US3447756A - Spray nozzle - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1969 R. c. LAWRENCE, JR 3,447,756

SPRAY NOZZLE Filed Sept. 2,-1966 I N VEN TOR. Iowa/v0; I2

Power 6 United States Patent 3,447,756 SPRAY NOZZLE Robert C. Lawrence, Jr., 1943 Barrington Court, Claremont, Calif. 91711 Filed Sept. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 576,897 Int. Cl. Bb 1/04, ]/20 US. Cl. 239-594 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to spray nozzles; more particularly, the present invention relates to a spray nozzle having an improved fiat fan-shaped spray pattern characterized by generally uniform fluid velocity and coverage over its entire cross-sectional and immunity to change in the spray pattern with nozzle wear.

As will appear from the ensuing description, the present spray nozzle may be used to advantage in various applications, particularly industrial applications. However, the nozzle is intended primarily for removing surface material from a work member, such as bark from trees and scale from metal plates. The invention will be described in connection with this latter application.

It is common practice in steel rolling mills to remove scale from steel plate by directing high velocity water sprays against the surfaces of the plate. A typical scale removal system of this kind, for example, comprises means for transporting the plate edgewise between sets of descaling nozzles which direct high velocity water sprays against oposite sides of the plate. The ideal nozzle for this purpose has a generally flat fan-shaped spray pattern. A variety of such descaling spray nozzles have been devised. The existing nozzles, however, are not totally satisfactory.

Thus, the existing nozzles are deficient in that the effective impact force of the spray against the work plate varies substantially over the cross-section of the spray pattern. This is due to the fact that the velocity and/or effective coverage of the water in the spray varies from one point to another over the cross-section of the spray.'As a result, the existing descaling nozzles do not produce a uniform descaling action. Owing to the high velocity flow of water through descaling nozzles, the latter tend to wear in use. Another defect of the existing scale nozzles resides in the fact that their spray pattern changes appreciably with such wear. The nozzles must therefore be periodically adjusted or replaced. This necessitates shut-down of the rolling mill and thus involves substantial cost, production delay, and inconvenience.

It is evident at this point that a definite need exists for an improved descaling nozzle which is not subject to the noted deficiencies of the existing nozzles. The present invention provides such an improved descaling nozzle. As will appear from the ensuing description, however, the improved nozzle of the invention is not limited in usefulness to this metal plate descaling application although the invention, as already noted, will be described in this connection.

One important object of the present invention, then, is to provide a spray nozzle having an improved spray pattern characterized by relatively uniform impact force over substantially its entire cross-section.

A related object of the invention is to provide a spray 3,447,756 Patented June 3, 1969 ice nozzle of the character described having a generally flat fan-shaped spray pattern which is ideal for metal plate descaling use and effects a relatively uniform descaling action.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a spray nozzle of the character described whose spray pattern does not change with nozzle wear occasioned by high velocity fluid flow through the nozzle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spray nozzle of the character described which may be readily reconditioned, when necessary.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a spray nozzle of the character described which is relatively simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and otherwise ideally suited to its intended purposes.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those versed in the art from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, where- 1n:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a metal plate rolling machine having plate descaling means embodying improved descaling nozzles according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of one of the descaling nozzles shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front end view of the nozzle taken on line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on line 55 in FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view, on reduced scale, of a front end of the nozzle and illustrates the improved fan-shaped spray pattern of the nozzle;

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on line 77 in FIG- URE 5; and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view, on reduced scale, of one-half of a split nozzle tip embodied in the present spray nozzle.

In FIGURE 1 of these drawings, there is illustrated a metal plate rolling machine 10 which is typical of those employed in steel rolling mills for rolling steel billets into plate. Rolling machine 10 includes rolls 12 which serve to form and feed edgewise the metal plate 14 produced by the machine. At the outfeed end of the rolling machine is a descaling station 16 having descaling means 17 for removing surface scale from the plate 14.

Descaling means 17 comprise upper and lower water headers or manifolds 18 which are mounted on the machine frame 20 above and below the path of movement of the metal plate 14 through the machine. Each header 17 has a number of descaling spray nozzles 22 for directing high velocity water spray against the adjacent surface of the plate 14. The nozzles have overlapping spray patterns, as shown, whereby, ideally, the entire surface area of each side of the plate is cleaned or descaled during its passage through the descaling station 16. As noted earlier, however, the existing descaling spray nozzles for this purpose are defective in that they do not produce a uniform descaling action, owing to the lack of uniformity of the impact force of the spray from the nozzles over the entire cross-section of the spray. Moreover, the existing nozzles require periodic adjustment or replacement, owing to the change in their spray pattern with nozzle wear, which necessitates shut down of the rolling mill. The present invention is concerned with the improved construction of the descaling spray nozzles 22, whereby these defects of the prior art nozzles are avoided.

