Material sprayer having sliding pump mounting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10456801-B2
Application number	US-201815873176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2018
Priority date	Jan 26, 2017
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A pump for use with a material sprayer includes a cylinder, a piston, a pump head, first and second check valves, and an elbow connected to the cylinder. The cylinder and the piston are coaxial with a pump axis. The pump head is configured to make a mechanical connection with the reciprocating drive mechanism so as to allow the reciprocating drive mechanism to reciprocate the piston along the pump axis. The elbow includes a first end, a second end, and an inner fluid channel. The first end is configured to make a fluid connection with the hopper. The second end is configured to be fixed with respect to the cylinder. The inner fluid channel extends from the first end to the second end. The pump head and the first end of the elbow are configured to make mechanical and fluid connections with a single linear motion of the pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A material sprayer comprising:
a frame;
a hopper mounted to the frame;
a reciprocating drive mechanism mounted to the frame;
a pump assembly with a pump fluidly attached to the hopper and attached to the reciprocating drive mechanism, wherein the pump comprises:
a pump axis that is oriented at an angle of 15 to 65 degrees relative to a vertical direction of gravity;
a piston connected to the reciprocating drive mechanism such that the piston is coaxial with the pump axis and is driven by the reciprocating drive mechanism to reciprocate along the pump axis; and
an elbow fluidly connecting the pump to the hopper, wherein the elbow is a bent tube configured to transport a fluid therethrough, the elbow comprising:
a first end fluidly connected to a port of the hopper;
a second end attached to the pump on an end of the pump opposite from the reciprocating drive mechanism; and
a bend portion extending between the first and second ends of the elbow.

2. The material sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly is configured to be attached to or detached from the hopper and the reciprocating drive mechanism with a single linear motion of the pump assembly relative to the hopper and the reciprocating drive mechanism.

3. The material sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the pump axis is oriented at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the vertical direction of gravity.

4. The material sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises:
a first ball check valve disposed within a lower section of the pump; and
a second ball check valve disposed with a portion of a first end of the piston.

5. The material sprayer of claim 4 , wherein the first and second ball check valves are orientated coaxial with the pump axis.

6. A material sprayer comprising:
a frame;
a hopper mounted to the frame;
a reciprocating drive mechanism mounted to the frame;
a pump assembly with a pump fluidly attached to the hopper and attached to the reciprocating drive mechanism, wherein the pump comprises:
a pump axis that is oriented at an angle of 15 to 65 degrees relative to a vertical direction of gravity;
a cylinder coaxial with the pump axis;
a piston disposed in the cylinder and connected to the reciprocating drive mechanism such that the piston is coaxial with the pump axis and is driven by the reciprocating drive mechanism to reciprocate along the pump axis, wherein the piston is disposed in the cylinder, wherein both the cylinder and the piston are coaxial with the pump axis;
a first check valve;
a second check valve; and
an elbow connected to the cylinder, the elbow having a first end configured to make a fluid connection with the hopper, a second end configured to be fixed with respect to the cylinder, and an inner fluid channel extending from the first end to the second end and bending between the first end and the second end, wherein the pump head and the first end of the elbow are configured to make both of the mechanical connection and the fluid connection with a single linear motion of the pump.

7. The material sprayer of claim 6 , wherein the single linear motion slides the pump head into the reciprocating drive mechanism and slides the first end of the elbow into a receiving port of the hopper.

8. The material sprayer of claim 6 , further comprising a material sprayer having the reciprocating drive mechanism and the hopper.

9. The material sprayer from claim 6 , wherein the second end of the elbow is coaxial with the pump axis, wherein the first end of the elbow includes a centerline axis, and wherein the centerline axis of the first end of the elbow is oriented approximately 90 degrees relative to the pump axis.

10. The material sprayer from claim 6 , wherein the first end of the elbow includes a taper such that the first end of the elbow is configured to insert into the port of the hopper.

11. The material sprayer from claim 6 , further comprising:
an annular fitting with a first end and a second end;
a second clamp that attaches the first end of the annular fitting to the hopper; and
a third clamp that attaches the second end of the annular fitting to the first end of the elbow.

12. The material sprayer from claim 6 , wherein the second end of the elbow includes a first flange, wherein the pump includes a second flange, wherein the first flange and the second flange are in contact with each other, and further comprising a first clamp, wherein the first clamp presses and holds the first flange against the second flange.

13. The material sprayer from claim 12 , wherein the pump further comprises a lower section mounted to the cylinder at the first end of the pump, wherein the lower section comprises an annular protrusion that extends into a portion of the elbow, and wherein the second flange of the pump encircles a portion of the lower section of the pump.

14. A method of installing a pump assembly onto a material sprayer, the method comprising:
providing the material sprayer, wherein the material sprayer comprises:
a frame;
a hopper mounted to the frame;
a reciprocating drive mechanism mounted to the frame;
a pump assembly with a pump fluidly attached to the hopper and attached to the reciprocating drive mechanism, wherein the pump comprises:
a pump axis that is oriented at an angle of 15 to 65 degrees relative to a vertical direction of gravity; and
a piston connected to the reciprocating drive mechanism such that the piston is coaxial with the pump axis and is driven by the reciprocating drive mechanism to reciprocate along the pump axis;

inserting a first end of an elbow of the pump assembly into a port of the hopper, wherein the pump assembly comprises:
a pump comprising:
a cylinder;
the piston disposed in the cylinder, the piston comprising a piston head; and
the pump axis, wherein the cylinder and the piston are coaxial with the pump axis; and

an elbow comprising:
the first end;
a second end attached to the pump on a first end of the pump opposite from the reciprocating drive mechanism; and
a bend portion extending between the first and second ends of the elbow;

inserting the piston head into a slot of a collar of the reciprocating drive mechanism to form a dynamic mechanical connection between the pump and the reciprocating drive mechanism; and
forming a fluidic connection between the pump and the port of the hopper.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
clamping the port of the hopper to an annular fitting that is attached to the first end of the elbow with a first clamp; and
clamping the head of the piston into the slot of the collar of the reciprocating drive mechanism with a second clamp.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the dynamic mechanical connection between the pump and the reciprocating drive mechanism further comprises engaging the piston with the reciprocating drive mechanism such that the reciprocating drive mechanism is configured to reciprocate the piston along the pump axis.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising translating the pump assembly in a linear motion relative to the hopper and the reciprocating drive mechanism to engage the pump with the reciprocating drive mechanism and to engage the elbow with the hopper.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein inserting a first end of an elbow of the pump assembly into a port of the hopper comprises inserting a tapered end of the first end of the elbow into an opening of the port of the hopper.

19. A material sprayer comprising:
a frame;
a hopper mounted to

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Horning Jeromy D
• Pauly Thomas E

Classifications

• B05B11/1088 Primary

  the pump being a double-acting pump · CPC title

• B05B11/1001

  Piston pumps (B05B11/1087, B05B11/1088, B05B11/109 take precedence) · CPC title

• B28C7/163

  using a pump · CPC title

• F04B2015/026

  with a priming plunger or piston ahead of the pumping piston and connected on the same piston rod · CPC title

• B05B13/005

  mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers · CPC title