[1]Patented Apr. 30, 1929.' lt7lOX3 UNITEID: STATES PATENT OFFICE. ZoMq iK. SULLIVAN, OF ST. LOUXS, IKISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WROUGHT IWN RANGN CO"ANT, OP ST.@ LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 03r IKIBSOURI, APPAIIATUS FOR ENAMELING. Applic 0. ation.iled August 5,1925. Serial N' 48,197. ,/This inveiition relates genera,lly to appara;@ tus for enaraeling, and particularly to an apPoLratus for ap@lying the liquid vitr@ous coinposition to the articles -to -be enameled, the 5 main object of the invention being to provide a means whereby the ipplication and drying Of the vitreou@ coippositiolni -may be accomplished in a co4tin@ous operation. Prior io this invention vaffous for'ms of ap-10, far niu@ have been provided distributing,the qU,d enamel on articl'es to be enameled. The 6ommen practice was to spray the articles with thecom 't'on, a'.though a inechanism.of-my improved apparatus, said 55 view being ttiken transversely of the apparatus. . Fig. III is a fragmen!@ry p@un view, of tho iiaechanism at the work rece iving end of the apparatus. so Fig. IV is a fragmentary vertical section of a modified form of my invention. Fig. V is a cross'section. on line'V-V of Fig. 1. In the dra7(@ngs, A.designates M'y improved es apparatus, which comprises a spraying booth posi I ttimes,par-,Bandadryin(rtunneiC. Thesprayingbooth !ularl he..case of the ground coat, said tii v in t 15,, compcoition was applied by dipping the arti-, cles in a ve&qel containing a body of said composition. Both of the methods mentioned and all other methods with which-I am familiar involve t-he continual manual handling of the 20 articles', as iA th@ caq-e of the,spraying method t'he articles have to be set up in a booth and man-Lialiy sprayled, while in tUe case of the dipping rftethod the E@rticles are manu'ally dipped. After the compositibn has been either of the methods referred to it was necessary 'to trknsport said articles to a drying room:where the composition w6uld b@6 properly dr.ied, after which the final bilkingopera3o tionwouldbeperformed. Theapparatusand Method discloc-(4 in the present application provide means whereby the articles are iprayed ind the composition dried in a contilluouf; opeiratiion, said articles being placed 35 ilR the apparatus at one -of its ends and being sprayed and dried durinc, their pas age through said apparatus, so t ,!, ithat 'When they ha:ve @ompl6ted[ a passage through the at - pa iatus said artides are ready for the ba ing 40 'o eration'. p With @iho" foregoing and other objects in view, the invt!ntion comprises@the novel cont' 1 ation -and arrangen-ient of true ion, i@omb n patts heteiiiafter -more sipecifi'cally described 46 and illustrated in the acec@inpanying @trawillo@o, wher6in ig show4 the preferred P-mbodim.ent of the- inven@tion. However, it 'is to be ,@Uir identood i,40L the invention comprehen'ds iii6os, variitions and modifications which -":Cme within tht scope of tht, claiibs hereunto appended. B is arran, cred atone en d of the drying tunnel C and the interior of ' said spraying.b6oth is in communication with the interior of said dry-: To ing tunnel, thiough the medium of an &per@ure I formed--in a wall of sai , d spraying booth. The spraying booth preferably comprises a voitically arranged sheet metal hpusing 2 having a.lio@per-shaped bottom wall 3, and 75 loi@ated below said housing 2 is a tube 4 which proviaes a means of communication between the interior of the housing 2 and the interior Pi-g. I is a vertical section of my i'mproved booth a. simil@r sheet metal housing 8 is pro; ent ling apparatus. -ided, there being-a curved sheet of,metal 8 Fii.l II is a vertical section of the spraying associated with