Powder spray gun mount and cleaning arrangements

• US 20040065752A1
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Mather, Brian D., Shutic, Jeffrey R., Jones, Edward L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/261
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0405 with reciprocating or oscillating spray heads B05B13/0436, B05B13/0442, B05B13/0447, B05B13/0468 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/041 with spray heads reciprocating along a straight line
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/555 discharged by cleaning nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/62 Arrangements for supporting spraying apparatus, e.g. suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/00 Spray booths arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material in spray booths B05B14/40
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/032 for spraying particulate materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 239/21 Air blast

Abstract

A gun mount for a spray gun includes a rigid bracket that is installed on a rigid vertical support such as a gun mover. The bracket securely mounts the guns so as to reduce vibration and swaying during a spraying operation, even when the guns are being vertically moved by an oscillator. A position label or other suitable indicia is provided on the bracket so that the gun mount position can be recorded and thereby accurately repeated during subsequent installations. The bracket in one embodiment includes a series of vertical and horizontal mounting holes that permit a gun body to be installed at a desired vertical and horizontal orientation. A gun blow off arrangement is also provided for mounting associated pairs of air nozzles in position to blow powder from gun exterior surfaces. The associated pairs of air nozzles are mounted on a common bracket that can be selectively and slideably positioned on a channel support. An air nozzle positioning indicating device is provided to accurate position and record the position of the air nozzles for particular gun positions.

Claims

1. A gun mounting bracket for mounting a spray gun on a support, comprising:

a unitary bracket body having a gun mounting flange at a forward end and a support mounting flange at a rearward end;

said flanges being rigidly interconnected;

said gun mounting flange being adapted to have one or more spray guns installed thereon, and said support mounting flange being adapted for attachment to a gun support structure.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said gun support structure comprises a gun mover.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said bracket is mounted on an oscillator of said gun mover.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said gun mounting flange comprises a plurality of mounting holes for securing a gun body to said flange.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said holes receive mounting bolts of a clamp device that secures a gun body to said gun mounting flange.

6. The device of claim 1 comprising indicia on said gun mounting flange, wherein said indicia corresponds to various gun mounting positions on said flange.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said indicia correspond to respective heights of guns mounted on said flange.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said indicia correspond to location markers of a series of mounting holes in said gun mounting flange.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein said indicia are placed on an adhesive label attachable to said gun mounting flange.

10. A gun mover assembly, comprising:

a gun support member that is moveable to position spray guns in a spray booth; and

a gun mounting bracket affixed to said support member;

said bracket being a rigid structure and having a first end to which spray guns may be mounted and a second end that is attachable to said support member.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said bracket comprises a truss-like structure made of interconnected sheet metal webs.

12. The system of claim 10 comprising indicia associated with said bracket;

wherein said indicia correspond to mounting positions of guns on said bracket.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said indicia are applied to an adhesive label that is installed on said bracket first end.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said bracket first end comprises a series of mounting holes for mounting gun bodies on said first end;

said indicia indicating each unique gun mounting position on said first end.

15. A gun mounting bracket for mounting a powder spray gun on a support, comprising:

a unitary bracket body having a gun mounting forward end and a support mounting rearward end;

said forward and rearward ends being rigidly interconnected;

said gun mounting forward end being adapted to have one or more spray guns installed thereon, and said support mounting rearward end being adapted for attachment to a gun support structure.

16. The bracket of claim 15 wherein said bracket forward end and rearward end are interconnected by a truss-like structure.

17. The bracket of claim 16 wherein said truss-like structure comprises interconnecting metal webs.

18. The bracket of claim 16 wherein said truss-like structure comprises tubular bars.

19. The bracket of claim 15 comprising indicia associated with said gun mounting forward end;

said indicia corresponding to gun mounting positions on said forward end.

