Continuous coater

Claim 2

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for coating an object with a sprayed material in the course of passage through said chamber, air flow control vestibules extending outwardly from each end of said chamber adjacent said entrance and exit openings, each of said vestibules having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from the associated entrance and exit openings of said chamber, means for drawing air from outside said vestibules through said vestibules' outer openings without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said chamber so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material, said last named means including at least one air collector slot located on opposite sides of each of said vestibules, exhaust fan means and duct means connected each of said air collector slots to said exhaust fan means whereby air is caused by said exhaust fan to flow into each of said vestibules through said outer openings and to be exhausted from said vestibules through said collector slots and said ducts.

Claim 3

The coater of claim 1 which further includes means for balancing the flow of air through the collector slots on the opposite sides of each of said vestibules.

Claim 4

The coater of claim 1, wherein said duct means contains a scrubber section wherein exhausted air is caused to pass through a liquid scrubber in the course of passage through said duct means.

Claim 5

The coater of claim 3, wherein said duct means includes a baffle section located between said liquid scrubber and said exhaust fan means.

Claim 6

The coater of claim 1 further including means located within each of said vestibules for creating an air curtain within said vestibules directed inwardly toward said coating chamber.

Claim 7

The coater of claim 5 wherein said air curtain creating means is operable to create said air curtain between said air collector slots and said coating chamber openings.

Claim 8

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, air flow control vestibules extending outwardly from each end of said chamber adjacent said entrance and exit openings, each of said vestibules having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from the associated entrance and exit openings of said chamber, each of said vestibules having inner and outer sections, said inner sections of each of said vestibules being of substantially constant cross sectional area, said outer section of each of said vestibules being of gradually increasing cross sectional area between said outer opening and said inner section, and a vestibule outlet opening located at the point at which said inner section is joined to said outer section, means for preventing air entrained sprayed material from escaping from the coating chamber into said air flow control vestibules and from said vestibules to the atmosphere, said escape preventing means including air flow means for creating an inwardly directed pattern of air flow from outside said vestibules through said vestibule openings over the complete cross sectional area of said outer openings of said vestibules, said air flow creation means including an exhaust fan for exhausting air from said vestibule outlet openings to the atmosphere.

Claim 9

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, air flow control vestibules extending outwardly from each end of said chamber adjacent said entrance and exit openings, each of said vestibules having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from the associated entrance and exit openings of said chamber, each of said vestibules having inner and outer sections, said inner sections of each of said vestibules being of substantially constant cross sectional area, said outer section of each of said vestibules being of gradually increasing cross sectional area between said outer opening and said inner section, and a vestibule outlet opening located at the point at which said inner section is joined to said outer section, means for preventing air entrained sprayed material from escaping from the coating chamber into said air flow control vestibules and from said vestibules to the atmosphere, said escape preventing means including air flow means for creating an inwardly directed pattern of air flow from outside said vestibules through said vestibule openings over the complete cross sectional area of said outer openings of said vestibules, said air flow creation means including an exhaust fan for exhausting air from said vestibule outlet openings to the atmosphere.

Claim 10

The coater of claim 7 wherein said air flow creation means includes means for simultaneously exhausting air from opposite sides of each of said vestibules.

Claim 11

The coater of claim 7 wherein said vestibule exhausting means includes air collector slots located on opposite sides of each of said vestibules.

Claim 12

The coater of claim 7 further including means located within each of said vestibules for creating an air curtain within said vestibules directed inwardly toward said coating.

Claim 13

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, air flow control vestibules extending outwardly from each end of said chamber adjacent said entrance and exit openings, each of said vestibules having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from the associated entrance and exit openings of said chamber, means for drawing air from outside said vestibules through said vestibules' outer openings without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said chambers so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material, said last named means including air flow means for creating an inwardly directed substantially uniform velocity of air flow from outside said vestibules through said vestibules' openings and across the full outer cross sectional areas of said openings of each of said vestibules.

Claim 14

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, air flow control vestibules extending outwardly from each end of said chamber adjacent said entrance and exit openings, each of said vestibules having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from the associated entrance and exit openings of said chamber, means for drawing air from outside said vestibules through said vestibules' outer openings without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said chambers so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material, said last named means including air flow means for creating an inwardly directed substantially uniform velocity of air flow from outside said vestibules through said vestibules' openings and across the full outer cross sectional areas of said openings of each of said vestibules.