t..e bdttom wall C' in a manLocated withih the housin- @ is EL receptiacie 6,-'80 said receptacl@ e beino, slidaltly, arranged within said ILousing 5 an beinlr open @,t the top so :that liquid, which passes from the interior of the housing 2 through the tube 4, will fio'W into said: rec6ptacle 6 -(Fig. I). The wajl 6f the 85 spra yili(r.booth B opposite to the wall ihereof - ,vhich i@provided with the aperture 1 is provide d with a 'similar aperture 1', and said aper tures 1 aDd l' are in alinement with eaci@ othe r. 90 The dryino,@ tunnel C of my -mproved appar @tus is in the form of an elongated hous, con iderable lenlyth, said tunnel comprisi no, a sheet metal l@'ott@m-wall C' which ?D exte nds from end- to end of said-tunnel, one 9 5 end of said bottom wall being secured to the spra ying booth B. The upper,,portion of the dr-ving tunnel C at the end thereof which isadj @eentt6thesprayin boothbisformed g ot a curved sbeet of metal 7 which provides loo the sid@ and top walls of a housing T', said e sh et of metal 7, like the bottom wall C', besecured to the spraying booth B. At the in e-n@ of the drying tunnel opposite to the end tkereof Which is adjaceiit to tlle spray@ng lo5 25 pl,,ice@ d on the articles in -,accor(fance with,. of a housing 5 arranged below said housing 2.
[2]2 -1,710,953 ner to produce a housing semi-circular in cross section. The housing 8 is provided with gn end Wall 8a. having an aperture 9 formed therethrough. Intermediate, - of the sheet 6 metal liousings 7' and 8 the dryin(, tunnel C includes, in addition to the bottom wall C', a plurality of inverted U-shaped sti-ips 10, wbich are secured to said botloin wtll C', and a plurality of strips 11 extended lon(yitii(ii10 nally -of said drving ttinnel. 12 desi(@nates a @hect of canvas or @imilar heav@y fabric wliieli is secured to tl-le sbeet metal housings ",7' and 8 and to t,he tippei,inost longituclinil strip 11. The sheet of canvas 12 normall- .y is arraii(red la as shown in Fig, V, that is, with said canvas sheet constituting an invei,ted U-shaped wall which is su,pported by the transverse strips 10 and the longitudin,,tl'strips 11. The sbeet of canvas 12 is providecl with pockets wliieh 20 extend longitudinaily of said sheet of canvas at the side edoes thei-cof, in wliieh pockets elongated rod,,, 7or I)ipes 13 are ,,.rranged, so that said sheet of canvts ivill be dra-",n downwardly and retained in its prol)er 1')osition 25 wben it is in the position ,is slioavn in Fi@ff. V. If desired the sheet of canvas 12 mav be rolled up to gain ,tccess to the interior of the drying tunnel C, the rods or pipes 13 beingd, rofated ancl moved rdly, thus rolling said sheet 30 of eanvas =said rods or pipes 13. 14 designates legs by means of which the spraying booth B aiid dryin(, tunnel C are supported. Arran ,ged transversely of the appai,a,tus in 3ti suitable bea,rin(ys and at tlle work-receivin-end of said apl;aratus is a slitft 15 on which is mounted for rotation a pliirality of grooved pillleys 16. The pulleys 16 ai-e spiced apart from each other longitiidinally 6f the shift 40 15 and saiici shaft and pulleys are (Iriven in a ma.nner wbich will be herein,,ifter set fort,h. ]Located at the ol)posite or disebarge end of the apparatus is a pl-Lir,,tlity of piille,.ys 1.7 which a,re similar in st)ape and size to the piil45 leys 16 referred to, and said piilley@ 17 are alined with said piilleys. 