Method and apparatus for flow coating objects

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PAINTING OBJECTS COMPRISING MOVING OBJECTS TO BE PAINTED ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH IN TRAVELING POSITIONS IN WHICH SURFACES TO BE PAINTED ON THE OBJECTS FACE UPWARDLY, FORMING A PAINTING CURTAIN EXTENDING CROSS SAID PATH BY SUPPLYING PAINTING LIQUID CONTINUOUSLY AT A NON-PULSATING RATE TO A BODY OF PAINTING LIQUID IN A MANNER WHICH AVOIDS IRREGULARITIES AND FLUCTUATIONS OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LIQUID BODY WHEREBY LIQUID FLOWS BY GRAVITY AT A CONSTANT RATE FROM THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE LIQUID BODY ACROSS A HORIZONTAL WEIR EXTENDING ALONGSIDE THE LIQUID BODY IN SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH RELATION TO THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE LIQUID BODY AND LIQUID FLOWING OVER THE WEIR FLOWS DOWNWARDLY TO A HORIZONTALLY THIN CURTAIN RELEASE LIP PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY BELOW THE WEIR FROM WHICH LIP THE FLOWING PAINTING LIQUID PARTS TO SHEET DOWNWARDLY IN A UNIFORM THIN PAINTING CURTAIN TRAVERSING SAID PATH, PRECLUDING NARROWING OF THE DOWNWARDLY SHEETING CURTAIN OF PAINTING LIQUID BY CAUSING OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CURTAIN TO FLOW ALONG CURTAIN WIDTH DEFINING ELEMENTS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CURTAIN RELEASE LIP; AND ADJUSTING THE RATE AT WHICH THE PAINTING LIQUID IS SUPPLIED TO SAID BODY OF LIQUID, ADJUSTING THE VERTICAL SPACING OF THE WEIR AND CURTAIN RELEASE LIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID PATH, AND ADJUSTING THE SPEED AT WHICH OBJECTS ARE MOVED ALONG SAID PATH TO EFFECT LAYING ONTO THE UPWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF THE OBJECTS OF A THIN COATING OF PAINTING LIQUID NONE OF WHICH, EVEN WHEN INITIALLY APPLIED TO THE OBJECTS, WILL FLOW ALONG OR OFF THE OBJECTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY BECAUSE OF THE THINNESS OF THE COATING THICKNESS WHICH CONFORMS TO A DESIRED VALUE BY VIRTUE OF INITIAL LAYING OF THE CURTAIN ONTO THE OBJECTS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PAINTING OBJECTS COMPRISING MOVING OBJECTS TO BE PAINTED ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH IN TRAVELING POSITIONS IN WHICH SURFACES TO BE PAINTED ON THE OBJECTS FACE UPWARDLY, FORMING A PAINTING CURTAIN EXTENDING CROSS SAID PATH BY SUPPLYING PAINTING LIQUID CONTINUOUSLY AT A NON-PULSATING RATE TO A BODY OF PAINTING LIQUID IN A MANNER WHICH AVOIDS IRREGULARITIES AND FLUCTUATIONS OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LIQUID BODY WHEREBY LIQUID FLOWS BY GRAVITY AT A CONSTANT RATE FROM THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE LIQUID BODY ACROSS A HORIZONTAL WEIR EXTENDING ALONGSIDE THE LIQUID BODY IN SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH RELATION TO THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE LIQUID BODY AND LIQUID FLOWING OVER THE WEIR FLOWS DOWNWARDLY TO A HORIZONTALLY THIN CURTAIN RELEASE LIP PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY BELOW THE WEIR FROM WHICH LIP THE FLOWING PAINTING LIQUID PARTS TO SHEET DOWNWARDLY IN A UNIFORM THIN PAINTING CURTAIN TRAVERSING SAID PATH, PRECLUDING NARROWING OF THE DOWNWARDLY SHEETING CURTAIN OF PAINTING LIQUID BY CAUSING OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CURTAIN TO FLOW ALONG CURTAIN WIDTH DEFINING ELEMENTS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CURTAIN RELEASE LIP; AND ADJUSTING THE RATE AT WHICH THE PAINTING LIQUID IS SUPPLIED TO SAID BODY OF LIQUID, ADJUSTING THE VERTICAL SPACING OF THE WEIR AND CURTAIN RELEASE LIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID PATH, AND ADJUSTING THE SPEED AT WHICH OBJECTS ARE MOVED ALONG SAID PATH TO EFFECT LAYING ONTO THE UPWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF THE OBJECTS OF A THIN COATING OF PAINTING LIQUID NONE OF WHICH, EVEN WHEN INITIALLY APPLIED TO THE OBJECTS, WILL FLOW ALONG OR OFF THE OBJECTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY BECAUSE OF THE THINNESS OF THE COATING THICKNESS WHICH CONFORMS TO A DESIRED VALUE BY VIRTUE OF INITIAL LAYING OF THE CURTAIN ONTO THE OBJECTS.