US3253575A - Apparatus for applying a getter material - Google Patents

Description

y 1966 J. .1. MASON 3,253,575

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A GETTER MATERIAL Filed May 15, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 GETI'ER M ATER\ A L.

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y 1966 J. J. MASON 3,253,575

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A GETTER MATERIAL Filed May 15, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4. 26

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APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A GETTER MATERIAL Filed May 15, 1961 5 Sheets-Sh et 5 FEG. 8.

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United States V Patent 3,253,575 APFARATUS FQR APPLYING A GE'I'IER MATERIAL Juiien J. Mason, West Caldwell, NJ, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a cor-- poration of Pennsylvania Filed May 15, 1961, Ser. No. 114L922 3 Saints. (Cl. 118-241) The present invention relates to the manufacture of incandescent lamps and discharge devices and, more particularly, to an improved apparatus for applying a getter material to the parts of a mount for such lamps and devices.

Heretofore a chemical clean-up agent or getter material has been applied to selected portions of the lead wires of a lamp mount by apparatus of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,636,472, issued April 28, 1953, to P. Vargo et al. This conventional apparatus is complicated in structure, has many moving parts and is ditiicult and expensive to maintain in proper operating condition. In addition, during the dipping of the metal fingers into the spoon and during the transfer of the dipped fingers ads jacent the lead wires, getter material (similar to the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,449,786, issued September 21, 1948, to G. H. Lockwood et al.) splatters over the filament mount machine which is of the type shown in US. Patent No. 1,733,881, issued October 29, 1929, to G. Illingsworth. As a result the dried zirconium metal (a pyrophoric material) in the getter material on the mount machine presents a fire hazard. Further, prior to its evaporation the amyl acetate in the getter material presents an irritating vapor for inhalation thereof by the operators.

When an increased quantity of the above-mentioned patented getter material is applied to the lead wires of a mount for a silica coated incandescent lamp (of the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,922,065, issued January 19, 1960, to G. Meister et al.) to prevent a Water cycle in such lamps, the above-described splattering and dripping is amplified by the increased load of getter material which the conventional apparatus must then pick up, transfer and apply. Further, evaporation of the vehicle or liquid binder utilized in the getter material suspension from the open getter cup of the conventional apparatus presents the difificult problem of viscosity control of the getter material suspension in such cup.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing, and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices, by the provision of an apparatus for applying getter material to a selected portion of an electrode mount for an incandescent lamp or a discharge device, which apparatus is simple in structure, has few moving parts and is easy and economical to maintain.

Another object of the present invention is an improved apparatus for applying getter material to selected portions of an electrode mount, which apparatus substantially eliminates splattering and dripping of the getter material on the associated apparatus and prevents the evaporation of the vehicle in the getter material from its container.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus for applying getter material, which apparatus substantially eliminates the creation of pyrophoric residues on the adjacent areas and prevents the liberation of vapors which are irritating to the operators.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus for applying a getter material, which apparatus controls the size of the aperture or apertures through which the getter material flows and provides a pressure head behind the getter material to insure proper flow of the getter material through such aperture or apertures.

Patented May 31, 1966 The improved apparatus of the present invention for applying a getter material to a selected portion of an electrode mount comprises containing means for containing the getter material and for preventing evaporation of the binder in the getter material, porous resilient dauber means disposed in one end of the containing means and adapted to be saturated by the getter material, and drive means operatively associated with the containing means and the electrode mount for causing relative movement therebetween so that the selected portion engages the saturated dauber means and is coated thereby.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view, partially in section, of the improved apparatus for applying a getter material to the lead wires of a lamp mount at a getter applying station of a conventional filament mounting machine;

FIG. 2 is a vertical-sectional view along the line IIII of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a side-elevational view of a completed lamp mount;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical-sectional View similar to a view along the line IVlV of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows but showing the getter applying means and lead wire back-up means in the getter applying position;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal-sectional view along the line VV of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the applicators of the getter material;

FIG. 7 is a vertical-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the applicator;

FIG. 8 is a vertical-sectional view along the line VIII VIII of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a vertical-sectional view along the line IX,

IX of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is a vertical-sectional view along the line X X of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows.

Although the apparatus of the present invention is broadly applicable to the manufacture of incandescent lamps and discharge devices, the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the manufacture of incandescent lamps and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

With specific reference to the form of the present invention, and referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a. frame of a conventional filament mounting machine (of the type shown in the above-mentioned US. Patent No. 1,733,881) is indicated generally by the reference numeralZtl.

