US2514751A - Atomizer - Google Patents

Description

P. ENGSTRUM July 11, 1950 ATOMIZER 3 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1947 P. ENGSTRUM ATOMIZER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1947 I v I I L,

W 6 w M p P. ENGSTRUM ATOMIZER July 11, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed. Feb.- 28, 1947 Pea Z 133761221222 Cutaway.

, Patented July 11 1950 ATOMIZER Paul Engstrum, Washington, D. 0., assignor to Air-O-Spra. Corporation, a. corporation of Delaware Application February 28, 1947, Serial No. 731,458

6 Claims. (01. 29988) This invention relates to an atomizer. The invention is more particularly concerned I with an atomizer or spray device of the pump sion of an atomizer which is relatively simple in construction, easy to operate, capable of being readily disassembled and assembled for repair, and which is capable of being manufactured at relatively W cost.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the improved 1 atomizer of approximately actual size and showing the spraying action with the device in fully contracted position.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partially broken away, the view being on a reduced scale and showing the device in fully extended position preparatory to the spraying action.

Figs. 3 and 3-A are axial sectional views, substantially on a double size scale, Fig. 3-'A being the lower portion of the device as a continuation of the upper portion shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is an upper end viewof the device on I the 'scale of Figs. 3 and 3--A.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view in the plane of line 55 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view in the plane of line 6-6 on Fig. 3-A.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view in the plane of line 'II on Fig. 3--A.

Fig. 8 is a view of a push valve mostly in axial section and partially in elevation, the valve being shown on a substantially enlarged scale.

Referring now in detail to the drawings by use of reference characters, and wherein like characters designate like parts in the different views,

Ill designates a generally cylindrical head having a depending tubular skirt I I, terminating in a bead I2.

A liquid supporting tank I3 is disposed coaxially of the head It and has a screw thread connection I4 with the head immediately above the upper end of the skirt II. The tank I3 is of substantial length and of less diameter than the head, the bottom of the tank being designated at I5 which is at a substantial distance below the bead I2.

The head It! is provided with a port or aperture I6 whose lower end communicates with the upper end of the tank I3 and whose upper end is normally closed by a plug II having a screw thread connection with the head, and a sealing gasket I8 is interposed between the plug and a shoulder I9 at the upper end of port I 6. The removable plug I'I provides for admission of spray liquid into the tank I3, and the gasket I8 prevents escape of the liquid past the plug.

An air tube ZI extends axially oi the head I!) and has at its upper end a screw thread connection 22 with the head and with the bore of the tube communicating with a cylindrical bore 23 in the head axially thereof, and the upper end of the bore communicates with the lower end of a port 24 of substantially small diameter whose upper end communicates with a depression 25 in the upper end of the head.

The depression 25 is, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 4, of generallyelliptical shape in plan and with the major axis thereof coinciding with a diameter of the head II] and substantially equal in extent thereto. .The depression 25 permits atmospheric pressure to bear at the outer end of port 24 and port 56, later referred to, and determines a conical shaped spray of relatively uniform density. The depression 25 in the head Ill may be made in any shape to allow atmospheric pressure at the outer end of ports 2 and 56.

An air check valve is disposed within the bore 23, and comprises a ball 29 yieldably urged against the upper end of the air tube 2| by means of a coil spring 30. v

The lower end of the air tube 2| extends through the bottom I5 of tank I3, a retaining plate 3|, a leather cup- 32, and cup-retaining washer 33. The plate 3| rests against the bottom I5 of the tank l3 and it, together with cup 32 and washer 33, are maintained in face-to-face engagement by means of a nut 34 threadedly en- I gaged with the lower end of the air tube 2! and bearing on the washer 33, preferably through the interposition of awasher 3 1.

A gasket 35 is preferably disposed within a recess in the bottom I5 of the tank in surrounding engagement with the air tube 2i to prevent escape of liquid from the tank to points below the bottom thereof.

