1. Vacuum painting head to paint objects, comprising a container having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture for the object to be painted, wherein said outlet aperture has a transverse section substantially equal to that of said object to be painted, wherein suction means are provided to create inside said container a determinate depression with respect to atmospheric pressure, and wherein introduction means are provided to introduce paint into said container, wherein stopper means are inserted into one of said apertures and are selectively movable to move away from or closer to the other of said apertures to open or close it,
wherein said stopper means comprise a stopper element inserted into said inlet aperture and connected to actuation means able to move it axially between a first operating position, in which said stopper element is in proximity with said outlet aperture, and a second operating position, in which said stopper element is distant from said outlet aperture.
2. (canceled)
3. Painting head as in claim 1, wherein said stopper element is shaped to define internally a through cavity the transverse section of which is substantially equal to that of said object to be painted.
4. Painting head as in claim 1, wherein said inlet aperture has a transverse section shaped like a regular polygon and said stopper element has a transverse section mating with that of said inlet aperture.
5. Painting head as in claim 4, wherein sealing means are interposed between said stopper element and said inlet aperture.
6. Painting head as in claim 1, wherein said outlet aperture is bigger by few millimetres with respect to said object to be painted, to allow the air to enter inside said container even when said object to be painted is inserted in said outlet aperture.
7. Painting head as in claim 1, wherein said actuation means comprise a linear actuator able to move linearly on guides (35), under the control of position transducers associated with said first and second operating positions.
8. Painting head as in claim 1, wherein said stopper element (26) is associated with elastic means able to move it towards a rest position in which said stopper element hermetically closes said outlet aperture.
9. Method for the vacuum painting of objects by means of a vacuum painting head comprising a container having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture for the object to be painted, wherein said outlet aperture has a transverse section substantially equal to that of said object to be painted, wherein suction means are provided to create inside said container a determinate depression with respect to atmospheric pressure, and wherein introduction means are provided to introduce paint into said container, comprising at least the following steps:
inserting a stopper means element into said inlet aperture and selectively axially displacing said stopper element between a first operating position, in which said stopper element is in proximity with said outlet aperture, and a second operating position, in which said stopper element is distant from said outlet aperture.
10. Method as in claim 9, wherein said stopper element is shaped to define internally a through cavity the transverse section of which is substantially equal to that of said profile to be painted.
11. Method as in claim 10, wherein said stopper element is associated with elastic means able to move it towards a rest position in which said stopper element hermetically closes said outlet aperture.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A tool for breaking a vacuum in a preserving jar (8) closed with a screw cap (7), said tool comprisiing an oblong handle (1), which at one end has a portion (5) for engaging th periphery of the cap (7), and a jaw (2) foor engaging (the lower edge of the cap (7), characterized in that the portion (5) for engaging the cap is adapted to bear on the upper surface of the cap, that the mouth of the jaw (2) is turned away from the other end of the handle (1), that the free end (3) of the jaw (2) forms a concave arc of a circle, and in that between the handle (1) and the jaw (2) is a guide means (6) in the shape of a slot forming a concave, circular arc.
2. A tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the portion for engaging the cap (7) is a plane surface (5) in the shape of a circle segment.
3. A tool according to claim 2, characterized in that the circle segment has such a size that when the tool is used it covers two thread sections in the screw cap (7).
4. A tool according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of the jaw (2) is adjustable.
5. A tool for breaking a vacuum in a wide-mouth preserving jar closed with a screw cap, the tool comprising an oblong handle having at one end a tool head with a jaw (2,3) for engaging under the lower edge of the screw cap and a wider top portion for engaging the top side of the screw cap along a chord inside the area of engagement between the jaw and the cap edge, characterized in that the tool head is so dimensioned that the said top portion, when the tool is held in its operative position at the edge of a standard size cap, to which the tool is adapted, defines a chord of engagement having a length of approximately one sixth of the periphery of the cap, the said top portion effectively engaging the cap top side or upstanding edge rib portions thereof by substantially planar, i.e. non-sharp pressure face portions.
6. A tool according to claim 5 in which the top side of the edge lifting jaw is horizontal when the tool is held in its operative position.
7. A tool according to claim 5, in which the free front edge of the edge lifting jaw forms a concave arc of a circle having the diameter of the standard cap.
8. A tool according to claim 5, in which the edge lifting jaw is a wedge member, the lower side of which extends at an angle of approximately 45.
9. A tool according to claim 5, in which the tool head has a forwardly facing abutment wall between the root of the jaw and the protruding top portion, this wall being shaped as a concave part-cylindrical surface having the diameter of the relevant standard lid.
10. A tool according to claim 5, in which the top portion is structured so as to have side portions which substantially flat undersides located above the engaged portions of an upstanding edge rib on the lid.
11. A tool according to claim 5, in which the top portion is designed as a plate member generally having a flat underside.
12. A tool according to claim 5, in which the length of the jaw is adjustable.