Equipment is well known for dip coating of articles, such as small metallic parts, into a liquid while the parts are held in a basket such as a wire basket. The basket loaded with fresh, uncoated parts is immersed in a tank containing the liquid, e.g., a paint. U.S. Pat. No. 2,387,299 shows such an apparatus, which apparatus separates the coated parts from the liquid after coating, and thereafter spins the basket to remove excess liquid coating composition from the parts.
More recently in U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,550 such apparatus has been shown using fluid controlled and actuated valving systems so as to avoid danger of explosion by ignition of the liquid that otherwise might result from an electrical spark.
In such machines, parts can be at least initially dried during the spinning action to remove excess coating liquid. The baskets with the coated parts are then conveyed, such as by hand or machine arm to a receptacle or conveyer. When subsequent heating of coated parts will be necessary for drying of the parts, the basket may be pivoted on an arm which, after the basket has been removed from the liquid and spun, positions the arm over a conveyer. In such position, the parts from the basket are dumped from the basket onto a conveyer leading to an oven for drying or curing of coating composition.
It would be desirable to increase the productivity of such operation while nevertheless maintaining economy of apparatus. Moreover, in large operation, it is quite often necessary to select a variety of colored coating compositions, and apparatus adapted for easy switching to various colors would also be desirable.