ZR! H. PRICHARD.
PROCESS FOR ENAMELING PLATES AND THE LIKE.
APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1920.
11,381,736.
UNITED STATES
PATENT OFFICE,
ROBERT E. PRICHARD, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.
, 7"
PROCESS FOR ENAMELING PLATES AND THE LIKE.
‘ 1,381,736.
Speci?cation of Letters Patent.
Patented J 11119 14, 1921_
Application ?led January 9, 1920. Serial No. 352.228.
To all whom it may concern .'
Be it known that I, ROBERT H. PRIOHARD,
and are then fedinto an enameling unit A of
the machine manuall , one after the other.
a citizen of the United States, and a resident Other enameling units of like character, may
‘ of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles be provided, the number depending upon the
and State of California, have invented a new number of coats of enamel to be applied in
and useful Process for Enameling Plates each particular case. In the drawings, 1'
and the like, of which the following is a have shown two additional units, B and C,
and all of the units shown are substantially
My invention relates to and has for its spaced apart in longitudinal alinement, as 60
main object the provision of an improved indicated.
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process for successively applying a plurality
Intermediate the enameling units A, B
of coats of enamel to flat articles, such as and C, I provide drier units of the character
automobile license plates, in quick order, so shown at D and D’, in the drawings, and at
that the plates may be rapidly completed, the extreme rear end of the machine, 1 pro .65
one after the other, with a minimum of time, vide a discharge unit Z for ?nally disposing
labor and cost. A machine for this purpose of the completed articles.
of my invention is disclosed in my applica
The enameling units include frame mem
tion ?led Jan. 9, 1920, Serial No. 352,227. bers 1, having enamel distributing» rollers. 8 70
Other objects include the provision as differ and 9 mounted therebetween above the level
speci?cation.
10
15
20
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ent steps in the process of alternate enamel
of the table ,6 which receive a continuous
ing and drying operations; the treatment supply of enamel from a tank T supported
of the enameled articles by a forced draft on said frame members. Enameling rollers
after each application where the plates are
26 and 27 are also provided between said
being moved ?atwise of the enamel and prior frame members, the upper roller 26 having a
25 to the subsequent application in order that
composition surface for receiving and ap
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30
75
the second and subsequent coats of enamel plying the enamel to the articles P, which
will adhere to the ?rst coat; the frequent are adapted to be fed between the rollers 26
heating of the vair thus forced into contact and 27, and said roller being preferably ad-
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exterior of the machine for carrying out the also a plurality of smaller forwarding
aforenamed process, where said articles may rollers 36, 37 and 38 which cooperate with
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with the enameled articles for the purpose justable vertically so as to yield to the thick
of facilitating the drying of'the articles; and ness of the articles moved thereby. The
the ?nal disposition of said articles to points lower roller 27 is stationarily held as are
be subsequently baked in an oven or kiln, for the roller 27 for advancing the articles ,
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through the machine units.
For the purpose of illustratingmy new
Eadh of the units A, ‘B and C has a Sepa
process so‘ that persons skilled ‘in the artmay rate motor M, which is connected by means
'35 hardening the enamel.
readily understand the several steps thereof, of a belt 68 with a driven pulley 70 suitably
I have/shown on-the accompanying drawing
40 one practical embodiment of a machine for
90
mounted on an axis transversely of the ma
chine frame 47. The shaft of pulley 70 may
carrying out the objects of my invention, be suitably geared to the rollers 8, 9, 26, 27, .
similar characters of reference being em .36, 37 and 38 for operating all'of said ele
plo ed' throughout the speci?cation-and in ments as may also a roller 49 on_ therear 95
‘said, drawing for indicating the same and
45
like parts.
In said drawings:
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Figure, 1 i's-ya plan of a machine of the
3 character stated;
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side of each of said units over WhlCll a belt
12 operates for moving the articles P through
the drier units D and D’: ..
