Spray Device

Abstract

The spray device comprises an elongated metal body having at one end a discharge nozzle and at the other end an integral internally threaded inlet fitting adapted to be detachably coupled to a conventional external threaded outlet fitting such as provided on a garden hose. Intermediate its ends the body has a hand grip portion. The body is enclosed in sealed relation in an imperforate, heat insulating, flexible, vinyl plastisol jacket which extends from adjacent the nozzle to and beyond the inlet fitting. The portion of the jacket which extends beyond the inlet fitting is in the form of a shield of larger internal diameter than the inlet fitting and extends beyond the inlet fitting a distance such that when the hose fitting is screwed into the inlet fitting, the joint therebetween is within and fully surrounded by the shield so that hot water or dangerous chemicals being fed to the spray device and escaping at the joint is prevented from striking the operator. The jacket is soft enough to absorb shocks when the device strikes hard objects.

Description

The spray device is an improvement on the one described in my copending application, Ser. No. 723,377, filed Apr. 23, 1968 and entitled Spray Nozzle, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,046 issued Jan. 4, 1972.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention is directed to a hand supported and manipulated spray device detachably connectable to a flexible supply hose.

2. Description of Prior Art

Heretofore, spray devices of the general character herein described have been known and have been arranged for attachment to conventional outlet fittings of flexible hoses, such as garden hoses and the like, which supply water from the household supply, or of hoses which supply chemicals and insecticides, from pressurized tanks. In general, prior spray devices have been made of metal and become heated rapidly if hot water is supplied thereto. In such cases, an asbestos or insulating glove must be worn on the hand holding and manipulating the device and operating its control valve. A less frequent, but more dangerous situation is created by the loosening of the connection between the fittings of the device and the hose, and the resultant leakage through the joint of the liquid being supplied to the spray device under relatively high pressure. Due to the threads and arrangement of the fittings, the leaking liquid discharges radially of the fittings, so that it strikes the hand, arm, or the body of the operator.

The present device is arranged to protect the hand of the operator against the heat transferred from the liquid by conduction through the metal body, and to prevent any fluids or liquids escaping from the connection between the fittings from striking the operator. It is also constructed so that it is less susceptible of damage as a result of being dropped onto cement floors or striking hard objects.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a spray device embodying the principles of the present invention, part thereof being shown in section for clearness in illustration;

FIG. 2 is a left end elevation of the device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a right end elevation of the device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation, similar to FIG. 1, but on a reduced scale, illustrating a modification of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 6--6 in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the spray device, indicated generally at 1, comprises a body 2 having at one end a discharge portion 3 and at the other end an inlet fitting 4 which is integral with the body. The inlet fitting 4 is internally threaded for detachable connection to a male fitting M on a conventional garden hose H, so that liquid or gases can be supplied to the device and the device can be manipulated by hand.

Between the discharge portion 3 and the inlet fitting 4 the body has an integral hand grip portion 5 adapted to be gripped in the hand of an operator for supporting and manipulating the device.

As disclosed in my above identified patent, the body 2 is provided, at a location between the discharge portion 3 and the adjacent end of the hand grip portion 5, with an enlarged hollow valve housing portion 6. A valve 7, seated by a spring 8, is mounted in the portion 6. The valve has an operating stem 9 which extends to the outside of the body through the underside of the housing portion 6. The valve is installable directly in the housing portion 6 through a top opening closed by a threaded cap 10.

For operating the valve, a handle 11 is pivotally connected by a pivot 12 to the body 2 adjacent the discharge portion 3. The handle 11 extends alongside the hand grip portion 5 so that while the hand grip portion is held in the hand of the operator, the handle can be swung closer alongside the hand grip portion to open the valve by normal flexure of the fingers. The discharge portion 3 carries a threaded detachable spray cap 14. The cap 14 is threaded so that it can be screwed onto the discharge portion of the body either end foremost, selectively. The cap carries a perforated disc 15 so arranged that in one endwise position of the cap, the disc causes the liquid to discharge from the device in a wide spreading conical pattern, and in a reversed endwise position of the cap to discharge as a long concentrated forceful stream.