As shown in FIGS. '1 and 2, an electrode mount, such as a lamp mount 22 (FIGS. 1-5), is carried by a mount holder 24 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the filament mounting machine and has completed its index into the getter applying station of such filament mounting machine. In order to provide lead wire back-up mean for preventing deformation of the selected portions of lead wires 26 (FIGS. 1-5) and 28 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) during the getter applying operation,.a back-up plate 30 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) is mounted on a bar 32 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) in registry with such selected portions of the lead wires 26 and 28. The bar 32, in turn, is mounted in bearings 34 (FIG. 1) and is secured therein in the desired adjusted position by screws 36 (FIG. 1), the bearings 34 being mounted on a bracket 38 (FIG. 1) carried by a slide 40 (FIG. 1), which slide 49 is reciprocable in a bracket 42 (FIG. 1) upstanding from the frame 20. The drive means for the slide 40 comprises (as shown in FIG. 1), a link 44, a bell crank lever 46 and a connecting rod 48, which rod 48 is driven by a conventional lever and cam means (not shown). A getterapplying means of the present invention shown in the left-hand portion of FIG. 1 and also shown in FIG. 2 is disposed in registry with the selected portions of the lead wires 26 and 28 and also with the back-up plate 30'.

Getter applying means This getter applying means has a pair of getter applicators 50 (FIGS. 1-2 and 4-6) with each applicator 50 being removably mounted by means of spring clips 52 (FIGS. 12 and 4-5) on a bracket 38 carried by a.

slide 40'. This slide 40' (like the slide 40) is similarly driven by a link 44', bell crank lever 46, connecting rod 48' etc. in the same manner as the slide 40 to cause relative movement between the filament mount 22 and the getter applying means.

Eachof these getter applicators 50 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4-6) has a containing means, such as a generally tubular container 54 (FIGS. 1 and 4-6), having a removable closure means, such as a stopper 56 (FIG. 1) in one end to contain the getter suspension or material 58 (FIGS. 4 and and to permit facile cleaning of such container 54. Each container 54 also has a flattened generally elliptical end 60 (FIGS. 1 and 46) adapted .to receive a dauber means, such as a resilient porous getter applicator pad or dauber 62 (FIGS. 2 and 4-6). Each dauber 62 is adapted to be saturated by the getter material 58. To provide stop means in each container 54 for the dauber 62, three rivets 64 (FIGS. 1 and 4-6) extend through the rearward portions of the flattened end 60. Retaining means for each dauber 62, such as the L-shaped brackets 66 (FIGS. 1 and 4-6), are mounted on the flattened end 60 to retain the dauber 62 within such flattened end 60 and are biased slightly against the rivets 64. In order to provide a clearance aperture for support wires 68 (FIGS. 1 and 35) of the filament mount 22, the brackets 66 are horizontally slotted at 70. So that the lead wires 26 and 28 may be received in and engaged by the daubers 62, the flattened end 60 of each container 54 is provided with vertically aligned receiving slots '72 (FIGS. 4-6).

The getter material 58 has metallic particles suspended in a liquid binder. The proportions of the ingredients in the getter material 58 which have been found suitable for the purpose are approximately as follows:

Zirconium metal powder (325 mesh; 44 micron max.

O.D.) grams 54 Aluminum metal powder (400 mesh; 32 micron max.

O.D.) grams l2 Nitrocellulose lacquer (a solution of nitrocellulose in amyl acetate) cc 94 Cellosolve acetate cc 46 Cellosolve is a trade name for ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, manufactured by Carbide and Carbon Chemical Co., a division of Union Carbide and Carbon Corp, New York, N.Y. This Cellosolve acetate has a slower rate of evaporation than the amyl acetate thereby retarding drying of the getter material on the daubers 62.

The means utilized to agitate the getter material 58 Within each container 54 and thus prevent settling out of the suspended metal particles, comprises spherical balls 74 (FIGS. 4 and 5) which balls.74 roll back and forth in the getter material 58 during the reciprocating movement of each getter applicator 50 between the retracted position (FIG. 1) and the getter applying position (FIGS. 4 and 5).

In order to prevent the filtering out of the zirconium and aluminum metal particles by the dauber 62 and to prevent the daubers 62 from becoming clogged with metal particles, the apertures 75 (FIGS. 46) extending through Each dauber 62 is formed of a sponge-like material similar to the polyurethane of the type designed Nopco foam type R by the Nopco Chemical Co., Plastics Division, North Arlington, New Jersey.

