Abstract:
An Tube Spray Gun for coating an elongated member comprising a handle, a flow trigger, at least one positioner engaging the member and adapted to maintain a spray tip in a desired position relative to the member, a mounting means for releasably engaging the spray tip assembly around the member, a coating supply fluidly connected to the spray tip and a flow activated by the trigger and a spray tip assembly calibrated to provide complete radial coverage of the member, whereby an user engages the positioner placing the apparatus around the member and activates the flow trigger while moving the apparatus along the member to coat the entire radial surface of the member with a single pass.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention generally relates to coating the entire surface of an elongated member such as a pipe in a single pass. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus for coating a pipe in a single pass while providing 360° surface coverage, wherein the apparatus is easily positioned at one end of the pipe and moved along the pipe with apparatus spraying and covering the entire surface with a coating until the user comes to the end of the pipe where they remove the apparatus from the pipe, and position the apparatus on the next pipe to be coated. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The current methods of coating a pipe for example in a tubular fence whether it be cylindrical, square or some other shape are manpower intensive, costly, and inefficient. A tubular fence may comprise multiple fence sections wherein each fence section may typically consist of two vertical tubular posts with multiple horizontal tubular cross-members are fixedly attached to the vertical posts. The number of cross-members varies depending on the purpose of the fence but number is commonly three to five. One of the cross-members would generally be near the ground making it difficult to coat the underside of the cross-member. One method currently employed is to coat one side of the fence through its entire section length with a coating device such as a brush, roller, or the like, then switch to the other side and continue coating until the entire tubular member is coated. If the tubing is square the method is further complicated with the additions of a defined top and bottom and having to position the coating device to cover these surfaces. Coating using this method is time consuming and inefficient. 
         [0004]    Another method, available to coat the fence, utilizes a standard spray gun and the user walks along and near to the cross-member while spraying. This method has one of the disadvantages as the previous method, thus requiring the person to move to the other side of the fence to complete the coating. There are several disadvantages to this method that were not in the previous method including overspray and waste of material. In compensating for the overspray by reducing the fan of the spray nozzle, the unintended consequence is the addition of too much material onto the cross-member causing runs and dripping onto lower cross-members and second, the user is limited to coating in limited or no wind conditions. In states such as Oklahoma, limited or no wind conditions are few and far between. 
         [0005]    Either of the methods described above have significant disadvantages that are manpower intensive, costly and wasteful and ultimately inefficient. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention overcomes these shortcomings by providing an apparatus that allows a user to coat the tubular surface of a single member in a single pass with full 360 coverage under multiple wind conditions. The apparatus may consist of a spray gun, an extension, a spray tip assembly wherein the individual spray nozzles are adjustable and/or a spray nozzle group is adjustable and an adjustable wind shield. 
         [0007]    There have thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0008]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0009]    Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a view of a tube spray gun with automatic closing spray tip. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a view of a latchable tube spray gun with the spray tip assembly in the latched position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view of the latchable tube spray gun with the spray tip assembly in the unlatched position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a view of one embodiment of the tube spray gun with a positioning device. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a view of a roller positioning device. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a view of a tube spray gun with a fixed spray assembly. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a view of a narrow pattern spray nozzle assembly. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a view of a wide pattern spray nozzle assembly. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a view of the tube spray gun with an open windshield. 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a view of the tube spray gun with a closed windshield. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a view of a coating recover tray. 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a view of the tube spray gun with a coating recovery tray. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is a view of one embodiment of the tube spray gun with an automatic closing spray tip  100 . The automatic tube spray gun  100  may comprise a coating supply  102 , a handle  104 , a valve assembly  106 , a flow trigger  108 , an extension  114 , a spray tip swivel  118 , and upper spray tip assembly  120 , a lower spray tip assembly  122 , spray assembly opener  134 , and a spray tip assembly opener linkage  132 . In a preferred embodiment, a spray assembly opener  134  may be hingedly affixed to the flow trigger guard  136 , which protects the flow trigger  108  from accidental activation and discharge, to provide a pulling action on the hingedly attached lower spray tip assembly  122 . The hinged attachment point on trigger guard  136  is a preferred location of the spray assembly opener  134 , however other positions on the automatic tube spray gun  100  are suitable for the hinging function. The spray assembly opener  134  may be mechanically connected to the lower spray tip assembly  122  or could use an electronic means such as servos to actuate the lower spray tip assembly  122  with opening and closing. In the preferred embodiment, a wire may be used to connect spray assembly opener  134  and the lower spray tip assembly  122 . 
