Multiple jet channel

Claim 2

A noncontacting coating system comprising: means defining a cluster of orifices, means for supplying coating material under pressure to said orifices to form streams of synchronized drops of coating material from said orifices with synchronized drops from each of said streams forming packets of drops, charge means positioned downstream of said orifices and defining means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly treating each drop in each packet of drops, deflection field generating means positioned downstream of said charge means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly controlling the trajectory of the drops in each packet, and means for catching packets of drops traversing some predetermined trajectory from said deflection field generating means.

Claim 3

A noncontacting coating system comprising: means defining a cluster of orifices, means for supplying coating material under pressure to said orifices to form streams of synchronized drops of coating material from said orifices with synchronized drops from each of said streams forming packets of drops, charge means positioned downstream of said orifices and defining means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly treating each drop in each packet of drops, deflection field generating means positioned downstream of said charge means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly controlling the trajectory of the drops in each packet, and means for catching packets of drops traversing some predetermined trajectory from said deflection field generating means.

Claim 4

A noncontacting coating system comprising: means defining a cluster of orifices, means for supplying coating material under pressure to said orifices to form streams of synchronized drops of coating material from said orifices with synchronized drops from each of said streams forming packets of drops, charge means positioned downstream of said orifices and defining means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly treating each drop in each packet of drops, deflection field generating means positioned downstream of said charge means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly controlling the trajectory of the drops in each packet, and means for catching packets of drops traversing some predetermined trajectory from said deflection field generating means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said orifices are arranged in a matrix pattern.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: said orifices are arranged in columns having an equal number of rows and rows having an equal number of columns.

Claim 7

A noncontacting coating system comprising: means defining a plurality of discrete clusters of orifices, means for supplying coating material under pressure to each of said cluster of orifices to form streams of drops of coating material from each of said discrete clusters with the drops from each of said streams forming packets of drops, charge means positioned downstream of said clusters of orifices and defining one electrode for each cluster of orifices and for substantially simultaneously and uniformly treating each drop in a particular packet of drops, deflection field generating means positioned downstream of said charge means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly controlling the trajectory of all of the drops in each particular packet of drops, and means for catching packets of drops traversing some predetermined trajectory from said deflection field generating means.

Claim 8

A noncontacting coating system comprising: means defining a plurality of discrete clusters of orifices, means for supplying coating material under pressure to each of said cluster of orifices to form streams of drops of coating material from each of said discrete clusters with the drops from each of said streams forming packets of drops, charge means positioned downstream of said clusters of orifices and defining one electrode for each cluster of orifices and for substantially simultaneously and uniformly treating each drop in a particular packet of drops, deflection field generating means positioned downstream of said charge means for substantially simultaneously and uniformly controlling the trajectory of all of the drops in each particular packet of drops, and means for catching packets of drops traversing some predetermined trajectory from said deflection field generating means.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said orifices in each of said clusters of orifices are arranged in a matrix pattern.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said orifices in each of said clusters of orifice are arranged in coLumns having an equal number of rows and rows having an equal number of columns.

Claim 11

A noncontacting coating system comprising: an elongated orifice plate, means defining a series of regularly spaced clusters of orifices through said orifice plate, means for supplying a liquid coating material under pressure to each of said orifices in said clusters of orifices, a charge ring plate extending coextensively with said orifice plate, a series of charge rings mounted in and extending through said charge ring plate, each of said charge rings being concentrically positioned with respect to one of said clusters of orifices whereby all of the streams of drops of coating material ejected from the orifices of a cluster will pass through a corresponding charge ring positioned concentrically thereto, control means associated with said charge rings for selectively applying an electric charge to predetermined packets of drops of coating material as they pass through said charge rings, means establishing a constant potential electrostatic deflection field positioned downstream of said charge rings in the trajectory of coating drops passing through said charge rings to cause packets of drops charged by said charge rings as they pass therethrough to be deflected by said deflection field, and means for catching said packets of drops deflected by said deflection field.

Claim 12

A noncontacting coating system comprising: an elongated orifice plate, means defining a series of regularly spaced clusters of orifices through said orifice plate, means for supplying a liquid coating material under pressure to each of said orifices in said clusters of orifices, a charge ring plate extending coextensively with said orifice plate, a series of charge rings mounted in and extending through said charge ring plate, each of said charge rings being concentrically positioned with respect to one of said clusters of orifices whereby all of the streams of drops of coating material ejected from the orifices of a cluster will pass through a corresponding charge ring positioned concentrically thereto, control means associated with said charge rings for selectively applying an electric charge to predetermined packets of drops of coating material as they pass through said charge rings, means establishing a constant potential electrostatic deflection field positioned downstream of said charge rings in the trajectory of coating drops passing through said charge rings to cause packets of drops charged by said charge rings as they pass therethrough to be deflected by said deflection field, and means for catching said packets of drops deflected by said deflection field.