Claims
- 1. A method of plating workpieces in a plating container comprising:
- providing a base and a vibratory plating container means resiliently mounted on the base, the container means having a lid covering the top and having a bottom with a concavely arcuate cross-section;
- filling the container means with individual workpieces to be plated and a plating liquid;
- vibrating the container means with a provided vibration generating means connected between the base and vibratory plating container means, the vibration causing workpieces in the container means to roll and to be transferred in a direction along the container means parallel to the bottom thereof;
- generating an electric field through the plating liquid with electrodes of opposite polarities provided within the container means;
- discharging a mixture of plated workpieces and plating liquid through a discharge port provided on one side of the arcuate bottom of the container means;
- receiving the mixture from the discharge port and separating the workpieces from the plating liquid with a screening means provided below and separate from the container means; and
- returning the separated plating liquid to the container means with a provided liquid return means connected between the container means and the screening means.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the vibratory container means includes providing a horizontal vibratory plating tub.
- 3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the vibratory container means includes providing a pair of side-by-side horizontally positioned tubs and wherein the step of providing the vibration generating means includes positioning the provided vibration generating means between the tubs.
- 4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the container means includes providing a horizontally positioned annular tub, and wherein the step of providing the vibration generating means includes positioning the provided vibration generating means in the center of the tub.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the container means includes providing an open-topped tub having an annular groove around the periphery of the bottom thereof forming the concavely arcuate cross-section, and wherein the step of providing the vibration generating means includes positioning the vibration generating means below the center of the tub.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the container means includes providing a spiral-shaped tub and wherein the step of providing the vibration generating means includes positioning below the center of the tub.
- 7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of generating an electric field by providing electrodes includes attaching the electrodes to the lid.
- 8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of providing electrodes includes providing a cathode electrode positioned in the path of the individual workpieces and wherein the step of vibrating the container means with the vibration generating means includes moving the individual workpieces along the inner wall of the container means.
- 9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of vibrating the container means with the vibration generating means includes the step of providing a motor having a rotary shaft and a pair of unbalanced plates secured to the respective ends of the rotary shaft, thereby causing vibration of the container means during the rotation of the motor.
- 10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of filling the container means with the plating liquid includes providing sufficient quantitites of plating liquid to the individual workpieces submerged in the plating liquid during the rolling and movement of the workpieces within the container means.
- 11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of vibrating the container means with the provided vibrating means includes vibrating the container means so as to move the individual workpieces within the plating container means in a unidirectional circular flow path during the rolling movement of the individual workpieces.
- 12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of filling the container means with the plating liquid includes providing a plating liquid selected from the group consisting of nickel, cooper, zinc, and chromium plating liquids.
- 13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of generating an electric field by providing electrodes includes providing a cathode electrode located along the outer wall of the container and wherein the step of vibrating the container means with the vibration generating means includes moving the individual workpieces in sliding contact with the cathode electrode during the rolling and the movement of the individual workpieces.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 16,144, filed Feb. 28, 1979.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
16144 |
Feb 1979 |
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