US4060868A — Powder applying apparatus and process for making …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 488 words

In an apparatus for applying locking patches of resilient heat softenable resin to internally threaded articles having openings at both ends comprising: a support for conveying at a uniform continuous speed for treatment a uniform succession of said threaded articles with the openings at the ends of said articles substantially uncovered, means for heating said threaded portions of said articles to a temperature above the softening point of said resin, means for providing a stream of fine particles of said resin entrained in a gaseous jet, means including a guide for directing said stream of resin particles through the opening at a first end of one of said articles against an area of the threaded portion of said one article during movement in said path to cause said resin particles to be softened by heat from said threaded portion and to adhere to said area, and vacuum exhaust means adjacent the opening at the other end of said article on said support in operative relation to draw air through said threaded portions to reduce deposition of resin particles in undesired areas of said articles and to draw off resin particles which have passed through said threaded portions, the improvement which comprises control means responsive to movement of a repeating feature in the articles of said succession past a reference location to activate said means providing a stream of resin particles when said guide is in said stream-directing relationship to a threaded area and to deactivate said means for providing a stream of resin particles when said guide is not in said stream-directing relationship, said means for providing a stream of particles entrained in a gaseous jet comprising a conduit terminating in a discharge orifice from said guide for directing said stream of resin particles against said area, a gas supply connected to deliver a stream of gas through said conduit and out through said orifice, a continuous resin particle supply, and an opening in said conduit for passage of resin particles from said supply into said conduit at a location to be entrained and carried through said conduit and out through said orifice by said gas stream, means activated by said control means to shut off said gas supply to interrupt said stream of resin particles when said guide is not in position to direct said stream against a threaded area of said article and to restore said gas supply to resume discharge of said stream of resin particles when said guide is disposed to direct said stream against an area of a threaded portion of an article, a port into said conduit intermediate said conduit opening and said orifice and a suction device associated with said port to reduce pressure in said conduit to continuously pull air through said conduit opening and said orifice and to draw off through said port resin particles left in or deposited in said conduit when said gas supply is shut off.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 488 words

In an apparatus for applying locking patches of resilient heat softenable resin to internally threaded articles having openings at both ends comprising: a support for conveying at a uniform continuous speed for treatment a uniform succession of said threaded articles with the openings at the ends of said articles substantially uncovered, means for heating said threaded portions of said articles to a temperature above the softening point of said resin, means for providing a stream of fine particles of said resin entrained in a gaseous jet, means including a guide for directing said stream of resin particles through the opening at a first end of one of said articles against an area of the threaded portion of said one article during movement in said path to cause said resin particles to be softened by heat from said threaded portion and to adhere to said area, and vacuum exhaust means adjacent the opening at the other end of said article on said support in operative relation to draw air through said threaded portions to reduce deposition of resin particles in undesired areas of said articles and to draw off resin particles which have passed through said threaded portions, the improvement which comprises control means responsive to movement of a repeating feature in the articles of said succession past a reference location to activate said means providing a stream of resin particles when said guide is in said stream-directing relationship to a threaded area and to deactivate said means for providing a stream of resin particles when said guide is not in said stream-directing relationship, said means for providing a stream of particles entrained in a gaseous jet comprising a conduit terminating in a discharge orifice from said guide for directing said stream of resin particles against said area, a gas supply connected to deliver a stream of gas through said conduit and out through said orifice, a continuous resin particle supply, and an opening in said conduit for passage of resin particles from said supply into said conduit at a location to be entrained and carried through said conduit and out through said orifice by said gas stream, means activated by said control means to shut off said gas supply to interrupt said stream of resin particles when said guide is not in position to direct said stream against a threaded area of said article and to restore said gas supply to resume discharge of said stream of resin particles when said guide is disposed to direct said stream against an area of a threaded portion of an article, a port into said conduit intermediate said conduit opening and said orifice and a suction device associated with said port to reduce pressure in said conduit to continuously pull air through said conduit opening and said orifice and to draw off through said port resin particles left in or deposited in said conduit when said gas supply is shut off.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 54 words

