US2401415A

US2401415A - Mask structure

Info

Publication number: US2401415A
Application number: US531956A
Authority: US
Inventors: Duggan James Edward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-04-20
Filing date: 1944-04-20
Publication date: 1946-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1963-06-04

Description

June 4, 1946'. J. E. DUGGAN 2,401,415

" MASK STRUCTURE I Filed April 20, 1944 INVENTOR.

I -JAMES EDWARD DUGGAN BY Mu MIL M 0 ATTORNEYS Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MASK STRUCTURE James Edward Duggan, Birmingham, Mich.

Application April 20, 1944, Serial No. 531,956

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to devices that are used during painting or plating operations to protect certain portions of articles from paint or plating material applied to adjacent portions thereof, and refers more particularly to masking elements for preventing paint or plating material from contacting or passing onto opposite sides of an article, such for example, the inside and outside of a tubular or annular article while opposite ends of such article are painted or plated.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide a two-part mask structure wherein both parts may be employed at one time for masking simultaneously both the inside and outside of a tubular or annular article, or either of said parts may be employed alone for masking one of said sides, depending upon which one is to be masked.

Another object is to provide a mask structure wherein the two parts thereof are shaped to provide a vacuum between such parts and the sides of the tubular or annular article intermediate opposite edges or ends thereof when the parts are applied to said sides, and are adapted to exert the greatest pressure against said sides adjacent opposite edges or ends thereof for sealing purposes.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that is shaped in such a way relative to the faces of the article to be protected that it not only will have a tight sealing engagement with the article but also will have a vacuum lock with the article and thus will be maintained in proper masking position relative thereto.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that is capable of protecting the portions of the article to be masked without interfering with the painting or plating operations.

Another object is to provide a mask structure wherein one part thereof may be utilized with a hanger or supporting wire as a carrier for the other part as well as the article being painted or plated while such painting or plating operations are being performed.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that may be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the article to be masked without marring or impairing any part thereof.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that may be used repeatedly without being scrapped.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and efiicient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a masking structure applied to an annular article, and showing parts broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the structure illustrated in Figure Figure 4 is a detail elevational view of the inner part of the masking structure;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the outer part of the masking structure;

Figure 6 is an edge elevational view of the annular article.

Referring now to the drawing, A is a tubular or annular article constituting a race or spacer for a connecting rod (not shown) on the crank shaft of an airplane engine, and B is a masking structure embodying my invention having inner and outer sections or parts In and II, respectively, of rubber or rubber composition for protecting the inside 12 and outside l3 of said article from paint or plating material applied to opposite ends or edges I4 and I5, respectively, thereof.

As shown the inner section IQ of the masking structure is preferably in the form of an e1ongated plug having a body 2!! provided exteriorly thereof with an annular groove or recess 2| and provided at one end with a knob or finger piece 22. Preferably the body 20 is slightly oversize relative to the inside of the annular article so that it has to be compressed slightly to be applied thereto.

The outer section ll of the masking structure is preferably in the form of an annulus and has a radially extending boss 40. Preferably the outer section II is slightly undersize relative to the outside of said annular article so that it has to be stretched slightly to be applied thereto. An annular groove or recess 4| is provided in the inner face of the annulus, while the passage 42 extends radially of the annulus and throughout the length of the boss for the reception of a supporting wire or hanger'43.

In use when opposite ends l4 and I5, respectively, of the article A are to be plated, the inner and outer sections I a and II of the masking structure are engaged with the inside and outside, respectively, of the article as illustrated in Figure 3, to effect the desired masking operation. When the sections I8 and II are in this position the annular portions 50 and respectively, of the section I l are in ressure sealing engagement with the outside of the article adjacent opposite ends thereof, and the peripheral portions 52 and 53, respectively, of the section [0 are in pressure sealing engagement with the inside of the article, hence a vacuum is created at 60 between the outer section II and the outside of' the article, and a vacuum is created at 6| between the inner section In and the inside of the article. As a result, the sections I0 and H of the masking structure tightly engage the inside and outside of the article from one end to the other thereof and effectively prevent plating material applied to said ends of the article from contacting or reaching the sides thereof.

The supporting rod or wire 43 closes the passage 42 and is provided at its inner end with a spring pressed electric contact Til for engagement with the outside of the article. At its outer end the wire 43 has a hooked portion H for supporting engagement with a conventional bus bar (not shown) of suitable plating apparatus. Usually this wire 43 is suspended from the bus bar so that the article A will be received within the usual tank (not shown) containing the plating .material.

The spring 2 for the contact H1 may be coner electrical engagement with the outside of the article A.

Due to the connection between the supporting wire 43 and the outer section II of the masking structure and the tight engagement of both sections l0 and I of the masking structure with the article A, it is apparent that the wire 43 is utilized as acommon carrier for the article and the entire masking structure therefor when such elements are suspended by the wire from the bus bar of the plating apparatus.

