U.S. patent number 3,568,716 [Application Number 04/804,249] was granted by the patent office on 1971-03-09 for turbine driven pulsating device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to R & H Molding, Inc.. Invention is credited to Charles J. Heitzman.
United States Patent |
3,568,716 |
Heitzman |
March 9, 1971 |
TURBINE DRIVEN PULSATING DEVICE
Abstract
A device for attachment to a pressurized fluid line combining a
turbine driven rotary pulsating valve and a bypass for delivering
respectively a pulsating and a steady flow to an outlet, with a
control valve in the deliveries of the pulsating valve and bypass
for selectively controlling the flows therefrom.
Inventors: |
Heitzman; Charles J. (Honolulu,
HI) |
Assignee: |
R & H Molding, Inc.
(Honolulu, HI)
|
Family
ID: |
25188529 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/804,249 |
Filed: |
March 4, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/624.14;
137/625.32; 239/381; 137/599.08 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
1/1636 (20130101); B05B 3/04 (20130101); Y10T
137/86751 (20150401); Y10T 137/87322 (20150401); B05B
1/18 (20130101); Y10T 137/86413 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
1/14 (20060101); B05B 1/16 (20060101); B05B
3/02 (20060101); B05B 3/04 (20060101); B05B
1/18 (20060101); B05b 001/08 (); B05b 001/34 ();
B05b 007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;239/99,101,380,383
;137/624.14,599 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nilson; Robert G.
Claims
I claim:
1. A pulsating device for an outlet suppliable with pressurized
fluid through a supply line, comprising means in said supply line
upstream of an outlet end of said outlet, said means including
turbine-driven rotary valve means and bypass means bypassing said
valve means, said rotary valve and bypass means having separate
outlet passages leading toward said outlet end for delivering
thereto respectively a pulsating and a steady flow of said fluid,
and control valve means interposed in said outlet passages
downstream of said rotary valve and bypass means for selectively
controlling the flows therefrom to said outlet end.
2. A pulsating device according to claim 1, including a housing in
which are the rotary valve, bypass and control valve means, and
wherein the supply line is a supply pipe connected to an upstream
end of said housing.
3. A pulsating device according to claim 2, wherein the rotary
valve means is mounted in a valve chamber extending longitudinally
and open to the upstream end of the housing, and said outlet
passages are laterally spaced.
4. A pulsating device according to claim 3, wherein the valve
chamber is cylindrical, the rotary valve means is a pulsating valve
coaxial with the chamber and includes axially hollow stationary and
rotatable elements having radial ports intermittently aligning
during relative rotation thereof for pulsating the flow
therethrough, and including a turbine coaxial with and upstream of
said pulsating valve and drivably connected to said rotary element
thereof.
5. A pulsating device according to claim 4, wherein the turbine
runs continuously during discharge of the fluid from the outlet
end, the outlet passages extend longitudinally of the housing, and
the control valve means is disposed radially of the housing and
includes a radially extending cylindrical bore interrupting the
passages and a cylindrical valve member rotatably seated in said
bore and having a plurality of ports extending radially
therethrough and each alignable with and of the same area as one of
the passages.
6. A pulsating device according to claim 5, wherein the ports in
the control valve member are a center pulsating port alignable with
the outlet passage from the pulsating valve and a side bypass port
for and alignable with each bypass outlet passage, and said
pulsating port is angularly disposed relative to each bypass port
for selective control of the flows through the pulsating and bypass
ports by rotation of the valve member.
7. A pulsating device according to claim 6, wherein there are a
plurality of bypass outlet passages and on alignment therewith the
outlet ports therefor through the valve member are parallel.
8. A pulsating device according to claim 4, wherein there are
radially through the rotary element of the pulsating valve, a pair
of diametrically opposed ports, one a primary port and the other a
secondary port of relatively reduced cross-sectional area for
preventing development of a water hammer in the line during
pulsating discharge from the device.
9. A pulsating device according to claim 4, including means in the
housing upstream of the turbine for swirling in the direction of
rotation thereof fluid presented thereto.
