Apparatus for continuous vacuum deposition

Claim 2

Vapor deposition apparatus for continuously depositing an evaporated material along a moving workpiece strip comprising: a. vacuum chamber; b. a payout reel located within said vacuum chamber for holding an untreated roll of workpiece strip before deposition; c. a takeup reel located within said vacuum chamber for taking up and holding the workpiece strip after deposition; d. rotatable masking wheel over which the workpiece strip passes, said masking wheel comprising first and second independent rings which are mounted parallel to each other and are axially aligned and wherein said rings are axially adjustable for varying the gap between said rings, said gap defining the maximum width of material deposited on said workpiece strip; e. a source of evaporated material to be deposited on said workpiece strip, said source being located within the interior of said masking wheel; and f. means for transporting said workpiece strip from said payout reel over said rotatable masking wheel for deposition, and onto said takeup reel.

Claim 3

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 1 including a circular shield located concentrically within said masking wheel, said shield including an opening extending circumferentially around said shield and aligned to allow evaporated material to pass through said opening and through said gap of said masking wheel, and to block substantially all of the remaining evaporated material.

Claim 4

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 2 wherein each of said rings includes a plurality of indexing teeth located around the circumference thereof, and wherein said indexing teeth engage index holes provided along the edges of the workpiece Strip to align the same during deposition.

Claim 5

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 3 including an additional payoff and takeup reel, said additional reels supporting a mask strip which is passed along said masking wheel between said workpiece strip and said masking wheel, said mask strip including periodic perforations which define a pattern to be deposited on said workpiece strip, and said mask strip additionally including indexing holes for cooperation with said indexing teeth.

Claim 6

In a vapor deposition apparatus wherein a strip of workpiece material is passed over a rotatable masking wheel within a vacuum environment and wherein a second material is evaporated within said masking wheel and deposited on said strip as it passes along said masking wheel, and wherein said improvement comprises a masking wheel comprising at least first and second independent rings which are mounted parallel to each other and axially aligned, and which are axially adjustable for altering the gap between said rings, said gap defining the maximum width of material deposited on said strip.

Claim 7

In a vapor deposition apparatus wherein a strip of workpiece material is passed over a rotatable masking wheel within a vacuum environment and wherein a second material is evaporated within said masking wheel and deposited on said strip as it passes along said masking wheel, and wherein said improvement comprises a masking wheel comprising at least first and second independent rings which are mounted parallel to each other and axially aligned, and which are axially adjustable for altering the gap between said rings, said gap defining the maximum width of material deposited on said strip.

Claim 8

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 5 including a circular shield located concentrically within said masking wheel, said shield including an opening extending circumferentially around said shield and aligned to allow evaporated material to pass through said opening and through said gap of said masking wheel, and to block substantially all of the remaining evaporated material.

Claim 9

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 6 wherein each of said rings includes a plurality of indexing teeth located around the circumference thereof, and wherein said indexing teeth engage index holes provided along the edges of the workpiece strip to align the same during deposition.

Claim 10

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 7 including an additional payoff and takeup reel, said additional reels supporting a mask strip which is passed along said masking wheel between said workpiece strip and said masking wheel, said mask strip including periodic perforations which define a pattern to be deposited on said workpiece strip, and said mask strip additionally including indexing holes for cooperation with said indexing teeth.

Claim 11

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said masking wheel comprises N+1 rings having N-1 gaps between said rings for depositing N-1 stripes on said workpiece strip.

Claim 12

Vapor deposition apparatus for selectively coating a workpiece strip comprising: a. a rotatable masking wheel comprising at least two independent parallel, axially aligned rings which are axially adjustable whereby to form adjustable slotted means for defining the maximum width of material to be deposited on said workpiece strip; b. means for passing said workpiece strip over said slotted means; c. means for passing a masking strip along with said workpiece strip over said masking wheel, said masking strip being located between said workpiece strip and said slotted means and wherein said masking strip includes perforations thereon defining patterns to be deposited on said workpiece strip; d. indexing means associated with said slotted means and cooperating with said workpiece strip and said masking strip for aligning said workpiece strip and said masking strip during deposition; and e. means for directing a stream of evaporated material through said slotted means and masking strip for deposition upon said workpiece strip.

Claim 13

Vapor deposition apparatus for selectively coating a workpiece strip comprising: a. a rotatable masking wheel comprising at least two independent parallel, axially aligned rings which are axially adjustable whereby to form adjustable slotted means for defining the maximum width of material to be deposited on said workpiece strip; b. means for passing said workpiece strip over said slotted means; c. means for passing a masking strip along with said workpiece strip over said masking wheel, said masking strip being located between said workpiece strip and said slotted means and wherein said masking strip includes perforations thereon defining patterns to be deposited on said workpiece strip; d. indexing means associated with said slotted means and cooperating with said workpiece strip and said masking strip for aligning said workpiece strip and said masking strip during deposition; and e. means for directing a stream of evaporated material through said slotted means and masking strip for deposition upon said workpiece strip.

Claim 14

Vapor deposition apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said indexing means comprises indexing holes located along the edges of said workpiece and mask strips, and index teeth associated with said slotted means for cooperating with said indexing holes during deposition.