US2948285A - Equipment for cleaning spray guns and other jet equipped machines - Google Patents

Description

FIG. 2

B. F. POE ET AL EQUIPMENT FOR CLEANING SPRAY GUNS AND OTHER JET EQUIPPED MACHINES Filed June 3, 1955 Aug. 9, 1960 hi 4 r v 4 BENJAMIN F. POE

ALFRED N. BARNES FIG. 5

ATTORNEY.

United States. Patent ice gm, Augpwm EQUIPMENT FOR CLEANING SPRAY GUNS OTHER JET EQUIP-PED MACHINES. a

Benjamin F. Poe, Washougall, Wash. 1915 w. 37th St., Vancouver, Wash.); and Alfred N. Barnes, Washougal, Wash. (P.0. Box'672, St. Francisville,

Filed June a, 1955, SerQNo. $13,139

3-Claims. c1. 134 -102 Our invention relates to equipment for cleaningpa'int ment as our invention relates to isftcdious, time consuming and results in a *great deal of labor being spent'in cleaning such equipment which otherwise could be used more productively.

One of the objects of our invention is the provision carburetors, or other machinesemploying"jets'or small orifices, etc. without the necessity of disassembling the machines or devices.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a means of cleaning paint spray guns, 'carburetors, etc. without spending .a considerable amount of time-. in the cleaning operation. I

.A still further object of our invention is the-provision of ameansof cleaning paint spray guns, painting l form'18. I In the center of the screen or mesh platform 18 is formed a circular hole 19 immediately above a spray nozzle 20, A compressed air supply line 21 is secured into the bottom of the spray nozzle 20 and runs through the .side of the tank 10 to an air filter 23 and then to a source of compressed air. A solvent supply line 22 with its intake end near the bottom of the tank 10 runs through and is secured in the side of the nozzle 20. It is so positioned to the outlet end of the compressed air line 21 that a siphon action is created drawspray guns, such as those used in the painting of auto? 7 ingl'solv'ent through the line 22 when wmpressed air is emitting from the outlet end of the line 21. Holes 24 in the crown portion of the nozzle 20 provide a means for solvent to be emitted into the area of the tank 10 above the level of the liquid solvent 25. The solvent employed would 'be an :agent, such as lacquer or paint thinner, suitable to dissolve the particular type of paint used'with the spray gun ortools being cleaned.

Our device is intended primarily for use in garages or automobile painting businesses. In such establishments 1 there usually, if not always, is a source of compressed tools, carburetors, etc.. automatically so .that the equipment or machines will be immediately ready for use without great loss of time in assembling, disassembling or otherwise preparing them for use.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device with the lid in place.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation view of the device taken along the line 22 of Figure l in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device with the lid removed.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device with the lid in place.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the nozzle of the device, showing the approximate relative positioning of the compressed air supply line and the solvent supply line and the nozzle.

Referring further to the drawings:

The main tank 10 of. our device is provided with a removable lid 11, making a closed container unit. The lid 11 is provided with a handle 12 and vent holes 13 through said lid between the handle 12 and the outer edges of the lid. Secured to the top of the lid and projecting over the outer periphery thereof are positioned a number of projections 14 which cooperate with fastening means 15 secured to the sides of the tank 10 to fasten the lid 11 firmly in place on top of said tank. Secured to the under surface of the lid 11 in such a manner as to form a dome shaped crown within the tank 10 is a concave-convex bafile plate. The baflle plate air with numerous outlets -for such fixtures as grease guns, tire pumps, etc. The line- 21 of our device would be connected to such an outlet for the purpose of providing compressed air through said line 21 to its outlet bf equipment f a n g j-guns, vpainting 1061s end within the nozzle 20. The flow of the compressed air through the line 21'irand across the outlet end of the solvent line" 22. within the =no zzle 20 creates a suction whichdraws the liquid solvent 25 through-the lineZZ, atomizing (it :into a' m'ist of hue droplets within the nozzle 20" and expelling :it through the holes 24 into the 'por- V relieved by means of the vent holes 13 positioned in the lid 11 above the baflie 16. However, the main portion of the atomized solvent mist will be deflected downwardly from the dome shaped bafiie plate 16 and will continue in the circular and agitated motion 'thus created until it condenses and runs back into the solvent reservoir at the bottom of the tank. The action of the constantly moving solvent mist of fine droplets around, into and through the smallest crevices and openings of a spray gun, etc. washes away and softens deposits of paint, or lacquer on them.

