Adjustable nozzle

June Π, 1963

HO CHOW

ADJUSTABLE NOZZLE

3,093,318

Filed Feb. 28, 1961

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United States Patent Office Patented June 11, 1963 ring is to cooperate assume their operative sealing relationship. Screwing of the valve member into the body brings these parts into their sealing relationship, the 'Structure of the parts being such as to facilitate this move5 ment. Once .the sealing ring is operatively received in both the groove in the body and the groove in the valve member, the construction of those grooves is such as to strongly inhibit escape of the sealing ring from those grooves, thereby effectively preventing accidental disas10 sembly of the parts and providing a positive stop for the valve member at at least one of its extreme operative positions. The structure is such that the valve member is at all times properly located, supported and guided within the nozzle body. The parts are sturdy, and need not be 15 manufactured to any great degree of precision.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the construction of an adjustable nozzle as defined in the appended claims and as described in this 20 specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred em. bodiment;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view thereof; 25 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the entire nozzle, a part thereof being broken away, taken along the line 4—4 of FIG. 2.

The nozzle body, generally designated A, may be formed in one piece, as by die casting of metal or plastic. It comprises a substantially horizontal portion 2 having a horizontally extending bore 4 with an exit opening 6 at one end and another and larger opening 8 at the other 35 end. Extending downwardly at an angle from the horizontal body portion 2 is a handle portion 10 having a passage 12 formed therein which communicates between the bore 4 and a hose-receiving internally threaded socket portion 14, a sealing ring 16 being received within a groove 18 at the socket portion 14.

The walls of the bore 4 just to the rear of the relatively restricted exit opening 6 are tapered rearwardly and outwardly at 20, to define a valve seat. The bore 4, extending to the right from the walls 20 as viewed in FIG. 4, comprises a smooth-walled cylindrical section 22, followed by a section 24, opposite the passage 12, in which a fairly coarse internal thread 26 is formed. Axially to the right of the internally threaded section 24 is, in order, a cylindrical section 28, a ring-shaped internal groove 30 extending completely around the interior of the bore 4, and the rear opening 8, the axially outer portion of that opening 8 being axially and radially outwardly tapered at 8a. The side walls of the groove 30 are radially disposed, therefore being abruptly oriented relative to the bottom wall of the groove 30.

The valve member, generally designated B, comprises, reading left to right as viewed in FIG. 4, a front tip part 32 movable through the exit opening 6, a rear tip part 34 having tapered walls adapted to engage with the θθ bore surfaces 2® when the valve member B is appropriately positioned, a forward shaft part 36 provided with a plurality of radial extensions 38 the outer surfaces of which are adapted to slidably engage with the inner surface of the bore section 22, a rear shaft part 40 which ⁶⁵ carries an external thread 42 which coopretes with the internal thread 26 in the bore 4, and a portion generally designated 44 of enlarged radius which extends out with clearance through the opening 8 in the body 2 and which carries, at its outwardly extending end, a handle or knob 70 46. The axial inner end of the part 44 is provided with an axially and radially outwardly tapered surface 48 and with an external ring-like groove 50 which is axially

3,093,318 ADJUSTABLE NOZZLE

Ho Chow, Yonkers, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to International Patent Research Corp., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York

Filed Feb. 28,1961, Ser. No. 92,303 3 Claims. (Cl. 239—456)

Hie present invention relates to an adjustable nozzle specifically designed to be attached to a hose and to be used for such purposes as the sprinkling of lawns, and in its more specific aspects relates to an adjustable nozzle of the gun type.

The primary object of the present invention is to devise a nozzle assembly which will permit ready and positive control of the type of spray emanating from the nozzle, which will be reliable and relatively foolproof in operation, yet which will be inexpensive to manufacture.

Inexpensiveness is usually antithetical to quality. However, by reason of the novel nozzle design here disclosed the usual conflict between those two factors has to a large extent been resolved. Indeed, to some extent the very facts which make for the inexpensiveness of the nozzle design here disclosed also contribute markedly to its superior performance. For example, the use of a minimal number of parts, as here disclosed, both facilitates manufacture and improves operation. The use of a multiplicity of parts complicates assembly and thus adds greatly to manufacturing expense. A multiplicity of parts usually produces leakage problems, and requires manufacture to close tolerances, thus further increasing cost. The greater the number of parts the greater is the liability to misfunction.

When a device is easy to assemble, it is often just as easy to disassemble, and this will interfere with its use, particularly where, as is the case here, manipulation of one of the assembled parts is constantly required during the use of the product if it is to perform its desired function. The design of the instant invention maintains the advantages of easy assembly and avoids its usual disadvantages.

In accordance with the instant invention, an exceedingly simple structure, which may be composed of as few as three parts, will function as an adjustable nozzle with fully the same facility and reliability as much more complex prior art structures. The parts are so designed that assembly during manufacture is facilitated and accidental disassembly during use is reliably and positively prevented.