         [0023]    The lower spray tip assembly  122  is hingedly attached to the automatic tube spray gun  100  via a hinge  126 . This hinge  126  allows the lower spray tip assembly  122  to be opened and closed during positioning and operation of the automatic tube spray gun  100 . 
         [0024]    A user actuates the spray assembly opener  134  which in turn opens the lower spray tip assembly  122  creating an opening  130  for placement around the tubular member to be coated. Once the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  are positioned around the tubular member to be coated, the user releases the spray assembly opener  134  wherein the retention device  128  closes the lower spray tip assembly  122  by moving the lower spray tip assembly  122  into its normal closed operating position. The lower spray tip assembly  122  remains in the closed position by a retention device  128  until a user reactivates the spray assembly opener  134 . The retention device  128  may be selected from a spring, an elastic member such as a rubber band, a hydraulic and pneumatic device wherein the retention device  128  in this preferred embodiment is a spring. 
         [0025]    Once the tube spray gun  100  is positioned around the tubular member for coating, the user may then activate the flow trigger  108  allowing the coating to flow from a coating source through the coating supply connection  102  through the handle  104  that is fluidly connected to the valve assembly  106 . The coating continues to flow through the handle swivel  112  through the extension  114  via a coating flow channel  116  continuing through a second spray tip swivel  118  onto the upper spray tip assembly  120  and the lower spray tip assembly  122  at which point the coating exits the automatic tube spray gun  100  through the adjustable spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  and their spray nozzles  124 . The flow of the coating into the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  is controlled by the volume control  110  on top of the valve assembly  106 . In the current embodiment, there are three methods of adjusting the volume of the coating applied to the tubular member with the first method discussed previously and the other two methods to be discussed below in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 8 . 
         [0026]    In the preferred embodiment, the spray tip swivel  118  allows the user to change the position of the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  for ease of use when coating a tubular member. The spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  could be rotated 90 degrees using the spray tip swivel  118  that would allow it to coat vertical surfaces. Additionally, the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  could be positioned to some angle in between 0 and 90 degrees to a coat tubular members that were not horizontal or vertical. Additionally, the position of the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  may be fixed to a desired position using the spray tip swivel  118   
         [0027]    Additionally, the handle swivel  112  allows the user another degree of flexibility as they are coating a surface. The user may rotate the handle  104  while holding the extension  114  thus allowing the user to avoid handle obstructions while coating the tubular member and without disturbing the position of the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  are views of one embodiment of a latchable tube spray gun in the latched position  200  and unlatched position  300 . The latchable tube spray gun  200  may comprise a coating supply  102 , a handle  104 , a valve assembly  106 , a flow trigger  108 , an extension  114 , a spray tip swivel  118 , an upper spray tip assembly  120 , a lower spray tip assembly  122  and a draw latch  300 . The components of the latchable tube spray gun  200  may be similar to the automatic tube spray gun  100  with the differences residing in the spray tip assembly area and retention device  128 . 
