Spray applicator for roofing and other surfaces
OwnerJohn P. Hunter, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and an industrial robotic device for uniformly applying coatings at appropriate thickness and pitch upon a surface moves a spray applicator foam dispenser between two parallel tracks. The uniform application of foam at each pass is assured, by accelerating the speed of the foam dispenser at the end of each pass, by providing respective curved uphill distal ends of the tracks, so that the spray applicator foam dispenser moves up the curved distal ends and returns quickly while changing speed tilt and direction at the end of each pass.
Claims28
A spray applicator for applying a roofing polyurethane foam coating upon a structural surface, such as a building roof or other terrestrial surfaces, comprising:
- a means for continuously applying said polyurethane in liquid form in adjacent extending bands of foam to form a resultant solid foam coating upon said roof, each band having a predetermined width and length, said means comprising a foam applicator source movable on a track continuously in alternate directions transverse to the width of each band of said bands of said foam;
- a means for subjecting said applicator source to an uphill movement, said means comprising said track being bent at respective end portions of each said transverse movement of said applicator source;
- said foam applicator source being titled outwardly by said track as said foam applicator source moves uphill on said track, thereby reducing the amount of said liquid foam being applied to respective edge portions of each said band of foam upon the roof at an end of each pass of said liquid foam applicator source across each said band of foam;
- said foam applicator source being a nozzle;
- and,
- a radially extending swinging arm with a telescoping slide mechanism providing said transverse movement of said foam applicator source along said track, so that said foam applicator source moves linearly, said swinging arm pivotable about a pivot fulcrum point.
A spray applicator apparatus for applying sprayed coatings in linearly extending bands of predetermined widths, in uniform thicknesses upon a structural surface in field applications, such as roofing applications or pavement applications, comprising:
- a spray applicator vehicle having a frame;
- said frame supporting a movement power source, moving said vehicle, said frame further supporting at least one steerable powered wheel, and a swinging boom moving a liquid coating applicator source transversely along at least one track having first and second ends;
- said track having a straight portion and curved ends;
- said boom having a laterally movable telescoping end attachable to said liquid coating applicator source;
- and
- said track constraining movement of said liquid coating applicator source in a linear path transverse to axial movement of said frame across said structural surface and said curved ends of said track, causing said applicator source to tilt as said applicator source moves upon said curved end portions of said track.
An industrial robotic device for applying coatings in uniform thicknesses and at appropriate angles of pitch, in field applications comprising:
- a movable spray applicator dispenser including at least one nozzle for discharge of a foam coating to a surface, said spray applicator movable along at least one linear track having a curved surface, said at least one linear track engagable with a corresponding curved surface of at least one wheel attached to said foam applicator, wherein the curved surfaces of the at least one linear track comprises arcuate uphill distal end portions of said track, wherein said movable spray applicator dispenser, moving along said at least one linear track, tilts and accelerates in speed as said movable spray applicator dispenser rolls up each respective said curved uphill portions, thereby reducing the amount of foam applied to an edge portion of the roof at the end of a pass of said movable spray applicator dispenser;
- and,
- a radially extending swinging arm providing transverse sideways movement of said movable spray applicator dispenser along said at least one track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.