“Belts '6, b,.operate at their rear ends over‘
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pulleys 52, 52, on the front sides of the ma
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. chine unitsB and C and also over adjust 100
The articles P to be enameled are ?rst able pulleys 60, 60, and stationary pulleys
depositedupon a table t, shown at the left 55, 55; It will be observed that .a portion
hand end “of the machine in the "drawings ofthe belts b, b,lare left exposed to'vi'ew on
1,381,736
2
each side, of the units A, B“ and C for the
purpose of a?ording access to the plates P
as they are ejected from the enameling units,
while the major'portion of the belts b, b,
are entirely inclosed by'means of metallic
channels 48, 48, through which said articles
It will be apparent, however, that the
process provided by my machine will not
completely dry the paint between the dif
ferent coats thereof,vas in the case of sep~
arately baked or dried coats otherwise ap 70
plied, and this is not desirable. On the
are moved in succession and at a substan other hand, with my machine, each coat is
tially slow rate of speed in order to afford permitted to set only sufficiently to cause the
paint to flow and spread evenly over the
ample time for drying.‘
surface
of the metal and to cause the suc 75
At
the
front
ends
of
the
channels
48,
48,
10
ceeding
coat of paint to vreadily adhere
I provide stacks S and S’, respectively, for
producing drafts through the channels 48, thereto. Thus, though each coat is set suf?~ &
. the difference in temperature at the different ciently for the purpose stated, each coat is
elevations in a room being sufficient for this still in a wet state when the next coat is ap 80
'15 purpose generally. 'At the rear ends of the. plied and .it is quite possible to wipe the
channels 48, I provide air inlets, T and 1’, paint from the metal after the application
respectively, and at the mouths of the said .of the ?nal coat. It is quite apparent that
inlets, I provide electric‘ fans F. and F’, re with my process and machine the three coats
spectively, for forcing' air from the at of paint shown and described,vor more coats
20 mosphere through the channels 48 and up where desired, may be applied to the plates
andv from the stacks ‘S and in the same time and with equal results as
S’.
ating elements H and H’ may also compared with a single application of paint
be located at suitable points in front of the in the usual and ordinary process.
In the use of my process it will be ob—
fans F and F’ for heating the air thusforce‘d
through the channels and said heating ele ‘served by reference to the drawing that the
ments may be connected with any suitable successive coats of enamel are applied to '
source of heat, such as electric currents, gas only one side of the plates at each opera
or hot air supply, accordingfto the con tion. The plates are then moved continu
ously from the table 25 through the several
venience of the user.
“
' When the third, or ?nal coat of enamel _ enameling and drying units of the machine 95
is applied to the articles P, the said articles in horizontal position ‘on the belts b with
> " wardl' through
rte
25
30
are fed on to the ?nal discharge belt Z their unpainted surfaces resting upon the
and there inspected for defects, whereupon belts, and their freshly coated surfaces ex
they are ?nally disposed upon suitable trays posed to the currents of air within the heat
35
and subsequently baked in an ovenfor than. ing chambers. This insures a more proper 100
dening the enamel to a suitable‘ degree for and quicker drying of the enamel than
would otherwise be possible were the plates
In the use of my process,'it will be ob supported in any other position.
What I claim is:
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served that after applying each coat of en
1'. The herein described process for en 105
amel the articles are slowly. advanced flat
wise by means of the belts I) through the ameling plates and the like which consists
draft or heated zones 48 for a sufficient in feeding the plates flatwise into an ini
length of time and distance to effect a pre tial enameling unit and automatically mov-. ‘
use.v
40
.
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liminary drying of the enamel so as to in
45 sure the adhering of a subsequent coat there
ing said plates ?atwise and continuously
through alternating drying and enameling
to without the necessity of a' considerable units thereafter, said drying units including
lapse of time ,to allow the enamel to dry forced. draft zones, and ?nally discharging
naturally.
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the plates for further treatment.’
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Thus, aL maximum amount of enameling
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_2. The herein described process for enam
may be done in a minimum length of time eling plates and the like, which consists in 11E
and great econom will also be e?ected in alternately applying enamel and passing the \
the production 0 enameled plates of the sheets ?atwise through‘ drying zones in
character mentioned.
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s
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' which the sheets ‘are exposed to a forced draft
Finally, it will be readily understood, my of heated air, and ?nally discharging them
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60
improved process is adapted to apply, suc vfor further treatment. a
3. The herein described process for en
cessively, a number‘of coats of paint, or
enamel, which would ordinarily be sepa
rately baked after each coat, in order to af
ford sufficient covering equalities. The in
dividual application ofthe successive coats
of paint or enamel, in quick order, by means
65
amelmg plates and the like, which consists
of feeding the plates flatwise into an initial
enameling unit, alternately applying en
amel andpassing the sheets flatwise through
of this machine serves to build up the sur
drying zones in which the sheets are exposed
to a forced draft of heated air, and ?nally
faces enameled and affords the same results
‘discharging them.
as ari-plurality of separately baked coats of
paint.
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120
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4. The ‘herein described process for enam
eling plates and the like, which consists in 130
1,381 ,736
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feeding the plates ?atwise into an initial
Signed at Los An eles, county of Los An
unit, alternately applying successive coats geles, and State of alifornia, this 30th day
of‘ enamel to one side of the plates and pass— of December, 1919.
ing the plates ?atwise through drying zones 5 in which the plates are exposed to a forced
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ROBERT H. PRICHARD;
In presence of—
draft of heated air, and ?nally discharging
EDYTHE F I PRIQHARD,
them.
H. M. BRUZNDAGE.
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