Claims
- 1. A method of applying a liquid barrier coating material on selected portions of a plurality of fasteners each fastener having an internal bore comprising the steps of:
- introducing the fasteners onto a first conveying means in a consistent orientation;
- supporting a first surface of each said fasteners on said first conveying means with a first end of each of said bores substantially covered;
- sensing a predetermined portion of each fastener at a point along said first conveying means and generating a signal in response thereto; and
- discontinuously applying liquid barrier coating material from a first applicator onto a limited preselected portion that includes a part of the bore of each of said fasteners as a result of said signal generated in said sensing step without moving or inserting the applicator into the bores of said fasteners while said first conveying means continuously conveys said fasteners at a uniform speed.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of heating said fasteners with said coating material applied thereto.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said supporting step further comprises magnetically attracting said fasteners to said first conveying means along substantially the entire length of said first conveying means.
- 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising reducing the magnetic attraction of said fasteners to said first conveying means after said applying step.
- 5. A The method of 1 wherein said introducing step further comprises centering the fasteners on said first conveying means.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said introducing step further comprises exerting a force on a second surface of each of said fasteners to urge them into contact with said first conveying means.
- 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing liquid barrier coating material from said first conveying means after said first applying step.
- 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of cleaning said fasteners on said first conveying means while said first conveying means continuously conveys said fasteners at a uniform speed prior to said applying step.
- 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of drying said fasteners on said first conveying means prior to said applying step.
- 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sensing a predetermined portion of each fastener with liquid barrier coating applied thereto from said first applicator in said applying step and generating a signal in response thereto and discontinuously applying liquid barrier coating material from a second applicator onto a limited preselected portion that includes at least a part of the fastener without liquid barrier coating material applied thereto from said first applicator in said applying step while said first conveying means continuously conveys said fasteners at a uniform speed.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein said fasteners introduced in said introducing step are internally threaded.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid barrier coating material applied in said applying step is a fluorocarbon.
- 13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adjusting said first applicator in three axes prior to said applying step.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein said fasteners introduced onto said first conveying means in said introducing step are interconnected by a filament.
- 15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of transferring said fasteners with liquid barrier coating material applied thereto onto a second conveying means located above and overlapping a portion of said first conveying means.
- 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of supporting a second surface of each of said fasteners on said second conveying means with a second end of each of said bores substantially covered.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of supporting a second surface of said fasteners further comprises magnetically attracting said second surface of each of said fasteners to said second conveying means.
- 18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of removing coating material from said first surface of each of said fasteners.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said removing step further comprises contacting said second surface with absorbent material.
- 20. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of heating said fasteners on said second conveying means.
- 21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of drying said fasteners on said second conveying means.
- 22. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of reducing the magnetic attraction of said fasteners to said second conveying means in an area before said end of said second conveying means opposite said portion that overlaps said first conveying means.
- 23. The method of claim 16 wherein said fasteners introduced onto said first conveying means and transferred onto said second conveying means are connected by a filament.
- 24. A method of applying a liquid barrier coating material on selected portions of a plurality of fasteners interconnected by a filament,each fastener having an internal bore comprising the steps of:
- introducing the fasteners onto a first conveying means in a consistent interconnected orientation;
- supporting a first surface of each of said fasteners on said first conveying means with a first end of each of said bores substantially covered;
- sensing a predetermined portion of each fastener at a point along said first conveying means and generating a signal in response thereto; and
- discontinuously applying liquid barrier coating material from a first applicator onto a limited preselected portion that includes a part of the bore of each of said fasteners as a result of said signal generated in said sensing step without moving or inserting the applicator into the bores of said fasteners while said first conveying means continuously conveys said interconnected fasteners at a uniform speed.
- 25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of heating said fasteners with said coating material applied thereto.
- 26. The method of claim 24 wherein said supporting step further comprises magnetically attracting said fasteners to said first conveying means along substantially the entire length of said first conveying means.
- 27. The method of claim 26 further comprising reducing the magnetic attraction of said fasteners to said first conveying means after said applying step.
- 28. The method of 24 wherein said introducing step further comprises centering the interconnected fasteners on said first conveying means.
- 29. The method of claim 24 wherein said introducing step further comprises exerting a force on a second surface of each of said interconnected fasteners to urge them into contact with said first conveying means.
- 30. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of removing liquid barrier coating material from said first conveying means after said first applying step.
- 31. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of cleaning said fasteners on said first conveying means while said first conveying means continuously conveys said fasteners at a uniform speed prior to said applying step.
- 32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of drying said fasteners on said first conveying means prior to said applying step.
- 33. The method of claim 24 further comprising sensing a predetermined portion of each fastener with liquid barrier coating applied thereto from said first applicator in said applying step and generating a signal in response thereto and discontinuously applying liquid barrier coating material from a second applicator onto a limited preselected portion that includes at least a part of the fastener without liquid barrier coating material applied thereto from said first applicator in said applying step while said first conveying means continuously conveys said fasteners at a uniform speed.
- 34. The method of claim 24 wherein said liquid barrier coating material applied in said applying step is a fluorocarbon.
- 35. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of transferring said interconnected fasteners with liquid barrier coating material applied thereto onto a second conveying means located above and overlapping a portion of said first conveying means.
- 36. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of supporting a second surface of each of said interconnected fasteners on said second conveying means with a second end of each of said bores substantially covered.
- 37. The method of claim 36 wherein said step of supporting a second surface of said fasteners further comprises magnetically attracting said second surface of each of said fasteners to said second conveying means.
- 38. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of removing coating material from said first surface of each of said fasteners.
- 39. The method of claim 38 wherein said removing step further comprises contacting said second surface with absorbent material.
- 40. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of heating said fasteners on said second conveying means.
- 41. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of drying said fasteners on said second conveying means.
- 42. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of reducing the magnetic attraction of said fasteners to said second conveying means in an area before said end of said second conveying means opposite said portion that overlaps said first conveying means.
- 43. A method of applying liquid barrier coating material on selected portions of a plurality of fasteners interconnected by a filament, each fastener having an internal bore comprising the steps of:
- providing the interconnected fasteners wound on a first coil;
- unwinding said fasteners from said first coil and introducing said fasteners onto a conveying means in a consistent interconnected orientation;
- supporting a surface of each of said fasteners on said conveying means with a first end of each of said bores substantially covered;
- discontinuously applying liquid barrier coating material from a applicator onto a limited preselected portion that includes a part of the bore of each of said fasteners without moving or inserting the applicator into the bores of said fasteners while said conveying means continuously conveys said interconnected fasteners at a uniform speed; and
- removing said coated interconnected fasteners from said conveying means and winding said interconnected fasteners onto second coil.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/483,100 filed Jun. 7, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,160.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4060868 |
Axvig et al. |
Dec 1977 |
|
4701348 |
Neville |
Oct 1987 |
|
5403624 |
DiMaio et al. |
Apr 1995 |
|
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
483100 |
Jun 1995 |
|