US3021079A

US3021079A - Apparatus for applying flock

Info

Publication number: US3021079A
Application number: US785945A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cedric C Sovia; Papp Henry
Original assignee: General Mills Inc
Current assignee: General Mills Inc
Priority date: 1959-01-09
Filing date: 1959-01-09
Publication date: 1962-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1979-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1962 c. c. sovlA ETAL 3,021,079

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLocx Filed Jan. 9. 1959 United States Patent 3,021,079 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLOCK Cedric C. Soria, Forest Lake, Minn., and Henry Papp,

Santa Clara, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments,

to General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 785,945 8 Claims. (Cl. 239-306) This invention relates to apparatus and methods of applying fibrous materials to various surfaces. More particularly, it relates to methods and apparatus for mixing and blowing a mixture of adhesive and the fibrous materials to be applied with an adhesive actuator upon a surface to be coated with the fibrous material.

The application of fibrous materials such as llock to various surfaces has conventionally been performed by dissolving an adhesive in water and then first coating the surface to be treated with the aqueous solution, then permitting the same to dry somewhat to acquire a tacky nature, and then blowing the fibrous material upon this tacky surface so that it will adhere thereto. These methods have obvious disadvantages which include, among others, the fact that it is a time consuming, tedious task and it is difficult to apply the material in any appreciable layer thickness without repeated applications with successive drying periods thereinbetween. An even greater disadvantage however, is the tendency which the dissolved adhesive has to clog up the orifices of the spray nozzles through which the dissolved adhesive is applied. Our invention is designed to eliminate these disadvantages and at the same time provide a novel and improved method of applying such materials in a quicker and more effective manner.

It is a general object of our invention to provide a novel and improved method and apparatus for applying flock or similar fibrous material to a surface.

A more specific object is to provide a novel and irnproved spray gun constructed and designed to apply flock or similar fibrous material to a surface by a novel method which inherently effects the application of the flock in an improved and more effective manner than heretofore known.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved method of applying flock and similar fibrous materials to a surface to be coated therewith which method will substantially reduce the cost and time involved in making such applications and will insure a more effective coating of the material on the surface.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved method of applying flock and similar fibrous materials to a surface to be coated therewith which will permit the coating to be built up to a substantial layer of thickness without utilizing intermittent drying periods to accomplish the same.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved applicator for flock and similar fibrous materials which is simple in construction and can be manufactured inexpensively and yet will apply the flock or similar material in a more effective manner than heretofore known.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved method for applying flock and similar fibrous materials to surfaces to be coated therewith which method will result in a more effective mixing of the adhesive with the adhesive actuator and the flock to permit a relatively thick layer of the latter to be built up upon the surface to be coated therewith without intermittent drying and adhesive applying periods thereinbetween.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved flock applicating gun and flock container, each of which can be manufactured inexpensively and which may be 2 connected together cooperatively in an unusually simple and effective manner.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved flock applicating gun, the valves of which are so interrelated that the user is always assured that the adhesive actuator is being discharged whenever the mixture of flock and adhesive is being discharged from the receptacle which contains the flock and adhesive.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of our invention with portions thereof broken away;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the receptacle which we have designed to hold the flock and facilitate attachment and detachment relative to the flock applicating gun;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of our flock applicating gun;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the gun with the flock containing receptacle removed therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 3; v

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the sealing and gun engaging means carried by the flock containing receptacle; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along lines 8 8 of FIG. 2.

The embodiment of our invention that is shown in FIGS. l-8 includes, a receptacle indicated generally by the numeral 10 which is secured to a flock applicator gun indicated generally by the numeral 11 which in turn is connected to a container 12. The invention claimed herein consists of the method and apparatus for applying the 'fibrous materials such as flock to a surface, and is not intended to include claims directed to the unique construction of the receptacle 10. The invention disclosed with respect to the receptacle 10 herein will be claimed in a separate and divisional application.

