Weld ball collection in a phosphate system

Abstract

Weld balls disposed in solutions in full immersion tanks of a phosphate system are collected by magnets attached to at least some of the hangers that carry skids through stages of the phosphate system. The magnet attached to a hanger is immersed in the solutions when the hanger is immersed in the solutions and magnetically attracts the weld balls.

Claims

1. A method of collecting weld balls disposed in solutions in a plurality of full immersion tanks of a phosphate system in which a plurality of skids on which respective metal structures are receivable are carried by a plurality of hangers through a plurality of stages of the phosphate system including the plurality of full immersion tanks having solutions, comprising: providing each of at least some of the plurality of hangers with a respective attached magnet, each of the at least some of the plurality of hangers having the magnet attached to a section of that hanger; carrying the plurality of skids through the plurality of stages of the phosphate system including the plurality of full immersion tanks with solutions with the plurality of hangers including immersing the plurality of skids and the sections of the at least some of the plurality of hangers having attached magnets in the solutions in the plurality of full immersion tanks; and collecting the weld balls with the magnets attached to the sections of the at least some of the plurality of hangers having attached magnets by magnetically attracting the weld balls to the magnets.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing all of the plurality of hangers with a respective attached magnet, each of all of the plurality of hangers having the magnet attached to the section of that hanger.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising; providing all of the plurality of hangers with at least one more respective attached magnet, each of all of the hangers having the at least one more magnet attached to the section of that hanger.

4. A phosphate system, comprising: a plurality of stages including a plurality of full immersion tanks having solutions therein; a plurality of skids on which respective metal structures are receivable; a plurality of hangers that carry the plurality of skids through the plurality of stages of the phosphate system including the plurality of full immersion tanks having solutions and immerse the plurality of skids in the solutions in the plurality of full immersion tanks; and each of at least some of the plurality of hangers having a respective attached magnet ,each of the at least some of the plurality of hangers having the magnet attached to a section of that hanger that is immersed in the solution of each full immersion tank when the skid carried by that hanger is immersed in the solution of that full immersion tank wherein the magnet collects weld balls disposed in the solution by magnetically attracting the weld balls to the magnet.

5. The phosphate system of claim 4 wherein all the plurality of hangers have a respective attached magnet, each of all of the plurality of hangers having the magnet attached to the section of that hanger that is immersed in the solution of each full immersion tank when the skid carried by that hanger is immersed in the solution of that full immersion tank.

6. The phosphate system of claim 5; wherein the section of each hanger having the attached magnet has at least one more attached magnet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a prior art phosphate system;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art hanger used in the phosphate system of FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hanger having a magnet attached thereto in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of a phosphate system in which the hanger of FIG. 3 is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) Further areas of applicability of the teachings of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and the drawings provided hereinafter, wherein like reference numerals refer to like features throughout the several views of the drawings. It should be understood that the detailed description, including disclosed embodiments and drawings referenced therein, are merely exemplary in nature intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, its application or uses. Thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the present disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

(7) With reference to FIG. 3, an example of a hanger 300 in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is shown. At least a plurality of hangers 300 are used in a phosphate system 400 instead of hanger 134. With the exception of the differences discussed below, hanger 300 is the same as hanger 134, phosphate system 400 is the same as phosphate system 100 and like reference numbers identify like elements. Hanger 300 has at least one magnet 302 attached to shaft 200. In an aspect, each magnet 302 is a 20 long solid cylinder having a 1 diameter and each hanger 300 having a magnet 302 has one magnet 302 attached to section 304 of shaft 200. In an aspect, each hanger 300 having a magnet 302 attached thereto has a plurality magnets 302 attached thereto, shown in phantom in FIG. 3. In this aspect, magnets 302 are illustratively shorter than 20 long. For example, in this aspect magnets 302 are 10 long solid cylinders having 1 diameters with two such shorter magnets attached to section 304 of shaft 200. Magnets 302 are illustratively rare earth magnets such as neodymium magnets. Each magnet 302 is attached to a section 304 of shaft 200 of hanger 300 that is immersed in the solutions in the full immersion dip tanks when the skid 132 carried by that hanger 300 is immersed in the full immersion dip tanks.

(8) In phosphate system 400, the hangers used to carry skids 132 through phosphate system 400 include at least a plurality of hangers 300 with the remaining hangers being hangers 134. In an aspect, all the hangers used in phosphate system 400 are hangers 300.

(9) In operation, each skid 132 is immersed in the solution of each full immersion dip tank 127 when it reaches the stage of phosphate system 400 having that full immersion dip tank 127. When that skid 132 is immersed in the solution of one of the full immersion dip tanks, if a hanger 300 is being used to carry that skid, section 304 of shaft 200 of that hanger is also immersed in the solution as is the magnet 302 attached to section 304. Magnet 302 attracts weld balls 136 that are disposed in the solution of that full immersion dip tank 127 which adhere to the magnet 302. The weld balls 136 are periodically cleaned off the magnet 302 after the hanger 300 is out of phosphate system 400. In an aspect, the weld balls 136 are cleaned from magnets 302 each time the hangers 300 exit phosphate system 400, such as at exit transfer station 106.

(10) The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.