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US 5,957,761 AGranted
Closed circuit media capture and recovery head for the portable wheat starch media blast system
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation
InventorsRaymond E. Miller, James J. Allard, David B. Tracy, David J. Hancock, Brent R. Meredith, Gregory N. Stein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A blast head for abrasive blasting has a nozzle for directing a blast media at a surface being treated and a housing for containing the blast media after it passes through the nozzle and for facilitating recirculation of the blast media. An adjustment mechanism facilitates varying of the orientation of the nozzle with respect to the surface being treated, so as to facilitate enhanced blasting thereof.
Claims21
A blast head for abrasive blasting, wherein blast media impact a surface to be treated at a regulatable angle and at a regulatable stand-off distance, the blast head comprising:
- (a) a housing, having a bottom side configured to be seated on the surface to be treated, the housing including a blast chamber therein having a first opening for receiving blast media and a second opening exposed toward the surface to be treated;
- (b) a nozzle tube in fluid communication with the first opening of the blast chamber, the nozzle tube having a nozzle tube longitudinal axis;
- (c) a nozzle disposed in the nozzle tube, for applying the blast media to the surface to be treated through the second opening of the blast chamber;
- (d) an attachment mechanism, disposed on the housing, pivotally connecting the nozzle tube to the housing about a pivot axis orthogonal to the nozzle tube longitudinal axis, thereby facilitating control of a pivotal movement of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- and
- (e) a nozzle holder, disposed in the nozzle tube, the nozzle holder being formed to engage the nozzle tube with respect to one of a plurality of different predetermined positions along the nozzle tube longitudinal axis so as to facilitate control of an axial translation of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated.
3 more elements
A blast head for abrasive blasting, wherein blast media impact a surface to be treated at a regulatable angle and at a regulatable stand-off distance, the blast head comprising:
- (a) a housing, having a bottom side configured to be seated on the surface to be treated, the housing including a blast chamber therein having a first opening for receiving blast media, a second opening exposed toward the surface to be treated, and a third opening forming an exhaust passage;
- (b) a nozzle tube in fluid communication with the first opening of the blast chamber;
- (c) a nozzle disposed in the nozzle tube, for applying the blast media to the surface to be treated through the second opening of the blast chamber;
- (d) an attachment mechanism, disposed on the housing, pivotally connecting the nozzle tube to the housing, thereby facilitating control of a pivotal movement of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- and
- (e) a nozzle holder, disposed in the nozzle tube, having a first end in fluid communication with a blast hose, and a second end connected to the input end of the nozzle, the nozzle holder being slid down the nozzle tube and clamped at one of a plurality of different predetermined positions so as to facilitate control of an axial translation of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- and
- (f) a flexible porous pad formed of a woven polymeric material draping a substantial portion of a periphery of the second opening of the housing, the pad being formed to contact a periphery of the surface to be treated, for forming a weight-bearing surface and for blocking blast media and particulate matter generated during blasting operation in the blast chamber from communicating with an ambient environment while allowing a controlled intake of ambient air into the blast chamber.
5 more elements
A blast head for abrasive blasting, wherein blast media impact a surface to be treated at a regulatable angle and at a regulatable stand-off distance, the blast head comprising:
- (a) a housing, having a bottom side configured to be seated on the surface to be treated, the housing including a blast chamber therein having a first opening for receiving blast media, a second opening exposed toward the surface to be treated, and a third opening forming an exhaust passage;
- (b) a nozzle tube in fluid communication with the first opening of the blast chamber;
- (c) a nozzle disposed in the nozzle tube, for applying the blast media to the surface to be treated through the second opening of the blast chamber;
- (d) an attachment mechanism, disposed on the housing, pivotally connecting the nozzle tube to the housing, thereby facilitating regulation of a pivotal movement of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated from about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees;
- and
- (e) a nozzle holder, disposed in the nozzle tube, having a first end in fluid communication with a blast hose, and a second end connected to the input end of the nozzle, the nozzle holder being slid down the nozzle tube and clamped at one of a plurality of different predetermined positions so as to facilitate control of an axial translation of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated.