16. Each individuial pulley 17 is rotatablv supported bv a I)iftireated member IS secured to ,tnd capable of pivota-I movement about atransverse pivot 50 19 . Also, each individual pivoted member 18 has associated with it a turnbuckle 20 whereby the ulley IT at the iipper end of p said pivoted member ma.v be adjusted tow,,ird and away from the dryin(-, tiinnel C. Sup55 p@orted b@ the alined pairs of pulleys 16 ,incl 17 is a plurality of endless cables 21, said cables being spa'@ed apart from each other in a transverse dilreatioft with respect to the apparati-is, as shown in Fia 1, and the iipper 6o and lower fligbts of the various cables bein(y arranged in horizontal alinemexit. WI-ien the apparatus is in use the shaft 15 and pulleys 16 are rotated and the upper flights of the endless cables alle driven in the direction 65 indicated by the arrow in Fig. I. The upper flights of the cables 21 pass thi-ough the spi-ayina bootli B ancl drying tuniiel C, said upper flights of s,,i,id cables operating through the apei-titi-es 1, I' aiicl 9, and said upper fli(,Iits of stid c,,tbles I)eing siipported b@, i,oll- 70 ers 2i), ai-riiiged withiii .@ai(I spray'in,,, bootli aiicl di-yin.- tuiiiiel. Also the ionver el flights oT the cable,@ 21 are silpi)ortecl I)y 1-ollers 22' to i'[)e 14. It, is al)t)arent t:lie f@)i-egoiii(, tliit ili(, lioi-izoiitally 75 @il.iiicd iipl)ei- flio'Iits of tllo (-al)lcs 21 form a tr,@,voling bed on ia-bieli the artiel(,s to be ciiiiiielecl itiav be 1)'I,,iced to catise s,,ii(I al-ticles to inoi-e tbi-oiicrli the al)p:il-atils. It, is also plain that the endless cables @iiay I)e individ- so iially tightened bv manil)ul',Itin(' the ttirnI)ti(,I@les 20, S,,ipl)orted upon the spraying bootli B is a vei-tically arringecl stil.)porting i-neniber 23 provided witli bearir),(Ys 24 in which a perpen7 85 diciil,,i,r tiibe 2r) is i-otatably arranged, the I.oiier portion of said perpe'diciilar tiibe ben iii- extend('d tliroiigh In aperture in the top wall of the sl)rayinc, booth B. Tlle tube 25 h,,is fixed to it t bevel gear 26, which meshes go with a smaller bevel -ear 27 motinted on a liorizontal shaft 28. The sliaft 28 is. also pi-ovided with -i conical piilley 29. Arranged it the til,)per end of the supl)orting member 23 is a hot-izontg,l shaft 30 on wbich is moiinted a 01) conical 1)ulley 31 similar to and in vertical alin(,.ment with the coiiical pulley 29. The sb,.ift 30 is also provided with an oi,diniry piillev 32 over whicli a drivina _ belt 33 operates. A second driving belt 34 opei,ates over 100 the conical plilloys 29 and 31 Nvherebv inotion ivliieb is transmitted to the sh,,Ift @O by the belt 33 -will in tiirn be tr(insmitted to the sbaft 28 ind bevel t@ear 27. tbus rot.,tt,ing the tube 25 through the niedium of @the - bevel 105 (year 26. Fixed to the perpendiciilar tiil-w 25 adi@icent to its lower end is a colltr 25' provided with horizontally ai,l,allged arms 35 in the forin of rods, and fixed to the arms 35 at the 110 outer ends thereof ai-e spraying devices 36. The collar 25' is fixed to tile tube 25 by illeans of a set screw 25a, iind sa;id collar is'eapable of being moi,ed vertically of said tube and being fi@ed in variotis positions thereon. The 115 spraling devices 36 con-iprise vertically ari-an@@ed conductors 37 at the lower ends of which ordinary spraving nozzles 38 are provided. Assoei'ated with'ihe sprayina devices 36 are claml)s 39 whicli are located .tt the 120 upper ends of the conductors. 37 Ind encii-cle the arms 35. The clamps 39 are in the forill of split members provided with bolts 40 adapted to draw the free ends of said split members to ther, so that said clamps may 125 ge be caused to frictionally grip the arms 35. Because of the pi,esence' of t,lie clin-il)s 39 it 's ftpparent that the spraling devices may be ' ad usted toward and aw@y from the perpend . icular tube 25, it being p'lain also that said ISO
