US1276466A - Spraying-machine. - Google Patents

Description

C. A.- WICKSTROM.

SPRAYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED nov.20. 191s.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

C. A. WICKSTROM.

SPRAYING MACHINE. APPLICATION man NOV. 20. 1916.

11. 2'?6,466 Patented Aug. 20, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

% TE TQ.

CHARLES A. WICKSTROM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SPRAYING-MACHINE.

intense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Application filed November 20, 1916. Serial No. 132,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. WVIGK- STROM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new.

and useful Improvements in Spraying-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates tospraying machines, and more particularly to a machine of this kind in which the spraying fumes are confined and the operation of the spray is automatically controlled.

In applying finishing fluids, such as lacquer, varnish, etc.,to articles the pneumatic brush has practically displaced the hair brush, and this is especially so when small, irregularly shaped articles are to be coated. The use of the pneumatic spray for this purpose introduces several serious disadvantages, and it is the purpose of this invention to overcome these objections.

One of the objects of this invention is to produce a spraying machine in which means are provided to thoroughly cover the article with the spraying fluid in which the spraying means is held in a fixed position.

Another object consists in means toautomatically control the spraying time interval so as to insure the thorough and uniform coating of the article and likewise prevent useless or excessive application of the spraying fluid with the attendant loss of said fluid.

A further object consists in improved means for controlling the spraying fumes so as to prevent their dissipation in the room atmosphere.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

The invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan elevation of the spraying machine;

Fig. 2 15 a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

panying drawings has been adapted to the spraying of the top face of the coils of telephone receivers. The top surface of these coils 1s irregular, due to the protruding pole pieces of the cores, and consequently presents an exceedingly delicate spraying operation since the surface has to be completely covered with a very thin, uniform coating of lacquer. It will be evident to those skilled in the art, however, that the invention may be readily adapted to the spraying of any and all kinds of articles in which a uniform coating is desired and in which it is essential to avoid the dissipation of the spraying fumes in the room atmosphere.

As illustrated in the drawings, the apparatus consists of a top plate 10 which is suitably mounted in the top surface of any support or bench such as 11. The top plate 10 is equipped near its middle portion with a circular opening from which depends the circular bearing 12. Fitted in this circular bearing 12 is a circular cylinder 13, to the lower end of which is secured by means of the screws 14 and 15 the annular gear 16. The annular gear 16 meshes with the gear wheel 17 which is secured to the shaft 18 journaled in the bearing 19 and to the other end of which is attached the reducing gear 20. The bearing 19 is secured to the top plate 10 by means of brackets such as 21. Meshing with the gear 20 is the gear 21 which is directly connected to any suitable sort of drive such as the motor 25. Diametrically opposed to the gear wheel 17 is the gear wheel 26 which meshes with the annular gear 16. The gear 26 is secured to the shaft 27 which is journaled in the bearings 28 and 29 and which carries the worm 30. The worm 3O meshes with the worm wheel 31 which is journaled on the shaft 32, said shaft being mounted between the top plate 10 and the lower face 33 of a supporting bracket 34 by means of the nuts Soand 36. The supporting bracket 3i is fitted at the forward end of the horizontal base 33 with an upwardly extending wall 37. and placed on top of said wall 37 and on a shoulder on the inner surface of the vertical member of the supporting bracket 34 is a metallic cover 38 which incloses the worm and worm wheel. The lower surface of the cup or ina closure formed by these walls is filled with The upper face of the Worm Wheel 31 is provided "with an annular set of teeth e which constitutes one face of a clutch that cooperates with the teeth il mounted on the movable member l2 of said clutch, movably mounted on the shaft 32. The two sets of teeth ll) and ll of this clutch are normally held out of contact by the spiral spring ltigidly secured to the slidable member a2 is the cam This cam, as illustrated in Fig. 1, consists of a circular disk Which is fitted With a projection $6 and the annular cam surface l? which is provided with a depression at 4-8. A cam roller 50 rides on the cam surface l8 as the cam is rotated about the shaft 32. The roller is secured to the bell cranlr 51 by neans of the screw 52. The bell cranlr bl is pivoted at 53 and serves to depress the roller 50 onto the cam surface 47 by means of a spiral spring 55 which encircles the rod 56 attached to the loWer end of the arm 57 of the bell cranlr. The spring 55 is compressed between the vertical Wall of the supporting bracket and the end nuts as on the pin 56.