Apparatus for applying locking patches of resilient resin to internally threaded articles as defined in claim 1 in which said support for conveying said articles comprises parallel belts spaced to support edge portions of said internally threaded articles with the threaded openings in said articles disposed to provide substantially unobstructed passage between said belts.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 199 words

Apparatus for applying locking patches of resilient heat softenable resin to internally threaded articles as defined in claim 2 in which said articles are carried on said support with the axes of the threaded portions in substantially up and down position with the openings at the upper and lower ends of said articles substantially uncovered, said guide extends upwardly for directing said stream of resin particles upwardly through the opening at the lower end of one of said articles against an area of the threaded portion of said one article during movement in said path, said vacuum exhaust means is disposed adjacent the openings at the upper end of said article on said support, and means operated by said control means are provided to move said guide from an initial position not in stream-directing relation to a position in stream-directing relationship with said area of said threaded article on said support for travel with said article a time sufficient to build up a deposit of resin particles on said area during movement along said path, and to move said guide out of stream-directing relationship with said article and back to its initial position after build up of said deposit.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 85 words

Apparatus for applying locking patches of resilient resin to internally threaded articles as defined in claim 3 in which said belts are spaced to receive opposed corner portions of a succession of internally threaded articles having hex portions arranged in flat to flat relation on said belts and in which said sensor is disposed to detect passage of threaded openings of an article moving in constant relation to an article into which said guide is to be inserted for directing a stream of resin particles.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 105 words

Apparatus for applying locking patches of resilient resin to internally threaded articles as defined in claim 4 in which said means to move said guide includes an articulated support arm, means to move an intermediate section of said arm up and down to introduce said guide into and withdraw it from said opening, an end section carrying said guide and mounted on said intermediate section for movement of said guide by movement of said article from a first position when said guide is in said opening and means to return said end section to its first position when said guide is withdrawn from said opening.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 172 words

An applicator for applying a stream of particles entrained in a gaseous jet at intervals as required, said applicator comprising a substantially horizontal conduit terminating in a discharge orifice, a gas supply connected to deliver a stream of gas through said conduit and out through said orifice, a continuous resin particle supply, an opening in said conduit for passage of resin particles from said supply into said conduit at a location to be entrained and carried through said conduit and out through said orifice by said gas stream, means to shut off said gas supply to interrupt said stream of resin particles and to restore said gas supply to resume discharge of said stream of resin particles, a port into said conduit intermediate said conduit opening and said orifice and a suction device associated with said port to continuously pull air in through said conduit opening and said orifice and to draw off through said port resin particles left in or deposited in said conduit when said gas supply is shut off.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 172 words

An applicator for applying a stream of particles entrained in a gaseous jet at intervals as required, said applicator comprising a substantially horizontal conduit terminating in a discharge orifice, a gas supply connected to deliver a stream of gas through said conduit and out through said orifice, a continuous resin particle supply, an opening in said conduit for passage of resin particles from said supply into said conduit at a location to be entrained and carried through said conduit and out through said orifice by said gas stream, means to shut off said gas supply to interrupt said stream of resin particles and to restore said gas supply to resume discharge of said stream of resin particles, a port into said conduit intermediate said conduit opening and said orifice and a suction device associated with said port to continuously pull air in through said conduit opening and said orifice and to draw off through said port resin particles left in or deposited in said conduit when said gas supply is shut off.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 417 words