As shown in FIGURES 2 through 8, the present spray or descaling nozzle 22 has an outer body 24 with a threaded rear end 26, a threaded front end 28, and an intervening polygonal wrench receiving portion 30. Extending axially through the body is a bore 32, the front end of which is counterbored at 34. Within the body is a tubular strainer 36. This strainer comprises a sleeve 38 which fits slidably within the body bore 32 and extends though the open rear end of this bore to a position rearwardly of the nozzle body 24. The forward end of the strainer sleeve 38 extends through and a short distance beyond the forward end of the body counterbore 34. Adjacent the front end of the strainer sleeve is an external circumferential shoulder 40 which seats rearwardly against the internal annular shoulder 42 which is defined on the nozzle body 24 at the rear or inner end of the body counterbore 34.

Extending axially through the strainer sleeve 38 is a water passage 44. The rear end of this passage opens radially to the outside of the sleeve through a number of entrance slits 46 in the rear extending end of the sleeve. Duringoperation of the nozzle 10, water enters the nozzle through the strainer slits 46 and flows forwardly through the strainer passage 44. The strainer entrance slits 46 serve to strain or filter out particulate matter in the water stream, thus to prevent blockage of the nozzle by such matter. The forward end of the strainer passage 44 opens through the forward end of the strainer sleeve 38.

As shown best in FIGURE 2, the wall of the nozzle body counterbore 34 is radially spaced from the forward end of the strainer sleeve 38, thus to define an annular space therebetween. Surrounding the forward end of the strainer sleeve, within this space, and extending forwardly beyond the sleeve is a collet sleeve 48. The rear end of this collet sleeve is externally cylindrically shaped to fit slidably in the nozzle body counterbore 34. The collet sleeve is sealed to the wall of the counterbore by an O- ring 50. Extending through the collet sleeve is a forwardly converging conical collet bore 52, the rear end of which receives the forward end of the strainer sleeve 38. The strainer sleeve is sealed to the wall of the collet bore by an O-ring 54. Collet sleeve 48 has a forwardly presented annular shoulder 56 about its forward end, forwardly of the nozzle body 24.

Threaded on the forward end of the nozzle body 24 is a nut 58 having a polygonal wrench receiving portion 60. At the front end of the nut is an inwardly directed flange 62 which seats rearwardly against the collet sleeve shoul der S6. Accordinglly, the nut may be tightened to urge the collet sleeve rearwardly against the strainer shoulder 40, thereby to retain the nozzle body 24, strainer 36, and collet sleeve 48 in assembled relation.

The present invention is concerned primarily with a nozzle tip 64 which is positioned in the front or outer end of the collet bore 52. This nozzle tip is externally conically tapered to complement the tapered collet bore 52. The rear or inner end face of the nozzle tip seats against the front or outer end face of the strainer sleeve 38. Accordingly, when the nozzle nut 58 is tightened, as mentioned earlier, the nozzle tip 64 is urged forwardly in the collet bore 52 and is thereby wedged tightly in. this bore to preclude water leakage between the wall of the bore and the outer surface of the tip. For reasons which will be explained presently, the tip is preferably split into two mating halves 64a, 6417 along a parting plane containing the central axis of the tip.

Extending axially through the tip is an orifice 66 having a rear or inner entrance end 68 and a front or outer exit end 70. The orifice has a generally rectangular shape in transverse cross-section and is bounded at two opposite sides by side walls 72 and at its remaining sides by edge walls 74. As shown in FIGURE 4, the orifice edge walls 74 diverge toward the front end of the tip, thus providing the orifice with a relatively wide forwardly diverging tapered cross-section, in every plane parallel to the parting plane between the nozzle tip halves or sections 64a,

4 6411. As shown in FIGURE 5, the orifice side walls 72 converge toward the parting plane over the major portion of their axial length and then extend parallel to this plane, thus to provide the orifice with a relatively narrow forwardly converging tapered cross-section in every plane parallel to the orifice axis and normal to the parting plane.

It is significant to note at this point that both the entrance tip or opening 68 and the exit end or opening of the orifice 66 are rectangular in shape and parallel one another. The diameter of the strainer passage 44 is substantially greater than the major or lengthwise dimension of the entrance opening 68. The exit opening 70 has the narrow slit shape best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 6.

