Variable area spray nozzle

Claim 1

A VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE COMPRISING A HOUSING, AN ORIFICE DISC IN ONE END OF THE HOUSING DEFINING AN OUTLET OPENING FOR FUEL PASSING THROUGH SAID NOZZLE, A WALL ON SAID ORIFICE DISC DEFINING A SWIRL CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING, A DISTRIBUTOR WITHIN SAID HOUSING HAVING A SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID WALL AND HAVING SWIRL SLOTS IN SAID SURFACE FOR DELIVERING FUEL TO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER WITH A TANGENTIAL COMPONENT OF VELOCITY, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID DISTRIBUTOR IN SAID HOUSING, AN ANNULAR FUEL RETAINING CHAMBER FORMED BETWEEN SAID DISTRIBUTOR AND SAID HOUSING WITH SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SWIRL CHAMBER THROUGH SAID SLOTS FOR PASSING FUEL TO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER, A FIRST PASSAGEWAY IN SAID DISTRIBUTOR ARRANGED ON AN AXIS COMMON TO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER AND OUTLET OPENING AND IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH, ANOTHER PASSAGEWAY IN SAID DISTRIBUTOR FOR COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY WITH SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER, A POPPET MEMBER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID AXIS, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID POPPET MEMBER INTO CLOSED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY FOR PREVENTING THE PASSAGE OF FUEL FROM SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY TO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER, WHEREBY DURING A FIRST OPERATING CONDITION, SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY IS CLOSED AND FUEL PASSES FROM SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER THROUGH SAID SWIRL SLOTS INTO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER AND DISCHARGES THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING, AND DURING A SECOND OPERATING CONDITION, SAID POPPET MEMBER IS OPENED RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE OF SAID FUEL RISING ABOVE A PREDETERMINED VALUE TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF FUEL FROM SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY INTO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER AND THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING.