Apparatus for spraying and otherwise treating pieces in a vapor

Claim 2

In an apparatus for treating work pieces in a vapor, including an open top tank, a treatment fluid having a liquid phase and a heavier-than-air vapor phase, means for applying heat energy to a bottom portion of said tank to cause said fluid to boil to form in said tank a layer of vapor phase and a layer of liquid phase, cooling means at the top of said tank to condense said vapor phase reaching said cooling means to limit the upper level of vapor in said tank, a stage for receiving work pieces to be processed, and means for lowering said stage into and raising said stage out of said tank through the open top thereof, the improvement comprising: a. a tank lid of configuration to completely close the open top of said tank; b. means for bringing said lid into closing relationship to said open tank top when said work is positioned within said tank and to move said lid into open relationship with said tank as the work leaves the tank; c. said means for moving said lid including means for carrying said lid on an upper portion of said stage in alignment with said treatment tank opening; and d. said tank being provided with a tank lid receiving shoulder around the entire periphery thereof to receive the entire outer edge portion of said tank lid and a vertical upstanding collar constituting part of said tank and extending upwardly from the outer periphery of said lid receiving shoulder.

Claim 3

The combination as specified in Claim 1, and a hood fixedly mounted with respect to and spaced from the outer surface of said tank collar, the hood terminating above the outer peripheral edge of such collar in spaced relation thereto, and ventilating means to withdraw air from said hood and to deliver it away from the area of said tank.

Claim 4

The combination as specified in Claim 1, additional heat energy means, means operable to activate said additional heat energy means to generate additional vapor in said tank to compensate for condensation of vapor caused when the relatively cold work is lowered into the tank and into the vapor.

Claim 5

The combination as specified in Claim 3, and means for controlling the rate of descent of the stage and work into the vapor phase layer to substantially maintain the predetermined upper vapor level in said tank.

Claim 6

The combination as specified in Claim 4, and means operable for controlling the rate of withdrawal of the work from the tank to allow the liquid phase treatment fluid to substantially completely flow back into the tank before the work rises above the top of the collar.

Claim 7

The combination as specified in Claim 1, and a plurality of spray heads in said tank in horizontal alignment with at least portions of said work, spray headers connecting said heads, and means for pumping a treatment liquid through said spray headers and spray heads to impinge on said work when said lid is in closing relationship to said lid receiving shoulder of said tank.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for treating work pieces in a vapor, including an open top tank, a treatment fluid having a liquid phase and a heavier-than-air vapor phase, means for applying heat energy to a bottom portion of said tank to cause said fluid to boil to form in said tank a layer of vapor phase and a layer of liquid phase, cooling means at the top of saiD tank to condense said vapor phase reaching said cooling means to limit the upper level of vapor in said tank, a stage for receiving work pieces to be processed, and means for lowering said stage into and raising said stage out of said tank through the open top thereof, the improvement comprising: a. a tank lid of configuration to completely close the open top of said tank; b. means for bringing said lid into closing relationship to said open tank top when said work is positioned within said tank and to move said lid into open relationship with said tank as the work leaves the tank; c. a vertical upstanding collar constituting part of said tank and extending upwardly from the point where said lid is situated when it completely closes the tank top; d. a hood fixedly mounted with respect to and spaced from the outer surface of said collar, a passageway being provided between said collar and said hood for flow of air between said collar and said hood; e. and ventilating means to withdraw air from said hood and to deliver it away from the area of said tank; f. an airtight upper chamber positioned to encompass said stage after it has been raised out of said tank, said chamber having a bottom wall; g. means for moving said stage laterally within said upper chamber to vertical clearing relation to said tank; h. said upstanding collar being open to the interior of said chamber through the bottom wall of said chamber; i. said bottom chamber wall being provided with a stage loading entrance horizontally spaced from said tank; and j. means to lower said stage through said stage loading entrance.

