Electrolytic treating apparatus

An apparatus for electrolytically treating an endless steel strip comprising an electrolytic treating tank having guide means associated therewith which are adapted to guide a continuously moving endless strip into and out of the interior of the tank and having at least one electrode disposed within the tank directly facing only one of the wide surfaces of the endless strip while the strip is being guided through said tank by the guide means and at least one cathodic electrode spaced from the anodic electrode and disposed within said tank directly facing only the opposite wide surface of said endless strip. The anodic electrode is connected with the positive terminal of a first source of direct current, such as a plating rectifier, and the cathodic electrode is connected with the negative terminal of a second source of direct current, such as an etching rectifier, which is independent of the first source of direct current. Each of the source of direct current has the remaining electrical terminal thereof in electrical connection with the endless strip, and each source of direct current has means for independently regulating the magnitude of the direct current supplied to said terminals. The electrodes are disposed within the tank relative to the guide means so that neither of the wide surfaces of the endless strip is directly exposed to electric current from both the anodic and the cathodic electrodes while the endless strip is being electrolytically treated.