Apparatus for supplying conductive coating materials including transfer units having a combined shuttle and pumping device

Apparatus for supplying electrically conductive coating material, comprising:

• a manifold connectable to at least one coating dispenser;
• a number of filling stations each connectable to a different source of coating material, and a number of discharge stations connected to said manifold, said filling stations being electrically isolated from said discharge stations;
• a number of coating transfer units each movable between a respective filling station and discharge station, each of said coating transfer units including:
• (i) a shuttle formed with an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway;
• (ii) a pumping device mounted to said shuttle, said pumping device having a hollow interior communicating with said inlet and outlet passageways, a piston head movable within said hollow interior, and a pump rod having a first end connected to said piston head;
• (iii) a first coupling element mounted to said shuttle at said inlet passageway, a second coupling element mounted to said shuttle at said outlet passageway and a third coupling element mounted to the second end of said pump rod;
• said filling station including coupling elements matable with said first and second coupling elements carried by said shuttle, said discharge station including a coupling element matable with said third coupling element mounted to said pump rod.

Apparatus for supplying electrically conductive coating material, comprising:

• a manifold connectable to at least one coating dispenser;
• a number of filling stations each connectable to a different source of coating material, and a number of discharge stations connected to said manifold, said filling stations being electrically isolated from said discharge stations;
• a number of coating transfer units each movable between a respective filling station and discharge station, each of said coating transfer units including:
• (i) a shuttle having a hollow interior closed at opposite ends;
• (ii) a pumping device having a hollow interior, closed at opposite ends, which slidably receives a piston head;
• (iii) a pump shaft formed with a first passageway and a second passageway, said pump shaft extending through said shuttle and being fixed to said opposed ends thereof, said pump shaft slidably extending through said piston head and said opposed ends of said pumping device;
• said pump shaft mounting a first coupling element at one end thereof which connects to said passageway, said first coupling element being matable with a second coupling element located at said filling station which is connected to a source of coating material, said pump shaft mounting a third coupling element at the opposite end thereof which connects to said second passageway, said third coupling element being matable with a fourth coupling element located at said discharge station which is connected to said manifold.

Apparatus for supplying electrically conductive coating material, comprising:

• a manifold connectable to at least one coating dispenser, said manifold including a number of discharge stations;
• a number of filling stations each connected to a different source of coating material, said filling stations being electrically isolated from said discharge stations;
• a number of coating transfer units each including a combined shuttle and pumping device, said pumping device of each combined shuttle and pumping device having a piston head movable within a hollow pump interior formed with an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway;
• a number of fluid cylinders each having a piston connected to said combined shuttle and pumping device of one of said coating transfer units, said fluid cylinders each being operative to extend and retract said piston thereof to move a respective combined shuttle and pumping device between said filling station at which coating material enters said hollow pump interior and said discharge station, said fluid cylinders each exerting a force against said shuttle at said discharge station which causes said piston head to direct coating material out of said hollow pump interior, through said outlet passageway therein and into said manifold.

Apparatus for supplying an electrically conductive coating material, comprising:

• at least one coating dispenser;
• a discharge station connected to said at least one coating dispenser;
• a filling station connected to a source of coating material, said filling station being electrically isolated from said discharge station;
• a shuttle device and a pumping device which are combined to form an integral coating transfer unit, said coating transfer unit being movable to said filing station at which coating material is received within said pumping device of said coating transfer unit from said source of coating material, and said coating transfer unit thereafter being movable to said discharge station at which coating material is transferred from said pumping device of said coating transfer unit to said at least one coating dispenser.