Coating device

Claim 2

Apparatus for the simultaneous application of at least two layers of liquid coating compounds to an article, comprising a pair of slides that extend downwardly from spaced-apart locations to define a closely spaced combining slot between their lower ends; means for supplying a layer of liquid onto each slide at the upper end whereby each layer may flow down its slide through the combining slot, the layers being combined at the combining slot; and means for conveying articles to be coated beneath the combining slot.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a pair of blocks, each having a surface constituting one of said slides, each block being shaped to provide a conduit forming said supplying means, and means for adjusting each block with respect to the other block.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising four blocks, each having a surface constituting one of said slides, of which there are two pairs, the blocks being mounted in such a way that one slide of each pair is at an acute angle to the horizontal and the other is at an acute angle, the blocks having the obtuse angled slides being secured together back-to-back to define a downwardly-extending knife edge at which the lower ends of the slides meet, the blocks having the obtuse angled slides being mounted close to said knife edge to define a pair of combining slots on either side thereof.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising more than two slides, the combining slot of one pair of slides constituting the supplying means for one slide of another pair.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least three blocks, one of which has a surface that constitutes one slide of each pair of slides in co-planar relation, each other block having a surface that constitutes the other slide of each pair, the blocks being mounted so that said other blocks are arranged with their lower edges forming said combining slots at intervals down the surface of said one block.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5, including a further block mounted with its lower edge forming a combining slot with the lower edge of said one block.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an additional block is secured to at least one of said blocks, said additional block having a surface forming a slide having its lower edge adjacent the upper edge of said block, the additional block being shaped to provide a conduit forming means for supplying a layer of liquid onto the slide at its upper end whereby the layer may flow down the slide and be superimposed on the layer provided by the conduit of said lower block.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the direction of movement of said means for conveying articles beneath the combining slot is such as to locate the layer from said additional block beneath the layer formed on said block, when on said article.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which each slide is convexly curved at its lower end.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a third slide positioned above said combining slot with its outlet lip parallel to and closely spaced above said combining slot, and means for supplying a layer of liquid onto said third slide at the upper end thereof.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a third slide positioned above one slide of said pair of slides with its outlet lip parallel to and closely spaced above said one slide, and means for supplying a layer of liquid onto said third slide at the upper end thereof.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 11 and further comprising a fourth slide positioned above one slide of said pair of slides with its outlet lip parallel to and closely spaced above said one slide, and means for supplying a layer of liquid onto said fourth slide at the upper end thereof.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a third slide positioned above said combining slot with its outlet lip parallel to and closely spaced above said combining slot, and a fourth slide positioned above one slide of said pair of slides with its outlet lip parallel and closely spaced above said one slide, and means for supplying a layer of liquid onto each of said third and said fourth slides at the upper end thereof.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 13 and further comprising a fifth slide positioned above one slide of said pair of slides with its outlet lip parallel to and closely spaced above said one slide, and means for supplying a layer of liquid onto said fifth slide at the upper end thereof.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 10 and further comprising a fourth slide forming together with the third slide a V-shaped configuration wherein the lower end of said fourth slide intersects said third slide at its outlet lip so as to form a common outlet lip for said third and said fourth slides and means for supplying a layer of liquid onto said fourth slide at the upper end thereof.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 16, including the step the coating is applied to the article by the bead method.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 16, including the steps of reducing the spacing of the combining slot to dam the flow of the liquid, quickly increasing the spacing to allow the liquid to drop as a curtain onto the article, and moving the article along said path to entrain the curtain and apply the coating.