Method for continuous high speed electroplating of strip, wire and the like

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR THE HIGH DEPOSITION SPEED CONTINUOUS ELECTROPLATING OF A WORKPIECE WITH NOBLE METAL, THE STEPS COMPRISING PROVIDING ALONG A RECTILINEAR TRAVEL PATH OF A MOVING WORKPIECE AT LEAST ONE ELECTROPLATING CHAMBER WITH AN ENTRANCE AND EXIT FOR SAID WORKPIECE AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND AN ANODE DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID TRAVEL PATH; AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT ASSEMBLY EXTERNALLY OF SAID ELECTROPLATING CHAMBER TO APPLY AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE AND SAID ANODE IN SAID ELECTROPLATING CHAMBER; A RINSING STATION PROVIDING A RINSING CHAMBER; AND A DRYING STATION PROVIDING A PLENUM CHAMBER ABOUT A DRYING CHAMBER WITH APERTURES SPACED ABOUT AND ALONG SAID PATH; PASSING THROUGH SAID ELECTROPLATING CHAMBER A NOBLE METAL ELECTROPLATING SOLUTION CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE AND IONS OF THE METAL TO BE ELECTRODEPOSITED AT A HIGH VELOCITY TO MAINTAIN A TURBULENT CONDITION THEREWITH; ADVANCING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS WORKPIECE WITH A METALLIC SURFACE ALONG SAID TRAVEL PATH IN CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTRICAL CONTACT ASSEMBLY, THROUGH SAID ELECTROPLATING CHAMBER; THROUGH SAID RINSING CHAMBER, AND THROUGH SAID DRYING CHAMBER; APPLYING A VOLTAGE POTENTIAL ACROSS SAID WORKPIECE IN SAID ELECTICAL CONTACT ASSEMBLY AND SAID ANODE IN SAID ELECTROPLATING CHAMBER TO CAUSE SAID METAL OF SAID SOLUTION TO