The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 16, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 02, 1998
Christopher A. Wood, Livonia, MI (US);
Richard G. Hooper, Southfield, MI (US);
Acco Systems, Inc., Warren, MI (US);
Abstract
A system for dipping workpieces into a coating tank that includes a conveyor disposed above the tank and a workpiece carrier movable on the conveyor along a path above the tank The carrier includes a box frame having pivotal corner connections and vertically spaced guide rollers disposed on lateraly opposed sides of the frame. Longing spaced cables suspend the carrier frame from winces on the conveyor for selectively raising and lowering the carrier with respect to the conveyor. The winches and cables are also selectively operable for rocking the carrier frame about a horizontal axis lateral to the path of travel along the conveyor. A pair of track rails are disposed in fixed position on laterally opposed sides of the conveyor for engaging the guide rollers on laterally opposed sides of the carrier frame during lowering of the frame into the tank and maintaining horizontal position of the carrier frame during rocking thereof within the tank. The method of this invention then includes lowering the vehicle body into an electrostatic dip tank, preferably at an angle, then rocking the forward and rearward ends of the vehicle upwardly and downwardly about a lateral axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, then raising the vehicle body out of the dip tank preferably at an angle relative to horizontal.