Modular hood for coating glass containers

A modular apparatus for coating glass articles with a chemical compound, said modular apparatus comprising:

• a first coating hood section (10a) and a second coating hood section (10b);
• each coating hood section including a face that is opposite a front face;
• a series of interconnected walls (12) defining an interior chamber (18, 20a, 20b) having an inlet (32) and an outlet (44), a blower (24) positioned at least partially in the interior chamber (18, 20a, 20b) to carry air from the inlet (32) towards the outlet (44);
• and means (50) for connecting the first coating hood section (10a) to the second coating hood section (10b), said means (50) for connecting being defined on at least one of the interconnected walls (12) of each coating hood section,
• external conduits including a first tube and a second tube (64, 66) that connect to openings in a rear wall (68) of the first coating hood section and the second coating hood section, and
• a divider between a first chamber and a second chamber of each coating hood section;
• wherein the first chamber is adjacent to the second chamber in each coating hood section:
• wherein the inlet (32) and the outlet (44) are disposed on the front face of each coating hood section (10a) that extends in a lengthwise direction between opposing side walls (40, 49) of each coating hood section (10a),
• wherein said connecting means (50) is positioned on each of the opposing side walls (40, 49) of each coating hood section (10a),
• wherein said first coating hood section (10a) and said second coating hood section (10b) are aligned in the lengthwise direction such that one of the opposing side walls (40/49) of said first coating hood section (10a) is abutted against one of the opposing side walls (40/49) of said second hood section (10b), said connecting means (50) on said one of the opposing side walls (40/49) of said first coating hood section (10a) is configured to be releasably and directly connected to said connecting means (50) on said one of the opposing side walls (40/49) of said second coating hood section (10b);
• wherein the first coating hood section and the second coating hood section form a first set of adjacent coating hood sections and are positioned across from a second set of adjacent coating sections comprised by a third coating hood section and a fourth coating hood section;
• said first set of adjacent coating hood sections and said second set of adjacent coating hood sections are spaced apart by a distance defining a path between said first set of adjacent coating hood sections and said second set of adjacent coating hood sections along which the glass articles travel;
• wherein blowers in the modular apparatus are configured such that the chemical compound travels from a first chamber (20b) of the first coating hood section (10a1) the path which the glass articles travel and into a second chamber (20a) of a third coating hood section (10b2) to a first chamber (20b) of the third coating hood section and from the first chamber (20b) of the third coating hood section and across the path which the glass articles travel articles to a second chamber (20a) of the first coating hood section (10a1) through a first tube (66) to a first chamber (20b) of a second coating hood section (10b1) and from the first chamber of second coating hood section across the path which the glass articles travel and into a second chamber (20a) of a fourth coating hood section (10a2) to a first chamber (20b) of the fourth coating hood section (10a2) and from the first chamber of the fourth coating hood section and across the path which the glass articles travel to a second chamber (20a) of the second coating hood section (10b1) through a second tube (64) to the first chamber (20b) of the first coating hood section (10a1).