[3]1,710,963 spr;aying device8i may be fixed -,,in vanous. positions on the arms U by'mer'@ly ciusing the clamps to grip said arms' 41 desi@,,nates a conductor wliieh is arranged within thA perpendicular tube. 25. The condiictor 41 is of 'Considei-ably less diameter than the ttibe 25, so that in an'nular-space 42 is pioduced betwe@n the otiter face of the condiietor 41 and the inner face of the tube 10 25 (Fig. 11).' The upp@r end of th@ conductor 41 is extendedinto a stationary hollow mernber 43 formihg a @art of the su@poi-tin(P member 23, and said upper eDd of'said conductor 41 is rotatable within saidstatioiiary 15 hollow meinber 43 The low eir end portion of said conduqtof 41 6xtends downwardly beyond the lower end of the-perpendicular tube 25, and a T-fittin-o, 44 is secured.. to said conductor 41.at the I'Ower end thereof. 45 d(@s20 ignates flexibl@ hollo-,(* 'e.onductors which' connect the opposite eiids of th@ Tfitting 44 to the oppositely disposed spraying devices 36 and therebv provide means of com-munication bitwee@ thq interior of the conductor 25 41 a-nd the i@teri6rs of the spr;aying deviceg, thus providing for the passage of fluid ftom said conductor 41 to and through said sprayincf. devices. 46 designates a conduetbr which leads froiii 30 a supply tank S (Fig. 1) to tho pas ageyvay 43' formed through -the stationar-v mpmber 43, said conductor 46 beijig provided with a valve 47 for controlling the passage of fluid throtigh said coriductor. The upper and lower ends of the p6rpendictilar tube 25 are pron,ided with plugs 48 Nvhich are inserted into said upper and lower end8 of said tube to seal same, said plugs being -provided @with cenfral ape@tures througi 40 which the conductor 41 passes, and said,plugs preferabl.y being welded to the perpendidiilar tube 25 and to the conductor 41, so that -,:aid tube and conductor will rotate as a unit. 2 49 desilynates flexible hollow-et)nnectors which .45 C.Xte@@cl from ihe,lower I end portion of the tube 25 to the sprayino, devices 36, said hollow connectors providil@- means of communication between the anhular space 42'within s'aid tul)e 25 and the interi6rs of said sprayiixg deviees. 60 50 desio,,nates a stationary hollow memb,er wbich coi-'nprises a, part 6f the sup@orting, meiiiber 23, said stationary member provided with an annulai pit geway 51 -which is exposed at the fac-P, 6f'the pas'sage-, 55 way ext,eniled throtigh said member., The, an@tilar passagewav 61 is in coinijaun-ication with a passagewai 52 which extiond-,@,! trrlngverselv throu@,,h the wall of the meir,,ber 50, ,incl said passa-e'way 52 receives a 60 53 wbicli is screwed into said'pa'mgia@-way. Formed throiigli the -,.Yall of the iub@ @5 @ it such points tha't they communicate with'the 55 - designates stuffinc, boxes w@i6h provide fluid -tight joints ab@'ve and below the member 50. In the use of my improved apparatus, pow er being tpplied to the shaft 50 and the 70 cables driven in the direction indicated by, tlle arrow in Fig. 1, the articles to be enamele d, are placed on the upper fliglits of the cables at the point iindicated by the reference char" a'cter W in,Fi g. I and said articles pagsed 75 into aiad tlirougli the sprayin- booth B. The niotor M, which is in operati@n, will iran.smit i-otary i-notion to the shaft 30 tlirough the niediti m of the drivin(,y belt 33 and pulley 32, and said inotion will be then traiismitted 80 throug h the n-iediuni of the pulleys 29 and 31 and belt 34 to the bevef gear @7, and from said bevel g6ar 27 to the bevel gear 26. The be,vel gear 26, beinly fixed tb the perl),6ndicular tube 25, -*N,ii'l rotai@ said tube abo'ut its verti- 85 cal axis, and because the spraying devices 36 ar@ carried,by said tube 25 said sprayin de9 vices will likewise--be rotated. The viircous enam elitig coinl)osition is contained.within the tanli:.S and said conaposition will pass 90 throug li the conductor 