As a consequence of the continual atomizing of the solvent into a mist of fine droplets in the tank and its dissolving and cleaning action a paint spray gun which has been placed in the tank after its last use is ready for service immediately by merely wiping it oif and blowing plain compressed air through it. With our device it is no longer necessary for a painter to spend a considerable portion of his working time at the end of each painting operation in disassembling and painstakingly cleaning by hand the parts of a spray gun which is not to be used for a period of time. He simply places the complete gun inside the tank 10 of our device, secures the lid 11 in place, attaches the line 21 to a source of compressed air and forgets it until it is needed again. The person is then free to go about other tasks while the gun 3 is being cleaned. Our device, furthermore, will clean more than one paint gun or tool at a time, for several such items may be placed within the tank without impairing the efiectiveness of the cleaning action of the device.

While the drawings and the description hereinabove show and describe the baffle plate 16 as being 'concavoconvex in form, it can be shaped as a frustum of a cone with the small end secured to the under surface of the lid 11. Further, the vent holes 13 through the lid 11 may be eliminated and pressure relieved by means of a loose fitting lid 11.

It is also to be understood that other jet equipped machines requiring cleaning, such as carburetors for automobiles, etc., may be velfectively handled by our device by using the proper solvent.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

' 1. In paint spray gun and painting tool cleaning equipment: a tank open at the top; a lid fittable on top of said tank, said lid having vent holes therethrough and a concave-convex baffle plate secured to its under side, said baffle plate being dimensioned slightly smaller than the interior dimensions of the tank; a mesh platform positioned Within the lower portion of said tank, having a hole positioned at its center; brackets secured to the sides of the lower portion of said tank supporting said platform; a nozzle positioned immediately below said platform and the hole therethrough, said nozzle having a hemispherical upper surface and a plurality of holes through said surface; a compressed air supply line from a source of compressed air to the said nozzle; a solvent reservoir formed by the lower portion of said tank below said mesh platform and below said nozzle; a solvent supply line from said solvent reservoir to the nozzle; and an air filter between the tank and the source of compressed air.

2. In equipment for cleaning painting tools, spray guns, carburetors and other jet equipped machines: a tank open at the top; a lid fittable on top of said tank, said lid having vent holes therethrough and a concavoconvex baflle plate secured to its under side, said bafile plate being dimensioned slightly smaller than the interior dimensions of the tank; a mesh platform positioned within the lower portion of said tank, having a hole positioned at its center and being adapted to support objects to be cleaned; brackets secured to the side of the lower portion of said tank supporting said platform; a mist nozzle positioned immediately below said platform and the hole therethrough, said mist nozzle having a hemispherical upper surface and a plurality of holes through said surface and being adapted to emit a mist of fine droplets of solvent into said tank in agitated circulatory motion and to cooperate with said bafile plate to circulate and re-circulate said mist into, around and through objects on said platform; a compressed air supply line from a source of compressed air to said nozzle; a solvent reservoir formed by the lower portion of said tank below said nozzle; a solvent supply line from said solvent reservoir to the said nozzle; and an air filter between the tank and the source of compressed air.

3. In equipment for cleaning painting tools, spray guns, carburetors and other jet equipped machines: a tank open at the top; a lid fittable on top of said tank, said lid having vent holes therethrough and a concavo-convex bafile plate secured to its under side, said baffle plate being dimensioned slightly smaller than the interior dimensions of the tank, a mesh platform positioned within the lower portion of said tank, having a hole positioned at its center and being adapted to support objects to be cleaned; brackets secured to the side of the lower portion of said tank supporting said platform; a mist nozzle positioned immediately below said platform and the hole therethrough, said nozzle having a hemispherical upper surface and a plurality of holes through said surface and being adapted to emit a mist of fine droplets of solvent into said tank in agitated circulatory motion and to cooperate with said baffle plate to circulate and re-circulate said mist into, around and through objects on said platform; a compressed air supply line from a source of compressed air to the said nozzle; a solvent reservoir formed below said nozzle by the lower portion of said tank; and a solvent supply line from said solvent reservoir to the said mist nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,438,834 Keil Dec. 12, 1922 1,771,436 'Guett July 29, 1930 2,218,880 Hanson Oct. 22, 1940 2,301,601 Wittwer Nov. 10, 1942 2,309,251 Little Jan. 26, 1943 2,570,021 Beach Oct. 2, 1951

Images