CA1267049A - Treating apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD

Abstract of the Disclosure This invention comprises a treating apparatus and method that, in one continuous process, applied a treating solution to a wood article by utilizing a radial dipping apparatus, removes excess treating solution from the treated wood article, dries the remaining protective coating on the wood article by utilizing a radial drying apparatus, and then, if desired, paints the coated article and finally cures the paint to provide immediate assembly of the wood article into a window or door frame.

Description

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TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD

S P E C I F I C A T I O N
._ _ _ _ _ sackground of the Invention Field of ~he Invention. This invention relates generally . .
to a drying appratu~ and system for treating and curing coatings on wood articles and, mors particularly, to apparatus and method that, in one continuous process, applies a protective coating to a wood article, dxies the protec-tive coating, paints the coated article and then cures the paint to provide a ready-to-use wood article.

Description of the Prior Art Prior to assembly of windows or door ~rames, manufacturers have had to treat the una~sembled wood frame components with wood preservatives such as ungicidPs and thP like ~o prevent the wood from rottlng. In order to maintain the dimensional st~bility of the wood frame, waxes and other materials known as stabilizers are impregnated into the wood componen-ts to prevent the wood from ab-sorbing moisture.
Typically, the fungicides, stabilizers and the like are applied at the same time by immersing the wood frame components in a solution containing both the fun~icides and the stabilizers.

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~Z~7'~9 After applying a coating of treating solution to the wood frame component, the coating is allowed to air dry on the surfàce of the wood. The wood ~rame component can be left to air dry (i.e , in an unpainted condition) for later painting by the homeowners;
however, in some instances it is desired to paint the coated frame conlpon~nt be~ora it is aRsembled in the frame.
Various radial dipping methods and apparatus are known in the art. Typical apparatus are shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,779,03~, 1,274,830, 1,997,013 and 4,299,189. ~asically, the~e patent~ teach radial dipping methods for quenching molten steel, pickling and electroplating conduit pipe~, applying sealant to mstal cans, and impregnating plates.
u.s. l~t~n~ No. 2,559,286 t~che~ a vertical dunklng method that applies preservative to wood articles by dropping the articles from a sufficient height so that the articles completely su~m~rge them4elves in a dipping tank.
Basically, th~ aforementioned apparatus and methods are unsuitable for applying treating solutions to wood articles such as window and door frame component~. In order to treat window and wood frame parts, tha art conventionally uses a bulX treating method wllicil involves pallet treating of stacks o~ articles by immersin~
a pallet load of stacked articles directl~ into a large open top tank containing a treating solution.
The pallet treating is disadvantageous for a number of rea-sons. First, when a stacked pallet load of articles are dipped into the liquid preservativ~ ~h~ stacking prevents direct contact o~ the preservatiVe to the areas in which the wood articlea are stacked on one another. Second, the pallet dippin~ apparatus generally requires large open dipping tanks (2,000 gallons or more) which have a large surface area for escape of toxic chemicals into the environment.

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Third, ~he wood articles have to be immersed in the liquid preser-vativ~ for ~ufficlent time to allow the ~olution to seep between the stacked articles which oftentimes permits as much as 30 pounds of ~X~'~9~ pro~rvative to seep into the pallet load of wood articles.
Fourth, the wet, saturated wood articles are air dried for 48 hours, which permits escape o~ toxic chemical gas~es into the anvironment.
Fifth, the 48 hour in-proces~ inventory stockpile severely delays further processing of the wood articles. Sixth, in order for the pallet system to operate properly and safely, the voluminous escape of the toxic chemical ~aqses requires costly installation of a lar~e-scale ventilation system.
While the vertical dunking method tau~ht by the U.S. Patent No. 2,559,286 overcame some of the shortcoming~ of the pallet dipping method, it is still ill suited for inline coating o~ wood articles because it is subject to uneven coating produced b~ turbulence created by plunging the article into the treating solution.
In contrast to thP pallet dipping me~hod, the present in-vention permits one to apply a preservative to the exterior surfaces of a single wood article and have the wood article ready for painting in a matter of a few minutes while prior art proces~ ~uch aa the pallet dipping process requires q8 hours or more to air dry the article.

Brief Summary of the Inven~ion Briefly, this invention comprises an apparatus and method for applying a treating solution to a wood article, remoVing any excess treating solution from the wood article, drying the remaining solution on the article and then, if desired, painting the article and then curing the paint in one continuou8 opQration.