To these ends the nozzle comprises an outer body, which ⁵⁰is preferably unitary in nature, and a single valve member, also preferably unitary in nature, which is movably received within the body and which cooperates therewith to control the nature of the fluid stream permitted to escape from the body. This valve member has a part which ⁵⁵extends out through an opening in the body and which is accessible for manual rotation, to adjust the nozzle. The valve member and the body are provided with cooperatingly engaging threaded portions, so that as the externally extending part of the valve member is rotated the valve member will also move axially through the body, thereby to accomplish its adjustment feature. Escape of fluid through the body opening which receives the outwardly extending valve member part is prevented by means of a sealing ring received within registering grooves in the body and the valve member respectively, at least one of those grooves being axially elongated so as to permit the valve member to move through its adjusting positions without adversely affecting the sealing effect of the ring. The parts are so arranged that threaded engagement between the valve member and the body is initiated before the sealing ring and the grooves with which that

3,093,318 elongated and which has substantially radially extending side walls which are therefore abruptly oriented relative to the bottom wall of the groove 50. The valve mem ber B is preferably unitary in nature, and may be molded or die cast of metal or plastic. 5

The only other part of the nozzle is a resilient sealing ring 52 of a size such as to be simultaneously received within the grooves 30 and 50 and, when thus received, to sealingly engage the bottom walls of those grooves and thus prevent leakage of fluid therefrom. ιθ

Assembly of the nozzle of the present invention is simple in the extreme. The sealing ring 52 is first put into place either in the ring 30 or in the ring 59. If it is to be put in place in the ring 30 it is pushed through the rear opening 8 in the body 2, the inclined walls 8a facili- 15 tating this action. If it is to be put in place in the groove 50 it is slid over the left hand end of the valve member B into the groove 50, the inclined surface 48 facilitating this action. The valve member B is then inserted into the bore 4 through the opening 8 until the externally threaded 20 portion 42 engages with the internally threaded portion 26. This will preferably be when the valve member A is axially positioned with the projections 38 received within the bore section 22, thus supporting and centering the left hand end of the valve member B, and before the 25 enlarged valve member portion 44 with its groove 50 has entered the opening 8. Hence, whether the sealing ring 52 is in the groove 30 or the groove 59, it will not at this point be compressed.

Next the valve member B is screwed into the body 4, 30 the threaded engagement between the threads 42 and 26 developing a strong force moving the valve member B to the left. This force will be sufficient, when the sealing ring 52 is engaged and compressed either by the valve member part 44 (if the ring was initially in the groove 35 30) or by the body opening 8 (if the ring 52 was originally in the groove 50), and in combination with the tapered surface 48 or the tapered surface 8a respectively, to compress the sealing ring 52 and permit .the groove 50 to move into registration with the groove 30, after which 40 the sealing ring 52 will resume its normal shape, engaging the bottom walls of both grooves 30 and 50, and will seal the opening 8 and prevent the escape of any fluid therethrough.

The function of the inclined surfaces 48 or 8a in this ⁴⁵connection is very important. It is by reason of the inclination of those surfaces that compression of the ring 52 is effected during assembly of the body A and valve member B. It has been pointed out that the side walls of the grooves 30 and 50 are not inclined as are surfaces 48 and 8a, but are instead abruptly oriented relative to their respective bottom walls. Consequently, any attempt to unscrew the valve member B after it has been properly assembled with the body A will be strongly resisted by the ring 52. (See FIG. 4, showing the valve member ⁵⁵B in its extreme right hand position, with the sealing ring 52 engaging the left hand side wall of groove 50 and the right hand side wall of groove 30 and thus preventing further movement of the valve member B to the right.) Only exertion of extreme force, such as might actually destroy the sealing ring 52, will be effective to disassemble the valve member A from the valve member B.

When the valve member B is screwed all the way to the left, so that its rear tip portion 34- engages with the bore surface 20, the nozzle will be sealed closed, and ⁶⁵no fluid can escape therefrom. At this point, as shown in FIG. 1, the forward tip portion 32 of the valve member A will project out beyond the end of the exit opening 6. As the valve member B is unscrewed and moves to the right as viewed in FIG. 4, the nozzle will be opened ⁷⁰and the nature of the stream of fluid emanating therefrom will be determined by the relative location of the forward tip portion 32 with respect to the exit opening 6, in conventional adjustable nozzle fashion. Rotation of the knob or handle 46, which is readily externally accessible at the rear of the nozzle, is translated into axial movement of the nozzle by means of the threaded portions 42 and 26. The left hand end of the valve member

B is at all times centered and supported by the projections 38 which ride on the inside of the bore section 22. Axial movement of the valve member B from its sealing position shown in FIG. 1 to its fully open position shown in FIG. 4 is permitted by means of the axially elongated nature of the groove 50 within which the sealing ring 52 rides.

Thus the nozzle of the present invention permits ready adjustment of the nozzle, including close control of the type of fluid stream emanating therefrom, that control being readily effected by the user of the nozzle through rotation of the knob 46 while he holds the nozzle with one hand by means of the body portion 10. Leakage of fluid is effectively prevented by means of the sealing ring 52 and the grooves 30 and 50. The parts are truly minimal in number. The body A and the valve member B may be formed in one piece through suitable manufacturing techniques. The sealing ring 52 may be a standard commercial item. The parts are assembled during manufacture with the utmost in ease and security and the design is such that the parts cannot readily be disassembled or accidently separated thereafter. Consequently, although the nozzle of the present invention can be manufactured at a very low cost, it will nevertheless function in a manner entirely comparable with, and with equal or superior reliability to, the complicated and expensive devices of the prior art.

While but a single embodiment of the present invention has been here disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made therein, all within the scope of the instant invention, as defined in the following claims.