The spray device thus far described is known in the art and is described in my above identified patent. Such devices are sold in the trade for both household and industrial use. While quite often they are used on the ends of conventional garden hoses for discharging cool water, they are frequently used on flexible hoses which deliver hot water, and highly caustic or dangerous chemicals or insecticides and the like, oftimes heated to high temperatures, and frequently scalding water and steam for automobile washing.

In the case of heated liquids the heat quickly passes by conduction through the body so that the hand grip portion soon approaches the temperature of the liquid being discharged, and thus may render the hand grip portion uncomfortable to the touch or too hot to be gripped safely in the bare hand.

Even greater potential for danger resides in the threaded joint between the inlet fitting 4 and the male fitting M of the hose H. Considering the nature of use, there is always danger that this joint will become loosened with the result that the liquid or gases being supplied to the spray device will leak out. This leakage, particularly if the source of liquid is under substantial pressure, tends to be in considerable volume and spreads and flies out radially of the fitting 4, thus endangering the hand and body of the operator of the device.

In order to eliminate these undesirable characteristics and potential dangers, in accordance with the present invention, the entire body 2, beginning a short distance from the discharge end of the discharge portion 3 and extending entirely to and beyond the inlet fitting 4, is enclosed in the jacket 16. This jacket is imperforate and preferably is firmly bonded to the body throughout the enclosed extent of the body, preferably by molding it in situ directly on the body.

The jacket is formed of heat insulating material which preferably is flexible and shock absorbing. Vinyl plastisol is particularly suitable for this purpose.

The jacket 16, as mentioned, has a portion extending beyond the outer end of the inlet fitting 4. This extending portion is in the form of an imperforate shield 17, open at its outer end and peripherally continuous about the axis of the inlet fitting 4. It extends two or more inches beyond the outer end of the inlet fitting 4 -- at least sufficiently far so that the fitting M on the hose H can be disposed entirely within the shield when the hose is connected to any degree to the fitting 4. The shield 17 is preferably substantially larger in diameter than the hose fitting M so that the fitting M can readily be screwed into the inlet fitting 4 without any interference by the shield and so that any liquid issuing from the joint between the fittings will strike the inner wall of the shield before reaching the outer open end of the shield. Thus the shield 17 protects the operator against the liquid or gases leaking from the joint. It must be remembered that, in general, the leaking liquid usually squirts out radially of the hose fitting and ordinarily is projected a considerable distance from the joint.

As mentioned, the jacket is preferably of a somewhat soft material so as to act as a shock absorber when the device is dropped onto a cement floor or strikes against some hard object, which is not uncommon in industrial uses.

While it is preferable that the jacket 17 be molded directly on the body 2 of the spray device, in order to provide such a jacket for spray devices of the type herein described which have been sold heretofore without the jacket, the jacket may be made separately and molded to a shape such that it can be fastened onto the spray device by mechanical means. Such a modified jacket 20 is illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6, and is the same as the jacket 17 heretofore described except that, along its lower side, the side adjacent to the operating handle, the jacket is slit longitudinally for a substantial portion of its length. As shown, the jacket 20 has an enlarged portion 21 for housing the enlarged valve containing portion 6 of the body 2, and has a shield 22. The slit 23 may extend the entire length of the underside of the jacket, including the rear of the portion 21 and the shield 22, or it may terminate at or extend only partway into part-way portion 21 and shield 22. This is because the jacket is flexible and can be flexed so that the slit 23 is opened sufficiently to permit pushing the body 2 into the jacket even though the slit terminates short of the one or both ends of the jacket. At opposite sides of the slit 23 the jacket is provided with ears 24, arranged in pairs. Suitable bolts 25 extend through aligned apertures of the ears of each pair, and carry wing nuts 26 by which the jacket can be drawn tightly into sealed relation about the body 2.

