US3437273A - Spray gun - Google Patents

Description

P 1969 G. D. HAGFORS 3,437,273

SPRAY GUN Filed June 29, 1967 INVENTOR. 504400. #464265 April 8, 1969 D. HAGFORS SPRAY GUN INVENTOR. 655440 0. Mamas BY 7 arQMQA- Filed June 29, 1967 FIE 5 States Patent 3,437,273 SPRAY GUN Gerald D. Hagfors, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Gray Company, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed June 29, 1967, Ser. No. 649,954 Int. Cl. F23d 13/38; B05b 7/06; A62c 11/06 US. Cl. 239414 21 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved airless spray gun for spraying plural fluid component materials, such as foams, thermosetting resins, epoxies, polyesters, and other rapidly reacting chemical materials as a homogeneous mixture. The spray gun includes a body having a generally cylindrical mixing chamber wherein the component materials are introduced at one end through a pair of passages. The passages are arranged so that their longitudinal axes are parallel to each other, and intersect a diameter of the mixing chamber at points equally spaced from the central longitudinal axis of the chamber. In addition, the passages are arranged so that the plane including the diameter of the chamber and the axis of one of the passages is perpendicular to the plane including the diameter of the chamber and the axis of other passage, and the axes of the passages are both disposed at an angle of approximately four degrees with respect to a vertical plane including the central longitudinal axis of the mixing chamber. The arrangement of the mixing chamber and the passages causes the component materials to enter the chamber tangently and to be thoroughly and uniformly mixed by the resulting swirling action in the chamber.

The spray gun uses a rotary valve arrangement to control flow through the passages. More specifically, the gun is constructed so that the body may be rotated about the central longitudinal axis of the chamber relative to the rest of the gun whereby the other ends of the passages may be selectively placed into connection with sources of the component materials or with a source of solvent or disconnected from both the materials and solvent. A novel biasing means, utilizing, in part, the pressure of the component materials and solvent, prevents leakage between the rotatable body and the rest of the gun.

Background of the invention.

This invention relates to an improved plural component materials spray gun, and more particularly, to an improved airless spray gun for spraying plural fluid component materials such as foams, thermosetting resins, epoxies, polyesters, and other rapidly reacting chemical materials as a homogeneous mixture.

In the past, various types of spray guns or spray apparatus have been used for spraying plural component materials, and generally these prior spray guns per-formed satisfactorily from the standpoint of spraying a homogeneous mixture.

In the prior spray guns, needle valves or ball valves were frequently used to control the flow of component material to the mixing chamber in the gun, and there was always a problem in such guns of properly adjusting the valves and valve actuating structure so that the valves opened and closed simultaneously.

Also, it was extremely diflicult and time-consuming to clean the component materials from the prior guns and more particularly, from around the valves and the passages connecting the valves with the mixing chamber. Moreover, when a buildup of materials occurred because of improper or incomplete cleaning, considerable force was often required to open the needle or ball valves.

3,437,273 Patented Apr. 8, 1969 Furthermore, in the prior guns, the mixing chamber and component passages were frequently complex in design'and arrangement in order to achieve the necessary homogeneous mixture of component materials, and this obviously increased the cost of the gun and the difficulty in cleaning the gun.

Summary of the invention In contrast to the prior spray guns, the improved spray gun or spraying apparatus of the present invention may be relatively quickly and easily cleaned. More-over, unlike the prior guns, the improved spray gun of the present invention does not use needle or ball valves, but rather, uses an improved rotary valve arrangement which requires relatively low torque to operate because of the shearing or wiping action of the valve. Also, the design and arrangement of the improved rotary valve insures that the component materials passages are always opened and closed simultaneously. Furthermore, the improved spray gun of this invention utilizes a novel mixing chamber which is extremely simple in design, yet achieves thorough and uniform mixing of the component materials.

More particularly, the improved spray gun of the present invention includes a valve body that is adapted to be rotated about the central longitudinal axis of the gun relative to the rest of the gun. The body includes a generally cylindrical mixing chamber and a pair of passages which are connected at one end with the mixing chamber. The passages are arranged so that their longitudinal axes are parallel, are disposed at an angle of ap proximtely four degrees with respect to the vertical plane including the central longitudinal axis of the mixing chamber, and intersect a diameter of the mixing chamber at points equally spaced from the central longitudinal axis of the chamber. Moreover, the passages are arranged so that the plane including the diameter and the longitudinal axis of one of the passages is perpendicular to the plane, including the diameter and the longitudinal axis of the other passage, and both these planes are disposed at an angle of forty-five degrees to the central longitudinal axis of the mixing chamber. This arrangement of the mixing chamber and the passages causes the component materials to enter the chamber tangently, but at diametrically opposite sides of the chamber, whereby the component materials may be thoroughly and uniformly mixed in the chamber by the resulting swirling action of the materials in and along the chamber.

The body has a first sealing surface formed on one end thereof and the other ends of the passages terminate at spaced points in this sealing surface. The gun also includes a member having a plurality of bores which are connected with sources of component material and with a source of solvent and which terminate at spaced points in a second sealing surface formed on the member adjacent to the first surface. The second surface is biased into sealing engagement with the first surface by biasing means which utilizes, in part, the pressure of the component materials and solvent upstream of the second surface.

As noted above, the body may be rotated relative to the rest of the gun, and this rotation of the body causes the first sealing surface to rotate relative to the second sealing surface. Moreover, the other ends of the passages and the ends of the bores in the gun are arranged so that when the body is rotated to a first position, the other ends of the passages are aligned with the ends of the bores connected with the component materials sources whereby the materials may flow through the passages and into the mixing chamber. Further, when the body is rotated to the second position, the other ends of the passages are aligned with the ends of the bores connected with the solvent source so that solvent may flow through the passages and into the mixing chamber thereby cleaning these passages and chamber. Lastly, when the body is rotated to a third position, the other ends of the passages are not aligned with either ends of the component material bores or the solvent bores so that the there is no fiow through the passages.

Thus, in summary, the improved spray gun of the present invention provides a thoroughly and uniformly mixed spray while eliminating the problems found in the prior plural component spray guns with respect to ease of cleaning and simultaneous opening and closing of the component materials valves. In addition, the improved spray gun has a relatively simple design and construction which permits the gun to be inexpensively manufactured.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved spray gun for spraying a homogeneous mixture of rapidly reacting chemical materials in which the novel mixing chamber is of relatively simple design and arrangement and in which a rotary valve is utilized to control the flow of the component materials to the mixing chamber.

Another object of the present invention was to provide an improved spray gun for spraying a homogeneous mixture of rapidly reacting chemical material in which the adjacent surfaces of the rotary valve are urged into sealing engagement by biasing means which, in part, utilizes the pressure of the component materials and the solvent.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following specifications, drawings, and appended claims.

Description of the a'l awings FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the improved spray gun of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial, horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the spray gun of the present invention that is similar to FIGURE 2 except that the valve body has been rotated to a position in which the component materials may flow into the mixing chamber and be sprayed from the gun.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the spray gun of the present invention showing the valve body in a position in which solvent may fiow into the mixing chamber and be sprayed from the gun.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged cross-sectional view showing the details of the novel mixing chamber arrangement and the passages which are connected with the chamber.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 66 in FIGURE 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to FIGURES 14, an improved spray gun embodying the principles of the present invention is shown generally at 11. The gun 11 includes a housing 12 and a handle 13. The handle is removably connected to the housing 12 by a threaded bolt 14, and may be removed from the housing when, for example, the gun is to be used in a stationary installation.

Three threaded bores 15, 16 and 17 are formed or drilled in the rear face 18 of the housing 12, with the bores and 16 being equally spaced transversely from the longitudinal center line of the housing and with the bore 17 being spaced above the longitudinal center line of the housing. Adapters 19 and 21 are threaded into the bores 15 and 16 respectively, so that the flanged ends 22 and 23 of the adapters abut the face 18 and so that the other ends 24 and 25 thereof project from the front face 26 of the housing 12. Bores 27 and 28 with coaxial, larger diameter, counter bores 29 and 31 extend completely through the adapters 19 and 21, respectively. Shoulders 32 and 33 are formed between the bores 27 and 29 of the adapter 19 and between the bores 28 and 31 of the adapter 4 21. Reducing nipples 34 and 35 are threaded into the flanged ends 22 and 23 of the adapters 19 and 21, respectively, and axial bores 36 and 37 which extend through these nipples. The ends 38 and 39 of the nipples 34 and 35 are adapted to be connected to separate sources of component materials by means of hosing shown generally at 41 in FIGURE 1. Nipple 34, for example, may be connected to a pressurized source of resin, while the nipple 35 may be connected with a pressurized source of catalyst.

Conventional coil spring biased, ball check valves 42 and 43 are positioned within the adapters 19 and 21, respectively, between the shoulder 32 and the end 44 of the nipple 34, and between the shoulder 33 and the end 45 of the nipple 35. These check valves prevent the component materials in the spray gun from flowing back into the pressurized sources to which the nipples are connected.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, a reducing nipple 46 is threaded into bore 17. The nipple 46 is similar in structure to the nipples 34 and 35 and has an axial bore 47 which extends therethrough. The threaded end 48 of the nipple 46 is adapted to be connected by a hose, shown generally at 49 in FIGURE 1, to a source of pressurized solvent which is capable of cleaning the component materials from the gun. The bore 17 is connected with a vertical bore 51 formed or drilled in the housing 12. Two transverse bores 52 and 53 are drilled in the front face 26 of the housing 12 and are connected with the bore 51 at points equally spaced from the center line of the housing 12. The bores 52 and 53 are counter bored and threaded to receive the threaded ends of the adapters 54 and 55 which include the ends 56 and 57, respectively, that project from the front face 26 of the housing 12. The ends 24, 25, 56 and 57 of the adapters 19, 21, 54 and 55 are similar in structure and project the same distance from the face 26. Each of the ends 24, 25, 56 and 57 have a conventional sealing ring disposed in an annular groove formed in the ends, the sealing ring and groove being generally shown at 58. It should be noted that the ends 24 and 25 and the ends 56 and 57 are formed diametrically opposite each other, with respect to the longitudinal center line of the housing 12, with an angle of ninety degrees between each of the adjacent projecting ends. Moreover, each of the projecting ends 24, 25, 56 and 57 lie on a common circle; i.e., each end is equispaced from the longitudinal center line of the housing 12.

A generally circular plate 59 has four counter bores 61 drilled in its rear face 62. The counter bores 61 have internal diameters that are slightly larger than the outer diameters of the projecting ends 24, 25, 56 and 57 and are arranged, at ninety degree intervals in a circle about the longitudinal center line of the plate whereby, when the gun is assembled, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the ends 24, 25, 56 and 57 project into the bores so that the rear face 62 of the plate 59 is adjacent the front surface 24 of the housing 12.

The front face 63 of the plate 59 has a raised, generally annular sealing surface 64 machined thereon. Two bores 65 are drilled in the surface 64 so that they are coaxial and connected with the larger diameter counter bores 61 which receive the projecting ends 24 and 25 of the component materials adapters 19 and 21. Two other bores 66 are drilled in the surface 64 so that they are coaxial with and connected to the counter bores 61 which receive the pro ecting ends 56 and 57 of the solvent adapters 54 and 55. Moreover, each of the component material bores 65 is spaced ninety degrees from each of the solvent bores 66 and all the bores 65 and 66 lie on a common circle about the longitudinal center line of the plate 59. Shoulders 67 are formed between the ends of the bores 65 and 66 and the counter bores 61. As shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4, the depth or length of the counter bores 61 is greater than the length of the projecting ends 24, 25, 56 and 57, so that fluid chambers 68 are formed in counter bores 61 between the shoulders 67 and the projecting ends of the adapters 19, 21, 54 and 55. Thus, when the spray gun is connected with the source of pressurized component materials and solvent, the pressure of the fluid in the chambers 68 tends to bias or move the plate 59 to the left, away from the housing 12, with the projecting ends 24, 25, 56 and 57 serving as guides for this limited movement. In addition, spring washer 69, disposed about each of the projecting ends 24, 25, 56 and 57 and between the front face 26 of the housing and the rear face 62 of the plate, also tend to bias or move the plate 59 to the left, away from the housing 12. As more fully explained hereinafter, this limited movement of the plate 59 assists in sealing the gun.

An annular retainer 71 has a first and second interconnecting, generally circular openings 72 and 73 formed therein with a shoulder 74 being formed therebetween. The central longitudinal axes of the openings 72 and 73 are coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the ring 71, and also with the longitudinal center line of housing 12. The diameter of the opening 73 is greater than the diameter of the opening 72 and is also greater than the external diameter of the plate 59. The retainer 71 is secured to the front face 24 of the housing 12 by a plurality of bolts, not shown.

A valve body 75 includes a threaded forward end 76, a reduced central portion 77 and an enlarged rear portion 78. A flange 79 is formed on the rear portion 78 of the valve body adjacent the rear face 81 thereof, with the flange having outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the ring 59. A portion of the flange 79, not shown, is cut away, and this cut away portion cooperated with a radially inwardly projecting portion formed on the retainer 71, also not shown, to limit the rotation of the body 75 to an arc of ninety degrees.

Like the face 63, the face 81 of the valve body 75 has a raised, generally annular sealing surface 82 machined thereon. The radial dimensions of the surface 82 are equal to the radial dimensions of the surface 64, and thus when the gum 11 is assembled, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the surfaces 64 and 82 abut. Moreover, because of the fluid pressure in the chambers 68 and the spring washers 69, the surface 64 is biased or moved into tight sealing engagement with the surface 82.

As is apparent from FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the outer diameter of ring 59 and the outer diameter of flange 79 are greater than the diameter of the opening 72 so that when the valve body 75 is positioned as shown in FIG- URES 2, 3 and 4, the shoulder 74 holds or supports the valve body in position. An annular Teflon ring 85 is positioned between the flange 79 and the shoulder 74 and when so positioned, the ring 85 acts as a' thrust bearing. As noted above, fluid pressure in chambers 68 and the spring washers 69 bias the plate 59 against the body 75, and thus, the flange 79 is biased against the ring 85. However, because the ring 85 is made of Teflon, rotation of the valve body 75, with respect to the plate 59, may be achieved with a minimal application of torque to the valve body. Furthermore, wear on the Teflon ring 85 will not cause fluid leakage between the sealing surfaces 64 and 82 since as the ring 85 wears, the plate 59 will be moved to the left, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, by the fluid pressure in chamber 68 and by the washers 69. Therefore, the Teflon ring 85 has to be replaced only after it has been so severely worn that it can no longer function as a thrust bearing, thus minimizing maintenance work on the gun.

In order to properly locate the valve body 75 with respect to the plate 59, a guide pin 86 is positioned between the front face 63 of the plate 59 and the rear face 81 of the body 75 so that the longitudinal center lines of the plate 59, body 75, and pin 86 are coaxial.

A handle assembly 87 includes an annular portion 88 which fits about the front part of the rear portion 78 of the valve body 75 and a handle 89. The annular portion 88 is secured to the portion 78 of the valve body by means of a set screw, not shown, so that rotational movement of the handle assembly 87 results in a corresponding rotation of the valve body 75. The handle 89 is integrally formed with the annular portion 88 and extends to the rear of the gun adjacent to, but spaced from, the side of the retainer 71 and housing 12, as shown best in FIG- URES 1 and 2. Moreover, as shown in FIGURE 1, the outer surface of the housing 12 has the words SOLV, OFF and ON stamped thereon adjacent to the end 91 of the handle 89. These words SOLV, OFF and ON are arranged so that movement of the end 91 from the word SOLV to OFF, or OFF to ON causes rotation of the valve body through an arc of forty-five degrees. Furthermore, movement of the handle 89 from ON to SOLV or vice versa causes the valve body to rotate through an arc of ninety degrees which, as noted above, is the maximum are through which the valve body may be rotated. Also, as more fully explained hereinafter, the valve body 75 is constructed and arranged, with re spect to the handle 89, so that when the end 91 is pointed at the word ON, a homogeneous mixture of the component materials is sprayed from the gun, and so that when the end 91 is pointed at the word SOLV, solvent under pressure is sprayed from the gun. Further, when the end 91 is pointed at the word OFF, no fluid is being sprayed from the gun.

Moreover, to prevent fluid from being unintentionally sprayed from the gun by an accidental movement of the handle 89 from the OFF position to the ON or SOLV positions, a latch 92 is provided. The latch 92 comprises a stepped diameter shaft 93 which is positioned within a bore 94 formed in the retainer 71. The ends of the shaft 93 are guided in the bore 94, for limited reciprocal movement therein, by cylindrical bearing members 95 and 96. A handle 97 is secured to the shaft 93 and extends perpendicularly therefrom through an elongated groove 98 formed in the outer surface of the retainer 71. A coil compression spring 99 is positioned in the bore 84 between the end of the member 96 and the large diameter portion of the shaft 93, and surrounds the small diameter portion of the shaft 93. The spring 99 urges the shaft 93 to the left, as shown in FIGURE 4, so that the front end of the shaft abuts the rear face 101 of the annular portion 88 of the handle assembly 87. A recess, not shown, is formed in the rear surface 101 of the portion 88 and is so aligned with respect to the shaft 93 that when the end 91 of the handle 89 is pointed to the word OFF, the front end of the shaft 93, under the bias of spring 99. projects into the recess, thereby preventing rotation of the portion 88 and thus the valve body 75. Therefore, when it is desired to move the handle 89 to either the SOLV or ON positions from the OFF position, it is first necessary to retract the end of shaft 93 from the recess, against the force of the spring 99, by means of the handle 97.

Referring now to the valve body 75, a generally right cylindrical mixing chamber 102 is formed therein so that the central longitudinal axes of the chamber and the valve body are coaxial. The front end 103 of the chamber is connected with a spray tip 104 that is secured to the threaded portion 76 of the body 75 by a nut 105. An annular sealing ring 106 is positioned between the front end of the portion 76 and the spray tip 104 to prevent leakage therebetween. The spray tip 104 is of conventional design, and satisfactory performance of the gun may be obtained using either a round or elliptical pattern tip.

A pair of passages 107 and 108 are each connected at one end with the rear end 109 of the mixing chamber 102, and as best shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, the central longitudinal axes of the passages 107 and 108 are parallel and intersect a diameter of the mixing chamber 102 at points equally spaced from the central longitudinal axis of the chamber. Moreover, a plane including the diameter and the longitudinal axis of the passage 107 is perpendicular to a plane including the diameter and the central longitudinal axis of the passage 108. Also, the central longitudinal axes of the passages 107 and 108 each form an angle of four degrees with the vertical plane including the central longitudinal axis of the chamber 102. Furthermore, the passages 107 and 108 are arranged so that the fluid streams emitted therefrom enter the chamber 102 tangentially to the walls of the chamber, but on diametrically opposite sides thereof and, of course, with an included angle between the entering streams of ninety degrees. Thus the component materials are thoroughly mixed within the chamber 102 by the resulting swirling action or flow of the materials in and along the chamber.

The other ends 111 and 112 of the passages 107 and 108, respectively, terminate, one-hundred and eighty degrees apart, in the sealing surface 82 and are arranged so that they may be aligned with the bores 65 and 66 formed in the sealing surface 64 of the plate 59. In other words, the ends 111 and 112 of the pasages 107 and 108 and the bores 65 and 66 all lie on a common circle with respect to the longitudinal center lines of the plate 59 and body 75.

It has been found that when the diameter of the passages 107 and 108 are equal to the radius of the mixing chamber 102, satisfactory results may be obtained. More particularly, it has been found that in a spray gun wherein the diameter of the passages corresponding to passages 107 and 108 are inch and the diameter of the mixing chamber corresponding to chamber 102 is /s inch, a satisfactorily homogeneous mixture may be sprayed from the gun when the component materials have a viscosity of 300 -c.p.c.

