ZA201004503B

ZA201004503B - Industrial water and air cleaner

Info

Publication number: ZA201004503B
Application number: ZA2010/04503A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Pieter Francois Johannes Cronje; Hans Jurgens Fourie
Original assignee: Cronje Estelle; Fourie Margarietha Maria Susanna
Priority date: 2009-03-25
Filing date: 2010-06-25
Publication date: 2011-03-30

Description

BE 2010/ 04593 o 0

I

THIS INVENTION relates to an industrial water and air cleaner. In particular, the invention relates to an industrial water and air blasting gun.

The invention is expected to be particularly advantageously applicable to cleaning operations in the mining industry. Accordingly, such applications should particularly, but not exclusively, be borne in mind when considering this specification.

Background of the Invention

High-pressure cleaning (also known as water blasting) may be described as the cleaning of surfaces by propelling water at high speeds to create a water jet and directing the water jet against the surfaces or materials in order to clean them. The term “water cleaning” is used to describe water blasting at pressures of under 7MPa, whereas the term “water jetting” describes water blasting at pressures above 7MPa.

Presently, cleaning operations in the mining industry take the form of water jetting.

A water jetting system includes a high-pressure pump connected to a portable, hand-operated spray gun via a single high-pressure hose. Water is supplied to the high-pressure pump from a header tank connected to the pump, or via direct connection to a water supply line of a : mine. In the latter case, the water pressure of the supply line of the mine is reduced to low pressure at a pressure station of the mine, whereafter the water supply is fluidly connected to the pump. The pump would typically include a motor (e.g. an electrical motor) connected to the pump via a flexible tyre coupler or V-belt, and an outlet valve to which the flexible hose is connected. Due to the size of the high-pressure pump, the pump may either be installed in a specific location (for example an underground pump housing), or stationed in a generally wide intended cleaning area. In any event, the operatively stationary high-pressure pump is located remote from the hand-operated spray gun, requiring an additional operator of the pump to open and close the outlet valve.

Water jet cleaning systems of the kind as described have a number of drawbacks:

They require the use of a high-pressure pump and related installation of the pump and maintenance of components. The opening and closing of the outlet valve on the pump by an operator requires putting down the spray gun in use and walking back to the high-pressure pump, resulting in wastage of water and unwanted continued operation of the pump.

® BE2010/ 04

The inventor has identified a need for a simplified pressure cleaner for particular application in mining operations which aims to overcome at least some of the abovementioned disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, broadly, there is provided an industrial water and air blasting gun for connection to separate pressurised water and compressed air supplies, the gun having a water inlet port for communicating with the pressurised water supply, an air inlet port for communicating with the compressed air supply and an outlet or discharge port and barrel in fluid flow communication with the water inlet port and air inlet port via a flow control assembly, the flow control assembly operable to be actuated and being arranged to permit fluid flow between the water and air inlet ports and the discharge port and barrel upon actuation and operation of the blasting gun, and the flow control assembly being configured to block fluid flow between the water and air inlet ports and the discharge port and barrel upon de-actuation.

In use, the water inlet port of the blasting gun is connected to a pressurised water supply, for example a standard 25mm water supply line of a mine, and the air inlet port of the blasting gun is connected to a pressurised air supply, for example a standard 25mm air supply line of the mine, the air and water pressures at under 7MPa and ideally between 0.1MPa and 0.35Mpa. A user of the gun aims the gun at a surface to be cleaned and activates and de- activates the gun by actuating and de-actuating the flow control assembly as required in use.

More particularly, in accordance with this aspect of the invention there is provided an industrial water blasting gun which includes: a gun body defining at least one fluid flow passage for mixture of at least two pressurised fluids; a water inlet port provided by the gun body, the water inlet port opening into the at least one fluid flow passage for providing fluid flow communication between the at least one fluid flow passage and a pressurised water supply line to which the water blasting gun is operatively connected; an air inlet port provided by the gun body, the air inlet port opening into the at least one fluid flow passage for providing fluid flow communication between the at least one fluid flow o BE2010/ 04503 s passage and a pressurised air supply line to which the water blasting gun is operatively connected; a discharge port provided by the gun body, the discharge port opening upstream into the at least one fluid flow passage such that it is in fluid flow communication with the water inlet port and air inlet port via the at least one fluid flow passage and the discharge port opening downstream into a spray barrel protruding from the gun body for operative directed discharging of the mixture of the at least two pressurised fluids onto a surface to be cleaned; and at least one fluid flow control assembly installed on the gun body for controlling fluid flow between the air and water inlet ports and the discharge port, the flow control assembly having a user operated actuator and being movable by a user between an open condition in which it provides for fluid flow between the air and water inlet ports and the discharge port, and a closed condition in which fluid flow between the air and water inlet ports and discharge port is blocked.

