US 5,268,849 A · Process and apparatus for dispensing liquid colorants into a paint can, and quality control therefor

Abstract

An automated paint-batching system for producing paint cans of any size and color. The system includes a plurality of paint-batching cells, with each cell having a machine comprised of either one or two dispensing stations. When two dispensing stations are used, the two dispensing stations are: A first tint-station, where a small volumetric dispensing of the base, water-base or oil-base, of the paint is dispensed, in order to wet the bottom of the can, at which first station, thereafter, is dispensed all of the liquid colorants making up the formula of the paint can, at which the remainder of the base of the formula of the paint is dispensed, and a second base-dispensing station. Each of the first and second stations of the paint-batching machine of the invention has operatively associated therewith a weighing platform upon which rests the paint can during the dispensing at the respective station used in quality-control weighing of each dispensing. When only one dispensing station is used, all of the above-steps are performed at the one station. Each paint can has attached to it a bar-code label which represents a relocatable memory-address of the computer which stores the color-formula for that can and other infromation. The computer operating system controls the guidance of the particular paint can along its conveyance, so that the paint can is designated to one of a plurality of paint-batching cells of the system of the invention, with the bar-code of the paint can being read at a plurality of stations along the entire manufacturing process.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An automated system for formulating and batching paint into paint cans comprising:

a storage area for empty paint cans for use in the automated system;
a first conveying means for conveying the empty paint cans from said storage area;
a bar-code label-printer for placing bar-code on a label having information unique to the paint can, which bar-code represents memory-address storing therein the color-formula for the contents of the respective paint can, said first means conveying the respective paint can to said bar-code label-printer;
a second conveying means for conveying the paint can from the bar-code label-printer to a paint-batching apparatus location;
a third conveying means for conveying the respective paint can from said second conveying means to a paint-batching cell;
a plurality of paint-batching cells for dispensing liquid ingredients therein, said third conveying means conveying the respective paint can thereto;
and
a fourth conveying means for conveying a finished paint can from said paint-batching cells to an output lane for subsequent inventorying;
said third conveying means comprising gate means for diverting a respective paint can to a chosen one of said plurality of paint-batching cells;
and a bar-code reading station positioned downstream of said bar-code label-printer for reading the bar-code on the respective can;
and control means responsive to said bar-code reading station for controlling and setting said gate means of said third conveying means for directing the respective paint can to a chosen one of said plurality of cells.

8 more elements

A method of automating the production of paint in paint cans, comprising:

(a) placing an order for a paint can of specified size and paint-color at a remote location;
(b) communicating the order from said step (a) in representative digital format to a computer of a central order-processing location;
(c) assigning a memory-address location in the central computer to that order and storing the information in that memory-address;
(d) sending the information in the memory-address of said step (c) as an order-request from the central order-processing computer to a paint-batching operations-control system computer to initiate the production of that paint can with paint-color formula;
(e) said operations-control system computer thereafter instructing a bar-code printer-station to attach bar-code information on an empty paint can representing in bar-code format said information in said memory-address location from said step (c);
(f) conveying an empty paint can of required size to the bar-code printer-station;
(g) emplacing the bar-code on the empty paint transported to the bar-code printer-station by said step (f);
(h) conveying the empty paint can from the bar-code printer-station to a bar-code reader-station;
(i) thereafter, reading the bar-code information emplaced during said step (g) at the bar-code reader-station;
(j) inputting the reading from said step (i) to said operations-control system computer;
and
(k) conveying the empty paint can from said bar-code reader-station to one of a plurality of paint-batching cells;
said step (k) being controlled by said operations-control system computer, and comprising choosing said one cell of the plurality of cells to which that empty paint is to be conveyed.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process and apparatus for dispensing liquid colorants into a paint can, and quality control therefor

Life of this patent

Process and apparatus for dispensing liquid colorants into a paint can, and quality control therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21