10. A pulsating device according to claim 4, wherein the radial
porting of each of the stationary and rotatable elements is by a
pair of diametrically opposed ports, said ports are of
substantially the same area, the stationary element has an axial
outlet bore onto which the ports therein open, and a septum in the
bore between the ports in the stationary element initially
separates opposed streams of fluid passing through said last-named
ports.
11. A pulsating device according to claim 10, wherein the septum
extends radially normal to the last-named ports across and axially
substantially the length of the bore and is fixed therein.
12. A pulsating device according to claim 4, wherein the turbine is
fixed to the rotary element of the pulsating valve and forms
therewith a rotary member, said rotary member has an axial aperture
therein fixedly seating an axially bored lubricous plug, the
stationary element of the pulsating valve is releasably mounted in
a cross wall in the housing mounting the control valve and
containing the outlet passages, and the stationary element has a
closed upstream end rigidly supporting a coaxial spindle rotatably
received in said plug.
13. A pulsating device according to claim 10, wherein the housing
is divided longitudinally into releasably connected upstream and
downstream sections, and said upstream section is open-ended and
contains the valve chamber and mounts the swirling means, and said
downstream section contains said cross wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As applied to water, a pulsating fluid discharge from a spray head,
nozzle, or other suitable outlet, can be beneficial therapeutically
in exerting a massaging action on a person's body and also is often
more effective than a steady discharge in dislodging particles from
cooking or eating utensils or other surfaces. As a consequence,
pulsators have been proposed for producing such a pulsating
discharge for various purposes, some turbine driven and requiring
no extraneous power source, as in Erwin U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,066 to
Erwin and my copending application Ser. No. 600,473, filed Dec. 9,
1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,306. However, prior pulsating devices
generally are capable of producing only a pulsating discharge and
must be removed or another outlet used if a steady discharge is
desired. A notable exception is the pulsating device of my
copending application Ser. No. 667,446, filed Sept. 13, 1967, now
U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,736, which not only is turbine driven but also
is controllable for selectively producing either a pulsating or a
steady discharge from the same outlet. It is to an improvement on
such a pulsating device that the present invention is particularly
directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an
improved pulsating device for a fluid outlet which depends for
pulsating the discharge from a suitable outlet upon turbine driven
valving and is selectively controllable for producing a pulsating,
steady or mixed discharge, and also for regulating the volume of
the discharge.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pulsating device of
the character described in the first object, in which the selective
control is by separate valving operative without interruption of
the turbine.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pulsating device
for a water outlet, which, when producing a pulsating discharge,
mitigates against the development of a water hammer in the supply
line.
Attaining the foregoing objects, the preferred pulsating device of
this invention has a turbine driven rotary valve upstream or in
advance of the outlet end of the outlet for producing a pulsating
discharge therefrom, a bypass around that valve for producing a
steady discharge and a separate valve operative while the turbine
is running and interposed in the outlet passages from the pulsating
valve and bypass to the outlet's end, to produce, as selected, a
pulsating, steady or mixed discharge and also to regulate the
volume of each. The vaned turbine is in line with the direction of
flow of the water from the supply pipe and its operation is
improved by a relatively stationary guide member which swirls the
water presented to the turbine in the latter's direction of
rotation. The turbine and rotating element of the pulsating valve
rotate continuously during discharge from the outlet and the valve
is so constructed as to minimize the possible development of a
water hammer in the supply line during a pulsating discharge.
The above and other objects and features of the invention will
appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly
pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view showing a preferred embodiment of
the pulsating device of the present invention combined with a
shower head;
FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the combined
pulsating device and shower head of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged
scale, taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the scale of FIG.
3, taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-14
OF FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6
of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, but showing a different
form of pulsating valve; and
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 8-8 of FIG.
