Abstract:
Apparatus for powder spray coating comprises means (4) for electrostatically-charging powder entrained in air, a conduit (106) for transporting the electrostatically charged powder from the charging means (4) to a spray head (108) adapted to discharge the powder in a hollow conical spray pattern, wherein the spray head (108) comprises means for diverting at least a portion of the flow of charged powder towards a spray device mounted to the spray head (108) and adapted to discharge powder in a substantially uniform conical spray pattern, the spray head (108), spray device and the hollow conical and conical spray patterns being substantially symmetrical about a common longitudinal axis. The apparatus is particularly suitable for coating a large surface area. Preferably multiple tribo-electric charging means (4) are used and a pump is used to supply powder to the multiple charging means the powder flows are then recombined and sprayed through a common spray apparatus. The apparatus may include multiple powder sources and means to change rapidly the powder being sprayed from one powder source to another.
Abstract:
A feed system for conveying loose pieces of a coarse particulate or pelletized hot melt material such as adhesives from a storage container to a melt tank (16). The system includes a transition hopper (14) having insulation (83) between the hopper (14) and the melt tank (16) to prevent premature melting of the loose adhesive pellets or pieces before they pass into the melt tank (16). An air supply for providing air pressure to the interior of the hopper can be attached to the hopper to prevent vapors from rising from the hot melt tank into the transition hopper and a vent opening (91) for exhausting vapors from the hot melt tank (16) can be located in the top of the melt tank (16).
Abstract:
An apparatus (10) is operable to sequentially spray powder onto each workpiece (12) of a plurality of workpieces. The powder flows from an improved nozzle assembly (320) as a series of pulses. Accumulation of powder on surfaces (328 and 414) in the nozzle assembly (320) is retarded by conducting a flow of fluid (air) from a source of fluid pressure through openings in the surfaces in the nozzle assembly. Thus, a plurality of openings (366) are formed in a side wall (326) of the nozzle assembly to enable fluid to flow through the openings in the side wall into the flow path (344) of air and powder through the nozzle assembly (320) to retard accumulation of powder on an inner side surface (328) of the side wall. An inner deflector (332) has an end surface (414) which faces toward the workpiece (12) and on which powder tends to accumulate. A flow of fluid is conducted through openings in the end surface (414) of the inner deflector (332) to retard the accumulation of powder on the end surface of the inner deflector.
Abstract:
An improved method and apparatus (110) for air transport of powder particles includes a reverse flow nozzle (128) within a pump body (112) aimed at an inlet (120) which connects the pump body (112) to a fluidized powder hopper (114). In one aspect of the invention, during powder pumping caused by spraying pressurized air out of an ejector nozzle (122) in the pump body (112), reverse pulses from the reverse flow nozzle (128) are directed from the pump body (112) into the inlet (120) against the normal flow direction of the powder, thereby to prevent accumulation and adherence of powder within the inlet (120) and to assure uniformity in powder delivery per unit time to an article to be coated.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for forming a nonwoven pad (30) of fibrous material (28) is provided in which highly moisture-absorbent particles (36) and thermoplastic material are intermixed with the fibrous material throughout one or more predetermined portions of the thickness of the nonwoven pad while maintaining other portions of the thickness of the pad substantially free of highly moisture-absorbent particles and/or thermoplastic fiber material. The nonwoven pad is formed on one side of a conveyor (18) moving through a forming chamber (12) which has a duct (22) connected to a source of vacuum (24) operable to draw fibrous material injected into the chamber onto the conveyor. One dispenser (40) discharges the highly moisture-absorbent material at a predetermined location relative to the fibrous material being drawn onto the conveyor, and at least one other dispenser (56, 68, 83, 84) discharges the thermoplastic fiber material.
Abstract:
A powder coating system particularly adapted for coating large objects such as automotive and other vehicle bodies comprises a spray booth having a manual/robotic spraying area for the application of powder to the inner door flanges and other hard to reach areas of the vehicle body using manually or rotatably operated powder dispensers, and an automatic spraying area wherein the remainder of the vehicle body is coated using automatically manipulated powder dispensers. A powder collection and recovery system is associated with the spray booth which includes removable cartridge filters arranged in V-shaped filter banks within powder collection chambers beneath the floor of the booth, a system for the transfer of powder collected in the powder collection chambers to hoppers located exteriorly of the booth and an air exhaust system for equalizing the negative pressure within clean air chambers which receive clean air after filtering by the cartridge filters.
Abstract:
A method of bonding in which water-based adhesives, i.e., aqueous polymeric dispersions or emulsions, are extruded from the discharge outlet (26) of a dispensing device (10) as a bead (12) which is impinged by air jets (14) directed at an angle and tangent to the periphery of the bead. The viscosity of the water-based adhesive, hydraulic pressure at which the adhesive is extruded from the dispensing device, diameter of the discharge outlet and pressure of the air jets are controlled such that the extruded bead is attenuated by the air jets to form an elongated, thin adhesive strand or fiber (16) which is deposited in a spiral pattern (31) on a first substrate (32) for subsequent bonding to a second substrate.
Abstract:
A thermoplastic melting apparatus (10) comprises a tank (18) pivotally mounted upon bearings (54) within the interior of a housing (12) having a top cover (22). An electrical (140), (142) or mechanical level indicator device (44) is mounted exteriorly of the tank (18) which is effective to sense pivotal movement of the tank (18) as it is loaded with and/or emptied of thermoplastic material (26), and to produce a signal which indicates the quantity of thermoplastic material (26) within the tank (18). The level indicator device (44) is isolated from dynamic forces produced by drive linkages (40) which operate pumps (32), (33) associated with the tank (18), by positioning the pivot axis (51) of the bearings (54) in the same plane as the force produced by the drive linkage (40). The lid (20) of the tank (18) is isolated from downward forces applied to the top cover (22) of the housing (12) to prevent the transmittal of forces to the level indicator devices from objects placed on the top cover (22) of the housing (12) or the like.
Abstract:
A powder spray gun for spraying particulate powder, includes a gun body (12) having a venturi pump (34) which receives air-entrained particulate powder from a supply conduit (74) and a discharge conduit (88) connected to the gun body. A spray head (94) formed with a powder discharge slot (130) is mounted to the discharge conduit. The discharge conduit is formed with a bend, preferably of about 90°, to concentrate the powder material along an outer wall (118) of the bend for delivery of a concentrated stream to the spray head. A deflector (120) is mounted within the discharge conduit to direct the concentrated powder stream into the spray head in a predetermined manner. The powder discharge slot which is formed by angled side walls (110, 112) meeting at an apex (114), receives the concentrated powder stream form the discharge conduit and sprays the powder in a wide, uniform spray pattern onto a surface.
Abstract:
A powder spray gun (10) comprises a tubular housing (12) having ambient air flow passages (40) located in the side wall thereof medially of the opposite ends. A pair of air flow amplifiers (14, 16) are mounted in the housing on opposite sides of the ambient air flow passages and are so oriented that compressed air supplied to the upstream one of these amplifiers, the so called suspension amplifier (14) is operable to draw ambient air into the outlet end of the suspension amplifier, and compressed air supplied to the downstream amplifier (16), the so called pattern amplifier, is operable to draw ambient air into the inlet end of the pattern amplifier (16). The amplifiers (14, 16) are secured within the housing by end caps (18, 20) which are sealingly secured onto the ends of the housing by bayonet pin and slot connectors (33).