Claim 15

The coater of claim 11 in which said air flow creation means includes air collector means located on opposite sides of each of said vestibules and connected to a suction fan for withdrawing air from said vestibules.

Claim 16

The coater of claim 12 in which each of said air collector means is connected to a suction fan through a duct system, said duct system including means for removing sprayed material from said air before said air is exhausted from said duct system to the atmosphere.

Claim 17

The coater of claim 13 in which said sprayed material removal means includes a baffle section.

Claim 18

The coater of claim 13 in which said sprayed material removal means includes a liquid scrubber.

Claim 19

The coater of claim 11 in which said air flow creation means includes air collector means located on opposite sides of each of said vestibules, each of said air collector means being connected to a suction fan through a duct system, and means within said duct system for adjusting the air flow through each of said air collector means.

Claim 20

The coater of claim 11 in which said air flow creation means includes air collector means located on opposite sides of each of said vestibules through which air is withdrawn from said vestibules, and means for balancing the air flow through the air collector means located on the opposite sides of each of said vestibules.

Claim 21

The coater of claim 11 further including means located within each of said vestibules for creating an air curtain within said vestibules directed inwardly toward said coating chamber.

Claim 22

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, at least one air flow control vestibule extending outwardly from one end of said chamber adjacent one of said entrance or exit openings, said vestibule having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from said one opening of said chamber, and means for drawing air from outside said vestibules through said vestibules'0 outer openings without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said coating chamber so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material, said last named means being operable to create an inwardly directed substantially uniform velocity of air flow from outside said vestibule through said outer opening and across the full cross sectional area of said outer opening of said vestibule.

Claim 23

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, at least one air flow control vestibule extending outwardly from one end of said chamber adjacent one of said entrance or exit openings, said vestibule having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from said one opening of said chamber, and means for drawing air from outside said vestibules through said vestibules'0 outer openings without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said coating chamber so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material, said last named means being operable to create an inwardly directed substantially uniform velocity of air flow from outside said vestibule through said outer opening and across the full cross sectional area of said outer opening of said vestibule.

Claim 26

The method of claim 20 further including the step of creating an air curtain within each of said vestibules directed inward toward said booth.

Claim 27

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, air flow control vestibules extending outwardly from each end of said chamber adjacent said entrance and exit openings, each of said vestibules having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from the associated entrance and exit openings of said chamber, means for exhausting air from said vestibules, and means for drawing air from outside said vestibules through said vestibules' outer opening into said vestibule exhaust means without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said chamber so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material.

Claim 28

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, air flow control vestibules extending outwardly from each end of said chamber adjacent said entrance and exit openings, each of said vestibules having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from the associated entrance and exit openings of said chamber, means for exhausting air from said vestibules, and means for drawing air from outside said vestibules through said vestibules' outer opening into said vestibule exhaust means without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said chamber so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material.

Claim 29

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, at least one air flow control vestibule extending outwardly from one end of said chamber adjacent one of said entrance or exit openings, said vestibule having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from said one opening of said chamber, means for exhausting air from said vestibule, and means for drawing air from outside said vestibule through said vestibules' outer opening into said vestibule exhaust means without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said chamber so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material.

Claim 30

A coater comprising, a coating chamber adapted to have an object conveyed through it, said coating chamber having side walls, end walls, a bottom and a ceiling, entrance and exit openings in said end walls through which objects may be introduced into and out of said chamber, means for creating an area within the chamber wherein an object is coated with a sprayed material in the course of passage through the area, at least one air flow control vestibule extending outwardly from one end of said chamber adjacent one of said entrance or exit openings, said vestibule having an outer opening longitudinally aligned with but remote from said one opening of said chamber, means for exhausting air from said vestibule, and means for drawing air from outside said vestibule through said vestibules' outer opening into said vestibule exhaust means without simultaneously drawing any substantial quantity of air from inside said chamber so as to create an air flow barrier to the escape from said chamber of airborne sprayed material.