7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference
characters designate like parts, the improved pulsating device of
the present invention, while generally applicable to pressurized
fluid lines, is particularly designed for use in a pressurized
water line with a unitary or separate shower or spray head, nozzle,
faucet or other suitable outlet or outlet attachment, for
controlling the character and the volume of the discharge
therefrom. As typical of such usage, the improved pulsating device,
designated as 1, has been illustrated as having as the related or
associated outlet or outlet attachment 2, a shower head having a
perforated plate or other suitable outlet or discharge end 3 and
supplied with fluid under pressure, in this case water through a
supply pipe or line 4 under the control of conventional mixing or
other regulating valving (not shown).
The improved pulsating device or pulsator 1 is comprised
essentially of a turbine driven rotary valve 5 positioned upstream
of at least the outlet end 3 of the shower head or other outlet 2
for pulsating the flow thereto, a bypass 6 also upstream of the
outlet end and bypassing the rotary valve for passing a steady flow
to that end and control valving 7 interposed in the outlet flow
paths or deliveries from the rotary valve and the bypass for
selectively controlling the flows therefrom to the outlet end.
For convenience in installing and removing its essential components
as a unit, the preferred pulsator 1 has a housing or casing 8 in
which they are all housed or contained. Depending on the
installation, the housing 8 may include or be separate or even
spaced, as by intervening piping, from the housing or casing 9 of
the shower head or other outlet 2, and usually will have a female
coupling or fitting 10 at its upstream end 11 and a male coupling
or fitting 12 at its downstream end 13 for coupling or connection
to the adjoining ends of the supply pipe 4 and the outlet 2,
respectively. Either of the couplings 10 and 12 may, as
illustrated, be a swivel coupling, if, as in the case of the usual
shower head, the supply pipe 4 is fixed and relative swiveling of
the outlet 2 is needed to suit the direction of its discharge to
the desires of any user.
For mounting, housing or containing the rotary valve 5, bypass 6
and control valve 7, the pulsator housing 8, while having an
exterior of circular or other suitable cross section, preferably
has an axially or longitudinally extending, chambered or
compartmented hollow interior 14, which is circular in cross
section and opens upstream onto the upstream end 11, but is partly
closed downstream by a radially disposed or extending cross- or
downstream end wall 15 in and integral or rigid with the housing.
Of substantial thickness, the cross wall 15 terminates downstream
at or adjacent the downstream end 13 of the housing 8.
The rotary valve 5 and its driving turbine or impeller 16 are
mounted within the hollow interior 14 in a cylindrical valve
chamber 17 having a downstream end adjoining and confronting the
cross wall 15 and extending upstream therefrom, axially or
longitudinally of the housing 8, toward the latter's upstream end
11. The preferred rotary valve is formed of relatively rotatable
annular or hollow, outer and inner elements concentric with each
other and the valve chamber 17, the former a cylindrical sleeve or
hollow stem 18 and the latter an externally cylindrical hollow hub
or core 19 received in the sleeve, of which, preferably, the sleeve
is the rotary element or rotor and the hub the stationary element
or stator. Radial porting in these elements, aligning
intermittently, periodically or at intervals during their relative
rotation and alternately passing and blocking flow from the valve
chamber 17 to the axial bore 20 in the hub 19, produce
corresponding pulsations in that flow. In the case of the hub 19,
the porting may be a pair of diametrically opposed radial ports 21,
and one or a diametrically opposed pair of radial ports 22, of
corresponding diameter or area, may be drilled or otherwise formed
in the sleeve 18. However, the head-on contact of the consequent
opposed radial streams entering the bore 20 and consequent
interference with flow into the bore, has a tendency to produce a
water hammer in the line upstream of the pulsating device.
