A hand-held electrostatic sprayer for use in a process for the electrostatic spraying of pesticides by producing a descending cloud of charged pesticide particles and impressing a lateral component of motion upon the cloud with the aid of a laterally disposed electrode charged in the same sense as the cloud, the sprayer including an elongated body forming the sprayer handle and having: a neck supporting a downwardly-directed electrostatic sprayhead; a reservoir for supplying liquid to the sprayhead; and a high voltage generator for charging the sprayhead to a high potential, wherein the neck carries one or more conductive elements extending downwardly from the neck beyond the sprayhead for impressing a lateral component of motion upon a cloud of charged liquid particles from the sprayhead, the elements being electrically connected to high potential of the same sign as the sprayhead.
An electrostatic repulsion device is provided in an electrostatic spray paint booth having a grounded ceiling and conveyor to improve transfer efficiency in applying the paint to a workpiece and maintain a safe working environment without requiring protective fencing between an operator and the application equipment. The device includes an electrical cable having a resistive conductor surrounded by an insulation layer. The conductor provides a low electrical capacitance when connected to a high voltage source. Conductive pins are mounted along the cable through the insulation to contact the conductor and are arranged parallel to the spray path in two longitudinal groups, with the first set being diametrically opposed to the second set. Each pin has a discharge end that is substantially flush with the outside surface of the insulation layer. The device is transversely mounted with respect to a spray path of charged, atomized paint particles dispensed from a non-conductive, rotary spray device, so that an electrostatic field from the first set of conductive pins repels the atomized, charged paint particles away from the grounded ceiling and conveyor of the paint booth towards a workpiece. The electrostatic field produced by the second set of conductive pins bleeds accumulated charge from the repulsion device before a high energy discharge can occur whenever a grounded object comes into proximity with the device. This safety feature eliminates the need for protective fencing and interlocks within the spray booth.
