Method for restoring at least one portion of a body of a valuable historic vehicle

Abstract

Methods for restoring at least one portion of a body of a valuable historic vehicle generally includes stripping the body portion to clean and roughen a metal surface thereof, wherein the boxy portion is formed of a metal and has a thickness of less than 4 tenths of a millimeter. Stripping includes solvent removal of a paint layer on the metal surface of the body portion followed by corundum blasting to roughen the metal surface. A metal layer is deposited onto the roughened surface by hurling metal particles against the body portion so that they remain embedded therein. Depositing the metal includes hurling metal particles including an anchoring agent to the cleaned and roughened metal surface followed by hurling metal particles including a metal that is similar in composition to the metal body portion. The anchoring agent can be an aluminum alloy.

Claims

1. A method for restoring at least one portion of a body of a vehicle comprising, in sequence: stripping said body portion to clean and roughen a metal surface thereof, wherein said body portion is formed of a metal and has a thickness of less than 4 tenths of a millimeter, and wherein stripping comprises solvent removal of a paint layer on the metal surface of the body portion followed by corundum blasting; and depositing a metal layer by hurling metal particles against said body portion so that they remain embedded therein, wherein depositing the metal layer comprises hurling metal particles comprising an anchoring agent to the cleaned and roughened metal surface followed by hurling metal particles comprises a metal similar in composition to the metal body portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in sequence, subsequent to depositing the layer: applying an epoxy primer on said body portion, and painting said body portion.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to said deposition of the metal layer, electro-welding of a patch and/or of reshaping of said body portion.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said deposition of the metal layer comprises applying an oxyacetylene flame in subsonic regime that impacts a target material having a wire form so as to bring the surface particles of said wire into a plastic state, and applying a compressed air jet to hurl said particles onto said body portion.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said wire has a section ranging between and 3/16 inches.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the anchoring agent is at a thickness of about 0.05 millimeters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the anchoring agent comprises an aluminum nickel alloy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the aluminum nickel alloy comprises about 20% aluminum and about 80% nickel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the anchoring agent is at a thickness less than about 1 tenth of a millimeter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal of the body portion is aluminum and the metal particles comprising the metal similar in composition to the metal body portion comprises aluminum.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal of the body portion is steel and the metal particles comprising the metal similar in composition to the metal body portion comprises steel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof (and its variants) and the annexed drawings, given purely as an illustrative and non-limiting example, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a preferred flowchart of the method object of the present invention.

(3) The same reference numbers and letters in the figures identify the same elements or components.

(4) In the context of the present description, the term second component does not imply the presence of a first component. These terms are in fact used only for clarity's sake and are not to be meant in a restrictive way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(5) According to the present invention, at least one portion of the metal sheet of a vehicle body is first stripped off, optionally repaired, then treated with corundum blasting and deposition by means of the so-called thermal-spray technique.

(6) From the sequence of the procedures, it is clear that the corundum blasting is a different and further procedure with respect to the stripping procedure.

(7) A suitable thermal spray technology generally includes the use of a hybrid plasma-kinetic torch assembly including a cathode; a first plasma gas chamber for receiving a first plasma gas that becomes at least partially ionized therein, wherein the first plasma gas chamber comprises a restricted orifice out of which the at least partially ionized first plasma gas exits; a first mixing chamber for receiving a second plasma gas and the at least partially ionized first plasma gas, wherein the second plasma gas and the at least partially ionized first plasma gas are mixable in the first mixing chamber, and wherein the first mixing chamber acts as a first anode, a plasma generator for generating an are column of plasma between at least the cathode and the first anode; a second mixing chamber for receiving a main gas that is mixable with the second plasma gas and the at least partially ionized first plasma gas that was mixed in the first mixing chamber, wherein the second mixing chamber is dimensioned to receive a plurality of powder particles suspended in a carrier gas; an accelerator assembly for accelerating the mixture of the main gas, the at least partially ionized first plasma gas, the second plasma gas and the powder particles into a high-velocity stream and for directing the high-velocity stream against the surface of the article; whereby the powder particles are caused to adhere to the article and form the coating of particles. The method and operation of the assembly provides the ability to raise the temperature of the combined gas flow and powder particles prior to entering the convergent section of the accelerating nozzle to be heated up to a temperature of as high as 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit which is sufficient to allow for the processing of a full range of materials including from low melting materials to very high melting point material and over a full range of useful powder particle sizes, including nano-sized particles and up 150 microns and greater.