In a process for applying locking patches of resilient heat softenable resin to internally threaded articles having openings at both ends comprising the steps of conveying a uniform succession of said threaded articles at a uniform speed in a path for treatment with the openings at the ends of said articles substantially uncovered, heating said threaded portions of said articles to a temperature above the softening point of resin to be applied, supplying a stream of heat fusible resin particles entrained in a gaseous jet and directed through the opening at a first end of one of said articles against an area of the threaded portion of said one article to deposit resin particles on said area, softening resin particles deposited on said area by heat from said threaded area to cause them to adhere to the area, applying suction adjacent the opening at the other end of said one article of said succession in operative relation for drawing in air through said opening at the first end to reduce deposition of resin particles on undesired areas of said articles and to draw off resin particles which have passed through said threaded portions, coalescing and fusing the deposited resin particles and cooling the resin from fused state to a solid resilient condition effective to provide locking action, the improvement which comprises initiating supply of said stream in a first direction transverse of said path by supplying resin particles continuously through an opening in a conduit for entrainment in a gaseous jet, passage through said conduit with said jet and discharge through an orifice against said one article when the movement of said one article brings it to position for effective resin deposition by said stream, cutting off the supply of said stream to said area of said article by stopping said air jet when movement of said one article moves it out of position for effective resin deposition by said stream, continuously applying suction to a port in said conduit intermediate said opening and said orifice to draw off resin particles remaining in said conduit or deposited in said conduit by said continuous supply while said gaseous jet is stopped, thereafter supplying said stream in said first direction through the opening at a first end of the next article in said succession to deposit resin on its threaded area by starting said gaseous jet, and controlling supply and cut off of said stream by movement of repeating features of said succession of articles past a reference location.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 417 words

In a process for applying locking patches of resilient heat softenable resin to internally threaded articles having openings at both ends comprising the steps of conveying a uniform succession of said threaded articles at a uniform speed in a path for treatment with the openings at the ends of said articles substantially uncovered, heating said threaded portions of said articles to a temperature above the softening point of resin to be applied, supplying a stream of heat fusible resin particles entrained in a gaseous jet and directed through the opening at a first end of one of said articles against an area of the threaded portion of said one article to deposit resin particles on said area, softening resin particles deposited on said area by heat from said threaded area to cause them to adhere to the area, applying suction adjacent the opening at the other end of said one article of said succession in operative relation for drawing in air through said opening at the first end to reduce deposition of resin particles on undesired areas of said articles and to draw off resin particles which have passed through said threaded portions, coalescing and fusing the deposited resin particles and cooling the resin from fused state to a solid resilient condition effective to provide locking action, the improvement which comprises initiating supply of said stream in a first direction transverse of said path by supplying resin particles continuously through an opening in a conduit for entrainment in a gaseous jet, passage through said conduit with said jet and discharge through an orifice against said one article when the movement of said one article brings it to position for effective resin deposition by said stream, cutting off the supply of said stream to said area of said article by stopping said air jet when movement of said one article moves it out of position for effective resin deposition by said stream, continuously applying suction to a port in said conduit intermediate said opening and said orifice to draw off resin particles remaining in said conduit or deposited in said conduit by said continuous supply while said gaseous jet is stopped, thereafter supplying said stream in said first direction through the opening at a first end of the next article in said succession to deposit resin on its threaded area by starting said gaseous jet, and controlling supply and cut off of said stream by movement of repeating features of said succession of articles past a reference location.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 113 words

A process for applying locking patches of resilient heat softenable resin to internally threaded articles as defined in claim 7 in which the direction of said stream is changed progressively to follow the movement of said article for a time to build up a deposit of resin particles of desired thickness on said area, the supply of said stream of resin particles is cut off, thereafter said stream is supplied in said first direction through the opening at a first end of the next article in said succession and supply, cut off and direction of said stream is controlled by movement of repeating features of said succession of articles past a reference location.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 109 words

A process for applying locking patches to internally threaded articles as defined in claim 8 in which said articles are conveyed with the axes of the threaded portions of said articles in substantially up and down position and with the openings at the upper and lower ends of said articles substantially uncovered. said stream of heat fusible resin particles is directed upwardly through the opening at the lower end of one of said articles against an area of the threaded portion of said one article to deposit resin particles on said area, and suction is applied adjacent the openings at the upper ends of said articles of said succession.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-12-05	1981-06-06	1981-12-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-12-05	1985-06-06	1985-12-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-12-05	1989-06-06	1989-12-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Powder applying apparatus and process for making self-locking threaded elements

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag