GB2115784A

GB2115784A - Paint toning machine

Info

Publication number: GB2115784A
Application number: GB08301412A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Esko Heitanen; Pentti Airaksinen
Original assignee: W Rosenlew Oy AB
Current assignee: W Rosenlew Oy AB
Priority date: 1982-02-10
Filing date: 1983-01-19
Publication date: 1983-09-14
Also published as: SE8300531L; IT8319494A0; FR2521033A1; FI63866C; DK160002C; GB2115784B; NO830360L; FR2521033B1; JPS58147468A; FI63866B; IT1161575B; NO158206C; AU556961B2; NO158206B; DK160002B; JPH0322839B2; AU1056183A; CA1197219A; SE8300531D0; DE3301517A1

Abstract

A paint toning machine comprising a plurality of toner containers (1) and a dosing device (2) associated with each container for adding the desired toner quantity from the container (1) to a basic paint container (9). The toner containers (1) are arranged in fixed positions and the dosing device (2) associated with them are arranged in a movable sled (3). The dosing devices (2) are connected to their toner containers (1) through a flexible hose (4). The path of the sled (3) is formed so that each dosing device arranged in the sled at least in one point of the path of the sled (3) is located at the paint container (9). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Paint toning machine The present invention relates to a paint toning machine comprising a plurality of toner containers and a dosing device associated with each container for adding the desired toner quantity from the container or containers to a basic paint container.

A plurality of different kinds of paint toning machines are known in the art. For example, from the Finnish Patent Specification 45,144 is known a paint toning machine of carrousel type in which the toner containers are placed on a rotating base and a dosing device is arranged in connection with each container. The correct toner container can be brought to the container containing basic paint and supported by a table by rotating the base either manually or by means of a motor.

Because the toner containers are large-sized and quite heavy, the rotating base must be made large in diameter and robust whereby, when the base is rotated, masses of about 1 50 to 200 kg will be transmitted at a high velocity. In automatic machines, this results in a very high motor output and, in general, in a very heavy construction involving high manufacturing costs. The service of a machine of carrousel type and the cleaning, for example, of the toner nozzles are cumbersome because one has to move also behind the machine or alternatively the machine must be rotated whereby, in the case of an automatic machine, electricity must be connected to the machine.

Paint toning machines are also known in which the toner containers and the dosing devices are arranged in fixed positions, for example, in a row side by side. In this case the table supporting the paint container is made movable in the horizontal direction so that it can be displaced under the container containing the desired toner. In this case the machine will be very long, in practice about 2.5 to 3 m long, wherefore it is difficult to place in smaller stores. In addition, a quite robust mechanism for the transfer table for the paint container is required because the mass to be transferred, in the case of the largest paint containers, is of the order of 80 kg. Moreover, the displacement of an open or perforated paint container involves the risk that the paint may splash.

The object of the present invention is to provide a paint toning machine in which the negative properties of the constructions described above have been eliminated. In other words, the aim is to provide a small-sized machine which is light in construction and easy to maintain. In addition, the actuators, for example, motors required by said machine can have a low rated power value. This object is according to the invention achieved in that the toner containers are arranged in fixed positions and the toner dosing devices associated with them are arranged in a movable sled.

The main object when constructing a toning machine is to achieve the best possible precision in dosing. It has been found that one of the constructional properties of the machine affecting this is the volume between the head of the piston of the dosing device and the nozzle of the dosing device when the piston is in its lower position.

The smaller this residual volume is, the better is the constructional dosing precision of the machine. However, this does not necessarily involve that the dosing device should be positioned in connection with the toner container but between the dosing device and the toner container can be arranged, for example, a flexible hose through which the toner is sucked from the container. The use of this hose on the suction side of the dosing device does not affect the residual volume of the dosing device and, accordingly, the constructional dosing precision of the machine.

Therefore, in the present invention, the dosing devices are, without sacrifizing the dosing precision, positioned in a movable sled which reciprocates along a straight or curved path above and laterally of the basic paint container so that each dosing device connected with the sled is at least at one point of the path of the sled located at the basic paint container.

