DESCRIPTION

METALLIC BASKET FOR THE CHEMICAL PRE-

TREATMENT OF ALUMINIUM PROFILES, FRAMES,

SHEETS OR OTHER ALLOYS

The invention is attributed to a metallic basket for the chemical pretreatment of metallic profiles, frames made from profiles or not, flat or re-formed metal sheets and components of various dimensions and geometrical shapes, before electrostatic powder coating is applied on their surface, which is constituted of especially formed stainless steel plates that are screwed and welded together, so the overall construction possesses a rigid structure.

The chemical pre-treatment stage is essential for the successful application of the electrostatic powder coating layer. One of the chemical pre-treatment processes features sinking of the processed objects in tanks containing chemical solutions.

For this method, the utilization of the metallic basket is essential in order to place the processed objects in groups.

At the already existing metallic baskets, plates with cross-sections of various shapes are placed between each line of placed metal profiles eg. triangular, circular etc. which are in contact with the surface of the processed profiles.

After the completion of the baskets with profiles, the latter are held together with the aid of two metallic beams of rectangular cross- section, which are screwed on pre-determined places on the basket. As a result, the mounting described above does not provide adequate chemical processing of the surfaces in contact with the mounting plates. Furthermore, during the sinking of the basket into the tanks, there is a danger of loosening of the profiles' mounting due to buoyancy forces resulting some profiles to slip and create an accident or destruction of the processed products when the basket is angled in order to release the chemical solutions from the profiles' inner sides (rinsing process). The construction of the already existing baskets and specifically of the basket type according to the initial Patent Award No. 1004789 is such that metal frames, sheets and components cannot be placed together on the same basket. The profiles placed in the basket must be of the same dimensions and the loading time is long.

The already existing baskets are always rigid and consume large spacing areas when not in use.

Advantages of this invention compared to the previously technical analysis and specifically with the initial awarded Patent is that in the

same basket profiles of various dimensions and geometrical shapes, but apart from profiles the basket is constructed to facilitate the placement of frames from profiles or not, flat or re-formed metal sheets, metal frames angled at 90 degrees or at curved, circular and any other possible shape, while the loading time is significantly shorter than the equivalent of the already existing baskets. All the above mentioned phenomena were not materializing in the previous metal basket, but they can be manifested in the new one with the addition of holes, cuts and new extracting columns.

Each profile row is secured into the basket at each edge with two pyramidal-shaped mounting bases, thus the adequate distance between two consecutive rows of placed profiles in order to enable the intrusion of chemical solution at the whole surface of the profiles. Due to the mounting base's shape and according to the profile's shape, the contact of the mounting base with the profiles is at point and only on the edge of the profiles.

The whole surface at the profile's full length does not come in contact with any plate, resulting a balanced chemical treatment on the whole surface of the profile.

A very important advantage is that for flexible -due to their geometrical shape- profiles, only one or two intermediate mountings are required when the baskets are into the tank for the chemical pre-treatment. The intermediate mountings are not rigid and during their constant movement towards the four directions they instantaneously touch the profiles without creating any problems in the application of the chemical pre-treatment.

Furthermore, due to the different profile mounting at the basket's interior from the already existing one, problems such as profile displacement due to buoyancy forces are not manifesting during the pre-treatment stage as well as during the rinsing stage, where profiles remain immobilized regardless of the basket's exerted slope. The baskets' construction is such that enables their dismantling and storing at the least spacing area when not in use. In the metallic basket according to this particular invention, an essential characteristic is the way by which the profiles of various geometrical shapes are secured by mounting bases of various geometrical shapes. The most basic mounting base shape is the pyramidal shape. The overall production cost of this new basket is not differentiating from that of the already existing baskets' which are currently used, but during production it facilitates quality improvement of the processed

objects, since the chemical pre-treatment is applied efficiently and no repetition of the process is necessary.

Furthermore, the highest coating quality and lack of any damage or destruction as well as the avoidance of an industrial accident due to profiles displacement in the baskets interior are achieved.

The invention is described below with reference to the attached sketches on which:

Figure 1 shows the ground plan of the metallic basket.

Figure 2 shows the front view A of the basket.

Figure 3 shows the side view of the basket.

At Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7, Figure 8, Figure 9, Figure 10,

Figure 11, Figure 12, Figure 13, Figure 14, Figure 15 and Figure 16 important details of the basket are presented.

At Figure 1 at the ground plan, the rigid columns (1), (2) and the extracting columns (1 A) and (2 A) are presented. The beam (11) is an integral part of those into which the pyramidal mounting bases are moving (3). Furthermore the in-length (4) reinforced and the in- width

(5) rigid or extracted mounting columns of the basket's base and the side rigid or extracted columns (6) and the extracted columns (6 A) are presented.

At Figure 2, the moving side mountings (7) of the rigid sector are presented from the side the columns (6 A) and (1 A) are extracted and the rigid mounting (8) of the rigid sector.

