Claims
- 1. A gun for spraying metal in a forward direction, comprising,
- a head formed of electrical insulating material, said head having a pair of bores extending therethrough,
- two electrically conductive guide tubes received in said bores, said guide tubes being operable as wire guide means for guiding at least two metal wires lengthwise along two paths which are mutually convergent in a forward direction, whereby forward ends of the wires are proximate to each other,
- wire feed means for moving said wires forwardly in said wire guide tubes,
- said wire guide tubes and wire feed means being arranged to guide and feed the wires in unbent linear paths in the gun, said wire feed means including feed rolls mounted on the gun in proximity to the guide tubes, said feed rolls engaging the wires and feeding them forwardly in said wire guide tubes, said feed rolls being rotatable about axes of rotation which are substantially perpendicular to said linear paths of the wires in the gun,
- electrical circuit means for providing an electrical potential difference between the two wires to form an arc which extends between the two wires to melt the forward ends of the wires in an arc zone, said electrical circuit means including said wire guide tubes and an electrical connection means which connect an elongated electrical conductor to a connection zone on the wire guide tubes,
- means for directing a stream of gaseous fluid toward the forward ends of the wires to propel droplets of the molten metal in a forward direction,
- said bores in the head having walls which are spaced radially from said tubes to provide spaces for coolant liquid around said guide tubes, said spaces being located between the connection means and the arc zone,
- said spaces having forward ends where the guide tubes are sealed to the head, coolant inlet and outlet openings which are spaced apart axially in said coolant spaces for admitting coolant fluid to and discharging coolant fluid from said coolant spaces, means for moving a coolant liquid through said coolant space, said guide tubes having external walls which are exposed to said coolant spaces so as to provide for heat transfer from said guide tubes to the coolant liquid.
- 2. A spray gun according to claim 1 wherein said head has a coolant passage which extends between said spaces for coolant fluid.
- 3. A spray gun according to claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit means includes two electrically conductive members which are affixed to said head, each of said conductive members having an internal coolant passage which is in communication with one of said spaces for coolant fluid.
- 4. A spray gun according to claim 3 wherein the guide tubes extend through said conductive members.
- 5. A spray gun according to claim 4 having compression fitting means which are operable to affix said guide tubes to said conductive members, said compression fitting means being releasable to permit adjustment movement of said guide tubes, said compression fitting means including cap nuts threadedly connected to said conductive members.
- 6. A spray gun according to claim 1 in combination with a wire supply means which is space from the spray gun, said wire supply means including pusher roll means for engaging the wires and driving them toward the gun.
- 7. A gun for spraying metal in a forward direction, comprising,
- a head formed of electrical insulating material and having two bores extending therethrough,
- wire guide means including two electrically conducting guide tubes which are received in said bores for guiding at least two metal wires lengthwise along two axes which are mutually convergent in a forward direction, whereby forward ends of the wires are proximate to each other, said bores having walls which are spaced radially from said tubes to provide coolant spaces around said guide tubes,
- wire feed means for moving said wires forwardly in said wire guide means,
- electrical circuit means for providing an electrical potential difference between the two wires to form an arc which melts the forward ends of the wires in an arc zone, said electrical circuit means including two electrically conductive guide tubes which are affixed to said head, said guide tubes extending through said conductive members, each of said conductive members having an internal coolant passage which is in communication with one of said spaces for coolant fluid, compression fitting means which affix said guide tubes to said conductive members, said compression fitting means being releasable to permit adjustment movement of said guide tubes, said compression fitting means including cap nuts threadedly connected to said conductive members,
- means for directing a stream of gaseous fluid toward the forward ends of the wires to propel droplets of the molten metal in a forward direction,
- said electrical circuit means including an elongated electrical conductive which extends form the gun for connecting the gun to an external electrical power supply,
- cooling means for cooling said electrical conductor, said cooling means including means for circulating a stream of coolant liquid along said electrical conductor.
- 8. A gun for spraying metal in a forward direction, comprising,
- wire guide means for guiding at least two metal wires lengthwise along two axes which are mutually convergent in a forward direction, whereby forward ends of the wires are proximate to each other,
- wire feed means for moving said wires forwardly in said wire guide means, said wire feed means including:
- a motor mounted on said gun, said motor having a shaft which has drive gear means mounted thereon for rotation therewith, said drive gear means including a first set of drive gear teeth and a second set of drive gear teeth,
- a first driven gear having teeth engaged with said first set of drive gear teeth, a first wire feed wheel operatively connected to and driven by said first driven gear,
- a second driven gear having teeth engaged with said second set of drive gear teeth, a second wire feed wheel operatively connected to and driven by said second driven gear,
- said first and second driven gear being located on opposite sides of said shaft,
- said first and second sets of drive gear teeth facing in opposite axial directions on said shaft, whereby the driven gears and the feed wheels connected thereto are all rotated in directions which drive the wires forwardly in the wire guide means;
- electrical circuit means for providing an electrical potential difference between the two wires to form an arc which melts the forward ends of the wires in an arc zone,
- means for directing a stream of gaseous fluid toward the forward ends of the wires to propel droplets of the molten metal in a forward direction,
- said electrical circuit means including an elongated electrical conductor which extends from the gun for connecting the gun to an external electrical power supply,
- cooling means for cooling said electrical conductor, said cooling means including means for circulating a stream of coolant liquid along said electrical conductor.
- 9. A spray gun according to claim 8 wherein the driven gears and the feed wheels connected thereto are rotatable about rotational axes which, in plan view, lie at an obtuse angle relative to each other.
- 10. A spray gun according to claim 9, wherein said rotational axes are perpendicular to said guide tubes.
- 11. A gun for spraying metal in a forward direction, comprising,
- wire guide means for guiding at least two metal wires lengthwise along two axes which are mutually convergent in a forward direction, whereby forward ends of the wires are proximate to each other,
- wire feed means for moving said wires forwardly in said wire guide means,
- electrical circuit means for providing an electrical potential difference between the two wires to form an arc which melts the forward ends of the wires in an arc zone,
- means for directing a stream of gaseous fluid toward the forward ends of the wires to propel droplets of the molten metal in a forward direction,
- said electrical circuit means including an elongated electrical conductor which extends from the gun for connecting the gun to an external electrical power supply,
- two electrically conductive members which are insulated from each other, said wire guide means including a pair of guide tubes, each of said guide tubes extending through and connected to one of the electrically conductive members, compression fitting means which are operable to affix said guide tubes to said conductive members, said compression fitting means being releasable to permit adjustment movement of said guide tubes, said compression fitting means including cap nuts threadedly connected to said conductive members,
- cooling means for cooling said electrical conductor, said cooling means including means for circulating a stream of coolant liquid along said electrical conductor.
- 12. A spray gun according to claim 1 wherein the axes of rotation lie at an obtuse angle relative to each other.
- 13. A spray gun according to claim 2 wherein the guide tubes have forward ends which are no more than about 2 cm. from the forward ends of the coolant spaces.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part U.S. patent application No. 07/066,173, filed June 25, 1987. Benefits are also claimed under patent Cooperation Treaty application PCT/US88/02140 filed on June 24, 1988.
US Referenced Citations (26)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
543205 |
Dec 1955 |
BEX |
119618 |
Sep 1947 |
SEX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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66173 |
Jun 1987 |
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