Installation for the surface treatment of parts

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for the surface processing of metal parts by immersion into at least one processing liquid contained in a processing tank comprising a plurality of tanks arranged in series and to a device for transferring the parts between the tanks, said tanks each including a rotary structure mounted on a rotation axis for receiving said parts submerged by a rotation movement of the rotary structures such that the air bubbles generated by the immersion of the parts are chased from the surfaces thereof, machine in which said rotation axis are rotatingly rigidly connected and driven by a common driving device. The tanks arranged in series may be contiguous and the rotation axes of the rotary structures may be aligned and assembled so as to form a common rotation axis extending through the entire machine. The rotation axis of the processing tank is electrically insulated from the other axis portions and connected to a power generator, in particular via a rotary connector arranged at one end of the axis. The downstream tank in the series is a steaming tank supplied with hot air. The machine is housed in a casing that comprises means for confining and reprocessing all the fluids from the machine.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . Machine for the surface treatment of metallic parts by the immersion of said parts into at least one treatment liquid contained in a treatment tank, said machine including a plurality of tanks arranged in series, and a transfer device of the parts between said tanks, said tanks each comprising a rotary structure mounted on a rotation axle and capable of receiving said parts, said parts being submerged in said treatment liquid by a rotational movement of the rotary structure of the treatment tank, selected in such a manner that air bubbles that may be formed during the immersion of said parts, are chased away from the surfaces of said parts, wherein said rotation axles of said rotary structures in the series of tanks are in rotary interlock condition and are driven by a common driving device. 
     
     
         18 . Machine according to  claim 17 , wherein said tanks that are arranged in series are contiguous, and that said rotation axles of said rotary structures of said tank series are aligned and assembled in such a manner that a common rotation axle is formed that traverses the whole machine. 
     
     
         19 . Machine according to  claim 17 , wherein said common driving device includes an electric motor providing a direct drive of said rotation axles, in particular an electric motor disposed at a first extremity of said series of tanks. 
     
     
         20 . Machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the rotation axle of said treatment tank is electrically insulated from other axle portions, in that the rotary structure of said treatment tank is connected to an electric generator via the intermediate of the rotation axle of said treatment tank. 
     
     
         21 . Machine according to  claim 19 , wherein the rotation axle of said treatment tank is electrically insulated from other portions of the axle, in that the rotary structure of said treatment tank is connected to an electric generator via the intermediate of the rotation axle of said treatment tank by means of a rotary connector disposed at a second extremity of said series of tanks. 
     
     
         22 . Machine according to  claim 17 , wherein said rotary structures are equipped with retaining devices capable of temporarily retaining supports for parts, supports whose dimensions are adapted to said retaining devices during the rotary movements of said rotary structures, the retaining devices being capable of allowing a transfer movement of supports between two rotation movements under the action of said transfer device, said supports bearing fastening means adapted to hold said metallic parts during said surface treatment. 
     
     
         23 . Machine according to  claim 22 , wherein said retaining devices include slide rails installed parallel to said rotation axles of said rotary structures, each one of said slide rails of a tank being aligned to a slide rail of the tanks that is disposed respectively upstream and downstream so that the transfer of said supports of a tank to the following one is allowed under the action of said transfer device in sliding along said slide rails, and in that at least a portion of said slide rails bears resilient contact devices allowing to hold said supports in a predetermined position on said slide rails during said rotation movements and the sliding of the supports under the action of the transfer device. 
     
     
         24 . Machine according to  claim 22 , wherein it includes a transfer device disposed above said tanks and synchronized with the driving device of the machine, comprising grasping elements, grasping the supports which have temporarily been raised to their uppermost position on said rotary structures, means for releasing said grasping elements from said supports in upper position, and means for displacing said grasping elements in an alternating upstream-downstream manner, the stroke of said alternating displacement means being equal to the distance between two successive emplacements of supports in their upper position, said transfer device making a simultaneous transfer movement of said supports in their upper position, each support in upper position taking, under the effect of said transfer movement, the position that was occupied before said transfer movement by the immediately downstream support in upper position. 
     
