US3807633A

US3807633A - Shower apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3807633A
Application number: US00296782A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Baker
Original assignee: Bird Machine Co Inc
Current assignee: Bird Machine Co Inc; Sulzer Papertec Mansfield Inc
Priority date: 1972-10-12
Filing date: 1972-10-12
Publication date: 1974-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-30
Also published as: SE388135B; JPS4973708A; CA986553A; GB1397048A

Abstract

Shower apparatus has nozzles provided with a valve member movable between spray and purge positions relative to an outlet and spring biased toward the purge position, the valve member being moved between spray and purge positions by changes in the spray fluid pressure in the conduit to which the nozzles are connected. Passage means in the nozzle provides fluid flow from the outlet in both purge and spray positions of the valve member and in its spray position also provides fluid flow between the valve member and the nozzle body to flush out debris.

Description

United States Patent [191 Baker Apr. 30, 1974 SHOWER APPARATUS 2,998,934 9/1961 'Broughton 239 550 x [75] Inventor: Donald B. Baker, Foxboro, Mass.

Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Asslgnee? Bll'd Machine Company, -9 South, Assistant ExaminerAndres Kashnikow wolpole, Mass- Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edgar H. Kent [22] Filed: Oct. 12, 1972 [52] US. Cl. 239/109, 239/550 [51] Int. Cl B05b 15/02 [58] Field of Search 239/108, 109, 452, 550, 239/551, 534, 579

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,203,629 8/1965 Goddard 239/108 2,803,499 8/1957 Goyette et a1. 239/452 X 2,954,170 9/1960 Goyette et a]. 239/109 3,061,199 10/1962 Billeter 239/452 X 24 M 44 l4 T Appl. No.: 296,782

[57] ABSTRACT Shower apparatus has nozzles provided with a valve member movable between spray and purge positions relative to an outlet and spring biased toward the purge position, the valve member being moved between spray and purge positions by changes in'the spray fluid pressure in the conduit to which the noz- 'zles are connected. Passage means in the nozzle provides fluid flow from the outlet in both purge and spray positions of the valve member and in its spray position also provides fluid flow between the valve member and the nozzle body to'flush out debris.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SHOWER APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates toshower apparatus having spray nozzles containing a valve member movable between a restricted flow position for spray, and an enlarged flow purge position for cleaning, by changing the pressure in a single manifoldto which the nozzles are connected. In particular, the invention concerns such apparatus wherein the nozzles are of the type in which the valve members are moved inone directionagainst the action of a spring by providing a predetermined fluid pressure within the manifold, and are moved in the opposite direction by shutting off or reducing the fluid pressure in the manifold.

2. Description of the Prior Art Nozzles of the type concerned are commercially available in which the nozzle has a cylindrical hollow body having one end exposed to the fluid in the manifold and the other end opening outside the manifold. A cylindrical valve member of smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the nozzle body and having an axial opening for the passage of fluid thereth rough exposed to the manifold fluid at one end, is mounted for axial movement in the body. A spring connected between the body and the valve member resists movement of-the valve member toward the external open end of the nozzle body. A cap on the external end of the nozzle body is arranged to partially close the outlet end of the opening through the valve member when such member is moved to its spray position with its end abutting the cap by sufficient fluid pressure in the manifold. On shutting off or reducing the fluid pressure, the valve member is moved away from the cap by the spring so that the outlet of its opening is enlarged, permitting debris that may have accumulated in the opening to be flushed out. An example of such type of nozzle is shown in US. Pat. No. 2,954,170. 1

Difficulty has been experienced with nozzles as just described in that when used with fluid containing appreciable debris, such as paper mill White water, they tend to jam so that the valve member no longer moves as required and the nozzle becomes inoperative for its intended purpose. It has been ascertained that a primary cause of this difficulty has been exposure of the clearance between the valve member and the nozzle body at their outlet ends to the fluid being sprayed so that debris is sucked in between them by the retraction stroke of the valve member and no means is provided for flushing it out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide shower apparatus with spray nozzles of the type concerned of improved construction whereby the aforementioned difficulty is overcome.

The invention features a nozzle construction for such apparatus wherein there is provided passage means effective on movement of the valve member to purge position, to provide a flow of fluid about the end-of the valve member adjacent the nozzle outlet to purge debris from between the valve member and the nozzle body. In this way, debris accumulation which would inhibit reciprocal movements of the valve member in the nozzle body is prevented.

- respondingly curved inner portion 50 of top 30 of cap- In a preferred embodiment, the valve member is mounted at one end on a diaphragm closing the end of the nozzle body exposed to fluid in the conduit forming the shower manifold. The diaphragm has a resilience which biases the valve member to purge position, with its other end moved away from the nozzle outlet, with a force which is overcome by raising the fluid pressure in the conduit to spray pressure, whereupon the diaphragm is forced inwardly moving the valve member to spray position. The passage means includes an inlet for fluid from the conduit into the interior of the nozzle body and a passage in the valve member extending through the end thereof adjacent the nozzle outlet and having an inlet exposed to the fluid'in the nozzle body. In spray position, this passage is partially obstructed by an end cap on the nozzle body providing the desired spray. In purge position fluid from the inlet in the nozzle body flows through the passage in the valve member toflush it and also flows about the outlet end of the valve member to flush out the debris that mayhave accumulated between the valve member and the nozzle body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to FIG. 1,'a conduit 10 is connected to a source of fluid' under pressure (not shown) by a valve 12, which may be manually operated as shown, or automatically operated, for example, by-a timer. Conduit 10 forms a manifold for a plurality of nozzles designated generally 14 mounted onthe conduit with their bodies extending into the conduit and exposed to the fluid therein.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, nozzles. 14 have a body 16 screw-threaded by an externally threaded portion 18 through a correspondingly internally threaded opening 20 in conduit 10, and locked in place by correspondingly interiorly threaded lock nut 21. A cap member designated generally 22 has a shank 24 which fits inside an end of a longitudinal opening 26 through body 16, a rim 28 which seats on the outer end of body 16, and a top 30 which is cut away at one side to form a fluid spray outlet 32 from opening 26. Cap 22 is held in place by internally threaded nut 33, threaded on portion 18.

The opposite end of opening 26 is closed. by a resilient diaphragm 34 secured at its edge. in a slot 36 in body 16. Secured centrally to diaphragm 34 by a screw 38 is one end of a valve member 40 having an enlarged, generally spherically rounded head 42 opposite the end secured to diaphragm 34. A fluid passage 44 extending longitudinally through head 42 has an inlet 46through the side of valve member 40. A fluid inlet port 48 in the wall of body 16 permits fluid to .flow from conduit 10 into the interior of body 16 defined by opening 26.

In the spray position of valve member 40 shown in FIG. 2, the outer end of its head 42 seats against a corfrom the nozzle. In the purge position of the valve member shown in FIG. 3, head 42 is drawn away from

surfaces

50 and 52 so that there is clearance between them and also clearance between head 42 and shank '24. Debris that may have accumulated in the interior of body 16, particularly between head 42 and shank 24, will now be flushed through the passage provided by this clearance and from the now unrestricted outlet 32 by purge flow of fluid therethrough. Similarly, purge flow of fluid through the now unrestricted passage 44 will clear it of accumulated debris.

The resilience of diaphragm 34 is such as to bias valve member 40 to its purge position of FIG. 3 whenever the fluid pressure in conduit is below a predetermined value, for example, p.s.i. When the fluid pressure in conduit 10 is increased above this value, valve member 40 is forced by the increased pressure to the spray position of FIG. 2 against the tension of diaphragm 34, which will return the valve member to the purge position of HO. 3 when the fluid pressure in the conduit is ,again reduced below the predetermined value. It is thus possible simply and reliably to shift the valve members between spray and purge positions by properly adjusting valve 12.

