Electrostatic coating method and apparatus

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF ELECTROSTATICALLY COATING ARTICLES EACH HAVING EXTENDED SIDE SURFACES AND RELATIVELY SHARPLY CURVED EDGE PORTIONS COMPRISING MOVING THE ARTICLES TRANSLATIONALLY ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH WITH EDGE PORTIONS OF ADJACENT ARTICLES IN OPPOSED SPACED RELATION AND THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE ARTICLES PRESENTED LATERALLY OF THE PATH, FORMING FROM SOURCES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PATH TWO GROUPS OF SPRAYS OF SIMILARLY CHARGED LIQUID COATING MATERIAL PARTICLES, MAINTAINING SAID ARTICLES AT A SPRAY-ATTRACTING POTENTIAL WHEREBY THE CHARGED PARTICLES WILL BE ATTRACTED TO THE ARTICLES FOR DEPOSITION THEREON BY ELECTROSTATIC FORCES, THERE BEING THREE SPRAYS IN EACH GROUP AND EACH SPRAY OF ONE GROUP BEING SIMILAR TO AND BEING PROJECTED SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY TOWARD A SPRAY OF THE OTHER GROUP ALONG A COMMON AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO AND BISECTED BY THE ARTICLE PATH, SAID AXES BEING SPACED ALONG THE ARTICLE PATH AND OFFSET RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER LATERALLY OF SAID PATH TO PRODUCE ON THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE ARTICLES PARTIALLY OVERLAPPING BANDS OF COATING MATERIAL AND SO LOCATED THAT EDGE PORTIONS OF THE ARTICLES PASS THROUGH AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF COAXIAL SPRAYS, AND MAINTAINING THE ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN SAID SPRAY SOURCES QUIESCENT WHEREBY ELECTROSTATIC FORCES WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SOLE AGENCY AFFECTING MOVEMENT OF THE SPRAY PARTICLES AND WHEREBY THE CHARGED PARTICLES ON ONE SIDE OF THE ARTICLE PATH WILL ELECTROSTATICALLY OPPOSE THE PASSAGE OF CHARGED PARTICLES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PATH ACROSS SAID PATH THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN OPPOSED ARTICLE EDGE PORTIONS TO PROMOTE DEPOSITION OF PARTICLES OF BOTH SPRAYS ONTO EDGE PORTIONS OF THE ARTICLES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF ELECTROSTATICALLY COATING ARTICLES EACH HAVING EXTENDED SIDE SURFACES AND RELATIVELY SHARPLY CURVED EDGE PORTIONS COMPRISING MOVING THE ARTICLES TRANSLATIONALLY ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH WITH EDGE PORTIONS OF ADJACENT ARTICLES IN OPPOSED SPACED RELATION AND THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE ARTICLES PRESENTED LATERALLY OF THE PATH, FORMING FROM SOURCES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PATH TWO GROUPS OF SPRAYS OF SIMILARLY CHARGED LIQUID COATING MATERIAL PARTICLES, MAINTAINING SAID ARTICLES AT A SPRAY-ATTRACTING POTENTIAL WHEREBY THE CHARGED PARTICLES WILL BE ATTRACTED TO THE ARTICLES FOR DEPOSITION THEREON BY ELECTROSTATIC FORCES, THERE BEING THREE SPRAYS IN EACH GROUP AND EACH SPRAY OF ONE GROUP BEING SIMILAR TO AND BEING PROJECTED SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY TOWARD A SPRAY OF THE OTHER GROUP ALONG A COMMON AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO AND BISECTED BY THE ARTICLE PATH, SAID AXES BEING SPACED ALONG THE ARTICLE PATH AND OFFSET RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER LATERALLY OF SAID PATH TO PRODUCE ON THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE ARTICLES PARTIALLY OVERLAPPING BANDS OF COATING MATERIAL AND SO LOCATED THAT EDGE PORTIONS OF THE ARTICLES PASS THROUGH AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF COAXIAL SPRAYS, AND MAINTAINING THE ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN SAID SPRAY SOURCES QUIESCENT WHEREBY ELECTROSTATIC FORCES WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SOLE AGENCY AFFECTING MOVEMENT OF THE SPRAY PARTICLES AND WHEREBY THE CHARGED PARTICLES ON ONE SIDE OF THE ARTICLE PATH WILL ELECTROSTATICALLY OPPOSE THE PASSAGE OF CHARGED PARTICLES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PATH ACROSS SAID PATH THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN OPPOSED ARTICLE EDGE PORTIONS TO PROMOTE DEPOSITION OF PARTICLES OF BOTH SPRAYS ONTO EDGE PORTIONS OF THE ARTICLES.