Sometimes it may be desired to plate the inside of the article A as well as opposite ends thereof Without plating the outside thereof, in which event it is necessary to mask only the outside of the article. Then the inner section II) would not be employed at all. Only the outer section I would be engaged with the outside of the article so that the latter and said outer section may be suspended by the wire 43 from the bus bar to permit plating material within the tank of the plating apparatus to contact the inside and opposite ends of the article. The outer section H would effectively prevent such plating material from contacting the outside of the article.

Likewise the outside of the article as well as opposite ends thereof may be plated while the inside of such article is masked by the inner section [0.

If painting instead of plating operations are employed, then the wire 43 may in each instance be used merely as a support or hanger for the masking structure and the article carried thereby without being utilized as an electrical conductor from a bus bar. In fact, the boss alone or he knob 22 alone may then be used by the operator as a means by which the sections of the masking structure and the article carried thereby may be supported during such painting operations.

Thus, from the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided an eflicient masking structure that has quite universal use during either painting or plating operations to protect one or more parts of the article to be painted or plated.

By referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the masking elements It) and II have cooperating beveled portions 80 and BI for directing paint or plating material toward the end portions l4 and I5 respectively of the annular member A. The beveled portions 80 of the masking element I 0 are upon opposite sides of and incline toward the groove 2|, and are alternately engageable with opposite edges of the annular member A to facilitate insertion of the body 20 endwise into the annular member. The beveled portions 8| of the masking element II are upon opposite sides of and incline toward the groove 4!, and are alternately engageable with opposite edges of the annular member A to facilitate movement of the masking element ll onto the exterior of the annular member A. It will also be noted that the knob 22 of the masking element ID has an axially extending passage 82 for the reception of a supporting wire or hanger (not shown). The body portion 23 of the masking element II] is provided from its lower end to the passage 82 with an axially extending socket 83 that is adapted to receive the lower end portion (not shown) of a supporting wire or hanger for the masking element It], and to permit sufficient contraction of the body portion 20 for proper insertion of the peripheral portions 52 and 53 respectively of the body into the annular member for sealing engagement with the inner surface thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member from paint or plating material applied to other portions of said member, comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilient material and adapted to be 40 sleeved upon said annular member to substantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body being provided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted to cooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create a vacuum and having beveled portions upon opposite sides of and inclining toward said groove, said beveled portions bein alternately engageable with opposite edges of the annular member to facilitate sleeving of the body upon the annular member, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside of and adapted to be stretched upon said annular member so that the annular portions of the body between said beveled portions and groove will have pressure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annular member.

2. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member from paint or plating material applied to other portions of said member, comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilient material and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member to substantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body being provided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted to cooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create a vacuum, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside of and adapted to be stretched upon said annular member so that the portions of the body upon opposite sides of said groove will have pressure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annular memher.

3. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member from paint or plating material applied to other portions of said member, comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilient material and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member to substantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body being provided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted to cooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create a vacuum and having beveled portions upon opposite sides of and-inclining toward said groove, said beveled portions being alternately engageable with opposite edges of the annular member to facilitate sleeving of the body upon the annular member, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside of and adapted to be stretched upon aid annular member so that the annular portions of the body between said beveled portions and groove will have pressure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annular member, said body being provided at the outer side thereof with a radially projecting portion, and means for conducting an electric current radially through the masking element to the annular member, including a support for both the masking element and annular member extending lengthwise of said radially projecting portion and having a hook-shaped portion engageable with a bus bar.

4. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member from paint or plating material applied to other portions of said member, comprisin a masking element having an annular body of resilient material and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member to substantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body being provided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted to cooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create a vacuum, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside of and adapted to be stretched upon said annular member so that the portions of the body upon opposite sides of said groove will have pressure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annular member, said body being provided at the outer side thereof with a radially projecting portion, and means for conducting an electric current radially through the masking element to the annular member, including a support for both the masking element and annular member extending lengthwise of said radially projecting portion and having a hook-shaped portion engageable with a bus bar.

5. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member from paint or plating material applied to other portions of said member, comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilient material and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member to substantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body being provided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted to cooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create a vacuum, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside of and adapted to be stretched upon said annular member so that the portions of the body upon opposite sides of said groove will have pressure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annular member, and a common support for the masking element and annular member including an electrical conductor extending radially through said masking element and provided within the concave groove aforesaid with means for establishing an electrical connection with said annular member.

6. Means for protecting the outer surface of an annular member from paint or plating material applied to other portions of said member, comprising a masking element having an annular body of resilient material and adapted to be sleeved upon said annular member to substantially cover the outer surface thereof, said annular body being provided in its inner face with an annular concave groove adapted to cooperate with the outer surface of the annular member to create a vacuum and having beveled portions upon opposite sides of and inclining toward said groove, said beveled portions being alternately engageable with opposite edges of the annular member to facilitate sleeving of the body upon the annular member, said body being slightly undersize relative to the outside of and adapted to be stretch'ed upon said annular member so that the annular portions of the body between said beveled portions and groove will have pres sure sealing engagement with the outer surface of said annular member, and a common support for the masking element and annular member including an electrical conductor extending radially through said masking element and provided within the concave groove aforesaid with means for establishing an electrical connection with said annular member.

JAMES EDWARD DUGGAN.