The nozzle tip 64 is preferably split, as described, earlier, to facilitate manufacture of the tip. Thus, the orifice '66 can be conveniently and economically machined by simply milling appropriately shaped grooves in the confronting surfaces of the tip sections 64a, 64b, such that when the tips are assembled in the nozzle, the milled grooves define the orifice. FIGURE 8 best illustrates the milled groove in one-half of the nozzle tip.

In use, a number of the present nozzles 10 are threaded in the headers 18 in FIGURE 1 in such a way that the nozzle orifices 66 open toward the path of movement of the metal plate 1-4 between the headers. The headers are supplied with water under high pressure through an inlet line 76. The water emerges from each nozzle in the form of a fan-shaped spray 78, shown in FIGURE 6. The several nozzles embodied in the descaling means 17 are oriented and spaced along the headers 18 in such a Way that the water sprays 78 from the nozzles are located in a common plane containing the headers and the sprays from adjacent nozzles overlap one another, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1.

It has been found that the spray pattern of the present nozzle is unique, and produces a superior descaling action, for the reason that the water velocity and coverage is essentially uniform throughout the cross-section of the spray. This results in relatively uniform impact force of the water against the plate 14 at every point throughout the spray from each nozzle. These superior characteristics of the spray 78 from the present nozzle 10 is due, in part, to the unique tapered configuration of the nozzle orifice 66 shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, and in part to the fact that both the orifice inlet 68 and outlet 70 are rectangular in shape. It is believed that this rectangular shape of the orifice inlet and outlet is the primary factor which yields the superior spray characteristics of the nozzle. The precise reasons why the illustrated orifice configuration yields this superior spray pattern are not understood. However, that the illustrated orifice configuration does, in fact, yield such a superior spray pattern has been clearly demonstrated by extensive experimental use of a number of the present nozzles for descaling steel plate in a steel rolling mill. Accordingly, it is evident that the invention herein described and illustrated is fully capable of attaining the several objects and advantages preliminarily set forth. It is now evident, of course, that, as noted earlier, the present spray nozzle is not limited in usefulness to such descaling applications.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the same is merely exemplary of presently preferred embodiments capable of attaining the objects and advantages hereinbefore mentioned, and that the invention is not limited thereto; variations will be readily apparent to those versed in the art, and the invention is entitled to the broadest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

1. A nozzle comprising:

a generally tubular body having externally threaded front and rear ends,

there being a bore extending axially through said body and terminating at the front end of said body in a counterbore opening through said front end,

a collet sleeve having a rear end slidably positioned in said counterbore and a front forwardly presented external circumferential shoulder,

a nut threaded on the front end of said body including a forward inwardly directed flange seating rearwardly against said collet sleeve shoulder,

said collet sleeve having a forwardly extending, coni cally tapered collet bore extending therethrough,

an externally conically tapered nozzle tip positioned in said collet bore, and

said nozzle tip having an orifice extending axially therethrough, said orifice having a relatively narrow rectangular shape and terminating at its rear end in a rectangular entrance opening and its front end in a rectangular exit opening, said orifice being bounded at two opposite sides by planar side walls having major planar portions which converge in the direction of said exit opening and at its remaining sides by planar edge walls which diverge in the direction of said exit opening.

2. A nozzle according to claim 1 wherein:

said orifice side walls have minor planar portions immediately adjacent said exit opening which generally parallel said axis.

3. A nozzle according to claim 1 wherein:

said nozzle tip is split into two mating halves along a parting plane containing said axis and the major longitudinal axes of said entrance and exit openings, and

said nozzle includes internal forwardly presented shoulder means seating against the rear end of said nozzle tip.

4. A nozzle comprising:

a tubular body having a fluid passage extending longitudinally therethrough,

a nozzle tip at one end of said body having an inner end face extending across the adjacent end of said passage and an opposite outer end face,

said nozzle tip containing an orifice or rectangular cross-section from end to end extending through the tip on the central axis of said passage,

said orifice having a rectangular entrance end opening through said inner nozzle tip face to said passage and a rectangular exit end opening through said outer nozzle tip face,

said orifice being bounded at two opposite sides by planar wide walls having major portions which converge in the direction of said exit end and at its remaining sides by planar edge walls which diverge in the direction of said exit,

said entrance end of said orifice defining a rectangular entrance opening to said orifice having a major length dimension and a minor width dimension, and

the diameter of said passage at said inner nozzle tip face being substantially greater than said major dimension of said orifice entrance opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,133,711 3/1915 Cornelius 239595 1,889,201 11/1932 Holveck 239597 2,969,190 1/1961 Foreman 239-601 3,101,906 8/1963 Webber 239--592 3,273,805 9/1966 Hall 2.39-592 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

Images