The ability of the device to flush not only the spray flow passage through the valve member, but also between the valve member and interior nozzle body portions with which it engages or is in close proximity in spray position, is important in preventing sticking of the valve member due to debris accumulations between it and the nozzle body, which has been a problem with prior nozzles of this type, lacking such flushing capability.

The nozzle shown has its outlet arranged to produce a fan spray, as is commonly desirable. However, the device may readily be modified to produce other forms of spray. For example, a conical spray may be produced by designing the head of the valve member and the surrounding nozzle body portion and outlet so that in spray position fluid flows in helical grooves between head and body, and a pin on the valve member partially obstructs the spray outlet, as in FIGS. l-3 of my US Pat. No. 3,347,463. Nozzles according to this invention have advantages over those of my aforesaid patent, in that they do not need a two-part manifold which is expensive to make, and are operable without exhausting fluid'from the manifold otherwise than from the nozzles, as may be undesirable. I

I claim:

1. Shower apparatus comprising:

a conduit adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure; and

nozzle means for discharging fluid as spray from said conduit, said nozzle means having:

a body extending into the fluid in said conduit, said body having a spray outlet external to said conduit;

a valve member having an end adjacent said outlet and movable in said body between a spray position wherein the capacity of said spray outlet is restricted and a purge position wherein said capacity is relatively unrestricted;

spring means biasing said valve member toward said purge position with a force less than a predetermined fluid pressure attainable in said manifold and supporting said valve member so that each portion thereof is spaced sufficiently from said body to permit free fluid flow between them in at least one 7 of said two positions of said valve member;

means for varying the fluid pressure in said conduit above and below said force to move said valve member between said positions; and

passage means providing flow of fluid from said conduit into said body and out said spray outlet in both said spray and purge positions of said valve member, and also providing flow of said fluid between each portion of said valve member and said body in one or the other of said two positions of said valve member to purge debris from between them.

2. Shower apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a resilient diaphragm at the end of said body extending into said conduit, and said valve member is secured to said diaphragm.

3. Shower apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said diaphragm closes said end of said body, and said passage means includes a port in a portion of said body UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFKCATE OF CORREOTION 3 a 7 3 Dated April 30 197 4 l'ilLtllll. No.

Inventor(s) Donald B. Baker It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 3, line 20, after "example," insert --30--.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of September 197M.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON, JR. Attesting, Officer C MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents IISCOMM-DC 603764 50

Claims

1. Shower apparatus comprising: a conduit adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure; and nozzle means for discharging fluid as spray from said conduit, said nozzle means having: a body extending into the fluid in said conduit, said body having a spray outlet external to said conduit; a valve member having an end adjacent said outlet and movable in said body between a spray position wherein the capacity of said spray outlet is restricted and a purge position wherein said capacity is relatively unrestricted; spring means biasing said valve member toward said purge position with a force less than a predetermined fluid pressure attainable in said manifold and supporting said valve member so that each portion thereof is spaced sufficiently from said body to permit free fluid flow between them in at least one of said two positions of said valve member; means for varying the fluid pressure in said conduit above and below said force to move said valve member between said positions; and passage means providing flow of fluid from said conduit into said body and out said spray outlet in both said spray and purge positions of said valve member, and also providing flow of said fluid between each portion of said valve member and said body in one or the other of said two positions of said valve member to purge debris from between them.

3. Shower apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said diaphragm closes said end of said body, and said passage means includes a port in a portiOn of said body exposed to the fluid in said conduit.

4. Shower apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said passage means extends in part through said valve member and through the end thereof adjacent said outlet, said end of said valve member engaging a portion of said body in spray position to restrict the capacity of said passage and said outlet.

5. Shower apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the end of said valve member adjacent said spray outlet has greater clearance from said body in purge position than in spray position.