Method and Apparatus for Plating Metal Parts

摘要

A method and apparatus for plating parts like lug nuts or other metal parts that have both an easily plated outside surface as well as a recessed cavity. The invention works in combination with a standard multi-station plating process. The present invention drains and plates a part containing a cavity by moving the part from a position where the cavity is facing around 45 degrees down to a position where the cavity is facing around 45 degrees up and then back down at various times during the process. The moving is generally initiated when the rack moving along a track above the fluid tanks encounters a roller.

主权项

1. A method of plating a metal part containing a cavity comprising:
providing a rack that includes a plurality of metal electrode finger members, wherein said metal part can be held by one of said metal electrode finger members, and said finger members have a partially downward pointing fill position and a partially upward pointing drain position; adapting said rack so that it can be can be hung from a rail and can move along said rail; providing a point on said rail where a protruding member on said rack encounters a roller, said protruding member causing the plurality of finger members to shift from said fill position to said drain position wherein plating solution enters said cavity in said fill position and said plating solution drains from said cavity in said drain position.