US2832577A - Aerating device - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1958 R. T. GOODRIE ETAL 2,832,577

AERATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1957 INVENTORS. mondf'oodn'e, BY u'fi yaimf 60065219,

United States Patent AERATING DEVICE Raymond T. Goodrie, Calumet City, and Joseph J.

Goodrie, Lansing, IlL, assignors to Wrightway Engineering Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 15, 1957, Serial No. 634,252 Claims. (Cl. 261-76) This invention relates to improvements in aerating devices of the type adapted to be connected to water faucets and the like.

Aerating devices for mixing water and air are now widely known and used on faucets and other water outlets. Such devices are highly useful and advantageous because of their ability to produce a soft, bubbly, coherent stream which is substantially non-splashing and which contains a relatively large proportion of entrained air. Various constructions have been proposed for such aerating devices, and the present invention is directed particularly to improvements in a device of the general character described in Joseph J. Goodrie U. S. Patents Nos. 2,510,396 and 2,761,662. In these prior patents the aerating device is characterized by a cylindrical casing having lateral air ports, an apertured disk for forming jets of water adjacent the air inlet ports,.a break-up plug against which the jets impinge, a shield to prevent splashing of water outwardly through the air ports, and means at the outlet end of the casing for coalescing the water and entrained air into a coherent stream.

Although aerating devices of the aforementioned type are highly effective and are in widespread use, it has been found that by incorporating certain structural modifications it is possible to obtain a softer stream with improved non-splash characteristics and with less tendency for water to be diverted through the air ports in case of partial restriction or obstruction of flow in the device. At the same time, the present invention retains the other functional, and structural advantages inherent in the devices shown in the aforementioned patents.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel aerator construction which is adapted to produce a coherent aerated stream having improved softness and non-splash characteristics as compared with prior devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel aerator of the foregoing type which is. further characterized by compactness and simplicity of structure so as to comply with plumbing regulations and also to facilitate cleaning of the device by mechanically inexperienced persons.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of an aerator comprising one specific embodiment of the invention and showing the aerator attached to a faucet outlet;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partially exploded view of the device showing the manner of assembly of the component parts;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

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Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the device as seen in Fig. 2.

Referring to. the drawing, the aerator device has an external cylindrical casing or sleeve 10 which is of rela-- tively short axial length and which has internal screw threads 11 at its inlet end for attachment of the device to the threaded outlet of a faucet, as shown fragmentarily at 12. The wall of the casing 10 is formed with a plurality of lateral slots or openings 13 which serve as air ports for admitting air to the interior of the device. In the present instance, three such slots 13 are provided in circumferentially spaced relation around the casing- 10 but any desired number of openings may be used.

Immediately below the slots 13, the inner wall of the casing 10 is provided with a small annular shoulder or ledge 14 upon which is seated a lateral flange 16 extending outwardly from the lower end of an upright annular collar or skirt 17. As will best be seen in Fig. 2, the skirt 17 is disposed in concentric inwardly spaced relation from the wall of the casing 10 and extends above and below the slots 13 so as to shield the latter. If desired, the lateral flange portion 16 of the skirt 17 may have a relatively tight frictional fit within the casing 10, but this is not essential and the skirt 17 also may be mounted in the casing 10 in readily detachable and removable relation therewith.

On the upper axial end of the skirt 17 is disposed aspacer element in the form of a circular washer or disk 18 having a plurality of scalloped openings or serrations 19 spaced circumferentially around the outer peripheral edge of the washer. As will be apparent particularly from Figs. 4 and 5, the solid edge or tooth portions 21 intermediate the openings 19 of the washer seat against the upper axial end of the skirt 17 and the radial dimensions of the openings 19 are such that the openings extend radially inwardly beyond the skirt 17. Superimposed on the spacer disk 18 is a disk 22 having a plurality of apertures or openings 23 arranged, in this case, in circular fashion (Fig. 4). As hereinafter described, the spacer disk 18 and superimposed apertured disk 22 have a loose fit within the upper portion of the casing 10 so as to be readily removable therefrom. When the aerator device is mounted on the end of a faucet, as in Figs. 1 and 2, a gasket 24 of rubber or the like is interposed between the disk 22 and the open end of the faucet 12 so as to provide a water-tight seal with the result that water under pressure from the faucet 12 is forced through the apertures 23 to form a multiplicity of substantially independent or discrete jets which are surrounded by air.

A depending break-up or mixing body in the form of a plug 26 is suspended centrally from the disk 22, the

break-up plug being provided in this instance with anupper reduced end portion 27 which extends through a central opening 28 in the disk 22 and is upset or deformed at its projecting end in the general manner of a riveted" connection. The break-up plug 26 has a generally ogival or mushroom shape including a restricted neck portion 29 immediately below the apertured disk 22 and an abrupt radially extending enlargement or bulbous portion 31 which provides the primary water jet break-up function of the plug. The enlargement 31 has a smoothly curved and downwardly sloping annular shoulder portion 32 dis- 23. In other words, all of the apertures 23 are disposed within the confines of the enlarged opening 33 in the that the jets of water is-' underlying spacer element so suing from the apertures 23 may impinge direotlyagainst the curved shoulder 32 of the break-up plug. An elon Patented Apr. 29, 1958' gated cylindrical stem or tail portion 33 of reduced diameter depends integrally from the enlargement 31 of the break-up plug 26 and terminates a slight distance above the open lower end of the casing 10.

"The innerv wall of the lower portion of the casing below the shoulder 14 is formed with a series of stepped annular shoulders 34, the inner diameter of the casing 10 decreasing in stepwise fashion from shoulder to shoulder in the direction of fluid fiow toward the outlet opening which is designated at 36. As hereinafter described, the function of the stepped shoulders 34 is to provide additional break-up surfaces for the mixed stream of water and air and to promote coalescence so as to discharge a coherent bubbly stream from the casing outlet 36. In order to'retard the flow of fluid to a somewhat greater degree and thereby promote increased softness of the efiluent stream, it is preferred that the shoulders 34 be disposed at a slight angle, as best seen in Fig. 2, directed downwardly and radially outwardly of the device. In other Words, the slanted shoulders 34 provide in efiect slight undercut or re-entrant surfaces as opposed to the direction of fluid flow.

As described more fully in the aforementioned Goodrie Patent No. 2,761,662, the construction of the present aerator also provides separate sub-assemblies, as seen in the exploded view of Fig. 3, which may readily be taken apart for cleaning purposes and reassembled with little. chance of error by even mechanically inexperienced persons. In addition, the simplicity of the construction and assembly greatly facilitates economical manufacture of the device.

In operation, water under pressure enters the upper or inlet end of the casing 10 and is forced through the small apertures 23 in the disk 22 thereby creating a multiplicity of fine separate jets of water below the disk 22. The space 37 (Fig. 2) as defined below the disk 22 and between the periphery of the central opening 33 and the break-up plug 26 constitutes in eifect a first mixing chamber or zone wherein the jets of water from the apertures 23 are first commingled with air. Because of their dis crete or relatively independent nature, the jets of water issuing from the apertures 23 are entirely surrounded by air which freely enters the primary mixing chamber 37 in the manner'shown by the arrows in Fig. 2. Thus, outside air passes through the lateral slots 13 and upwardly between the skirt 17 and the casing 10, and thence radially inwardly and downwardly through the scalloped openings 19 in the spacer element 18 into the interior of the aerating device. As will be apparent, a portion'of the incoming air thereby has access to the primary mixing chamber 37 for initial contact with the water jets issuing from the apertures 23.

As the water jets pass downwardly through the space 37' while surrounded by air, the air becomes entrained in the jets and the latter then impinge with considerable force against the curved shoulder portion 32 of the breakup plug resulting in vigorous splashing and rebound of' the water streams outwardly into engagement with the vertical peripheral edge of the opening 33 and particularly against the lower corner edge of the opening 33. This corner edge causes highly beneficial break-up and splitting of the rebounding water spray so that some of the water from the multiplicity of jets will alsobe diverted against the underside of the spacer disk 18 at the solid radial tooth portions 21 thereof and also radially outwardly against the upright skirt 17. Thus, it will be understood that extensive break-up and commingling of the water jets with air takes place to a considerableextent in they primary mixing zone 37 and also to a further extent in the adjacent annular space, designated at 38, between the upright skirt 17 and the bulbous enlargement-31 of the break-up plug. The zone 38 may, therefore, be. considered as a second break-up and mixing chamber. "One ofrthe features which distinguishes the. present, invention from the aerator devices heretofore known resides in the location and form of the shield 16-17. During the break-up and mixing action and splashing of water in the zones 37 and 38, it will be understood that the upright skirt 17 which extends both above and below the air ports 13 serves efiectively to shield the air ports so as to prevent water from splashing outwardly through the ports and obstructing free passage of air to the interior of the aerating device. However, in the aerating devices of this general type heretofore proposed, the skirt or shield for the air ports has been connected to the aerator structure above the air inlet ports with the lower end of the skirt extending below the air ports but being free and open so that in order to gain access to the mixing chamber all of the air had to pass inwardly through the lateral ports, downwardly between the skirt and the casing, and thence underneath the lower end of the skirt and upwardly into the zone wherein the major amount of water break-up and airwater mixing was accomplished. Consequently, in such prior devices it was necessary for the incoming air to enter the primary break-up and mixing chamber by passing in an upward direction countercurrent to the general downward direction of flow of the water stream.

