Patent ID: 6767406
Filing Date: 2004-07-27
Classification: B05C,B08B

Abstract:
A washing and painting apparatus for washing and painting objects, comprising:an apparatus frame structure; an endless conveyor assembly mounted to said frame structure and including a conveyor, said conveyor having a series of incrementally spaced attachment structures thereon configured to secure the objects thereon for washing and painting, said conveyor being movable for moving said attachment structures between consecutive incremental positions along said frame structure in a downstream conveying direction, the distance between consecutive incremental positions being generally equal to an incremental spacing between consecutive attachment structures; a washing station including a washing receptacle structure disposed beneath said conveyor and configured to apply a cleaning solution to objects disposed therein, and a washing station lift mechanism constructed to move said washing receptacle structure between (a) a raised position wherein said washing receptacle structure is raised upwardly to receive therein one of the objects which is in a washing incremental position so as to apply the cleaning solution to surfaces of the object and (b) a lowered position wherein said washing receptacle structure is disposed below a vertical extent of the object to thereby allow the object to be conveyed downstream from said washing incremental position; a painting station including an upwardly open paint reservoir disposed beneath said conveyor downstream of said washing receptacle structure, said paint reservoir being configured to contain a volume of paint therein, said painting station further including a painting station lift mechanism constructed to move said paint reservoir between (a) a raised position wherein said paint reservoir is raised upwardly to receive therein one of the objects which is in a painting incremental position so as to dispose the object within the volume of paint and (b) a lowered position wherein said paint reservoir is disposed below the vertical extent of the object to thereby allow the object to be conveyed downstream from the painting incremental position; and a heating station including one or more heaters disposed along said conveyor downstream of said paint reservoir and being constructed to apply heat to one of the objects which is in a heating incremental position.