Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B12/00—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/002—Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers
  • B05B12/0022—Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers associated with means for restricting their movement
  • B05B12/0024—Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers associated with means for restricting their movement to a single position
  • B05B12/0026—Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers associated with means for restricting their movement to a single position to inhibit delivery
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/30—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages
  • B05B1/3026—Gate valves; Sliding valves; Cocks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B7/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas
  • B05B7/02—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge
  • B05B7/04—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with arrangements for mixing liquids or other fluent materials before discharge
  • B05B7/0408—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with arrangements for mixing liquids or other fluent materials before discharge with arrangements for mixing two or more liquids
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K5/00—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary
  • F16K5/04—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary with plugs having cylindrical surfaces; Packings therefor

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to mixing and dispensing guns for use in the plastic foam industry, and more particularly, to a design of gun which is adapted for easy, low cost mass production manufacture and which is capable of performing the functions needed for precise mixing and dispensing of thermosetting chemical products resulting from the mixture of two reactive chemical components.
• the invention relates to a novel form of seal which is used and which is particularly effective in sealing a spool valve and the surrounding areas .
• Urethane and related products including isocyanurates, silicones, phenolics, and epoxies, are well known as having a number of desirable characteristics. These include the potential for excellent heat insulation, compatibility with low cost blowing agents, reproducability of chemical characteristics and excellent chemical and physical properties in the finished product.
• urethane foams are resistant to degradation by common solvents, moisture and atmospheric oxidation. Urethanes provide the best combination of heat insulation and physical strength for a given cost. The foam is a naturally adhesive material and bonds well to any number of substrates. In this connection, it can add structural strength to many article wherein such strength is an important element. Fire retardance may be achieved easily with available formulations. Moreover, urethane foams, being the reaction product of two individual components, may be varied in chemical composition for a number of purposes. Thus, urethane foams may be formulated so as to provide a finished product which is quite rigid, which is semi-rigid, or which is somewhat flexible and/or elastomeric.
• Foams of the kind in question may be made with almost exclusively closed cells, or with a desired proportion of open cells.
• the types of products with which the instant invention is concerned are primarily the closed cell foam types of product used for insulation purposes in building structures and open the celled product used for packaging applications.
• the components of the foam are passed at high pressures above 40-50 p.s.i. through a gun which serves to meter and mix the components thoroughly in a nozzle from which they are discharged.
• chemicals components are taken directly to a job site in pre-pressurized cylinders.
• the amount of product required to be dispensed is not so large as to require permanent, expensive equipment, as would be the case in a factory.
• the individual containers of the components carry from several pounds up to perhaps 25 to 50 or even more pounds or more of each component. These tanks are sufficiently portable to be moved about on the job site by one worker, but yet are able to provide sufficient foam to provide several hundred or even thousand board feet of coverage.
• One of these required characteristics is that the product be able to be mixed in a nozzle which can be used and then disposed of after use, and replaced with another nozzle at low cost for a succeeding job or succeeding phase of the job then being undertaken.
• Another desirable characteristic is that the chemical products or constituents be able to be metered accurately and proportioned both as between themselves, and as a whole considering the desired dispensing rate.
• a still further requirement of a gun of the type in question is- that the valving be constructed and arranged so as to permit a proper proportioning action to be maintained even when the trigger is held completely opened or is opened within an intermediate range of positions to vary the discharge rate as desired.
• An ideal gun consequently, would be one which is able to be reliably manufactured at low cost and which will prevent premixing of the components, keeping them isolated from each other until they are discharged into the mixing chamber of an associated nozzle.
• Yet another desirable characteristic would be a gun having the porting designed so as not to have any dead space for the accumulation of the chemicals in the port where they may be exposed to the atmosphere. Specifically, where the isocyanate component of the polyurethane would be allowed to have contact with atmospheric moisture (humidity) and react and crystallize in the port, rendering the gun inoperable.
• a gun which includes components which are easy to manufacture at low cost, incorporating a minimum number of components designed for mass production with no subcomponent assembly or remanufacture .
• a further object of the invention is to provide a novel seal arrangement between the gun body and the spool valve.
• a still further object of the invention is to provide a novel resilient arrangement to maintain sealing pressure on the area of the nozzle of the gun body wherein the seal is taking place.
• An additional object of the invention is to provide an inlet passage for the gun wherein the nozzle end of the hose is equipped with a fitting which, by reason of being seated in the correct position, inherently insures that a correct amount of force is brought to bear on the sealing surface.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a valve component seating arrangement which will allow for seating of the valve at high, low, and intermediate pressures.
• Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combination load applying and slightly resilient member which may be used in the application sealing force.
• the present invention achieves the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention by providing a gun body which includes a spool valve, an inlet and an outlet therefor, a slightly deflectable but unitary wall, and a combination load applying and wall deflecting component urged into position by the hose and having a set screw thereon, the combination being operative to apply a sufficient load to slightly deflect the wall of the housing surrounding the spool valve only in the area of compression by the wall deflecting component.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mixing and dispensing gun assembly of the invention, showing the same in a typical position of use with the mixing and dispensing nozzle in place in the gun and with the trigger in the closed position and the trigger safety engaged;
• FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the gun of FIG. 1, showing the trigger in the off position with the trigger safety engaged;
• FIG. 3 is a further enlarged view showing the flexible wall of the gun body of the invention, and with the spool in the "off" position and the force-applying unit absent;
• FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, and showing the force-applying component in position but not under load;
• FIG. 5 is a view showing the wall surrounding the opening being deflected into position by the force-applying component.
• FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the force-applvin ⁇ unit .
• a gun assembly generally designated 10 is shown to include a number of principal components, including a gun body generally designated 12 and shown to be subdivided into a handle generally designated 14, a component passage and gun body flow control valve housing 16,- a nozzle receiver assembly 18, a removable nozzle 20, a combination nozzle latch and ejector element 22, a trigger assembly 24, a trigger safety 26, and first and second component inlet hoses 28, 30, each terminating- in forward fittings 31, 33.
• the nozzle assembly generally designated 20 includes a cylindrical, reduced diameter main mixing body portion 32, an enlarged diameter seating body portion 34 having a cylindrical exterior registration and alignment surface 36, which includes a forwardly directed, radially extending annular latch-engaging surface 38.
• a pair of nipples 44 are provided, each of which is adapted to seat within outlet passages 46 in the gun body.
• the gun body 12 includes the handle 14 just referred to and this part, in turn, includes a vertically extending ' slot 50 adapted to receive a part of the trigger safety 26 when the safety is in a folded position.
• the slot 50 also provides a convenient receptacle for one leg 58 of a trigger return spring generally designated 60 and shown to be of the "clothespin" or hairpin type, operating in response to torsional forces generated in its center coil 59.
• the upper portion of the gun body 12 includes as a major element, a product flow control valve housing 16 having the components referred to in detail elsewhere herein, and also shown to include spool receiving means in the form of generally circular sidewalls 61 defining a cylindrical bore or passage 62 extending transversely to the principal axis of the housing 16.
• the trigger operates ears 63 on the spool 65, bringing the central spool passage 67 into and out of alignment with the product flow passages 46, 69.
• a combination nozzle latch and ejector element receiver Surmounting the housing 16 is a combination nozzle latch and ejector element receiver generally designated 22 and shown to include generally parallel or slightly tapering spaced apart sidewalls 78, 80 designed to snugly engage the ejector when it is in the locked position, and each of which includes an identical small opening 82 for receiving the pivot ears (not shown) forming a part of the nozzle latching and ejector element 22.
• This unit 22 in turn is shown to comprise a rocker- style lever assembly having a finger tab 23 lying to one side of the pivot ears and a generally horizontal latching leg 86.