In the present invention, as most clearly seen in Fig. 2, the lower end of the upright skirt 17 is etfectively closed against the passage of air by means of the terminal flange portion 16 engaging the inner wall of the casing 10, and as a result incoming air must necessarily pass upwardly and over the top of the skirt 17 in order to gain access to the interior of the aerating device. Of course, one function of the spacer element 18 with the edge openings 19 is to provide the necessary clearance or channels for the passage of air over the top of the skirt 17. A certain amount of the air thus entering the interior of the device must then flow laterally and generally upwardly into the primary mixing and break-up chamber 37 and to this extent some of the inlet air must pass in a countercurrent direction relative to the incoming water jets. However, it will also be seen that the remainder of the air necessarily passes downwardly into the secondary break-up zone 33 and this portion of the air fiow is concurrent with respect to the general direction of flow of the water. Consequently, the above described combination of the shield 16-17 and the spacer means 1819- 21 provides a bafile arrangement which greatly facilitates the entrainment of extra quantities of air in the secondary break-up zone 38 by reason of the concurrent flow of air and water in this region and the aspirator eiiect inherent in such concurrent flow.

As compared with prior aerator devices wherein substantially all'of the entering air was required to flow downwardly and thence upwardly below the lower end of the skirt in order to gain access to a primary mixing volume ofthe space defined by the scalloped edge openings 19 be sufficient to insure substantially unobstructed free passage of air into the interior of the aerating device. The shield arrangement of the present invention also diminishes to a greater extent than was heretofore possible any tendency for water to back-up and discharge through the slots 13 when there is a partial obstruction to flow'in the interior of the device.

In addition to the above described advantage of the air flow path in facilitating the entrainment of increased quantities of air in the water stream, the desirable softness and non-splashing properties are also enhanced by the fact that the construction provides two successive break-up and mixing zones 37 and 38. Part of'the brealeup and splashing of the water jets with preliminary commingling of water and air takes place in the zone 37, but a further degree of break-up and splashing with entrainment of increased amounts of air also occurs inthe secondary zone 38. In order to obtain most eflective operation it is necessary that the zones 37 and 38 be separated by a relatively restricted passage or annular orifice as defined between the lower corner edge of the opening 33 in the washer 18 and the opposed sloping shoulder 32 of the break-up plug. As will be evident from Fig. 2, this annular orifice or opening is the narrowest or most restricted point in the entire flow passage below the disk 22 and it is this restriction which is in large measure responsible for the proper functioning of the more or less separate break-up chambers 37 and 38 resulting in an aerated stream of improved properties.

' While it is necessary that the orifice restriction between the lower corner edge of the washer opening 33 and the break-up plug be selected to provide a definite resistance to the passage of fluid, at the same time it is also essential for proper operation of the break-up chamber 37 that the area of this annular orifice be at least slightly greater than the combined area of the openings 23 in the disk 22. Otherwise, there would be an undesirable tendency, especially at high flow rates, for incoming water to collect in and fill up the space 37. Under such conditions, the independent or discrete nature of the individual water jets issuing from the apertures 23 would be lost and there would be no effective impingement and splashing of separate water jets as required for effective air-water mixing and air entrainment. Likewise, the minimum cross sectional area in the annular space 38 between the skirt 17 and the plug portion 31 must likewise be greater than the area of the annularflow restriction orifice and greater than the total area of the openings 23. In this way, there will be no tendency for the space 38 to run full of water.

