Abstract:
A high volume low pressure air spray gun has an atomizing air orifice for atomizing a stream of liquid coating material into a conical spray and opposed side port air orifices for flattening the spray into a fan-shaped pattern. The gun receives air at pressures up to about 100 psi, and an air flow restriction in the form of a venturi is in an air supply passage in the gun barrel. A valve stem for controlling the flow rate of air to the side port orifices extends through the venturi, and is configured to vary the venturi air flow area in response to changes in the flow rate of air to the side port orifices. When the valve stem is positioned for maximum air flow to the side port orifices, it establishes a maximum air flow area through the venturi, such that a high pressure of air at the gun air inlet, after flowing through the venturi, results in a high volume low pressure air flow at the atomizing and side port orifices. When the valve stem is positioned to reduce air flow to the side port orifices, it correspondingly reduces the flow area through the venturi to maintain the pressure of air at the atomizing orifice below a selected maximum value. The gun may carry a paint cup, in which case the cup is pressurized by air downstream from the venturi to prevent overpressurization of the cup.
Abstract:
A hydraulically assisted high volume low pressure air spray gun has an airless tip for hydraulically emitting a fan-shaped pattern of liquid coating material, an atomizing air orifice for emitting air to pneumatically break up the pattern of coating material into a fan-shaped atomized spray and opposed side port air orifices for emitting jets of air that impinge against opposite sides of the spray. The gun received coating material at pressures in the range of about 25 to 1000 psi and air at pressures up to about 60 psi. An air flow restrictor limits the pressure of air at a spray head of the gun and a valve for controlling the flow rate of air to the side port orifices also simultaneously controls the flow rate of air to the spray head to limit the pressure of air at the spray head to no more than a selected maximum pressure, despite changes in the flow rate of air to the side port orifices. By virtue of the coating liquid being hydraulically emitted from the airless tip in a fan-shaped pattern, less pneumatic energy is required to fully atomize the coating and improved atomization is obtained for a given pressure and volume flow rate of air at the spray head.
Abstract:
A high volume low pressure air spray gun has an atomizing air orifice for atomizing a stream of liquid coating material into a conical spray and opposed side port air orifices for flattening the spray into a fan-shaped pattern. The gun receives air at pressures up to about 100 psi, and an air flow restriction in the form of a venturi is in an air supply passage in the gun barrel. A valve stem for controlling the flow rate of air to the side port orifices extends through the venturi, and is configured to vary the venturi air flow area in response to changes in the flow rate of air to the side port orifices. When the valve stem is positioned for maximum air flow to the side port orifices, it establishes a maximum air flow area through the venturi, such that a high pressure of air at the gun air inlet, after flowing through the venturi, results in a high volume low pressure air flow at the atomizing and side port orifices. When the valve stem is positioned to reduce air flow to the side port orifices, it correspondingly reduces the flow area through the venturi to maintain the pressure of air at the atomizing orifice below a selected maximum value. The gun may carry a paint cup, in which case the cup is pressurized by air downstream from the venturi to prevent overpressurization of the cup.
Abstract:
A magnetic clutch drive for rotary pumps is characterized by a motor driven outer magnetic clutch member juxtaposed to an imperforate wall of a pump housing. Within the interior of the housing a pump impeller shaft carries an inner magnetic clutch member juxtaposed to the wall opposite from the outer member. The wall is of a nonmagnetic and electrically nonconductive material, so magnetic lines of force penetrate the wall and magnetically lock the outer and inner clutch members, without any mechanical connection between the two. Consequently, as the motor is brought up to speed, the two clutch members magnetically lock the motor shaft to the impeller shaft to drive the impeller shaft at the same speed as the motor shaft, without generating eddy current losses in the wall. Also included is a thrust balancing mechanism that uses the pressure of pumped liquid to develop and exert on the impeller shaft a force substantially equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to thrust forces exerted on the shaft during pump operation, and the interior of the housing wall is pressurized to maintain a dry operating environment for the inner clutch member.