         [0029]    The user opens up the draw latch  202  and removes the draw latch  202  from the draw latch strike plate  302 . This allows the lower spray tip assembly  122  to swing open wherein the lower tip assembly  122  may be hingedly attached to the latchable tube spray gun  200  at the spray assembly hinge  126 . By unlatching the draw latch  202 , a spray tip assembly opening  130  is created between the upper spray tip assembly  120  and the lower spray tip assembly  122 . The latchable tube spray gun  200  is positioned to surround the tubular member to be coated and then the user repositions lower spray tip assembly  122  and reconnects the draw latch  202  to the draw latch strike plate  302  on the upper spray-tip assembly  120  and locks it in place thereby preventing the lower spray tip assembly  122  from separating at the hinge  126  while in operation. This closed draw latch  202  allows the user to move the latchable tube spray gun  200  gun along tubular member coating the surface while maintaining the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  in the desired positions. After coating the tubular member, the user then may release the draw latch  202 , allowing the latchable tube spray gun  200  to be removed from the tubular member. See  FIG. 3  for the open-latched position. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a view of one embodiment of the tube spray gun  100  with an attached positioning device  400 . The tube spray gun with a positioner  400  may comprise either of the previous spray gun embodiments with an extension  114 , a positioner  402 , a positioner holder  404  and a positioner adjustment  406 . 
         [0031]    The user may release the retention mechanism described above in the previous embodiments creating a spray tip assembly  122  opening  130  for the tubular member to enter. The positioner  402  is placed in contact with the tubular member wherein the user applies slight pressure on the positioner  402  to provide contact with the tubular member&#39;s surface to be coated thereby maintaining the desired position of the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  while coating the tubular member. The retention device  128  is reengaged and the user activates the flow trigger  108  with the positioner  402  in place as they move the spray gun along the tubular member. Upon completing the coating, the user disengage the retention device  128  and removes the spray gun from the tubular member. Additionally, the positioner  402  may be placed on the uncoated side of the tubular member to prevent marring the coating. 
         [0032]    The positioner  402  may slide through the positioner holder  404  to obtain the desire position of the positioner  402  on the tubular member to be coated. Once the desired position is obtained, a positioner adjustment  406  is engaged to secure the positioner  402  in place. The positioner adjustment  406  may be selected from a device as a thumbscrew or a device apparent to one skilled in the art that would maintain the positioner  402  in place. 
         [0033]    In a preferred embodiment, the positioner  402  may be connected to the extension  114  through a position holder  404  that may be a collar that is fixedly attached to the extension  114 . Additionally, this collar may be rotate as required as the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  are rotated. The V-groove in the positioner  402  may assist the user in maintaining the desired position on cylindrical and polygonal type surfaces. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a view of alternate embodiment of the spray gun positioner  400 . In this embodiment, the roller positioning device  500  may comprise of a positioner holder  404 , a positioner adjustment  406 , the adjustable extension  502 , a roller  504  and a roller axles  506 . This embodiment is similar to the previous positioner embodiment in that it uses the positioner holder  404 , a positioner adjustment  406  that is fixedly attached to the spray gun extension  114  and allows the adjustable extension  502  to slide through the positioner holder  404  and be secured in place by the positioner adjustment  406 . The roller axles  506  are fixedly attached to the adjustable extension  502  wherein roller  504  is rotationally attached to the axles  506 . The roller  504  may rotate freely around the axles  506 . 
         [0035]    As described above, the lower spray tip assembly  122  is opened allowing the user to place the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  around the tubular member and place the roller  504  in contact with the tubular member. The user reengages the retention device  128  and maintains the roller  504  in contact with the tubular member. 
         [0036]    The user moves the roller  504  along the tubular member while coating the tubular member&#39;s surface. The roller  504  is preferably placed in front of the spray tip assemblies  120 ,  122  to prevent marring of the newly coated surface. After coating the tubular member, the user disengage the spray gun as described above. 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a view of tube spray gun with a fixed spray assembly  600 . A fixed tube spray gun  600  may comprise a coating supply  102 , a handle  104 , a valve assembly  106 , a flow trigger  108 , an extension  114 , a spray tip swivel  118 , an upper fixed spray tip assembly  602  and a lower fixed spray tip assembly  603  that create a fixed opening  604 . In this embodiment, the user places the spray tip assemblies  602 ,  603  over the desired tubular member to be coated and may engage one of the positioners described above to obtain the desired position of the spray tip assemblies  602 ,  603 . The fixed opening  604  of the spray tip assemblies  602 ,  603  may limit the size of tubular member that may be coated. 
