Spray gun carriage assembly having inertial damping and a variable stroke

Abstract

A spray gun carriage assembly is disclosed which provides rapid and accurate reciprocating vertical movement of a spray gun mounted on the assembly, with the stroke of the gun movement being readily adjustable. The spray gun carriage is also movable in two additional axes, i.e., in a horizontal plane. A horizontally extending boom is reciprocated vertically to move the spray gun up and down relative to a workpiece, such as a workpiece being conveyed past the carriage assembly. A first shock absorber mechanism dampens the moment of inertia of the boom, and a second shock absorber mechanism dampens the linear inertia associated with vertical movements of the boom, thus providing for quick and accurate spray gun movements and faster and more efficient spraying. A mechanism is further provided for pivoting spray guns mounted adjacent the end of the boom to yield still further adjustment of spray direction. A quick change flight bar facilitates rapid changeover of the spray guns used with the assembly. The flight bar has a mounting plate which is received on the pivoting mechanism, and has a shaft extending from the plate on which a plurality of spray guns are supported. Changeover from one set of spray guns to another is rapidly accomplished through the simple exchange of flight bars on the pivoting mechanism.