Sumitomo Metal Industries, Inc.

Hajime Amakata

Tetsuaki Tsuda

Masahiro Nakamura

In a horizontal-type electroplating apparatus which includes a tank containing an electroplating bath for electroplating onto a single surface of running metal strip, the tank including anodes therein which have a width substantially equal to the width of the strip which passes through the tank, the apparatus also including an electric insulator sheet positioned in contacting relation to the upper surface of the strip which is opposite to the lower surface facing the anodes, the improvement wherein a nozzle for supplying the electroplating solution to the bath in the tank is provided at the bottom of the tank and is oriented to discharge the solution towards the lower surface of the running strip; wherein gas-jet nozzles are positioned to discharge gas towards the zones of the upper surface of the strip which are not contacted by the integral insulator sheet; and wherein an overflow device is provided along the side of the tank to control the level of the plating solution substantially equal to the level of the pass-line of the strip as it runs through the tank; each of these improvements acting to minimize the plating onto the opposite surface which is not to be plated.

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Wakayama, Japan

Hajime Amakata