Mobile electrostatic spraying systems

Claim 1

ELECTROSTATIC SPRAYING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A MOVABLE SPRAYING STATION ADAPTED FOR CONTINUOUS MOTION IN RELATION TO TARGET SURFACES TO BE SPRAYED, MEANS AT SAID STATION FOR EMITTING A CLOUD OF FINELY DIVIDED SPRAY MATERIAL WITH A VELOCITY COMPONENT REARWARD OF THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF THE STATION SO LOW THAT THE MATERIAL TENDS TO HANG AS A SUBSTANTIALLY STATIONARY FLOATING CLOUD AS THE STATION MOVES ON, MEANS FOR CARRYING SAID MATERIAL TO A HIGH ELECTRIC POTENTIAL RELATIVE TO SAID TARGET SURFACES, AND STRUCTURE SUPPORTED FROM AND MOVABLE BODILY WITH THE STATION AND DEFINING AN ELECTRICALLY CHARGEABLE SURFACE EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE REARWARD BEYOND SAID CLOUD-EMITTING MEANS IN A POSITION TO REMAIN SPACED FROM SAID TARGET SURFACES AS THE STATION MOVES IN RELATION THERETO, INCLUDING MEANS FOR CHARGING SAID CHARGEABLE SURFACE TO A HIGH POTENTIAL SIMILAR IN SIGN TO THAT OF SAID FIRST POTENTIAL WITH RESPECT TO THE TARGET SURFACES DURING EMISSION OF SAID CLOUD.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF SPRAY TREATING TARGET SURFACES FROM A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING STATION, WHICH COMPRISES EMITTING FROM THE STATION A CLOUD OF DIVIDED TREATING MATERIAL IN A GENERAL DIRECTION TOWARDS THE TARGET SURFACES WITH A VELOCITY COMPONENT REARWARD OF THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF THE STATION SO LOW THAT THE MATERIAL TENDS TO HANG AS A SUBSTANTIALLY STATIONARY FLOATING CLOUD AS THE STATION ADVANCES, CARRYING SAID MATERIAL TO A HIGH ELECTRIC POTENTIAL WITH RESPECT TO SAID SURFACES AS THE MATERIAL EMITTED, AND CREATING AN AUXILIARY ELECTROSTATIC FIELD BETWEEN AN ELECTRICALLY CHARGEABLE SURFACE OF INSULATING MATERIAL AND SAID TARGET SURFACES WHICH IS MOVABLE WITH SAID STATION AND EXTENDS REARWARD OF THE POINT OF CLOUD EMISSION, SAID FIELD HAVING A LATERAL EXTENT AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THAT OF SAID CLOUD AT THE POINT OF EMISSION AND THE FIELD VECTOR BEING IN SUCH A DIRECTION AS TO CONTRIBUTE TO DIRECTING SAID MATERIAL TOWARDS SAID TARGET SURFACES AS THE CLOUD OF MATERIAL IS LEFT AFLOAT BEHIND THE ADVANCING STAION.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF SPRAY TREATING TARGET SURFACES FROM A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING STATION, WHICH COMPRISES EMITTING FROM THE STATION A CLOUD OF DIVIDED TREATING MATERIAL IN A GENERAL DIRECTION TOWARDS THE TARGET SURFACES WITH A VELOCITY COMPONENT REARWARD OF THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF THE STATION SO LOW THAT THE MATERIAL TENDS TO HANG AS A SUBSTANTIALLY STATIONARY FLOATING CLOUD AS THE STATION ADVANCES, CARRYING SAID MATERIAL TO A HIGH ELECTRIC POTENTIAL WITH RESPECT TO SAID SURFACES AS THE MATERIAL EMITTED, AND CREATING AN AUXILIARY ELECTROSTATIC FIELD BETWEEN AN ELECTRICALLY CHARGEABLE SURFACE OF INSULATING MATERIAL AND SAID TARGET SURFACES WHICH IS MOVABLE WITH SAID STATION AND EXTENDS REARWARD OF THE POINT OF CLOUD EMISSION, SAID FIELD HAVING A LATERAL EXTENT AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THAT OF SAID CLOUD AT THE POINT OF EMISSION AND THE FIELD VECTOR BEING IN SUCH A DIRECTION AS TO CONTRIBUTE TO DIRECTING SAID MATERIAL TOWARDS SAID TARGET SURFACES AS THE CLOUD OF MATERIAL IS LEFT AFLOAT BEHIND THE ADVANCING STAION.