Armco Steel Company, L.p.

Armco Inc.

Larry E Parrella

Charles Flinchum

Timothy R Roberts

Gerald L Barney

Forrester Caudill

David L Kleimeyer

Donald H Ward

Gregory S Burgess

Julie A Heitzenrater

Davis L Kleinmeyer

Method and apparatus for meniscus coating one or two sides of steel strip with a metal or metal alloy. The apparatus includes a horizontally disposed coating tray for containing molten coating metal, gas heaters for maintaining the temperature of the coating metal above the melting point of the coating metal, stabilizing rollers for moving steel strip transversely past a departure lip positioned on one side of the coating tray and adding solid or molten metal to the coating tray for maintaining the level of the coating metal in the coating tray relative to the upper elevation of the departure lip so that an uninterrupted flow of the coating metal can be delivered over the departure lip to a surface of the strip. The coating tray may be rotatably mounted for adjusting the level of molten metal in the coating tray. The coating tray also may include a sled for lateral displacement for positioning the departure lip a predetermined distance away from the strip. The terminal end of the departure lip preferably includes a planar upper surface having an acute angle of at least 15.degree. relative to the horizontal plane of the coating tray. Non-oxidizing gas may be passed through a jet nozzle to control the coating thickness on the strip.

Apparatus for meniscus coating a steel strip

Method and apparatus for meniscus coating one or two sides of steel strip with a metal or metal alloy. The apparatus includes a horizontally disposed coating tray for containing molten coating metal, means for maintaining the temperature of the coating metal above the melting point of the coating metal, means for moving steel strip transversely past a departure lip positioned on one side of the coating tray and means for maintaining the level of the coating metal in the coating tray relative to the upper elevation of the departure lip so that an uninterrupted flow of the coating metal can be delivered over the departure lip to a surface of the strip. The coating tray may be rotatably mounted for adjusting the level of molten metal in the coating tray. The coating tray also may include means for lateral displacement for positioning the departure lip a predetermined distance away from the strip. The terminal end of the departure lip preferably includes a planar upper surface having an acute angle of at least 15.degree. relative to the horizontal plane of the coating tray. Non-oxidizing gas may be passed through a jet nozzle to control the coating thickness on the strip.

Meniscus coating steel strip

A shallow vessel (50,52) for being horizontally disposed when containing a molten metal or metal alloy (66) for meniscus coating one side of a clean metal strip (34A) when the strip is moved vertically past one side of the vessel. The vessel includes a shell (68) such as austenitic stainless steel, a refractory lining (70), a molten metal departure lip (72) mounted on the upper surface of the side of the vessel, a spirally shaped induction coil (64) for maintaining the molten metal above its melting point and a flux concentrator (74). The induction coil is positioned below the refractory lining and the flux concentrator is positioned below the induction coil. The induction coil and the flux concentrator underlie the area occupied by the molten metal.

Induction heated meniscus coating vessel

Apparatus for horizontally plating one surface of conductive sheet with a metal or metal alloy. The apparatus includes an electrolyte holding tank, a horizontally disposed enclosed electrolyte conduit having extended inlet and outlet portions, a variable speed pump for passing electrolyte from the holding tank through the conduit and a rectifier for supplying electrical current. The holding tank includes means for dissipation of entrapped gas bubbles generated during metal deposition or caused by aeration. The conduit has a horizontal opening including an insoluble anode within the opening for defining a plating cell. The anode is positioned parallel to the axis of the conduit and in alignment with the opening. The plating cell includes means for supporting the sheet above the opening. The inlet and outlet portions of the conduit are positioned in-line with the plating cell. The inlet portion has a cross sectional area greater than the cross sectional area of the plating cell and is positioned sufficiently upstream of the plating cell so that electrolyte is stabilized when flowing between the anode and the sheet. Only the bottom surface of the sheet is exposed to electrolyte flowing through the conduit.

Electrolytic plating one surface of conductive sheet

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Middletown, OH, United States of America

Larry E Parrella