GB1429061A - Glassware coating apparatus and process therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

1429061 Coating apparatus coated containers DART INDUSTRIES 6 March 1973 [7 March 1972 (2)] 10815/73 Headings B2E and B2L Coating apparatus for intermittent operation in handling a plurality of individual articles comprises a main supporting frame, a container positioned upon the frame having a porous support member to retain a particulate coating material thereabout, a transfer mechanism attached to the frame for intermittent movement to a plurality of positions at least one of which is in juxtaposition to the container, a gripper device carried by the transfer mechanism for gripping the articles and securely holding them during movement of the transfer mechanism, the gripper device comprising a dual parallel bar arrangement having a connector assembly pivotally attached thereto such that the proximity of the bars one with respect to the other is varied in response to oscillation of the assembly, gripper elements being supported upon said bars and arranged to engage an article therebetween when said bars are in close proximity, and means to move the container and gripper device into close communication when the transfer mechanism is in juxtaposition with the container whereby the articles held by the gripper device come in contact with said particulate coating material. The articles may be glass bottles which may be coated with "shatterproof" coatings, particularly of ethylene polymers and copolymers. The coating material is preferably applied as particles of mesh between 25 and 75 and low melt index of between 1 and 3. Preferably at least one of the elements of the apparatus is resiliently fixed to the dual bar arrangement so that article impact is minimised and preferably one of the gripper elements incorporates an article contacting surface having a substantially A-shaped configuration. After fusing of the polymer particulate coating a further layer of carnuba wax, silicone and silicone-wax combinations may be subsequently applied and the article may be subsequently flame-treated to achieve an adhesive-accepting coating surface. In the drawings a fluidised bed coating apparatus 40 is supported on a vertically adjustable frame 36 by legs 37. A transfer mechanism 38 is composed of two pairs of parallelly-operable arms 42 and 44, one pair pivotally mounted at 48 on each side of the apparatus. Parallelism is maintained by means of a pivotally mounted cross-link member 46 and an overhead beam 50 that extends between the respective arm pairs. This beam is further adapted to mount the various article-grouping devices 34 which grasp and steady the ware B during the coating operation as it is transferred from conveyor 14 to conveyor 22. Transfer mechanism 38 is a free-position device having counterweights or balances 52 affixed to bars 53 that protrude through the frame to form extensions of arms 42. These weights provide centre stabilisation for the mechanism and lend a more uniform motion to it during traversal in response to the action of fluid cylinders 58 and 60 which react in accordance with appropriate apparatus control signals that position the mechanism in each of three respective positions one at the bottle pick-up point on a conveyor 14 another directly above the fluidised bed container 40 and the last over conveyor 22 where the coated bottles are deposited. Fluid cylinder 58 is attached at one end to lever or rocker support 54 which in turn is pivoted at 66 to frame 36 and is connected to arm 42 as at attachment 64. Upon activation cylinder 58 will provide the impetus to propel mechanism 38 from its pick-up position to a position above the fluidised bed 40. Similarly, fluid cylinder 60 is attached to lever 54 and to the rigid upright member 74.