Mounted beneath the lower surface of the cam 45 is the valve operating button 60, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is associated with a valve connected in the air supply line 61 secured to the top face 10 by means of the brackets 62. Secured to the air supply pipe is the spray nozzle 68 Which is also connected to either a spray pot or a reservoir tanlr in which is contained the spraying lacquer. Tl e spraying nozzle 63 is mounted outside of the lower Wall of thecasing or receptacle which incloses the spraying apparatus and is pointed so as to be inclined substantially twenty degrees to the vertical. In this position the spraying nozzle is mounted directly in front of an opening 65 in the lower inclosing Wall, as illustrated in Fig. 5. /Vhen the spraying nozzle is thus lined the projected spray is directed so that it will hit the coils of the receiver, that are to be lacquered, at an angle, and at a point near the periphery of the surface which is to be lacquered. The spray from the nozzle Will be carried through the conical shaped member 66 which is secured to the receiver mounting templet 67 by the. mounting piece 66. The receiver mounting templet 6'? is provided With a flange 69 which is securely fitted in the inner periphery of the revolving member 13. The conical shaped member 66 has an opening at its tapered end Which is substantially equal in area to the area of the surface Which is to be lacquered. The receiver 70, the coils 71 of which are to be lacquered, is placed in an annular depression in the mounting piece 67 and thus serves to close the opening in the conical member 66 and thereby prevents the escape of the fumes through this opening into the room atmosphere. l non-ever it is desired fitted over the opening during each spraying 1:

operation.

For the purpose of carrying the articles which are to be sprayed to the operator a conveyer, such. as illustrated in Fig. 1, may

be used. This conveyor preferably consists of a plurality of plates such as 75, on each one of which a receiver such as may be placed. These plates are fitted With a Wheel 77, as shovvn in Fig. 3, which runs on a traclr Y6. The plates are drawn by means of an endless chain 79 which may be driven by any ivell lrnovv'n means. Any suitable type of conveyor may be utilized and When such a conveyor is used the carrying plates should be attached to the chain in such a manner that the articles, such as the receivers 70 which are to be coated, Will be delivered to the operator at regular intervals, the time intervening between each interval being of sufficient duration to permit of the complete spraying of the article, its removal from the templet, and the placing; of another article on said templet. When the apparatus is equipped with such a conveyer the carrying plates 75 are fitted with projecting members, such as the pin 60, which will move in the path of the projecting; lug e6-of the cam 4-5, and these pins Will consequently move the cam 45 forward through the agency of the lug d6.

' As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the apparatus is completely inclosed by a sheet metal housing comprised of the side Walls 81 and 6.2, the front and rear Walls 63 and 8%, the bottom Wall 65, and the top plate 10. Further, the opening in the conical member 66 is closed by the receiver 70 and the spray from the spray nozzle 63 is directed toward the coils which are to be sprayed through the small opening in the bottom 85 of the inclosing chamber, as shown in Fig. 5. This bottom wall is equipped with a circular opening which is normally closed by the movable gate 86 which is held in place by the thumb screws 87 and 88. The gate 86' provides an opening through which the apparatus in the inclosure may be inspected and adjusted. FZ'hen the sprayer is in operation the conical member 66, which serves to collect the surplus spraying fluid, becomes completely covered with said fluid after it has been in operation for a period of several hours and when thus coated it is removed by unscr wing the member 66, error Which it is removed through the n the lower inclosing wall 85, and a clean conical member 66 is put into place by screwing itinto the receiver mounting templet 67. By frequently changing the conical member 66 the surplus lacquer is confined to the inner surface of said member and all possibility of its overflowing into the operating members of the apparatus is avoided. The lacquer deposited on this surface is easily removed with a knife after it has dried.

With the apparatus all inclosed between the sheet metal walls, as hereinbefore described, the lacquer fumes will he confined in the inclosing chamber from which they are drawn through the exhaust duct 90 to the open air outside of the room by means of an exhaust fan connected in said duct.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows The motor 25 is first started which, through the gears 24 and 30 and the shaft 18 and its associated gear 17,,will rotate the annular gear 16 which will carry with it the revolving cylinder 13 and the associated conical member (56, the receiver templet 67, and the receiver containing the coils 71 which are to be sprayed. The annular gear 16 will in turn drive the gear wheel 26 which rotates the worm 30 and its associated worm wheel 31. The spray nozzle 63 is then adjusted so that the ejected spray will hit the coil area to be sprayed at an angle and at a point near the periphery of such area. The conveyer system is then started, and as each of the carrying plates approaches the spraying apparatus, the pin will strike the lug s6, on the cam surface 45, and rotate said cam l5 about the shaft 32 until the lug 46 has been pushed out of the path of the pin 80. The cam 45 in turning will be depressed by the roller 50 as it rides out of the depression 48 on to the upper face of said cam surface, and the teeth ll of the upper clutch member, secured to said cam surface, will engage the teeth 40 of the lower clutch member. The teeth 40 and 41 of the clutch faces will be held in contact by the cam roller 50, due to the force exerted by the spring as long as said roller rides on the upper face of the cam surface 47, and consequently said cam will be driven by the worm through said clutch for a complete revolution of the cam, or, in other words, until the cam wheel 50 again rides in the depression 48. During the period thatthe cam 45 is depressed the lower surface thereof will ride on the valve button 60 which will admit air to the spray nozzle 63, thereby causing the ejection of a spray of lacquer from said nozzle to the coil area which is to be coated. Further, since the spraying nozzle (33 has been so adjusted that the spray ejected therefrom will hit the area to be sprayed at an angle and near its periphery and since the cylinder 13 'is rotating, the

spray from the nozzle will completely cover the entire peripheral area that is to be coated when the cylinder 13 has made one complete rotation. The annular gear 16 and the gear wheel 26 are so proportioned that the cylinder 13 will make seven complete turns to each rotation of the cam 45. Consequently the lacquer will be projected from the spraying nozzle 63 to the surface to be sprayed for seven complete rotations thereof, after which the spray will be automatically cut off by the operation of the valve button 60, due to the return of the cam wheel 50 to the depression 48 of the cam surface 47. Qbviously the number of-turns that the article to be coated should receive will be varied in accordance with the shape of the article to be sprayed and the thickness of the coating desired.

The plate 75 of the conveyer mechanism is so placed that the pin 80 will strike the lug 46 of the cam $5 at such intervals as to allow the efiicieut spraying of the receiver coils, the removal of the receiver from the templet 67, and the placing of another receiver thereon by the operator. Whenever it is desired to start the spray when no conveyer system is used the cam 45 can be manually turned by the operator until the cam wheel 50 moves out of the depression 48.

The use of this apparatus results in a very even and uniform coating of the spraying fluid because the various elements controlling the application of said coating, such as the period during which the spray is operated and the length of time that the spray is applied to each particular portion of the area to be sprayed, is automatically controlled. In addition to the evenand uniform coating thus obtained, the fumes are confined and exhausted to the open air and the room atmosphere in which the spraying is done is not contaminated with the objectionable spraying fumes. Such results are exceedingly advantageous and are practically dependent upon the automatic control of the spraying apparatus.

Although this invention has been described in detail in the foregoing in' connection with an apparatus for spraying receiver coils, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this specific embodiment but is capable of many modifications and variations to meet conditions imposed by the shape, size, or other characteristics of the article that is to be sprayed without departing from its spirit and scope. What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising in combination, an article hold- ,ing means, said article having a limited irregular plane surface to be sprayed, means to rotate said means, a pneumatic spraying means, means to operate said spraying means, and means to apply and confine a in coating of fini hing fluid to said unit surface of said article as is rotated.

2. A device of the character described comprising in combination, an article holding means, said article having a limited in regular plane surface to be sprayed, means to rotate said means, a pneumatic spraying means, means to operate said spraying means, means to apply and confine a coating of finishing fluid to said limited surface or said article as it is rotated, an inclosure for said means whereby the fluid fumes are confined, and anezzhausting means to draw said fumes from said inclosure.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with an article holding means, said article having a limited irregular plane surface to be sprayed, of means to rotate said means, and a fluid spraying means adjusted to direct its spray upwardly so that the projected spray will strike said surface at an angle and at a point near the outer periphery of said surface whereby all the irregularities in said surface to be covered will receive a smooth even coating of the spraying iluid.

l. In a device of the character described, the combination with an article holding means, said article having a limited irregular plane surface to be sprayed, of means to rotate said means, a fluid spraying means, means automatically controlled to supply fluid to said spraying means for definite prescribed intervals, means automatically controlled to supply fluid to said spraying; means for a definite prescribed number of rotations of said holdingmeans, and means whereby an even, uniform coating of the spraying fluid is applied to the limited surface only of said article.

5. in a device of the character described, the combination with a fume confining casing or receptacle, of a rotatable article carrying means mounted thereon, an article having a limited irregular plane surface to be sprayed, a fluid spraying means, means to supply fluid to said spraying means, automatically controlled means whereby fluid is supplied to said spraying means for a prescribed number oi rotations of said carry ing means, means applying condin ing coating or id to said limited surface, and exhausting means to carry oil the fumes from said casing.

6. In a device for spraying receiver cores, the combination with a rotatable means, of means for mounting said receiver core on said means, a conical shaped member fitted with an opening adjacent said receiver having an area substantially equal to the receiver area that is to be coated, and a spraying means adjusted to supply the spraying -fluid through said conical member to the area to be sprayed at an angle thereto and at a point located at a substantial distance outside of the center of rotation of the area to be sprayed.

'3. ln a device for spraying receiver cores, the combination with a receiver mounting means, of means for rotating said mounting means, a spraying means adjusted so that the spray projected therefrom will strike the receiver at an angle and at a point at a substantial distance outside the center of rotation of the area to be sprayed and means whereby an even coating of the spraying fluid will be applied to a limited surface of said receiver area,

8. in a device of the character described, the combination with a fume confining receptacle, of a rotatable article carrying means mounted therein, a iluid spraying ineansniounted without said receptacle and operated to project a spray through an opening in said receptacle to the article to be sprayed, said article covering a second opening in said receptacle through which the spray passes to the article area to be sprayed, and an exhaust means to carry oh the spray-- ing tomes collected in said receptacle.

9. The process of coating articles'with' filllSlllllg fiulds which consists in rotating the article to be coated and then applying the finishing fluid from a spraying nozzle permanently fixed and so adjusted with respect to the rotated article that the fluid will be directly projected upwardly against the outer periphery of a limited area of the article which area includes the center of rotation of said article.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe name this 13th day of Nov. A. D, 1916,

Images