Abstract:
An electrostatic spray system including a spray device having an electrode for electrostatically charging coating particles emitted from the spray device toward an article to be coated, a high voltage electrostatic supply, and a high voltage insulated electrical cable interconnecting the electrostatic supply and the spray device electrode. The high voltage cable includes a fibrous resistive core, preferably fabricated from silicon carbide fibers, a fiber-restraining layer of insulative thread tightly wrapped spirally around the entirety of the core to prevent fiber ends from projecting outwardly from the core, an outer dielectric sheath, and an intermediate sheath sandwiched between the spirally wound inner fiber-restraining layer and the outer dielectric sheath and having a resistivity lying between that of the inner resistive fiber core and the outer dielectric sheath. The intermediate sheath provides uniform voltage stress distribution in the region surrounding the resistive core, thereby avoiding internal corona sites which cause degradation of the outer dielectric sheath, which might otherwise occur due to the very small diameter of the resistive core coupled with the very high operating voltages used in electrostatic spray coating operations. The intermediate sheath also avoids high voltage stresses at the ends of stray resistive fibers projecting through the spirally wound layer, which might otherwise occur due to the extremely small diameter of the projecting fibers.
Abstract:
An electrostatic spray device and cable assembly for charging coating material applied to an article in industrial finishing operations includes a gun body having a powder flow passageway and a dielectric sleeve contained within the passageway such that the discharge opening of the spray device surrounds the sleeve. The cable assembly comprises a dielectric tube having a hollow interior and a high voltage electrostatic cable mounted within the tube and connected at one end to a supply of electrostatic voltage. A particle deflector having an electrode in the form of a resistive sheet is mounted by the tube in charging relationship to a coating particle discharge opening in the spray gun, and the opposed end of the cable is electrically connected to the electrode. An adjustment device acts on the tube and cable to move them as a unit within the passageway in the spray gun to adjust the axial position of the deflector and electrode relative to the particle discharge opening in the spray device.
Abstract:
A system for spray coating a substrate such as a plastic container with a gas barrier coating of a polymer dispersion. The system includes a spray coating booth or chamber including spray nozzles dispensing a spray of a coating material onto the surface of a series of containers continuously moving into and out of the coating chamber, an oven for drying the wet coating to remove the water from the coating to form a dried film on the container without distorting the container, and a conveyor for transferring the containers into the coating booth into proximity to the spray nozzles such that on actuation of the nozzles a stream of coating material coats the surface of the bottles with a wet coating layer and, thereafter, to the oven where the wet coating is dried. Means are provided for rotating the bottles during coating, during transport between the spray coating booth and the oven, and while in the oven. The coating booth includes a system for containing and removing both airborne and liquid overspray from the booth, and a dual delivery system for delivering the coating material to the spray nozzles and for reverse flushing the delivery system. The system operates to provide a continuously moving series of containers with a spray coating at production rates suitable for commercial applications.
Abstract:
A pneumatic powder collector for determining the transfer efficiency of a powder spray system comprises a funnel for directing powder into a sealed collection chamber. A vacuum is drawn on this chamber by an air flow amplifier having an air flow inlet open to the chamber and an exhaust open to atmosphere. Contained within the chamber there is an air permeable powder collection bag having an inlet open to the funnel so that air entrained powder drawn into the funnel is collected in the bag. The amount of vacuum drawn on the chamber is controlled by a pressure regulator through which high pressure air is supplied to the air flow amplifier so that the vacuum is just sufficient to pull all powder sprayed by a spray gun of the spray system into the chamber without increasing the flow of powder from the gun.
