A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR GLAZING RECESSED ARTICLES OF CERAMIC MATERIAL

摘要

1,211,300. Glazing ceramic articles. H. SELTMANN, F. FALTISS and E. MULLER. 15 March, 1968 [15 March, 1967], No. 12843/68. Heading C1M. In a method of glazing recessed ceramic articles, e.g. drinking cups, the articles are supported on a travelling conveyer in point contact therewith and with their recesses facing upwards, and are continuously moved through at least two film-like curtains of liquid glazing material one of which wets the article from above and the other from below, surplus glazing medium collecting in the recesses being removed by a jet of air directed downwardly on to the upper surfaces of the articles, surplus glazing medium collecting on the lower portions of the article also being removed. Porcelain cups 1 with their recessed bases uppermost are carried on an upwardly inclined conveyer 3 in point contact with their rims 2 through three film-like curtains of glazing medium 5, 6, 7, curtains 5 and 7 falling and curtain 6 rising below the cups 1. The descending curtains are formed by glazing medium flowing from a container 17 over two sets of weirs 21, 22. Each of these weirs may be preceded by a further weir of weirs 23 to obviate any pressure variations in flow. The curtain 6 is formed from a slit nozzle 24 located beneath the conveyer 3 and between, curtains 5 and 7. After passing through all three glazing curtains excess glaze which has collected in the base recess of the cup is blown out by air from a nozzle 41 operated by a photoelectric device 42. The conveyer 3 comprises at least two parallel endless bands of, for example, circular or triangular cross-section and preferably immediately after passing the air nozzle 41 the articles are transferred to a second conveyer 3SP1/SP also formed from at least two endless belts. This changes the point contact of the rims. On this second belt the articles pass over a suction device 26 which removes surplus glaze collecting around the article rims 2. The surplus glaze from the articles and from the coating curtains is collected in a bath 29 and returned to a feeder tank 31. Glaze from this tank is pumped to the slit nozzle 24 and the container 17. In an alternative embodiment the articles are retained during the whole of the operation on the conveyer 3, but after passing through the three glazing curtains the conveyer 3 runs over and in contact with a further endless belt. This second belt for part of its travel passes through a bath of the glaze and so ensures that the rim of the article is evenly coated excess glaze being removed by wetting as the conveyer 3 moves out of contact with this second belt.