Bottle spraying apparatus

Claim 2

In a continuous production line system for spraying articles supported by a plurality of moving chuck conveyors, protective means for automatically covering empty chucks comprising in combination, a first conveyor line carrying a plurality of uniformly spaced chucks at predetermined intervals, means for moving said first line at a constant rate of traverse, a second conveyor line extending a selected distance parallel and adjacent to said first line, means for moving said second line in synchronism with said first line, a plurality of hinged cover members mounted on said second conveyor line at uniformly spaced intervals corresponding to said predetermined chuck intervals, each of said hinged cover members adjacent one of said chuck members through out said selected distance, and cam operated means connected to each of said hinged cover members for controlling movement of said hinged members into protective covering engagement with an adjacent empty chuck.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said hinged members are spring biased into chuck covering position and said cam means operate said hinged members into disengaging uncovering position when an article is contained in an adjacent chuck.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 including a plurality of stationary cams engageable with a cam follower on each of said cover means as said second conveyor line traverses said selected distance.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 wherein a first one of said cams initially operates on said cam followers to move said hinged members into open uncovering condition and subsequently operates on said followers to move said hinged members into article sensing condition, and a second one of said cams operates on said followers to restore said hinged members to open uncovering condition when the presence of an article is sensed in an adjacent chuck.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 and means for returning said second conveyor line from the end of said selected distance traverse to the starting position thereof.

Claim 7

In an automatic container spraying system wherein a plurality of containers are individually suspended by chuck gripping means from a moving overhead conveyor and are carried thereby through a spray booth, means for protectively covering any of said chuck gripping means which do not hold a container prior to entry thereof into the spray booth, and protective covering means comprising in combination individual hinged members positioned adjacent each of said chuck means prior to entry into a spray booth; said hinged members swingable between a disengaged position, a container sensing position and a chuck covering position respectively; means for moving said hinged members laterally parallel adjacent to and in synchronism with movement of said chuck means into and through said spray booth, cam follower means on each of said hinged members and engageable with a plurality of cam surfaces as said members move laterally, a first one of said cam surfaces operating on said cam follower means to swing said hinged members into disengaged position, a second adjacent cam surface operating on said follower means to swing said hinged members into container sensing position, and a third cam surface operating upon said follower means upon the sensing of a container to disengage said hinged member and upon the sensing of no container to swing said hinged member into its chuck covering position.

Claim 8

In an automatic container spraying system wherein a plurality of containers are individually suspended by chuck gripping means from a moving overhead conveyor and are carried thereby through a spray booth, means for protectively covering any of said chuck gripping means which do not hold a container prior to entry thereof into the spray booth, and protective covering means comprising in combination individual hinged members positioned adjacent each of said chuck means prior to entry into a spray booth; said hinged members swingable between a disengaged position, a container sensing position and a chuck covering position respectively; means for moving said hinged members laterally parallel adjacent to and in synchronism with movement of said chuck means into and through said spray booth, cam follower means on each of said hinged members and engageable with a plurality of cam surfaces as said members move laterally, a first one of said cam surfaces operating on said cam follower means to swing said hinged members into disengaged position, a second adjacent cam surface operating on said follower means to swing said hinged members into container sensing position, and a third cam surface operating upon said follower means upon the sensing of a container to disengage said hinged member and upon the sensing of no container to swing said hinged member into its chuck covering position.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 6 and an additional cam surface operable on said follower means after exit from said spray booth to move said hinged members into their disengaged position; and further means including a closed loop conveyor for returning said disengaged members from the exit side of said spray booth to the entrance side thereof.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 7 wherein said further means comprises means for cleaning said disengaged members during their return traverse from the exit to the entrance of said spray booth.