Abstract:
An exteriorly mounted and positionable spray coating nozzle assembly for a spray coating system wherein a series of workpieces to be coated, such as bottles, are conveyed into a spray cabinet, along a path through a spray chamber, and past a bank of spray nozzles which apply a coating to the workpieces. A nozzle assembly support which is pivotally mounted to the outside of the spray cabinet permits the entire assembly to be swung to laterally position the nozzles relative to the length of the workpieces. The nozzles in turn are carried on a pivotal nozzle block which further permits the nozzles to be turned to adjust the aim of the nozzles with respect to the workpieces. The two pivotal movements provide for accurate aiming of the nozzles with greater lateral adjustability of the nozzles for spraying different length workpieces. The nozzle assembly further provides for the nozzles to be readily moved into and out of the spray chamber through a chamber port and toward and away from the path of the workpieces being conveyed past the nozzles to adjust the workpiece to nozzle distance. The nozzles can also be completely withdrawn from the chamber permitting ready access to them for maintenance, such as for unclogging of a spray nozzle.
Abstract:
Electrostatic liquid spray coating apparatus including a rotary atomizing cup of insulative material driven by an air turbine, is provided with a semi-conductive charging device extending through the cup, the inner portion of which is proximate the inner surface of the cup for contact charging liquid coating material supplied to the rear of the cup as it flows forwardly and outwardly over the rotating cup interior and contacts the charging device prior to atomization at the forward edge of the cup. A generally cylindrical insulative support body, housing a turbine and its associated air bearing and cup drive shaft, has a reduced diameter intermediate section which provides an annular cavity in which are located liquid coating and solvent valves for controlling the flow of liquid coating and solvent to the cup. The charging means in the cup is energized via a stationary conductor which terminates in closely spaced proximity to the outer portion of the charging device on the cup exterior which is electrically connected to the inner portion of the charging device on the cup interior via a series of semi-conductive posts which form the portion of the charging device extending through the wall of the cup between its inner and outer surfaces.
Abstract:
A system for precipitating vapors from a continuous coater and retrieving suspended matter therefrom. The entrance and exit passages communicating with a spray coating booth are vented to a scrubbing chamber where a precipitant spray drives the vapors through a precipitant baffle. Suspended matter in the vapor is thus precipitated and drained into a recovery tank. The scrubbed vapors are then exhausted up a stack. In one embodiment of the invention, the vapors are vented through openings in the top of the entrance and exit passages, in which embodiment there is also provided an input chamber for receiving the vapors and transferring the same to the scrubbing chamber. In a second embodiment, the vapors are vented through openings in the side walls of the entrance and exit passages, in which case they are vented directly to the scrubbing chamber. In both embodiments, the precipitant spray is directly against the precipitant baffle resulting in the precipitation of large particles, such that there is no requirement for the provision of a plenum chamber or settling area. Additionally, the precipitation baffle is kept clean by the constant spray.
Abstract:
An in-line electric heater for heating fluids, such as paint, moving in a conduit has a thermally conductive massive body in which is formed a fluid passage having an inlet port and a outlet port. An electric heating element in the body directly heats only the upstream portion of the fluid passage and heater body. The downstream portion of the fluid passage and heater body is indirectly heated to a substantially lesser temperature by heat conduction from the upstream portion whereby the downstream portion acts as a "thermal accumulator" which damps the cycling, overshoot and undershoot of the temperature of the fluid at the outlet port of the passage. A temperature control means for controlling operation of the heating element is provided and includes a temperature sensor arranged to sense the temperature of the proximate the point in the passage wherein the fluid exhibits its greatest temperature cycling excursion, undershoot and overshoot under constant flow conditions, thereby providing optimum feedback control.
Abstract:
An apparatus for manipulating a spray device having a spray nozzle relative to a target substrate, which apparatus includes drive mechanisms for moving the spray device in the X, Y and Z directions, and separate mechanisms for rotating the spray nozzle relative to the spray device and for tilting the spray nozzle relative to the spray device.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for pumping a steady flow of powder from a powder spray gun of a powder spray system by pumping the powder from a fluidized bed feed hopper to the spray gun via a small auxiliary fluidized bed hopper located in close proximity to the powder spray gun. The apparatus comprises a primary fluidized bed hopper into which reclaimed powder is supplied from a powder spray booth via a powder filter module and a sieve. Powder from the primary feed hopper is pumped to the gun via an auxiliary and much smaller capacity auxiliary fluidized bed hopper located in relative close proximity to the spray gun.