Abstract: A powder spray gun includes a rotary distributor which is capable of operating at slower speeds than liquid spray gun to reduce the problem of powder fusing, increases bearing life, reduce wear on moving parts while generating larger fan patterns and optimized charge transfer capabilities. The powder spray gun has a powder flow path which extends through a gun body to a powder outlet. The rotatable powder distributor is located at the powder outlet. A drive mechanism in the form of a motor is located within the housing and connected to the distributor the rotate the distributor. A spindle, which is mounted for rotation within the body, has a passageway therethrough which forms a part of the powder flow path. The distributor communicates with the passageway and is attached for rotation with the spindle. The powder thus enters the passageway in the rotating spindle before it passes into the rotating distributor.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying powder coating material onto large objects such as automotive, truck or other vehicle bodies includes a powder spray booth defining a controlled area within which to apply powder coating material onto the vehicle bodies, a powder kitchen located at a remote position from the powder spray booth, and, a number of feed hoppers located proximate the booth which receive powder coating material from the powder kitchen and supply it to automatically or manually manipulated powder spray guns associated with the booth. Oversprayed powder coating material is removed from the booth interior by a powder collection and recovery system which transmits the oversprayed powder back to the powder kitchen for recirculation to the powder spray guns.

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: A powder spray gun includes a rotary distributor which is capable of operating at slower speeds than liquid spray gun to reduce the problem of powder fusing, increases bearing life, reduce wear on moving parts. The powder spray gun has a powder flow path which extends through a gun body to a powder outlet. The rotatable powder distributor is located at the powder outlet. A drive mechanism in the form of a pneumatic motor is located within the housing and connected to the distributor the rotate the distributor. A spindle, which is mounted for rotation within the body, has a passageway therethrough which forms a part of the powder flow path. The distributor communicates with the passageway and is attached for rotation with the spindle. The powder thus enters the passageway in the rotating spindle before it passes into the rotating distributor. A chamber is formed within the body around the spindle, and the chamber is connected to an air supply to pressurize the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying powder coating material onto large objects such as automotive, truck or other vehicle bodies includes a powder spray booth defining a controlled area within which to apply powder coating material onto the vehicle bodies, a powder kitchen located at a remote position from the powder spray booth, and, a number of feed hoppers located proximate the booth which receive powder coating material from the powder kitchen and supply it to automatically or manually manipulated powder spray guns associated with the booth. Oversprayed powder coating material is removed from the booth interior by a powder collection and recovery system which transmits the oversprayed powder back to the powder kitchen for recirculation to the powder spray guns.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for unloading powder from a drum shaped container permits the container to be loaded vertically onto an unlaoding assembly but then supported in a tilted unloading position while the container is being rolled about its axis. A cover assembly is secured to the top end of the container. The cover has channels on its interior surface disposed about a central opening. The cover rolls with the drum. The cover assembly has a central outlet tube from the central opening and a bearing assembly mounted to the outlet tube. The bearing assembly includes a tongue which is supported in a fixed position as the drum is rolled to receive powder deposited on the tongue from the channels. A bleed tube blows powder from the tongue into the inlet of a pump mounted to the bearing assembly to pump powder from the drum.

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: A method and apparatus for powder spraying a automotive or other vehicle body in a powder spray booth includes a cabin purge zone in which a pair of inlet hood assemblies are positioned to the side window openings on each side of the body and the cavity is purged of excess powder by extracting the powder from the cavity through the inlet hood assemblies. The effective and efficient removal of suspended oversprayed powder from the interior of the vehicle cabin is accomplished through the production of a symmetrical air flow through the vehicle cabin in which air is exhausted through the two side window openings while the interior of the vehicle cabin is replenished with air through the front windshield opening and the rear window opening.

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: An apparatus and method of dislodging particles of powder material from the exterior of cartridge filters in the powder recovery unit of a powder spray system. In the powder recovery unit, particles of powder material collect on the cartridge filters as filtered air enters the hollow interior of the cartridge filters and moves toward the open tops thereof. Periodically, the flow rate of the filtered air through a cartridge filter is reduced and a pulse of air is directed into the open top of that cartridge filter, in a direction opposite to the normal direction of movement of the filtered air, to dislodge the particles from the cartridge. In addition, the cartridge filters are vertically disposed and compression mounted in such a way that the cartridge support hardware does not obstruct the air flow through the top opening of the cartridge filter.

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 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.