~26~49 rief Description of the Drawinqs Fig. 1 is a persp~ctive vi~w of the work stations, in-cluding the dipping and drying apparatus7 Fig. ~ is a ~ide per~pective view, partially broken àway, ~;lowing the radial dipping apparatus and radial drying apparatus;
and Fig. 3 is a schema~ic vieW of the work ~tations of Fig.

2~ and Fig. 4 is a schematic view of dipping and drying apparatus located in an end-to-end arranqement.

General DescriPtion of the Preferred Embodiment of the Invention _ . . _ _ .. _ .. . . .
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 show~ a radial treating ~- and drying system generally designated by reference numeral 10.
System 10 compri~es a magazine loader 11, a radial dipping apparatus 100, a plurality of air knives 25, 26, a radial air drying apparatu3 101 and a plurality of work stations 102.
R~ferring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 maga2ine load~r 11 hold~
a stack of un~reated wood articles 43 which are periodically and individually dispen~ed to radial dipping appsratus 100 by an ejec-tion member 5q. Typically, wood ar~lcle~ 4~ are una3~embled win~ow ~nd door framu components th~t are ~o be usad ln manu~a~t~re assembly of window and door frames. Fig. 3 ~how~ in ~chematic form radial dipping apparatus 1~0 as it receiVes untreated wood article 8 from the ~tack of untreated articles 43 located in maga zine loader 11. A~ radial dipping apparatu~ 100 rotates it holds articlo~ 50 1mmersed in ~olution 39 in a dipping tank 12 for a pre-determined length of time. After immer~ion in dipping tank 12 ejector member 23 ejects a treated article 9 ~Fig. 3) from apparatus _5_ ~2~7~

1~0 ~etween a ~et of air knives 25,26, and into radial air drying apparatu~ 101. The purpose of air knives 25, 26 i~ to blow ~xce~s treating solution 39 off the surface of treated article 9.
Radial drying apparatus 101 has a plurality of compartments 53 to hold a plurality of treated articles 51 ~hich ax~ dried by forcing heated air over and around articles 51 ~or a predetermined length of time. After drying the articles 51, radial drying appara-tus 101 deposits dried article 60 onto a conveyor belt ~1 for trans-I~ort~ n o~ tho articl~ to worlc ~tlon~ 102 ~Fl~ . Worlc ~tatlo 10 102 includes a first paint statiion 32 where a mi~ coa~ of ~aint is applied to the surface of the article, a curing station 33 for further heating and baking of the paint and coating on the article~, a paint station 3q where a full coat of paint is applied to the article, a flash treating station ~5(a), a further drying station 35(b) and a humidifying station 35(c) which oompletes the curing of the coatings on the articles.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the Invention .. . .. ~
As show~ in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, magazine loader ll, whichis supported by a floor stand 47, has a bin 19 for holding untreated ar~icles. Attached to bin 19 is a conveying injection tray 22 that provides a guide for sliding articles into radial dipping apparatus 100. Conveying injection tray 22 has a smooth surface to permi~
one to slide untreated articles 43 into individual radial compart-ments 52, located in radial dipping apparatus 100. As shown in scl~ematic Eorm in Fig. 3, injector member 54 slide~ an untreated article 8 from the bottom of the stack of articles 43 onto conveying injection tray 22, and into a radial compartment 52 located in radial dipping apparatus 100. The rate at which un~reated axticles 43 are ejected from magazine loader 11 is synchronized to the rat~
at which radial dipping apparatus 100 accepts articles for processing -6~ '7 through a drive control mechanism (not ~hown) to p~rmit con~inuou~
treating of articles. As an untreated article is removed from the bottom of maga~ine loader 11 gravity urges the ~tack of untreated articles 43 downward ~o that another untreated article 43 iq placed into position for injection into a different compartment 52 in radial dipping apparatus 100.
As shown in Fig. 3, radial dipping apparatus 100 includes a rotary conveyin~ body comprising a radial dipping wheel 13 having a plurality of radially extending conveying or guide members 14 forming radially spaced compartments 52. Circumferentially spaced from the periphery of wheel 13 are a plurality of conveying guide bars 21 which hold article 50 in compartments 52 on wheel 13. Wheel 13 is shown partially submerged in dipping tank 12. Located on the rig~t side of wheel 13 is injector member 54 and on the left side an ejector member 23 ~which are shown in schematic form in Fig. 3).
Typically, injector member 54 and ejectox member 23 are pneumatic or hydraulically controlled machine linkagos. Radial dipping wheel 13 has a substantially horizontal axis and is rotated in a clockwise direction by a motor 37 and a cam system 37~Fig~ 23. Guide members 14 project radially and outwardly frolu axis 90 of wheel 13 so tnat as wheel 13 rota~es articles 50 in compartments 52 are forced through solution 39 in dipping tank 12. While guide members are shown as soli~ panels, it i8 preferabl~ to u~a sith~r a screen or cylindrical spaced guides. The advantage of screen guide me~ber~
- or cylindrical spaced guides is that it allows th~ solution 39 to circulate through the guide members as guide member~ force article~
50 through solution 39. The adjacent conveying guide member 14 should be su~ficien ly spaced to permit articles S0 to fit with substantial clearance into the compartment 52 formed between adjacent men~ers 14. Note, as wheel 13 rotatas it forces untreated articles 50 into treating solution 39, which for articles such as wood window frames and door frames i~ typically ~ solution such as xylene, mineral spirits, water based wood preserva~ive~ or stabili~er~. A
set of circumferentially located conveying guids bars 21 act as barriers to keep untreated articlles 50 within compartm~nts 52 of W~
Fig. 3 shows that, as wheel 13 rotate~ untreated articles 50 are floatingly displaced ~rom trailing conveying guide member 14 of compartment 52 to the adjacent leading guide member 14 by the - 10 buoyant forces acting on article !50. As lo~g a8 the den8ity Of solvent 39 is grea~er ~han the density of untreated wood ar icle 50, the articles float from one guide member to the opposite guide member as the articles are forced through the dipping tank 12. Displacement from one conveying trailing guide member 14 to i~8 a~jacent leading guide member 14 allows exposure of the entire surface area of un-treated article 50 to ~olvent 39 since no surface of the guide mem-ber is in continuous contact with articles 50.

