Patent ID: 7503979

Claim:
An apparatus for the application of a composition curable by irradiation to a fastener having an externally threaded stem, comprising: a coating section, including: a coating conveyor for conveying the fastener in a horizontal position to an application station, the coating conveyor comprising a rail parallel to, and horizontally separated from, an application surface and a first endless drive element vertically separated from the rail and the application surface, wherein the fastener stem spans the rail and the application surface and is rotated over the rail and application surface and under the first endless drive element, and the application station from which the composition is dispensed onto the application surface, wherein the fastener stem is rotated through the dispensed composition by rolling movement over the rail and the application surface and under the first endless drive element for application of a circumferential band of composition to the fastener stem; and a curing section, including: a curing conveyor for conveying the fastener in a horizontal position to an irradiation station, the curing conveyor comprising two, parallel, horizontally separated rails and a second endless drive element vertically separated from the rails, wherein the fastener stem having the circumferential band of composition thereon spans the rails and is rotated over the rails and under the second endless drive element as it moves toward the irradiation station; and the irradiation station for at least partially curing the composition applied to the fastener stem.