In-line apparatus for electroplating a metal onto an article

Claim 2

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal onto an electrically conductive surface of an article moving through an electrolyte plating bath containing in solution a salt of the metal to be plated onto the article, by passing an electric current through the electrolyte and the article with the article functioning as a cathode: a pair of spaced tracks extending through the plating bath, for supporting and for guiding the moving article therealong and through the plating bath, and means for electrically contacting the conductive surface of the article within the plating bath and for applying a voltage thereto to supply the electric current to the article to plate the metal onto the article.

Claim 3

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrically contacting means includes at least one electrical contactor secured at a fixed position along one of the tracks within the plating bath for engaging the conductive surface of the article within the bath to supply the electric current thereto.

Claim 4

An electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte plating bath comprises: an electrolyte reservoir tank for containing a quantity of electrolyte and having above the level of the electrolyte an entrance passageway and an exit passageway for transmission therethrough of the pair of spaced tracks; means for minimizing the flow of electrolyte through the entrance passageway and the exit passageway of the reservoir; a plating tank within the reservoir, having an entrance passageway and an exit passageway aligned with the entrance passageway and exit passageway of the reservoir, for transmission therethrough of the pair of spaced tracks; and means for maintaining the level of electrolyte inside the plating tank above the pair of spaced tracks and the entrance passageway and exit passageway in the plating tank.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal onto electrically conductive surfaces of a plurality of articles moving through an electrolyte plating bath which contains in solution a salt of the metal to be plated onto the article surfaces: a pair of stationary and spaced rails extending along a path from a first point exterior of the plating bath, through the plating bath, and to a second point exterior of the plating bath, for supporting therebetween and in series therealong a plurality of the articles and for guiding successive moving articles along the path from the first point, through the plating bath, and to the second point, and means for establishing an electric current flow through the electrolyte and the conductive surfaces of the successive articles within the electrolyte with the surfaces of the articles functioning as a cathode to plate the metal onto the articles.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal onto electrically conductive surfaces of a plurality of articles moving through an electrolyte plating bath which contains in solution a salt of the metal to be plated onto the article surfaces: a pair of stationary and spaced rails extending along a path from a first point exterior of the plating bath, through the plating bath, and to a second point exterior of the plating bath, for supporting therebetween and in series therealong a plurality of the articles and for guiding successive moving articles along the path from the first point, through the plating bath, and to the second point, and means for establishing an electric current flow through the electrolyte and the conductive surfaces of the successive articles within the electrolyte with the surfaces of the articles functioning as a cathode to plate the metal onto the articles.

Claim 7

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the electric current establishing means includes a plurality of electrical contactors secured at fixed positions along at least one of the rails within the electrolyte plating bath and spaced one from the other along the path a distance which is less than the length of an article guided along the path, each for wipingly engaging the conductive surface of an article guided therepast and for applying a voltage thereto to establish the current flow.

Claim 8

An electroplating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the electrolyte plating bath comprises: an electrolyte reservoir tank for containing a quantity of electrolyte and having above the level of the electrolyte an entrance passageway and an exit passageway for transmission therethrough of the pair of stationary rails; means for minimizing the flow of electrolyte through the entrance passageway and the exit passageway of the reservoir: a plating tank within the reservoir, having an entrance passageway and an exit passageway aligned with the entrance passageway and exit passageway of the reservoir, for transmission therethrough of the pair of stationary rails; and means for maintaining the level of electrolyte inside the plating tank above the pair of stationary rails and the entrance passageway and exit passageway in the plating tank.

Claim 9

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal onto a plurality of planar articles having electrically conductive surfaces, in an electrolyte plating bath containing in solution a salt of the metal to be plated onto the articles and having a stationary anode immersed therein: a pair of straight, spaced and parallel rails extending along a path from a first point exterior of the plating bath, through the plating bath, to a second point exterior of the plating bath, having facing slots formed therein along their length from the first to the second points, for receiving within the slots at the first point opposite edges of successive articles and for supporting the articles therebetween and in series therealong; means for advancing the successive articles received within the slots in tandem along the path, within the slots, and between the rails from the first point, through the plating bath, and to the second point, to convey each article through the plating bath along the same path therewithin as every other article, and means at fixed points within the plating bath along the path traveled by the articles advancing therethrough for electrically contacting the conductive surface of each article advancing therepast and for applying a voltage thereto to establish a current flow between the contacted articles and the anode, and through the electrolyte, with the contacted articles functioning as a cathode, to expose each article traveling through the plating bath to the same current densities as every other article, and to therefore the same plating rates, to plate a uniform thickness of metal onto each article.

