Claims
- 1. A continuous plating system for plating articles comprising:
- multiple baths, wherein at least one bath comprises a plating bath;
- a conveyor system for passing said articles through said multiple baths; and
- a synthetic resin polymer support bar to support said conveyor system.
- 2. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said conveyor system comprises a conductor means for providing electricity to the articles while being passed.
- 3. The plating system of claim 2 further comprising additional direct current means.
- 4. The plating system of claim 3 wherein said additional direct current means comprises exposed cable or brushes.
- 5. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said conveyor system comprises carriers for carrying the articles.
- 6. The plating system of claim 5 wherein said carriers are electrical conductors.
- 7. The plating system of claim 5 wherein said carriers comprise hooks which hook into openings in the articles.
- 8. The plating system of claim 7 wherein said plating bath comprises at least one anode for plating at least one anodic substance onto the articles.
- 9. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said plating bath comprises an upper tank disposed within a lower tank for providing overflow and recirculation of a plating solution.
- 10. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said plating bath comprises a narrow opening and a narrow exit corresponding in shape and width to the articles.
- 11. The plating system of claim 10 wherein said opening and exit comprise adjustment means for changing the shape and size of said opening and exit.
- 12. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said plating bath comprises multiple pumps for providing even plating conditions to the articles.
- 13. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said plating bath comprises multiple spray jets for providing even circulation and plating to the articles.
- 14. The plating system of claim 1 further comprising guides for guiding the articles.
- 15. The plating system of claim 14 wherein said guides comprise internal guides within at least one of said multiple baths for preventing sway of the articles.
- 16. The plating system of claim 14 further comprising external guides external to at least one of said multiple baths for providing ease of movement of the articles into said bath.
- 17. The plating system of claim 1 wherein the articles comprise planar articles.
- 18. The plating system of claim 1 wherein the articles comprise non-planar articles.
- 19. The plating system of claim 1 which is in an oval configuration.
- 20. The plating system of claim 1 further comprising a dryer in line with said continuous plating system and positioned after said multiple baths, said dryer comprising:
- a box comprising a heated fluid;
- an entry opening for the articles to enter said box; and
- an exit opening for the articles to exit said box.
- 21. The plating system of claim 20 further comprising means for wicking moisture from the articles.
- 22. The plating system of claim 21 wherein said wicking means comprises a mesh material disposed in said box.
- 23. The plating system of claim 21 wherein said wicking means is disposed at a bottom of said box.
- 24. The plating system of claim 1 further comprising a rinse system in line with said continuous plating system and positioned after said multiple baths, said rinse system comprising:
- an initial rinse station wherein a substance from said multiple baths is rinsed from the articles, said initial rinse station comprising an effluent with a higher concentration of the substance;
- at least one additional rinse station wherein the substance is further rinsed from the articles, said additional rinse station comprising an effluent with a lower concentration of the substance; and
- means for recycling effluent from said rinse station back into said continuous plating system.
- 25. The plating system of claim 24 comprising at least four rinse stations.
- 26. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said at least one bath comprises at least one process bath selected from the group consisting of cleaning, electrocleaning, degreasing, rinsing, drying, fluxing, reflowing and stripping.
- 27. The plating system of claim 1 comprising at least the following baths in the following order:
- a cleaning bath;
- a rinsing bath;
- a plating bath; and
- a final rinsing bath.
- 28. The plating system of claim 27 further comprising a drying station subsequent to said final rinsing bath.
- 29. The plating system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said multiple baths comprises a stripping bath positioned after said plating bath for stripping said carriers of a substance plated on said carriers in said plating bath.
- 30. The plating system of claim 1 comprising at least two plating baths, each of said plating baths comprising a different material to be plated on the articles and for alloy plate formation.
- 31. The plating system of claim 30 wherein said alloy plate comprises tin and bismuth.
- 32. The plating system of claim 31 comprising at least five plating baths in the following order and comprising the following in solution to be plated on the articles: tin, bismuth, tin, bismuth and tin.
- 33. The plating system of claim 30 wherein said alloy plate comprises at least one alloy selected from the group consisting of tin alloys, bismuth alloys, lead alloys, titanium alloys, cadmium alloys, nickel alloys, and zinc alloys.
- 34. The plating system of claim 1 wherein said conveyor system passes said articles through said multiple baths while completely submerging the articles through at least one of said baths.
- 35. The plating system of claim 34 wherein said conveyor system conveys said articles through said multiple baths at substantially a same vertical level within and between said baths.
- 36. A continuous plating system for plating articles comprising:
- multiple baths, wherein at least one bath comprises a plating bath;
- a conveyor system for passing said articles through said multiple baths;
- a dryer in line with said continuous plating system and positioned after said multiple baths, said dryer comprising:
- a box comprising a heated fluid;
- an entry opening for the articles to enter said box; and
- an exit opening for the articles to exit said box; and
- means for wicking moisture from the articles.
- 37. The plating system of claim 36 wherein said wicking means comprises a mesh material disposed in said box.
- 38. The plating system of claim 36 wherein said wicking means is disposed at a bottom of said box.
- 39. The plating system of claim 36 wherein said conveyor system passes said articles through said multiple baths while completely submerging the articles through at least one of said baths.
- 40. The plating system of claim 39 wherein said conveyor system conveys said articles through said multiple baths at substantially a same vertical level within and between said baths.
- 41. The plating system of claim 36 comprising at least two plating baths, each of said plating baths comprising a different material to be plated on the article and for alloy plate formation.
- 42. The plating system of claim 41 wherein said alloy plate comprises tin and bismuth.
- 43. The plating system of claim 42 comprising at least five plating baths in the following order and comprising the following in solution to be plated on the articles: tin, bismuth, tin, bismuth and tin.
- 44. The plating system of claim 41 wherein said alloy plate comprises at least one alloy selected from the group consisting of tin alloys, bismuth alloys, lead alloys, titanium alloys, cadmium alloys, nickel alloys, and zinc alloys.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a utility patent application which claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/001,171, entitled "Continuous Rack Plater," filed Jul. 14, 1995, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Meaker Variable Speed Plating Machine, Dec. 5, 1932. |