Method of continuous electroplating and continuous electroplating machine for printed circuit board terminals
First Claim
1. Continuous plating machine including an anode means, a cathode means and a source of electrical current, for selectively plating a lengthwise portion of a plurality of discrete sheet-like workpieces comprising:
- a. base frame means;
b. conveyor means supported from the base frame means and comprising interacting endless tractor tread means having clamping shoes which capture the workpieces therebetween and transport them therealong, with the selected portion of the workpieces to be plated extending out from between the interacting tread means;
c. backup guide means for selected portions of the interacting tread means to insure a strong clamping action on the workpieces throughout their travel;
d. plating cell means cooperating with the conveyor means for distributing plating solution onto the exposed portion of the workpieces;
e. said anode means being in operative relation with the cell means and connected to the current source;
f. the workpieces being the said cathode means and electrically connected back through the conveyor means to the current source.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A continuous plating machine using a cooperating pair of endless tractor tread conveyor means to transport printed circuit boards through a plurality of process stations to complete stripping, cleaning, activation, plating and intermediate rinse cycles of the board terminals. The PC boards are captured between the opposing treads or shoes which serve as a masking means to protect the portions of the boards that don'"'"'t require plating. The boards are electrically connected back through the conveyor means to the electrical current source.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Continuous plating machine including an anode means, a cathode means and a source of electrical current, for selectively plating a lengthwise portion of a plurality of discrete sheet-like workpieces comprising:
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a. base frame means; b. conveyor means supported from the base frame means and comprising interacting endless tractor tread means having clamping shoes which capture the workpieces therebetween and transport them therealong, with the selected portion of the workpieces to be plated extending out from between the interacting tread means; c. backup guide means for selected portions of the interacting tread means to insure a strong clamping action on the workpieces throughout their travel; d. plating cell means cooperating with the conveyor means for distributing plating solution onto the exposed portion of the workpieces; e. said anode means being in operative relation with the cell means and connected to the current source; f. the workpieces being the said cathode means and electrically connected back through the conveyor means to the current source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. The subcombination of a clamping shoe for use with a negatively charged endless tractor tread conveyor of a continuous electroplating machine, the clamping shoe comprising:
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a. an inner dielectric clamping face; b. an outer support plate; c. an electrically conductive pad extending across a portion of said clamping face for making electrical contact with said workpiece; and d. an electrically conductive means in operative relationship with said pad for impressing a negative charge on said workpiece. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for selectively plating discrete surface portions of a plurality of workpieces, which comprises the steps of:
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a. feeding said workpieces into an interacting endless tractor tread conveyor system having opposed treads disposed in clamping relation; b. grasping said workpieces into clamping and masking engagement between clamping shoes having dielectric resilient faces with selected portions of said workpieces to be plated extending out from said tractor treads, and moving said workpieces through a predetermined path; c. flooding selected stations along said predetermined path with treatment fluids for contact with the exposed discrete portions of said workpieces; d. flooding selected stations along said predetermined path with electrolyte solution for establishing a flow of electrolyte solutuion across the exposed portion of said workpieces. e. maintaining selective conductive areas across the dielectric clamping faces of said treads and establishing electrical contact for said conductive areas through said dielectric treads to a power source; f. impressing a negative charge on said workpieces; g. positively charging said electrolyte solution to cause a plating current between said electrolyte solution and said negatively charged workpieces. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification