US2659628A - Sanitary spray gun - Google Patents

Description

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Nov. 17, 1953 Filed July 9, 1951 w. BEACH 2,659,628

SANITARY SPRAY GUN 5 Sheets-Sheet l 7 q as v INVENTOR.

2 1 Howmen WHRREN BEECH IS RT'TORN 8 NOV. 17, 1953 w BEACH 2,659,628

SANITARY SPRAY GUN Filed July 9, 1951 3' She ets-Sheet 2 Z Z% %M ///////J INVENTOR.

Howmeo WARREN BEACH HIS HTTORNEIS Nov. 17, 1953 w, BEACH 2,659,628

SANITARY SPRAY GUN Filed July 9, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 T jza INVENTOR.

HownQo WARREN BEACH Muz k/ WW HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 17, 1953 SANITARY SPRAY GUN Howard Warren Beach, Far Hills, N. J., assignor to Eclipse Air Brush 00., Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 9, 1951, Serial No. 235,828

6 Claims. (01. 299-86) This invention relates to a sanitary spray gun suitable for spraying edible fluids onto food. For example, it may be used to spray coat cookies or buns with a sugar solution, to spray pies with the liquid which gives them a glossy finish, and for other similar uses.

Health departments will not usually permit the use of such a device unless it can be completely disassembled so as to freely expose all parts for periodic cleaning. The spray gun parts should permit their sterilization when it is required. Disassembly and reassembly of such a gun should be quickly accomplished with adequate simplicity to be within the capabilities of those primarily familiar with the cooking arts. In addition to these requirements, such a gun should provide a satisfactory spray and be operatively reliable.

One object of the present invention is to provide a spray gun which functions like a paint spray gun but which meets the above outlined requirements. Another object is to provide a simple spray gun which through the use of compressed air will atomize and spray a liquid and which may be completely disassembled without tools quickly so as to make all of its surfaces accessible for thorough cleaning. Other objects may be inferred from the following:

The accompanying drawings illustrate an example of a spray gun embodying the present invention. This gun was particularly designed to function as a sanitary spray gun which satisfactorily meets the requirements usually made by health departments. However, the gun may be used for general spray coating purposes, it being particularly adapted for use when the character of the sprayed material requires the material to be completely cleaned from the gun periodically or at the termination of each spraying operation.

In these drawings the various figures are as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the gun;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the gun;

Fig. 4 is a section showing schematically the construction of the guns valve and the valve controlling elements, the valve being shown in off position;

Fig. 5 duplicates Fig. 4 excepting that the valve is shown in its on position;

Fig. 6 is a front end view of the inner tip of the guns nozzle or spray head assembly; and

Fig. 7 is a side view showing how the gun may be adapted to function as an automatic spray The gun, illustrated by Figures 1 through 6, has a hand grip I having a top 2 with a screw 3 projecting upwardly therefrom. The hand grip I may have a threaded hole in its top 2 into which the lower end of the screw 3 is screwed. The top of the screw 3 may be provided with an unthreaded extension formed into a hook 4 which may be used to turn the screw 3 and also as a means for hanging up the gun.

The gun body 5 is formed with two longitudinally extending passages 6 and 7 intersected by a transverse bore 8. The body has a front end formed with a forwardly facing annular shoulder 9 having a relatively reduced neck H3 projecting forwardly therefrom. The front end of this neck forms a male seat II. The passage 8 at its forward end opens to the face of the shoulder 9 and the other passage 7 at its forward end opens to the end of the neck It).

The body 5 is provided with two backwardly projecting nipples l2 constructed to telescope inside of flexible hose connections l3. These nipples straddle the screw 6. Cross head clamps i4 and [5 are constructed respectively to underlie and overlie the two nipples 13, each clamp having a hole through which the screw 3 passes, the screw 3 extending upwardly like a post. The clamps Id and I5 may be made with semi-cylindrical grooves which clamp the nipples l2 which are sandwiched between them. The hose connections l3 may be pushed completely over the nipples 12 so as to be also clamped by the cross head clamps l4 and It. A wing nut l6 screws down on the screw 3 on top of the upper clamp l5 so as to exert the clamping force. The hook 4 is shaped so that this wing nut 16 and the clamps l4 and I5 may be slipped completely off the screw 3 during disassembly of the gun.

A rotary plug valve l! is removably fitted rotatively in the bore 8 by being inserted through the right-hand side of this bore. This bore 8 is shown as being tapered slightly as is the interfitting plug valve H. The rotary valve is held at its position by having a screw shank l8 which projects through the left-hand end of the bore 8 and is provided with a wing nut IS. A spring washer 2B is positioned between the nut l9 and the adjacent side of the body 5 so as to keep the plug valve l1 seated firmly and free from looseness in the bore. The right-hand end of the plug valve I1 is provided with a flange 2| which may be grasped so that the plug valve may be quickly removed after manually unscrewing the nut 19.

The plug valve I! has two transverse passages 6a and la respectively registering with the passages 6 and i when the plug valve is turned as shown in Fig. 5. When turned to the position shown by Fig.4 the valve is closed. The passage it has end openings which are elongate: circumferentially respecting the plug valve and the bore 8. V

The plug valve I! has a transverse hole 22 formed through it transversely to the passages 6a and la and offset suificiently to be free therefrom. That is to say, the hole 22 does not have any communication with the passages 6a and Ta. An upwardly extending slot 23 is formed in the top portion of the body and a generally corresponding downward slot 24 is formed in the bottom portion of the body, and these slots ant bod The upper end Q: the lever 25 has a groove 26 and the shank of the screw 3, which projects upwardly behind this erid of the lever 25, has a corresponding groove 21. A coil tension spring 28 has hook ends 29 whig'ah are releasablyhooked around the grooves ZBand 2'! respectively. This arrangement biasesthe lever 25 to turn the plug valve ll to its off position as shown by Fig. 4. The spring also serves to position the lever 25in the hole 22, releaseof the Spring 28, by unhooking its ends, permitting the lever 25 to slide freely from the gun assembly. As shown by Fig. 1 the lower end of the lever 25 may be provided with a finger piece30 so that it functions as a trigger. The slots 23 and are mutually oriented so that their respective ends hold the plug valve [1 against the tension of the spring 28 when the valve is in its off position, and these slots provide room so that the lever 25 may be swung against the spring bias to rotate the valve I! to its open position.

The nozzle head assemblyis formed by an inner nozzle tip 3| having a female seat 32 releasably fitted on the male seat II. This tip 3! is formed with an outer substantially. conical male seat 33 formed with one or more flat segments 34, as shown by Fig. 6. The tip is hollow and has a forwardly pointing orifice 35, and it is generally conical with a cylindrical base, excepting for the flats 34.

This inner tip 3| may be simply constructed so as to be entirely free from crevices or small passages other than the single necessary passage 35. As noted, it may be made as a conical part having a short cylindrical base section, with flats machined in its exterior to provide the segments 34. Ordinarily more than one of the segments 34 are provided and they are mutually oriented to form balanced flows through the nozzle head, as will be appreciated from the followmg.

I The nozzle assembly also includes a'n outer tip 36 having a conical female seat 31 fitted on the inner tips male seat 33. Now it can be seen that the flat segments 34 form flow passages which completely open up for cleaning when the two nozzle tips are separated from each other. This outer tip 39 has an outwardly flanged inner end 38 engaged by a union nut 39 which is internally threaded so as to screw onto the annular end of the gun surrounding and defining the flange 9. Both parts are appropriately threaded. This collar or union nut 39 is shaped to close in a. space into whichgthe passage 6 opens so that fluid flowing through this passage flows through the passageways defined by the fiat segments 34 4 of the inner tip. The forward end of the outer tip 36 is provided with an orifice 40 which may be shaped as required to produce the desired type of spray.

As the gun is shown by Fig. '7 a bracket la is substituted for the grip [and this bracket is mounted ori top of ah electric solenoid 4|. The same screw 3 projects upwardly from the bracket la but the hook 4 is eliminated since it is not needed in this kind of application. A lever exte'iisih 30a is shown substituted for the finger piece ortrigger 30, this part 30a pivotally connecting a rod 42 with the armature 43 of the solenoid 4|. Each time the solenoid 41 is energized the valve of the gun is turned to it's on pb's'itloh;

The illustrated gun may be used in the normal fashion for spray coating purposes. Compressed air may be supplied through the passage I and liquid through the passage 6, the nozzle head assembly atomizihg the liquid and forming the spray. Theelongated openings of the passage I'd permits the air to go on and off ahead of the liquid. Assuming the gun is to be used with edible materials it must be periodically dismantled, cleaned and perhaps sterilized, aha reassembled. I Ordinarily this is done by persons relat'ively unskilled with the mechanical art's, With the above in mind the advantages of the illustrated gun become apparent. For examine. let it be assumedthat the gun has handled a composition including milk and sugar. Immediatelyafter its use it is necessary to disassemble, clean, sterilize, and reassemble the parts.

'l [he nozzle assembly may be quickly taken apart by unscrewing the union nut 35, this nut slipping forwardly "ofi the outer tip and the outer tip falling areal-"dry off of the inner tip, the latter then being fre'for removal from the neck I 0. Excepting for the absolutely necessary spray orifices 35 and 4| none brine parts have any cracks or small passageways, so cleaning and sterilizing is simple and easy. M Q By unhooking the spring 2d the lever 25 may be withdrawn from the hole 22 and by unscrewm the nut 19 theplug valve 11 may bepulled from the bore 8. Again, all of the parts may be easily cleaned and sterilized.

Finally, simply by unscrewing the him It the clamp l5 may be removed so that the gun body 5 is freed from the hand grip I. If necessary the screw 3 may be unscrewed from the handgrip. The hose connections l3 are, of course, simply pulled from the nipples l2. Thus the entire gun is dismantled. A V I a M Itcan be iseen from the foregoing that dismantling of the gun is substantially foolproof. This also applies to reassembly after the cleaning and sterilization. Each of the parts is distinctive in appearance and can be assembled with other parts only in the proper manner. Thus both disassembly and reassembly may be accomplished without any material mechanical ability. when disassembled every part hw be "easily cleaned and may be sterilized.

It is to be understood that the hose c'orir'iections [3 are of a flexible nature, an adequately inert flexible type of plastic tubing being preferred for handling food mixtures.

I claim:

v 1 Asanitary spray gun including a gun body in which is formed 'a longitudinally extending passage intersected by 'a transverse bcir, said body having a front end constructed to mount a nozzle connecting with said passage in front of said bore and having means for connecting a fluid feed with said passage in back of said bore, and a rotary plug valve fitted in said bore and having a transverse passage registering with said passage in said body to control flow through said body passage by rotation of said valve, said plug valve being removable through an end of said bore and said body having releasable means for holding said valve in said bore, said plug valve having a transverse hole and said body having longitudinal slots registering with said hole, and a lever releasably fitted through said slots and hole and projecting at both ends beyond said body, a spring releasably connected to one of said projecting ends, and an anchor for said spring and positioned to cause said spring to bias said plug valve to turn to a predetermined position.

2. A sanitary spray gun including a gun body in which is formed a longitudinally extending passage intersected by a transverse bore, said body having a front end constructed to mount a nozzle connecting with said passage in front of said bore and having means for connecting a fluid feed with said passage in back of said bore, and a rotary plug valve fitted in said bore and having a transverse passage registering with said passage in said body to control flow through said body passage by rotation of said valve, said plug valve being removable through an end of said bore and said body having releasable means for holding said valve in said bore, said plug valve having a transverse hole and said body having longitudinal slots registering with said hole, and a lever releasably fitted through said slots and hole and projecting at both ends beyond said body, a spring releasably connected to one of said projecting ends, and an anchor for said spring and positioned to cause said spring to bias said plug valve to turn to a predetermined position, said body having a hand grip projecting transversely therefrom behind the other projecting end of said lever so that the latter may be used as a trigger.

