Patent GB-1015697-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the application of surface coatings to plane-surfaced plates
Inventor: POWELL ROBERT HENRY
IPC: G01N30/93
Filed: 1963-11-01
Abstract: Apparatus for holding a set of plates supported from beneath with one face in a common plane for the application of a coating thereto comprises means for resiliently gripping opposite edge portions only of the plates during application of the coating and formed by two inflexible locating surfaces lying in a common plane and for engaging the opposite marginal portions of the said one faces of the plates and two pressure applying means individually associated with the locating surfaces and for applying resilient pressure to the end-portions only of the plates to hold them against the locating surfaces during coating, and means for releasing the gripping means after the coating has been applied to free the plates for removal from the apparatus.  In the embodiment shown, a pair of co-planar locating surfaces are formed by the undersides 21 of flanges 22 extending inwardly from channel members 23 carried by a baseboard 24. Resting on the latter is a flat inflatable bag 25 disposed beneath an array of pressure elements in the form of metal tubes 26 closed by end caps 27 and located by the channel members 23 and end plates 30. The bag 25 has communication with a nozzle 32 which has connected thereto a syringe device 9 for inflating the bag 25.  The array of rollers 26 is covered by a flexible panel 33 having along each edge an upwardly projecting rib 34 of rectangular cross-section and located beneath one of the locating surfaces 21.  In operation with the bag 25 deflated glass plates 35 are introduced so that their edge portions rest in the slots between the locating surfaces 21 and the ribs 34 which constitute pressure-applying elements.  The bag 25 is then inflated so as to exert uniform upward pressure on the array of tubes 26 which thus lift the panel 33 and the plates 35 until the upper faces of their end portions engage the co-planar locating surfaces 21.  The plates 35 are then firmly gripped between the surfaces 21 and the ribs 34 such that the upper surfaces are co-planar irrespective of slight variations in their thicknesses. Coating is then applied by spreader device 36.  After coating the pressure in bag 25 is released and the plates withdrawn.  As an alternative the tubes 26 may be replaced by bridge-like members having upstanding pressure pads opposing the locating surfaces 21. In other embodiments the bag 25 is replaced by tubes extending along the edges of the apparatus in channel-shaped members at least partly open at the top, the tubes acting on flexible pressure-applying members which in turn engage the edge portions of plates 25.  The said tubes may be formed by the legs of a single U-shaped tube.  In a further embodiment resilient blocks are mounted on the baseboard along the side edges thereof and the locating surfaces are provided on inwardly projecting flanges of side members which are pivotally mounted so that by pivoting the side members into position the locating surfaces press down on the edges of the plates resting on the resilient blocks so gripping them with their upper surfaces in a single plane.