Conveyor painting system

A painting apparatus for painting objects, comprising:

• an apparatus frame structure;
• an endless conveyor assembly mounted to said frame structure and including a conveyor, said conveyor having a series of incrementally spaced attachment structures thereon configured to secure the objects thereon for painting, said conveyor being movable for moving said attachment structures between consecutive incremental positions along said frame structure in a downstream conveying direction, the distance between consecutive incremental positions being generally equal to an incremental spacing between consecutive attachment structures;
• a painting station including an upwardly open paint reservoir disposed beneath said conveyor and configured to contain a volume of paint therein, and a painting station lift mechanism constructed to move said paint reservoir between (a) a raised position wherein said paint reservoir is raised upwardly to receive therein one of the objects which is in a painting incremental position so as to dispose the object within the volume of paint and (b) a lowered position wherein said paint reservoir is disposed below the vertical extent of the object to thereby allow the object to be conveyed downstream from the painting incremental position;
• and
• a heating station including one or more heaters disposed along said conveyor downstream of said paint reservoir and being constructed to apply heat to one of the objects which is in a heating incremental position.

A washing and painting apparatus for washing and painting objects, comprising:

• an apparatus frame structure;
• an endless conveyor assembly mounted to the frame structure and including a conveyor, the conveyor having a series of incrementally spaced attachment structures thereon configured to secure the objects thereon for washing and painting, the conveyor being movable for moving the attachment structures between consecutive incremental positions along the frame structure in a downstream conveying direction, the distance between consecutive incremental positions being generally equal to an incremental spacing between consecutive attachment structures;
• a washing station including a washing receptacle structure disposed beneath said conveyor and configured to apply a cleaning solution to objects disposed therein, and a washing station lift mechanism constructed to move the washing receptacle structure between (a) a raised position wherein the washing receptacle structure is raised upwardly to receive therein one of the objects which is in a washing incremental position so as to apply the cleaning solution to surfaces of the object and (b) a lowered position wherein the washing receptacle structure is disposed below a vertical extent of the object to thereby allow the object to be conveyed downstream from the washing incremental position;
• a painting station disposed beneath said conveyor downstream of said washing receptacle structure, said paint station being configured to apply paint to one of the objects which is in a painting incremental position;
• and
• a heating station including one or more heaters disposed along said conveyor downstream of said paint reservoir and being constructed to apply heat to one of the objects which is in a heating incremental position.

A painting apparatus for painting objects, comprising:

• an apparatus frame structure;
• an endless conveyor assembly mounted to said frame structure and including a conveyor, said conveyor having a series of incrementally spaced attachment structures thereon configured to secure the objects thereon for washing and painting, said conveyor being movable for moving said attachment structures between consecutive incremental positions along said frame structure in a downstream conveying direction, the distance between consecutive incremental positions being generally equal to an incremental spacing between consecutive attachment structures;
• a painting station including an upwardly open paint reservoir disposed beneath said conveyor and being configured to contain a volume of paint therein, and a mechanism constructed to effect relative vertical movement between one of the objects which is in a painting incremental position and said paint reservoir structure so as to dispose the object within the volume of paint, said painting station including a paint recollection receptacle disposed adjacent said paint reservoir and extending downstream therefrom to a subsequent incremental position and being configured to catch excess paint which drips from objects in the subsequent incremental position, wherein interiors of said paint reservoir and said paint recollection receptacle are separated from one another via at least a wall member, said painting station including a pump mechanism communicated with said interiors of said paint reservoir and said paint recollection receptacle and being constructed to transport the excess paint caught by said recollection receptacle into said paint reservoir.