CA1239030A - Apparatus for forming and interrupting fluid streams - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure An apparatus is disclosed for forming an intermittent stream of fluid which is directed onto a target. Pressurized fluid from a manifold passes through a bore or similar stream-forming device which faces the target.
Extending over the stream path, in cantilevered fashion, is a resilient reed which is operably associated with a plunger. When the plunger is in a retracted position, the cantilevered reed does not interfer with passage of the stream. When the plunger is extended, however, the free end portion of the cantilevered reed is urged into the path of the stream and prevents the stream from striking the target. A barrier is provided for containing the disrupted stream.

Description

1;~39{~30 cast 1551 APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND INTERRUPTING FLUID STREAMS
This invention relates to an apparatus for forming one or more fluid streams having relatively small, well defined cross sectional areas, and for interrupting, selectively and repeatedly, the flow of such streams in response to an externally supplied signal. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus which may be used to form and pulse the flow of one or more such fluid streams wherein the fluid streams must be directed onto a target or substrate with a precision on the order of 0.01 inch, and wherein the streams are being formed with fluid at pressures up to or exceeding 3000 prig In particular, the teachings of this invention are especially well suited, but are not limited, to applications wherein (1) fine fluid streams, having precisely defined cross sections, are formed from fluids at relatively high pressures, (2) such streams must be directed at a target with a high degree of accuracy and precision, and (3) such streams must be repeatedly and selectively interrupted and reestablished, possibly over irregular or extended time intervals, with an extremely fast "on-off-on" response characteristic, in accordance with electronically defined commands.
It is believed the teachings of this invention may be used advantageously in a wide variety of practical applications where fine streams of fluid, especially liquids, are formed and/or applied to a target in a non-continuous manner, and where the streams are desirably interruptible in accordance with computer-supplied commands or data. Such applications are disclosed, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 3,443,878 to Weber, et at., and U. S. Patent No. 3,942,343 to Klein. These processes relate to the projection of several liquid streams of dye onto a textile substrate, and diverting one or more of the streams from a path leading to the substrate into a sup in accordance with externally supplied pattern information. It is believed that the teachings of this invention could .

~239~3~) improve significantly the degree of definition achievable with these systems, as disclosed, as well as perhaps improve the extent of dye penetration or degree of visual contrast achieved with such systems.
It is also believed that the method and apparatus of this invention may 5 be used in the field of ink jet printing for the purpose of controlling a fire stream of ink and selectively projecting the stream onto a paper target in accordance with electronically generated text or graphic commands.
Yet another potential application for the teachings of the instant I invention is suggested by the various U. S. patents, e.g., U. S. Patent Nos. 3,403,862, 3,458,905, 3!,434,821, 3,560,326, and 4,190,695, dealing with the treatment or manufacture of non-woven textile substrates using high velocity streams of water.
It is believed these and related processes may be made more versatile by incorporation of the teachings of the instant invention, whereby patterning is made electronically definable and variable, and whereby the substrates may be patterned with an extremely high degree of precision and accuracy, through the use of a command-actuatable reed which is urged into the impinging fluid path, and which thereby deflects and dissipates the fluid stream in accordance with pattern information. Additional advantages of the apparatus of this invention include relatively simple and low cost fabrication, relatively low wear, simplified maintenance, low energy requirements, and extreme versatility due to the ability to construct modules or arrays of such devices for various up-scaled applications.

The invention disclosed herein is suitable for use with both gases and liquids, at a variety of pressures, and is well suited for applications wherein a liquid at a relatively high pressure (e.g., within the range of 30 to 3000 prig or more) is to be formed and controlled.
Further features and advantages of the invention disclosed herein will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description hereinbelow and inspection of the accompanying Figures, in which:
Figures 1 and 2 are elevation views, in section, of an apparatus embodying the instant invention, wherein a flexible reed 58 is urged into the path of a fluid jet by the action of piston 60i Figure 3 is a partial section view of the apparatus of Figure 1 taken along lines III-III j Figure 4 is an elevation view, in partial section, of an apparatus embodying the -invention depicted in Figures l and 2, wherein generally opposed pairs of multiple reed arrays are employed to control closely spaced multiple liquid streams;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a multiple reed array as may be used in the apparatus of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a section view of the apparatus of Figure 4, schematically illustrating the manner in which a reed may be urged into the path of a liquid stream to interrupt the stream Figure 7 is a section view taken along lines VII-VII of Figure I, showing the staggered positioning of the generally opposed multiple reed arrays, Figure 8 is a perspective view, in partial section, of an apparatus in which multiple reed arrays are associated with a slotted block 90 which it used to form the fluid stream; and Figure 9 is a section view of the apparatus of Figure 8, taken along lines IX-IX.

