Spray assembly memory

Claim 2

In a spray assembly, spray means for spraying articles, conveyor means for conveying the articles to be sprayed by said spray means, memory means including means on said conveyor means movable both with and relative to said articles as the articles are conveyed by the conveyor means, said memory means remembering at least one characteristic of the articles which are being conveyed to said spray means, and selection means actuated by said memory means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the characteristic remembered by said memory means, whereby articles differing in said characteristic are selectively sprayed.

Claim 3

In the spray assembly of claim 1, wherein said characteristic includes at least one of the coating condition and configuration of the article.

Claim 4

In the assembly of claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises, first and second indication means movable with the article and also relative to the conveyor means as the article is conveyed by said conveyor means, a station on said conveyor means before the spray means including altering means responsive to the first indication means when said first indication means is positioned in a first position, for moving said second indication means from a first to a second position, and said selection means includes spray initiating means between said station and said spray means which is actuated by said second indication means when said second indication means is in said second position to initiate spray of said predetermined one of said spray means.

Claim 5

In the spray assembly of claim 3 wherein said station includes article presence sensing means responsive to the absence of an article in said station to position said second indication means in said first position, whereby said spray initiating means is not actuated by said second indication means.

Claim 6

In the spray assembly of claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises, first, second and third stations on said conveyor means before, adjacent and after said spray means respectively, first and second indication means movable with the article and also relative to the conveyor means as the article is conveyed by said conveyor means, first, second and third shuttling means in each of said stations respectively for moving said indication means between first and second positions relative to the conveyor means, said first shuttling means moving said first indication means to a first position in response to the absence of an article and to a second position in response to the presence of an article in said first station, said second shuttling means moving said second indication means to a second position in response to the presence of an article in said second station when said first indication means is in said first position and to a first position in response to the presence of an article when said first indication means is in said second position, said third shuttling means moving said second indication means to said first position in response to said first indication means being in said first position and to said second position in response to said first indication means being in second position, and first and second spray initiating means before And after said third station which are actuated in response to said second indication means when the means is in said second position to initiate spray of said spray means.

Claim 7

In the spray assembly of claim 5, wherein said first and second indication means comprise a pair of axially movable elongated pins.

Claim 8

In the spray assembly of claim 5, wherein each of said shuttling means of said first and second stations include photoelectric means for sensing the presence and absence of an article in said stations, and the shuttling means of said second and third stations include switching means which are actuated by said first indication means when said first indication means is in said second position.

Claim 9

In the spray assembly of claim 1, including article configuration discriminating means for initiating separate ones of said spray means to selectively spray articles of one configuration and articles of another different configuration.

Claim 10

In the spray assembly of claim 5, wherein said conveyor means includes a carriage for holding and moving the article to be sprayed, and said first and second indication means comprise elongated pins movably mounted on said carriage for axial movement between their said first and second positions.

Claim 11

In the spray assembly of claim 1 including sensing means for discriminating between articles of different configuration while said articles are being conveyed on said conveying means, said spray means being responsive to the configuration sensed by said sensing means to selectively spray the articles of different configurations.

Claim 12

In a spray assembly having a conveyor for moving articles to be sprayed by spray means and a carriage associated with said conveyor for holding the articles, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of elongated pins movably mounted on said carriage for axial movement relative thereto between first and second positions. a first station having shuttling means and article presence sensing means, said sensing means actuating said shuttling means to move one of said pins to said first position in the absence of an article in said first station and to said second position in the presence of an article in said station, a second station having shuttling means, pin sensing means and article presence sensing means, both said pin sensing means and said presence sensing means actuating said shuttling means to move the other pin to said first position when either said one pin is in said second position or in the absence of an article in said station and to move the other pin to said second position when an article is present in said station and said one pin is in said first position, a third station having shuttling means and pin sensing means, said pin sensing means actuating said shuttling means to position said other pin in said first position when said one pin is in said first position and to position said other pin in said second position when said one pin is in said second position, and first and second spray initiating means before and after said third station respectively and responsive to said other pin being in said second position to initiate spray means before and after said third station respectively.

Claim 13

In a spray assembly having a conveyor for moving articles to be sprayed by spray means and a carriage associated with said conveyor for holding the articles, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of elongated pins movably mounted on said carriage for axial movement relative thereto between first and second positions. a first station having shuttling means and article presence sensing means, said sensing means actuating said shuttling means to move one of said pins to said first position in the absence of an article in said first station and to said second position in the presence of an article in said station, a second station having shuttling means, pin sensing means and article presence sensing means, both said pin sensing means and said presence sensing means actuating said shuttling means to move the other pin to said first position when either said one pin is in said second position or in the absence of an article in said station and to move the other pin to said second position when an article is present in said station and said one pin is in said first position, a third station having shuttling means and pin sensing means, said pin sensing means actuating said shuttling means to position said other pin in said first position when said one pin is in said first position and to position said other pin in said second position when said one pin is in said second position, and first and second spray initiating means before and after said third station respectively and responsive to said other pin being in said second position to initiate spray means before and after said third station respectively.