• the end portion of the latching leg terminates in a claw 92, while the front face 94 of an ejector leg acts to engage the rear face of the nozzle, for expulsion thereof in the raised position.
• the latch and ejector receiver has its sidewalls 78, 80 spaced closely enough apart such that these walls snugly engages the leg 86 of the latching and ejector element 22, preventing it from moving too freely and helping retain the nozzle 20 in place.
• the nozzle receiver assembly 18 is disposed at the forward end of the housing 16 and includes a radially inwardly facing cylindrical nozzle guide surface 95 terminating at its inner end in a front wall portion 96.
• the insert portion 82 of the hose is crimped by a metal portion 84 into a groove 88 in a fitting generally designated 86.
• Another groove 90 is provided to receive a set screw 92.
• the fitting 86 includes a forwardmost groove 94 for accommodating an O-ring 96.
• the composite fitting 86 bears on a force-applying element generally designated 110 and shown to include a radial flange 112 and an axial flange 114 defining an open passage 116 for product.
• the remainder or axially outer end of the force-applying element 110 includes several discs 116 that extend completely around the circumference of the fitting, and alternately, with spacers 120 that are placed circumferentially apart on the discs 116.
• the first disc 116 is connected to the second by spacers 120 disposed at 2, 6 and 10 o'clock, with the second being connected by spacers 120 at 12, 4 and 8 o'clock.
• the third disc is connected to the fourth by spacers 120 at 2, 6 and 10 o'clock.
• the wall 61 also includes an extension 118 in the form of a stub cylinder.
• the radial flange 112 and the axial flange 114 are ready to bear upon the stub cylinder 118 but have not done so.
• a plurality- of Belleville washers could be arranged in front-to-back relation.
• Other spring arrangements with a relatively high constant could be used.
• the arrangement shown is illustrative but not exhaustive. In this position, in effect, a virtual O-ring is created about the sealed area.
• the advantage of this arrangement is that the bulge or deflection of the sidewall is only in an area about the stub cylinder, which is difficult to seal.
• the shape of the arrangement with the cylinder pushing on the spool in effect, creates dimension such that the cylindrical surface of the sealing ring is completely sealed without loss of effectiveness.
• the gun In use, the gun is operated like any other. The unit is attached to the hose of chemicals (not shown) and it is ready to operate. A new nozzle is placed in the gun, and it may be used with interruptions of up to two or three minutes. When a longer time between shots is desired, the thumb button 23 is pressed and the used nozzle is ejected. A new nozzle is then replaced in the opposite sequence, and the gun is ready to operate again. The seal is not affected, and will function as long as the gun does.
• the gun may operate with two hoses, as shown, or it may involve an auxiliary hose and a somewhat modified nozzle for use with a third component.
• This usually comprises a gas stream, but it may be a third liquid component, a catalyst, or otherwise.
• the seal has proven highly effective in any case. It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a novel seal, including one having the characteristics pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention. It is anticipated that modifications and variations to the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and it is anticipated that such modifications and changes may be made to the described form of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)
• Taps Or Cocks (AREA)
• Details Of Valves (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
• Coating Apparatus (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Families Citing this family (15)

Citations (5)

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• 1997
  • 1997-08-06 US US08/906,749 patent/US5944259A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1998
  • 1998-07-17 ES ES98935781T patent/ES2341925T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-07-17 WO PCT/US1998/014875 patent/WO1999007479A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-07-17 AT AT98935781T patent/ATE467461T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-07-17 JP JP2000507059A patent/JP4139071B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-07-17 DE DE69841661T patent/DE69841661D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-07-17 CA CA002299386A patent/CA2299386C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-07-17 AU AU84962/98A patent/AU734868B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-07-17 EP EP98935781A patent/EP0999897B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-08-05 TW TW087112911A patent/TW440470B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-08-06 AR ARP980103889A patent/AR013397A1/es active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (5)

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