Abstract: A coating applicator is disclosed which includes a rotary atomizer on a driven shaft. The shaft operates at high speeds. Coating material is supplied to the rotary atomizer. A pair of spaced bearings rotatably mount the shaft and a seal assembly is positioned between the rotary atomizer and the front bearing. The seal assembly includes a bearing cover having a cutting edge. A mating cap member surrounds the shaft and has a sealing shoulder which is engaged by the cutting edge. Exhaust air is used to cool the bearings, pressure the interior of the applicator and enhance the seal assembly.

Abstract: An air atomizing nozzle assembly for electrostatic spray guns. The nozzle assembly includes a fluid tip through which liquid coating material is emitted, an air cap having openings through which pressurized air passes to atomize the liquid coating material emitted from the nozzle and having a pair of opposed air horns through which pressurized air passes to shape the atomized coating material into a flat fan spray pattern, and a retaining ring for securing the air cap to the gun barrel and fluid tip. An annular diffuser is located within an internal chamber in the nozzle assembly which receives the prezzurized fan-shaping air from a passageway passing through the barrel of the gun, redirects it, and equalizes the flow of the fan-shaping air to the opposed air horns. The present invention is particularly useful in applications having low liquid coating material flow rates on the order of less than about 3 fluid ounces of material per minute.

Abstract: A spray gun nozzle including a threadably attached cap having a plurality of air passages therein, centered about an axial fluid passage and orifice, including an orifice locating disc affixed in the cap for precisely axially locating the fluid orifice relative to the axis of the air cap and for precisely defining an annular air passage surrounding the orifice. The method includes the steps of simultaneously making the orifice locating hole and the annular air passage in a single drilling operation.

Abstract: An air atomizing nozzle assembly for electrostatic spray guns is disclosed. The nozzle assembly is made of plastic parts and includes an air cap having a central bore which surrounds a fluid nozzle tip. The nozzle has a nut formed on its forward end to facilitate threading of the rearward end of the nozzle tip into a threaded bore of the gun body. Formed on the front part of the nozzle, either as a part of the nut or a cylindrical surface adjacent the nut, is an accurately machined surface engageable in press fit relationship with a mating accurately machined bore of the air cap. These mating press fit surfaces center the bore of the air cap relative to the nozzle tip so as to leave an annular, evenly dimensioned air flow passage surrounding the nozzle tip and defined between the nozzle tip and the bore of the air cap. The air cap is retained in a one-piece resilient retaining ring by snapping the air cap into an annular lip of the retaining ring.

Abstract: An improved spray booth is provided for use in forming high quality thin films by controlling the spray parameters related to film formation. A spray nozzle design is selected which permits control of the spray footprint on a heated substrate. A projected atomized liquid is formed to the selected spray configuration by directing spray cones of air toward the atomized liquid. Dwell time of the spray material adjacent the hot substrate is then controlled by controlling the velocity of airflow within the spray chamber and adjacent the substrate. To promote a gas phase reaction, a roof section is provided with reduced airflow wherein sufficient dwell time is provided for the vapor reaction to occur. Where a liquid phase reaction is provided, high velocity airflow is maintained to promptly remove reaction products and spray material which has not reached the surface after a selected time period.

Abstract: A nozzle for utilization on a spray gun operated for the spraying of pressurized liquids through an elliptical orifice, wherein pressurized air is utilized in conjunction with the invention to enable an improved quality spray at a lower liquid pressure. The nozzle has a pair of air jets on either side of the elliptical orifice, positioned in diametrically opposite equidistant locations, and respectively directed along axes which cause the air jet envelope to tangentially contact the orifice at a point outside the included angle formed by the fan-shaped spray pattern emitted from the orifice.

Abstract: A spray nozzle is disclosed. The nozzle includes a central opening through which air and material issues. A pair of horns are located on a first center line plane extending through the opening. The outwardly projecting horns include converging air ramps which induce an air flow. The atomizing air openings of the nozzle are positioned outside of opposed sectors which define a predetermined angle and are symmetrical with respect to a center line plane perpendicular to the first diameter. The nozzle limits material deposits and clogging of air openings located in the horns.

Abstract: An air atomizing liquid spray nozzle is characterized by a body having a generally elliptical outlet end defining a generally elliptical liquid outlet orifice and an air cap having a generally elliptical air outlet aperture concentric with and surrounding the elliptical outlet end of the body for causing a complementary annular elliptical pattern of compressed air to concentrically surround and impinge upon liquid flowing in an elliptical pattern from the outlet orifice and to directly atomize the liquid into a flat, fan-shaped spray pattern with reduced consumption of air and less noise than prior art nozzles.

Abstract: This pneumatic spray gun for atomizing paint comprises a flat-jet nozzle of the type utilized in hydrostatic atomization spray guns, this nozzle being surrounded by compressed-air jets disposed symmetrically and parallel to the flat jet of paint so as to envelope and drive same, other compressed-air jets being disposed symmetrically in a plane perpendicular to the flat jet of paint and converging thereagainst, whereby a satisfactory atomization is obtained which precludes not only the detrimental high pressure values of hydrostatic atomization, but also the considerable output of compressed air of conventional pneumatic atomization and the attendant losses of paint and other inconveniences deriving therefrom.

Abstract: This hydrostatic atomization paint spray-gun produces A flat jet of paint surrounded by several flat jets of compressed air and comprises at least two complementary jets of compressed air coplanar with the paint jet and converging towards the latter. Thus, the width of the paint jet can be adjusted to reduce it for example to one-half of its width without said complementary jets.

Abstract: For the application of humidity-sensitive, aqueous-based paint by spray gun, a compact air shroud assembly adapted to be attached to the spray apparatus about the air cap of the gun to envelope the spray with hot, dry air. The air shroud includes inner and outer annular members to define a passage therebetween. Hot, dry air enters the annular space from the bottom in a direction generally normal to the paint spray pattern and is divided into separate flow paths by a baffle below the inner annular member. From the baffle, the separated air flows pass to various segments of the annular space as directed by vanes in the annular passage. The vanes redirect the flow into a direction parallel with the spray pattern.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing a high density spray cast metal body from a highly energetic atomized metal stream by directing said atomized stream into the interior of a mold and causing said stream to scan and fill said mold interior by effecting relative movement between said atomized metal stream and said mold, thereby producing a fine grained spray cast metal body of high density.

Abstract: This equipment is of the type comprising a spray gun provided with a hydrostatic atomizing nozzle delivering a flat jet of liquid in combination with a pair of orifices disposed on either side of the nozzle and symmetrically in relation to the flat jet of liquid so as to deliver air jets in a plane perpendicular to that of the flat jet of liquid. The front surface of the nozzle is frustoconical and the two orifices are adapted to direct the air jets against said frustoconical surface and thus create two fan-shaped sheets of compressed air on either side of the flat jet of liquid also of fan-like configuration, said two fan-shaped sheets of compressed air being somewhat wider than the jet of liquid and meeting together at their edges while clamping said liquid jet. The equipment further comprises means for varying the pressure of the paint or other product from 5 to 30 bars (72.5 to 435 lbf) and the air jet pressure from 1 to 4 bars (14.5 to 58 lbf).