Dip painting apparatus and method

Claim 1

A METHOD OF APPLYING A COATING OF PAINT OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS ONTO THE SURFACE AREAS OF A COMPARATIVELY LARGE OBJECT, SUCH PAINT BEING IN A LIQUID FORM AND HAVING AS ONE OF ITS INGREDIENTS A VEHICLE IN LIQUID FORM AND HAVING AN EVAPORATION RATE GREATER THAN WATER AND SUCH PAINT BEING STORED IN A RESERVOIR AND THE RESERVOIR BEING HOUSED IN A TUNNEL OPEN AT ITS ENDS, SUCH TUNNEL HAVING INCLINED ENTRY AND EXIT PORTIONS EMANATING FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE RESERVOIR AND THE ENTRY AND EXIT PORTIONS OF THE TUNNEL TOGETHER WITH THAT PORTION OF THE TUNNEL HOUSING THE RESERVOIR ESTABLISHING AN ENCLOSED AND CONFINED AREA OF THE TUNNEL, SUCH METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: MOVING THE OBJECT TO BE PAINTED THROUGH THE ENTRY PORTION OF THE TUNNEL TOWARD THE RESERVOIR, THEN IMMERSING THE OBJECT FROM THE PAINT AND MOVING THEN WITHDRAWING THE OBJECT FROM THE PAINT AND MOVING IT THROUGH THE TUNNEL UNTIL THE OBJECT IS COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN OUT OF THE LIQUID PAINT IN THE RESERVOIR, AND THEN ADDING AN INGREDIENT IN FLUID FORM INTO THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE TUNNEL TO INTERMINGLE WITH SUCH ATMOSPHERE FOR AIDING IN CONTROLLING THE RATE OF SURFACE EVAPORATION OF THE VEHICLE OF THE PAINT ON THE OBJECT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CAUSING A CONCENTRATION OF THE VEHICLE VAPORS WHICH HAVE EVAPORATED FROM THE VEHICLE IN THE PAINT IN THE RESERVOIR TO BE TRAPPED IN THE ENCLOSED AND CONFINED AREA OF THE TUNNEL AND CONTINUING TO MOVE THE OBJECT THROUGH THE EXIT PORTION OF THE TUNNEL AWAY FROM THE RESERVOIR.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF APPLYING A COATING OF PAINT OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS ONTO THE SURFACE AREAS OF A COMPARATIVELY LARGE OBJECT, SUCH PAINT BEING IN A LIQUID FORM AND HAVING AS ONE OF ITS INGREDIENTS A VEHICLE IN LIQUID FORM AND HAVING AN EVAPORATION RATE GREATER THAN WATER AND SUCH PAINT BEING STORED IN A RESERVOIR AND THE RESERVOIR BEING HOUSED IN A TUNNEL OPEN AT ITS ENDS, SUCH TUNNEL HAVING INCLINED ENTRY AND EXIT PORTIONS EMANATING FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE RESERVOIR AND THE ENTRY AND EXIT PORTIONS OF THE TUNNEL TOGETHER WITH THAT PORTION OF THE TUNNEL HOUSING THE RESERVOIR ESTABLISHING AN ENCLOSED AND CONFINED AREA OF THE TUNNEL, SUCH METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: MOVING THE OBJECT TO BE PAINTED THROUGH THE ENTRY PORTION OF THE TUNNEL TOWARD THE RESERVOIR, THEN IMMERSING THE OBJECT FROM THE PAINT AND MOVING THEN WITHDRAWING THE OBJECT FROM THE PAINT AND MOVING IT THROUGH THE TUNNEL UNTIL THE OBJECT IS COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN OUT OF THE LIQUID PAINT IN THE RESERVOIR, AND THEN ADDING AN INGREDIENT IN FLUID FORM INTO THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE TUNNEL TO INTERMINGLE WITH SUCH ATMOSPHERE FOR AIDING IN CONTROLLING THE RATE OF SURFACE EVAPORATION OF THE VEHICLE OF THE PAINT ON THE OBJECT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CAUSING A CONCENTRATION OF THE VEHICLE VAPORS WHICH HAVE EVAPORATED FROM THE VEHICLE IN THE PAINT IN THE RESERVOIR TO BE TRAPPED IN THE ENCLOSED AND CONFINED AREA OF THE TUNNEL AND CONTINUING TO MOVE THE OBJECT THROUGH THE EXIT PORTION OF THE TUNNEL AWAY FROM THE RESERVOIR.