Mixing and application system, method and material

A container with a quantity of coating liquid includes a luminescent pigment and a paint base. An impeller is in proximity to the bottom of the container to keep the pigment in suspension in the paint base. The container also has a linear inlet slot and a linear outlet slot. A feeding assembly includes a supply roll, a take up roll and a plurality of idler rolls to move a plurality of nylon straps from the supply roll, across the take up rolls and through the container and liquid therein and to the take up roll. A drying assembly is provided for nylon straps moving between the outlet slot and the take up roll. Also provided is a method and material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mixing and application system, method and material and more particularly pertains to applying a luminescent coating to a nylon webbing.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The use of mixing and application systems, methods and materials of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, mixing and application systems, methods and materials of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of mixing and applying luminous products through known designs and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.

While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a mixing and application system, method and material that allows applying a luminescent coating to a nylon webbing.

In this respect, the mixing and application system, method and material according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of applying a luminescent coating to a nylon webbing.

Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved mixing and application system, method and material which can be used for applying a luminescent coating to a nylon webbing. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of mixing and application systems, methods and materials of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved mixing and application system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved mixing and application system, method and material which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a container. The container is in a cylindrical configuration. The container has an open top and a closed bottom. The container has a quantity of coating liquid. The coating liquid includes one kilogram of a luminescent pigment. The luminescent pigment is preferably LUMILUX Green tm SN-F2 50095 pigment marketed by Honeywell Specialty Chemicals of Seelze, Germany. The coating liquid also includes one U.S. gallon of a paint base. The paint base is preferably VLX 14649-01. VLX 14649-01 is a clear vinyl plastisol marketed by Diamond Vogel Paint of Orange City, Iowa.

A circular lid is provided. The lid is removably positionable on the open top of the container. The lid has a rod extending downwardly from the center of the lid. An impeller is provided at the lower end of the rod in proximity to the bottom of the container. The lid also has a motor. The motor has a line source of power and a switch. The switch activates the motor to rotate the rod and the impeller. In this manner the pigment is kept in suspension in the paint base. The lid also has a linear inlet slot and a linear outlet slot. The inlet and outlet slots are parallel with each other on opposite sides of the rod.

Provided next is a feeding assembly. The feeding assembly includes a supply roll. The supply roll is located above the lid and to the side of the container adjacent to the inlet slot. The feeding assembly also includes a take up roll. The take up roll is located below the lid and to the side of the container adjacent to the outlet slot. The feeding assembly also includes a plurality of idler rolls. The idler rolls are parallel with each other and the supply and take up rolls. One of the idler rolls is located beneath the supply roll laterally off set from the container. The other idler rolls are located within the container laterally spaced from each other above the impellers. The take up roll is adapted to be coupled to a source of power to move a plurality of nylon straps from the supply roll, across the take up rolls and through the container and liquid therein and to the take up roll.

Provided last is a drying assembly for nylon straps moving between the outlet slot and the take up roll. The drying assembly includes infra red lamps above the webbings. The drying assembly further includes infra red lamps beneath the webbings for drying the pigment and paint base onto the webbings prior to being received on the take up roll. The drying assembly also includes a V-shaped bend. The V-shaped bend has a rubber surface on the side of the outlet slot proximate the take up roll. A V-shaped point is provided on the side of the outlet slot remote from the take up roll. The V-shaped bend and the V-shaped point constitute a squeegee to remove excess liquid from the webbings prior to movement of the webbings between the lamps.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved mixing and application system, method and material which has all of the advantages of the prior art mixing and application systems, methods and materials of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved mixing and application system, method and material which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved mixing and application system, method and material which is of durable and reliable constructions.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mixing and application system, method and material which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such mixing and application system, method and material economically available to the buying public.

Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a mixing and application system, method and material for applying a luminescent coating to a nylon webbing.

Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved mixing and application system, method and material. A container with a quantity of coating liquid includes a luminescent pigment and a paint base. An impeller is in proximity to the bottom of the container to keep the pigment in suspension in the paint base. The container also has a linear inlet slot and a linear outlet slot. A feeding assembly includes a supply roll, a take up roll and a plurality of idler rolls to move a plurality of nylon straps from the supply roll, across the take up rolls and through the container and liquid therein and to the take up roll. A drying assembly is provided for nylon straps moving between the outlet slot and the take up roll.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular toFIG. 1thereof, the preferred embodiment of the new and improved mixing and application system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral10will be described.

The present invention, the mixing and application system10is comprised of a plurality of components. Such components in their broadest context include a container, an impeller, a feeding assembly, and a drying assembly. Such components are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain the desired objective.

First provided is a container14. The container is in a cylindrical configuration. The container has an open top16and a closed bottom18. The container has a quantity of coating liquid20. The coating liquid includes one kilogram of a luminescent pigment. The luminescent pigment is preferably LUMILUX Green tm SN-12 50095 pigment marketed by Honeywell Specialty Chemicals of Seelze, Germany. The coating liquid also includes one U.S. gallon of a paint base. The paint base is preferably VLX 14649-01. VLX 14649-01 is a clear vinyl plastisol marketed by Diamond Vogel Paint of Orange City, Iowa.