The at least two pressurised fluids may include, but is not limited to, pressurised water and compressed air.

The water blasting gun may include a water inlet connector fitting, associated with the water inlet port, fast with the gun body for connecting the blasting gun to the pressurised water supply line such that the water inlet port is in fluid flow communication with the pressurised water supply line and an air inlet connector fitting, associated with the air inlet port fast with the gun body for connecting the blasting gun to the compressed air supply line such that the air inlet port is in fluid flow communication with the compressed air supply line. The water inlet connector fitting and the air inlet connector fitting may, typically, at least partially be defined by the gun body.

The at least one fluid flow control assembly may be located in the at least one fluid flow passage. The fluid flow control assembly may include a seat, defined by a machined inside of the gun body, located between the water and air inlet ports and the discharge port and a valve arrangement seated in the seat and being sealingly engageable by a rod- or piston rod-like formation located transverse to the inlet and discharge ports, the valve arrangement being lifted or unseated from the seat when the fluid control assembly is in its closed condition and the valve arrangement being seated in its open condition. The fluid control assembly may further include an urging mechanism permanently urging the valve

° Ei 2010/ 04503 arrangement to a closed condition and a trigger lever mounted outside of and on the gun body and connected to the rod- or piston rod-like formation for operatively seating the valve arrangement in the seat against the urging mechanism upon a force exerted on the trigger lever to render the valve assembly to its open condition. Likewise releasing of the trigger 5 lever renders the valve assembly to its closed position.

The at least one fluid flow passage may include a first fluid flow passage and a second fluid flow passage, the first fluid flow passage being a pressurised water flow passage, the water inlet port opening into the pressurised water flow passage for providing water flow communication between the water flow passage and a pressurised water supply line to which the water inlet port is operatively connected, and the second fluid flow passage being a compressed air flow passage, the air inlet port opening into the air flow passage for providing air flow communication between the air flow passage and a compressed air supply line to which the air inlet port is operatively connected.

The at least one fluid flow control assembly may include a first fluid control assembly and a second fluid control assembly of the like in side-by-side configuration, the first fluid control assembly being a pressurised water control assembly associated with the water flow passage and the second fluid control assembly being a compressed air control assembly associated with the air flow passage. The water control assembly and the air control assembly may share a trigger lever mounted on the gun body.

The discharge port may open upstream of the discharge port into the pressurised water flow passage and compressed air flow passage such that it is in flow communication with the water inlet port and air inlet port via the water flow passage and air flow passage for operative mixture of the pressurised water and compressed air supplies.

The gun body may be generally rectangular, having the water inlet port and air inlet port conveniently located at one side of the body and the discharge port located at another side of the body, the spray barrel extending from the discharge side of the gun body.

The water inlet connector fitting may be a flared compression fitting, ideally a 19mm JIC / 25 BSP fitting for connection to a water supply line, such as a standard pressurised water supply line of a mine, via a hose of complimentary size and fitting, i.e. a 19mm hose. In another embodiment, the water inlet connector may be a swage adapter,

C ke 20107 0450 3 ideally a 25mm swage adapter. Likewise, the air inlet connector fitting may be a swage - adapter, having an ideal diameter of 25mm for connection to an air supply line, such as a standard compressed air supply line of a mine, via a hose of complimentary size and fitting.

The gun body may include a fluid flow coupler connecting the pressurised water flow and compressed air flow passages immediately upstream of the discharge port wherein the pressurised water and compressed air supplies may be operatively mixed in fixed quantitive ratio upon the water flow control and air flow control assemblies being moved from the closed condition to the open condition. ’

The gun body may include one or more reducers conveniently located within the body immediately upstream of the fluid flow coupler for reducing a discharge volume of air and water. The one or more reducers serve a purpose of fixing the quantitative ratio of air vs. water flow and may, advantageously, be custom ordered per customer specification depending on a required flow rate of the blasting gun for particular application.

The water blasting gun may include at least one handle fixed to any one or more of the gun body and spray barrel.

The invention is now described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

Drawings

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows, schematically, a three-dimensional view of an industrial water blasting gun in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows, schematically, a sectional side view of the industrial water blasting gun.

