Electrostatic painting system

Claim 1

Apparatus for spray coating individual articles moved along a given path by a conveyor, said apparatus comprising: stationary sensing means positioned at a given location along said path and including an array of discrete sensing units for sensing in a plane aligned generally transversely of and extending across said path to provide signals indicative of the size, shape and disposition of each of said articles as they are moved through said plane by said conveyor, a memory device for receiving said signals from said sensing means and for continuously storing data indicative of said size, shape and disposition of each of said articles in response to said signals, a spray coating device positioned along said given path a predetermined distance downstream of said stationary sensing means and control means for operating said spray coating device in response to said stored data to provide a spray pattern for each article in accordance with its size, shape and disposition when each respective article is in a predetermined physical relationship relative to said spray coating device.

Claim 4

An apparatus for spray coating individual articles, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the articles in spaced relation along a given path, means along said path for scanning the articles in a common plane extending transversely across said path and for producing signals corresponding to the size, shape and disposition of the portion of the articles located in the plane, the signals varying according to changes in size, shape and disposition of the articles as they move along the path and pass through said plane, a memory device receiving signals from said scanning means and temporarily storing data corresponding to said signals and relating to the size and shape of the articles scanned, and at least one spray coating device disposed along the path of the articles downstream of said scanning means connected to and controlled by said memory device so as to provide a spray pattern for each article in Accordance with its size and shape, said scanning means including means for providing at least two generally vertically disposed, horizontally spaced light beams along the path of the articles and means for detecting the interruption of either of said beams by an article moving along said path, thereby providing an indication of the depth of the article being advanced by said conveyor.

Claim 5

An apparatus for spray coating individual articles, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the articles in spaced relation along a given path, means along said path for scanning the articles in a common plane extending transversely across said path and for producing signals corresponding to the size, shape and disposition of the portion of the articles located in the plane, the signals varying according to changes in size, shape and disposition of the articles as they move along the path and pass through said plane, a memory device receiving signals from said scanning means and temporarily storing data corresponding to said signals and relating to the size and shape of the articles scanned, and at least one spray coating device disposed along the path of the articles downstream of said scanning means connected to and controlled by said memory device so as to provide a spray pattern for each article in Accordance with its size and shape, said scanning means including means for providing at least two generally vertically disposed, horizontally spaced light beams along the path of the articles and means for detecting the interruption of either of said beams by an article moving along said path, thereby providing an indication of the depth of the article being advanced by said conveyor.

Claim 9

An apparatus for spray coating in a spray zone, individual articles moved along a given path by a conveyor, said apparatus comprising; stationary sensing means positioned at a given location along said path for providing signals corresponding to the respective size and shape of the articles, and to the respective disposition of the articles relative to the spray zone, in response to scanning of said articles as each article moves past said sensing means, a memory device responsive to said signals from said sensing means for storing data indicative of said size, shape and disposition of each of the articles moving past said sensing means, said memory device including means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor, means for selectively altering said surface at a first station in a manner corresponding to the size and shape of the articles passing said scanning device, a spray coating device positioned along said given path a predetermined distance after said stationary sensing means, said spray coating device being movable in a predetermined pattern relative to said spray zone, means for providing an indication of the position of said spray coating device as it moves in said predetermined pattern, and control means for operating said spray coating device in response to said position indication and the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station when the respective articles and said spray coating device are in a predetermined physical relationship relative to each other, so that the individual articles are coated by said coating device according to their respective individual size, shape and disposition within said spray zone.

Claim 10

An apparatus for spray coating in a spray zone, individual articles moved along a given path by a conveyor, said apparatus comprising; stationary sensing means positioned at a given location along said path for providing signals corresponding to the respective size and shape of the articles, and to the respective disposition of the articles relative to the spray zone, in response to scanning of said articles as each article moves past said sensing means, a memory device responsive to said signals from said sensing means for storing data indicative of said size, shape and disposition of each of the articles moving past said sensing means, said memory device including means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor, means for selectively altering said surface at a first station in a manner corresponding to the size and shape of the articles passing said scanning device, a spray coating device positioned along said given path a predetermined distance after said stationary sensing means, said spray coating device being movable in a predetermined pattern relative to said spray zone, means for providing an indication of the position of said spray coating device as it moves in said predetermined pattern, and control means for operating said spray coating device in response to said position indication and the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station when the respective articles and said spray coating device are in a predetermined physical relationship relative to each other, so that the individual articles are coated by said coating device according to their respective individual size, shape and disposition within said spray zone.