41 ind through the f exi ble hollow connector-s 45 to the,spraying devices 36., At the same time compr6ssod air will pass through the conductor 53 f rom a suitabl e sotiree and tl,.irou(yli the passa(reway 95 '52 to the annular passageway 51 ' Fr6nl the annula r passageway 51 said,compressed air will pas5 tlirotigli ihe apertures 54 into the annula r space 42 within the tube 25, whence,. - said compressed air passes thibugh the bol- 100 low - flexible conliectors to the spraying devices 36. The compressed air whi6h is forced throug h the nozzles 38 Nihile the apparattis -in operation 'Creates' t strong sif t' is c ion in the. spriiving devices Nvhich for@es the en- 105 arueli ng composition from said nozzles in the form of a fine spray iyl-iieh is deposited on tli6 article s beiiig- treated Is said articles move slowly beneath the rotating ilozzles. It is apparent that because tl-ic set screw 25a may be 110 unscr ewed and the collar 25' moved verticall@ of the ttibe 25, the nozzles may be arranged at the proper distance f rom the articles being enam eled, a also the nozzle@ may be adjusted towa aiid @altay froill the tube 25 as 115 alread y described to 'rovide for enameling article @ of diffeient horizontal dimensions., The thickness of the coat of enai-neling comiti on deposited on the articles is regy0 FtaLt sed by-the speed at whicli the cables travel 120 throug h th(, spraying bobtb, for it is plain that if the passaue of articles is comparatively rapid f'ewer@ rotaiions of the spraying de'vic es vill be made while said articles are. p@issi ng t-hrough'tlie sprayino,.booth than if 125 ssage of said article wer-, l ' r. the pa s e owe Because of the fore(yoinlr I hav@ l@rovided my @ntiular passagewiy 51 is it plut@ality of, imprbved RPPRrafus -v@ith 'means whereby the aperttires 54. said apertures 54 ]being in i row speed of trav-el of the cables may be regulated 65 which extends entirely around the tube 25. said means conaprimn a housin 60 withill 130 9 .9
[4]4 1,710,953 which a pair of spaced apart shafts 61 and 62 are arran d ir of g,,,d.. Feathere on the shaft 61 is a pa 0 ical pulleys 63, and feathered on the shaft 62 is a pa'ir of conical pulleys 64. 65 designates a belt wliieh operates over the oppositely disposed pairs of pulleys 63 ajid 64. 66 designates a levei- pivoted to a statioiiai-y i,o(i 67 at the poiilt indicated by the referc@nce cliii,acter 68, tn(I 69 designates 10 a sinlilal- ]ever pivoted to the stationary rod 67 at tlie point indicated b the reference y charicter 70. The pulleys 63 are rovided p witli liub poi-tions liavincr annular grooves 71 into which pins 72 at the ends of the levers 15 66 and 69 extend. Also, the pulleys 64 are provided Avith hiib portioiis having annular grooves into whicli pins 73 cai-ried by the lei,ers 66 and 69 extend. 74 designates a rotatable rod han,ilio- rifyht and left hand 20 tlii,eads, said rod being stipported witliin the housin- 60 and bein provided witli a hand 9 .wheel ai,i,anged outside of said hotising whereby said rod may be coiiveniently rotated.. Mourited on the thi,eaded 1)ortions of 25 the rod 74 are internally tlireided iueinbei-s 75 which are adapted to travel longitiidinally of the rod 74 when- said rod is rotat6d, one of said inembers 75 being pivotallv connected to the lever 66 aiid the other of sai(i iiiembers 30 beng p ivotallv@ connected to the lever 69. 