The receptacle 10 is preferably a bag having wall structure formed of thin flexible heat scalable material 13 such as polyethylene. The particular receptacle 10 which we utilize with my flock applicator gun 11 is provided with an annular thickened resilient portion 14 which is in the nature of an outwardly extending annular rib. This rib 14 may be formed, if desired, in the construction of the bag or, as preferred and as shown herein may be applied to the receptacle 10 by heat sealing such a structure as the thickened por-tion 14 to the wall structure of the bag. This can best be seen by reference to FIG. 7 and 8. A second relatively thick portion which is annular in shape and preferably concentric with the annular rib 14 is designated by the numeral 15 and this thickened portion 15 is likewise heat sealed to the wall structure 13 of the bag. It will be noted by reference to FIG. 8 that there is a relatively thin intermediate portion 16 also heat sealed to the wall structure 13 of the bag and disposed between the thickened annular portion 15 and the thickened annular portion 16. This relatively thin area serves a very useful purpose as will be hereinafter described. It will also be noted that a tab 17 is carried by the thickened portion 15. The purpose of this unique construction is to provide a ready means for opening the receptacle 10 in such a manner that it will not be reusable and will provide a quickly available opening within the annular rib 14, for when the user pulls on the tab 17 the thickened annular portion 15 will tear the relatively thin area 16 to thereby remove all of the wall structure of the bag'within the thickened annular portion 14. This provides the necessary opening for communication between the interior of the receptacle and the interior of the material-conveying branch conduit of the gun 11 which will be hereinafter described.

We have found that we can obviate the disadvantage of clogging of the orifices through which the adhesive actuator is sprayed by mixing the flock well with a powdered adhesive within the receptacle 10 so that each particle of the fiock will carry at least one particle of adhesive and preferably will be dusted on all sides with such adhesive. Thus, when the flock becomes airborne and is carried outwardly from the receptacle 10 it carries with it a certain amount of powdered adhesive which can be activated by water or some other satisfactory liquid.

The container 12 may be an ordinary type container, preferably with a threaded upper end portion adapted to threadedly engage a -cover member indicated generally by the numeral 18. This cover member 18 of the gun 11 carries an air conduit 19 which is adapted to be connected to a source of a strong flow of air. lFor the sake of simplicity and to make my apparatus more readily usable by housewives, We have found ythat the air conduit 19 may be connected by a exible hose such as 20 to the discharge of a vacuum cleaner of a type which is com- Inonly found in modern homes. The vacuum cleaner and the connection thereto has not been shown herein because it does not constitute a part of the invention and because any readily available source of o-w of air may be utilized.

The air conduit 19 has a branch conduit 21 which as shown has a discharge end portion indicated by the numeral 22. A tube 23 extends within the branch conduit 22 and terminates at the discharge end portion as best shown in FIG. 5. This tube 23 extends downwardly through the wall structure of 4the branch conduit 22 and through thecover 18 to a position adjacent the bottom of the container 12 as best shown in FIG. 1. The tube 23 is positioned in this manner so that as the strong ow of air rushes through the air conduit 19 and the branch conduit 22, the water or other adhesive actuator which will be carried in the container 12 will be drawn outwardly through the small ltube 23 and discharged at the discharge end portion 22 whereat it will be bro-ken into ne spray form by the action of the outwardly rushing air through the discharge end portion 22 of the branch conduit 21. It will be noted that -the spray of Water emanatingfrom the tube 23 will be in an unconfined ow. The, air conduit 19 has a second branch which constitutes a material-conveying branch conduit 24. This branch conduit 24 extends parallel to the branch conduit 21V for a major portion of its length and then angles inwardly and terminates in a terminal portion indicated by the numeral 25. It will be noted that this terminal portion 25 is directed in such a way that the flow therefrom will converge with the tlow from the discharge end portion 22 of the'branch conduit 21 and that the ow from each of thesek branch conduits will be unconfined at their point of juncture.

The material-conveying branch conduit 24 has a transversely extending barrier or plug 26 within which Iis a relatively small opening 27 which extends longitudinally of -the branch conduit 24 and gives direction to the flow of the fibrous material such as ock and adhesive after it leavesV the receptacle 10.' The major portion of the air which tiows into the branch conduit 24, however, is directed laterally by a llow directing element such as scoop 28. This scoop 28 as can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 extends laterally to within the contines of the receptacle 1t) and has -its opening directed downwardly and slightly rearwardlyv so as to cause theow of air to be directed toward the bottom of the receptacle 10 and thereby insure that the flock and adhesive will be properly entrained in the dow of air whichis forced through the receptacle. It will be noted that the scoop 2t;v is disposed rearwardly of 4 the barrier 26. The material-conveying conduit 24 is also provided with a material inlet 29 and it will be noted that this inlet is disposed forwardly of the barrier 26. Thus, it can be readily seen that the major portion of the air ilow which enters the material-conveying conduit 24 passes laterally into the receptacle 10 via the scoop 28 and entrains a portion of the flock and adhesive which it carries outwardly with it through the material inlet 29 back into the interior of the material-conveying conduit 24. As it re-enters the material-conveying conduit 24, the flow -is given a directional impetus by the minor portion of the air oW which passes longitudinally of the material-conveying conduit 24 through the opening 27 and thus the airborne dow of tiock and adhesive is carried outwardly longitudinally of the discharge end portion 2S of the branch conduit 24. It will be noted that the ow of flock and adhesive is uncontined after it leaves the discharge end portion 25 and that it remains in this form until it converges with -an intermixes with the flow from the branch conduit 21 at approxim-ately the point indicated by the letter X in FIG. 3.

