초록 ▼

A method and device of treating an irregularly shaped article to prepare the article for painting is provided. The device includes a burner which can produce an adjustable flame tongue which can fit into crevices, openings and other irregular topographical features of an item to be painted or otherw

A method and device of treating an irregularly shaped article to prepare the article for painting is provided. The device includes a burner which can produce an adjustable flame tongue which can fit into crevices, openings and other irregular topographical features of an item to be painted or otherwise coated. The burner device further provides means to apply a grafting chemical on a freshly oxidized surface. Further, the invention provides means to colorize treated objects so that they may be recognized as having been treated. In another embodiment, the grafting chemicals may be enhanced with electrolytic solutions such that electrostatic methods of painting may be subsequently employed on the item. In an alternate embodiment, the burner is adapted to spray a powder inside of a generally enclosed flame, and is used in conjunction with chop guns to manufacture glass or carbon fiber preforms. In a preferred embodiment all of the main systems of the present invention are provided with redundancies that allow the continuous operation of the device. Further, the device provides means to run and modify the process either locally or by remote communication means.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of using a gas burner assembly to flame treat or manufacture a product by moving a flame that is projected from said gas burner assembly in operative relation with respect to a product or mold, said method comprising the steps of:mounting a gas burner assembly on an end of arm tool, said