     
         25 . Machine according to  claim 24 , wherein said grasping elements include a shaft that extends above said series of tanks, and a group of arms mounted on said shaft, each arm bearing at its free end two pins distant and perpendicular with respect to the arm, the distance between these two pins of the same arm corresponding to the distance that separates two successive supports in upper position, the distance between two arms corresponding to the length of one said support, in that said transfer device includes a group composed of a driving pinion and a toothed rack, said pinion being fastened to a frame and a slide rail and meshing with said toothed rack that is fastened to a slider block, said slider block bearing said shaft, and a motorized unit formed by a connecting rod and a crank for driving said shaft in order to simultaneously release said grasping elements of all supports in upper position. 
     
     
         26 . Machine according to  claim 17 , destined for anodizing metallic parts, including from upstream to downstream:
 an oxidation treatment tank for containing an electrolytic treatment liquid, said oxidation tank comprising at least one electrode serving as cathode, said rotary structure serving as an anode,   a rinsing tank for containing a rinsing liquid,   a warming tank for being fed with hot air.   
     
     
         27 . Machine according to  claim 17 , destined for anodizing metallic parts, including from upstream to downstream:
 an oxidation treatment tank for containing an electrolytic treatment liquid, said oxidation tank comprising two cathodes disposed on both sides of the rotary structure of the treatment tank, said rotary structure serving as an anode,   a rinsing tank for containing a rinsing liquid,   a warming tank for being fed with hot air.   
     
     
         28 . Machine according to  claim 17 , for the electrolytic nickel plating of steel parts, including from upstream to downstream:
 a pickling tank for containing a pickling liquid;   a first rinsing tank for containing water;   a degreasing tank for containing an aqueous degreasing solution;   a second rinsing tank for containing water;   a depassivation tank for containing a sulfuric depassivation liquid;   a third rincing tank for containing water   a nickel plating tank for the actual electroplating, for containing a nickel sulfate solution and equipped with electrode forming nickel plates, especially two anodes disposed on both sides of the rotary structure of said nickel plating tank;   a fourth rinsing tank for containing water; and   a warming and drying tank fed with hot air.   
     
     
         29 . Machine according to  claim 26 , wherein said rinsing tank is subdivided into compartments between their upstream and downstream portion by at least one transverse separating wall and traversed by the rotation axle of said rinsing tank, said rotation axle bearing a rotary structure within each compartment, the downstream compartment including an entry for the introduction of fresh rinsing liquid, the upstream compartment including an exit for the used rinsing liquid, said separation wall comprising an opening allowing the passage of the rinsing liquid from downstream to upstream. 
     
     
         30 . Installation for the surface treatment of metallic parts, wherein it comprises the machine according to  claim 17 , lodged in a container containing confinement and retreating means for the fluids flowing out of said machine. 
     
     
         31 . Installation according to  claim 30 , wherein the bottom of said container forms a liquid storage basin, especially in that the capacity of said storage basin is selected such that it may receive the totality of the volume of all liquids that are present in said machine. 
     
     
         32 . Installation according to  claim 31 , wherein said container includes a basin for the treatment liquid, a basin for the used treatment liquid, and a basin for used rinsing liquid. 
     
     
         33 . Installation according to  claim 32 , wherein a device for the retreating of the used treatment and rinsing liquids is lodged in the interior of the container. 
     
     
         34 . Installation according to  claim 33 , wherein the device for the retreatment of the used liquids is an evaporator where said used liquids are retreated by distillation and condensation. 
     
     
         35 . Installation according to  claim 30 , wherein the container includes a gas scrubbing station installed above the tank outlets. 
     
     
         36 . Installation according to  claim 35 , wherein said gas scrubbing station is connected to a water circuit.