Splatter pattern control for spray guns

Claim 1

In a spray gun including an air chamber, means for providing air under pressure into said chamber, a container for a spray composition to be sprayed from the gun having an open upper end communicating with said air chamber and a flexible spray composition delivery tube passing from the lower portion of the container through the open upper end thereof into the air chamber, an improved head and nozzle assembly communicating with the air chamber for controlling the splatter pattern of the spray composition, said improved head and nozzle assembly comprising, in combination: a. a nozzle support head defining an annular reduced diameter opening communicating with said air chamber; b. a rigid tubular section having one end connected to the end of the spray composition delivery tube passing into the air chamber, and a free end longitudinally movable through the reduced diameter opening; c. enlarged means on said free end dimensioned to engage the reduced diameter opening so that rearward movement of the said free end of the tubular section is blocked from complete retraction back into the air chamber; d. a cylindrical nozzle having one end closed except for a central outlet orifice of given size held on the support head in a position coaxial with the said free end of the tubular section and said reduced diameter opening, said nozzle having an internal portion adapted to engage said enlarged means on said tubular section to limit the forward movement thereof; and, e. cooperating means on the support head and nozzle providing for limited movement of the nozzle to change the longitudinal spacing between said reduced diameter opening on the support head and said internal portion of the nozzle such that the degree of forward and rearward movement of said free end of the tubular section is controllable, said reduced diameter portion being in the form of an internal collar spaced rearwardly of the open end of the support head, said free end of the tubular element being externally threaded over a given longitudinal distance, said enlarged means comprising a washer and nut means threaded on the external threads for securing the washer at a given spacing from the extreme end of the free end of the tubular section, whereby the maximum spacing between said extreme open end and the orifice of the nozzle is fixed by the position of the washer, said given spacing being adjustable by changing the threaded position of the washer and nut means so that the maximum spacing between the extreme end of the tubular section and nozzle orifice is adjustable, the control of the degree of forward and rearward movement of the said free end by said cooperating means enabling adjustment of the amount of air that can flow about said washer from the air chamber to mix with spray composition passing from said extreme end of the tubular section, and the adjusted spacing of said extreme free end relative to the orifice in the nozzle controlling the degree of mixing of air and the spray composition prior to ejection from the nozzle whereby the splatter pattern from the spray gun is controllable.