Injection spray system with adjustable metering valve

• US 6,182,911 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aramsco Holdings, Inc. (Aramsco, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bridgewater Incorporated
• Inventors: Edwards, William D., Hanks, Gordon K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US09/345,931
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 239/310, 239/318, 239/337, 239/340, 239/417.5, 222/133, 222/145.7, 137/893, 137/556, 137/556.3, 137/556.6
• US Class Current: 239/318
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/105 Mixing heads, i.e. compact mixing units or modules, using mixing valves for feeding and mixing at least two components
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/1051 of the mixing valve type
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/316 with containers for additional components fixed to the conduit
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2443 the carried liquid and the main stream of carrying liquid being brought together downstream of the container before discharge B05B7/2454 takes precedence

Abstract

An injection spraying system includes a container having a compartment configured to hold a first fluid. A valve body is removably coupled with the container and includes a mixing chamber, an inlet passageway configured to deliver a second fluid to the mixing chamber, a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber, a stem compartment communicating with the mixing chamber through a control orifice, and a transition passageway in fluid communication with the stem compartment. Movably disposed within the stem compartment is a metering stem having a tapered nose configured to selectively engage the control orifice. An adjustment knob is mounted to the metering stem such that rotation of the adjustment knob selectively advances and retracts the metering stem within the chamber of the meter tube. A siphoning tube has one end disposed within the compartment of the container and an opposing end in fluid communication with the transition passageway.

Claims

1. A metering valve configured to mix a first fluid with a second fluid, the metering valve comprising:

(a) a valve body bounding a mixing chamber and having;

(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid the mixing chamber under pressure;

(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;

(iii) a stem compartment in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a control orifice;

(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the stem compartment, the transition passageway being configured to deliver the second fluid to the mixing chamber through the control orifice; and

(v) a stationary alignment mark located on an exterior surface thereof;

(b) a metering stem movably disposed within the stem compartment, the metering stem being configured to selectively control the flow of the second fluid from the transition passageway to the mixing chamber by selectively advancing and retracting within the stem compartment; and

(c) an adjustment knob having a side face with a plurality of spaced apart indicia identifying discrete ratios of the first fluid to the second fluid, the adjustment knob being coupled with the metering stem such that alignment of a select indicia chosen from the plurality of indicia with the stationary alignment mark displaces the metering stem relative to the control orifice so that the first fluid and the second fluid feed into the mixing chamber at the ratio identified by the select indicia, the adjustment knob having a substantially cylindrical configuration with the side face encircling the adjustment knob and longitudinally extending between a first end to an opposing second end, the indica being disposed on the side face adjacent to the first end so as to at least partially encircle the adjustment knob at spaced apart locations, the adjustment knob further including

(i) a first metering mark disposed on the side face of the adjustment knob between a first select one of the indicia and the first end of the adjustment knob; and

(ii) a second metering mark disposed on the side face of the adjustment knob between a second select one of the indicia and the second end of the adjustment knob, the second alignment mark identifying a ratio of the first fluid and the second fluid after at least one full rotation of the adjustment knob.

2. The metering valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the metering stem includes two adjacently disposed annular slots radially encircling the metering stem, each annular slot having an O-ring disposed therein.

3. The metering valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the valve body includes a substantially cylindrical meter tube, the meter tube having an interior surface bounding a chamber extending therethrough, the chamber forming at least a potion of the stem compartment.

4. The metering valve as recited in claim 3, wherein the interior surface of the meter tube has threads formed thereon and the metering stem has an exterior surface with threads formed thereon, the metering stem being received in threaded engagement within the chamber of the meter tube.

5. A metering valve comprising:

(a) a valve body bounding a mixing chamber and having;

(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber;

(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;

(iii) a stem compartment having an interior surface and communicating with the mixing chamber through a control orifice; and

(iv) a transition passageway communicating with the stem compartment;

(b) an elongated metering stem movably disposed within the stem compartment, the metering stem having a first end with a tapered nose formed thereat, an opposing second end having threads formed thereat, and at least two adjacently disposed annular slots radially encircling the metering stem between the tapered nose and the threads;

(c) an O-ring disposed within each of the annular slots on the metering stem, each O-ring being configured to bias in sealed engagement against the interior surface of the stem compartment when the metering stem is moved within the stem compartment; and

(d) an adjustment knob coupled to the metering stem such that upon movement of the adjustment knob the metering stem selectively advances and retracts within the stem compartment so as to selectively control fluid communication between the transition passageway and the mixing chamber.

