Spray Nozzle

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a spray nozzle device of the general type in which liquid or air, or a combination thereof, from a source under superatmospheric pressure, are supplied to the nozzle and discharged therefrom to an area of application under the direction and control of an operator. The nozzle of the device has an internal duct arrangement by which liquid agents, such as paint, liquid detergent, insecticide, and the like, which are to be applied to an area, are drawn from a container by the Venturi effect produced by the liquid or air from the source during its passing through the nozzle. A manually operable valve is connected between the nozzle and container and is adjustable by progressive uninterrupted minute increments of change in the effective size of the valve opening for controlling the education of the liquid agent from the container. The sizes and relative positions, and nature of the ducts are such as to greatly increase the efficiency of eduction of the agent, and the mixture and application of the liquid and agent, and to control more precisely the rate of eduction of the agent for a given selected supply of liquid, over a much wider range than heretofore obtained. A flaring discharge passage in the nozzle and a perforated shield are arranged for causing the mixture of liquid and agent to discharge as divergent individual small jet streams and as a single concentrated stream, selectively.

Description

This invention relates to a spray nozzle device of the general type in which water or air fed to the nozzle from a source under pressure and discharged from the nozzle inducts liquid detergent, paint, insecticide, or other agent from a container, in which it is subject to atmospheric pressure, so that the agent becomes mixed with the stream of water or air discharged by the nozzle and is carried thereby to an area of application.

For the purposes of illustration, the nozzle device is illustrated as the type which is held in the hand of the operator and manipulated by him so as to direct the discharged mixture to the selected area of application.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of ducts within the nozzle so that the agent is educed from the container, mixed with the fluid from the pressurized source passing through the nozzle, and discharged to areas of application, more precisely and efficiently, and in the means cooperable with the ducts by which the rate of eduction of liquid agent from the container for a given supply of fluid under pressure from the source to the nozzle can be controlled more precisely and over a much wider range than is possible with known devices of this general character.

Other advantages of the invention result from the arrangement of the discharge passage of the nozzle, and in the provision of a shield used therewith by which the pattern of discharged fluid can be converted from a plurality of divergent individual spray jets to a very concentrated single stream.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly is section, of a spray nozzle device illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of part of the spray nozzle of the device, and is taken on the line 2--2 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of the right-hand or discharge end of the nozzle illustrated in FIG. 1, showing a different position of the pattern control shield.

Referring to the drawings, a spray nozzle, indicated generally at 1, comprises a body 2 having at one end an internally threaded bore 3 by which it is to be connected, as hereinafter described, through suitable control means, to a source of water or air, or both, under pressure.

Within the body 2 are an inlet duct 4 and a discharge duct 5. The ducts 4 and 5 are linear, circular in cross section, and coaxial with each other and are connected in end to end relation. The inlet duct 4 is of smaller diameter than the discharge duct 5 and an annular substantially planar shoulder 6 extends from the outer periphery of the outlet end of the inlet duct 4 to the outer periphery of the inlet of the discharge duct 5. The shoulder 6 is preferably coaxial with the ducts and normal to the axis thereof. An eduction duct 7 is provided in the body 2 and extends radially thereof, transversely of the duct 5, and is arranged with its outlet 8 wholly within the duct 5 at the inlet end thereof. The outlet 8 of the duct 7 preferably is closely adjacent to, or juxtaposed against, the shoulder 6 and is of smaller diameter than the outlet of the duct 4. The periphery of the outlet 8 should be arranged so that the point thereon which is nearest to the shoulder 6 is at least as close to the shoulder 6 as the length of the radius of the outlet 8. The duct 7 preferably has its axis arranged at 90.degree. to the axis of the duct 5, and, as mentioned, so that its outlet 8 discharges totally into the duct 5.

The body 2 is provided with an internally threaded bore 9, which is coaxial with the duct 7, which receives a fitting or nipple 10 which, in turn, is connected to an eduction control valve 11. The valve 11 comprises a body 12 having a duct 13 extending therethrough. The effective size of the duct 13 is controlled by a valve plug 14 which is moved to advanced or retracted positions, selectively, by a threaded stem 15. This valve is used in preference to valves of the multiorifice type in which each of a number of separate orifices of different sizes are shifted stepwise selectively into position for permitting the passage of predetermined amounts of liquid through the duct 13. With the present valve, the rate of eduction, and the effective size of the duct 13 insofar as concerns the flow of liquid therethrough, can be changed by uninterrupted progressive minute increments rather than in a stepwise manner. The valve 11, in turn, is connected to a fitting 16 which is secured in the neck of a container 17 in which liquid agent to be mixed with the air or water passing through the nozzle is contained. The fitting 16 has a bleeder duct 18 so that the liquid agent, indicated at A, within the container is exposed on its surface to atmospheric pressure.

An eduction tube 19 which forms a continuation of the duct 7, is connected thereto through the duct 13 of the valve 11 and extends into the container so that its inlet end 20 is below the level of the liquid agent in the container.

As mentioned, water or air, or both, can be fed or supplied from the source under superatmospheric pressure to the inlet duct 4 from which it passes into the discharge duct 5, thereby creating a partial vacuum or Venturi effect at the outlet 8 of the duct 7. This Venturi effect is used to educt the liquid agent from the container 17 and introduce it into the stream of air or water or both which is being supplied under superatmospheric pressure through the duct 4. In view of the type of valve employed and the relation of the ducts, as will hereinafter be described, a very effective control of the rate of discharge of the agent from the container over an extremely wide range is provided.

At its outlet end, the nozzle is provided with a frustoconical discharge passage 21 disposed in coaxial relation to the duct 5 and with its smaller base in communication with the outlet end of the discharge duct 5. The frustoconical passage provides a more uniform pattern of the liquid contents being discharged by the nozzle.

Further control of the pattern is required for various purposes. For this purpose, a pattern control shield 23 may be provided over the outlet end of the passage 21. The shield 23 is mounted in an internally threaded collar 25 which is in threaded engagement with the threaded end of the nozzle body 2 and secures the shield 23 in firm fitting relation against the periphery of the outer end of the passage 21. The shield 23 has a concavo-convex wall portion in which are a plurality of passages or orifices 24a, these orifices being distributed evenly over the concavo-convex wall portion. Suitable gaskets 26 are provided at opposite faces of the shield 23.

It is to be noted that the shield 23 is disposed between, in spaced relation to the ends of the collar 25 and that opposite end portions of the collar at opposite sides of the shield are so threaded that either end portion can be screwed onto the end of the nozzle. Thus, the shield can be disposed with the convex face toward the passage 21 or with the concave face toward the passage 21. With the convex face toward the passage 21 the individual jets issuing from the orifices of the shield are directed into convergent relation so that they form a central concentrated stream which discharges axially of the nozzle as a single solid stream. With the concave side toward the nozzle, the jets issuing from the orifices 25a retain their individual identity and are divergent from each other so as to provide a well-defined spreading pattern.

As mentioned, means are provided for supplying water under pressure or air under pressure, or a combination thereof, are supplied into the inlet end of the duct 4 of the nozzle 1.

Since at times it may be desirable that the spray nozzle by supplied only with water, at other times only with air, and at still other times with a combination thereof, the supply means is made in two units which can be assembled for cojoint or individual use. The water supply unit is indicated at 30 and the air supply and mixing unit is indicated at 31. The water supply unit comprises a body 32, having a portion 33 which is internally threaded for threaded engagement with the threaded ferrule 34 of a water or other liquid hose H through which liquid under pressure is supplied from a suitable source.

Within the body 32 is a valve 35 operated by an external handle 36, the valve being such that when open it permits the liquid entering from the hose 34 to pass through a discharge passage 37 in the body 32. The body has an externally threaded portion 38 by which it can be coupled to an internally threaded collar 39 which is rotatably mounted on a fitting 40. The fitting 40 can be screwed directly into the threaded bore 3 of the spray nozzle body 2, or if desired, into an internally threaded bore 41 in the air and mixing unit.

The unit 31 comprises a body 44 having a through passage 45 which is coaxial with the passage 37 of the unit 30 and connected thereto. The body 44 has an externally threaded portion 46 at its discharge end which is adapted for threaded engagement with the internally threaded bore 3 of the spray nozzle 1, so as to discharge into the spray nozzle in coaxial relation to the duct 4. The body 44 also has an air passage 47 which is arranged to converge with, and discharge at a very slight angle into the passage 45. The passage 47 should be as nearly tangent as feasible to provide efficient mixture of the air being supplied through the passage 47 and the water being supplied through the passage 45. The passage 47 is connected by a lateral passage 48 to a hose 49 which, in turn, is connected to a source of air or gas under pressure. A control valve 50 may be provided in the lateral passage 48, if desired, for controlling the supply of air. Thus, either water or air, liquid or gas, or a combination thereof, in selected proportions, can be provided and supplied through the units 30 and 31 to the inlet end of the duct 4.

For reasons not fully understood, the duct and valve arrangement described produces unusually outstanding results. The ratio of the diameter of the inlet duct 4 to the outlet duct 5 ranges from a ratio of about 1 to 1.1 inches to a ratio of about 1 to 1.15 inches gives very outstanding results. Specifically, the best results appear to result when the inlet duct 4 is about 0.125 inches in diameter and the outlet duct 5 is from about 1.40 1.42 inches in diameter. The duct 7, of course, is smaller in diameter than the inlet duct 4. With this arrangement of ducts, with the valve 11 which can be adjusted at such small increments, without admission of air under pressure, and with the unit 30 supplying the full volume of water from a conventional household hose spigot, the eduction of the liquid agent from the container 17 can be regulated by the valve 11 so as to discharge about a pint of agent at a rate such that the total can be discharged in as short a time as 15 seconds and upwardly to an extended period of 10 to 15 minutes, and at all desired rates therebetween, thus providing extremely wide flexibility in proportioning the water and agent. For example, for insecticides which are very powerful and should be used only in extremely minute quantities relative to the amount of water, or liquid supplied as a carrier, it is apparent that with the water on at full force and with the amount of the insecticide discharging over a period of 10 to 15 minutes, only a minute amount of insecticide is provided for each cubic inch of water. On the other hand, with paints and the like, or some detergents that have to be forced at high velocity against a surface, one may arrange to discharge the detergent in a very concentrated form by controlling the valve so that it discharges the entire amount in a few seconds.

By providing means for supplying both water under pressure and air under pressure, the device is rendered adaptable for a wide range of uses, both which could readily occur in the field of operation of a single operator. Generally, in high pressure cleaning of automobiles, for example, a high concentration of detergent and the water is employed. The water is used at full force. Often, however, this is not forceful enough to knock off accumulated matter such as that under fenders and the like. Hence, the velocity of discharge of the liquid carrier and agent may be increased by the introduction of air along with the water into the nozzle. Again, it may be that a spray of paint to be applied to a surface, in which case air would be used as the carrier. Again, for a forceful stream, the shield 23 may be turned with its convex side exposed toward the passage 21, in which case the greatest concentration, regardless of the type of stream, is supplied by the nozzle. On the other hand, by placing the concave side of a shield toward the spray nozzle, various degrees of diffusion and spread in the pattern of the discharged liquid can be obtained for rinsing and the like.