         [0038]    The user inserts the tubular member through fixed opening  604  inside the fixed spray tip assemblies  602 ,  603 . Then they actuate the flow trigger  108  allowing the coating to exit the adjustable spray nozzles  124  and move the spray gun  600  along the tubular member coating the surface. The user preferably maintains the fixed spray tip assembly  602 ,  603  such that the adjustable spray nozzles  124  are equidistant from the tubular member to provide a uniform surface coating or the user may employ the positioners described above to assist in maintaining the nozzles desired positioning. 
         [0039]    Additionally, this embodiment illustrates an upper volume control  606  and a lower volume control  610 . It would be apparent to one skilled in the art that these spray tip assemblies  602 ,  603  volume controls may also be utilized to control the coating volume in the spray tip assemblies of the different spray gun embodiments described above. The upper volume control  606  may be adjusted by the upper volume control adjustment  608  such as a screw that may be adjusted in or out to control the flow of coating to the upper spray tip assembly  602 . The lower volume control  610  controls the flow into the lower tip assembly  603  and may be adjusted using the lower volume control adjustment screw  612 . The lower volume control adjustment  612  may be adjusted to increase or restrict the flow of coating to the lower spray tip assembly  603 . Both the upper volume control and the lower volume control allow the user to control the overall volume of coating going to a set of spray nozzles  124 . It would apparent to one skilled in the art that other methods may be employed to control the flow volume to the spray tip assemblies  602 ,  603  and the use of an adjustment screw is but one method. 
         [0040]      FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  are views of spray nozzle assemblies with a narrow pattern  700  and a wide pattern  800  for the various embodiments of the spray gun described above. The spray nozzle assembly with the narrow pattern  700  may comprise spray tubing  702 , spray nozzles  124 , and the nozzle orifices  704 . The spray tubing  702  may be fluidly connect the spray gun providing the coating to the spray nozzles  124  wherein the coating exits the spray nozzles  124  through the nozzle orifices  704  and is imparted on the surface of the tubular member. The number of adjustable spray nozzles  124  in the assemblies may be determined by one skilled in the art based on the coverage desired, the size and shape of the tubular member, the type of coating being applied and the conditions where the coating will be applied. When the spray nozzle  124  is positioned such that the nozzle orifices  704  is parallel to the spray tubing  702  then the spray nozzle assembly  700  will provide a very narrow spray pattern. The narrow spray pattern is useful in high wind situations where the user may want to reduce the amount of coating that is lost while spraying and maximizing the amount of coating that&#39;s being imparted onto the surface while also limiting overspray. 
         [0041]    The wide pattern spray nozzle assembly  800  may comprise spray tubing  702 , spray nozzles  124 , nozzle orifices  704 , individual volume controls  802 , and individual volume control adjustments  804 . The wide pattern spray nozzle assembly  800  may have multiple spray nozzles  124  with the nozzle orifices  704  perpendicular to the tubing to provide the wide spray pattern. The spray nozzles  124  may be individually adjusted to positions in between parallel and perpendicular as desired by the user. The wide spray pattern nozzle assembly  800  is useful in coating a tubular member in no or low wind conditions. Additionally, the wide spray pattern nozzle assembly  800  may allow the user to more quickly coat a tubular member. 
         [0042]    The spray nozzles  124  may be attached to individual volume controls  802  that may have individual volume control adjustments  804  on the side wherein each of the separate nozzles  124  may be adjusted to a desired flow rate. The individual volume controls  802  may be adjusted by the individual volume control adjustment  804  such as a screw that is adjusted in or out to control the flow of coating to the spray nozzles  124 . This individual volume control is not unique to the wide pattern spray nozzle assembly  800  and may also be applicable to the narrow pattern spray tip assembly  700 . It would apparent to one skilled in the art that other methods may be employed to control the flow volume through the spray nozzles  124  and the use of an adjustment screw is but one method. 
