Patent ID: 8474398

Claim:
A patch application system, comprising a powder application booth, the powder application booth comprising: (a) a powder block comprising a chamber, a powder ejection orifice, a powder entry orifice, and an air flow orifice, wherein a powder is delivered into the chamber through the powder entry orifice and the powder in the chamber is ejected onto a screw through the powder ejection orifice by a pulse of air delivered through the air flow orifice; (b) a nozzle insert housed inside the powder ejection orifice, the nozzle insert comprising two semi-circular pegs fitted inside the powder ejection orifice such that a gap exists between the two semi-circular peg, wherein the gap narrows a vertical dimension of the powder ejection orifice; (c) a support stand to support the powder block, the support stand being adjustable so as to move the powder ejection orifice in an up and down direction, a side-to-side direction, and a forward and backward direction, to position the powder ejection orifice in relation to the screw so as to form a proper patch location; (d) a powder cup attached to the powder entry orifice of the powder block, the powder cup being in a shape of a funnel and comprising an open top through which the powder can be added and an open bottom through which the powder can exit into the powder block; (e) a micro air-switch valve to control the pulse of air entering into the powder block; (f) an air dryer to dry the air prior to entering the powder block; (g) an air filter to clean the air prior to entering the powder block; (h) a precision regulator to adjust an air pressure of the pulse of air sent into the powder block, wherein the air pressure is from approximately 0.5 psi to approximately 10 psi; (i) an air compressor to provide a source of the pulse of air, wherein the air pressure at the source of the pulse of air is 120 psi; (j) a programmable logic controller electronically coupled to the micro air-switch valve to control a duration the micro air-switch valve remains open, wherein the duration the micro air-switch valve remains open is 0.01 second to 0.5 second; (k) a powder recovery system located below the screw to capture an unused powder that does not fuse with the screw, the powder recovery system comprising a vacuum system and a powder chiller/filter, the vacuum system providing a suction to capture the unused powder, the powder chiller/filter filtering out the unused powder larger than a single grain of the powder; and (l) a shaft encoder, wherein the shaft encoder senses a presence of the screw and sends a signal to the programmable logic controller to deliver the pulse of air through the powder block to eject the powder onto the screw.