(8) Another suitable thermal spray technology generally includes a plasma transferred wire are thermal spray apparatus. The apparatus generally includes a cathode; a nozzle generally surrounding a free end of said cathode in spaced relation, the nozzle (having a constricted orifice opposite said cathode free end; a source of plasma gas that is directed into said nozzle surrounding said cathode and exiting said constricted nozzle orifice towards the free end of a consumable wire; a wire feed means directing the free end of the consumable wire, having a central axis, to a position for establishing and maintaining a plasma arc and melting the free end of the consumable wire, wherein the central axis of the consumable wire is offset with respect to an axial centerline of the constricting orifice, wherein the consumable wire has an electrical potential opposite of the cathode; means for establishing and operating a plasma transferred wire arc between the cathode and a free end of the consumable wire; and means for melting and atomizing a continually fed free end of the consumable wire into molten metal particles and projecting the particles onto said target surface. The method for operating the apparatus generally include offsetting the central axis of the consumable wire with respect to an axial centerline of the constricting orifice; establishing and operating a plasma transferred wire arc between the cathode and a free end of the consumable wire; and melting and atomizing a continually fed free end of the consumable wire into molten metal particles and projecting the particles onto said target surface.

(9) Before or after the metal deposition, the body or a body portion can be subjected to processing, such as reshaping, to restore its original shape.

(10) Any electro-welding operation must be carried out on the original metal sheet before the metal deposition.

(11) At least one first metal deposition performed with the aforementioned thermal-spray technique is carried out in two steps: a first step, in which an aluminium and nickel alloy is deposited, preferably in proportions of 20% and 80%, respectively; a second step, in which it is deposited a material similar to the one defining the metal sheet of the body portion subjected to restoration, hereinafter referred to as homologous.

(12) The first step involves depositing a layer whose thickness is less than one tenth of a millimetre, preferably 5 hundredths of a millimetre, which acts as an anchoring agent for the subsequent deposition of homologous material. The thickness of the homologous material layer may be in the order of tenths of a millimetre up to more than one millimetre.

(13) Therefore, if the metal sheet is originally made of aluminium and its alloys, the homologous material is preferably aluminium, whereas when the metal sheet is originally made of steel, the homologous material is preferably steel, for example, AISI 316 or 420.

(14) The deposition by means of the thermal-spray technique is advantageous because of the high roughness of the processed surface.

(15) This porosity allows an optimal application of the so-called primer, which is generally used for painting body parts.

(16) The primer is normally an anchoring agent that is useful to isolate the sheet metal and to close any porosity in the metal sheet as well as to support further layers of material, such as for example the paint.

(17) One of the most common primers is epoxy, which allows an easy sanding to obtain a desired degree of surface finish.

(18) The target element, from which the material subjected to the deposition is released, preferably has the shape of a wire, which progresses as it is consumed. Its section is preferably of the order of - 3/16 inches and is selected based on the width of the surface to be coated.

(19) FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a preferred example of implementation of the present method.

(20) The blocks represented in broken lines are optional and may be present based on the circumstances.

(21) Step 1: stripping a portion of metal sheet;

(22) Step 2 (optional): cutting off portions of metal sheet, which are unsuitable to be electro-welded;

(23) Step 2bis (optional): electro-welding a patch on the backside of the visible surface of the body portion and reshaping said portion of metal sheet;

(24) Step 3 (optional): corundum blasting said portion of metal sheet;

(25) Step 4: metal deposition by using the thermal-spray technique;

(26) Step 5 (optional): reshaping and sanding said portion of metal sheet;

(27) Step 6: applying a primer;

(28) Step 7 (optional): sanding said portion of metal sheet by means of an abrasive cloth;

(29) Step 8: painting said portion of metal sheet.

(30) Further depositions of metallic material can be made according to the circumstances during the processing steps necessary for the complete restoration of at least one portion of the bodywork.

(31) For example, the operator can deposit metal particles during the reshaping i.e. reforming operation of a portion of the bodywork, so that the deposited layer is not subjected to excessive mechanical stresses.

(32) After the first deposition of metal particles, it is not necessary to carry out the aforementioned two-step deposition with the deposition of the aforementioned aluminium-nickel alloy.

(33) Modifications to the described non-limiting example are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention, including all equivalent embodiments for a person skilled in the art.

(34) From the above description, the person skilled in the art is able to manufacture the object of the invention without introducing further constructive details. The elements and features illustrated in the various preferred embodiments, including the drawings, may be combined without however departing from the scope of protection of the present application. What has been described in the state of the art only provides a better understanding of the invention and does not represent a declaration of existence of what has been described. Moreover, if not specifically excluded in the detailed description, what has been described in the state of the art is to be considered as an integral part of the detailed description.