         [0043]      FIG. 9  is a view of one embodiment of the tube spray gun with a windshield attached and the windshield being in the open position. The windshield  900  may comprise a windshield positioner  902 , an extension holder  904 , and extension retention adjustment  906 , a center windshield  908 , an upper windshield  910 , and a lower windshield  912 , and a windshield position adjustment  914 . This windshield  900  may be used when coating a tubular member and the wind conditions are less than desirable. The upper wind shield  910  and the lower windshield  912  may be constructed of thin material that is capable of resisting the wind without deforming. They are moved to the open position by the user, the spray gun may be placed in the desired position using the positioner  402  or the roller positioner  500  around the tube wherein the positioner engages the tubular member. Then the upper windshield  910  and lower windshield  912  are placed around the member to be coated without touching the surface and the windshield position adjustment  914  may be tightened to hold the upper and lower windshields  910 ,  912  in the desired position. See  FIG. 10 . The windshield position adjustment  914  may be a wing nut that is easily adjusted to allow for a quick positioning of the spray gun and windshield, but one skilled in the art may use other devices or methods known to perform this function. After the engagement of the spray gun and positioner, the lower spray tip assembly  122  is placed in the operating position and the user may coat the surface of the tubular member while the wind shield protects the spray nozzles  124  from the wind and minimizes the material loss. 
         [0044]    The windshield positioner  902  may be moved laterally to a desired position. The windshield positioner  902  slides through the extension holder  904  wherein the position may be fixed upon the tightening of the extension retention adjustment  906  which may be preferably a thumb screw. However, one skilled in the art would be aware of other methods of securing the windshield positioner  902  in place. Additionally, the extension holder  904  may be combined with the positioner holder  404  to create a single piece that allows the use of both the positioner holder  404  and windshield positioner  902  simultaneously. 
         [0045]      FIG. 10  a view of the tube spray gun with the windshield in the closed position  1000 . In the closed position, the upper windshield  910  and the lower windshield  912  covers and protects the spray nozzle assemblies  120 ,  122  thus preventing overspray and also preventing high winds from affecting the coating of the member. Excess paint that collects on the windshield may flow downward to the bottom of windshields  908 , 912  wherein it may flow into a coating recovery tray  1100  described below in  FIG. 11 . Once a tubular member has been coated then the user unscrews the windshield position adjustment  914  allowing the upper windshield  910  and the lower windshield  912  to open and the user to disengage the spray gun from the tubular member. 
         [0046]      FIG. 11  is a view of a preferred embodiment of coating recovery tray  1100 . The coating tray  1100  may comprise an attachment point  1102 , the coating tray  1104 , drain  1106  and a coating return tube  1108 . The coating tray  1100  allows the recovery of overspray and excess coating. This embodiment with the attachment point  1102  being fixed may use pressure to maintain the coating tray  1100  in the desired position. 
         [0047]      FIG. 12  shows the coating tray  1100  fixedly attached to an embodiment of the spray gun  600  in the desired position to capture any excess coating  1200 . The coating tray  1100  is fixedly attached to the extension  114  through friction and pressure. One skilled in the art may use other methods known to securely attach the coating tray  1100  to the spray gun  600 . The user opens the attachment point  1102  until it capable of accepting the extension  114  of a spray gun  600 . Once opened, the extension  114  is moved into a position to engage the attachment point  1102  wherein the attachment point  1102  is released to secure the extension  114 . The coating tray  1100  may remain in a fixed position even though the spray tip assemblies may be rotated. However, the coating tray  1100  may be rotated to a desired position by the user by holding the extension  114  in the desired position and then rotating the coating tray  1100  by disengaging the attachment point  1102  until the coating tray  1100  reaches a desired position. The coating tray  1100  may capture any excess coating that drips from the spray assemblies, the positioners, the tubular member and the wind shield.