US 4,616,782 A · Spray gun carriage assembly having inertial damping and a variable stroke

Abstract

A spray gun carriage assembly is disclosed which provides rapid and accurate reciprocating vertical movement of a spray gun mounted on the assembly, with the stroke of the gun movement being readily adjustable. The spray gun carriage is also movable in two additional axes, i.e., in a horizontal plane. A horizontally extending boom is reciprocated vertically to move the spray gun up and down relative to a workpiece, such as a workpiece being conveyed past the carriage assembly. A first shock absorber mechanism dampens the moment of inertia of the boom, and a second shock absorber mechanism dampens the linear inertia associated with vertical movements of the boom, thus providing for quick and accurate spray gun movements and faster and more efficient spraying. A mechanism is further provided for pivoting spray guns mounted adjacent the end of the boom to yield still further adjustment of spray direction. A quick change flight bar facilitates rapid changeover of the spray guns used with the assembly. The flight bar has a mounting plate which is received on the pivoting mechanism, and has a shaft extending from the plate on which a plurality of spray guns are supported. Changeover from one set of spray guns to another is rapidly accomplished through the simple exchange of flight bars on the pivoting mechanism.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A spray gun carriage assembly comprising:

a base;
a spray gun mount adapted to support at least one spray gun operable to spray a coating upon a workpiece;
reciprocating means connected to said base for reciprocating said spray gun mount along a vertical axis, said reciprocating means accelerating and decelerating said spray gun mount to produce a rotational and a linear inertial force while moving along said vertical axis;
damping means carried by said reciprocating means for damping said rotational and linear inertial forces.

1 more element

A spray gun carriage assembly comprising:

a base,
a spray gun mount adapted to mount at least one spray gun operable to spray a coating upon a workpiece,
an elongated boom having two ends, said spray gun mount being carried by one end of said boom,
a movable boom mount for carrying said boom along a first geometric axis, said boom being pivotally connected to said boom mount for limited rotation of said boom with respect to said boom mount in a plane parallel to said first geometric axis,
reciprocation means for moving said boom mount an adjustable distance along said first geometric axis,
rotational shock absorbing means for damping a rotational inertial force exerted by said boom when said boom is accelerated or decelerated in reciprocation, and
linear shock absorbing means for damping a linear inertial force exerted by said boom and boom mount when said boom is accelerated or decelerated in reciprocation.

4 more elements

A spray gun carriage assembly having three axes of movement, comprising:

a base,
means for moving said base along a first axis in a horizontal plane,
means for moving said base along a second axis in a horizontal plane,
a spray gun mount adapted to support at least one spray gun thereon,
an elongated boom, said spray gun mount being carried on said boom,
elevator means carried by said boom for moving said boom along a third axis in a vertical plane perpendicular to said horizontal plane said boom producing a rotational inertial force and a linear inertial force upon movement with said elevator means along said third axis,
a boom mounting member for mounting said boom to said elevator means, said boom being pivotally connected to said boom mounting member for limited pivotal movement of said boom relative to said boom mounting member in said vertical plane, and
rotational shock absorbing means engaging said elongated boom for damping rotational inertial force exerted by said boom.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Spray gun carriage assembly having inertial damping and a variable stroke

Life of this patent

Spray gun carriage assembly having inertial damping and a variable stroke

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24