Liquid spray nozzle adapter

A nozzle adapter for a liquid material sprayer of the type having a material discharge control needle valve extending outwardly through a liquid material discharge passage formed in an end of the sprayer, and in which pressurized air inlet and outlet passages are formed in the end of the sprayer which are adapted to communicate with a source of pressurized air, said nozzle adapter including, in combination:

• (a) a unitary liquid material discharge member having a cone-shaped nozzle projecting outwardly forwardly from a front wall, said front wall extending generally transversely to a longitudinally extending axis of the nozzle;
• (b) an internal generally axially extending bore formed in the liquid material discharge member terminating in an outer liquid material discharge opening in the nozzle, said bore being adapted to communicate with the liquid material discharge passage of a sprayer and to receive the material discharge control needle for selectively opening and closing the outer liquid material discharge opening of said discharge member when the discharge member is mounted on the sprayer;
• (c) pressurized air opening means formed in the liquid material discharge member rearwardly of and extending coaxially about the outer liquid material discharge opening of the nozzle, said pressurized opening means being adapted to communicate with the pressurized air passages of the sprayer whereby the pressurized air is discharged from the discharge member rearwardly of the material discharge opening;
• (d) a pressurized air adjustment member of one-piece construction adjustably mounted on the unitary liquid material discharge member for regulating the pressurized air opening means, said adjustment member having a generally flat front wall which extends generally transversely to the longitudinally extending axis of the nozzle of the discharge member, said front wall having only a single rearwardly extending conical-shaped air passageway formed therein;
• (e) attachment means formed on the liquid material discharge member for removably attaching said discharge member on a sprayer and for removably attaching the pressurized air adjustment member on the discharge member, with the nozzle of said discharge member being located within and extending through the air passageway of the adjustment member and forming an annular pressurized air opening therebetween, with said annular air opening being coaxial with and rearwardly of the outer liquid material discharge opening of the nozzle;
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• (f) an elastomeric annular boss protruding from a rearward wall of the liquid material discharge member opposite to the direction of the nozzle and forming a first pressurized air chamber between the rearward wall of said discharge member and the end of a sprayer when the discharge member is mounted on the sprayer end.