After the filament mount 22 indexes into the getter applying station, the back-up plate 30 and getter applicators 50 are simultaneously moved from the positions show-n in FIG. 1 toward the lead wires 26 and 28 (through a distance d and d respectively) to the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 where the support wires 68 have entered the clearance slots 76' and the selected portions of the lead wires 26 and 28 have been received in the resilient dauber 62 and in the receiving slots 72, thus applying a coating of getter material 58 to such selected portions of the lead wires 26 and 28. Thereafter the getter applicators 50 and back-up plate 30 are retracted to the position shown in FIG. 1 and the nowgettered filament mount 22 is indexed out of the getter applying station.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art (from the above description of the improved apparatus) that an improved method is also provided, which improved method comprises the steps of containing the getter material 58 to prevent evaporation of the binder in the getter material 58, saturating the resilient porous daubers 62 with the contained getter material 58, and causing relative move? ment between the selected portions of the lead wires-26 and 28 and the saturated porous daubers 62 to cause such selected portions to engage the daubers .62 thus applying the getter material 58 to the selected portions. This improved method is carried out either by hand or the abovedescribed apparatus or other apparatus.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to further minimize the danger of clogging a dauber 62a; to insure a continuing supply of getter material 58 to the dauber 62a; and to provide a head pressure behind each such dauber 62a; a tubular container 54a is provided with a reservoir means, such as the reservoir portion 78. In addition, control means are provided within the tubular container 54a for compressing the dauber 62a against a cap 80 (FIGS. 7 and 8) as required to slightly close apertures 75a in the dauber 62a (if such apertures 75a are oversized) and thus prevent the getter material 58 from dripping out of the dauber 62a. This control means has a perforated disc 82 (FIGS. 7, 8 and 10) having apertures 84' therein (FIGS. 7 and 10) and connected by a piston rod 84 to a sealing disc 86 (provided with an O- ring 88, FIGS. 7 and 8). As a portion of the drive means for the piston 84 and the discs 82 and 86 a threaded end 90 of the rod 84 projects from the disc 86 and is threadable in a sleeve 92. This sleeve 92 (FIGS, 7-9) is rotatable in the tubular container 54a and is retained therein against longitudinal movement with respect to the tubular container 54a by a slotted retaining collar 94. The retaining collar 94 (FIGS. 7-9) is inserted into a slot 96 (FIG. 9) in the tubular container 54a and engages an annular groove 98 (FIGS. 7-9) in the sleeve 92 to retain the latter'in the desired fixed position with respect to the tubular container 54a. Removal of the retaining collar 94 from the slot 96 and the groove 98 permits removal of the above-described control means for purposes of cleaning the tubular container 54a and for the replacement of the dauber 62a. To facilitate rotation of the sleeve 92 and the reciprocable movement of the perforated disc 82 to compress or to release the dauber 62a, the sleeve 92 is provided with-a knurled portion 100.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved apparatus for applying getter material to selected parts of an electrode mount.

This improved apparatus is simple in structure, has few dues thereon. Further, such improved apparatus prevents the evaporation of the vehicle or binder in the getter material thus preventing liberation of irritating vapors therefrom, which vapors are deleterious to the operators.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying a getter material to a selected portion of an electrode mount, said getter material having metallic particles suspended in a liquid binder, said apparatus comprising containing means for containing the getter material and for preventing evaporation of said binder, said containing means being provided at one end with a removable closure means to provide access to the interior of said containing means, reservoir means connected to said containing means for supplying getter material thereto, for further preventing clogging of said dauber means and for providing a pressure head for the getter material in said containing means, agitating means Within said containing means for preventing settling out of said metallic particles from the binder in said suspension, porous resilient dauber means disposed in the other end of said containing means and adapted to be saturated by said getter material, said dauber means being provided with openings therethrough which are larger than themaximum particle size of said metallic particles to prevent clogging of said dauber means, control means disposed adjacent said dauber means for controlling the size of said openings and the rate of the flow of said getter material through said openings, stop means extending through said containing means for positioning said dauber means in said containing means, retaining means on said containing means for retaining said dauber means in said containing means, said containing means and said retaining means being provided with clearance means for receiving said electrode mount and for permitting said selected portion which is to be coated to engage the saturated dauber means, back-up means for supporting said selected portion during the getter applying operation, and drive means operatively associated with said containing'means and said electrode mount for causing relative movement therebetween so that said selected portion engages the saturated dauber means and is coated thereby.

