Rail improvement for air conveyor system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved rail that may be utilized in hydrostatic bearing levitation system, and manufacturing method thereof. Hydrostatic bearing levitation systems uses fluid pressure to support and guide heavy loads as they move along a track system. Improvement comprises use of suitable aluminum alloy and hard anodizing coating with polyterafluoroethylene sealing.

1 . A rail structure of a hydrostatic bearing levitation system comprises a shallowly transversely concave upper wall member, a pair of generally vertical, longitudinally extending side walls, each wall being inset from a corresponding edge of said upper wall member, a generally planar lower wall member extending transversely outwardly beyond each side wall, partition wall means extending between said upper and lower wall members so as to define at least two longitudinally extending ports within said rail, a plurality of nozzles communicating through the upper wall member with said ports, the nozzles being longitudinally aligned in groups such that there is a space between longitudinally adjacent groups for each of said ports and such that each group associated with one port is positioned generally laterally opposite a space between adjacent groups associated with the other of said ports, each nozzle being angled with respect to a longitudinally extending plane which is tangent to the outer curved surface of the upper wall member where the axis of the nozzle intersects the outer surface, the nozzles of each group being directed generally towards the edge of said rail closest theretouse, wherein said rail structure is extruded from a corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, and wherein said outer surface of said upper wall member is applied with a corrosion resistant coating.  
     
     
         2 . The rail structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said corrosion coating is hard anodizing treatment.  
     
     
         3 . The rail structure as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said corrosion coating is further coated with a coating material.  
     
     
         4 . The rail structure as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said coating material is polyterafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         5 . The rail structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said corrosion resistant aluminum alloy is Aluminum 6061.  
     
     
         6 . The rail structure as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the thickness of said hard anodizing treatment on said outer surface of said upper wall member is about 0.002 inches.  
     
     
         7 . A method of improving durability and corrosion resistance of a rail structure for a hydrostatic bearing levitation system comprises the steps of: 
 (i) extruding from a corrosion resistant aluminum alloy said rail structure comprising a shallowly transversely concave upper wall member, a pair of generally vertical, longitudinally extending side walls, each wall being inset from a corresponding edge of said upper wall member, a generally planar lower wall member extending transversely outwardly beyond each side wall, partition wall means extending between said upper and lower wall members so as to define at least two longitudinally extending ports within said rail, a plurality of nozzles communicating through the upper wall member with said ports, the nozzles being longitudinally aligned in groups such that there is a space between longitudinally adjacent groups for each of said ports and such that each group associated with one port is positioned generally laterally opposite a space between adjacent groups associated with the other of said ports, each nozzle being angled with respect to a longitudinally extending plane which is tangent to the outer curved surface of the upper wall member where the axis of the nozzle intersects the outer surface, the nozzles of each group being directed generally towards the edge of said rail closest theretouse; and    (ii) applying a corrosion resistant coating on the outer surface of said rail structure.    
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said corrosion coating is hard anodizing treatment.  
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion coating is further coated with a coating material.  
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said coating material is polyterafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said corrosion resistant aluminum alloy is Aluminum 6061.  
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the thickness of said hard anodizing treatment on said outer surface of said upper wall member is about 0.002 inches.