Conversely, a single port in the sleeve 18 appears so to unbalance
the forces thereon as to dampen the rotation thereof practically to
the point of stoppage. By contrast, the preferred portion of the
sleeve, in which the main or primary inlet port 22 is paired with a
diametrically opposed supplementary or secondary port 23 of
substantially smaller or relatively reduced area and rectangular or
other suitable cross section, has been found effective to minimize
both dampening and to prevent the development of a water hammer
during pulsating flow through the device. An alternate form, of at
least comparable effectiveness is minimizing dampening and the
development of a water hammer, is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this
form the rotary element 18 has a diametrically opposed pair of the
main inlet ports 22 corresponding in area to and intermittently
opening onto or aligning with the preferred diametrically opposed
pair of ports 21 in the hub 19, with the objectionable head-on
contact of the opposed radial streams entering the bore 20
prevented by initially separating the streams by laterally or
radially dividing the bore by a septum or divider plate 20a fixed
in and centered radially on and extending axially preferably the
full length of the bore and positioned or disposed between and
normal to the ports 21.
The turbine, turbine wheel or impeller 16 responsible for turning
the radially ported sleeve or other rotary element 18 of the
pulsating valve 5, is mounted in the valve chamber 17 upstream or
in advance of the valve. Concentric or coaxial with the sleeve 18
and rotating or turning therewith in line with the direction of
flow of water into the housing 5, the turbine 16 is driven or
powered by a tangential force derived from directing or passing the
entering water longitudinally of the chamber between
circumferentially spaced, radially projecting, preferably helical,
peripheral blades or vanes 24, angled or inclined or sloping
opposite the direction of rotation of the turbine, with the blades
suitably formed by longitudinally slotting the turbine's otherwise
cylindrical periphery 25. As either the unequally ported rotary
element or septum-divided hub bore form of the rotary valve 5 is
most effective with the rotor turning at a low speed in a range of
400--600 r.p.m., the inclination of the turbine blades 24
preferably is predetermined to produce a speed within that range
under the line pressure or pressures for which the particular
pulsating device is designed.
The driving connection between the turbine 16 and the sleeve 18
preferably is direct for turning or rotating in unison, with the
turbine for that purpose fixed to the sleeve, as by making the
turbine hollow and swedging or sweating it onto the upstream end
portion of the sleeve to form therewith a unitary headed rotary
member 26 having the turbine as its head and the sleeve as its stem
and an axial aperture 27 extending therethrough. So formed, the
rotary member 26 is rotatably mounted on the hub or stator element
19 of the rotary valve 5, which in turn is screwed into or
otherwise stationarily or fixedly mounted in or on and concentric
with the cross wall 15 and upstands therefrom into the valve
chamber 17. For such mounting, the upstream end of the hub 19 is
closed by an end wall 28 and the latter has integral or rigid
therewith or fixed thereto a concentric spindle or shaft 29,
upstanding therefrom toward the inlet end of the valve chamber 17
and concentric with and of reduced diameter relative to the hub. An
antifriction bearing or bushing 30, suitably in the form of a
Teflon or like lubricous plug swedged or otherwise held in the
upper portion of the axial aperture 27 in the rotary member 26 and
axially bored to rotatably receive the spindle 29, not only mounts
the rotary member on the spindle but applies any end thrust
therefrom to the hub's end wall 28 against which it bears.
The turbine 16 desirably is of substantially the same diameter as
the valve chamber 17 and the outside diameter of the sleeve 18
relatively reduced, so that substantially the full volume of the
water discharged from the outlet 2 will flow between and act on the
blades and, therebeyond, flow freely in the annular space between
the sleeve and the chamber. While the turbine can be exposed
directly to the stream of water entering the housing 8, the drive
or powering of the turbine by the water is more efficient, if, as
in the illustrated device, the water is given a swirling motion in
the direction of rotation of the turbine before being presented
thereto. Rather than inbuilt guides, the improved device 1
preferably employs for the purpose a guide member 31 of cylindrical
or other suitable cross section, removably but substantially
nonrotatably seated in a guide chamber 32 of corresponding cross
section in the inlet portion of the housing 5 in advance of and of
larger diameter than the valve chamber 17. Resting or supported on
the annular shoulder or abutment 32a between the chambers, the
guide member 31 is peripherally interrupted by substantially radial
guide slots 33 extending longitudinally therethrough and angled or
sloped, longitudinally thereof, counter or opposite the angling of
the blades 24 and in the direction of rotation of the turbine.