By means of this construction according to the invention the displaceable mass can be made quite small, for example, only about 8 kg so that the drive motor can be quite small-sized and thus advantageous in price. Because the dosing pumps, moreover, are very small, about 2 to 3 cm in diameter, a sled containing, e.g., 1 6 dosing pumps will not be very long. The length of the sled may thus be, for example, about 1/2 m.

Because all toner nozzles in the construction according to the invention are always simultaneously visible, the control of their condition and their cleaning are easy to carry out.

This ensures the maintenance of a good dosing precision in the machine. The mutual distance of the nozzles is however sufficient, about 2 to 3 cm, so that no risk of intermixing the toners will arise.

Because the toner containers are positioned in fixed positions and are connected to their dosing devices through a flexible hose, the toner containers can be placed, e.g., in three rows whereby the total length of the machine will be said length required by the sled and its path of movement, i.e., for example, 1 m.

The other constructional details of the toning machine according to the invention and the advantages offered by them will be discussed in more detail in the following by means of the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a paint toning machine according to the invention, Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement between a toner container and a dosing device associated therewith, and Figure 3 is a top view of the toning machine according to the invention.

In the general view of the toning machine shown in Figure 1, a table supporting a paint container is denoted by reference numeral 14 and the frame of the machine by reference numeral 10.

In Figure 2 is shown a toner container 1 which, according to the invention, is stationary and abuts against the frame 10. The container 1 is through a flexible hose 4 connected to a toner dosing device 2. The dosing device 2 comprises a pump 7, a piston 6 moveable within said pump and a valve 5 which is connected to the end of the pump and which by means of a rotary slide 5' can be maneuvered to open the connection from the pump 7 either to the suction hose 4 or to a nozzle 8. The dosing device 2 is fastened to a sled 3 movable on rails 17 whereby any dosing device can be transferred above a paint container 9.

Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement of.a plurality of dosing devices 2 in the sled 3, in which case each dosing device is connected to a toner container of its own by means of the flexible hose 4 permitting the movement of the sled 3.

The sled is transferred above the paint container 9 placed on a table by means of a belt 12. This belt passes around pulleys 13 whereby a motor or a crank (not shown) is arranged to act on one of said pulleys through a belt 1 5 and a pulley 14. By reversing the driving direction of the motor or the rotary direction of the crank the sled 3 can be made to reciprocate on tha rails 17 shown in Figure 2. The piston 6 of the dosing device and the rotary slide 5' of the valve are controlled by means of conventional means known per se which are denoted by reference numeral 16.

Owing to the construction according to the invention it is possible to provide a quite smallsized paint toning machine which is advantageous in cost and which yet meets all demands set on paint toning machines, for example, with respect to dosing precision, operating rate and serviceability.

The drawing and the description related thereto are only intended to illustrate the idea of the invention. In its details the machine according to the invention may vary considerably within the scope of the claims. The dosing devices need not, for example, be mounted in a straight row directly in the sled, but the sled and its rails may be shaped, e.g., curved in which case the sled, instead of a straight path, travels along a curved path. It is obvious that the expression basic paint is not limited to white paint only but in general refers to the starting paint to be toned.

Claims

1. A paint toning machine comprising a plurality of toner containers (1) and a dosing device (2) associated with each container for adding the desired toner quantity from the container or containers to a basic paint container (9), characterized in that the toner containers (1) are arranged in fixed positions and the toner dosing devices (2) associated with them are arranged in a movable sled (3).

2. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that each dosing device (2) is connected to its toner container (1) through a flexible hose (4).

3. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a rail (17) supporting the sled (3) is straight so that the sled (3) reciprocates linearly.

4. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the rail supporting the sled is curved so that the sled reciprocates along a curved path.

5. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each toner dosing device (2) connected to the sled (3) at least in one point of the path of the sled is located at the location where the basic paint container (9) is positioned.