A high speed granule delivery system and method is disclosed for dispensing granules in intermittent patterns onto a moving asphalt coated strip in the manufacture of roofing shingles. The system includes a granule hopper and a rotationally indexable pocket wheel in the bottom of the hopper. A series of pockets are formed in the circumference of the wheel and the pockets are separated by raised lands. A seal on the bottom of the hopper seals against the raised lands as the wheel is indexed. In use, the pockets of the pocket wheel drive through and are filled with granules in the bottom of the hopper. As each pocket is indexed beyond the seal, it is exposed to the moving asphalt coated strip below and its granules fall onto the strip to be embedded in the hot tacky asphalt. The speed at which the wheel is indexed is coordinated with the speed of the asphalt coated strip so that granules and strip are moving at about the same forward speed or at a preselected ratio of speeds when the granules fall onto the strip. Well defined patterns of granules are possible at high production rates.

A high speed granule delivery system and method is disclosed for dispensing granules in intermittent patterns onto a moving asphalt coated strip in the manufacture of roofing shingles. The system includes a granule hopper and a rotationally indexable pocket wheel in the bottom of the hopper. A series of pockets are formed in the circumference of the wheel and the pockets are separated by raised lands. A seal on the bottom of the hopper seals against the raised lands as the wheel is indexed. In use, the pockets of the pocket wheel drive through and are filled with granules in the bottom of the hopper. As each pocket is indexed beyond the seal, it is exposed to the moving asphalt coated strip below and its granules fall onto the strip to be embedded in the hot tacky asphalt. The speed at which the wheel is indexed is coordinated with the speed of the asphalt coated strip so that granules and strip are moving at about the same forward speed or at a preselected ratio of speeds when the granules fall onto the strip. Well defined patterns of granules are possible at high production rates.

A cyclone is disclosed that includes an enclosure that encloses at least a portion of the cyclone. The enclosure delimits an enclosed volume between an interior surface of the enclosure and the exterior surface of the body. The enclosure retains a gas coolant or liquid coolant in thermal exchange with the enclosed exterior surface of the cyclone. A powder coating system is disclosed that includes a spray booth and a cyclone, where ambient air is added to process air that is drawn from the spray booth into the cyclone. The ambient air may be added to the process air to cool the process air to a temperature that is lower than the process air would be if ambient air were not added, and also may be used to dilute the powder overspray entrained process air.

A cyclone is disclosed that includes an enclosure that encloses at least a portion of the cyclone. The enclosure delimits an enclosed volume between an interior surface of the enclosure and the exterior surface of the body. The enclosure retains a gas coolant or liquid coolant in thermal exchange with the enclosed exterior surface of the cyclone. A powder coating system is disclosed that includes a spray booth and a cyclone, where ambient air is added to process air that is drawn from the spray booth into the cyclone. The ambient air may be added to the process air to cool the process air to a temperature that is lower than the process air would be if ambient air were not added, and also may be used to dilute the powder overspray entrained process air.

A coating booth (101) for elements to be coated. The coating booth (101) comprises a passage between opposing vertical sides (107a, 107b, 108a, 108b) through which elements to be coated are conveyed. There is an entrance (105) at one end of the passage and an exit (106) at the other end of the passage. The coating booth (101) comprises a conveyor line (102) for supporting said elements to be coated and configured to convey said elements from the entrance (105) to the exit (106) along a straight pathway, and, a suction system. The opposing sides of the channel are symmetrical about the pathway. Sets of spray guns (103a, 104a, 103b, 104b) for spraying coating powder at the elements are positioned symmetrically either side of the straight pathway. The suction system comprises vertical suction inlets (109a, 109b) mounted opposite one another on each opposing vertical side of the passage, the suction system being configured to provide equal amounts of suction through each of the opposing vertical suction inlets (109a, 109b).

Device for providing dough products with a topping material, comprising a dough product conveyor, for transporting the dough products, a topping conveyor, for conveying the topping towards a dispensing location above the dough product conveyor, a collector for superfluous topping material from the dough product conveyor and a topping material sensor for measuring the distribution of the topping material in width direction of the topping conveyor, a controller, for controlling, based at least on the signal from the topping sensor(s), the movements of the second rake.

Device for providing dough products with a topping material, comprising a dough product conveyor, for transporting the dough products, a topping conveyor, for conveying the topping towards a dispensing location above the dough product conveyor, a collector for superfluous topping material from the dough product conveyor and a topping material sensor for measuring the distribution of the topping material in width direction of the topping conveyor, a controller, for controlling, based at least on the signal from the topping sensor(s), the movements of the second rake.

There is disclosed a print construction comprising: (a) a printing substrate having an image-receiving surface; (b) a receptive layer, at least partially covering said image-receiving surface, and having a particle reception surface distally disposed to said image-receiving surface, said receptive layer optionally having a thickness of at least 1000 nanometer (nm); and (c) a plurality of individual particles adhered to said particle reception surface, and forming a monolayer thereon, the features of which are described herein.

There is disclosed a print construction comprising: (a) a printing substrate having an image-receiving surface; (b) a receptive layer, at least partially covering said image-receiving surface, and having a particle reception surface distally disposed to said image-receiving surface, said receptive layer optionally having a thickness of at least 1000 nanometer (nm); and (c) a plurality of individual particles adhered to said particle reception surface, and forming a monolayer thereon, the features of which are described herein.

A squeegee is to be relatively moved in a certain direction while a desired gap is being formed with respect to a base material to uniformly level a thickness of a powder layer including powder supplied on the base material, and includes: a first portion that vibrates in contact with the powder on an upstream side of a relative movement direction of the base material with respect to the squeegee; and a second portion that vibrates in contact with the powder on a downstream side of the relative movement direction of the base material with respect to the squeegee, a vibration direction of the first portion being different from a vibration direction of the second portion.