Guide bars 22 which are located in a spaced relation~hip from the end.of radi~l guide 14 comprise a plurality of circum-: 20 ferentially spaced ~uide bars 21 which are partially submerged ini~nersion tank 12. Guide bars 21 are spaced from one another and circumfere ~ially sp~ced sufficien~ly far ~rom the end of radial guide members 14 so that conveying guide members 14 rotatP freely past bars 21 yet sufficiently closely spaced so as to retain articles 50 in compartments 52 between adjacent guide member~ 14.
In a typical treatment process of a wood window ~ash or frame radial dipping wheel 13 advances through 20 of rotation every 2.86 seconds, thereby imm~rsing article~ 50 for approximately 17 seconds in treating solution 39. Although Fi~a. 1-3 sh~w only a sinyle article in compartment 52, a pluxality of articles ma~ be placed end-to-end of one another and injected into radial dipping wheel 13 as long as the total length of the article~ does not exceed the width of radial dipping wheel 13 which, for treatment o~ woad window sashe~ i~ 34" in diameter and 110" in length.

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As generally constructed, conveying guide members 14 are 1" in width and attached su~ficiently far apart on radial dipping wheel 13 to prevent article 50 from wedging therebetween. Generally, the level of treating solution 39 in dipping tank 1~ has an af~ect on the time of immersion of artlcle 50 in solution 39. With dipping tank substantially full o~ solution 39, the dipping time is at a m~xinlwn for a given rotational rate of wheel 13 and as the solution 39 is used up the level of solution in tank 12 decrea~es thereby decreasing the time article 50 is immersed in the solution. In a typical cycle dipping tank 12 may have sufficient solvent so that rotation of wheel 13 provides a maximum of 17 second dipping time.
When the liquid lev~l of the solvent decreases to a level where the article is immersed for only 15 seconds, a control system Inot show~) injects additional treating solution 39 into dipping tank 12 to raise the trea~ing solution leval in dipping tank 12 to where the article is immersed for 17 seconds. T~pically, ~ar continuously treating articles, dipping tank 12 has a vol~me of approximately 5~0 gallons.
A~ shown in Fig, 3, ejection membe~ 23 drives article 9 between upper air knives 25 and lower air knive~ 26 and into drying compartment 53 located between a plurality of radial spaced drying quide members 17 extending from radial drying apparatus 10~.
Ejector member 23 is synchronized to radial dipping apparatus 100 and radial drying apparatus 101 so that articles can be csntinually fed from the dipping compartment 52 in dipping apparatus I00 to the drying compartment 53 in drying ~pparatus 101.
Upper air knives 25 and lower air knives 26 are located in a spaced position between radial dipping apparatu~ 100 and radial drying apparatu~ 101. Air kniva~ 25 and 26 ea¢h hav~ a plurality of laterally extending slits 57 for directing pressurized air there-through. A plurality of laterally extending op~ni~g~ 85 and 86 are located in guide tray 56 and proximate openings 57 in air knives 25 and air knives 26. Tray 56 supports and slidingly guides a treated article 9 as it slides from radial dipping apparatus 100 to radial drying apparatus 101 ~Fig. 3). Vpper air knives 25 blow downwardly and lower air knives 26 blow upwardly. If air is blown at a sufficient pressure, volume and rate ~rom air knives 25, 26 it blows excess treating solution 29 off treated article 9 and onto a drip pan 40 as article 9 slides along tray 56.
