Methods of and means for vacuum deposition

Claim 1

A METHOD OF COATING A SURFACE OF AN ARTICLE BY THE EVAPORATION OF A VAPORIZABLE COATING MATERIAL IN A VACUUM CHAMBER, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CARBONIZING OF GRAPHITIZING ORGANIC MATERIAL TO PROVIDE A FLEXIBLE ELONGATED ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE HEATER ELEMENT IN THE FORM OF A TAPE WHICH IS INEXTENSIBLE UNDER THE CONDITIONS TO WHICH IT IS SUBJECTED IN CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD, FORMING A SLID COATING ON THE SURFACE OF SAID ELEMENT WHICH IS QUANTITY OF SAID VAPORIZABLE MATERIAL SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY WHOLLY COVER THE SURFACE OF SAID HEATER BUT INSUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE FORMATION OF GLOBULES OF SAID COATING MATERIAL MORE THAN A FEW MICRONS IN SIZE, SAID VAPORIZABLE MATERIAL HAVING THE PROPERTY OF NOT WETTING THE HEATER WHEN AT THE VAPORIZING TEMPERATURE OF SAID MATERIAL, SAID COATED HEATER ELEMENT RETAINING ITS FLEXIBILITY WHEN COATED, DISPOSING SAID ARTICLE AND SAID ELEMENT WHICH SAID MATERIAL THEREON IN SAID CHAMBER, PROVIDING ELLECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO REGIONS OF SAID ELEMENT SPACED ALONG ITS LENGTH, HEATING THAT PART OF THE ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID CONNECTIONS BY PASSING ELECTRICAL CURRENT THROUGH SAID CONNECTIONS AND SAID PART OF BRING SAID PART OF THE ELEMENT TO A TEMPERATURE WHICH CAUSES UNIFORM VAPORIZATION OF THE MATERIAL FROM SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID PART AND DEPOSITION OF SAID VAPORIZED MATERIAL ON SAID SURFACE OF THE ARTICLE AND, WHILE MAINTAINING A VACUUM IN SAID CHAMBER, MOVING SAID ELEMENT LENGTHWISE TO BRING A DIFFERENT PART OF THE ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID CONNECTIONS, AND HEATING SAID DIFFERENT PART.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF COATING A SURFACE OF AN ARTICLE BY THE EVAPORATION OF A VAPORIZABLE COATING MATERIAL IN A VACUUM CHAMBER, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CARBONIZING OF GRAPHITIZING ORGANIC MATERIAL TO PROVIDE A FLEXIBLE ELONGATED ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE HEATER ELEMENT IN THE FORM OF A TAPE WHICH IS INEXTENSIBLE UNDER THE CONDITIONS TO WHICH IT IS SUBJECTED IN CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD, FORMING A SLID COATING ON THE SURFACE OF SAID ELEMENT WHICH IS QUANTITY OF SAID VAPORIZABLE MATERIAL SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY WHOLLY COVER THE SURFACE OF SAID HEATER BUT INSUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE FORMATION OF GLOBULES OF SAID COATING MATERIAL MORE THAN A FEW MICRONS IN SIZE, SAID VAPORIZABLE MATERIAL HAVING THE PROPERTY OF NOT WETTING THE HEATER WHEN AT THE VAPORIZING TEMPERATURE OF SAID MATERIAL, SAID COATED HEATER ELEMENT RETAINING ITS FLEXIBILITY WHEN COATED, DISPOSING SAID ARTICLE AND SAID ELEMENT WHICH SAID MATERIAL THEREON IN SAID CHAMBER, PROVIDING ELLECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO REGIONS OF SAID ELEMENT SPACED ALONG ITS LENGTH, HEATING THAT PART OF THE ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID CONNECTIONS BY PASSING ELECTRICAL CURRENT THROUGH SAID CONNECTIONS AND SAID PART OF BRING SAID PART OF THE ELEMENT TO A TEMPERATURE WHICH CAUSES UNIFORM VAPORIZATION OF THE MATERIAL FROM SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID PART AND DEPOSITION OF SAID VAPORIZED MATERIAL ON SAID SURFACE OF THE ARTICLE AND, WHILE MAINTAINING A VACUUM IN SAID CHAMBER, MOVING SAID ELEMENT LENGTHWISE TO BRING A DIFFERENT PART OF THE ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID CONNECTIONS, AND HEATING SAID DIFFERENT PART.