76 designat@s a motor baving a pinion 77 ass.ociated therewith which mesbes with a i-elatively lar(ye gear wheel 78 on the shaft 61 ,@N'hei-eb.y said shaft 61 inay be rotated by said 35 niotoi,. Mounted on the shaft 62 is a worm 79 wb.icli iiieshes with t -,vorm wheel 80 on the ,,Iiaft 15. When iny improved apparatus is in use rotary.itiotion is transmitted by the iiiotor 76 to the shaft 61 through the medium 40 of the pinion 77 and gear wlieel 78, said i@otarv inotion bein(r transmitted from said shaft 61 to the sliaft 62 by the belt 65 and i'roiii s,,iid slialt 62 to the shaft 15 througli the iiiediiitn 6f the worm 79 aDd worm whe6l 45 80. It is apparent, therefore, that the motor 76 constittites the means for driving the eat)les 21 ard.it is lili:ewise plain that if the liand wheel on the rod 74 were rotated the associated pulley'63 and the associated pult,o ley 64 would be moved toward or aw@y from .eacli otlier, as the case may be, thus increasing or rediicing the diameter of the ciirvatiires at the ends of the belt 65 and thereby i,e&iilatin- the speed of the shaft 15. By rez@, zn 55 feri-iiig to Fig. 11 it will be se'en that the speed of tho spraying rneebanism i-nay also be i-e!.,,zilated by inerely moving the beli 34 Iongitudinally of the conical pulleys 29 and 31. 81 desi(ynates :,- i-eceptacle in which water 60 or other fltiid is conta-ined, and 82 design,i,te,s .i sliaft ai-ringed in siiitable bearin@ts imn-lediately P-bove .9,iid recepttele. Mounted on said shaft 82 is a pltirdlity of rotary briishes 83, there beiiig one brush for each 65 inclividiial, cable 21 and said brushes being so ari@anged that the lower portions thereof are subiiaerged beneath the -water in the receptacle 81 and the periphery of said brushes in contact with the cables 21 as they pass over the pulley 16. In this way any enanieling 7o coiiil)osition which may be adherin to the cables 21 will be brushed therefrom gbefore a nowi,rticle is pl.acedon said cables for passage tlirou(yh the apparattis. Piot,,ti,y inotion is tr,,insinittett to the shaft 82 tliro@gh the medi- 75 un-i of a gear wheel 821, on the shaft 15 which nieshes with a sin,,tller gear wheel 82 b on said shaft 82. To effect the drying of the enan-ieling composition on the articles as said ai'ticles pass so through the dr@in(r ttinnel C I eii-1ploy a housin(y 83 within wh@ich is ,irr,,inged a coil 84 ?D tliroug@i which a heatin(y iiiedium, such as stean-i, is passed to produce heat witliin said b.otisinu 83 85 desi-nates a rotar blower 85 y wliich is utilized to f@'orce air through a condiietor into the housing 83 and through said liousina 83 into ind tl-irough a conductor 86 Nvliieh places the iiiterior of the housing 83 ii-i comniunication with the interior of the 00 drying tuiinel C. IVIlen the apparatus is in use'air is forced through the heate(I ' interior of the liousin- 83, whereby said air is heated., said -,iir tl@en @eing passed throti-h the dr3,ing tunnel C, thus dryincf the enaiiieling com- 95 I)oiind on the articles@passin(y througli said tD di'yiD,@@ tunnel. In Fig. IV I illtistrate a modified form of my invention. This form of the invention is intencled for placing coats of enaii-ieling coii-i- 100 I)osition on both sides of the articles I)eiiig tre,,ited instead of on one side only, as is the case -witli th@e preferred forin of the ini,ention. In the form sbown in Ficr. IV a single endless cable 21' is emploved, and the article '105 being treated, w'liieli is desi(ynated by the reference chara@ter X in Fic,.'IV, is suspended from the tipper fliglit of siid cable by means of a hooli: 81. The means for spraying thetrticles is shoiv,n in Fig. IV is the same as tli'e 110 spraying means illiisfrated in tl-ie preferred form of 'ii-iy in-vrention, except that the tubes 25b, ilstead of being perpendicular as in the pr@ferred constriletion, are horizontilly arranged, and instead of a single sl)rayincr 115 mechanism at one si(le of the article bein.@: treated a pair of s3,nelironotisly opei,ated spraying meebanisms are employed which spray the oppo site faces of the arficles. - I
