Coating process for engineered-wood panels or components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420305-B2
Application number	US-202016992002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2020
Priority date	Aug 12, 2019
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus and method of applying a finish or paint coating in a prefinishing or finishing line to a fencing panel or picket that disguises the screen-back texture of the engineered wood substrate. After paint or similar coating is applied (such as by one or more spray nozzles) to a face to a fence picket or fencing product or component, the fence picket passes under a roller, brush, or roller brush or similar paint applicator while the paint is still wet. The roller/brush removes some of the paint and applies an angled pattern to the face, which disguises the screen-back texture of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for applying paint or coating to a wood or engineered-wood panel or component on a prefinishing or finishing line, comprising:
one or more first applicators configured to apply a coating or paint to a top face of a wood or an engineered-wood panel or component conveyed on the prefinishing or finishing line with a direction of travel and a lateral axis orthogonal to the direction of travel; and
a second applicator with a longitudinal axis, said second applicator extending across the prefinishing or finishing line at an acute first angle with respect to said lateral axis, and configured to apply an angled pattern with linear elements at an approximate second angle with respect to the direction of travel in the applied coating or paint as the wood or engineered-wood panel or component moves past the second applicator on the prefinishing or finishing line;
wherein the second applicator comprises a roller, brush or roller brush that comes into contact with the applied coating or paint on the face of the wood or engineered-wood panel or component; and
wherein additional paint or coating is applied by the second applicator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wood or engineered-wood panel or component has a lateral axis orthogonal to the direction of travel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first angle is in a range of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 25 degrees.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wood or engineered-wood panel or component is a fence picket.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second angle of the linear elements with respect to the direct of travel is the same as the first angle of the second applicator with respect to the lateral axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising an orthogonal grid pattern in the upper surface of the panel or component, said grid pattern comprising a first set of linear elements parallel to the direction of travel, and a second set of linear elements orthogonal to the first set of linear elements.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the linear elements of the angled pattern are not parallel to or orthogonal to the first set and second set of linear elements in said grid pattern.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first angle is in a range of approximately 12 degrees to approximately 20 degrees.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second applicator comprises a single roller that extends across a width of the engineered-wood panel or component being conveyed.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the single roller does not move laterally with respect to the face of the engineered-wood panel or component being conveyed.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a blade positioned along the length of the roller.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the blade is in contact with the roller, and is configured to remove excess paint from the roller.

Assignees

• Louisiana Pacific Corp

Inventors

• Turner Heidi

Classifications

• B05C1/06

  by rubbing contact, e.g. by brushes, by pads {(brushes in general A46B)} · CPC title

• B05C11/021

  Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to the surface of an elongated body, e.g. a wire, a tube · CPC title

• B05C11/025

  with an essentially cylindrical body, e.g. roll or rod · CPC title

• B05C9/14

  the auxiliary operation involving heating {or cooling} · CPC title

• B05C1/0808

  Details thereof, e.g. surface characteristics · CPC title