US4492337A — Metal spray

Claim 1

Independent Claim 197 words

A metal spray device of the arc spray type that includes a body, individual wire guides for each wire to be sprayed, means for feeding a wire through each wire guide, unitary alignment structure of electrically insulating material that defines a through passage that terminates in a discharge orifice, seat surfaces on the walls of said through passage, means for urging the tips of said wire guides outwardly away from one another to seat the tips of said wire guides on said seat surfaces, said wire guides being positioned to direct the wires fed through said guides to a point of intersection forward of said seat surfaces, means for connecting said wire guides to a source of electric current for establishing an electric arc between the ends of the wires adjacent said point of intersection, and a gas inlet passage for flowing a stream of gas through said through passage of said alignment structure and into the arc zone to cause molten metal particles to be carried from the arc zone, said alignment structure being arranged such that gas flow envelops the wires throughout the region between the ends of said wire guides and said arc zone.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 197 words

A metal spray device of the arc spray type that includes a body, individual wire guides for each wire to be sprayed, means for feeding a wire through each wire guide, unitary alignment structure of electrically insulating material that defines a through passage that terminates in a discharge orifice, seat surfaces on the walls of said through passage, means for urging the tips of said wire guides outwardly away from one another to seat the tips of said wire guides on said seat surfaces, said wire guides being positioned to direct the wires fed through said guides to a point of intersection forward of said seat surfaces, means for connecting said wire guides to a source of electric current for establishing an electric arc between the ends of the wires adjacent said point of intersection, and a gas inlet passage for flowing a stream of gas through said through passage of said alignment structure and into the arc zone to cause molten metal particles to be carried from the arc zone, said alignment structure being arranged such that gas flow envelops the wires throughout the region between the ends of said wire guides and said arc zone.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 33 words

The device of claim 1 and further including cap structure in juxtaposition to and cooperating with said alignment structure to define an annular converging passage that has an apex adjacent said arc zone.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 42 words

The device of claim 1 and further including support for said alignment structure that permits rotational adjustment of said alignment structure such that said wires are fed to said arc zone along paths that are in the plane of said wire guides.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 127 words

The device of claim 1 wherein each said wire guide includes an elongated electrically conductive tubular member and further including chamber defining structure that has a gas inlet, a gas outlet at its forward end, and two tubular member support ports at its rear end, each said tubular member being disposed in said chamber with the rear portion of each said tubular member extending through a corresponding support port for releasable connection to a terminal assembly external of said chamber defining structure, and means to seat said alignment structure against said forward end of said chamber defining structure such that said through passage is in communication with said gas outlet when the tips of said tubular wire guides are seated on said seat-surfaces of said alignment structure.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 76 words

The device of claim 1 wherein said alignment structure is a unitary member and further including cap structure in juxtaposition to and cooperating with said alignment member to define an annular converging passage that has an apex adjacent said arc zone, and support for said alignment member that permits rotational adjustment of said alignment member such that said wires are fed to said arc zone along paths that are in the plane of said wire guides.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

The device of claim 5 and further including supplemental gas flow channels in said alignment member between the tips of said wire guides.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 68 words

The device of claim 1 wherein said seat surfaces are of semicylindrical configuration and said wire guides have cylindrical tips that are seated in said semicylindrical seat surfaces and have a degree of freedom of axial movement along said seat surfaces, and said alignment structure further includes semicylindrical channel structures that are coaxial with said semicylindrical seat surfaces and extend between said seat surfaces and said discharge orifice.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 16 words

The device of claim 7 wherein said alignment structure is a unitary member of plastics material.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 21 words

The device of claim 8 wherein the discharge orifice of said alignment member has an array of four circumferentially spaced lobes.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 181 words

In a metal spray device of the arc spray type, alignment structure of electrically insulating material that defines a through passage, said alignment structure being disposed between a gas inlet and an arc zone such that a primary stream of gas is arranged to flow through said through passage, seat surfaces on the walls of said through passage, individual wire guides for each wire to be sprayed, each said wire guide being adapted to guide a metal wire therethrough towards an arc zone forward of said alignment structure, means for connecting said wire guides to a source of electric current for establishing an electric arc between the ends of the wires at said arc zone, a gas inlet for flowing a primary stream of gas through said through passage into the arc zone to cause molten metal particles to be carried from the arc zone for deposit on a substrate, and means for urging the tips of said wire guides outwardly away from one another to seat the tips of said wire guides on said seat surfaces of said alignment structure.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 181 words