It is apparent that with these adjustments described, a very large number of combinations are possible, with the likelihood that one or another will be found most suitable for a particular application.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A spray nozzle device comprising a body having an inlet duct, a discharge duct, and an eduction duct;

said ducts being of circular cross section and the inlet duct and discharge duct being in coaxial end to end communication with each other;

said eduction duct extending transversely of the discharge duct and having an outlet opening wholly into the discharge duct at the juncture of the inlet and discharge ducts;

said inlet duct being of less diameter than the discharge duct and the eduction duct being of less diameter than the inlet duct;

the portion of the periphery of the eduction duct outlet closest to said juncture being close to said juncture;

said body being arranged to exclude induction of fluid thereinto other than through said eduction duct;

liquid control means for connecting the inlet duct of the body to a source of fluid under superatmospheric pressure and including a manually settable liquid flow adjusting valve operable to adjust the flow of liquid to the inlet duct in progressive uninterrupted minute increments and decrements, selectively;

gaseous media control means for connecting the inlet duct of the body to a source of pressurized gaseous media and including a manually settable gaseous flow adjusting valve operable to adjust the flow of pressurized gaseous media to the inlet duct in progressive uninterrupted minute increments and decrements, selectively;

eduction control means for connecting the inlet of the eduction duct to a container for liquid agent which is to be educted from the container, and including a manually settable eduction adjusting valve in advance of the outlet of the eduction duct and operable to adjust the flow agent from the container into the discharge duct in progressive uninterrupted minute increments and decrements, selectively; and

said valves being operable independently of each other;

characterized in that:

said gaseous media control means include an intermediate body having a through duct for conducting liquid from the liquid control means to the inlet duct, and having a gaseous media duct to receive gaseous media under pressure from a source and discharge the gaseous media into the liquid in the through duct in advance of the discharge duct; and

said ducts in the intermediate body converge with each other at a small angle in the direction of flow through the intermediate body toward the outlet duct.

2. A spray nozzle device comprising a body having an inlet duct, a discharge duct, and an eduction duct;

said ducts being of circular cross section and the inlet duct and discharge duct being in coaxial end to end communication with each other;

said eduction duct extending transversely of the discharge duct and having an outlet opening wholly into the discharge duct at the juncture of the inlet and discharge ducts;

said inlet duct being of less diameter than the discharge duct and the eduction duct being of less diameter than the inlet duct;

the portion of the periphery of the eduction duct outlet closest to said junction being close to said juncture;

said body being arranged to exclude induction of fluid thereinto other than through said eduction duct;

liquid control means for connecting the inlet duct of the body to a source of fluid under superatmospheric pressure and including a manually settable liquid flow adjusting valve operable to adjust the flow of liquid to the inlet duct in progressive uninterrupted minute increments and decrements, selectively;

gaseous media control means for connecting the inlet duct of the body to a source of pressurized gaseous media and including a manually settable gaseous flow adjusting valve operable to adjust the flow of pressurized gaseous media to the inlet duct in progressive uninterrupted minute increments and decrements, selectively;

eduction control means for connecting the inlet of the eduction duct to a container for liquid agent which is to be educted from the container, and including a manually settable eduction adjusting valve in advance of the outlet of the eduction duct and operable to adjust the flow agent from the container into the discharge duct in progressive uninterrupted minute increments and decrements, selectively; and

said valves being operable independent of each other;

characterized in that:

said body comprises three separate and distinct body units;

one unit comprises a liquid supply body unit having a liquid supply duct portion, and said liquid flow adjusting valve is connected to and carried by the liquid supply body unit;

a second unit comprises a gaseous media supply body unit having a liquid supply duct portion, and a gaseous media supply duct having its outlet opening into the liquid supply duct portion;

said gaseous media flow-adjusting valve is connected to and carried by the gaseous media supply body unit;

a third unit comprises an eduction supply body unit in which said inlet and discharge units and eduction duct are located;

said eduction adjusting valve is connected to and carried by the eduction supply body unit;

connecting means are provided on said units, respectively, which detachably connect them together with the liquid supply duct portion of said one unit connected at its outlet end with the inlet of the liquid supply duct portion of the second unit, and with the liquid supply duct portion of the second unit connected at its outlet end with said inlet passage; and

said connecting means on the one unit and third unit are operable to detachably connect said one and third units directly together in the absence of the second unit with the liquid supply duct portion of said one unit connected at its outlet to said inlet duct of the third unit.