Claim 9

In an apparatus for treating work pieces in a vapor, including an open top tank, a treatment fluid having a liquid phase and a heavier-than-air vapor phase, means for applying heat energy to a bottom portion of said tank to cause said fluid to boil to form in said tank a layer of vapor phase and a layer of liquid phase, cooling means at the top of saiD tank to condense said vapor phase reaching said cooling means to limit the upper level of vapor in said tank, a stage for receiving work pieces to be processed, and means for lowering said stage into and raising said stage out of said tank through the open top thereof, the improvement comprising: a. a tank lid of configuration to completely close the open top of said tank; b. means for bringing said lid into closing relationship to said open tank top when said work is positioned within said tank and to move said lid into open relationship with said tank as the work leaves the tank; c. a vertical upstanding collar constituting part of said tank and extending upwardly from the point where said lid is situated when it completely closes the tank top; d. a hood fixedly mounted with respect to and spaced from the outer surface of said collar, a passageway being provided between said collar and said hood for flow of air between said collar and said hood; e. and ventilating means to withdraw air from said hood and to deliver it away from the area of said tank; f. an airtight upper chamber positioned to encompass said stage after it has been raised out of said tank, said chamber having a bottom wall; g. means for moving said stage laterally within said upper chamber to vertical clearing relation to said tank; h. said upstanding collar being open to the interior of said chamber through the bottom wall of said chamber; i. said bottom chamber wall being provided with a stage loading entrance horizontally spaced from said tank; and j. means to lower said stage through said stage loading entrance.

Claim 10

The combination as specified in claim 7 wherein a stage loading entrance gate is mounted to move between closing and clearing relation to said stage loading entrance in said bottom wall; and means to move said stage loading gate into closing relation to said entrance after said stage has passed out of said upper chamber through said entrance.

Claim 11

The combination as specified in claim 8; means to move said stage loading gate into closing relation to said entrance after said stage has been moved back inside said chamber through said entrance; means to move said tank lid to closing relation to said tank top when said stage is in said tank and when said stage is in said upper chamber; means to move said stage loading gate to clearing relation to said entrance to allow said stage to pass through said entrance; and means to move said tank lid to clearing relation to said tank top to allow said stage to pass into and out of said tank.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for treating work pieces in a vapor, including an open top tank, a treatment fluid having a liquid phase and a heavier-than-air vapor phase, means for applying heat energy to a bottom portion of said tank to cause said fluid to boil to form in said tank a layer of vapor phase and a layer of liquid phase, cooling means at the top of said tank to condense said vapor phase reaching said cooling means to limit the upper level of vapor in said tank, a stage for receiving work pieces to be processed, and means for lowering said stage into and raising said stage out of said tank through the open top thereof, the improvement comprising: a. a tank lid of configuration to completely close the open top of said tank; b. means for bringing said lid into closing relationship to said open tank top when said work is positioned within said tank and to move said lid into open relationship with said tank as the work leaves the tank; c. a vertical upstanding collar constituting part of said tank and extending upwardly from the point where said lid is situated when it completely closes the tank top; d. an airtight upper chamber positioned to encompass said stage after it has been raised out of said tank, said chamber having a bottom wall; e. means for moving said stage laterally within said upper chamber to vertical clearing relation to said tank; f. said upstanding collar being opEn to the interior of said chamber through the bottom wall of said chamber; g. said bottom chamber wall being provided with a stage loading entrance horizontally spaced from said tank; and h. means to lower said stage through said stage loading entrance.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for treating work pieces in a vapor, including an open top tank, a treatment fluid having a liquid phase and a heavier-than-air vapor phase, means for applying heat energy to a bottom portion of said tank to cause said fluid to boil to form in said tank a layer of vapor phase and a layer of liquid phase, cooling means at the top of said tank to condense said vapor phase reaching said cooling means to limit the upper level of vapor in said tank, a stage for receiving work pieces to be processed, and means for lowering said stage into and raising said stage out of said tank through the open top thereof, the improvement comprising: a. a tank lid of configuration to completely close the open top of said tank; b. means for bringing said lid into closing relationship to said open tank top when said work is positioned within said tank and to move said lid into open relationship with said tank as the work leaves the tank; c. a vertical upstanding collar constituting part of said tank and extending upwardly from the point where said lid is situated when it completely closes the tank top; d. an airtight upper chamber positioned to encompass said stage after it has been raised out of said tank, said chamber having a bottom wall; e. means for moving said stage laterally within said upper chamber to vertical clearing relation to said tank; f. said upstanding collar being opEn to the interior of said chamber through the bottom wall of said chamber; g. said bottom chamber wall being provided with a stage loading entrance horizontally spaced from said tank; and h. means to lower said stage through said stage loading entrance.

Claim 14

The combination as specified in claim 10 and means for purifying air in said upper chamber including means for withdrawing treatment fluid vapor laden air from a lower portion of said chamber, means for extracting and condensing to liquid phase the treatment fluid from said air; and means for returning the resulting purified air back to an upper portion of the chamber.

Claim 15

The combination as specified in claim 11 and means for returning the recovered condensate back for use in said treatment tank.