20. Powder blow-off apparatus for powder spray guns used in a powder spray application system, comprising:

a pair of air nozzles that direct pressurized air at an outside surface of a spray gun to remove powder from the spray gun and direct the removed powder into a spray booth;

a nozzle mounting bracket arranged with the spray booth so that position of said bracket can be selectively adjusted relative to position of the spray gun;

both of said air nozzles being mounted to said mounting bracket so that adjustment of said bracket position also adjusts position of both said air nozzles at the same time.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said bracket is adjustable vertically relative to a selectable vertical position of the spray gun.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 comprising at least two sets of said pair of air nozzles with each said pair disposed on a respective nozzle mounting bracket and with each said respective mounting bracket arranged on a respective side of the spray gun.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 comprising an air manifold and a respective air hose that connects each said air nozzle to said manifold.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said air hoses are coupled to a single port in said air manifold.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said air manifold is installed on an outside wall of the spray booth adjacent a gun slot in the spray booth through which the spray gun extends into the spray booth interior.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 comprising a vertically arranged bracket support member installed on an outside surface of the spray booth;

said nozzle mounting bracket being adjustably installed on said support member.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 comprising a position indicating device proximate at least one of said mounting bracket and said air nozzles to indicate vertical position of said air nozzles.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said position indicating device comprises a numerically indexed scale.

29. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said bracket is angled to support said air nozzles at an orientation that directs pressurized air at the spray gun surface and into the spray booth.

30. Powder spraying apparatus comprising:

a powder spray booth having a vertically arranged wall structure;

a plurality of powder spray guns that extend from outside said spray booth into an interior region of said spray booth through vertically extending openings in said spray booth wall structure;

a gun mount assembly for supporting said powder spray guns in position for spraying;

said gun mount assembly being disposed outside the spray booth;

a power blow-off assembly disposed outside said spray booth and comprising air nozzles for directing pressurized air at exterior surfaces of the spray guns;

both said gun mount assembly and powder blow-off assembly having selectable and adjustable positions along said vertical openings;

an air nozzle position indicating device and a gun mount assembly position indicating device that can be used to record nozzle and gun positions.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said nozzle position indicating device corresponds to a gun cleaning position and said gun mount assembly position indicating device corresponds to a gun spraying position.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said powder blow-off assembly is installed on an outside wall of the spray booth and wherein associated pairs of said air nozzles are installed on a common mounting bracket that is slideably adjustable in position relative to a spray gun position.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 comprising two pairs of said associated air nozzles for each spray gun;

each said associated pair of air nozzles being disposed on a respective side of the spray gun relative to a vertical axis.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said gun mount assembly is installed on a gun mover.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said gun mover comprises an oscillator.

36. Powder blow-off apparatus for powder spray guns used in a powder spray application system, comprising:

at least one air nozzle that directs pressurized air at an outside surface of a spray gun to remove powder from the spray gun and direct the removed powder into a spray booth; and

a nozzle mounting bracket arranged with the spray booth so that position of said bracket can be slideably adjusted relative to position of the spray gun.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said bracket is installed on a vertically extending channel member attached to the spray booth;

and a releasable clamping device that holds said bracket and channel member together;

said bracket being adjustable in position along a length of said channel member.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said air nozzle is pivotally attached to said bracket.

39. Powder blow-off apparatus for powder spray guns used in a powder spray application system, comprising:

at least one air nozzle that directs pressurized air at an outside surface of a spray gun to remove powder from the spray gun and direct the removed powder into a spray booth;

said nozzle being adjustably positioned relative to adjustable positions of the spray gun; and

an air nozzle position indicating device being disposed near said nozzle.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 comprising a spray gun position indicating device.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said position indicating devices are indexed scales.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said scales indicate relative vertical position.

43. Powder spray application system comprising:

at least one powder spray gun installed on a spray gun support with said gun being adjustably positioned on said spray gun support; and

a spray gun position indicating device.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 comprising an air nozzle for cleaning an outside surface of the spray gun, and an air nozzle position indicating device.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said position indicating devices are indexed scales.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein said scales indicate relative vertical position.

47. A quick color change powder spray application system comprising:

at least one powder spray gun installed on a spray gun support with said gun being adjustably positioned on said spray gun support;

a spray gun position indicating device;

at least one air nozzle positioned to direct pressurized air at an outside surface of said gun during a cleaning operation; and

an air nozzle position indicating device;

said gun position indicating device and air nozzle position indicating device providing a repeatable positioning arrangement to facilitate powder removal from said gun exterior as part of a color change operation.