Drip pan 40, which is located beneath air knives 25, 26 is angularly and integrally attached to dipping tan~ 12 to permit excess treating solution 39 to drain into dipping tank 17. That is, excess treating solution 39 which is blown of~ treated article 9 falls onto drip pan 40 where it ~lows back into dipping tank 12.
A splash guard 41 extends over air knives 25 toward radial dipping apparatus 100 and attaches to circumferential drying guide bars 28. Splash guard 41 prevents excess trea~ing solution from being blown onto radial drying apparatus 101 or into the atmosphere or environment surrounding radial trea~ing and drying system 10.
As shown in Fig. 2, radial drying apparatus 101 includes 2~ a drying body compri~ing a central shaft 15, a plurality of spoke~
or support arms 27, a porous cylindrical drum 16 and a plurality of radially extending drying guide members 17. Radial drying - apparatus 15 has a substantially horizontal axis and is rotated in a counterclockwise direction by motor 38 and cam system 38(a).
A plurality of support arms 27 extend radially and outwardly from central shaft 15 to provide an open cylindrical cha~ber inside drum 16. Drum 16 comprises a porous ~creen which has a sufficient open area so that a sufficient volum~ of air can be forced through compartments 53 and around treated articles 51 located in compartments 53. While a screen is shown, other restraining devices could also be used. Guide members .~ 7~9 17 are integrally attached to and extend radially outward from drum 16 to creat individual drying compartments 53. The guide members 17 are equally and radially spaced about drum 16 so that treated articles 51 located between adjacent guide members fit sufficiently loose in compar~ments 53 to allow gravity, at the peak of the cycle, to shift treated articles 51 from contact with trailing guide member 17 to contact with its adjacent leading ~uide member 17. The shiftinq permits the entire surface areas of treated articles 51 to be exposed to heated air blown through drying compartments 53.
Located in aspaced relationship from the end of radial guide members 17 are circumferentially spaced drying guide bars 28 which extend f~r approximately 270 from air knives 25 to a dryer ejection opening 30. Guide bars 28 are circumferentially spaced sufficiently far from the end of radial guide members 17 so that guide members 17 rotate freely yet spaced sufficiently close so as to retain articles 51 in compartments 53 between ~djacent guide members 17. Circumferential guide bars 28 thus function as barriers to pre-vent treated articles 51 from being blown out of compartments 53 by either the turbulent circulating air or the gravitational force acting on ar~icles 51.
As shown in ~ig. 2, a plurality o~ circumferentially ~paced forced air impingement nozzles 36 having a plurality of openings 36a are located axially above radial drying apparatus 101. Openin~s 36a are located so that air ~lown through impingement nozzle~ 36 i8 ~irected radially onto ~reated articles 51 located in drying com-partments 53. Heated air i~ supplied by an air ~ource 44, which directs tbe heated air to central impingement nozzle 36 through a plurality of ai~ ducts 46d, 46c, 4~b, 46a and 46e. An air duc~ 36b and an air duct 36c channel air from centrally located impingement 3~ nozzle 36 to adjacent impingement nozzles 36.
A return system 45 permits return of air through a plurality of inlet ducts 45a, 45b, q5c, 45d which connect to a semicircular duct 45e.

