| US 7,572,479 B2 | ||
| Method and apparatus for extrusion coating of fluorescent light tubes | ||
| Robert J. Nolan, Salisbury, N.C. (US); and Mark Cannon, Salisbury, N.C. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Shat-R-Sheild, Salisbury, N.C. (US) | ||
| Filed on Nov. 14, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/713,614. | ||
| Application 10/713614 is a continuation of application No. 10/238696, filed on Sep. 10, 2002, abandoned. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0142100 A1, Jul. 22, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. B05D 5/12 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 427—67 [427/106] | 38 Claims |
| 1. A method of coating a chain of at least two fluorescent light tubes, each fluorescent light tube having a transparent or
translucent main light body and end caps at the opposite ends of the main light body with the end caps having electrically
conductive pins extending from at least one of the end caps, the method comprising the steps:
heating only the end caps of the fluorescent light tubes prior to coating the fluorescent light tubes on a coating conveyor
system;
sequentially loading the fluorescent light tubes on the coating conveyor system;
sequentially feeding the fluorescent light tubes at a consistent travel rate with a gap between the fluorescent light tubes
to a coating station, which includes a coating machine;
applying a coating to the chain of fluorescent light tubes and the gaps between the fluorescent light tubes with the end caps
uncovered at the coating station for direct contact of the coating with the main light body and with the end caps without
any other element physically intervening the coating and the end caps while maintaining the gap at a length to prevent the
coating from contacting the electrically conductive pins of the end caps of the fluorescent light tubes; and
conveying the coated fluorescent light tubes to a stacking and/or packaging station.
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