Claim 10

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal onto a plurality of planar articles having electrically conductive surfaces, in an electrolyte plating bath containing in solution a salt of the metal to be plated onto the articles and having a stationary anode immersed therein: a pair of straight, spaced and parallel rails extending along a path from a first point exterior of the plating bath, through the plating bath, to a second point exterior of the plating bath, having facing slots formed therein along their length from the first to the second points, for receiving within the slots at the first point opposite edges of successive articles and for supporting the articles therebetween and in series therealong; means for advancing the successive articles received within the slots in tandem along the path, within the slots, and between the rails from the first point, through the plating bath, and to the second point, to convey each article through the plating bath along the same path therewithin as every other article, and means at fixed points within the plating bath along the path traveled by the articles advancing therethrough for electrically contacting the conductive surface of each article advancing therepast and for applying a voltage thereto to establish a current flow between the contacted articles and the anode, and through the electrolyte, with the contacted articles functioning as a cathode, to expose each article traveling through the plating bath to the same current densities as every other article, and to therefore the same plating rates, to plate a uniform thickness of metal onto each article.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for electroplating as set forth in claim 7, wherein the means for electrically contacting each article includes: a first plurality of electrically common resilient contactors secured at fixed positions along one of the rails within the plating bath, each contactor of the first plurality extending at an end thereof to a point in the path traveled by the articles within the plating bath, and resiliently deflectable therefrom by the articles traveling therepast and into wiping electrical engagement with a first conductive surface of each of the articles, and a second plurality of electrically common resilient contactors secured at fixed positions along the other one of the rails within the plating bath, each contactor of the second plurality extending at an end thereof to a point in the path traveled by the articles within the plating bath, and resiliently deflectable therefrom by the articles traveling therepast and into wiping electrical engagement with a second and opposite conductive surface of each of the articles.

Claim 12

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the contactors of the first plurality are spaced one from the other along the one rail a distance apart which is less than the length of an article traveling along the path so that the first surface of each article is continuously electrically contacted within the plating bath, and wherein the contactors of the second plurality are spaced one from the other along the other one of the rails a distance apart which is less than the length of an article traveling along the path so that the second surface of each article is continuously electrically contacted within the plating bath.

