Abstract: The coating method includes the intercoating step for spraying the intercoating paint over a substrate after undercoating, the intercoat drying step for drying the intercoat on the substrate, the overcoating step for spraying the overcoating paint over the dried intercoat on the substrate, and the overcoat drying step for drying the overcoat. In the intercoating step, the intercoating paint is sprayed in such an amount as causing sag, that is, in an amount beyond its sagging threshold value. In the intercoat drying step, the substrate is rotated about its horizontal and longitudinal axis to dry the intercoat.

Abstract: The coating method contains a spraying step in which a paint is sprayed at least on a coating substrate extending in an upward and downward direction to a film thickness thicker than causing sags of the sprayed paint. The coating substrate on which the paint is sprayed is rotated about the horizontal axis while the sprayed paint is dried until it does not sag any more.The coating apparatus includes a carriage conveying the coating substrate arranged to run along the conveying direction, and the carriage is provided with a supporting base for supporting the coating substrate rotatively about the horizontal axis. One embodiment for rotating the substrate supported by the supporting base is a spring that is disposed on the carriage to rotate the substrate by means of a restoring force produced by the spring. On the passage for conveying the carriage is disposed a force storing mechanism for storing the restoring force in the spring that released the restoring force.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and apparatus for conducting electrostatic spray coating by which an improved coating layer made uniform in gloss, hardness, weather-tightness, and other characteristics is obtained on an object to be coated. The coating layer is formed with use of a rotary spray head device which is provided with a funnel-like body having an inner wall surface and an open end portion. The rotary spray head device is driven to turn on an axis of rotation surrounded by the inner wall surface of the funnel-like body, and supplied with plural kinds of coating material which are discharged to a substantially common location on the inner wall surface of the funnel-like body simultaneously through respective separate paths so as to form their respective layers superimposed on said inner wall surface of the funnel-like body and move toward said open end portion of the funnel-like body.