~1239~30 Figures 1 through 3 depict various views of an apparatus embodying the instant invention which may be used to interrupt a thin, stream of a fluid, e.g., water, in accordance with electrically coded command information.
Conduit AYE supplies, via a suitable threaded connector, the water or other fluid at the desired pressure and flow rate to generally Unshaped orifice block 50. Within block 50 is threaded input cavity 52, at the end of which is drilled bore 54 which connects cavity 52 with the opposite face of block So. Bore 54 is dimensioned and shaped in accordance with the desired stream cross section of the fluid to be controlled. Associated with orifice block 52 is spring-like reed assembly 58, comprised of a thin, flat section or portion of flexible material such as steel shim stock, as depicted in Figure 3, secured at each end of the base portion of assembly 58 by bolts 56, only one of which is shown. Reed assembly 58 has a flat, proximal portion attached securely to the inside face of block 52 which carries bore 54, and an aperture 59 through which the fluid jet from bore 54 may pass without obstruction. Reed assembly I also has a flat, cantilevered portion which extends over and parallel to, and is aligned with, the path of the fluid stream formed by bore 54. Reed assembly 58 is positioned within orifice block 50 so as to permit the free or distal end of the cantilevered portion of reed assembly 58 to be urged into the path of the fluid stream emerging from bore 54, as by the action of plunger 60.
It is observed that when a liquid jet of relatively high velocity strikes the protruding free end portion of reed assembly 58, the jet does not appear to be deflected or diverted as a coherent stream, but instead appears to be completely disrupted - a dense mist is produced, and little semblance of a column of liquid remains This is a distinct advantage, in that an energetic mist is easier to contain and dispose of without undesirable interactions than a misdirected but still coherent stream.
Additionally, where a high velocity fluid stream is employed, the impact of 1~:`3~ 30 the fluid on the free end of reed assembly 58 serves to restore it to its original position above the path of the liquid Jet whenever plunger 60 is withdrawn, with an extremely fast response time. Plunger 60 may be actuated by an electrically controlled solenoid 62, which may be actuated in accordance with electrically supplied pattern information.
Alternatively, a pneumatic valve and air cylinder, associated with a means for controlling air pressure in response to pattern information, may be substituted for the solenoid. Set screw 63 is used to firmly position solenoid 62 within orifice block 50.
Directly opposite bore 54 is aperture plate 64, through which is drilled a hole 65 slightly larger than the cross sectional dimensions of the fluid jet at that point in the jet's trajectory. Aperture plate 64, secured to orifice block 50 by means of bolts 55, serves to form a containment barrier for the remnants of the jet resulting from the intrusion of the free end of reed assembly 58 into the path of the jet.
Where liquids are used, drain channels or other means to carry off the jet liquid not shown, may be provided by any convenient means.
Figures 4 through 7 depict several embodiments of the invention wherein multiple jets may be formed and controlled by use of a plunger-activated reed which is urged into the jet path. In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 through 7, two separate arrays of reeds 81, 82 similar to that depicted in Figure 5 are mounted in generally opposed relation in control blocks 79, 80, forward of and on either side of a linear array of stream-forming bores or orifices 75 which are drilled or otherwise formed in orifice block 74.
The flat, cantilevered portions of reed arrays 81, 82 asp aligned with the respective streams formed by bores 75. Orifice block I is attached by conventional means, for example, by bolts 73, to fluid distribution manifold 70 which in turn is connected, via threaded inlet 72 and filter assembly 71, to a source of the desired working fluid, not shown. Upper ~LZ39~

