As is known, in conventional methods for processing and painting bodies of motor vehicles and the like, said bodies must be subjected to a series of following surface processing operations, such as a dipping degreasing and spraying operation, a washing operation, phosphatizing operation, and yet other finishing washing _.

The thus processed motor vehicle bodies are then subjected to a passivation step, including washing and cataphoresis and dip painting operations, followed by finishing washing steps; in this connection it should be apparent that the processing cycles and the used products will depend on the used chemical compositions.

The above disclosed processing steps are usually carried out in dipping basins, into which the motor vehicle body is introduced and held for the desired processing time.

Prior approaches for performing the above mentioned operations conventionally provide for the use of very complex systems, of a scarcely flexible operation, in which the motor vehicle bodies are caused to be continuously fed, being supported on so- called skids which are taken, at said processing

basins, by arch members to introduce the motor vehicle bodies into the processing basin with a desired inclination.

Such a system construction, designed for a middle-low volume production method, is affected by great construction problems, since it is necessary to provide processing basins of a comparatively large size, and, moreover, it is also necessary to use very large amounts of processing liquids, which are not justified by the comparatively low production rate.

Yet another problem is that prior systems, as mentioned, have a substantially non flexible operation, that is they do not allow to easily modify or change the succession of the operating steps.

Furthermore, the above mentioned prior systems require a lot of processing time, required by long duration processing steps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned problems, for middle-low volume production rates, by providing an automatic system for surface processing bodies of motor vehicles and the like, which is very flexible from the operation standpoint, due to a use of a specifically designed processing basin and handling system, which basin can be easily fitted to the system making line, and which has a comparatively small size.

Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a system allowing to use that number of

processing basins which is considered as necessary for the intended processing of the motor vehicle bodies, while allowing to easily modify, at will, both the succession of the processing steps and the processing steps themselves to be performed on the individual motor vehicle bodies, as well as the volume capability of the processing basins and related hydraulic circuits.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such an automatic system simplifying all the controlling and managing operations and which, in particular, does not require specifically designed means for driving the motor vehicle body supporting skids, while allowing to independently monitor the operation of each individual processing basin.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a motor vehicle body surface processing system which, owing to its specifically designed construction, is very reliable and safe in operation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an automatic system for surface processing bodies of motor vehicles and the like, characterized in that said automatic processing system comprises a track for driving therethrough a shuttle assembly supporting a skid thereon a motor vehicle body is arranged, and that said track comprises at least a processing basin supporting a pair of arch members for removing said skid from said shuttle assembly, and driving means for

vertically driving said arch members for dipping said motor vehicle body into said processing basin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of an automatic system for surface processing bodies of motor vehicles and the like, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the figures of the accompanying drawings, where: Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating the automatic processing system according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation view illustrating a processing basin with a motor vehicle body arranged thereabove; Figure 3 is a detail view illustrating a processing basin with the motor vehicle body removed from the arch members and dipped into the processing basin ; Figure 4 is a front view illustrating the motor vehicle body arranged on the top of the processing basin; Figure 5 is a further front view illustrating the motor vehicle body arranged inside the processing basin; Figure 6 is a top plan view illustrating the processing basin and clearing showing the taking-up or removing arch member; Figure 7 is a further side view illustrating

an upright for driving the arch members; Figure 8 is a front partially broken away view illustrating a portion of an arch member and the mentioned upright with driving means for displacing or driving said arch members; Figure 9 illustrates intercoupling means for interconnecting the arch member driving means; Figure 10 is a partially broken away view illustrating the uprights with the arch driving means shown in a top plan view; Figure 11 is a schematic front view illustrating a processing basin with a motor vehicle body being processed and a further motor vehicle body being conveyed thereabove; Figure 12 is a side elevation view illustrating a motor vehicle body dipped in the processing basin, and clearly shows, by a dashed line the inclination which can be assumed by the motor vehicle body in order to facilitate the introduction thereof into the processing basin; Figure 13 illustrates the driving means for driving or transferring the shuttle assembly; Figure 14 is a front view illustrating the shuttle assembly before the removal of the supporting skid; Figure 15 is a further front view illustrating the processing basin with an arch member dipped therein; Figure 16 is a further front view illustrating the processing basin with a motor vehicle body arranged in the inside of said processing basin and a shuttle assembly being conveyed thereabove;

Figure 17 is a perspective view illustrating locking means for locking the supporting skid coupled to the driving means; Figure 18 is a detail view showing the coupling means connecting the shuttle assembly and skid; Figure 19 is a detail front view illustrating said locking means; Figure 20 is a side view illustrating the mentioned locking means; Figure 21 is a top plan view illustrating the mentioned locking means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the automatic processing system for surface processing bodies of motor vehicles and the like comprises a transferring track, generally indicated by the reference number 1, which advantageously comprises a pair of rails thereon a shuttle assembly 2 is caused to slide, said shuttle assembly including top cross-members 3 supporting corresponding vertical arms 4.

Said vertical arms 4 end with fork elements 5, engaging with cross pins 9 of a supporting skid 10, in turn supporting a motor vehicle body or the like, generally indicated by the reference number 11.

The cross members 3 are connected, at the top thereof, to longitudinal beams 7, and bear on a plurality of driving or entraining belts or chains 8 which, at respective end portions thereof, are controlled or driven by controlling motors.

