Abstract: Housingless positive displacement pump assembly comprises one or more vane or gerotor type housingless positive displacement pump units, each comprising pump unit components. One or more retaining rods extend through axially aligned holes in a mounting flange at one end of the pump assembly and the pump unit components to hold the pump unit components in stacked relation to one another and connect the pump assembly to the mounting flange.

Abstract: Housingless positive displacement pump assembly comprises one or more vane or gerotor type housingless positive displacement pump units, each comprising pump unit components. One or more retaining rods extend through axially aligned holes in a mounting flange at one end of the pump assembly and the pump unit components to hold the pump unit components in stacked relation to one another and connect the pump assembly to the mounting flange.

Abstract: During a liquid spray pattern detection procedure, the sensor (50, 52) is operable to detect the presence or absence of an edge of the dispensed liquid spray pattern. The nozzle (18) of the liquid dispensing system is moved to a predetermined position (A) relative to the sensor (50, 52) to determine the presence or absence of the spray pattern and is then moved to a second predetermined position (B) relative to the sensor (50, 52) to again determine the presence or absence of the spray pattern. Based on these determinations, the width of the spray pattern can be verified. This provides a quick means to verify that the width of the dispensed pattern is within certain tolerances.

Abstract: During a liquid spray pattern detection procedure, the sensor (50, 52) is operable to detect the presence or absence of an edge of the dispensed liquid spray pattern. The nozzle (18) of the liquid dispensing system is moved to a predetermined position (A) relative to the sensor (50, 52) to determine the presence or absence of the spray pattern and is then moved to a second predetermined position (B) relative to the sensor (50, 52) to again determine the presence or absence of the spray pattern. Based on these determinations, the width of the spray pattern can be verified. This provides a quick means to verify that the width of the dispensed pattern is within certain tolerances.

Abstract: A control system for use in a liquid dispensing system to measure and adjust a liquid spray pattern dispensed from the liquid dispensing system. The control system includes a sensor that detect edges of the liquid spray pattern and, from the detected positions of those edges, is operable to adjust the liquid spray pattern to a pattern width set by the operator. The control system is also operable to measure the width of the liquid spray pattern and the offset of the liquid spray pattern relative to a nozzle centerline of the liquid dispensing system and provide warnings to the operator if those measurements fall outside of acceptable ranges.

Abstract: A liquid material dispensing system includes a nozzle assembly that is adapted to dispense a droplet of liquid or viscous material, such as solder flux or adhesive, onto a substrate. The nozzle assembly includes a liquid discharge passageway for dispensing the droplet, and an air discharge orifice for discharging a sheath of pressurized air. The sheath of pressurized air substantially surrounds the dispensed droplet and any satellite portions associated therewith during flight toward the substrate. The sheath of pressurized air advantageously contains the satellite portions within the discharged sheath to prevent them from falling onto areas of the substrate where it is undesirable to have a coating of liquid or viscous material. Methods for dispensing a droplet of liquid or viscous material onto a substrate are also disclosed.

Abstract: A dispensing head for air assisted and airless application of a material to a surface includes a cylindrical barrel having a supply passage therein for the material to flow from a source to a nozzle. The barrel includes at one end a nozzle seat that slideably receives a nozzle body. The nozzle body has a bore that opens at one end to the barrel passageway, and at another end has a nozzle tip with an orifice through which material is dispensed. The nozzle body has a groove formed therein that receives a seal. When the nozzle body is inserted into the nozzle seat, the seal is compressed between the nozzle groove wall and a wall of the nozzle seat to hold the nozzle within the nozzle seat during further assembly of the dispensing head. The seal is preferably captured and isolated from a set of air jets that are formed in the nozzle body, thereby preventing the seal for blocking the air jets.

Abstract: A system for accurately dispensing controlled amounts of viscous material. The system includes a pressurized supply of the viscous material, a dispenser connected with the pressurized supply and a feedback control for ensuring that a discrete dispensed amount corresponds closely to the desired dispensed amount for a particular application. The different methods of feedback control include changing pressure of the pressurized supply after measuring a dispensed amount and comparing the dispensed amount with a stored value representing the desired amount. Another manner of feedback control includes changing an air operating pressure associated with the dispenser. A third type of feedback control includes adjusting the duration that the dispenser is maintained on to dispense the viscous material. Each of these types of feedback control are preferably used in succession, as necessary, to ensure that the desired amount of viscous material is discharged from the dispenser.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for aligning a powder spray canopy of a powder coating booth with a fan plenum assembly so that a powder collector can be quickly aligned and simultaneously sealed to both the powder spray canopy and the fan plenum. The invention also relates to an improved filter cartridge and filter cartridge mounting assembly which allows for quick and easy mounting and dismounting of filter cartridges to the powder collector.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for extracting powder from a stream of powder laden air drawn from a manual powder spray booth in a first embodiment, with a cyclone recovery system, typically containing two cyclone separators for separating the powder from the air. The cyclone separators have a breakaway design to facilitate cleaning. The resulting cyclone cleaned air is drawn through a prefilter section by a fan section having serially stacked fans. The prefilter section further separates powder from the cyclone cleaned air. The resulting prefilter cleaned air is next filtered in a final filter section and exhausted to the air surrounding the cyclone recovery system. The invention also relates to an improved cyclone separator which incorporates a perforated thimble between the downwardly and upwardly moving vortexes in the cyclone separator to reduce the pressure drop across the cyclone separator.

Abstract: According to the invention, a system and method for controlling air flow through the interior of a powder spray booth includes a powder collection system for collecting oversprayed powder from the interior of the spray booth. The powder collection system includes a powder collector with a powder collection chamber, a pulse plenum chamber, and a fan plenum chamber containing a motor driven fan for drawing the air-entrained powder into the fan plenum chamber so that the oversprayed powder is collected on the cartridge filters and filtered air is exhausted from the fan plenum chamber through one or more final filters. A control system automatically adjusts the speed of the motor driven fan in response to pressure changes in the pulse plenum chamber and the fan exhaust chamber so that a substantially constant air flow is maintained through the powder collector.

Abstract: According to the invention, a system and method for controlling air flow through the interior of a powder spray booth includes a powder collection system for collecting oversprayed powder from the interior of the spray booth. The powder collection system includes a powder collector with a powder collection chamber, a pulse plenum chamber, and a fan plenum chamber containing a motor driven fan for drawing the air-entrained powder into the fan plenum chamber so that the oversprayed powder is collected on the cartridge filters and filtered air is exhausted from the fan plenum chamber through one or more final filters. A control system automatically adjusts the speed of the motor driven fan in response to pressure changes in the pulse plenum chamber and the fan exhaust chamber so that a substantially constant air flow is maintained through the powder collector.