In a metal spray device of the arc spray type, alignment structure of electrically insulating material that defines a through passage, said alignment structure being disposed between a gas inlet and an arc zone such that a primary stream of gas is arranged to flow through said through passage, seat surfaces on the walls of said through passage, individual wire guides for each wire to be sprayed, each said wire guide being adapted to guide a metal wire therethrough towards an arc zone forward of said alignment structure, means for connecting said wire guides to a source of electric current for establishing an electric arc between the ends of the wires at said arc zone, a gas inlet for flowing a primary stream of gas through said through passage into the arc zone to cause molten metal particles to be carried from the arc zone for deposit on a substrate, and means for urging the tips of said wire guides outwardly away from one another to seat the tips of said wire guides on said seat surfaces of said alignment structure.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 127 words

The device of claim 10 wherein each said wire guide includes an elongated electric-ally conductive tubular member and further including chamber defining structure that has a gas inlet, a gas outlet at its forward end, and two tubular member support ports at its rear end, each said tubular member being disposed in said chamber with the rear portion of each said tubular member extending through a corresponding support port for releasable connection to a terminal assembly external of said chamber defining structure, and means to seat said alignment structure against said forward end of said chamber defining structure such that said through passage is in communication with said gas outlet and the tips of said wire guides are seated on said seat surfaces of said alignment structure.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 36 words

The device of claim 11 and further including structure defining a cylindrical support adjacent said gas outlet for supporting said alignment structure and permitting angular adjustment thereof to align said seat surfaces with said support ports.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 168 words

An electric arc metal spray device comprising a body, individual wire guides for each wire to be sprayed, means for feeding a wire through each wire guide towards an arc zone forward of said body, means for connecting said wire guides to a source of electric current for establishing an electric arc between the ends of the wires at said arc zone, a gas inlet for flowing a primary stream of gas into the arc zone to cause molten metal particles to be carried from the arc zone, alignment structure of electrically insulating material that defines a through passage that terminates in a discharge orifice, said alignment structure being disposed between said gas inlet and said arc zone such that said primary stream flows through said through passage of said alignment structure, seat surfaces on the walls of said through passage, and means for urging the tips of said wire guides outwardly away from one another to seat the tips of said wire guides on said seat surfaces.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 168 words

An electric arc metal spray device comprising a body, individual wire guides for each wire to be sprayed, means for feeding a wire through each wire guide towards an arc zone forward of said body, means for connecting said wire guides to a source of electric current for establishing an electric arc between the ends of the wires at said arc zone, a gas inlet for flowing a primary stream of gas into the arc zone to cause molten metal particles to be carried from the arc zone, alignment structure of electrically insulating material that defines a through passage that terminates in a discharge orifice, said alignment structure being disposed between said gas inlet and said arc zone such that said primary stream flows through said through passage of said alignment structure, seat surfaces on the walls of said through passage, and means for urging the tips of said wire guides outwardly away from one another to seat the tips of said wire guides on said seat surfaces.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 54 words

The device of claim 13 wherein said alignment structure further defining a gas flow channel between each said seat surface and said discharge orifice such that gas flow envelops each wire in that region as the wires are fed from the tips of said wire guides through said through passage to said arc zone.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 53 words

The device of claim 13 and further including cap structure in juxtaposition to and cooperating with said alignment structure to define an annular passage adjacent said arc zone for a secondary gas stream that provides a constricting influence on the stream of molten particles carried from the arc zone by said primary stream.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 94 words

The device of claim 13 and further including structure defining a gas supply chamber having an inlet port defining said gas inlet, an outlet port adjacent which said alignment structure is supported, and two support ports at the rear of said gas supply chamber, each said wire guide extending through a corresponding support port, and said connecting means includes a terminal member connected to each said wire guide external to each said support port such that each said wire guide has a degree of freedom of axial and angular movement in its support port.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 36 words

The device of claim 16 and further including structure defining a cylindrical support adjacent said outlet port for supporting said alignment structure and permitting rotational adjustment thereof to align said seat surfaces with said support ports.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 105 words

The device of claim 16 wherein each said wire guide is an elongated contact tube member with a replaceable end that includes a cylindrical tip portion, said alignment structure is a unitary nozzle-positioner member that is molded of plastics material and defines a converging through passage with the wire guide seats formed therein, and further including an air cap - arc shield assembly for securing said nozzle-positioner member on said chamber structure and providing a supplemental annular flow passage that extends around said nozzle-positioner member for flowing supplemental gas over the outside of said nozzle member in an annular converging stream towards said arc zone.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 25 words

The device of claim 18 wherein said forwardly convergent passage of said nozzle-positioner member terminates in a discharge orifice that has a plurality of lobes.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1988-01-08	1988-07-09	1989-01-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1992-01-08	1992-07-09	1993-01-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1996-01-08	1996-07-09	1997-01-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Metal spray

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