and lower barrier plates 88, 89 are mounted in front of reed arrays 81, By;
a slot-like cut-out in plates 88, 89, shown in Figure 7, permits the fluid jets to strike the desired target 25 whenever the individual reeds in arrays 81, 82 are not engaging the respective jets formed by bores 75. As depicted in Figure 6, extension of plunger 84 causes respective reed 81 to intrude into the path of the fluid jet issuing from respective bore 75, thereby disrupting the jet and causing whatever remains of the jet to strike barrier plate 89.
As depicted in Figure 7, reed arrays 81, 82, as well as the individually command-actuated plungers 84 which are individually associated and aligned with each reed in arrays 81, 82, are positioned in staggered or alternating relationship on either side of the array of orifices 75. Such arrangement allows for the interleaving of individual reeds in arrays 81, 82 from opposite sides of control blocks 79, 80 where two or more adjacent jets are to be nullified, and also provides more physical space for the mounting of conventionally sized actuators for plungers 84. Plungers 84 may be activated in a conventional manner by electromagnetic means, pneumatic means, etc., such as the valves disclosed above and shown at I
preferably, plungers 84 are responsive to digitally encoded data supplied by an EPROM or similar source.
Figures 8 and 9 depict a variation of the apparatus shown in Figures 4 6, and 7 which relates primarily to the manner in which the jet-forming bores or orifices are formed. Slot block 90, having a Unshaped cross-section, is used to form a fluid manifold 91 in conjunction with containment block 94. Along the broad upper face of block 90 nearest to reed arrays 81, 82 are cut a series of uniformly spaced parallel slots or grooves 92 having a depth, width, and profile corresponding to the cross-section of the desired fluid jets. Grooves 92 allow pressurized fluid to exit manifold 91 and strike roll 21, unless the fluid stream is ~Z39'~30 otherwise interrupted by the action of reed arrays 81, 82. A flat containment block 94 is securely pressed against the top of block 90, by means of bolts 95 which extend through support block 98, forming a pressure-resistant, fluid tight seal. The desired working fluid, such as high pressure liquid, supplied via filter 71, is introduced into the manifold 91 formed by blocks 90, 94 by way of a suitable conventional threaded coupling. Bolts 96, which may extend through support block 98, serve to align and secure blacks 90 and 94 against control blocks 79, 80, which collectively house arrays of reeds 81, 82, plungers 84, valves 86, and barrier plates 88 and 89, as in the embodiment of Figures 4, 6, and 7 and as shown in Figure 9. Control blocks 79, 80 may be secured to support block 98 by means of bolts 99 or other suitable means.

Claims (5)

I CLAIM:

1. An apparatus for forming an intermittent stream of fluid, comprising:
a. manifold means for containing a quantity of said fluid at the desired pressure;
b. stream forming means, in fluid communication with said manifold means, for forming a stream of said fluid;
c. reed means situated outside said manifold means and comprising a thin portion of stiff, resilient material, said reed means being positioned adjacent to the path of said stream formed by said stream forming means, said reed means being connected in cantilever fashion to said manifold means, thereby having a fixed, proximal end and a free, distal end, said distal end of said reed means being capable of resilient movement through the path of said stream;
d. reed actuation means for intermittently urging a portion of said distal end of said reed means into the path of said stream, said actuation means comprising a plunger which may be moved to an extended position and moved to a retracted position on command, and which contacts said reed means and moves said distal portion of said reed means into the path of said stream in one of said positions and allows said reed means to move out of said path in the other of said positions; and e. containment means spaced from said stream forming means, and beyond but in close proximity to said distal end of said reed means, said containment means being positioned generally within the path of said fluid stream and comprising a barrier means having an aperture therein, said aperture being in alignment with said stream forming means, said alignment allowing said fluid stream to pass through said aperture whenever the distal portion of said reed means has moved out of the path of said stream.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said distal end of said reed means is bent at an obtuse angle.

3. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said reed is an elongate strip of stiff metal, and said strip is situated in parallel arrangement along the path of said stream so that when said plunger is extended, the distal end of said elongate strip is forced into the path of said stream.

4. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said reed actuation means comprises an air cylinder.

5. An apparatus for forming a plurality of streams of fluid which are individually intermittently interruptible,:
a. manifold means for containing a quantity of said fluid at the desired pressure;
b. stream forming means, comprising means for forming a plurality of generally aligned bores, for simultaneously forming an array of fluid streams;
c. a plurality of reed means, positioned in two generally parallel arrays flanking said bores, with each of said bores having an individual reed means corresponding thereto, said arrays being slightly laterally displaced to allow for interleaving of reed means from each array, said reed means comprising a thin strip of stiff, resilient material, said reed means being positioned adjacent to said stream forming means in cantilever fashion, thereby having a fixed, proximal end and a free, distal end, said distal end being capable of resilient movement through the path of said stream;
d. a plurality of reed actuation means positioned in operable association with said reed means, each of said reed means having a corresponding individual actuation means associated therewith, each of said actuation means comprising a plunger which may be extended and retracted on command and which, upon contact with said respective reed means, causes the distal portion of said respective reed means to move into the path of said respective stream, and which allows said distal portion to retract from said stream path on command; and e. containment means spaced from said stream forming means, beyond but in close proximity to said distal portions of said plurality of reed means, said containment means comprising a barrier means having at least one aperture in substantial alignment with said plurality of bores, and allowing said fluid streams to pass through said aperture whenever the distal portions of said reed means are retracted from the paths of said streams.