Claim 13

An electroplating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the electrolyte plating bath comprises: an electrolyte reservoir tank for containing a quantity of electrolyte and having above the level of the electrolyte an entrance passageway and an exit passageway for transmission therethrough of the pair of straight rails; means for minimizing the flow of electrolyte through the entrance passageway and the exit passageway of the reservoir; a plating tank within the reservoir, having an entrance passageway and an exit passageway aligned with the entrance passageway and exit passageway of the reservoir, for transmission therethrough of the pair of straight rails; and means for maintaining the level of electrolyte inside the plating tank above the pair of straight rails and the entrance passageway and exit passageway in the plating tank.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal onto a plurality of planar articles having a pattern of an electrically conductive material formed on a surface thereof in an electrolyte plating bath containing in solution a salt of the metal to be plated onto the articles: an anode immersed in the plating bath; a pair of electrically nonconductive straight tracks extending in an essentially horizontal plane in a spaced and parallel relationship along a path from a first point exterior of the plating bath, through the plating bath, to a second point exterior of the plating bath, the tracks having facing channels formed therein along their length from a third point in proximity with the first point to the second point, and each track having a platform portion extending from the first to the third points and having a surface coextensive with a lower side wall of the channel therein, the platforms together supporting opposite edges of successive planar articles positioned thereon and orienting the articles for sliding movement therealong toward and into the channels with each channel receiving an opposite edge of the articles for supporting the articles therewithin and between the tracks; means for pushing each successive article positioned on the platforms at the first point a predetermined distance toward the second point, at least equal to the length of the article in the direction of travel, to slide the article along the platforms and into the channels, to engage successive articles moved into the channels end to end in series, and to pushingly advance the articles in tandem along the path from the first to the second points, and through the plating bath, with each of the articles advancing along the same path through the plating bath; a plurality of resilient contactors, each extending to a fixed point along the path traveled by the articles advancing through the plating bath, and each resiliently deflectable from the path by the articles advancing therealong and into wiping electrical contact with the conductive material patterns on the surfaces of the articles, and means for applying a voltage between the contactors and the anode with the contactors as the cathode to apply a voltage to the patterns on the articles with the contactors to establish a current flow between the contacted patterns and the anode, and through the electrolyte, with the contacted patterns on the articles functioning as the cathode to expose the patterns on each article traveling along the same path within the plating bath to the same current densities as the patterns on every other article, and to therefore the same plating rates, to plate a uniform thickness of metal onto the pattern on each article.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal onto a plurality of planar articles having a pattern of an electrically conductive material formed on a surface thereof in an electrolyte plating bath containing in solution a salt of the metal to be plated onto the articles: an anode immersed in the plating bath; a pair of electrically nonconductive straight tracks extending in an essentially horizontal plane in a spaced and parallel relationship along a path from a first point exterior of the plating bath, through the plating bath, to a second point exterior of the plating bath, the tracks having facing channels formed therein along their length from a third point in proximity with the first point to the second point, and each track having a platform portion extending from the first to the third points and having a surface coextensive with a lower side wall of the channel therein, the platforms together supporting opposite edges of successive planar articles positioned thereon and orienting the articles for sliding movement therealong toward and into the channels with each channel receiving an opposite edge of the articles for supporting the articles therewithin and between the tracks; means for pushing each successive article positioned on the platforms at the first point a predetermined distance toward the second point, at least equal to the length of the article in the direction of travel, to slide the article along the platforms and into the channels, to engage successive articles moved into the channels end to end in series, and to pushingly advance the articles in tandem along the path from the first to the second points, and through the plating bath, with each of the articles advancing along the same path through the plating bath; a plurality of resilient contactors, each extending to a fixed point along the path traveled by the articles advancing through the plating bath, and each resiliently deflectable from the path by the articles advancing therealong and into wiping electrical contact with the conductive material patterns on the surfaces of the articles, and means for applying a voltage between the contactors and the anode with the contactors as the cathode to apply a voltage to the patterns on the articles with the contactors to establish a current flow between the contacted patterns and the anode, and through the electrolyte, with the contacted patterns on the articles functioning as the cathode to expose the patterns on each article traveling along the same path within the plating bath to the same current densities as the patterns on every other article, and to therefore the same plating rates, to plate a uniform thickness of metal onto the pattern on each article.

Claim 16

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the electrical contactors are secured at fixed positions along at least one of the tracks within the plating bath a distance apart which is less than the length of the articles in the direction of travel along the path, so that each article is continuously electrically contacted within the plating bath.

Claim 17

An electroplating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the electrolyte plating bath comprises; an electrolyte reservoir tank for containing a quantity of electrolyte and having above the level of the electrolyte an entrance passageway and an exit passageway for transmission therethrough of the pair of straight tracks; means for minimizing the flow of electrolyte through the entrance passageway and the exit passageway of the reservoir; a plating tank within the reservoir, having an entrance passageway and an exit passageway aligned with the entrance passageway and exit passageway of the reservoir, for transmission therethrough of the pair of straight tracks; and means for maintaining the level of electrolyte inside the plating tank above the pair of straight tracks and the entrance passageway and exit passageway in the plating tank.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for electroplating an article: a first container having a pair of aligned openings in opposed walls; a second container surrounding the first container and having a pair of aligned openings in opposed walls which are aligned with the aligned openings in the first container; a pair of spaced tracks of non-conductive material extending through both pairs of aligned openings; means for incrementally advancing an article along said track and through both said containers; means for electrically contacting said article following each incremental advancement; and means for circulating a predetermined quantity of electrolyte from the second container into the first container to maintain the tracks submerged, through the opposed openings in said first container, and back into the second container said predetermined quantity being such that the track sections extending between the first and second containers are above the level of the electrolyte in the second container.

Claim 19

In an apparatus for electroplating an article: a first container having a pair of aligned openings in opposed walls; a second container surrounding the first container and having a pair of aligned openings in opposed walls which are aligned with the aligned openings in the first container; a pair of spaced tracks of non-conductive material extending through both pairs of aligned openings; means for incrementally advancing an article along said track and through both said containers; means for electrically contacting said article following each incremental advancement; and means for circulating a predetermined quantity of electrolyte from the second container into the first container to maintain the tracks submerged, through the opposed openings in said first container, and back into the second container said predetermined quantity being such that the track sections extending between the first and second containers are above the level of the electrolyte in the second container.