A circular lid24is provided. The lid is removably positionable on the open top of the container. The lid has a rod26extending downwardly from the center of the lid. An impeller28is provided at the lower end of the rod in proximity to the bottom of the container. The lid also has a motor30. The motor has a line32source of power and a switch34. The switch activates the motor to rotate the rod and the impeller. In this manner the pigment is kept in suspension in the paint base. The lid also has a linear inlet slot36and a linear outlet slot40. The inlet and outlet slots are parallel with each other on opposite sides of the rod.

Provided next is a feeding assembly44. The feeding assembly includes a supply roll46. The supply roll is located above the lid and to the side of the container adjacent to the inlet slot. The feeding assembly also includes a take up roll48. The take up roll is located below the lid and to the side of the container adjacent to the outlet slot. The feeding assembly also includes a plurality of idler rolls50,52,54. The idler rolls are parallel with each other and the supply and take up rolls. One of the idler rolls50is located beneath the supply roll laterally off set from the container. The other idler rolls52,54are located within the container laterally spaced from each other above the impellers. The take up roll is adapted to be coupled to a source of power to move a plurality of nylon straps from the supply roll, across the take up rolls and through the container and liquid therein and to the take up roll. As the webbing passes through the container it is immersed in the liquid for coating both sides of the webbings with a plurality of straps of the webbings on each side of the rod.

Provided last is a drying assembly58for nylon straps moving between the outlet slot and the take up roll. The drying assembly includes infra red lamps60above the webbings. The drying assembly further includes infra red lamps62beneath the webbings for drying the pigment and paint base onto the webbings prior to being received on the take up roll. The drying assembly also includes a V-shaped bend. The V-shaped bend has a rubber surface64on the side of the outlet slot proximate the take up roll. A V-shaped point66is provided on the side of the outlet slot remote from the take up roll. The V-shaped bend and the V-shaped point constitute a squeegee to remove excess liquid from the webbings prior to movement of the webbings between the lamps.

The mixing and application for the coatings utilized in the present invention involves mixing 1 U.S. gallon of VLX 14649-01. Added thereto is 1 kilograms of Honeywell Lumilux Green SN-12 50095 pigment. This mixture is then mixed in a non-metal container, preferably a plastic container. Altering from using a non-metal container results in a reaction between the pigment and the metal that turns the solution to a black color and then it is waste.

After the two parts are mixed in a plastic container, preferably a three gallon plastic container, the mixture is placed in a mixing device and the container is locked down. A special lid was developed to fit with a motorized stirring device which is attached thereto. The lid is secured and the nylon webbing is fed into a slot on one side of the lid. It is looped to the bottom of the solution so as to be fully submerged. The webbing is then fed up to the other side of the lid through a rubber squeegee type material that presses off the excess liquid material as it comes out of the container.

After the webbing is in place around the various rolls, the stirring process begins and continues throughout the complete process. Failure to do so will result in coated webbing that does not glow. The reason for this is the pigment is a very heavy substance and must be kept suspended at all times to evenly coat the webbing. After this is done the webbing is then pulled through and connected to empty take up spools around which it will wrap.

Another device is at this point that turns the threaded spools and, at the same time, it wraps the webbing into a new take up spool where it is pulled through the solvent mixture and out across infrared lights that immediately dry the solvents on the webbing. It is then re-spooled as this process continues. After the spool, which is normally 50 yards of material, is empty on the starting end, it is then finished at the other end and is now a glow-in-the-dark webbing.

The device is not limited to the amounts of rolls that it can do at one time and the speed is only limited to the drying time of the webbing as it passes across the lights. Total process is normally 15 minutes per run and can be as many as 10 rolls at a time.

The present invention may also be considered as including a method, the method of mixing and applying a coating of liquid to a base. Such method comprises the steps of first providing a container with a quantity of coating liquid including a luminescent pigment and a paint base. The next step of the method providing an impeller in proximity to the bottom of the container to keep the pigment in suspension in the paint base, the container also having a linear inlet slot and a linear outlet slot. The method then includes the step of feeding a base material from a supply roll to a take up roll and across a plurality of idler rolls to move the base material from the supply roll, across the take up rolls and through the container and liquid therein and to the take up roll. Lastly, the method includes the step of drying the base material at a location between the outlet slot and the take up roll.

In the method, the base material is preferably a plurality if straps of nylon webbing. In the method, the liquid preferably includes two components in the ratio of one kilogram of a luminescent pigment to one U.S. gallon of a paint base.

The final feature of the invention is the material utilized in applying a coating of liquid to a base such as a nylon webbing. The liquid includes two components in the ratio of about one kilogram of a luminescent pigment to one U.S. gallon of a paint base.