Claim 25

An apparatus for spray coating individual articles, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the articles in spaced relation along a given path, means along said path for scanning the articles and for producing signals corresponding to the size and shape of the articles, a memory device for receiving signals from said scanning means and temporarily storing data relating to the size and shape of the articles scanned, and at least one spray coating device disposed along the path of the articles downstream of said scanning means connected to and controlled by said memory device so as to provide a spray pattern for each article in accordance with its size and shape, said memory device including means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor, means for selectively altering said surface at a first station in a manner corresponding to the size and shape of the articles passing said scanning device, and means at a second station for sensing the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station and for transmitting a signal to a spray coating device corresponding to the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station, said means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor defining a plurality of holes extending through said surface, a pin disposed in each of said holes so as to be movable axially therein, means for assuring a predetermined disposition of said pins in relation to said surface as said pins approach said first station, and said means for selectively altering said surface at said first station including means for selectively moving selected ones of said pins axially relative to said surface, the arrangement of said selected pins relative to one another, corresponding to the shape and being proportional to the size of the articles passing said scanning device, and said surface-defining means comprising an endless belt formed of a plurality of interconnected bars moved transversely of their length along a predetermined path defined by a pair of sprockets rotatable about spaced parallel axes.

Claim 26

An apparatus for spray coating individual articles, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the articles in spaced relation along a given path, means along said path for scanning the articles and for producing signals corresponding to the size and shape of the articles, a memory device for receiving signals from said scanning means and temporarily storing data relating to the size and shape of the articles scanned, and at least one spray coating device disposed along the path of the articles downstream of said scanning means connected to and controlled by said memory device so as to provide a spray pattern for each article in accordance with its size and shape, said memory device including means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor, means for selectively altering said surface at a first station in a manner corresponding to the size and shape of the articles passing said scanning device, and means at a second station for sensing the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station and for transmitting a signal to a spray coating device corresponding to the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station, said means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor defining a plurality of holes extending through said surface, a pin disposed in each of said holes so as to be movable axially therein, means for assuring a predetermined disposition of said pins in relation to said surface as said pins approach said first station, and said means for selectively altering said surface at said first station including means for selectively moving selected ones of said pins axially relative to said surface, the arrangement of said selected pins relative to one another, corresponding to the shape and being proportional to the size of the articles passing said scanning device, and said surface-defining means comprising an endless belt formed of a plurality of interconnected bars moved transversely of their length along a predetermined path defined by a pair of sprockets rotatable about spaced parallel axes.

Claim 28

An apparatus for spray coating individual articles, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the articles in spaced relation along a given path, means along said path for scanning the articles and for producing signals corresponding to the size and shape of the articles, a memory device for receiving signals from said scanning means and temporarily storing data relating to the size and shape of the articles scanned, and at least one spray coating device disposed along the path of the articles downstream of said scanning means connected to and controlled by said memory device so as to provide a spray pattern for each article in accordance with its size and shape, said memory device including means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor, means for selectively altering said surface at a first station in a manner corresponding to the size and shape of the articles passing said scanning device, and means at a second station for sensing the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station and for transmitting a signal to a spray coating device corresponding to the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station, said means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor defining a plurality of holes extending through said surface, a pin disposed in each of said holes so as to be movable axially therein, means for assuring a predetermined disposition of said pins in relation to said surface as said pins approach said first station, and said means for selectively altering said surface at said first station including means for selectively moving selected ones of said pins axially relative to said surface, the arrangement of said selected pins relative to one another, corresponding to the shape and being proportional to the size of the articles passing said scanning device, said means for sensing the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station including a rod pivotably mounted with one of its ends adjacent said surface, a follower carried by said one end of said rod and extending transversely thereof, means biasing said rod for pivotal movement tending to urge said follower into engagement with pins projecting from said surface and effective to cause said rod to pivot when a pin socket is moved past said follower, the pin of which has been moved out of a position in which it would be engaged by said follower, and a switch coupled to said rod effective to sense such pivotal movement of said rod.

Claim 29

An apparatus for spray coating individual articles, said apparatus comprising a conveyor for advancing the articles in spaced relation along a given path, means along said path for scanning the articles and for producing signals corresponding to the size and shape of the articles, a memory device for receiving signals from said scanning means and temporarily storing data relating to the size and shape of the articles scanned, and at least one spray coating device disposed along the path of the articles downstream of said scanning means connected to and controlled by said memory device so as to provide a spray pattern for each article in accordance with its size and shape, said memory device including means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor, means for selectively altering said surface at a first station in a manner corresponding to the size and shape of the articles passing said scanning device, and means at a second station for sensing the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station and for transmitting a signal to a spray coating device corresponding to the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station, said means defining a surface movable at a speed proportional to the speed of said conveyor defining a plurality of holes extending through said surface, a pin disposed in each of said holes so as to be movable axially therein, means for assuring a predetermined disposition of said pins in relation to said surface as said pins approach said first station, and said means for selectively altering said surface at said first station including means for selectively moving selected ones of said pins axially relative to said surface, the arrangement of said selected pins relative to one another, corresponding to the shape and being proportional to the size of the articles passing said scanning device, said means for sensing the manner in which said surface was altered at said first station including a rod pivotably mounted with one of its ends adjacent said surface, a follower carried by said one end of said rod and extending transversely thereof, means biasing said rod for pivotal movement tending to urge said follower into engagement with pins projecting from said surface and effective to cause said rod to pivot when a pin socket is moved past said follower, the pin of which has been moved out of a position in which it would be engaged by said follower, and a switch coupled to said rod effective to sense such pivotal movement of said rod.