Abstract: For an HVLP paint spray gun, an improved suction feed nozzle assembly including a fluid tip and an air cap. The air cap directs an annular flow of atomization air around a fluid discharge orifice formed by a tubular portion on the fluid tip to aspirate fluid from the orifice and to atomize the fluid. The air cap also directs pattern shaping air at the atomized paint. According to one feature of the invention, the spacing of the pattern shaping air orifices from the fluid discharge orifice is made sufficiently great that undue turbulence is not induced in the atomization air in the aspiration zone to maximize the fluid flow rate. According to a second feature of the invention, the fluid orifice in the fluid tip has a straight cylindrical portion and an expanding conical section connecting the cylindrical section to an annular flat front face of the tubular portion of the fluid tip.

Abstract: An advanced cure paint spray booth in which a high volume flow of air is directed over the surfaces of a freshly painted workpiece such as an automobile to accelerate drying. A squirrel cage blower or other high volume blower directs a flow of spray booth air through a plurality of nozzles to flow over the surfaces of the workpiece. The nozzles are individually aimed at surface areas on the workpiece by placing a handle of a directional light source in a nozzle air passage and manipulating the handle to simultaneously direct the light beam and the nozzle at the surface area to be dried. A plurality of nozzles, an air handling manifold and a blower may be formed into a module which is easily retrofitted to existing paint spray booths. When a plurality of modules are mounted in a spray booth, the modules may be independently controlled for increasing air flow only on a a painted area of a workpiece.

Abstract: A rotary atomizer includes an inside surface onto which a coating material is deposited, an opposite outside surface and a discharge zone adjacent the rotary atomizer's inside and outside surfaces, coating material being discharged from the discharge zone. A housing substantially surrounds and houses the rotary atomizer except for a region of the rotary atomizer adjacent and including the discharge zone. The housing includes an inside surface, an outside surface and an opening adjacent the inside and outside surfaces of the housing. The inside surface of the housing and the outside surface of the rotary atomizer are treated so as to render them electrically non-insulative. An electrostatic potential difference maintained across the electrically non-insulative inside surface of the housing and an article to be coated by material atomized by the rotary atomizer causes charge to be transferred from the electrically non-insulative inside surface of the housing to the outside surface of the atomizer.

Abstract: A quick disconnect for a coating material dispensing device includes a passageway through which coating material is supplied from a supply conduit for dispensing. The supply conduit includes a first region along its length provided with a surrounding O-ring. The passageway includes a sidewall providing a second region along its length in which the first region resides when the supply conduit is positioned in a use orientation in the dispensing device. The second region compresses the O-ring into fluid-tight sealing orientation against the passageway sidewall in the second region when the supply conduit is inserted into the passageway into its use orientation.

Abstract: A device for atomizing and dispensing a first liquid coating material onto a first group of one or more articles to be coated by the first coating material and then for dispensing a second liquid coating material onto a second group of one or more articles to be coated by the second coating material. The device includes at least one atomizer providing a first flow rate of the first and second coating materials required for high quality atomization of the first and second coating materials, and a second outlet providing a second and substantially greater flow rate of the first and second coating materials and lower quality atomization than the first atomizer, or no atomization. A first conduit couples the second outlet to the first atomizer. A second conduit couples the first atomizer to a source of fluid to be dispensed. A valve controls the flow of liquid to the second outlet.

Abstract: Light weight fluid and compressed air supply hoses are attached to a hand held paint spray gun. The heavier air hose is attached through a swivel fitting to permit the gun to rotate relative to the air hose. One or more generally e-shaped clips secured along the air hose retain the smaller fluid hose next to the air hose, while permitting the fluid hose to move in an axial direction relative to the air hose without kinking as the spray gun is manipulated during use. The light weight fluid hose is attached through fittings to a heavier fluid supply hose. An S-shaped clip supports the fluid hose fitting from the air hose to relieve stress on the end of the light weight fluid hose.

Abstract: A seal assembly for providing multiple fluid tight seals about a valve needle or other axially moveable shaft, such as a valve needle in a spray gun. The seal assembly is disposed in a chamber through which the shaft passes. Two conical sealing surfaces are formed co-axially about the shaft at either end of the chamber. Two packing members are urged apart by a spring, each packing member being urged into a respective conical recess formed by one of the sealing surfaces and the shaft. Each packing member seals against one of the sealing surfaces and against the outer periphery of the shaft. A packing member may be formed to provide multiple stage sealing by providing a collar which causes a second end on the packing member to seal with the shaft.

Abstract: An improved nozzle assembly for an HVLP paint spray gun. The nozzle assembly includes at least an air cap and a fluid tip, and preferably also includes a baffle for uniformly distributing air flow through the nozzle assembly. The fluid tip has a conical front end which terminates at a fluid discharge orifice adjacent a vertex. The fluid tip is positioned to extend to and to be in axial alignment with an opening in the air cap. The fluid discharge orifice is located at substantially the front face of the opening. The fluid tip and the air cap form an annular air discharge opening. The conical front end of the fluid tip has a vertex angle of from 60.degree. to 90.degree., and preferably about 60.degree.. The air cap has a thin wall surface surrounding the opening and has an annular interior surface surrounding the opening in the shape of a frustum of a right circular cone having a vertex angle of from 100.degree. to 150.degree. and preferably of from about 124.degree. to about 128.degree..

