High-speed water jet blocker
AssigneeDesign Systems, Inc.
InventorsCraig E. Pfarr, Norman A. Rudy, Darren P. Wattles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for performing high speed interruption of the flow of a very fine, high pressure, high speed water jet 12 of the type used to cut foods, paper, and other goods. The water jet 12 is interrupted by a pivotal blocking bar 22 within a blocker housing. The blocking bar 22 is pivoted in a collar 24b to a first desired position out of the path of water jet 12 or to a second desired position for blocking the path of water jet 12. A pivot arm 28, controlled by an output shaft 30 of a rotary actuator 32, controls the rotation of the blocking bar 22. A high pressured airflow is introduced into the device for controlling the exhaustion of blocked water within the device and for cooling the rotary actuator 32.
Claims18
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a stream of high pressure fluid used for cutting, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a blocking member supported within the housing;
- (c) a rotary actuator disposed within the housing and capable of generating a rotary output torque;
- (d) coupling means to couple the blocking member and the rotary actuator to transmit the rotary output torque from the rotary actuator to the blocking member to cause the blocking member to pivot about an axis into the path of travel of the stream of the high pressure fluid to disrupt the flow of the high pressure stream and out of the path of the stream of the high pressure fluid to not disrupt the flow of the high pressure stream;
- and
- (e) means for collecting the disrupted flow of high pressure fluid and directing the disrupted flow of high pressure fluid to a remote location.
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a stream of high pressure liquid used for cutting, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a housing positionable relative to the path of the stream of high pressure liquid;
- (b) a rotary actuator disposed within the housing and capable of generating a rotary output torque;
- (c) a blocking member;
- (d) support means for pivotally supporting the blocking member to pivot about an axis;
- and
- (e) a coupler assembly having portions coupling the blocking member to the rotary actuator to transmit the rotary output torque from the rotary actuator to the blocking member to pivot the blocking member about the support means between a first position within the path of travel of the stream of high pressure liquid to disrupt the flow of the high pressure liquid stream and a second position out of the path of the high pressure liquid stream to not disrupt the flow of the high pressure liquid stream.
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a stream of high pressure fluid comprising:
- a housing;
- a blocking member supported within the housing;
- a rotary actuator disposed within the housing and capable of generating a rotary output torque, the rotary actuator being coupled to the blocking member to transmit the rotary output torque from the rotary actuator to the blocking member to cause the blocking member to pivot about an axis into a path of travel of the stream of high pressure fluid to disrupt the flow of the stream of high pressure fluid and to pivot out of the path of the stream of high pressure fluid to not disrupt the flow of the stream of high pressure fluid;
- and
- a passageway provided in the housing adjacent a location at which the flow of the stream of high pressure fluid is disrupted by the blocking member and extending distally to a remote location to allow the disrupted flow of high pressure fluid to flow to the remote location.
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a high pressure fluid stream comprising:
- a housing having an opening through which a high pressure fluid stream passes;
- a rotary actuator disposed within the housing and capable of generating a rotary output torque;
- a blocking device coupled to the rotary actuator, the blocking device rotating from a first position to a second position in response to the rotary output torque;
- and
- wherein when the blocking device is in the first position, the blocking device is in the path of travel of the high pressure fluid stream to substantially prevent the high pressure fluid stream from passing through the opening, and when the blocking device is in the second position, the blocking device is out of the path of travel of the high pressure fluid stream to allow the high pressure fluid stream to pass through the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.