US2539041A

US2539041A - Shower head nozzle

Info

Publication number: US2539041A
Application number: US77913A
Authority: US
Inventors: John E Stott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-02-23
Filing date: 1949-02-23
Publication date: 1951-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1968-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1951 J. E. STOTT 2,539,041

SHOWER HEAD NOZZLE Filed Feb. 23, 1949 Patented Jan. 23, l95l UNETE SATES PATENT OFFICE John Stott, Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada Appiication February 23, 1949, Serial No. 77,913

4 Claims.

This invention relates to nozzles for delivering a spray, and more particularly to nozzles adapted for use as shower heads and embodying means for controlling the iiow of water therefrom.

An object of this invention is to provide a shower head incorporating means to produce a conical spray of water, the thickness of which at the point of issue may be varied by a simple and efiicient form of control. A hollow curtain of water of conical form is ideally adapted for the production of fine drops, which form when the film thickness of the conical curtain decreases, as a result of its increasing area, to the point where the surface tension fails to maintain a solid curtain. The invention therefore utilizes the hydraulic formation of drops to produce a fine spray, rather than employing mechanical means of breaking up the flow.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shower head by which the flow of water may be accurately controlled over a wide range, down to the point where the flow is shut off, without adversely affecting the character of the spray.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shower head which may be controlled from a point which is above the spray and is consequently subject to easy access without the necessity for the user to come in contact with the spray while turning on or controlling the flow of water from the shower head.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the shower head;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view let; and

Fig. 3 is a top view, partly in section, showing the construction of the flow-adjusting cap.

The shower head illustrated comprises a casing IE! provided with an inlet pipe II which enters the side of the casing I0. Threaded on to the outer end of the inlet pipe I I is an apertured ball I2 which is adapted to be received within the usual type of socket sleeve to allow adjustability of the shower head on a pipe leading from the water supply. The upper portion of the easing I0 is internally threaded to receive the enlarged upper portion I3 of a vertical sleeve I3. The upper portion I3 is of greater diameter than the sleeve I3 proper and is externally looking toward the outthreaded to engage the internally threaded casing It so that the sleeve I3 extends axially downward and defines an annular flow channel within the casing.

The lower end of the casing ill is provided with a circular outlet I4 having a divergingly tapered cone-forming annular surface I5, so shaped as to permit smooth, uninterrupted flow of water therethrough. The taper of the surface I5 is preferably such that the included angle is approximately 40.

The sleeve I3 is internally threaded to receive a stem it which is externally threaded for a portion of its length and which is provided with a head I5 The head It has a divergingly tapered annular surface It extending from the stem It to meet a divergingly tapered curtainforming annular surface H. The annular surface l'I faces the annular surface I5 in the outlet I l and defines therewith an annular curtain-forming aperture.

A packing ring I8 within the sleeve i3 surrounds the stem I6 and is held in place by a packing gland nut I9 threaded into the upper portion I3 of the sleeve I3. Above the sleeve I3 the stem I6 is provided with a flat portion I6 and the upper portion 13 of the sleeve I3 has an annular flange I3 which engages an inner groove on an adjusting cap 23. An inner sleeve 2I, secured to the adjusting cap it, is adapted to receive and to engage slidably but not rotatably the flattened upper portion Ific of the stem I6.

Control of the rate of flow and drop size is achieved by rotation of the adjusting cap 20 which causes the threaded stem It to be turned by the sleeve 2|, and advances or retracts the stem in the sleeve I3. The size of the annular aperture between the tapered surface I5 of the outlet I4 and the tapered surface I? on the head Iii may thereby be conveniently varied from a point where the surfaces I5 and I! are in contact and the flow is shut-off to a predetermined maximum size. A conical curtain of water having any desired film thickness at the point of issue may therefore be obtained.

Since the size of drops produced by the breaking up of the water curtain as its area increases depends upon the film thickness of the curtain of water flowing between the tapered surfaces I5 and I1, it will be seen that the drop size may be conveniently varied over a wide range to achieve the desired type of spray. The location of the adjusting tap 20 is such that it may be easily 3 adjusted without the user coming in contact with the spray, when such is desired.

It is thought that the construction and use of the invention will be apparent from the above description of the various parts and their purpose. It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinecl claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formed with a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threaded upper portion, a water outlet in the lower end of the casing, an internall threaded sleeve disposed within the casing and defining with the said casing a flow channel, an externally threaded stem threaded within the sleeve and adapted to extend co-axially throughv the outlet, the aid stem having an upper portion extending above the casing, a head on the lower end of the stern, and a flow-adjusting cap secured to the sleeve and slidably but not rotatably engaging the upper portion of the stern whereby the stem may be turned to achieve selected positions of axial adjustment of the head with respect to the outlet in the casing, one of the sleeves and the cap having an annular groove and the other having an annular rib rotatably engaging the annular groove.

2. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formed with a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threaded upper portion, a water outlet in the lower end of the casing, an internally and externally threaded sleeve threaded within the upper portion of the casing and extending downwardly to define with the said casing an annular flow channel, the said sleeve having an annular outer'rio at the top thereof, an externally threaded stem threaded within the sleeve and adapted to extend (Jo-axially through the outlet, the aid stem having a flattened upper portion extending above the casing, a head on the lower end of the stem, and a flow-adjusting cap having an inner annular groove near the periphery thereof rotatably engaging the outer rib on the sleeve, the said flow-adjustin cap slidably but not rotatably engagin the upper portion of the stem whereby the stem may be turned to achieve selected positions of axial adjustmentbf the head with respect to the outlet in the casing.

3. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formed with a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threaded upper portion, a water out-let in the lower end of the casing, an internally and externally threaded sleeve threaded within the upper portion of the ca ing and extending downwardly to define with the said casing an annular fiow channel, the said sleeve having an annular outer rib at the top thereof, an externally threaded stem threaded within the sleeve and adapted to extend co-axially through the outlet, the said stem having a flattened upper portion extending above the casing, a head on the lower end of the stem, and a flow-adjusting cap having an inner annular groove near the periphery thereof rotatably engaging the outer rib on the sleeve, the said flowadjusting cap also having a central sleeve slidably but not rotatably engaging the upper portion of the stem whereby the stem may be turned to achieve selected positions of axial adjustment of the head with respect to the outlet in the casing.

4. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formed with a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threaded uppe portion, -a water outlet in the lower end of the casing, an internally and externally threaded sleeve threaded within the upper portion of the casing and extending downwardly to define with the said casing an annular flow channel, the said sleeve having an annular outer rib at the top thereof, an externally threaded stem threaded within the sleeve and adapted to extend co-axially through the outlet, the said stem having a. flattened upper portion extending above the casing, a head on the lower end of the stem, a flow-adjustin cap havin aninner annular groove near the periphery thereof totatably'engaging the outer rib on the'sleeve, and a vertical sleeve connected to the inside of the cap and having an inner flattened portion slidably engaging the :upper portion of the stern whereby the stem may be turned toachieve selected. positions of axial adjustment of the head with respect to the outlet in the casing.

JOHN E. STOTT.

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

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 353,068 Janotte Nov, 23, 1886 1,685,465 Sperryn Sept/25, 1928 1,892,344 Huber- Dec. 27, 1932