Apparatus for coating items
OwnerHermann P. Weberinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention comprises a method and apparatus for providing a coating to objects such as a lens. A bath of coating solution is provided and the objects are immersed into the solution and removed from the solution at a constantly changing speed. The speed of removal is slower at the top and bottom of the object and faster at the midpoint of the object. Thus the coating is thinner at the top and bottom and thicker at the center (where greater abrasion resistence is required). The slower speed at the removal of the bottom edge of the lens from the solution provides a thin coating and eliminates the formation of coating drip lines and puddles.
Claims9
Apparatus for dip-coating items, said items having a top edge, a central portion, and a bottom edge, said apparatus comprising:
- a rack for supporting a plurality of items to be coated;
- a flexible cord having a first end coupled to said rack and a second end coupled to a rotatable drive means, whereby said rack is suspended above the surface of a volume of coating solution and is coupled to said rotatable drive means;
- said drive means providing rotational movement to said second end of said flexible cord;
- whereby rotation of said drive means causes vertical reciprocal movement of said rack and items to be coated, such that said items are immersed into said coating solution and drawn out of said coating solution with a relatively low velocity as said top edge and said bottom edge exit from said coating solution, and with a higher velocity as the central portion of said items exit from said coating solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.