Method and apparatus for surface treating a workpiece

An apparatus for surface treating workpieces comprising:

• means defining an elongated, substantially horizontal reservoir having an working entrance at one end and a workpiece exit at the opposite end for containing a bed of surface treatment media;
• vibrating means for imparting a vibratory force to the reservoir defining means having at generally horizontal force vector in a direction from the workpiece entrance end to the workpiece exit end thereby causing the workpiece to be conveyed through the reservoir in the direction of the horizontal force vector, and a generally vertical force vector in a direction upwardly of the reservoir to aggitate the workpiece within the bed of surface treatment media;
• and,
• means for passing a gas generally upwardly through the reservoir defining means to fluidize the bed of surface treatment media contained therein.

An apparatus for surface treating workpieces, comprising:

• an elongated housing having a floor, spaced apart generally parallel side walls, and spaced apart generally parallel end walls, one end wall defining the entrance end of the apparatus and the opposite end wall defining the exit end of the apparatus for workpieces moving through the apparatus;
• a foraminous deck located within the housing below the top edges of the housing walls, the foraminous deck having a horizontal upstream length extending generally from the housing end wall at the entrance end of the housing toward the housing end wall at the exit end of the housing and terminating at a predetermined location short of the housing end wall at the exit of the housing, the horizontal upstream deck length being located a sufficient distance below the top edges of the housing walls so that the depth of the bed of treating media above the horizontal deck length is at least as deep as the largest dimension of the articles to be surface treated, and an upwardly inclined deck length extending from the terminating edge of the horizontal deck length to a location proximate the housing end wall at the exit end of the housing:
• a surface treating media reservoir for containing a bed of surface treating media defined by the foraminous deck and portions of the housing walls above the foraminous deck;
• a fluidizing gas plenum defined by the foraminous deck and portions of the housing walls below the foraminous deck;
• and,
• vibrating means for imparting a vibratory force to the housing having a generally horizontal force vector in a direction from the housing end wall at the entrance end of the housing toward the housing end wall at the exit end of the housing for continuously conveying the workpiece through the reservoir in a substantially linear direction from the housing inlet end to the housing outlet end, and a generally vertical component in an upward direction of the housing to aggitate workpieces as they are being conveyed in the housing.