US3321178A

US3321178A - Control valve for sprayers

Info

Publication number: US3321178A
Application number: US367788A
Authority: US
Inventors: August H Pinke; Petersen Walter Eugene
Original assignee: HD Hudson Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: HD Hudson Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1964-05-15
Filing date: 1964-05-15
Publication date: 1967-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-23
Also published as: AT279961B; AT276847B

Description

May 23, 1957 A. H. mmm Lt'Al.

CONTROL VALVE FOR SPRAYERS Filed May l5, 1964 4appearing on the housing of `a spray control valve.

United States Patent O 3,321,178 CONTROL VALVE FOR SPRAYERS August H. Pinke and Walter Eugene Petersen, both of Hastings, Minn., assignors to H. D. Hudson Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 15, 1964, Ser. No. 367,788

2 Claims. (Cl. 251-347) This invention relates to improvements in spray con trol valves and, more particularly, in an improved control valve of the type ordinarily interposed between a conduit leading from a sprayer container containing liquid to be sprayed under pressure and a tube extension having a nozzle at its discharge end for controlling the spray pattern.

In conventional sprayer equipment as, for example, compression sprayers for garden, household or industrial use, extension tube or rod having a spray nozzle at its discharge end, is also equipped with a generally hexagonal `female fitting at the other end. This fitting is threaded by means of tools such as wrenches, etc., to male threads In this connection, tools are required to obtain a relatively leak-proof union between these parts as well as disassembly thereof. In use, the extension tube may frequently be removed from the self-contained spray control valve for replacement with other patterns of extension rods and, of course, for servicing.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved spray control valve which permits one to affix or remove the extension rod manually and by simple linger action thereby eliminating the necessity of tools for such purposes.

Another object is to provide a control valve for sprayers and which adopts the fitting end of the tube extension as a valve seat thereby eliminating parts and minimizing the cost of sprayers, control valves and. replacement par-ts.

Briey stated, the present invention proposes `a spray control valve for coupling `a t-ube extension to the liquid under pressure as, for example, that contained in cornpressionrsprayer tanks. The fitting or adap-ter end of the extension is provided with a pair of wings in the manner of a wing-nut to facilitate manual coupling of the valve to the extension by means of interposed mating threads. Thus, the need for a wrench or other similar tool is elimina-ted. In addition, the fitting at the end of the tube extension constitutes the seat of the spray control valve and, under such circumstances, is adapted to cooperate directly with the valve stem, ordinarily spring biased and hand operated in defining both the valve open and close positions. Thus, the number of required parts is held at a minimum.

Other objects and Iadvantages will become apparent from the following detailed description which is to be taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a somewhat preferred embodiment of the invention in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the improved spray control valve of this invention shown associated with a conventional compression sprayer Vand an extension rod having at its discharge end a spray nozzle;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged and fragmentary exploded view of the spray control valve;

FIG. 3 is a view showing these parts in assembled and operative condition; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

In the drawings, a spray control valve of the hand operat-ed variety incorporating the teachings of this invention is designated gener-ally by the numeral 10. This valve interconnects the conduit 12 leading from a conventional compression sprayer 14 and the extension rod 3,32l,l78 Fatented May 23, 1967 ice 1.6. The compression sprayer 14 is adapted to contain liquid to be sprayed; and such sprayers may partake of the type commercially available under the trademarks S1mplex and Saf-TLolr, manufactured by Hudson Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Chicago, Ill. The discharge end of the extension rod 16 is provided with a removable and replaceable spray nozzle 18 which may be of the type capable of providing a cone pattern from mist proportions to long range trajectories.

Reference is now made to the hand operated spray control valve 10. The valve 10 includes an adapter 20 which is externally threaded at its forward end 22 and formed with a hexagonal nut configuration 'at its rear end 24. A central bore 26 extends longitudinally through the adapter and conveniently receives the valve stem 28.

This stern 28 includes a rear end 3i) over which the conduit 12 is attached. The terminal end of this portion of the conduit 12 abuts against a radial liange 32 of the stem. The stem is provided with a longitudinally extending passageway 34 which, at its rear end, communicates with the interior of the conduit 12 and, consequently, the tank of the sprayer 14. The forward end of the passageway 34 terminates short of the forward end 36 of the stem. At least one radial opening 38 extends through the side of the stem into the passageway .34. Forwardly of this opening, the forward end 36 of the stem assumes a frusto-conical configuration. Rearwardly of the opening 38, the stem includes a pair of spaced circumferentially extending flanges 4t) and 42. An O-ring 44 is adapted to be disposed between these flanges to seal the Zone rearwardly of the opening 38 when the valve s-tem is associated with the valve seat to be described in detail shortly. A compression spring 46 is biased between the rear flange 42 and the forward end of the adapter 20. This spring serves to urge the valve stem 28 forwardly with respect to the adapter 20.

The hand operated lever 48 of the usual type is disposed between the adapter 20 and the tiange 32 of the stem. When in a released position as illustrated in the drawings, this lever permits the stem 28 and adapter 20 to be disposed in a position at which the valve 10 is closed. When the lever is depressed or shifted to a position in which the free end is `adjacent `the conduit 12, the stem 28 is retracted relative to the adapter 20 to thereby shift the valve 10 to an opened position.

In accordance with the present application, the tube extension 16 isi provided at its rear end with a ferrule fitting 50 which is coupled directly to the adapter 2l) about the valve s-tem 2S and serves as the valve seat. Thus, the fitting 5l) is provided with atcentral passage 52 which is enlarged at its rear end and there defined by a threaded portion 54 adapted to mate or mesh with the externally threaded portion 22 of the adapter 20 in securing these parts together. The passage 52 is defined by a forward conical portion 56 which terminates in the redu-ced portion 58 which communicates directly with the tube extension 16. The conical portion 56 is suitably grooved in order to receive the circumferentially extending O-ring 66. This O-ring 66 serves to seal the conical portion 36 of the forward end of the valve stem when the valve is in a closed position to thereby prevent liquid passing into the tube extension 16. However, when the valve stem 28 is retracted against bias of the spring 46 by depressing the lever 48, this O-ring 60 no longer contacts the conical portion 36 of the valve stem with the resul-t that liquid is adapted to pass through the radial opening 38 into the interior of the tube extension 16.

The present invention further contemplates manually coupling the tube extension 16 by means of the ferrule radially extending elements or

wings

62 and 64 are provided on the fitting 50. These wings are adapted to be manipulated in the manner of that of a wing-nut.

The winged ferrule fitting which forms part of the tube extension serves to eliminate parts constituting the control valve of prior art devices. Furthermore, this fitting enables one to afi'ix, or remove, the extension rod from the spray control valve by simple finger action. The tube extension may, accordingly, be replaced with other patterns or for possible servicing without the necessity of tools heretofore used for such purposes.

Thus, among others, the several aforenoted objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although a single somewhat preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and is to be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a sprayer of the type having a -container of liquid under pressure to be sprayed, a flexible conduit leading from the container and communicating with the interior thereof for passage therethrough of the liquid under pressure, and a tube extension extending from the conduit vand having a nozzle controlling the spray pattern of the liquid at the discharge end thereof, and a spray control valve interposed between the conduit and the tube extension, an improved spray control valve comprising: an adapter having a longitudinally extending central bore, a stem extending through the adapter bore being coupled with the fiexible conduit and having a longitudinally extending passageway communicating with the fiexible conduit and interior of the container, a ferrule fitting extending from the tube extension and having a central passage for communicating with the tube extensionv and receiving the forward end of the stern, said adapter being provided with external threads and the ferrule fitting being provided with internal threads meshed with the external threads of the adapter, and laterally extending finger engaging wing elements on the exterior of the ferrule fitting to provide a wing-nut to facilitate manual assembly and disassembly of the ferrule fitting, said ferrule fitting being coupled directly with the adapter whereby the stern is adapted to be shifted between a rear valve open position at which the liquid under pressure is permitted to pass from the conduit through the control valve to the tube extension and forward valve closed position at which the forward end of the stem cooperates with surfaces of the ferrule fitting to stop passage of the liquid under pressure through the control valve from the conduit to the tube extension, a spring biased between the stem and the adapter whereby the stern is urged towards the valve closed position, and manual means for shifting the stem to a retracted position at which the valve is open;

2. In a sprayer of the type having a container of liquid under pressure to be sprayed, a fiexible conduit. leading from the container and communicating with the interior sure, and a tube extension extending from the conduit and having a nozzle controlling the spray pattern of the liquid at the discharge end thereof, and a spray control valve interposed between the conduit and the tube extension, an improved spray control valve comprising: an externally threaded adapter having a longitudinally extending central bore, a stem extending through the adapter bore being coupled with the flexible conduit and having a central longitudinal passageway extending from one and the rear end of said stem at which it is adapted to communicate with the flexible conduit and the sprayer container to a location short of the other and forward end of the stem, at least one transversely extending opening at said stem communicating with the passageway, said stem having a laterally extending flange and a circumferentially extending groove; a spring -biased against said fiange and said adapter, a first O-ring in said groove, a ferrule fitting having one end having means cooperating to couple the tube extension thereto and a central passage for communicating with the tube extension and receiving the other forward end of the stem, the wall of the stem defining the forward portion of the passage being formed with a groove, another second O-ring in said groove; the central passage at the other and rear end of the ferrule fitting being defined by internal threads mating with the external threads of the adapter with the other and forward end of the stem being forced towards the forward end of the ferrule fitting under the bias of said spring into a valve closed position and into engagement with the second O-ring, and said first O-ring being in engagement with the side walls of the passage and the lateral opening being disposed between the O-rings, the rear and one end of the stem having means for cooperating to permit the stern to be retracted relative to the thereof for passage therethrough of the liquid under presadapter and ferrule fitting and against the spring to a valve open position, and laterally extending finger er1- gaging wing elementsl on the exterior of the ferrule fitting to provide a wing nut to permit manual assembly and disassembly of the ferrule fitting.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,950 6/1921 FOrIlWalt 251--340 2,245,097 6/1941 Tobler 251-340 2,302,306 11/1942 Faast 251-337 X 2,360,733 10/1944 Smith.

2,457,993 1/1949 Fletcher St al 251-340 X 3,123,337 3/1964 Peras 251-340 X 3,196,924 7/1965 Kaminga 251-340 X 3,220,695 11/1965 Downey et alv 251-322 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,091,327 10/ 1954 France. 1,210,452 9/ 1959 France.

M. CARY NELSON', Primary Examiner.

S. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A SPRAYER OF THE TYPE HAVING A CONTAINER OF LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE TO BE SPRAYED, A FLEXIBLE CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE CONTAINER AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR THEREOF FOR PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF THE LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE, AND A TUBE EXTENSION EXTENDING FROM THE CONDUIT AND HAVING A NOZZLE CONTROLLING THE SPRAY PATTERN OF THE LIQUID AT THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF, AND A SPRAY CONTROL VALVE INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE CONDUIT AND THE TUBE EXTENSION, AN IMPROVED SPRAY CONTROL VALVE COMPRISING: AN ADAPTER HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CENTRAL BORE, A STEM EXTENDING THROUGH THE ADAPTER BORE BEING COUPLED WITH THE FLEXIBLE CONDUIT AND HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING WITH THE FLEXIBLE CONDUIT AND INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER, A FERRULE FITTING EXTENDING FROM THE TUBE EXTENSION AND HAVING A CENTRAL PASSAGE FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE TUBE EXTENSION AND RECEIVING THE FORWARD END OF THE STEM, SAID ADAPTER BEING PROVIDED WITH EXTERNAL THREADS AND THE FERRULE FITTING BEING PROVIDED WITH INTENAL THREADS MESHED WITH THE EXTERNAL THREADS OF THE ADAPTER, AND LATERALLY EXTENDING FINGER ENGAGING WING ELEMENTS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE FERRULE FITTING TO PROVIDE A WING-NUT TO FACILITATE MANUAL ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY OF THE FERRULE FITTING, SAID FERRULE FITTING BEING COUPLED DIRECTLY WITH THE ADAPTER WHEREBY THE STEM IS ADAPTED TO BE SHIFTED BETWEEN A REAR VALVE OPEN POSITION AT WHICH THE LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE IS PERMITTED TO PASS FROM THE CONDUIT THROUGH THE CONTROL VALVE TO THE TUBE EXTENSION AND FORWARD VALVE CLOSED POSITION AT WHICH THE FORWARD END OF THE STEM COOPERATES WITH SURFACES OF THE FERRULE FITTING TO STOP PASSAGE OF THE LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH THE CONTROL VALVE FROM THE CONDUIT TO THE TUBE EXTENSION, A SPRING BIASED BETWEEN THE STEM AND THE ADAPTER WHEREBY THE STEM IS URGED TOWARDS THE VALVE CLOSED POSITION, AND MANUAL MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE STEM TO A RETRACTED POSITION AT WHICH THE VALVE IS OPEN.