Method and apparatus for coating plastics bottles
AssigneeGOM International Ltd.
InventorBrian Giles
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of coating a container (1) including a structure defining an aperture comprises the steps of supporting the container (1) by the said structure, causing the container (1) to rotate about an axis thereof, causing the rotating container (1) to translate across the surface of a liquid coating composition (7) a portion of the container being immersed in the composition, and causing the composition to solidify upon the surface of the container. The method is particularly applicable to coating plastics bottles.
Claims8
A method of coating a plastic bottle having a neck defining an aperture, said method comprising the steps of:
- supporting the bottle by the bottle neck;
- rotating the bottle about a horizontal axis;
- passing the horizontally rotating bottle across the upper surface of a bath of liquid coating material such that the bottle skims the surface of the bath of coating material and contact between the bottle and the bath only occurs while the bottle is rotated about a horizontal axis;
- removing the bottle from contact with the surface of the bath;
- and, solidifying the coating material on the surface of the bottle while continuing to rotate the bottle.
Apparatus for coating a plastic bottle having a neck defining an aperture, said apparatus comprising:
- means for engaging the neck and supporting the bottle;
- means for rotating the bottle about a horizontal axis;
- a bath of liquid coating material;
- means for passing the rotating bottle across the upper surface of the bath as it rotates about a horizontal axis so as to skim the upper surface of said bath, contact between the bottle and the bath only occurring while the bottle is rotated about its horizontal axis;
- means to remove the bottle from contact with said bath;
- and, means to rotate the bottle after it has been removed from said bath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.