US3119562A - Powered liquid dispersing device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1964 Filed March 6, 1962 lllllllfl llllllIllllllllllllllllllllll T. B. TYLER POWERED LIQUID DISPERSING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.2.

FIG.1

TRACY B. TYLER, INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS T. B. TYLER POWERED LIQUID DISPERSING DEVICE Jan. 28, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1962 TRACY B.TYLER. INVENTOR.

ATTORN E Y5 Jan. 28, 1964 T. B. TYLER POWERED LIQUID DISPERSING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 6, 1962 TRACY B. TYLER INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,119,562 POWERED LIQUED DISPERSRNG DEVICE Tracy B. Tyler, Miami Beach, Fla, assignor to AFA Corporation of Florida, Miami, Fla, a corporation of Florida Filed Mar. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 177,802 12 Claims. (Cl. 239-318) This invention relates to apparatus for dispersing liquids into the atmosphere, and, more specifically, to such devices which are power operated to create an air flow which by aspirating means functions to discharge and disperse selected liquids or liquid compounds into the atmosphere in substantially large volume.

An object of this invention is to provide in such a device an improved liquid dispersing nozzle which by venturi aspirating means combined with tangential agitation of the stream of fluid being discharged effectively disperses the latter as a desirably fine mist or fog with liquid particles of extremely small mass micron size.

Another object is to provide such a device wherein the liquid dispersing nozzle is so constructed that it may be commercially produced and assembled at exceptionally low cost.

Still another object is to provide such a device wherein the stream of fluid being discharged may be directed up or down to various degrees and sustained in any such selected direction.

A further object is to provide in such a device an adjustable valve for metering the amount of liquid to be dispersed relative to the air flow volume and which is located on the apparatus where it is most convenient for adjustment and operation.

These and various other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating certain embodiments of my invention, and wherein similar numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views and figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the device with a portion broken away to show certain details.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the device with a portion broken away to show other details.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal plan sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FEGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the liquid dispersing nozzle of the device.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly of FIGURE 3.

FIGURES 6 and 7 are plan views of the front and rear sides respectively of a modified plate, and FIG- URES 8 and 9 are plan views of the front and rear sides of'a modified ring, shown separately and assembled with the modified plate respectively.

Structural Elements Describing now the structure of the presently illustrated embodiment of 'my invention, the device comprises a housing assembly including generally cylindrical front and rear housings 16 and 11, which may be adjoined by means of screws 12 and nuts 13. Clamped by and between the housing 11 and a shoulder of a reduced diameter portion of the housing is a motor support and fan housing 14. The latter is provided with an outwardly turned flange 15 through which the screws 12 extend to retain it centrally. A sealing gasket 16 is disposed between flange 15 and housing 11.

An electric motor 17, diagrammatically illustrated, is encased in a housing having a flange 18 for attachment to the front wall of the fan housing 14 by screws or spot ice welding. A motor shaft 19 extends through an aperture in the fan housing wall. Suitably aflixed to shaft 19 is a centrifugal fan 20. A plurality of air inlet apertures 21 and outlet apertures 22 are provided in the housings 11 and 14, respectively.

Mounted in an apertured cylindrical nose 10a of housing 10 is a liquid dispersing nozzle generally designated 23 (FIG. 3). The nozzle 23 comprises a venturi conduit 24 formed with a conically flared portion 25 at its inlet end and an outwardly turned rimmed flange 26 at its outlet end. The venturi conduit 24 is supported in the nose 10a of housing 10 by its flanged end 26, as by press fitting the latter therein. The conduit 24 is preferably made in two parts (FIG. 5), which may be telescopically adjoined, as shown in FIG. 3, by press fitting one part into the other. Although the conduit 24 is preferably constructed of sheet metal, such as aluminum, it may, if desired, as readily be constructed of molded plastic and formed as one piece.