The axial bore 20 in the hub 19 opens downstream onto and forms an
upstream extension of an axial outlet passage 34 extending through
the balance of the cross wall 15, through which a pulsating flow is
delivered from the pulsating valve 5 to the shower head or other
outlet 2. For alternate delivery of a steady flow to the outlet,
the cross wall 15 also is perforated longitudinally by one or more
bypass passages 35. Eccentric of the cross wall and offset radially
outwardly of the rotary sleeve 18, the illustrated bypass passages
35 open upstream toward the valve chamber 17 but directly onto a
relatively enlarged bypass chamber 36 formed in the downstream
portion of the housing 5 and open to or communicating with and at
the downstream end of the valve chamber.
For selectively varying the discharge from the outlet 2 to suit the
user without either removing the pulsating device from the line or
interrupting the running of its turbine, the improved device has as
a particular feature the control valve 7 for selectively
controlling or regulating the relative flows through the pulsating
and steady flow outlet passages 34 and 35. The preferred control
valve is a rotary valve extending through and having a cylindrical
body or valve member 38 rotatably seated or received in a
cylindrical cross bore or seat 39 extending radially or
diametrically through the cross wall 15 intermediate ends thereof
and intercepting or interrupting the passages 34 and 35. In turn,
the body 38 is interrupted by a plurality of ports or apertures
extending radially or diametrically therethrough and spaced
laterally in correspondence with the spacing of the passages 34 and
35 and each alignable with and of the same area as one of the
passages. However, as opposed to the parallel relationship
obtaining between the passages, the central pulsating port 40 for
the axial pulsating passage is angularly disposed or oblique to the
bypass port or ports 41 for the bypass passage or passages 35,
while, if a plurality, the bypass ports are parallel to each other.
By predetermining this relative angularity of the ports, selective
rotation of the body 38 can cut off or block all flow to the outlet
2, cut off either of the pulsating and steady flows and regulate
the other, or intermix and relatively vary the two types of
flow.
To prevent leakage from the housing 5 around the valve body 38, the
joint between the body and the bore or seat 39 is sealed adjacent
the ends of the bore by a pair of O-rings or other suitable gaskets
42 bracketing or straddling the passages 34 and 35 and, for
convenience in maintenance, inset in and carried by the body rather
than its seat. If desired, like gaskets can separate the openings
of the passages 34 and 35 onto the bore 39 but the minimal leakage
around the body will usually render such additional sealing
unnecessary. Turnable or rotatable manually by a suitable handle 43
removably attached to one end beyond the housing 5, the valve body
38 is held in place, conveniently by forming an enlarged head 44 on
its opposite end and applying a collar 45 to it between the handle
and the housing, for seating which the housing is suitably socketed
at opposite ends of the bore 39.
Not only does the removable mounting of the valve body 38 afford
ready access to the control valve 37, but, by dividing or
sectioning the housing 5 longitudinally into an open-ended tubular
upstream section 46 containing the several intercommunicating axial
chambers or compartments 17, 32 and 36, and a downstream section 47
containing the cross wall 15 and screwed or otherwise releasably
end-connected to the upstream section, the housing's interior 14 is
readily accessible as are the passages 34 and 35. With the rotary
member 26, the hub 19 and guide member 31, as well as the control
valve body 38, all preferably removably mounted in the housing 5,
it thus is a simple matter to repair or replace any of these parts
of the improved device 1 whenever need arises.
In using the improved device 1 it is possible to dispense with
conventional mixing or other regulating valving in the line 4 in
advance of the device for regulating the volume and, if
appropriate, the temperature of the water flowing thereto. However,
the usual preference will be to retain such valving and use the
improved device for selective discharge from the outlet's outlet
end 3 of a volume-regulated pulsating or steady flow or mixture
thereof.
It should be understood that the described and disclosed
embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention and that all
modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from
the appended claims.
* * * * *