Detailed Description of the Invention

With reference to the drawings, an industrial water blasting gun for connection to a pressurised water supply line and a compressed air supply line of a mine is generally designated by reference numeral 10. As will become more apparent hereunder, the water blasting gun provides, in a single portable unit, separate connectors for connecting the gun 10

® | B:2010/ 04503 to a pressurised water supply line of a mine and to a compressed air supply line of a mine (not shown). In use, the blasting gun 10 is connected to the supply lines via a water supply hose and an air supply hose (for example a high-pressure hose) respectively. When the blasting gun is operatively connected to the supply lines, the supply lines, hoses and water blasting gun 10 together form a water blasting gun assembly.

In particular, with reference to figure 1 of the drawings, the water blasting gun 10 has a generally rectangular gun body 12 having a pressurised water inlet port 14 and a compressed air inlet port 16 located at an inlet side of the body and a discharge port 18 provided at an outlet side of the body 12 and from which a discharge barrel 20 extends. The gun body 12 defines a first fluid flow passage and a second fluid flow passage, the first fluid flow passage being a pressurised water flow passage 22 and the second fluid flow passage being a compressed air flow passage 24. The water flow passage 22 and the air flow passage 24 serve to operatively mix pressurised water and compressed air supplied by the water and air supply lines operatively connected to the water inlet port 14 and air inlet port 16 respectively. In use, the discharge barrel 20 is used for direct discharging of the mixed pressurised water and compressed air supplies onto a surface to be cleaned.

The water inlet port 14 opens into the pressurised water flow passage 22 for providing water flow communication between the water flow passage 22 and a pressurised water supply line 14.1 (not forming part of the blasting gun 10) to which the blasting gun 10 is operatively connected via the water inlet port 14. The air inlet port 16 opens into the compressed air flow passage 24 for providing fluid flow communication between the air flow passage 24 and a compressed air supply line 16.1 (not forming part of the blasting gun 10).

The pressurised water supply line 14.1 and compressed air supply line 16.1 are hosed extensions of standard water supply lines and compressed air supply lines located on a mining site, the supply pressures typically being between 0.1MPa and 0.35MPa.

The discharge port 18 opens upstream into the water flow passage 22 and the air flow passage 24 such that it is in water and air flow communication with the water inlet port 14 and air inlet port 16 via the water flow passage 22 and the air flow passage 24 respectively.

The water flow passage 22 provides water flow communication between the water flow passage 22 and pressurised water supply line 14.1 to which the water inlet port 14 is operatively connected. Similarly, the air flow passage 18 provides air flow communication

® EE 20107 04 503 between the air flow passage 24 and compressed air supply line 16.1 to which the air inlet port 16 is operatively connected.

Referring now to the inlet side of the blasting gun 10, the blasting gun 10 is provided with a water inlet connector fitting 14.2 associated with the water inlet port 14, the connector fitting 14.2 being fast with the gun body 12 for connecting the blasting gun 10 to the pressurised water supply line 14.1 such that the water inlet port 14 is in fluid flow communication with the pressurised water supply line 14.1. To this end, the water inlet connector fitting 14.2 is defined at least partially by the gun body 12, and in this particular embodiment of the invention, the water inlet connector fitting 14.2 is a flared compression fitting, i.e. a 19mm JIC / 25 BSP fitting, having a diameter of 19mm for connection tot the water supply line 14.1 via a 19mm hose (not shown) of complimentary fitting and size. In another embodiment of the blasting gun 10, the water inlet connector fitting 14.2 is a 25mm swage adapter. : Likewise, the blasting gun 10 is provided with a compressed air inlet connector fitting 16.2 associated with the air inlet port 16, the air inlet connector fitting 16.2 being also being fast with the gun body 12 for concurrently connecting the gun 10 to the compressed air supply line 16.1. To this end, the air inlet connector fitting 16.2 is defined at least partially by the gun body 12 and in this particular embodiment of the gun 10, the air inlet connector fitting includes a swage adapter having a diameter of 25mm for connection to the compressed air supply line 16.1 via a compressed air hose of complimentary diameter and size. it should be appreciated that, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gun body 12 includes a reducer conveniently located integrally with the water flow passage 22 (not visible in figure 1) whereby the diameter of the water flow passage 22 is reduced from the 19mm diameter of the water inlet connector 14.2 to a diameter ideally between 13mm and 19mm to thereby fix the quantities ratio of air vs. water that is operatively discharged by the gun 10 in use. The blasting gun 10 may similarly be manufactured with various diameter reducer sizes to accommodate client specifications on order and manufacturing of the blasting gun 10. The gun body 12 further includes a fluid flow coupler 26 fluidly connecting outlet sides of the water flow passage 22 and air flow passage 24 immediately upstream of the discharge port 18, the fluid flow coupler 26 acting as an extension of the fluid flow passages wherein the water and air supplies are operatively mixed upon the operator's discharging of the gun 10.

