passageway.

Claim 10

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 5 including: a plurality of elongated housing means of nonelectrically conductive means each having an entrance opening and an exit opening and each defining an elongated passageway extending between the entrance opening and the exit opening, each elongated housing means enclosing one carriage means in out-of-contact relation with the nonelectrically conductive means, the support means for each of the carriage means being in out-of-contact relation with the nonelectrically conductive means of the respective housing means, and means for withdrawing excess metal powder at a point contiguous to the exit opening of each housing means.

Claim 11

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 11 including: means for introducing auxiliary gas into the entrance opening of each housing means, and means for withdrawing auxiliary gas at a point contiguous to the exit opening of each housing means.

Claim 12

Apparatus for applying a coating of metal to metallic strip as defined in claim 11 in which the support means for each carriage means includes: nonelectrically conductive means in out-of-contact relation with respective housing means joined to a rigid support located outside the passage of respective housing means.