A capillary tube 36 has .its upper end secured in the head II] as by means of cementing or otherwise, and the upper end of the tube comll having a threaded section 42 engaged with acorrespondingly threaded portion of the opening- Ml. The body portion M i provided with an axial bore 43 communicating with an enlarged recess 44 at one end thereof and the opposite endof the bore providing a valve seat 45. A valve stem 46 of substantially less diameter than the bore 43 extends therethrough and into, the recess 44. The valve stem at its forward end is provided with a valve 41, which is yieldably retained in seated position by means of a spring 43 surrounding the stem 46 within recess 44 and disposed between a push head 49 at the outer end of the stern, and a washer 50 resting on a sealing gasket which in turn seats on a shoulder defined at the juncture of bore 43 and recess M.

The body portion 4| is further provided with diametrically opposed ports 53 whose inner ends communicate with the bore 43.

The valve assembly further comprises a nozzle 54 having a recess 55 opposed to the valve seat end of the bore 43, and which communicates with a port 58 extending through the nozzle. A gasket 51 is preferably disposed between the body portion 4| and the nozzle 54.

A sealing gasket 58 is disposed between the body portion M and a. shoulder in the opening 40 in the assembled position of the valve 39, as indicated in Fig. 3, and with the valve 39 assembled a chamber 68 is provided about the valve body portion with which the outer ends of port 31 and ports 53 all communicate.

As is indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the free end of nozzle 54 is disposed slightly above and substantiall in the axis of the port 24.

A tubular lide member BI is disposed in surrounding re ation to the tank l3, and whose diameter is intermediate that of the tank and the head skirt H s ch that the upper end of the member 6! is disposed between the tank and skirt in the contracted position of the device, as in Figs. 1, 3, and 3-A. The upper end of the slide memb r 6! is provided with a plurality of circumferent allv sp ced shoulders 62, (Fig. 5) which en age the tank l3 and act to guide the upper end of the slide member whose opposite end is initiall guided by the plate 3!, as indicated in Fig. 3-A.

The slide member 5! is slightly spaced from the sk r H for reasons later to appear, and a cushioning washer 63 is dispos d within the head to at the upper end of skirt H for engagement by the upper end of member 6| when moved upwardlv in the atomizing or s raying movement of the device, and the guide shoulders t2 engage the plate 3! to limit the downward movement of the member 6!.

The plate 3! is provided with a plurality of notches 64 in its edge, as shown in Fig. 7, and the c"p member 32 is prov ded with a pair of holes 85 opposite concave edges 65 of the washer 3,3, which edges merge into convex edges 6.! which extend substantially to the edge of the base of the cup member for lending support thereto.

The slide member 6| is provided with a removable cap 68, and a sealing gasket 69 is disposed between the cap and the lower end of member 6|.

The different parts of the device as above described may be made of any desired material, but for the sake of lightness and appearance, the head It! including the skirt ll, capillary tube 36, and the slide member 6!, together with its cap 68, are preferably formed of plastic material.

Having set forth the various cooperating structural elements embodied in the improved device, the operation thereof is as follows:

A suitable spray liquid is introduced into the tank l3 through the aperture l6 upon removal of the plug ll, and the tank may be filled to a substantial depth.

At. this point it is to be noted that the device is primarily intended for use in an upward direction, as in combating flies, mosquitoes, and other flying insects. However, the device may be used in a horizontal position or even be inclined downwardly, particularly if used with the tube 36 at or in close proximity to the bottom of the device.

With the liquid thus supplied in tank l3, and with the device in its normal inoperative position with the upper end of slide member engaging the washer E3, the head Ill is grasped in the left hand and the slide member 6| or the cap "38 thereof grasped in the right hand. The slide member til is now drawn downwardly or away from the head it until shoulders 62 engage the plate 3!, as is indicated in Fig. 2

' In this action, air is drawn into the chamber within member 85 beneath the cup 32. The space between member 6! and the skirt II, as well as the notches 64 in plate 3|, admit the air and, by the provision of the holes 65 in the cup, the hissing noise usually experienced during the inactive stroke of atomizers of this type is eliminated, due to free passage of some air through the holes into the chamber in addition to passage beside the cup 32. p

The slide member next advanced toward the head, in which action the air in said chamber is forced through the tube 2i, through the port 24, and directly past the end of the nozzle port 56. The outer end of port being below the top of head it prevents injury to nozzle 54. By use of the depression 25, atmospheric pressure bears at the ends of ports 24 and 56, and the depression shown may be varied in shape as observed in top plan view. The air forced out at upper end of port 24 sucks liquid out of port 58, mixes same and propels the resulting spray outward in line with port 2 in a conical spray, with a minimum of whirl, and of relatively even density.

