Patent ID: 6013135
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: B05C,B05D

Abstract:
An apparatus for six-sided painting of parts, such as boards, the parts having a top, bottom, sides, and ends, in a vacuum painting system having a feed conveyor, a vacuum painting chamber, and a take-out conveyor wherein the a first part is placed end-to-end with a second part on the feed conveyor, each part having a leading end and a trailing end, and the first part and second part enter the vacuum painting chamber end-to-end, the parts exiting the vacuum painting chamber onto the take-out conveyor end-to-end with the leading end of each part exiting the vacuum painting chamber first, said apparatus comprising:(a) sensing means for sensing the leading end of the first part;(b) relay means responsive to said sensing means;(c) a movable carriage adjacent the take-out conveyor and adapted to move in either direction along the take-out conveyor and positionable along the first part on the take-out conveyor, the motion of said movable carriage being responsive to said relay means; and(d) gripping means mounted on said movable carriage for gripping the first part, said gripping means being responsive to said relay means, said relay means, carriage, and gripping means cooperating to move the trailing end of the first part away from the leading end of the second part within the vacuum painting chamber.