The operation of the gun is as follows: When the end 91 of the handle 89 is pointed to the word OFF, the valve body 75 is arranged, as shown in FIGURE 2, so that the ends 111 and 112 of the passages 107 and 108 are not connected with either the material bores 65 or the solvent bores 66 but are disposed forty-five degrees therebetween. When the latch 92 is retracted and the end 91 of the handle 89 is pointed to the word ON, the body 75 is arranged, as shown in FIGURE 3, so that the ends 111 and 112 of the passages 107 and 108 are aligned with the material bores 65 whereby component material may flow through the passages 107 and 108 and into mixing chamber 102 wherein the materials are thoroughly and uniformly mixed and thereafter sprayed from the gun through the tip 104. Moreover, when the end 91 of the handle 89 is pointed to the word SOLV, the body 75 is arranged, as shown in FIGURE 4, so that the ends 111 and 112 of the passages 107 and 108 are aligned with the solvent bores 66 whereby solvent may flow through the passages 107 and 108, into the mixing chamber 102 and through the tip 104, thereby thoroughly and completely cleaning the passages, chamber and tip.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that the spray gun of the present invention is a significant improvement over the prior plural component materials spray guns. The improved spray gun of the present invention has a relatively simple design, construction and arrangement which not only reduces the manufacturing costs of the gun but also permits thorough and facile cleaning of the mixing chamber and the passages interconnecting the mixing chamber with the component material valves, so that there is never build-up of the component materials in these passages and chamber and around the valves. Moreover the use of a rotary valve to control the flow of material through the spray gun eliminates the problem, heretofore found in the prior plural component materials spray guns, of adjusting the component material valves so that simultaneous actuation of these valves may be achieved. Furthermore, the use of a rotary valve permits actuation of the valve with a minimal application of torque to the valve handle.

Moreover, it should be recognized that various other modifications may be made to the spray gun of the present invention. For example, if because of the materials used thorough mixing is desired. a static mixer may, of course, be inserted in the mixing chamber to provide additional mixing.

I claim:

1. Spray apparatus for spraying plural fluid component materials as a homogeneous mixture comprising: nozzle means; a mixing chamber connected with the nozzle means so that the component materials mixed in said mixing chamber are sprayed from the nozzle means; a member having a first bore adapted to be connected with a first component material source, a second bore adapted to be connected with a second component material source, and a third bore adapted to be connected with a solvent source; a body including passage means which has one end thereof connected with said mixing chamber; and means for causing relative movement between the member and the body whereby the other end of said passage means may be selectively placed in connection with the first and second bores, in connection with the third bore or disconnected from the first, second and third bores.

2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein said passage means includes first and second passages each of which having one end thereof connected with said mixing chamber; and wherein relative movement between the member and the body permits the other ends of the first and second passages to be selectively placed in connection with the first and the second bores, respectively, in connection with the third bore, or disconnected from the first, second and third bores.

3. The apparatus described in claim 2 wherein the last mentioned means includes a handle attached to the body; and wherein the body may be rotated with respect to the member by movement of the handle.

4. The apparatus described in claim 2 wherein a first surface is formed on the member, and a second surface is formed on the body with the first and second surfaces being biased into sealing engagement with each other; wherein said last mentioned means includes a handle attached to the body; and wherein the body may be rotated by the handle with respect to the member about an axis substantially perpendicular to said first and second surfaces.

5. The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein the other ends of the first and second passages are spaced apart and terminate in said second surface and wherein the one ends of the first, second and third bores are spaced apart and terminate in said first surface whereby when the body is rotated selectively about said axis to a first position, the other ends of the first and second passages are adjacent to and aligned with the one end of the first bore passage and with the end of the second bore, respectively; when the body is rotated selectively to a second position, the other ends of the first and second passages are adjacent to and aligned with the one end of the third bore; and when the body is rotated selectively to a third position, the other ends of the first and second passages are not connected with the one ends of the first, second or third bores.

6. The apparatus described in claim 5 wherein fluid biasing means are utilized to urge said first and second surfaces into sealing engagement with each other; and wherein said mixing chamber is formed in the body.