Claim 14

In the spray assembly of claim 11, wherein said first station is located on the conveyor after said spray means, said second station is located on the conveyor before said spray means, and said third station is between said first and second spray initiating means.

Claim 15

In the spray assembly of claim 11, wherein said spray means comprise both first and second coat spray nozzles and all of said nozzles are located in a single spray booth.

Claim 16

In the spray assembly of claim 11, including article configuration discriminating means, said configuration discriminating means actuating said spray initiating means to initiate separate ones of said spray means to selectively spray articles of one configuration and articles of another different configuration.

Claim 17

In the spray assembly of claim 11, including a third pin, movably mounted on said carriage for axial movement relative thereto between first and second positions, the article presence sensing means of said second station including configuration sensing means which discriminates between articles of differing configuration, said configuration sensing means actuating said second station shuttling means to selectively move either said other pin or said third pin to said first or second positions in response to the configuration of the article, said third station including configuration sensing means which discriminates between articles of differing configuration, said third station configuration sensing means actuating said third station shuttling means to position said other pin and said third pin in said first position when said one pin is in said first position and to selectively position either said other pin or said third pin in said second position when said one pin is in said second position and in response to the configuration of the article.

Claim 18

In a spray assembly for spraying articles which may continuously differ in configuration and in coating condition from each other, comprising; spray means for spraying the articles, conveyor means for continuously conveying the articles of differing configuration and coating condition to said spray means, memory means for remembering more than one of the differing coating conditions of the articles being conveyed to said spray means, sensing means for automatically discriminating between articles of more than one of the differing configurations, first and second movable indication means on said conveyor means and movable both with and relative to said articles, as the articles are conveyed by the conveyor means, said indication means being moved relative to said articles in response to said sensing means to indicate a first and second of said configurations of each said article, and selection means actuated by said memory means and said first and second indication means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the coating condition remembered by said memory means and the configuration indicated by said indication means, whereby the articles are selectively sprayed in response to their coating condition and configuration.

Claim 19

In a spray assembly for spraying articles which may continuously differ in configuration and in coating condition from each other, comprising; spray means for spraying the articles, conveyor means for continuously conveying the articles of differing configuration and coating condition to said spray means, memory means for remembering more than one of the differing coating conditions of the articles being conveyed to said spray means, sensing means for automatically discriminating between articles of more than one of the differing configurations, first and second movable indication means on said conveyor means and movable both with and relative to said articles, as the articles are conveyed by the conveyor means, said indication means being moved relative to said articles in response to said sensing means to indicate a first and second of said configurations of each said article, and selection means actuated by said memory means and said first and second indication means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the coating condition remembered by said memory means and the configuration indicated by said indication means, whereby the articles are selectively sprayed in response to their coating condition and configuration.

Claim 20

In the assembly of claim 16 wherein said conveyor means includes a plurality of article carriages each of which carries one of the articles to said spray means, said memory means includes a first pin and said indication means include second and third pins movably mounted on each of said carriages, and pin positioning means for positioning said first pin in first or second positions which are indicative of differing coating conditions respectively of the article on its carriage and for positioning said second and third pins in first or second positions which are indicative of differing configurations of the article on its carriage.

Claim 21

In a spray assembly, spray means for spraying articles, conveyor means for conveying the articles to be sprayed by said spray means, memory means for remembering at least one characteristic of the articles which are being conveyed to said spray means, said memory means comprising first and second indication means movable with the article and also relative to the conveyor means as the article is conveyed by said conveyor means, and a station on said conveyor means before the spray means including altering means responsive to the first indication means when said first indication means is positioned in a first position, for moving said second indication means from a first to a second position, and selection means actuated by said memory means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the characteristic remembered by said memory means, said selection means including spray initiating means between said station and said spray means which is actuated by sAid second indication means when said second indication means is in said second position to initiate spray of said predetermined one of said spray means, whereby articles differing in said characteristic are selectively sprayed.

Claim 22

In a spray assembly, spray means for spraying articles, conveyor means for conveying the articles to be sprayed by said spray means, memory means for remembering at least one characteristic of the articles which are being conveyed to said spray means, said memory means comprising first and second indication means movable with the article and also relative to the conveyor means as the article is conveyed by said conveyor means, and a station on said conveyor means before the spray means including altering means responsive to the first indication means when said first indication means is positioned in a first position, for moving said second indication means from a first to a second position, and selection means actuated by said memory means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the characteristic remembered by said memory means, said selection means including spray initiating means between said station and said spray means which is actuated by sAid second indication means when said second indication means is in said second position to initiate spray of said predetermined one of said spray means, whereby articles differing in said characteristic are selectively sprayed.

Claim 23

In the spray assembly of claim 18 wherein said station includes article presence sensing means responsive to the absence of an article in said station to position said second indication means in said first position, whereby said spray initiating means is not actuated by said second indication means.

