Cabinet for use in abrasive blasting system

Claim 1

In an abrasive blasting system including an abrading device having a housing containing a supply of abrasive material and having an outlet at the bottom thereof, a source of vacuum connected to the housing and applying a negative pressure to the upper surface layer of said abrasive material, a gun for directing abrasive material in the direction of a surface area to be abraded and having a passageway therethrough, a source of positive pressure air connected to one end of said gun passageway, a first conduit connected to the housing above said abrasive material for returning abrasive material and abrading debris to the housing, a second conduit having a first end portion connected to the housing outlet and a second end portion connected to said gun passageway downstream of the connection of said source of positive pressure to said gun, and means for causing abrasive material to flow toward the gun in said second conduit, an abrading cabinet device in which an abrasive blasting operation is performed on articles to be abraded, comprising: (1) a cabinet housing having (a) a bottom, (b) a peripheral sidewall, and (c) a cover member to afford an enclosed inner blasting chamber, the cover member being movable to open the chamber for placing articles to be abraded in, and removing said articles from, the chamber; (2) a base member for supporting the cabinet in upright position; (3) a rack formed of spaced elements and supported in the chamber in spaced relation from the housing bottom, the spaced elements permitting spent abrasive and debris from a blasting operation to pass downwardly through said rack to the housing bottom; (4) aperture means in the housing of a size to accommodate the source of positive pressure air and the second conduit so that each can be connected to the gun within the chamber; (5) means for manipulating the gun from a position exteriorly of the cabinet housing; (6) means for manipulating articles to be abraded within the chamber from a position exteriorly of the housing; (7) a window of transparent material in the housing and positioned above the rack for viewing the inner blasting chamber; (8) an exhaust outlet in the housing bottom below the rack, said exhaust outlet being adapted for connection with the first conduit to return spent abrasive and debris to the housing of the abrading device, the source of vacuum connected to the housing of the abrading device maintaining a negative pressure in the first conduit and in the chamber of the cabinet housing during a blasting operation; (9) and means for providing the ingress of ambient air into the chamber of the cabinet housing at a position above the rack during a blasting operation to establish a continuing current of air flow downwardly through the rack and through the exhaust outlet in the housing bottom, the current of air continuously clearing the space in the chamber between the window and the rack of viewing-obscuring debris from the blasting operation by carrying said debris to the exhaust outlet.