Claims
- 1. Apparatus for applying particulate material to an article having a concavity and associated contigious surfaces, said apparatus comprising a rotatable and tiltable base, means on said base for holding the article to which particulate material is to be applied, support means coacting with said base, particulate material dispensing means mounted on said support means in upwardly spaced and generally overlying relationship with respect to said base, for directing particulate material downwardly onto the article, said dispensing means segmented, and including means for dispensing particulate material from each segment thereof onto the article when said dispensing means is in predetermined operative positional relationship with respect to the article, means associated with each said segment for lapping its deposition over that of an adjacent segment, and means for oscillating said dispensing means with respect to said base for dusting the particulate material through a predetermined range of travel of said dispensing means down onto the article and from an overlying position with respect thereto, said oscillating means including powered motor means for causing said oscillation of said dispensing means and thus said dusting through said predetermined range.
- 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support means comprises an arm supported on said base and extending upwardly therefrom, a shaft projecting outwardly from said arm in overlying relation to said base and supporting said dispensing means thereon, said motor means being operative to oscillate said shaft and mounted dispensing means with respect to said arm.
- 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including power means for rotating said base through 360.degree. and for tilting said base with respect to the vertical through at least approximately 45.degree., said means for causing dispensing of particulate material from said dispensing means comprising a vibrator mounted on said dispensing means for vibrating said dispensing means to cause cascading of particulate material from said dispensing means upon actuation of said vibrator.
- 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said segmented dispensing means comprises a plurality of laterally spaced perforate basket-like members mounted on said support means, said basket members abutting in biased, spaced relationship along a generally vertical plane, at least one of said basket-like members being generally fixed to said support means while another of said basket-like members is pivoted to said support means, said support means being supported by said base whereby said pivoted member automatically swings with respect to said support means due to gravity upon predetermined tilting of said base.
- 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said fixed basket-like member is centrally disposed and aligned between pivoted basket-like members, one of said pivoted basket-like members being adapted to dust an associated end of the interior of the concavity of the article while the other of said pivoted basket-like members is adapted to dust the interior of the opposite end of the concavity of the article upon predetermined tilting of said base.
- 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said dispensing means comprises a plurality of spaced sieve-like dependent basket members adapted to receive particulate material therein, said basket members abutting in biased, spaced relationship along a generally vertical plane, said means for causing dispensing of particulate material from said dispensing means comprising a vibrating mechanism operatively connected to an associated one of said sieve-like members and adapted to vibrate the respective sieve-like member upon actuation of said vibrating mechanism.
- 7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the article to be coated comprises a build-in type bathtub including a front exterior apron section, said support means comprising an arm pivoted to said base for movement in a plane disposed generally perpendicular to said base, power means for pivoting said arm, said support means also including a shaft rotatably mounted on said arm in overlying relationship to said base and extending laterally from said arm, said dispensing means being suspended from said shaft, and said powered motor means being operatively coupled to said shaft, for oscillating said shaft about it lengthwise axis and with respect to said arm to cause said oscillation of said dispensing means for dusting the particulate material through a predetermined range of movement onto the article to be coated.
- 8. Apparatus in accordance wth claim 1 wherein said base comprises a first support member swingable about a generally horizontal axis, a second support member mounted on said first support member for movement therewith and extending generally perpendicular to a horizontal plane containing said horizontal axis, said means for holding an article being mounted on said second support member, and power means for rotating said second support member with respect to said first support member whereby an article to be coated may be tilted and rotated when in supported relation on said holding means.
- 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said motor means comprises a fluid powered motor operatively coupled to said shaft and which is adapted to oscillate said shaft through a predetermined arc with respect to said arm and to either side of a generally vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said shaft.
- 10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said dispensing means comprises a perforate basket-like member open at the top thereof and suspended from said shaft, the last mentioned member comprising a generally outwardly arcuate bottom wall, and generally vertical side and end walls, said walls being perforated substantially throughout their areas of extension.
- 11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said shaft includes means thereon adapted for supplying particulate material to said dispensing means.
- 12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein said supplying means comprises a passageway in said shaft and means communicating said passageway with said dispensing means for supplying particulate material from said passageway means to said dispensing means, and including means on said shaft adapted for quick coupling with a conduit running from a supply source of the particulate material.
- 13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said first support member comprises an elongated beam having trunnions at opposite ends thereof, bearing means supporting said trunnions for swinging movement of said beam about said generally horizontal axis, power means operatively coupled with said beam for selectively swinging said beam about said axis, said second support member comprising a turntable support mounted on said beam for rotation about an axis extending generally perpendicular relative to said beam and about the axis of said turntable support, the first mentioned power means coacting with said turntable support for rotating said turntable support with respect to said beam, and said holding means comprising a cradle mounted on said turntable support.
- 14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a carriage movable toward and away from said base, an arm movably mounted on said carriage for swinging movement in a generally vertical plane and supporting said dispensing means thereon, said dispensing means being oscillatable with respect to said arm and carriage, said carriage and arm being adapted to be so positioned that said dispensing means is located in overlying relation with respect to the article during said dusting.
- 15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a carriage movable toward and away from said base on tracks, a pair of laterally spaced, extensible and retractable arms pivotably mounted on said carriage, a shaft rotatably supported by said arms and extending therebetween, said shaft supporting said dispensing means thereon, said dispensing means including a plurality of perforated basket-like members adapted to receive therein particulate material, and power means for pivoting said arms relative to said carriage and for extending and retracting said arms, and said motor means being operatively coupled to said shaft for oscillating said shaft about its length axis and thus swinging said basket-like members relative to said holding means and from an overhead position relative thereto.
- 16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said arm is extensible and retractable lengthwise thereof, including power means for extending and retracting said arm, and other power means for moving said arm relative to said carriage, said dispensing means including a plurality of laterally spaced perforated basket-like members.
- 17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said arm comprises an elongated lower section movably mounted on said carriage and an elongated upper section extensible and retractable relative to said lower section, said upper section including a laterally extending end portion on which said dispensing means is mounted, said end portion extending in the general direction of said base.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 324,327, filed Jan. 16, 1973, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 250,786, filed May 5, 1972.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
324327 |
Jan 1973 |
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Parent |
250786 |
May 1972 |
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