Thus, a plurality of offset belts or chains is provided, the chains or belts of which are offset from one another and coupled on corresponding shafts, so that a belt or chain entrains or drives the following pulleys.

The latter, in turn, being keyed on a same shaft as that of an adjoining pulley, drives a second pair, and so on, to sequentially drive a series of belts or chains for driving the shuttle assembly.

The conveying track affects at least a processing basin, generally indicated by the reference number 20, which is provided with a supporting framework 21 to which the transfer track are coupled.

At each processing basin is provided a top closing panel 22, where the motor vehicle bodies are driven, as well as a basin portion 23 arranged at the bottom.

At said basin portion 23, a plurality of uprights 24 are provided, affected by driving means of a pair of arch members, indicated by the reference number 25, operating to take-up or remove the supporting skid 10 and related body from the shuttle assembly 2 for introducing said body into said processing basin.

On said uprights 24 are provided driving means including a driving motor 26 entraining a chain or belt 27, continuously extending inside the upright 24 and being coupled to a counterweight 28 operating for balancing the weight of the supporting skid and arch members.

The driving motor 26 drives a cross shaft 29 provided at the bottom portion of the processing basin

and driving, in turn, a like chain or belt 27 arranged on the opposite front portion of the processing basin.

To the chain or belt 27 a carriage 30 is coupled, said carriage supporting an end portion of a respective arch member 25, to cause the latter to be lowered with a desired displacement inside the processing basin.

The provision of two uprights 24 and, consequently, two spaced arch members, allows, by affecting the lowering movement of the individual arch members, to incline at will the motor vehicle body, thereby allowing said motor vehicle body to be quickly and easily introduced into the processing basin.

Each arch member is moreover provided with taking or removing means for taking the supporting skid and removing it from the shuttle assembly, said means comprising counter-forks 40 engaging with taking pins 41 provided on the supporting skid 10.

Thus it is possible, to remove a motor vehicle body, to perform a starting upward displacement operation, for driving upward the supporting skid with respect to the vertical branch of the shuttle assembly, to cause the cross pin to project from the shuttle assembly fork thereby causing the supporting skid to disengage from the shuttle assembly itself.

Upon having performed this disengagement operation, the shuttle assembly is further driven, and the arch elements are lowered to cause the motor vehicle body to be dipped into the processing basin.

During this operation, are further operated locking means, generally indicated by the reference

number 50, comprising a locking arch element 51, extending from a locking mandrel 52, therefrom radially project a first cam lever 53 and a second cam lever 54, angularly offset from one another and designed for abutting against locking abutments 55 provided on the fixed framework of the processing basin.

With the disclosed arrangement, during the lowering operation, and with reference to figure 14, the abutment 55 will engage with the second lever 54, thereby rotatively driving the mandrel 52, and causing the arch element 51 to engage with the locking pin rigidly coupling the skid to the arch member.

By the above mentioned locking, the motor vehicle body is entrained by the arch members to the bottom of the processing basin, with the desired inclination, to be processed as desired.

During the raising operation, the first lever 53 engages with the abutment 55, thereby causing the mandrel 52 to be rotatively driven anticlockwise, to disengage the arch element from the cross pin.

In this connection it should be moreover pointed out that, by the above disclosed arrangement, it is possible, with a motor vehicle body being processed in the basin portion, to displace or convey thereabove, through corresponding shuttle assemblies 2, further motor vehicle bodies which are conveyed to following processing operations.

This feature allows to optimize the configuration of the system and, moreover, affords the possibility of improving the processing rate, while allowing to further perform processing operations such

cataphoresis and phosphatizing operations requiring comparatively longer processing times.

Moreover, since the motor vehicle bodies can be individually independently removed from the processing track, it is possible to provide a processing system of very flexible operation, in which all the processing steps are actually improved.

In operation, the motor vehicle bodies are conveyed by the shuttle assemblies which, as they arrive at the preset processing basin, are stopped to allow the arch member removing means to disengage the motor vehicle bodies from its single supporting shuttle assembly, to be then further driven along the processing track.

At another processing basin, furthermore, it is possible to remove another motor vehicle body to be processed.

The supporting skid taken by the pair of arch members can be lowered with a desired inclination into the processing basin, owing to the provision of specifically designed driving means provided in the uprights 24.

During the supporting skid lowering step, the supporting skid and arch members are automatically locked, by engaging the cam means comprising the cam levers 53 and 54 with the abutment 55, performing the locking operation during the lowering step and automatically performing the unlocking operation during the raising step.

Thus, it is possible to perform the several required processing operations in the individual processing basins.

For example, in a case in which a cataphoresis operation must be performed, conventional electric contact bearing skids for providing an electrical connection of the motor vehicle body would be provided.

Moreover, it is also possible to perform all the desired processing steps in the desired or set time periods, since the motor vehicle body is removed from the shuttle assembly driving track, thereby the shuttle assemblies are not bound to perform a preset succession of processing operations.

From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.

In particular, the fact is to be pointed out that an automatic processing system has been designed, which is very efficient and flexible in operation, and which allows to provide any desired numbers of processing basins.

The processing basins will constitute, in actual practice, stand alone or individual processing units, which individually manage all the operating processing steps.

The invention as disclosed is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all of which will come within the scope of the inventive idea.

Moreover, all the constructional details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practicing the invention, the used materials, provided that they are compatible with the intended application, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.