As the aerated mixture of water and air passes from the secondary mixing chamber 38 into the region of the stepped shoulder portions 34, additional break up and splashing of water also occurs between the stepped shoulder 34 and the break-up plug 26 as heretofore described. Moreover, as previously mentioned, the undercut angular relation of the shoulders 34 retards to a certain degree the flow of the fluid stream and further enhances the desirable softness of the stream. More importantly, however, the series of stepped shoulders 34 coacting with the coaxially disposed stem portion 33 of the breakup plug 26 serves to coalesce the now thoroughly aerated water so that a coherent stream issues from the outlet 36 of the device. As will also be understood, the presence of the elongated stem portion 33 on the plug 26 serves to fill or occupy the central portion of the casing 10 adjacent the outlet end thereof, thereby assisting in maintaining a proper outlet flow velocity.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular structural embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that various modifications and equivalent structures may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending transversely across the casing between said inlet and said ports, a break-up and mixing body depending from said disk and adapted to have liquid jets from the apertures in the disk impinge thereon, and generally annular bafile means disposed between said ports and said body for diverting inlet air from said ports upwardly toward said disk and thence at least in part downwardly between said baffle means and said body in generally concurrent relation with the liquid flowing from said inlet to said outlet, said baffle means being in engagement at its lower portion with the interior wall of said casing below said air ports to block the passage of air downwardly from said air ports into said casing and extending upwardly in spaced relation from said body and from the interior wall of said casing past and above said air ports and being spaced at its upper portion from the under surface of said disk.

2. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending transversely across the casing between said inlet and said ports, a break-up and mixing body depending rigidly from said disk and adapted to have liquid jets from the aper tures in the disk impinge thereon, an annular shield having a generally upright skirt portion disposed in concentric spaced relation between said body and said ports for preventing splashing of fluid outwardly through the latter, said shield also having a portion at the lower end of said skirt portion engaging the interior of said casing below said ports for preventing passage of air downwardly between the casing and the shield, and spacer means supporting said disk with at least portions thereof in spaced relation above the upper end of said skirt portion whereby to provide a passage for inlet air from saidports upwardly between the casing and the skirt portion and thence inwardly over the upper end of said skirt portion and downwardly between said skirt portion andsaid body.

3. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending transversely acrossrthe casing between said inlet and said ports, a break-up and mixing body depending rigidly from said disk and adapted to have liquid jets from the apertures in the disk impinge thereon, an annular shield comprising an upright collar extending axially above and below said ports and disposed in concentric spaced relation between said body and said ports for preventing splashing of fluid outwardly through the latter, an internal shoulder in said-casing below said ports, said collar having an integral lateral flange portion at its lower axial end seated on said shoulder for mounting the shield in the casing and also for preventing passage of air downwardly between the casing and the shield, and spacer means interposed between the upper axial end of said collar and said disk for supporting the latter with at least portions thereof in spaced relation above the upper axial end of the collar whereby to provide a passage for inlet air from said ports upwardly between the casing and the collar and thence inwardly over the upper axial end of said collar and downwardly between said collar and said body into the interior of the device.

4. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at oppositeends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending transversely across the casing between said inlet and said ports, a break-up and mixing body depending rigidly from said disk and adapted to have liquid jets from the apertures in the disk impinge thereon, an upright skirt disposed in concentric spaced relation between said body and said ports for preventing splashing of fluid outwardly through the latter, meansclosing the annular space be.- tween said casing and the lower axial end of said skirt below said ports whereby to divert the passage of inlet air from the ports upwardly between the casingand the skirt, and an annular spacer element interposed between said disk and the upper axial end of said skirt, said spacer element having inwardly extending openings in the peripheral edge thereof and overlying the upper axial end of said skirt whereby to provide means for, the passage of air inwardly over the upper axial end of the skirt .and thence downwardly between said skirt and said body into the interior of the device, said spacer element also having an enlarged central opening disposed below the apertures in said disk with said body depending therethrough from said disk.

5. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending transversely across the casing between said inlet and said ports, an upright annular skirt disposed in concentric spaced relation between said body and said ports for preventing splashing offluid outwardly through the latter, means closing the annular space between the casing and the lower axial end of said skirt below said ports so as to divert the passage of inlet air from said ports upwardly through the annular space between said casing and said skirt, a spacer disk interposed between said apertured disk and the upper axial end of said skirt, said spacer disk having an enlarged central opening, a break-up and mixing body depending rigidly from said apertured disk through the central opening in said spacer disk and having a radially enlarged portion underlying the apertures in said apertured disk in spaced relation therebelow, the space defined between said body and periphery of said central opening in the spacer disk comprising a break-up and mixing zone wherein liquid jets from the apertures in the apertured disks are adapted to impinge on the enlarged portion of said body so as to be broken up and mixed with air in said zone, and said spacer disk also having a plurality of inwardly extending openings spaced around its outer periphery and overlying the upper axial end of said skirt so as to provide a passage for the flow of air inwardly over the upper axial end of said skirt and thence into said mixing zone and also downwardly into the spacebetween said skirt and said body in generally concurrent relation with the liquid flowing from said inlet to said outlet.

6. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending transversely across the casing between said inlet and said ports, an upright annular skirt disposed inv concentric spaced relation between said body and said ports for preventing splashing of fluid outwardly through the latter, means closing the annular space between the casing and the lower axial end of said skirt below said ports so as to divert the passage of inlet air from said ports upwardly through the annular space between said casing and said skirt, a spacer disk interposed between said apertured disk and the upper axial end of said skirt, said spacer disk having an enlarged central opening, and a break-up and mixing body depending rigidly from said apertured disk through the central opening in said spacer disk, said body having a relatively restricted neck portion immediately below said apertured disk and a radially projecting enlargement extending abruptly from said neck portion with a downwardly curved annularshoulder in spaced relation below said apertured disk for impingement thereon of jets of waterbfrom the apertures in said apertured disk,

said spacer disk also having a plurality of inwardly extending openings around its outer periphery and overlying the upper axial end of said skirt so as to provide apassage for the flow of air inwardly over the upper axial end of said skirt into the interior of the device, the space defined between said body and the periphery of said central opening in the spacer disk comprising a first break-up and mixing zone wherein liquid jets from the apertured disk are broken up and mixed with air, the space defined between the enlargement of said body and said skirt comprising a second break-up and mixing zone wherein addi- 'tional air is entrained inthe liquid, and said first and second zones being separated by an annular flow restriction orifice defined between the downwardly curved shoulder of said enlargement and the lower corner edge of said central opening in the spacer disk whereby to impart softness to the efiluent aerated stream from said outlet;

7. The device of claim 6 further characterized in that the area of said orifice is greater than the total area of the apertures in said apertured disk, and the minimum annular area between said body and said skirt is greater than the total area of the apertures'insaid apertured disk and also greater than the area of said orifice whereby to prevent liquid from completely filling said first and second zones.

8. The device of claim 6 further characterized in that the interior of said casing below said skirt is formed with a plurality of stepped lateral shoulder portions providing a gradually decreasing internal diameter in the casing in the direction of flow toward said outlet, said shoulders being inclined at a slight angle downwardly relative to the axial direction of flow and radially outwardly relative,

' to said body whereby to facilitate further break-up and mixing of liquid and air in the annular space between said shoulders and said body and also to retard and coalesce the efiluent aerated stream.

9. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending; transversely across the casing between said inlet and saidv ports, a break-up and mixing body below said disk adapted to have liquid jets from the apertures in the disk impinge thereon, and generally annular bafile means disposed between said ports and said body for diverting inlet from said ports upwardly toward said disk and thence at least in part downwardly between said bafile means and said body in generally concurrent relation with the liquid flowing from said inlet to said outlet, said baflle means being in engagement at its lower portion with the interior wall of said casing below said air ports to block the passage of air downwardly from said air ports into said casing and extending upwardly in spaced relation from said body and from the interior wall of said casing past and above said air ports and being spaced at its upper portion from the under surface of said disk.

10. An aerating device comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends thereof and lateral air ports in the wall thereof, an apertured disk extending transversely across the casing between said inlet and said ports, a break-up and mixing body below said disk adapted to have liquid jets from the apertures in the disk impinge thereon, an annular shield having a generally upright skirt portion disposed in concentric spaced relation between said body and said ports for preventing splashing of fluid outwardly through the latter, said shield also having a portion at the lower end of said skirt portion engaging, the interior of said casing below said ports for preventing passage of air downwardly between the casing and theshield, and spacer means supporting said disk with at least:

portions thereof in spaced relation above the upper end of said skirt portion whereby to provide a passage for inlet air from said ports upwardly between the casing and the skirt portion and thence inwardly over the upper end of said skirt portion and downwardly between said skirt portion and said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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