Abstract: An electrically isolating pressure feed paint reservoir suitable for holding electrically conductive paint applied with an electrostatic spray gun. A paint container is located in an electrically insulated housing which is mounted on a dolly for portability. The housing also mounts a pneumatically operated paint pump for delivering pressurized paint to the spray gun. When a lid to the housing is removed the high voltage power source is turned off and any high voltage present in the housing is discharged through a resistor.

Abstract: A paint spray gun having a dual operating mode trigger. The trigger pivots on a gun body about an axis. The two operating modes are selected by radially positioning the trigger relative to the axis. In a first operating mode, fluid flow to a nozzle is gradually increased as the trigger is gradually squeezed to permit fluid flow control for feathering the applied coating. In this mode, the trigger is mechanically linked for actuating a valve needle. In a second operating mode, a small actuating movement of the trigger operates a valve which causes a piston to move the valve needle to its fully open position. The second operating mode provides only on-off fluid control with a very short trigger stoke and a low trigger force.

Abstract: A removable cover for a paint spray gun and similar tools. The cover is formed into two halves which enclose opposite sides of the gun. A tab on the front of each cover half is retained in a notch in the gun. Rear ends of the cover halves are releasable secured together by a first spring clip positioned in aligned grooves in the cover halves. Ends of the cover halves which extend over a gun handle are releasable secured together by a second spring clip positioned in aligned grooves in the cover halves.

Abstract: An ergonomic hand held paint spray gun which reduces operator fatigue and stress. The handle of spray gun has an ergonomically designed shape and the size of the handle may be changed through the use of different size handle covers. The spray gun has a plurality of triggers arranged to be operated by different fingers and to facilitate operation when the gun is held in different orientations to reduce fatigue and operating frequency stress on an operator's fingers. Some of the triggers operate low force valves which supply pilot air to a pilot valve which opens the fluid and air valves. The paint and air hoses may be attached to alternate locations on the gun to reduce hand and wrist fatigue when painting predominantly vertical surfaces or predominantly horizontal surfaces. A junction box may be located in the paint and air hoses to allow connection of lighter weight hoses to the gun.

Abstract: A coating material dispensing system comprises a hazardous area and a non-hazardous area. Multiple coating material type controls have coating material input ports, coating material output ports, and control ports for controlling the passage of a type of coating material controlled by each respective coating material type control from its input port to its output port. A controller generates control signals for controlling the multiple coating material type controls. The control signals are multiplexed in the non-hazardous area, and transmitted into the hazardous area where they are demultiplexed and provided to the coating material type controls. The demultiplexer and coating material type controls are intrinsically safe.

Abstract: An improved hand held spray gun. The spray gun includes at least one manual trigger which when squeezed moves a valve needle to initiate fluid flow. A knob is provided to adjust the maximum fluid flow when the trigger is squeezed. When the trigger is released, a compression spring returns the valve needle to its closed position. An over travel spring is compressed only if an excessive force is applied to the trigger to prevent damage to the spray gun. The over travel spring is stronger than the valve needle return spring so that it compresses only after the spray gun is fully on. If the maximum fluid flow adjustment knob is turned too far, compressed air is vented through the knob as a tactile warning to the spray gun operator to not turn the knob further. The vented air also may whistle to provide an audible warning that the knob should not be turned further.

Abstract: HVLP spray gun capable of operating from a source of high pressure air. Compressed air is delivered to the gun through a relatively small diameter air hose. A pressure compensated control valve is mounted in the spray gun to reduce the air pressure delivered to an air/fluid nozzle to a predetermined pressure of no greater than 0.7 Kg/cm.sup.2 (10 psig). The control valve maintains a constant air pressure at the nozzle when either the atomization air flow rate is changed and/or the fan air flow rate is changed of the pressure of the source air changes.

Abstract: A powder coating booth and a construction method therefor comprise a pair of inflatable polymer walls defining between them a booth inner space, a booth entry end and a booth exit end, and supporting the inflatable walls in spaced orientation to define between them the booth inner space. A mechanism is provided between the walls for recovery of powder which does not adhere to articles conveyed through the booth inner space. The polymer walls comprise one or more cells. The step of providing the polymer walls comprises inflating the cells. The method also includes the step of covering the cells with a sheet of polymer film forming an envelope for the cells. Illustratively, the cells comprise a layer of bubble packaging material. Alternatively, the polymer walls comprise thermoformed cores and a polymer film envelope enveloping each core and closed to provide suitable inflation of each wall. Illustratively, the inflatable walls are supported in spaced orientation by a conventional powder spray booth.

Abstract: An ergonomic hand held paint spray gun which reduces operator fatigue and stress. The handle of spray gun has an ergonomically designed shape and the size of the handle may be changed through the use of different size handle covers. The spray gun has a plurality of triggers arranged to be operated by different fingers and to facilitate operation when the gun is held in different orientations to reduce fatigue and operating frequency stress on an operator's fingers. Some of the triggers operate low force valves which supply pilot air to a pilot valve which opens the fluid and air valves. The paint and air hoses may be attached to alternate locations on the gun to reduce hand and wrist fatigue when painting predominantly vertical surfaces or predominantly horizontal surfaces. A junction box may be located in the paint and air hoses to allow connection of lighter weight hoses to the gun.

Abstract: A replaceable baffle for dropping high pressure air to low pressure air for atomization and for pattern shaping in a high volume low pressure (HVLP) air paint spray gun. The baffle has a first plurality of orifices for distributing and dropping the air pressure to a low pressure for atomization and has orifices arranged in two stages for dropping the air pressure to a low pressure for pattern shaping. The baffle may be replaced with a baffle having different sized orifices to permit use of different air cap and/or fluid tip designs on the spray gun when applying paints having different flow properties.