Qf course, the reciprocating action of the slide member is relatively rapid and during an atomizing or spraying action the valve 41 is held open by pressing the valve head 49 by the thumb or finger of the hand grasping the head.

With the valve thus open, liquid is drawn from the tank it, through tube port 31, into chamber and thence through ports 53, bore 53 and port 56, due to the partial vacuum created at the free end of port 55 by the rapid stream of air past same from port 24.

During the retraction of the slide member til, the spring-pressed ball 29 closes the upper end of the air tube 2! to avoid differential air pressure at the end of the nozzle port 55.

When an atomizing or spraying operation is completed, the valve ll automatically seats by action of the spring 48 upon relieving pressure on the head 49, thereby closing the capillary tube to the atmosphere.

The purpose of this valve is to avoid loss of spray liquid which, by capillary action, rises in the tube 36, and which in the absence of the valve may escape through the port 56. Furthermore, the device when not in use may be laid on its side and by the provision of the valve 39 there is no possibility of waste of the spray liquid.

It will be appreciated from the above detailed disclosure of the improved atomizer that it is a relatively simple and substantial structure, since all of the elements thereof, except the slide member 6|, are supported by the head [0 and depend therefrom. Furthermore, the device is attractive in appearance, and is highly efficient in operation.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. An atomizer comprising a cylindrical head having a depression in the upper end thereof and an opening in the side wall thereof communicating with said depression, a spray liquid tank secured to said head and depending therefrom,

7 an air tube having the upper end thereof secured in said head and in communication with said depression, said tube extending axially through said tank and terminating below the bottom thereof, a capillary tube having its upper end secured in the head and communicating with said opening, said capillary tube extending into said tank non-axially thereof, an air sealing cup secured to the lower end of the air tube, a tubular slide member surrounding the tank with the cup engaging the inner wall thereof and having a closed lower end providing an air chamber between same and the cup, and atomizing means removably supported in said opening in communication with said tubes and said depression.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said head includes a depending integral tubular skirt whose inner diameter is greater than the outer diameter of said slide member, and said skirt and head having a common cylindrical outer wall.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said atomizing means comprises a normally closed manually openable valve member including a, stem having a push head on its outer end projecting outwardly of said opening.

4. An atomizer comprising a head including an integral depending tubular skirt, a spray liquid tank having its upper end secured in the head and depending therefrom with its bottom disposed substantially below the bottom of said skirt, an air tube having its upper end secured in the head and communicating with a bore therein, the said tube extending through said tank and terminating below the bottom thereof, a capillary tube having its upper end secured in the head and communicating with a chamber therein, the capillary tube extending into said tank, a tubular slide member disposed between the tankand skirt and having a closed bottom end, a cup member secured to the bottom of the tank in engagement with the inner wall of the slide member and defining an air chamber between same and the closed end of the slide member, ports communicating with said bore and first chamber and having free ends in adjacency to provide a spray upon actuation of said slide member, and a normally closed valve in said first chamber for controlling liquid flow through the port communicating therewith, said valve including manually operative releasing means disposed externally of said head and below the upper edge thereof.

5. The structure according to claim 4, together with shoulders on the upper end of said slide member successively engageable with a cushion washer in said head and a plate on the bottom of said tank for limiting movement of the slide member in its movements toward and from the head, respectively.

6. The structure according to claim 4, together with a circular plate disposed between the lower end of said tank and said cup member and wherein said cup member is clamped to said plate by a washer surrounding the lower end of said air tube and a nut threaded thereon, a plurality of airadmission notches in the edge of said plate, and a plurality of holes in said cup member in spaced relation to the marginal edge of said washer.

PAUL ENGSTRUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,020,833 Manning Mar. 19, 1912 1,845,200 Segal Feb. 16, 1932 1,849,661 Custer Mar. 15, 1932 2,079,587 Aronson May 11, 1937 2,081,674 Mehrman et a1. May 25, 1937 2,143,079 Maltner Jan. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 623,586 France Mar. 21, 1927 641,076 France July 27, 1928 645,379 France June 26, 1928 681,491 France Feb. 3, 1930

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