7. The apparatus described in claim 5 wherein the apparatus also includes a housing having four conduit means, each of which having one end thereof projecting from one side of the housing; the first conduit means having the other end thereof connected with the first component material source, the second conduit means having the other end thereof connected with the second component material source and the third and fourth conduit means having the other ends thereof connected with the solvent source; wherein the member includes a fourth bore, the one end of which terminating in the first surface and being spaced apart from the one ends of the first, second and third bores; wherein the first, second, third and fourth bores each include a first, relatively small diameter portion adjacent the one end and a second, larger diameter portion adjacent the other end thereof, said bores being arranged so that the projecting ends of the first, second, third and fourth Conduit means fit within the second portions of the first, second, third and fourth bores, respectively, with the depth of the second portions of the bores being greater than the length of the projecting ends of the conduit means whereby the pressure of the fluid flowing through the conduit means and bores urges said first surface into sealing engagement with the second surface.

8. The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein said mixing chamber is formed in the body; and wherein with respect to said axis, the other ends of the first and second passages are disposed at 180 to each other, the one ends of the first and second bores are disposed at 180 to each other, and the one ends of the third and fourth bores are disposed at 180 to each other, and are disposed at 90 to the one ends of the first and second bores, with the other ends of the first and second passages and the one ends of the first, second, third and fourth bores being equi-spaced from said axis.

9. Spray apparatus for spraying plural component materials as a homogeneous mixture comprising: a body having a first and second fluid passages and a generally cylindrical mixing chamber formed therein; nozzle means connected with said mixing chamber so that the component materials mixed in said mixing chamber are sprayed from the nozzle means, the first and second passages each having one end thereof connected with said mixing chamber, and being positioned so that the central longitudinal axes of the first and second passages each intersect a diameter of said mixing chamber at diiferent points thereon, and so that a first plane including said axis of the first passage, adjacent the one end thereof, and said diameter, is disposed at an angle of approximately 90 with respect to a second plane including said axis of the second passage, adjacent the one end thereof, and said diameter; and valve means for controlling the flow of component materials through the first and second passages.

10. The apparatus described in claim 9 wherein the one ends of the first and second passages are connected with said mixing chamber adjacent one end thereof and wherein the nozzle means is connected with said mixing chamber adjacent the other end thereof.

11. The apparatus described in claim 10 wherein said first and second planes are each disposed at an angle of approximately 45 to the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber; and wherein the streams of component materials emitted from the first and second passages are directed generally toward the other end of said mixing chamber.

12. The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein said mixing chamber is a right cylinder; and wherein the diameters of the first and second passages are approximately equal to a radius of said mixing chamber.

13. The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein said axes of the first and second passages each form an angle of approximately 4 with a vertical plane including the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber.

14. The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein the point of intersection between said axis of the first passage and said diameter and the point of intersection between said axis of the second passage and said diameter are on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber.

15. The apparatus described in claim 12 wherein the point of intersection of said axis of the first passage and said diameter and the point of intersection of said axis of the second passage and said diameter are on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber; and wherein the distance between said points of intersection is approximately equal to a radius of said mixing chamber.

16. The apparatus described in claim 12 wherein said axes of the first and second passages are parallel and form an angle of approximately 4 with a vertical plane including the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber and wherein the point of intersection between said axis of the first passage and said diameter, and the point of intersection between said axis of the second passage and said diameter are on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber.

17. The apparatus described in claim 13 wherein the axes of the first and second passages are parallel.

18. The apparatus described in claim 14 wherein the distance between the point of intersection of said axis of the first passage and said diameter and the point of intersection of said axis of the second passage and said diameter is equal to a radius of said mixing chamber.

19. The apparatus described in claim 14 wherein said axes of the first and second passages each form an angle of approximately 4 with a vertical plane including the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber.

20. The apparatus described in claim 15 wherein the axes of the first and second passages are parallel and form an angle of approximately 4 with a vertical plane including the central longitudinal axis of said mixing chamber.

21. The apparatus described in claim 19 wherein said axes of the first and second passages are parallel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,097,028 10/1937 Gates 239-428 2,143,817 1/1939 Longdin et a1. 239428 3,057,273 10/1962 Wilson 23942 8 3,123,306 3/1964 Bradley 239-428 3,263,928 8/ 1966 Gusmer 239414 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

Images