It will be noted that the material-conveying conduit 24 has a recessed portion 30 which is shaped to conform to the shape of the annular thickened portion 14 of the receptacle 10. The size of this recessed' portion is such that the resilient rib 14 will tit therein in snug frictional engaging relation. It will also be noted that the material carrying branch conduit 24 also supports apair of opstanding sharpened pins 31 and 32 at the upper side of the recessed portion 30. These

pins

31 and 32 are provided to cooperate with

apertures

33 and 34 in a tab portion 35 connected to the rib 14. To apply the receptacle -10 to the gun 11 the user merely pulls the tab 17 and thereby opens the receptacle 10 as hereinbefore described and then inserts the

pins

31 and 32 in the openings 33 and '34 and perforates the sealed oif portion of the bag and then snaps the annular rib or thickened portion 14 into place within the recessed portion 30 of the branch conduit 24. This provides an extremely simple, effective and quick means for positively securing the receptacle 10 in sealed relation to the gun 11.

Each of the

branch conduits

21 and 24 is provided with a slidable valve which interlocks so that the user may always rest assured that the branch conduit 21 has air flowing therethrough whenever air is flowing through the branch conduit 24. The branch conduit 24 is provided with a vertically slidable imperforate valve member 36 which has a laterally extending ear 37 that extends toward the branch conduit 21. Directly opposite to this valve member 36 and extending across the interior of the branch -conduit 21 is a second valve member 38 provided with a laterally extending interengaging ear 39 which as best shown in FIG. 1 overlaps the ear 37 so that whenever the valve 36 is lifted to open the same, the valve 38 must also necessarily be lifted and opened therewith. The valve 38 isl provided with -a by-pass 40 which causes the flow of air to be directed outwardly of the gun through the upper portion of the valve 38 when the valve is closed.

From the above it can be readily seen that We have provided a novel and unusually simple dock applicator which can be manufactured inexpensively and will apply brous materials such as flock in a more effective manner. By mixing the adhesive or glue with the fiock, we insure a more complete mixing thereof and insure that each par ticle of Hock is supplied with a sufficient amount of adhesive to cause the same to adhere to the surface to which it is to be applied. By eliminating the adhesive from the water or liquid normally provided from the container 12, We have completely eliminated the undesirable feature or result which normally is attained when the adhesive is mixed within the adhesive actuator which in this case is water, for in such instances, as hereinbeforedescribed, the oriiices soon become plugged by dried adhesive.

Even more important however, is the fact that through the use of my gun, we acquire a more complete and effecanchova" tive mixing of the ock with the adhesive and the adhesive actuator. It will be noted that the flow of the water spray from the branch conduit 21 is uncontined at the time that it meets the unconiined iiow of the flock and adhesive after it has left the terminal portion of the branch conduit 24. It will also be noted that I am blowing the adhesive and the flock into the ow of water spray rather than the contrary. We have found that by so doing, we attain a more effective mixing of the adhesive with the tiock and the adhesive actuator and insure that each particle of the ock is provided with an ample supply of actuated adhesive so that it will adhere to the surface toward which it is directed by the flow of water spray. With our apparatus it is possible to build up the layer thickness of ock to any desired thickness. This can be accomplished without any drying periods between successive applications of the ock, the entire application being accomplished through a continuous operation.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of our invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-supported, finely divided fibrous materials applicator gun comprising, a liquid container, a conduit mounted on the exterior of said container and adapted to be connected to a source of a rapid ow of air, a branch conduit connected in communicating relation with said air conduit to receive a rapid ow of air therefrom, said branch conduit having a discharge end portion, a tube of relatively small bore extending from the interior of said container into said branch conduit and terminating at the discharge end portion thereof and directed outwardly therefrom whereby the liquid in said container will be drawn outwardly through said tube and discharged in a tine spray ow longitudinally of said branch conduit when such a rapid flow of air iiows therethrough, a material-conveying branch conduit connected in communicating relation with said air conduit to receive a rapid ow of air therefrom and having a terminal portion disposed adjacent the discharge end portion of said iirst mentioned branch conduit and through which the flow of air is discharged and directed in converging relation with the flow of liquid spray from said first mentioned branch conduit, a receptacle containing fibrous materials connected to said material-conveying branch conduit in communicating relation with the interior thereof to permit a portion of the ow of air through said material-conveying branch conduit to pass through said receptacle and thereby entrain a portion of the contents of said receptacle and convey the same to the terminal portion of said material-conveying branch conduit, whereby an airborne ow of such materials will be discharged from said terminal portion of said branch conduit in an unconned iiow into an unconned iiow of liquid spray from the discharge end portion of said iirst mentioned branch conduit.