® E:2010/ 04503

Operation of the water blasting gun in use is eased by the incorporation of handles 28 and 30, the handle 28 being rotatable transversely mounted on the discharge spray barrel 20 at the outlet side of the gun 10 and the handle 28 being adjustably mounted transversely on the barrel 20.

Returning now to the pressurised water flow passage 22 and compressed air flow passage 24, the blasting gun 10 includes a separate first fluid control assembly and a second fluid control assembly, the first fluid control assembly being a water control assembly generally denoted by numeral 32 and the second control assembly being an air control assembly generally denoted by numeral 34, the control assemblies 32 and 34 being of like construction and integrally provided by the gun body 12 in side-by-side configuration transverse to the water inlet port 14, air inlet port 16 and discharge port 18.

The water control assembly includes a seat 36 defined by a machined inside of the gun body 12 and located between the water inlet port 14 and the fluid flow coupler 26 and a water valve arrangement seated in the seat and being sealingly engageable by a piston-like rod 38, the arrangement operable to be lifted or unseated from the seat 36 such that the water flow control assembly 32 is in a closed condition wherein water flow between the water inlet port 14 and discharge port 18 is blocked, and the arrangement being seated in the seat 36 such that the water flow control assembly 32 is in an open condition to thereby allow water flow between the water inlet port 14 and discharge port 18. To this end, the water flow control assembly 32 has an urging mechanism permanently urging the valve into its closed condition and the water control assembly having a trigger arm 40 hinge ably mounted on the gun body 12 whereby the piston-like rod 38 may be engaged and forced to move the water control assembly 32 from the closed condition to the open condition and thereby operatively actuate the discharging of water through the discharge barrel 20 of the gun 10.

Likewise, the air control assembly 34 includes a seat 42 defined by a machined inside of the gun body 12 and located between the air inlet port 16 and the fluid flow coupler 26 and an air valve arrangement seated in the seat and being sealingly engageable by a piston-like rod 44, the arrangement operable to be lifted or unseated from the seat 42 such that the air flow control assembly 34 is in a closed condition wherein air flow between the air inlet port 16 and discharge port 18 is blocked, and the arrangement being seated in the seat 42 such that the air flow control assembly 34 is in an open condition to thereby allow air flow

0) te 2010/7 04503 between the air inlet port 16 and discharge port 18. To this end, the air flow control assembly 34 also has an urging mechanism permanently urging the valve into its closed condition and the air control assembly sharing the trigger arm 40 hinge ably mounted on the gun body 12 for actuating of the water control assembly 32, whereby the piston-like rod 44 may be engaged and forced concurrently with the piston-like rod 38 of the water control assembly 32 to move the air control assembly 34 from the closed condition to the open condition and thereby operatively actuate the discharging of a mixture of air and water through the discharge barrel 20 of the gun 10.

Referring now to figure 2, numeral 25 generally denotes a side-sectional view of the blasting gun 10 of figure 1 for clear illustration of the control assemblies and in particular the air control assembly 34. The air control assembly 34 includes the seat 42 defined by the machined inside of the gun body 12 and located between the air inlet port 16 and the fluid flow coupler 26 and the air valve arrangement seated in the seat and being sealingly engageable by the piston-like rod 44, the arrangement operable to be lifted or unseated from the seat 42 such that the air flow control assembly 34 is in an open condition wherein air flow between the : air inlet port 16 and discharge port 18 is permitted, and the arrangement being seated in the seat 42 such that the air flow control assembly 34 is in a closed condition to thereby block air flow between the air inlet port 16 and discharge port 18.

The air control assembly (and likewise the water control assembly) includes a washer 43 and the gun body 12 is supplied with plugs, of which one is shown as 45, to complete the air control assembly 34 (and likewise the water control assembly) and seal the air flow passage (and water flow passage).

It is conventional for high-pressure cleaners and water-jet cleaners to have a single inlet port for connection to a high-pressure jet stream generated by an external pump.

The water blasting gun described and illustrated specifically provides for two inlet ports, i.e. the air inlet port and water inlet port for separate connection to air and water supplies incorporated at mining sites to provide a blasting gun that can be operated without an external, dedicated pump or Compressor. Advantageously as a result, a water blasting gun as described reduces the cost of maintenance and the number of components of blasting guns of the kind. The invention as described puts the control of the water and air at the operators disposal, thereby substantially reducing water wastage associated with walking back and forth to open and close valves of conventional pressure cleaners.

