Poppet-valve-controlled fluid nozzle applicator

A poppet valve-controlled fluid nozzle applicator system having, in combination, a longitudinally extending valve stem reciprocally mounted within communicable upper and lower longitudinally displaced fluid chambers, the lower of which transversely communicates with a pressurized and metered fluid supply source and the upper of which communicates transversely with a fluid return path, the valve stem carrying a poppet valve having upwardly and downwardly converging surfaces and constrained within the lower chamber, the region of communicating of the upper and lower chambers comprising a valve seat against which the upwardly converging surface of the poppet valve may bear to close off the upper chamber from the lower chamber when the valve stem reciprocates to an uppermost position, the downwardly converging surface of the poppet valve terminating in a valve tip;

• a nozzle mounted to depend from a region of lowermost reciprocation of the valve tip, said nozzle having a first passage therein with an opening at an upper end thereof into which the valve tip may fit to block fluid flow from the lower chamber into said passage when the valve stem reciprocates to a lowermost position, said valve tip engaging a portion of said nozzle surrounding said opening along a line-contact circle the diameter of which has a magnitude that is a minor portion of the magnitude of the diameter of said poppet valve, said nozzle having a second passage therein that is substantially narrower than the first passage, said second passage having an upper end that communicates directly with the lower end of said first passage and having a lower end with a fine bottom orifice through which fluid exits upon elevation of the valve tip from said region of lowermost reciprocation;
• a dispensing head disposed about said nozzle and having a bottom aperture in substantial alignment with the bottom orifice of the nozzle, said dispensing head having means for adjusting the position of said dispensing head relative to said nozzle within a range of positions from a position at which said bottom orifice of said nozzle is just above said bottom aperture of said dispensing head, through a position at which said orifice and said aperture are substantially flush with one another, to a position at which said orifice is below said aperture, said nozzle having a conical outer surface with an apex region adjacent to said bottom orifice and said dispensing head having a conical inner surface surrounding and spaced from said conical outer surface of said nozzle and having an apex region adjacent to said bottom aperture;
• and means for directing air conically convergingly inward in the space between said conical surfaces and thereafter upon fluid exiting from said orifice as the fluid is in free flight therefrom, and in which said nozzle has a cylindrical portion terminating said apex region thereof whereby said conically convergingly inward directed air is redirected along the direction of fluid exiting from said bottom orifice, the diameter of said aperture being greater than the diameter of said cylindrical portion so that said aperture remains open even when said cylindrical portion is within said aperture.