Machine and method for coating using an effuser reciprocating about a path having curvilinear ends

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF TREATING SURFACES OF AN ARTICLE WITH A LIQUID COMPOSITION COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MOUNTING THE ARTICLE IN POSITION WHEREBY IT IS RELATIVELY FREE OF POCKETS WHICH MIGHT PREVENT DRAINAGE OF EXCESS LIQUID FROM THE SURFACES THEREOF, ADVANCING THE ARTICLE RECTILINEARLY, RECIPROCATING A LIQUID EFFUSOR ABOUT A PATH CURVILINEAR IN AT LEAST PORTIONS THEREOF AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE ARTICLE AND OFFSET FROM THE PATH THEREOF BUT FACING TOWARDS THE ARTICLE DURING MOVEMENT, FEEDING THE LIQUID COMPOSITION IN A CONTINUOUS SOLID STREAM UNDER PRESSURE TO THE EFFUSOR WHEREBY THE LIQUID COMPOSITION IS EJECTED AS A SOLID STREAM AND IS THROWN BY THE COMBINATION OF SAID PRESSURE AND CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ONTO THE SURFACES OF THE ARTICLE AS IT PASSES BY, AND BALANCING THE RATE OF MOVEMENT OF THE ARTICLE AND THE VOLUME OF LIQUID THROWN FROM THE EFFUSOR TO DEPOSIT LIQUID COMPOSITION ONTO THE SURFACES OF THE ARTICLES IN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE DRAINAGE FROM SAID SURFACES.