Claims

Lo 3 E:2010/ 04593 ® {IIA Co a 11

1. Anindustrial water blasting gun which includes: a gun body defining at least one fluid flow passage for mixture of at least two pressurised fluids; a water inlet port provided by the gun body, the water inlet port opening into the at least one fluid flow passage for providing fluid flow communication between the at least one fluid flow passage and a pressurised water supply line to which the water blasting gun is operatively connected, an air inlet port provided by the gun body, the air inlet port opening into the at least one fluid flow passage for providing fluid flow communication between the at least one fluid flow passage and a pressurised air supply line to which the water blasting gun is operatively connected, a discharge port provided by the gun body, the discharge port opening upstream into the at least one fluid flow passage such that it is in fluid flow communication with the water inlet port and air inlet port via the at least one fluid flow passage and the discharge port opening downstream into a spray barrel protruding from the gun body for operative directed discharging of the mixture of the at least two pressurised fluids onto a surface to be cleaned; and at least one fluid flow control assembly installed on the gun body for controlling fluid flow between the air and water inlet ports and the discharge port, the flow control assembly having a user operated actuator and being movable by a user between an open condition in which it provides for fluid flow between the air and water inlet ports and the discharge port, and a closed condition in which fluid flow between the air and water inlet ports and discharge port is blocked.

2. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 1 which includes a water inlet connector fitting, associated with the water inlet port, fast with the gun body for connecting the blasting gun to the pressurised water supply line such that the water inlet port is in fluid flow communication with the pressurised water supply line and an air inlet connector fitting, associated with the air inlet port fast with the gun body for connecting the blasting gun to the compressed air supply line such that the air inlet port is in fluid flow communication with the compressed air supply line.

« 2010/ 04503 @ )

3. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 2, the at least one fluid flow control assembly located in the at least one fluid flow passage, the control assembly having a seat defined by a machined inside of the gun body, located between the water and air inlet ports and the discharge port, a valve arrangement seated in the seat and being sealingly engageable by a rod- or piston rod-like formation located transverse to the inlet and discharge ports, and an urging mechanism permanently urging the valve arrangement to a closed condition and a trigger lever mounted outside of and on the gun body and connected to the rod- or piston rod-like formation.

4. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 3 wherein the at least one fluid flow passage includes a first fluid flow passage and a second fluid flow passage, the first fluid flow passage being a pressurised water flow passage, the water inlet port opening into the pressurised water flow passage for providing water flow communication between the water flow passage and a pressurised water supply line to which the water inlet port is operatively connected, and the second fluid flow passage being a compressed air flow passage, the air inlet port opening into the air flow passage for providing air flow communication between the air flow passage and a compressed air supply line to which the air inlet port is operatively connected.

5. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one fluid flow control assembly may include a first fluid control assembly and a second fluid control assembly of the like in side-by-side configuration, the first fluid control assembly being a pressurised water control assembly associated with the water flow passage and the second fluid control assembly being a compressed air control assembly associated with the air flow passage, the water control assembly and the air control assembly sharing the same trigger lever mounted on the gun body.

6. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 5, the discharge port opening upstream of the port into the pressurised water flow passage and compressed air flow passage such that it is in flow communication with the water inlet port and air inlet port via the water flow passage and air flow passage for operative mixture of the pressurised water and compressed air supplies.

7. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 6 wherein the gun body is of generally rectangular shape, having the water inlet port and air inlet port conveniently located at

PA : 2010/ 04503 one side of the body and the discharge port located at another side of the body, the spray barrel extending from the discharge side of the gun body.

8. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 7 wherein the water inlet connector fitting is any one of a flared compression fitting and a swage adapter.

9. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 8 wherein the flared compression fitting is a 19mm JIC / 25 BSP fitting.

10. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the air inlet connector fitting is a swage adapter.

11. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 10 wherein the swage adapter is a 25mm swage adapter.

12. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 11 of which the gun body includes one or more reducers conveniently located within the body and associated with any one or more of the air inlet port and water inlet port for reducing the diameters of any one or more of the water inlet connector fitting and air inlet connector fitting for the purpose of fixing the quantitative ratio of air vs. water operatively discharged by the gun in use.

13. A water blasting gun as claimed in claim 12 having at least one handle fixed to any one or more of the gun body and spray barrel.

14. An industrial water blasting gun as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated. ’

15. A new industrial water blasting gun, substantially as hereinbefore described. DATED THIS 25" DAY OF JUNE 2010 SMIT & VAN WYK, INC. APPLICANT'S PATENT ATTORNEYS