Paint circulation adapter and coupler

Claim 1

In a continuous flow pressure feed paint supply system having a pressure feed recirculating paint system and a paint spray apparatus, a flow dividing paint flow controller comprising (a) an inlet section having a flow through passage coupled between two ports, each port being adapted for connection to a paint system; (b) a valving section including a longitudinal axial port communicating with the flow through passage and an outwardly extending neck having a cylindrical valve recess extending perpendicular to the axial port from the outer surface through the neck and intersecting and extending past the axial port, the valve recess further having a first diameter through said neck and a smaller valving diameter intersecting the axial port the smaller valving diameter being at least as great as the largest cross section dimension of the axial port, a shoulder is located at the juncture of the first diameter and the valving diameter; (c) a cylindrical rotary valve adapted to threadedly fit in the valve recess, including a head having external threads and an outwardly extending projection on said head and an inwardly extending cylindrical body, the cylindrical body having a body segment adjacent the threaded head having a diameter to fit the first diameter of said valve recess, the cylindrical body further having a cylindrical valve segment having a tapered end and a seal affixed on the cylindrical body at the junction of the body segment and the valve segment, the seal cooperating with the shoulder at the juncture of the first diameter and the valving diameter when the valve segment is moved to a close position in the valve recess, and the cylindrical valve segment sealingly fitted into the valve recess valving diameter and having a length dimension greater than the largest cross section dimension of the axial port, whereby the tapered end of the valve segment cooperates with the valving diameter of the valve recess forming a variable sized annular flow control passage therethrough in response to movement of the rotary valve; and (d) an outlet section having means for communicating the paint from the axial port to a paint spray apparatus and means for detachably attaching the paint spray apparatus.