2. The structure detined in claim l wherein said material-conveying branch conduit is constructed and arranged to direct the major portion of the air iiow therethrough into the interior of said receptacle and a minor portion of the air flow therethrough in by-passing relation to said receptacle to provide improved direction to the airborne flow of such materials through the terminal portion of said material-conveying branch conduit.

3. The structure defined in claim l wherein said material-conveying branch conduit includes a laterally extending iiow-directing element extending into said receptacle and directing a ow of air thereinto, downwardly Within said receptacle and also includes a material inlet by means of which the airborne ow of material may enter said material-conveying branch conduit from said receptacle.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 and a pair of valve elements one each of which is disposed within each of said branch conduits for opening and closing oi said branch conduits to control the ow of air therethrough, saidvalve elements being arranged in interengaging relation to insure that said rst mentioned branch conduit will always be open when said material-conveying branch conduit is open.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 and receptacle engagement means carried by said material-conveying branch conduit for engaging said receptacle and holding the interior of thesame in communicating relationwith the interior of said material-conveying branch conduit.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 and receptacle engagement means carried by said material-conveying branch conduit for engaging said receptacle and holding the interior of the same in communicating relation with the interior of said material-conveying branch conduit, said engagement means including an annularly shaped recessed portion surrounding the areas of communication between said receptacle `and said material-conveying branch conduit.

7. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said terminal portion of said material-conveying conduit branch is disposed laterally and ahead of the discharge end portion of said iirst mentioned branch conduit and is directed into the ow emanating from said discharge end portion, said discharge end portion and said terminal portion being so arranged relative to each other so that the flows emanating therefrom will be unconlined as they meet.

8. In a hand-supported, finely divided fibrous material applicator gun, a cover member adapted to be removably secured to a liquid container, a conduit mounted on the exterior of said cover member and adapted to be connected to a source of a rapid ow of air, a branch conduit connected in communicating relation with said air conduit to receive a rapid flow of air therefrom, said branch conduit having a discharge end portion, a tube of relatively small bore carried by said cover member and extending from the discharge end portion of said branch conduit through said branch conduit and downwardly through said cover member a substantial distance to adapt the same to extend to a position adjacent the bottom of a container when such is connected to said cover member, said tube being directed outwardly at the discharge end portion of said air conduit whereby the liquid from such a container when secured to said cover member will be drawn outwardly through said tube and discharged in a ne spray flow longitudinally of said branch conduit when such a rapid flow of air tiows therethrough, a material-conveying branch conduit connected in communicating relation with said air conduit to receive a rapid flow of air therefrom and having a terminal portion disposed adjacent the discharge end portion of said lirst mentioned branch conduit `and through which the flow of air is discharged and directed in converging relation to the discharge from said first mentioned branch conduit, receptacle engagement means carried by said material-conveying branch conduit for securing a materials receptacle thereto and holding the same with its interior in communicating relation with the interior of said material-conveying branch conduit, and means carried by said material-conveying conduit branch for directing a portion of its air ow through the interior of such a receptacle when the latter is so secured to said material conveying branch conduit by said receptacle engaging means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 808,236 Hahn Dec. 26, 1905 984,254 Akeley Feb. 14, 1911 1,583,918 Dunn May 11, 1926 1,718,507 Wenzel et al. June 25, 1929 1,731,953 Thomson Oct. l5, 1929 2,313,082 MacDonald Mar. 9. 1943 (Other references ou following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Y2,380,827 Downs July 31, 1945 622,961 Germany June 30, 1938 2,460,347 Heuer Feb. 1, 1949 2,462,262 Gusiaisson et a1 2 Feb. 22, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES 2,495,54O Nichols Jan- 24, 1950 5 Flock Finishing, Pari 11i, organic Finishing, Decem- 2,543,517 Anderson Feb. 27, 1951 ber 1952, pages 1g 21 2,757,048 Banner July 31, 1956 2,813,751 Barrett Nov. 19, 1957 2,850,421 1110111155011y Sept. 2, 1958