Abrasive blasting unit for controlled blasting

Abstract

The blasting unit includes an enclosure shaped and dimensioned for receiving an article to be treated with abrasive, a first gun carriage supporting a first blast gun for controlled movement relative to the enclosure, a support table maintained within the enclosure and a control system linked to the first gun carriage and the support table. The control system directs movement of the first blast gun and support table to abrasively blast an article with a predefined pattern.

1 . An abrasive blasting unit, comprising: 
 an enclosure shaped and dimensioned for receiving an article to be treated with abrasive;    a first gun carriage supporting a first blast gun for controlled movement relative to the enclosure;    a support table maintained within the enclosure, the support table being shaped and dimensioned for supporting an article;    a control system linked to the first gun carriage and the support table, the control system directing movement of the first blast gun and support table to abrasively blast an article with a predefined pattern.    
     
     
         2 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system includes a memory storing predefined patterns for abrasively blasting an article.  
     
     
         3 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first blast gun shoots an abrasive.  
     
     
         4 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , further including a reservoir in which expended abrasive is collected and recycled for subsequent use by the first blast gun.  
     
     
         5 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the support table rotates under the control of the control system.  
     
     
         6 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the control system controls the speed at which the support table rotates.  
     
     
         7 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the control system controls the degrees of table rotation.  
     
     
         8 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first gun carriage guides the first blast gun along a linear path relative to the enclosure.  
     
     
         9 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system includes a user interface for inputting predefined blasting patterns.  
     
     
         10 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first gun carriage is mounted horizontally relative to the enclosure.  
     
     
         11 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first gun carriage is mounted vertically relative to the enclosure.  
     
     
         12 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , further including a second gun carriage supporting a second blast gun for controlled movement relative to the enclosure, the second gun carriage being linked to the control system which directs movement thereof to abrasively blast an article with a predefined pattern.  
     
     
         13 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 12 , wherein the first gun carriage is mounted horizontally relative to the enclosure and the second gun carriage is mounted vertically relative to the enclosure.  
     
     
         14 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , further including means for selectively moving the support table within the enclosure.  
     
     
         15 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein movement of the first blast gun along the first gun carriage is controlled by the control system.  
     
     
         16 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 15 , wherein the control system controls the speed at which the first blast gun moves.  
     
     
         17 . The abrasive blasting unit according to  claim 15 , wherein the control system controls the linear distance the first blast gun moves.