Claim 24

In a spray assembly, spray means for spraying articles, conveyor means for conveying the articles to be sprayed by said spray means, memory means for remembering at least one characteristic of the articles which are being conveyed to said spray means, said memory means comprising first, second and third stations on said conveyor means before, adjacent and after said spray means respectively, first and second indication means movable with the article and also relative to the conveyor means as the article is conveyed by said conveyor means, first, second and third shuttling means in each of said stations respectively for moving said indication means between first and second positions relative to the conveyor means, said first shuttling means moving said first indication means to a first position in response to the absence of an article and to a second position in response to the presence of an article in said first station, said second shuttling means moving said second indication means to a second position in response to the presence of an article in said second station when said first indication means is in said first position and to a first position in response to the presence of an article when said first indication means is in said second position, said third shuttling means moving said second indication means to said first position in response to said first indication means being in said first position and to said second position in response to said first indication means being in second position, and first and second spray initiating means before and after said third station which are actuated in response to said second indication means when the means is in said second position to initiate spray of said spray means, and selection means actuated by said memory means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the characteristic remembered by said memory means, whereby articles differing in said characteristic are selectively sprayed.

Claim 25

In a spray assembly, spray means for spraying articles, conveyor means for conveying the articles to be sprayed by said spray means, memory means for remembering at least one characteristic of the articles which are being conveyed to said spray means, said memory means comprising first, second and third stations on said conveyor means before, adjacent and after said spray means respectively, first and second indication means movable with the article and also relative to the conveyor means as the article is conveyed by said conveyor means, first, second and third shuttling means in each of said stations respectively for moving said indication means between first and second positions relative to the conveyor means, said first shuttling means moving said first indication means to a first position in response to the absence of an article and to a second position in response to the presence of an article in said first station, said second shuttling means moving said second indication means to a second position in response to the presence of an article in said second station when said first indication means is in said first position and to a first position in response to the presence of an article when said first indication means is in said second position, said third shuttling means moving said second indication means to said first position in response to said first indication means being in said first position and to said second position in response to said first indication means being in second position, and first and second spray initiating means before and after said third station which are actuated in response to said second indication means when the means is in said second position to initiate spray of said spray means, and selection means actuated by said memory means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the characteristic remembered by said memory means, whereby articles differing in said characteristic are selectively sprayed.

Claim 26

In the spray assembly of claim 20, wherein said first and second indication means comprise a pair of axially movable elongated pins.

Claim 27

In the spray assembly of claim 20, wherein each of said shuttling means of said first and second stations include photoelectric means for sensing the presence and absence of an article in said stations, and the shuttling means of said second and third stations include switching means which are actuated by said first indication means when said first indication means is in said second position.

Claim 28

In the spray assembly of claim 20, wherein said conveyor means includes a carriage for holding and moving the article to be sprayed, and said first and second indication means comprise elongated pins movably mounted on said carriage for axial movement between their first and second positions.

Claim 29

In a spray assembly for spraying articles which may continuously differ in configuration and in coating condition from each other, comprising; spray means for spraying the articles, conveyor means for continuously conveying the articles of differing configuration and coating condition to said spray means, said conveyor means including a plurality of article carriages each of which carries one of the articles to said spray means, memory means for remembering more than one of the differing coating conditions of the articles being conveyed to said spray means, said memory means incluDing a first pin movably mounted on each of said carriages, sensing means for automatically discriminating between articles of more than one of the differing configurations, first and second movable indication means operable in response to said sensing means to indicate a first and second of said configurations of each said article, said first and second indication means including second and third pins movably mounted on each of said carriages, pin positioning means for positioning said first pin in first or second positions which are indicative of differing coating conditions respectively of the article on its carriage and for positioning said second and third pins in first or second positions which are indicative of differing configurations of the article on its carriage, and selection means actuated by said memory means and said first and second indication means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the coating condition remembered by said memory means and the configuration indicated by said indication means, whereby the articles are selectively sprayed in response to their coating condition and configuration.

Claim 30

In a spray assembly for spraying articles which may continuously differ in configuration and in coating condition from each other, comprising; spray means for spraying the articles, conveyor means for continuously conveying the articles of differing configuration and coating condition to said spray means, said conveyor means including a plurality of article carriages each of which carries one of the articles to said spray means, memory means for remembering more than one of the differing coating conditions of the articles being conveyed to said spray means, said memory means incluDing a first pin movably mounted on each of said carriages, sensing means for automatically discriminating between articles of more than one of the differing configurations, first and second movable indication means operable in response to said sensing means to indicate a first and second of said configurations of each said article, said first and second indication means including second and third pins movably mounted on each of said carriages, pin positioning means for positioning said first pin in first or second positions which are indicative of differing coating conditions respectively of the article on its carriage and for positioning said second and third pins in first or second positions which are indicative of differing configurations of the article on its carriage, and selection means actuated by said memory means and said first and second indication means for selecting a predetermined one of said spray means in response to the coating condition remembered by said memory means and the configuration indicated by said indication means, whereby the articles are selectively sprayed in response to their coating condition and configuration.