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 for mounting and moving coating dispensers within the interior of a spray booth, and particularly the coating dispensers located above an object moving through the booth. A first embodiment comprises a dispenser housing having an aerodynamically shaped outer surface formed with a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed generally curved sides. A second embodiment includes a dispenser housing an outer surface with a convexly curved leading edge, flat side walls and a flat bottom wall. A pair of support assemblies isolated from the booth interior mount the dispenser housings within the booth interior such that the leading edge of each dispenser housing faces the top of the spray booth and the trailing edge faces the objects moving through the booth. One or more coating dispensers are mounted at the trailing edge of the dispenser housings in a position to discharge coating material downwardly onto the object.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting and moving coating dispensers within the interior of a spray booth, and particularly the coating dispensers located above an object moving through the booth, comprises a dispenser housing having an aerodynamically shaped outer surface formed with a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed generally curved sides. A pair of support assemblies isolated from the booth interior mount the dispenser housing in the path of a downward flow of air within the booth interior within which oversprayed coating material is entrained for collection such that the leading edge of the dispenser housing faces the top or ceiling of the spray booth and its trailing edge faces the objects moving through the booth. One or more coating dispensers are mounted at the trailing edge of the dispenser housing in a position to discharge powder coating material downwardly onto the object, such as the hood, roof and trunk of a vehicle body.

Abstract: A powder coating system particularly adapted for coating large objects such as automotive and other vehicle bodies comprises a spray booth having a manual/robotic spraying area for the application of powder to the inner door flanges and other hard to reach areas of the vehicle body using manually or rotatably operated powder dispensers, and an automatic spraying area wherein the remainder of the vehicle body is coated using automatically manipulated powder dispensers. A powder collection and recovery system is associated with the spray booth which includes removable cartridge filters arranged in V-shaped filter banks within powder collection chambers beneath the floor of the booth, a system for the transfer of powder collected in the powder collection chambers to hoppers located exteriorly of the booth and an air exhaust system for equalizing the negative pressure within clean air chambers which receive clean air after filtering by the cartridge filters.

Abstract: A process for producing fine powder, which includes entraining a starting powder material in a carrier gas, injecting the starting powder material using the carrier gas into a high temperature jet to form a high velocity stream of molten droplets, fragmenting the resulting high velocity molten droplets by impacting against a substrate wherein the temperature of the substrate is above the melting point of the powder material, to form smaller droplets, and allowing the resulting fragmented smaller droplets to spheroidize and solidify in flight.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of powder coating relatively large objects such as automotive or other vehicle bodies comprises a spray booth having an interior which includes a cut-in coating zone having a relatively large area to permit the application of powder onto the interior portions of the vehicle body such as the inner door flanges, a side coating zone area wherein the vertically oriented, exterior surfaces of the vehicle body are coated such as the doors and fenders, an overhead coating zone in which the horizontally oriented, exterior surfaces of the vehicle body are coated such as the hood, roof and trunk, and, two transition zones separating the three coating zones.

Abstract: A powder coating system particularly adapted for coating large objects such as automotive and other vehicle bodies comprises a spray booth having a manual/robotic spraying area for the application of powder to the inner door flanges and other hard to reach areas of the vehicle body using manually or rotatably operated powder dispensers, and an automatic spraying area wherein the remainder of the vehicle body is coated using automatically manipulated powder dispensers. A powder collection and recovery system is associated with the spray booth which includes removable cartridge filters arranged in V-shaped filter banks within powder collection chambers beneath the floor of the booth, a system for the transfer of powder collected in the powder collection chambers to hoppers located exteriorly of the booth and an air exhaust system for equalizing the negative pressure within clean air chambers which receive clean air after filtering by the cartridge filters.

Abstract: A powder feed hopper includes a housing which mounts a porous plate adapted to support particulate powder material and receive an upwardly directed flow of fluidizing air to form an air-entrained fluidized bed in the housing above the porous plate. In order to improve fluidization, a baffle plate is mounted beneath the porous plate in the path of the pressurized air discharged from one or more air nozzles to create a circulating flow of air-entrained particulate powder material within the fluidized bed in which the flow moves upwardly along the wall of the housing and then inwardly and downwardly toward the center of the porous plate. Additionally, stirrer blades are located immediately above the porous plate to create turbulence and reduce the formation of concentrated channels of air atop the porous plate.

Abstract: A wax spray gun and spray nozzle for discharging an atomized stream of molten wax onto a vehicle body component or other substrate comprises a gun body having an atomizing chamber within which an internal wax spray nozzle and atomizing cap are located. A stream of atomizing air is tangentially directed into the atomizing chamber to form a rotating, swirling stream of atomizing air which is accelerated through a venturi inlet formed in the atomizing cap to impact and thoroughly atomize molten wax discharged from the internal spray nozzle. The atomized stream of molten wax is then discharged from the gun body into an external nozzle which preferably comprises a nozzle body having a wall formed with external threads which carry a coil spring. A flat is formed in the wall of the nozzle body with a discharge opening therein over which at least two spaced spring wires are positioned in the path of atomized molten wax emitted from the discharge opening.

Abstract: Metallic coated particles are disclosed which comprise a core consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of metals, metal alloys, ceramics, ceramic glasses, and a coating relatively uniformly distributed on the core. The coating consists essentially of a relatively ductile and/or malleable metallic material selected from the group consisting of metals and metal alloys. The process for producing the coated particles involves increasing the aspect ratio of the ductile and/or malleable material, and mechanically applying it to a powder material which is to be the core of the particles.

Abstract: Apparatus for milling metal powder in a mill is disclosed which comprises a central shaft, the top of which is rotatably mounted to rotating apparatus, bottom stirrer(s), attached to the bottom edge of central shaft, upper stirrer(s), attached above the point of attachment of the bottom stirrer(s), and two or more primary stirrers, upper ends of which are attached to outer edge(s) of the upper stirrer(s) and the bottom ends attached to bottom edge(s) of the bottom stirrer(s). The bottom stirrer has a downward sloping leading edge with a first angle formed by a first plane extending along this edge to a second plane extending along the bottom of the mill, this angle being 10.degree. to 90.degree., the first angle being that between those faces of the first and second planes within which the bottom stirrer sits.

Abstract: Metallic coated particles are disclosed which comprise a core consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of metals, metal alloys, ceramics, ceramic glasses, and a coating relatively uniformly distributed on the core. The coating consists essentially of a relatively ductile and/or malleable metallic material selected from the group consisting of metals and metal alloys. The process for producing the coated particles involves increasing the aspect ratio of the ductile and/or malleable material, and mechanically applying it to a powder material which is to be the core of the particles.

Abstract: Powder particles and a process for producing the particles are disclosed. The particles are of a ductile and/or malleable material which can be metal, metal alloy, or metal-ceramic composites having a substantially granular appearance and an aspect ratio of from greater than 1 to about 50 and a mean particle size of less than about 20 micrometers in diameter. The process involves grinding the above described material with the grinding media being placed in a mill so that the media are in close proximity to one another to produce a densely packed state which results in the above described powder particles being produced.