Inserted in the flared end 25, as by press fitting therein, is a web member or spider 27, which in turn has inserted through its center, as by press fitting therein, a venturi liquid feeding nozzle 28 made of plastic or aluminum. The latter is conically flared, as 29, at its outlet end. A plurality of air flow apertures 30 are provided in spider 27.

An air whirling element is also disposed in nose 10a between an inwardly turned flange thereof and the forward face of the conduit flange 26, the air whirling element comprising a plate 31 and a ring 32, both preferably molded plastic, having square center openings 31b and 32b, respectively, registering with one another (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5). Plate 31 is formed with a plurality of angularly spaced projections 31a extending forwardly from the front face thereof at the corners of the center opening therein. Projections 31a thus form slotted louvre vents 33 which are tangentially directed relative to the lineal axis of venturi conduit 24. Ring 32 is formed with tongues 32a which extend part way into the vent slots 33, leaving the vent slots open forward of the plane of the front face of plate 31. The outer rim 34 of plate 31 is annular and turned inwardly, and in combination with the annular outer periphery of ring 32, as shown, forms an annular recess 35 which communicates with the radially outer ends of vent slots 33. A plurality of apertures 36 in the conduit flange 26 in turn communicate with the recess 35.

The operating unit thus far described may be mounted and supported in a bracket 37 (FIGS. 1 and 2) on friction clutch stabilized trunnions which comprise studs 38, washers 39 and 40, bushings 41, friction discs 42, bowed springs 43, and nuts 44 (FIG. 3). The studs, washers and bushings 38, 39, 4t) and 41, respectively, are fixedly clamped to the sides of housing member 11 by the nuts 44, the bushings 41 being rotatably journalled in the bracket 37. The operating unit may thus be inclined up or down to any selected angle and sustained at such angle by the friction discs 42, which react against bracket 37 and the washers 39 under preset bias of the springs 43.

The bracket 37 may also form a carrying handle, as at 45 (FIG. 2), and may be suitably affixed, as by rivets 46, to a cover 47 of a liquid supply container 48. Cover 47 may be retained tightly on the container by means of conventional toggle strap clamps 49. A gasket 50 prevents leakage.

Suitably aflixed to the container cover is an adjustable liquid flow metering valve generally designated 51 which comprises a body 52, a needle valve 53, a knob 54 provided with an indicating pointer 55, and a coupling nipple 56. A tube 57 provided with a strainer 58 is coupled to a stem projecting from the bottom of the valve body 52. Indicating markings (not shown) may be provided on cover 47 coincident with the indicating pointer 55,

the full regulating range requiring not more than three- :quarters of a tum of the valve knob.

" A double ended tube coupling 60 extends through and IIS suitably efiixed to the wall of housing 19, and from this a flexible wi lie 61 leads to and is coupled to the nipple 56, a a ile 62 leads to and is coupled to a nipple end of the feelin nozzle 28.

Operation For operation, the container 48 of the device is filled with a selected liquid, such as insecticide, air deodorant, air sc enting material, or other desired fluid. The metering valve 51 is turned to a desired feeding rate position, and the motor started by connecting its cord to an electrical outlet in conventional manner.

With the centrifugal fan 20 now in operation, air is drawn in through apertures 21 in housing 11 and urged through apertures 22 into the chamber formed by housing It} Part of the air then passes through apertures 30 in spider 27 to be discharged through the venturi conduit I24, and part passes through apertures 36 in the flange 26 to be discharged through the vent slots 33 formed by :plate 31 and ring 32.

The speed of the centrifugal fan is such that the air fiows at a substantially high velocity, and as it passes through the venturi conduit 24 the velocity is further increased by the inwardly converging wall of portion 25, an'd still further by the flaring 29 at the end of the feeding nozzle 23 because this reduces the area of the conduit passage at this point. Thus, considerable suction (partial vacuum) is created forward of the outlet end of the feeding nozzle 28 by the well known venturi elfect, and at the same time much air turbulence is created by the sharp radially outward deflection of the air stream cites-ted by the nozzle flaring 29, which causes the air to bounce back from the wall of the venturi conduit 24.