2. Apparatus for applying a getter material to a selected portion of an electrode mount, said getter material having metallic particles suspended in a liquid binder, said apparatus comprising:

(a) containing means for containing said getter material and for preventing evaporation of said binder, said containing means having an open end;

(b) resilient dauber means disposed in said open end of said containing means and in contact with said getter material therein, said dauber means adapted to be saturated by said getter material and having provided therethrough pores of sufficient size to pass said metallic particles of said getter material;

(c) drive means operatively associated with said con taining means and said electrode mount to move said saturated dauber means into contact with said selected portion of said electrode mount to coat said getter material onto said selected portion of said electrode mount; and

(d) back-up means controlled by said drive means and being moved into contacting relationship with said selected portion of said electrode mount to hold same in position during contact by said dauber means.

3. The apparatus as specified in claim 2, wherein said open end or" said container means is partially closed to partially cover said dauber means and inhibit flow of said getter material therethrou-gh.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 167,473 9/1-875' Rodden 15-510 X 1,989,800 2/1935 Gustin 117-231 X 2,398,888 4/1946 Ford "118-264 X 2,525,997 10/ 1950 Beier 118-220 2,577,132 12/1951 Kivley 118-220 2,747,543 5/1956 Navikas -s 118-264 X 2,947,015 8/1960 Burt 15-541 2,949,3 88 8/1960 Fluornoy et al 117-212 2,964,770 12/1960 Lerner et al. 15-541 2,998,332 8/1961 Osdal 117-212 3,055,328 9/1962 Gothe et al. 1 18-264 X 3,056,998 10/1962 Ebner 15-512 FOREIGN PATENTS 583,995 10/1958 Italy.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. R. D. MARTIN, RICHARD D. NEVIUS, Examiners.

V. E. SULLIVAN, CHARLES A. HAASE, LEON G.

MACHLIN, Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A GETTER MATERIAL TO A SEJECTED PORTION OF AN ELECTRODE MOUNT, SAID GREATER MATERIAL HAVING A METALLIC PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN A LIQUID BINDER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING CONTAINING MEANS FOR CONTAINING THE GETTER MATERIAL AND FOR PREVENTING EVAPORATION OF SAID BINDER, SAID CONTAINING MEANS BEING PROVIDED AT ONE END WITH A REMOVABLE CLOSURE MEANS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINING MEANS, RESERVOIR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTAINING MEANS FOR SUPPLYING GETTER MATERIAL THERETO, FOR FURTHER PREVENTING CLOGGING OF SAID DAUBER MEANS AND FOR PROVIDING A PRESSURE HEAD FOR THE GETTER MATERIAL IN SAID CONTAINING MEANS, AGITATING MEANS WITHIN SAID CONTAINING MEANS FOR PREVENTING SETTLING OUT OF SAID METALLIC PARTCLES FROM THE BINDER IN SAID SUSPENSION, POROUS RESILIENT DAUBER MEANS DISPOSED IN THE OTHER END OF SAID CONTAINING MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE SATURATED BY SAID GETTER MATERIAL, SAID DAUBER MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS THERETHROUGH WHICH ARE LARGER THAN THE MAXIMUM PARTICLE SIZE OF SAID METALLIC PARTICLES TO PREVENT CLOGGING OF SAID DAUBER MEANS, CONTROL MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID DAUBER MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SIZE OF SAID OPENINGS AND THE RATE OF THE FLOW OF SAID GETTER MATERIAL THROUGH SAID OPENINGS, STOP MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CONTAINING MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID DAUBER MEANS IN SAID CONTAINING MEANS, RETAINING MEANS ON SAID CONTAINING MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID DAUBER MEANS IN SAID CONTAINING MEANS, SAID CONTAINING MEANS AND SAID RETAINING MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH CLEARANCE MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID ELECTRODE MOUNT AND FOR PERMITTING SAID SELECTED PORTION WHICH IS TO BE COATED TO ENGAGE THE SATURATED DAUBER MEANS, BACK-UP MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SELECTED PORTION DURING THE GETTER APPLYING OPERATION, AND DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONTAINING MEANS AND SAID ELECTRODE MOUNT FOR CAUSING RELATIVE MOVEMENT THE SATURATED DAUBER MEANS AND IS COATED THEREBY.

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