To facilitate spreading the jacket open to receive the body 2, it is provided along a major portion of its length, or a length coterminous with the slit 23, opposite the slit 23 with a portion 27 which is more readily flexible than the remainder of the body. As here illustrated, the portion 27 may be arch-shaped in cross section so as to flex readily, or may be made thinner than the remainder of the jacket, or both.

The spray device is inserted in the jacket with the slit spread open. Upon release, the jacket fits snugly on the body 2. The bolts and wing nuts are then installed and tightened with the result that the jacket is drawn into firm engagement with the body 2 of the spray device 1, thus providing an effective shield so that the escaping liquid cannot strike the operator.

In either form of the invention, the device can be held and manipulated by the hand with complete comfort and without danger of escaping liquid striking the operator.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A spray device comprising a body having a passage for fluid therethrough;

a discharge nozzle on the body and connected to one end of the passage;

said body having an internally threaded inlet at the other end of the passage and adapted for detachable connection to a conventional externally threaded garden hose outlet fitting;

a manually operable stop valve in the body for opening and closing the passage;

an imperforate jacket of flexible, shock absorbing, heat insulating material enclosing the body throughout at least the major portion of the length of the body;

said jacket having, at the end adjacent said inlet a shield which is integral with the jacket and extends from the body outwardly endwise of the inlet a substantial distance beyond the outermost end of the inlet and sufficiently so that, when the hose is connected to the inlet, the outlet fitting of the hose, and the joint between it and the hose, will be disposed entirely within the shield and spaced substantially from the outer end of the shield;

said shield being open at its outer end and having an internal diameter substantially larger than the maximum diameter of the inlet for receiving the hose endwise, outlet fitting foremost, for connection to the inlet fitting and sufficiently large so that liquid squirting from the outlet fitting is intercepted and caused to pass freely to, and discharge from, the outer end of the shield.

2. A spray device according to claim 1 wherein the jacket is in two symmetrical mating half shells separated along a plane extending longitudinally of the jacket; and

detachable fastening means are provided which interconnect the half shells and hold them in firm embracing relation to the body.

3. A spray device according to claim 1 wherein the jacket is molded onto the body and is in sealed relation to the body from the inlet to a location near to the nozzle.

4. A spray device according to claim 1 wherein the body has an enlarged hollow valve housing portion between the inlet and the nozzle, and said jacket fully encloses said housing portion;

a control valve is disposed in said housing portion and has an operating stem, the body has a lateral passage leading from the inside of said portion to the outside, the valve stem extends through the lateral passage to the exterior of said portion, a hand lever extends endwise of the body exteriorly of the jacket and is pivotally connected to the body for swinging toward and away from said body for operating the stem to open the valve;

said jacket, at the end opposite the shield, terminates endwise of the body short of the stem and pivotal connection, but close to the pivotal connection, and is in sealed relation to the body at its point of termination; and

said jacket has a slit at at least one side extending endwise the entire length of the body and shield so that the body can be received laterally through the slit of the jacket when the jacket portions at opposite sides of the slit are stressed apart so that the jacket is open along the entire length of the body and shield; and means are provided for securing the edges of the slit together with the body enclosed in the jacket

5. A spray device according to claim 4 wherein the body has a wall portion extending endwise thereof generally parallel to, and offset peripherally from, the slit arranged for flexing hingedly readily for facilitating spreading said portions of the body between said wall portion and edges of the slit apart from each other.

6. A spray device according to claim 1 wherein the outermost end of the inlet is substantially at the innermost end of the shield, and the jacket firmly embraces the body from the outermost end of the inlet at least partway toward the other end of the body.

7. A spray device according to claim 1 wherein a flexible hose is provided and has an outlet fitting in screw-threaded engagement with the internally threaded inlet;

said fitting and the joint between it and the hose being disposed within the shield and spaced from the open end of the shield.