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In typical operation radial drying apparatus 101 will normally produce articles dry-to-touch in three to five minutes where the articles have been immersed for a maximum of 17 ~econds in a treating solution 39. As article 60 emerges from drying apparatus 101 the article, which is dry-to-the-touch, can ba forthwith u~ed to manufacture a window frame. If the manufacturer desires to paint article 60 before assembly of the frame, the article i~ sufficiently dry s~ that a coat of paint can be applied and cured on article 60 through the further immediate processing in work stati~ns 102.
Fig~ 2 shows a lower dryer ejection opening 30 located beneath drum 16 so that the force o~ gravity di~ects dried article 60 from drum 16 to an inclined conveyor belt 31 which i8 located beneath dryer ejection opening 30. ~ig. 2 shows a conveyor belt 49a which directs article 60 into a mist coat painting station 32~
Conveyor ~elt 49a is shown transporting a mi~t coat painted article Sl from mi~t coat paint station 32. Connected to 8tati4n 32 is an exhaust ~ystem 73 for directing fumes and discharges gasses to a scrubber or the like. Typically, conveyor belt 49a transports treated and stabilized articles at a rate o~ six feetper minute.
Paint station 32 applie~ a first coat of paint to the article~.
After painting mist coat conveyor belt 49a then transports the articles to a ~ake zone conveyor belt 49b by a means not shown.
Bake zone conveyor belt 49b tran~ports article~, as shown by an article 62, through bake zone in curing station 33 at a rate of six fe~ per minute. Typically, the articles ba~e ~or 30 seconds at 110 F. ~eat is directed to curing station 33 through a duct 65 while exhaus~ i5 channeled away from curing station 33 by an exhaust system 71. A heater and blower 69 supplie~ duct 65 With heated air through a plurality o~ air ducts 68, 67, a~d 66. .

2~ 7 ~12-A bake zone conveyor belt 49b depo~its article 62 onto a full coat conveyor belt 49c through means not ~hown. Typically, belt 49c transports articles at a rate o~ ~ix fe~t per minute through a full coat paint work station 34 havi~g an exhaus~ system 72. Paint work ~tation 34 applie~ a ~ull coat of paint to the articles. ~ig, 1 ~hows an article 63 being transported from paint station 34 to ~lash stations 35a.
Similarly, conveyor belt 49c deposits th~ articles thereon onto conYeyor belt 49d by a means not shown. ~elt 49d, upon which an article 64 is being transported, moves through a flash station 35a, a drying station 35b and a humidifying station 35c at a typical rate of six feet per minute. Typically, the articlea are retained in flash station 35a for approximately 8.5 minute~, in d~ying station 35b for five minutes and in humidifying station 35c for two minutes.
~ xhaust is channeled from sta~ion 35a by an exhaust ~ystem and heat i8 supplied to drying station 35b by a heater 69 and a plurality of heat ducts 75 and 76.
A plurality of ~xhaust ducts 80, 81 and 82 a~ located at flasning station 35a and channel exhaust gasses by a fan not shown to exhaust chimney 70. Similarly, a plurality of exhaust ducts 83 and 84 are attached to dryirg station 35b and channel exhaust by a fan ~not shown~ to exhaust chimney 70.

~LZ~7~'~9 Referring to Fig. 4 there is shown another embodiment of my invention wherein the dipping apparatus 200 and the drying apparatus 201 are placed end-to-end rather than side-by-side. While dipping apparatus 200 and drying apparatus 201 are substantially identical in their dipping and drying functions to the side-by-side apparatus shown in Fig. 2, tne end-to-end location provides certain article handling advantages.
Briefl~, in operation of dip chamber 200 an article 203 is slid longitudinally into a radial compartment on dipping wheel 200.
Although not shown in detail the radial compartments of dipping apparatus 200 are identical in operation and function to dipping wheel 100 except that in dipping wheel 100 the article to be treated is slid radially onto the dipping wheel while in dipping apparatu~
200 the part is slid axially into a compartment on dipping wheel 200.
The transfer of a dipped part from dipping wheel 200 to dryiny apparatus 201 is likewise accomplished by axially sliding article 204 from dipping wheel 200 through a set of air knives aos and 206 which blow of~ excess solvent, which is returned to solvent dipping tank 207.
After drying an article in drying apparatus 201 a dried article ~05 is slid axially out of radial drying apparatus 01 for further processing.
The end-to-end location of dipping apparatus 200 and drying apparatus 201 permits one to use t~e full 360 degree rotation of the dipping and drying wheel. By utilizing the full 360 degree rotation one extends the drip time that an article is in dipping apparatus which ~ecrease~ the a~oun~ of excess solvent that has to be blown off the article by the air knives. Simil~rly, o~e also extends ~he drying time since the article remains in the dryin~ apparatus for a full 360 degree rotation of drying wheel 201.