The venturi suction draws liquid from supply container 48 through valve 1 and associated conducting tubes {57, 51 and 62 to be discharged from feeding nozzle 28 into the air stream, and the high air turbulence at the point of discharge caused by nozzle flaring 29 serves to disperse the liquid into finer particles than would a plain straight nozzle.

As the fluid mixture is discharged from venturi conduit 24, high velocity air flow issuing from the whirling element vent slots 33 impinges tangentially on the periphery of the stream of discharging fluid mixture, which induces it to whirl, and which thus further agitates it to disperse the liquid particles into still smaller size. The resultant fluid discharge is in the form of a desirably fine mist or fog with liquid particles dispersed into extremely small mass micron size.

The relative volume of liquid to air may be selectively metered by the valve 51 which permits increase or decrease of the amount of liquid which may be inducted by the feeding nozzle 28 in a given period of time.

It is to be understood that plate 31 and ring 32 may be :replaced in the nozzle assembly by a modified plate 131 :and modified ring 132 of FIGS. 6 to 9 inclusive. The corresponding elements of plates 31 and 131 and rings 32 :and 132 are given similar reference numerals. It will be :evident from the drawing that plate 131 and ring 132 have four additional projections 1310 and 132a respectively which are individually interposed at a 45 degree angle between each adjacent pair of projections 131a or 132a which correspond to projections 31a and 32a of the previously described plate 31 and ring 32. The additional four projections co-operate when plate 131 and ring 132 are assembled together as shown in FIG. 9 in the same mannet as the other four projections 131a and 13251 to form a total of eight tangential vent slots to thereby provide a more even distribution of the tangentially directed whirling air around the axially discharging fluid mixture. Other plates and rings with more or less vents may similarly be substituted in the nozzle assembly as required for various spraying applications.

,liaeea Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a liquid dispersing device, a housing having a fluid outlet portion, said fluid outlet portion comprising a cylindrical extension on the housing open at its outer end, means for conducting air under pressure to the interior of the housing, a liquid dispersing nozzle in said housing through which the pressurized air is conducted, said nozzle comprising a venturi conduit having a radially flanged outlet telescopically fitted within said cylindrical extension on said housing, a support member telescopically fitted within the inlet end of said venturi conduit, a liquid feeding nozzle supported by said support member, said liquid feeding nozzle extending axially into said venturi from the inlet end thereof and having an outlet end disposed within the throat of said venturi conduit, an air whirling member disposed between the radial flange at the outlet of said venturi conduit and the for- Ward end of said cylindrical extension, said air whirling element having a plurality of radially inwardly extending passageways directed generally tangentially to the axis of the venturi conduit, said radial flange at the outlet end of said venturi conduit being apertured to establish communication between the interior of the housing and said radial passageways.

2. In a liquid dispersing device, a housing having a cylindrical portion with a converging portion at an outlet end thereof, a cylindrical extension on the converging portion of said housing of smaller diameter than the cylindrical portion thereof, an impeller mounted conentrically with said cylindrical portion for forcing air therethrough towards the outlet end thereof, a venturi conduit having an apertured radial flange at the outlet thereof retainably fitted into said cylindrical extension for supporting said conduit, said conduit having a funnel shaped inlet portion disposed concentrically within said converging portion of said housing so as to form two concentric progressively restricted air passages, one inside said conduit leading to a throat thereof and the other outside said conduit leading to said apertured flange, a liquid feeding nozzle extending axially into said venturi conduit from the inlet portion thereof and having an outlet end disposed within the throat of said conduit and annular air whirling means fitted within said cylindrical extension for retention therein between said radial flange and the outlet end of said cylindrical extension, said air whirling means having a central passageway communicating with the air passage inside said venturi conduit and having another passageway communicating via said apertured flange with the air passage formed outside said conduit, said other passageway terminating in a plurality of generally radially inwardly extending outlets directed generally tangentially to said central passageway so that air issuing from said other passageway outlets whirls the fluid mixture flowing through said central passageway.