1. A method of using a gas burner assembly to flame treat or manufacture a product by moving a flame that is projected from said gas burner assembly in operative relation with respect to a product or mold, said method comprising the steps of:mounting a gas burner assembly on an end of arm tool, said gas burner assembly including a flame jet forming ring that generally fully encloses a chamber that is defined within a body portion of said gas burner assembly, said gas burner assembly having an air/gas inlet that communicates with said chamber, said flame jet forming ring including at least one port defined therein that communicates with said chamber and that is generally annular in shape; feeding a pre-mixed air/gas mixture into said chamber through said air/gas inlet to cause said air/gas mixture to be generally evenly distributed throughout said chamber and said at least one port, and to cause substantially all of said air/gas mixture to flow from said air/gas inlet to ambient atmosphere through said chamber and said at least one port; igniting said air/gas mixture to create a generally annular flame that projects from said flame jet forming ring of said gas burner assembly; causing said end of arm tool to move said gas burner assembly with respect to a product or mold so that at least a portion of said generally annular flame is in direct contact with desired portions of the product or mold (i) so that, when the method is used to flame treat a product, desired portions of the product are at least partially oxidized, and (ii) so that, when the method is used to manufacture a product on a mold, the product can be formed on and then removed from the mold; projecting an inert gas from said gas burner assembly and through said generally annular flame at various velocities as desired to cause the geometry of said generally annular flame to be changed in proportion to the velocity of the inert gas that is projected through said generally annular flame; feeding said inert ass through a supply line to said gas burner assembly; and heating said supply line with a heater at a point in said supply line prior to said supply line entering said gas burner assembly so that said inert gas is heated shortly prior to the time when it is supplied to said gas burner assembly to reduce at least some of the chilling of said generally annular flame as said inert gas passes therethrough. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detachably coupling a flame jet forming ring to the body portion of said gas burner assembly, said flame jet forming ring generally fully enclosing said chamber.3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of spraying a mixture from said gas burner assembly and through said generally annular flame as desired while said generally annular flame is in direct contact with the product or mold (i) so that, when said method is used to flame treat a product, at least some of said mixture is chemically bonded to at least some of the flame treated portions of the product thereby allowing a coating to be subsequently applied thereon with improved adhesion, or (ii) so that, when said method is used to manufacture a product on a mold, a product can be formed on and then removed from the mold.4. The method of claim 3, wherein said gas burner assembly further includes a discharge tube having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet being generally peripherally surrounded by said at least one port, and wherein said gas mixture is sprayed from the outlet of said discharge tube.5. The method of claim 4, wherein said discharge tube is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body portion.6. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one port is generally parallel with respect to a longitudinal axis of said body portion.7. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one port is generally circular in shape.8. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one port is generally concentric with a longitudinal axis of said body portion.9. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least port comprises two or more individual flame jet ports each of which communicates with said chamber.10. The method of claim 3, wherein said mixture comprises a powder, said method further comprising the step of propelling a slurry towards the surface of the product or mold while spraying said powder through said generally annular flame while causing said generally annular flame to be in direct contact with the product or mold to thereby cause a mat to be formed on desired portions of the product or mold.11. The method of claim 10, wherein said slurry comprises a chopped fiberglass slurry.12. The method of claim 10, wherein said powder comprises a polyester resin or an epoxy resin.13. The method of claim 3, wherein said mixture comprises a liquid mixture that includes a quantity of a coupling agent at least a portion of which is chemically bonded onto an oxidized surface of a product that is created by causing said generally annular flame to directly contact the product.14. The method of claim 13, wherein said liquid mixture further includes a quantity of a colorizing agent that causes a treated surface of the product to be a different color after it has been flame treated and sprayed with said coupling agent and said colorizing agent.15. The method of claim 13, wherein said liquid mixture further includes a quantity of electrolytes to facilitate electrostatic painting of a treated surface of the product after it has been flame treated and sprayed with said coupling agent and said electrolytes.16. The method of claim 13, wherein said coupling agent comprises a multi-functional organic compound.17. The method of claim 16, wherein said multi-functional organic compound comprises polyethyline imine.18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of heating said liquid mixture shortly prior to the time when it is projected from said gas burner assembly to reduce at least some of the chilling of said generally annular flame as said liquid mixture passes therethrough.19. A method of using a gas burner assembly to flame treat a product by moving a flame that is projected from said gas burner assembly in operative relation with respect to the product, said method comprising the steps of:mounting a gas burner assembly on an end of arm tool, said gas burner assembly including a flame jet forming ring that generally fully encloses a chamber that is defined within a body portion of said gas burner assembly, said gas burner assembly having an air/gas inlet that communicates with said chamber, said flame jet forming ring including at least one port defined therein that communicates with said chamber and that is generally annular in shape; feeding a pre-mixed air/gas mixture into said chamber through said air/gas inlet to cause said air/gas mixture to be generally evenly distributed throughout said chamber and said at least one port, and to cause substantially all of said air/gas mixture to flow from said air/gas inlet to ambient atmosphere through said chamber and said at least one port; igniting said air/gas mixture to create a generally annular flame that projects, from said flame jet forming ring of said gas burner assembly; causing said end of arm tool to move said gas burner assembly with respect to a product or mold so that at least a portion of said generally annular flame is in direct contact with desired portions of the product so that desired portions of the product are at least partially oxidized; spraying a liquid mixture from said gas burner assembly and through said generally annular flame as desired while said generally annular flame is in direct contact with the product so that at least some of said mixture is chemically bonded to at least some of the flame treated portions of the product thereby allowing a coating to be subsequently applied thereon with improved adhesion; feeding said liquid mixture through a supply line to said gas burner assembly; and heating said supply line with a heater at a point in said supply line prior to said supply line entering said gas burner assembly so that said liquid mixture is heated shortly prior to the time when it is supplied to said gas burner assembly to reduce its density and to reduce at least some of the chilling of said generally annular flame as said liquid mixture passes therethrough. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of projecting an inert gas from said gas burner assembly and through said generally annular flame at various velocities as desired to cause the geometry of said generally annular flame to be changed in proportion to the velocity of the inert gas that is projected through said generally annular flame.21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of heating said inert gas shortly prior to the time when it is projected from said gas burner assembly to reduce at least some of the chilling of said generally annular flame.22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of detachably coupling a flame jet forming ring to the body portion of said gas burner assembly, said flame jet forming ring generally fully enclosing said chamber.23. The method of claim 19, wherein said gas burner assembly further includes a discharge tube having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet being generally peripherally surrounded by said at least one port, and wherein said gas mixture is sprayed from the outlet of said discharge tube.24. The method of claim 23, wherein said discharge tube is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body portion.25. The method of claim 19, wherein said at least one port is generally parallel with respect to a longitudinal axis of said body portion.26. The method of claim 25, wherein said at least one port is generally circular in shape.27. The method of claim 25, wherein said at least one port is generally concentric with a longitudinal axis of said body portion.28. The method of claim 25, wherein said at least port comprises two or more individual flame jet ports each of which communicates with said chamber.29. The method of claim 19, wherein said liquid mixture comprises includes a quantity of a coupling agent at least a portion of which is chemically bonded onto an oxidized surface of a product that is created by causing said generally annular flame to directly contact the product.30. The method of claim 29, wherein said coupling agent comprises a multifunctional organic compound.31. The method of claim 30, wherein said multi-functional organic compound comprises polyethyline imine.32. The method of claim 19, wherein said liquid mixture further includes a quantity of a colorizing agent that causes a treated surface of the product to be a different color after it has been flame treated and sprayed with said coupling agent and said colorizing agent.33. The method of claim 19, wherein said liquid mixture further includes a quantity of electrolytes to facilitate electrostatic painting of a treated surface of the product after it has been flame treated and sprayed with said coupling agent and said electrolytes.