The rigid or extracted columns (6), the extracted columns (6 A), the moving side mountings (7) and the rigid column (8) of the rigid sector can move.

Moreover, the holes are appearing (10), in the full length of the rigid column (4) which are used to adjust the position of the column (2) and their mountings (9), in order to adjust the utilising length of the basket according to the utilising length of the coated profiles, frames, sheets and components.

The extracted columns (6 A), (1 A) and (2 A) ₅ possess the ability to remove their upper part in order to shorten the total height of the basket from one side, thus the loading of the profiles which are mounted on the bottom side of the basket is becoming easier.

The moving side mountings (7) of the columns are extracted during storing in order to place one basket into the other. Additionally, when the in-width mounting columns (5) of the basket's base are extracting, the basket becomes even smaller and enables even more its storage.

At Figure 3 the beam (11) is presented into which the pyramidal-shaped mounting bases (3) are moving and the metallic beam (12) which secures the pyramidal-shaped mounting bases (3), in order to avoid profiles displacements during the chemical pre-treatment process. Figure 4 presents in ground plan how the pyramidal-shaped mounting base (3) is placed in the beam (11).

Figure 5 presents how the pyramidal-shaped mounting bases (3) are coming in contact with the profiles.

Furthermore, when the basket is inclined during rinsing, the pyramidal- shaped mounting bases (3) remain rigid because they have been secured by the metal beam (12), resulting the creation of a rigid block of the pyramidal-shaped mounting bases (3), which prevents the profiles to move in-length of the basket.

Figure 6 presents various shapes which can be utilized for the pyramidal-shaped mounting bases (3), and which vary instead of pyramidal shape, with the same advantages, according to the needs of the processed profiles.

Figure 7 presents the ground plan and section of a side column (6) into which another cylindrical or triangular or of other shape pipe, lightweight and with small diameter (13), is placed, and which moves due to buoyancy forces when the basket is inserted in the chemical solution and does not have constant contact with the profiles due to constant movement in 4 directions. As a result, chemical pre-processing is executed uniformly on all the surface of the profiles when these have a small cross-section or a difficult shape.

Figure 8 presents the ground plan and section of an extracted side column (6 A), which receives at pre-determined and with a dragging way in section (14) the pipe of cylindrical, triangular or of any other shape (13).

Figure 9 presents the ground plan and section of a side rigid or extracting column (6) which receives at pre-determined and with a dragging way in the holes (15), the other end of the pipe of cylindrical, triangular or of any other shape (13).

Figure 10 presents an extracting column (16), which enlarges the basket's spacing because of its construction which is different to the rigid column (1) , the extracting column (1 A), the rigid column (2) and the extracting column (2 A).

Figure 11 and Figure 12 present a complex extracting column (17A) or (17), which receives either the pyramidal mounting bases (3) for the profiles placement, or the pipe of cylindrical, triangular or of any other

shape (13) for the securing of the more lightweight profiles in order to minimise the bending exertion and which moves due to buoyancy forces when the basket is inserted into the chemical solution.

Figure 13 presents in section how the placement of frames from profiles or not, flat sheets or processed and components of various dimensions and shapes is achieved with the utilization of beams (11), with clamps and hooks(18), of various dimensions and shapes.

Figure 14 and Figure 15 present in section a possible loading way of the basket with profiles, frames, flat sheets or processed and components of various dimensions and geometrical shapes for the most concise presentation of the basket's different attributes.

Figure 16 presents the pyramidal-shaped mounting bases (3), carrying holes to achieve better grasp of the profiles and easier emptying of the chemical solution.

Sections (14) are constructed to enable the pipe of cylindrical, triangular or of any other shape (13) to be inserted in them with a dragging way, to be secured and to be moving towards all four directions.

The holes (15) which are placed across to the sections (14) and equivalently are made such as the other end of the pipe of cylindrical, triangular or of any other shape (13) to be inserted in them at a certain height and to be moving towards all four directions.

With this sections (14) and holes (15) alignment, profiles of various dimensions and geometrical shapes.

The insertion of the new extracting column (16) in place of the rigid column (1), (2) and of the extracting column (1 A),

(2 A) results more spacing in the new basket.

The complex extracting column (17 A) has the sections (14) and the complex extracting column (17) has the holes (15).

In the new basket, the complex extracting column (17 A) is inserted in place of the extracting column (6 A) and a complex extracting column

(17) is inserted in place of the extracting column (6).

With the above mentioned process and the aid of hooks (18) profiles of various dimensions and geometrical shapes are placed but apart from profiles the basket is constructed to facilitate the placement of frames from profiles or not, flat or re-formed metal sheets, metal frames angled at 90 degrees or at curved, circular and any other possible shape, while the loading time is significantly shorter than the equivalent of the already existing baskets.