3. A powered liquid dispersing device comprising a housing, a liquid dispersing nozzle, and means for conducting air under pressure to the interior of said housing, said housing having a cylindrical extension with its outer end providing a fluid outlet, said liquid dispersing nozzle comprising a venturi conduit, an air whirling element and a liquid feeding nozzle, said air whirling element having an opening therethrough and a plurality of angularly spaced vents directed generally tangentially to said opening, means supporting said liquid feeding nozzle in said conduit with the nozzle outlet adjacent the throat of the conduit, and means mounting said conduit on said housing adjacent said fluid outlet, said mounting means comprising an enlarged portion on said conduit, said enlarged portion comprising a radially extending flange on said conduit at an outlet end thereof, the outer peripheral surface of said flange having a press fit within said cylindrical extension, said air whirling element being retained in said housing between said fluid outlet and said enlarged portion, said opening in said air whirling element establishing fluid communication between said conduit and said fluid outlet.

4. A powered liquid dispersing device comprising a housing, a liquid dispersing nozzle, and means for conducting air under pressure to the interior of said housing, said housing having a cylindrical extension with its outer end providing a fluid outlet, said liquid dispersing nozzle comprising a venturi conduit, an air whirling element and a liquid feeding nozzle, said air whirling element having an opening therethrough and a plurality of angularly spaced vents directed generally tangentially to said opening, means supporting said liquid feeding nozzle in said conduit with the nozzle outlet adjacent the throat of the conduit, and means mounting said conduit on said housing adjacent said fluid outlet, said mounting means comprising an enlarged portion on said conduit, said enlarged portion having a press fit with said cylindrical extension, said enlarged portion abutting said air whirling element to retain said air whirling element in said housing between said enlarged portion and the peripheral portion of said housing bordering said fluid outlet, said opening in said air whirling element establishing fluid communication between said conduit and said fluid outlet.

5. A powered liquid dispersing device comprising a housing, a liquid dispersing nozzle, and means for conducting air under pressure to the interior of said housing, said housing having a cylindrical extension with its outer end providing a fluid outlet, said liquid dispersing nozzle comprising a venturi conduit, an air whirling element and a liquid feeding nozzle, said air whirling element having an opening therethrough and a plurality of angularly spaced vents directed generally tangentially to said opening, means supporting said liquid feeding nozzle in said conduit with the nozzle outlet adjacent the throat of the conduit, said feeding nozzle supporting means comprising an apertured plate interengaged with said conduit at an inlet end thereof by a press fit between said plate and said conduit, said feeding nozzle extending through said plate for support, and means mounting said conduit on said housing adjacent said fluid outlet, said mounting means comprising an enlarged portion on said conduit, said enlarged portion having a press fit with said cylindrical extension, said air whirling element being retained in said housing between said fluid outlet and said enlarged portion, said opening in said air whirling element establishing fluid communication between said conduit and said fluid outlet.

6. The device set fonth in claim 5 wherein said feeding nozzle discharges axially into said throat.

7. The device set forth in claim 6 wherein said feeding nozzle is outwardly flared at its outlet to provide a restriction in said throat adjacent the outlet end of said nozzle.

8. The device set forth in claim 6 wherein said conduit has a conically flared inlet, the outlet of said liquid feeding nozzle being outwardly flared and located con centrically adjacent the smaller end of said conical inlet to provide a restricted annulus at said smaller end.

9. The device set forth in claim 5 wherein said liquid feeding nozzle has an inlet end portion extending axially of said conduit whereby said inlet end portion is easily accessible from an end of said housing remote from said fluid outlet.