Claims (23)

I claim:

1 A system for continuously treating and drying a plurality or wood articles or the like comprising:
means for directing an article to be treated to a treating station:
further means for receiving the article from said means for directing an article to be treated and for coating the exterior surface of the article with a treating solution;
means for removing excess treating solution from the coated surface or an article, a drying apparatus for receiving the article having a treating solution thereon and for drying the treating solution on the article so that the article is dry-to-the-touch as the article emerges from the drying apparatus, said drying apparatus including a rotatable drying apparatus that includes a drum having a plurality of radial guide members spaced about said rotatable drying apparatus to create drying compartments whereby the articles therein are displaceable from one guide member to an adjacent member so that the entire surface area of the article can be dried by forcing heated air through the drying compartments;
and further means for collecting and removing fumes generated during the drying process.

2. The system of claim 1 including a first painting station to apply a coat of paint to the article.

3. The system of claim 2 including a curing station to cure the paint on the article.

4. The system of claim 3 including a second painting station to apply a coat of paint to the article.

5. The system of claim 4 including a station for flash drying the paint on the article.

6. The system of claim 5 including a station for heating the article to a predetermined temperature.

7. The system of claim 6 including a station for subjecting the article to a humidifying atmosphere.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said further means includes a plurality of guide members mounted on a rotatable dipping apparatus wherein the guide members direct an article into a dipping tank containing the treating solution.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said means for directing an article to be treated and for coating the external surface comprises a radial dipping apparatus having a plurality of radial compartments and a first axis of rotation, said first axis or rotation and said second axis of rotation located in the same direction so that an article can be directly transferred from a radial compartment in said dipping apparatus to a radial compartment in said drying apparatus.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said drum has sufficient plurality of perforations so that air can be forced to flow through said drum to a return duct located proximate said drying apparatus.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said rotatable drying apparatus has a sufficiently large diameter and a sufficient plurality of drying compartments so that said rotatable drying apparatus has a drying compartment for receiving an article drying compartment for simultaneously drying a plurality of the articles and a drying compartment for ejecting a dried article from said drying apparatus.

12. The system of claim 11 including a blower to blow not air through said rotatable drying apparatus to dry the article in less than five minutes.

13. The system of claim 12 including a return duct for receiving the air as it is blown through said drying apparatus.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein an air knife is located adjacent to said drying apparatus for blowing excess solution off a treated article.

15. The inline method of coating and drying in one continuous process a wood article comprising the steps of:
applying a coating solution to the exterior surfaces of an article to produce a coated article by completely immersing the article in a dipping tank until the surfaces of the article are coated with the coating solution;
removing the coated article from the coating solution;
blowing off excess coating solution from the exterior surfaces of the article;
conveying the coated article to a drying apparatus and forcing heated air around the exterior surfaces of the coated article to dry the exterior surface of the article for immediate processing.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of applying a coating solution includes immersion of the article in a treating solution for a predetermined length of time which is sufficient to coat the article but insufficient to saturate the article with treating solution.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of removing excess treating solution from the treated article by blowing excess solution of the article.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of forcing heated air around the article includes the step of moving the article through a stream of heated air to permit the heated air to contact all the exterior surfaces of the article.

19. The method of claim 18 including the step of painting the article after drying the article,

20. The method of claim 19 including the step of applying a second coat of paint to the treated article.

21. The method of claim 20 including the step of curing the paint on the article.

22. An inline system for the preparation of a wood article for use in a window frame or the like comprising:
means for coating the exterior surfaces of an article with a coating solution;
further means for removing any excess coating solution on the article;
a rotatable drying apparatus having a compartment to hold an article to permit drying the exterior surfaces of the article before the rotatable drying apparatus can complete a revolution: and an ejector for directing the coated article from the means for coating to exterior surfaces of the article into said compartment.

23. A rotatable drying apparatus for drying an article having a coating solution on its surface comprising:

a drum mounted for rotation about a central axis, said drum having a center opening and an outer peripheral region;
a plurality of guide members attached to said outer peripheral region of said drum to form drying compartments therebetween for retaining an article to be dried;
means for rotating said drum at a predetermined rate;
further means for directing heated air radially through said compartments and around an article located in the drying compartment so that the article can be dried before said drum has made a complete revolution; and a return air system for drawing the heated air from the center opening of said drum.