3. A sanitary spray gun including a gun body in which is formed a longitudinally extending passage intersected by a transverse bore, said body having a front end constructed to mount a nozzle connecting with said passage in front of said bore and having means for connecting a fluid feed with said passage in back of said bore, and a rotary plug valve fitted in said bore and having a transverse passage registering with said passage in said body to control flow through said body passage by rotation of said valve, said plug valve being removable through an end of said bore and said body having releasable means for holding said valve in said bore, said plug valve having a transverse hole and said body having longitudinal slots registering with said hole, and a lever releasably fitted through said slots and hole and projecting at both ends beyond said body, a spring releasably connected to one of said projecting ends, and an anchor for said spring and positioned to cause said spring to bias said plug valve to turn to a predetermined position, said body having a hand grip projecting transversely therefrom behind the other projecting end of said lever so that the latter may be used as a trigger, said fluid feed connecting means comprising a backwardly extending nipple constructed to telescope inside of a hose connection, and said anchor comprising a post projecting upwardly from said hand grip past said nipple and behind said body,

said post having a clamping member construce ed to clamp said nipple and hose to said hand grip and said post having a releasable fastening exerting force on said clamping member.

4. A sanitary spray gun including a gun body in which is formed a longitudinally extending passage intersected by a transverse bore, said body having a front-end constructed to mount a nozzle connecting with said passage in front of said bore and having means for connecting a fluid feed with said passage in back of said bore, and a rotary plug valve fitted in said bore and having a transverse passage registering with said passage in said body to control flow through said body passage by rotation of said valve, said plug valve being removable through an end of said bore and said body having releasable means for holding said valve in said bore, said plug valve having a transverse hole and said body having longitudinal slots registering with said hole, and a lever releasably fitted through said slots and hole and projecting at both ends beyond said body, a spring releasably connected to one of said projecting ends, and an anchor for said spring and positioned to cause said spring to bias said plug valve to turn to a predetermined position, said body having a hand grip projecting transversely therefrom behind the other projecting end of said lever so that the latter may be used as a trigger, said fluid feed connecting means comprising a backwardly extending nipple constructed to telescope inside of a hose connection, and said anchor comprisin a post projecting upwardly from said hand grip past said nipple and behind said body, said post having a clamping member constructed to clamp said nipple and hose to said hand grip and said post having a releasable fastening exerting force on said clamping member, said spring comprising a tension coil spring with hook ends respectively hooked around upwardlyprojecting ends of said post and lever.

5. A sanitary spray gun comprising a mount; having a top with a screw projecting upwardly therefrom, a gun body in which is formed two) longitudinally extending passages intersected by a transverse bore, said body having a front end formed with a forwardly facing annular shoulder having a relatively reduced neck projecting forwardly therefrom with said neck having an end forming a male seat, one of said passages opening to the face of said shoulder and the other passage opening to the end of said neck, said body having two backwardly projecting nipples constructed to telescope inside of hose connections and straddling said screw, a cross head clamp constructed to overlie said nipples and having a hole through which said screw passes and a nut screwed on said screw on top of said cross head clamp, a rotary valve plug remo-vably fitted in said bore and having two transverse passages respectively registering with said passages in said body when said valve is turned, releasable means holding said valve in said bore, said valve having a transverse hole formed therethrough transversely to and free from said passages therethrough and said body having upwardly and downwardly extending slots formed therethrough and registering with said hole, a lever slidably passed through said slots and said hole and projecting above and below beyond said body, a coil spring connected to said screw above said nut and to the upwardly projecting end of said lever and biasing said valve to turn toward one position, a hollow inner nozzle tip having a female segment, an outer nozzle'tiphaving a substantially conical'female seat fittedron said inner'tips 'male seat with said'segmentforming-a fiow passage; and a collar rotatively' engaging the outside of said outer tip, said-body and said collar-having interfitting screw threads and beinggremovably screwed together.

6. A spray gun including a gun body inwhich is formed a transverse bore and a passage intersected by said bore, means for connecting a nozzle to one end of said passage,- means for connecting a fiuid supply vto the other end of i said passage, a rotary plug valve releasably fitted in said bore and having a transversepassage'registering with said passage formed in said gun body upon rotation of .said'plug valve, said plug valve being removable through one end of said bore and having formed, a lever releasably passed through said hole in said portionof said plug'valve and having opposite ends extending oppositely beyond said for said spring and positioned to cause said spring to bias said valveto turn in a predetermined direction, said spring being releasably connected between said anchor and said levers nd.

HOWARD WARREN BEACH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,539,846 Jansson June 2, 1925 2,484,942 Guise Oct. 18, 1949 2,540,970 Waeselynick Feb. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 341,435 France Oct. 4, 1904

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