Electrostatic painting apparatus

Electrostatic painting apparatus comprising:

• (a) drive means;
• (b) a support mounted for movement at high speed by said drive means, said support carrying
• (i) a sprayer having a predetermined longitudinal axis, said sprayer comprising a paint sprayer nozzle and two distributors adapted to be supplied with pressurized gas, a first distributor being arranged to supply said gas substantially coaxially with the predetermined longitudinal axis of said sprayer and the second distributor being arranged to supply said gas obliquely relative to the predetermined axis of said sprayer, said two distributors being cooperating with one another to form a shaped paint jet, said sprayer further comprising pneumatic valve means for controlling the fluids supplied to said nozzle and means for electrostatically charging the sprayed jet;
• (ii) a paint feed assembly which is mounted on said sprayer and which comprises a pneumatically controlled paint pressure regulator and a valve for discharging said pneumatically controlled pressure regulator;
• (c) an electrical supply for said means for electrostatically charging which comprises a controlled lowvoltage supply and a high-voltage generator connected to said low-voltage supply and adapted to generate a high DC voltage;
• (d) three electrically controlled gas pressure regulators, one for each of said two distributors and one for said paint pressure regulator;
• (e) two electrically controlled pneumatic on/off valves respectively connected to said pneumatic valve means and said discharge valve;
• (f) programmable logic means adapted to distribute electrical control signals to said three electrically controlled gas pressure regulators and said two electrically controlled pneumatic on/off valves in sequences which correspond to predetermined operating sequences;
• (g) a chassis fixedly disposed on said drive means at a position immediately adjacent to a center of the extent of travel of said support on said drive means, said chassis carrying a plurality of members including said high-voltage generator, said three electrically controlled gas regulators and said two electrically controlled pneumatic on/off valves;
• and
• (h) a harness selectively connecting said plurality of members disposed on said chassis to said sprayer and said paint feed assembly mounted on said support, said harness having a length which is substantially equal to the minimum length necessary for movement of said support relative to said chassis for a given horizontal spacing between said chassis and said support.