10. The device set forth in claim 5 wherein said plate has a flanged opening therein, said feeding nozzle being 6 supported in said plate opening by a press fit between said feeding nozzle and said flange.

'11. A powered liquid dispersing device comprising a housing, a liquid dispersing nozzle, and means for conducting air under pressure to the interior of said housing, said housing having a cylindrical extension open at its outer end to provide a fluid outlet for said housing, said liquid dispersing nozzle comprising a conduit, an air whirling element and a liquid feeding nozzle, means mounting said conduit on said cylindrical extension and retaining said air whirling element within said cylindrical extension adjacent said fluid outlet, said mounting and retaining means comprising a radially extending flange on said conduit adjacent the outlet thereof, the outer peripheral surface of said flange having a press fit with said cylindrical extension, a radial face of said flange abutting said air whirling element, said flange being apertured in a direction axially of said cylindrical extension, said air whirling element having a cavity therein registering with the aperture in said flange, a central opening through said air whirling element registering with said conduit outlet, and a passageway in said air whirling element communicating between said cavity and said central opening and being directed generally tangentially to said central opening.

12. A powered liquid dispersing device comprising a housing, a liquid dispersing nozzle, and means for conducting air under pressure to the interior of said housing, said housing having a cylindrical extension open at its outer end to provide a fluid outlet for said housing, said liquid dispersing nozzle comprising a conduit, an air whirling element and a liquid feeding nozzle, means mounting said conduit within said cylindrical extension and retaining said air whirling element within said cylindrical extension adjacent said fluid outlet, said mounting and retaining means comprising a radially extending flange on said conduit adjacent the outlet thereof, the outer peripheral surface of said flange having a press fit with said housing, a radial face of said flange abutting said air whirling element, said flange having a plurality of apertures directed axially of said cylindrical extension, said air whirling element comprising a face plate having an annular peripheral rim slidably received in said cylindrical extension, said rim extending axially of said extension from said plate towards said radial flange and abutting thereagainst to define a cavity therebetween, said face plate having a center opening and a series. of angularly spaced grooves extending tangentially outwardly from the periphery of said center opening, and a ring disposed in said cavity to form an outer annular chamber communicating with said apertures, said grooves oom munioating between said outer annular chamber and said center opening, said ring having projections extending partially into said grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,037,645 Vroom et a1 Apr. 14, 1936 2,544,417 Goddard Mar. 6, 1951 2,635,920 Boyce Apr. 21, 1953 2,705,171 Ziherl Mar. 29, 1955 2,768,859 Patterson Oct. 30, 1956 2,984,421 Hession May 16, 1961

Claims (1)

1. 3. A POWERED LIQUID DISPERSING DEVICE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A LIQUID DISPERSING NOZZLE, AND MEANS FOR CONDUCTING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION WITH ITS OUTER END PROVIDING A FLUID OUTLET, SAID LIQUID DISPERSING NOZZLE COMPRISING A VENTURI CONDUIT, AN AIR WHIRLING ELEMENT AND A LIQUID FEEDING NOZZLE, SAID AIR WHIRLING ELEMENT HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH AND A PLURALITY OF ANGULARLY SPACED VENTS DIRECTED GENERALLY TANGENTIALLY TO SAID OPENING, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID LIQUID FEEDING NOZZLE IN SAID CONDUIT WITH THE NOZZLE OUTLET ADJACENT THE THROAT OF THE CONDUIT, AND MEANS MOUNTING AND CONDUIT ON SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID FLUID OUTLET, SAID MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING AN ENLARGED PORTION ON SAID CONDUIT, SAID ENLARGED PORTION COMPRISING A RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE ON SAID CONDUIT AT AN OUTLET END THEREOF, THE OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE HAVING A PRESS FIT WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION, SAID AIR WHIRLING ELEMENT BE ING RETAINED IN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID FLUID OUTLET AND

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