6. The metering valve as recited in claim 5, wherein the valve body includes an enlarged control recess extending from the exterior to the control orifice.

7. The metering valve as recited in claim 6, wherein the valve body includes a meter tube having a chamber extending therethrough, the meter tube having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end being coupled with the control recess such that the chamber is in fluid communication with the control orifice, the stem forming at least a portion of the stem compartment.

8. The metering valve as recited in claim 7, wherein the meter tube is configured to threadedly receive the metering stem within the chamber thereof.

9. The metering valve as recited in claim 7, further comprising an annular lip encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the second end of the meter tube.

10. The metering valve as recited in claim 9, wherein the adjustment knob has an interior compartment having the second end of the meter tube received therein, a set screw mounted on the adjustment knob is configured to bias against the lip of the meter tube.

19. A metering valve as recited in claim 5, wherein the metering stem has a central longitudinal axis in alignment with the mixing chamber.

11. A valve system configured to mix a first fluid with a second fluid, the valve system comprising:

(a) a valve body bounding a mixing chamber and having;

(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid to the mixing chamber under a plurality of different pressures;

(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;

(iii) a stem compartment in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a control orifice;

(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the stem compartment, the transition passageway being configured to deliver the second fluid to the mixing chamber through the control orifice; and

(v) a stationary alignment mark located on an exterior surface thereof;

(b) a first control assembly including a first adjustment knob having an elongated metering stem projecting therefrom, the first control assembly being configured to selectively couple with the valve body such that rotation of the first adjustment knob selectively moves the metering stem within the stem compartment so as to selectively control the flow of the second fluid to the mixing chamber, the first adjustment knob having a side face with a plurality of spaced apart indicia identifying discrete ratios of the first fluid to the second fluid for a first select pressure of the first fluid, the first select pressure being chosen from the plurality of different pressures; and

(c) a second control assembly including a second adjustment knob having an elongated metering stem projecting therefrom, the second control assembly being configured to selectively couple with the valve body such that rotation of the second adjustment knob selectively moves the metering stem within the stem compartment so as to selectively control the flow of the second fluid to the mixing chamber, the second adjustment knob having a side face with a plurality of spaced apart indicia identifying discrete ratios of the first fluid to the second fluid for a second select pressure of the first fluid, the second select pressure being chosen from the plurality of different pressures, the first control assembly and second control assembly being selectively interchangeable for independent use with the valve body.

12. The valve system as recited in claim 11, wherein the discharge passageway radially outwardly expands to create a venturi that sucks the second fluid into the mixing chamber when the first fluid passes through the discharge passageway.

13. An injection spraying system configured to mix and spray a first fluid with a second fluid, the system comprising:

(a) a container having a compartment configured to hold the second fluid;

(b) a valve housing removably coupled with the container, the valve housing having;

(i) a mixing chamber;

(ii) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid to the mixing chamber under pressure;

(iii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;

(iv) an enlarged control recess in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a constricted control orifice; and

(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the control recess;

(c) a meter tube coupled to the control recess, the meter tube having an interior surface bounding a chamber passing therethrough, the chamber being in fluid communication with the control orifice, the meter tube having a substantially cylindrical exterior surface extending from a first end to an opposing second end, the first end being coupled with the valve housing, the second end having an annular lip radially outwardly projecting therefrom;

(d) a metering stem movably disposed within the chamber of the meter tube, the metering stem having a tapered nose configured to selectively engage the control orifice;

(e) an adjustment knob mounted to the metering stem such that rotation of the adjustment knob selectively advances and retracts the metering stem within the chamber of the meter tube; and

(f) a siphoning tube having one end disposed within the compartment of the container and an opposing end in fluid communication with the transition passageway cooperating with the container and the valve body to thereby allow the second fluid to be drawn therefrom.

14. The injection spray system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

(a) a stationary alignment mark disposed on an exterior surface of the valve housing; and

(b) the adjustment knob having a side face with a plurality of spaced apart indicia identifying discrete ratios of the first fluid to the second fluid, the adjustment knob being coupled with the meter stem such that alignment of a select indicia chosen from the plurality of indicia with the stationary alignment mark displaces the metering stem relative to the control orifice so that the first fluid and the second fluid feed into the mixing chamber at the ratio identified by the select indicia.

15. The injection spray system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

(a) the metering stem having at least two adjacently disposed annular slots radially encircling the metering stem; and

(c) an O-ring disposed within each of the annular slots on the metering stem, each O-ring being configured to bias in sealed engagement against the interior surface of the compartment of the meter tube when the metering stem is moved within the compartment.

16. The injection spray system as recited in claim 13, wherein the metering stem is threadedly disposed within the meter tube.

17. The injection spray system as recited in claim 13, further comprising an adapter assembly in fluid communication with the inlet passageway of the valve housing.

18. The injection spray system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a dispensing hose in fluid communication with the discharge passageway of the of the valve housing.

20. A metering valve comprising:

(a) a valve body founding a mixing chamber and having;

(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber;

(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;

(iii) a stem compartment having an interior surface and communicating with the mixing chamber through a control orifice;

(iv) a meter tube having a chamber extending therethrough, the meter tube having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end being coupled with the valve body such that the chamber is in fluid communication with the control orifice, the chamber of the meter tube forming at least a portion of the stem compartment, an annular lip encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the second end of the meter tube; and

(v) a transition passageway communicating with the stem compartment;

(b) an elongated metering stem movably disposed within the stem compartment, the metering stem having a annular first slot radially encircling the metering stem;

(c) a fist O-ring disposed within the annular first slot on the metering stem, the first O-ring being configured to bias in sealed engagement against the interior surface of the stem compartment when the metering stem is moved within the stem compartment; and

(d) an adjustment knob coupled to the metering stem such that upon movement of the adjustment knob the metering stem selectively advances and retracts within the stem compartment so as to selectively control fluid communication between the transition passageway and the mixing chamber.

21. A metering valve as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

(a) an annular second slot radially encircling the metering stem; and

(b) a second O-ring disposed within the annular second slot on the metering stem.

22. A metering valve as recited in claim 20, wherein the metering stem has a first end with a tapered nose formed thereat and an opposing second end having threads formed thereat, the first and second annular slots being disposed between the first end and the opposing second end.

23. An injection spraying system configured to mix and spray a first fluid with a second fluid, the system comprising:

(a) a container having a compartment configured to hold the second fluid;

(b) a valve housing removably coupled with the container, the valve housing having;

(i) a mixing chamber;

(ii) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid to the mixing chamber under pressure;

(iii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;

(iv) an enlarged control recess in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a constricted control orifice; and

(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the control recess;

(c) a meter tube coupled to the control recess, the meter tube having an interior surface bounding a chamber passing therethrough, the chamber being in fluid communication with the control orifice;

(d) a metering stem movably disposed within the chamber of the meter tube, the metering stem having a tapered nose configured to selectively engage the control orifice;

(e) an adjustment knob mounted to the metering stem such that rotation of the adjustment knob selectively advances and retracts the metering stem within the chamber of the meter tube; and

(f) a siphoning tube having one end disposed within the compartment of the container and an opposing end in fluid communication with the transition passageway cooperating with the container and the valve body to thereby allow the second fluid to be drawn therefrom; and

(g) a dispensing hose in fluid communication with the discharge passageway of the valve housing.

24. An injection spraying system as recited in claim 23, further comprising an adapter assembly in fluid communication with the inlet passageway of the valve housing.

25. An injection spraying system as recited in claim 24, wherein the adapter assembly comprises a tubular extension having a nozzle disposed at one end and a strainer disposed at an opposing end.