3 more elements
A blast head for abrasive blasting, wherein blast media impact a surface to be treated at a regulatable angle and at a regulatable stand-off distance, the blast head comprising:
- (a) a housing, having a bottom side configured to be seated on the surface to be treated, the housing including a blast chamber therein having a first opening for receiving blast media, a second opening exposed toward the surface to be treated, and a third opening forming an exhaust passage, the blast chamber being configured to form a bifurcated air return, the bifurcated air return guiding blast media and particulate matter generated during blasting operation toward the exhaust passage, said bifurcated air return merging into the exhaust passage;
- (b) a nozzle tube in fluid communication with the first opening of the blast chamber;
- (c) a nozzle disposed in the nozzle tube, for applying the blast media to the surface to be treated through the second opening of the blast chamber;
- (d) an attachment mechanism, disposed on the housing, pivotally connecting the nozzle tube to the housing, thereby facilitating control of a pivotal movement of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- and
- (e) a nozzle holder, disposed in the nozzle tube, having a first end in fluid communication with a blast hose, and a second end connected to the input end of the nozzle, the nozzle holder being slid down the nozzle tube and clamped at one of a plurality of different predetermined positions so as to facilitate control of an axial translation of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated.
3 more elements
A blast head for abrasive blasting, wherein blast media impact a surface to be treated at a regulatable angle and at a regulatable stand-off distance, the blast head comprising:
- (a) a housing, having a bottom side configured to be seated on the surface to be treated, the housing including a blast chamber therein having a first opening for receiving blast media and a second opening exposed toward the surface to be treated;
- (b) a nozzle tube in fluid communication with the first opening of the blast chamber, the nozzle tube having a nozzle tube longitudinal axis, the nozzle tube being connected to the housing about a pivot axis orthogonal to the nozzle tube longitudinal axis, thereby facilitating control of a pivotal movement of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- and
- (c) a nozzle disposed in the nozzle tube for applying the blast media to the surface to be treated through the second opening of the blast chamber, the nozzle being formed to engage the nozzle tube with respect to one of a plurality of different predetermined positions along the nozzle tube longitudinal axis so as to facilitate control of an axial translation of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated.
1 more element
An abrasive blast system, wherein blast media impact a surface to be treated at a regulatable angle and at a regulatable stand-off distance, the system comprising:
- (a) a blast head comprising:
- a housing, having a bottom side configured to be seated on the surface to be treated, the housing including a blast chamber therein having a first opening for receiving blast media, a second opening exposed toward the surface to be treated, and a third opening forming an exhaust passage;
- a nozzle tube in fluid communication with the first opening of the blast chamber;
- a nozzle, disposed in the nozzle tube, having an input end and an output end, for applying the blast media to the surface to be treated through the second opening of the blast chamber;
- an attachment mechanism, disposed on the housing, pivotally connecting the nozzle tube to the housing, thereby facilitating control of a pivotal movement of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- and
- a nozzle holder, disposed in the nozzle tube, having a first end in fluid communication with a blast hose, and a second end connected to the input end of the nozzle, the nozzle holder being slid down the nozzle tube and clamped at one of a plurality of different predetermined positions so as to facilitate control of an axial translation of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- (b) a blast media source for providing blast media, said blast media source being connectable to the blast hose;
- (c) an actuator, regulating dispensing of the blast media from the media source into the blast hose;
- (d) a fluid source, connected to the blast hose downstream from the actuator, for providing a pressurized fluid flow into the blast hose, said pressurized fluid flow carrying the dispensed blast media to the blast head;
- (e) a vacuum source for providing reduced pressure, said vacuum source being connected to the exhaust passage of the bast chamber by a vacuum duct, said reduced pressure sucking out a mixture of the dispensed blast media and particulate matter generated during blasting operation;
- and
- (f) a system of interlock valves for enabling operation of the blast head, the blast head being seated against a plane surface.
10 more elements
A method for abrasive blasting, wherein an angle and a stand-off distance at which blast media impact a surface to be treated are regulated, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) seating a bottom side of a housing on the surface to be treated, the housing including a blast chamber therein having a first opening for receiving pressurized blast media, and a second opening exposed toward the surface to be treated;
- (b) placing a nozzle tube in fluid communication with the first opening of the blast chamber, the nozzle tube having a nozzle tube longitudinal axis;
- (c) pivotally connecting the nozzle tube to the housing about a pivot axis orthogonal to the nozzle tube longitudinal axis with an attachment mechanism;
- (d) regulating a pivotal movement of the nozzle tube with respect to the surface to be treated by adjusting the attachment mechanism;
- (e) placing a first end of a nozzle holder in fluid communication with a blast hose;
- (f) connecting a second end of the nozzle holder to an input end of a nozzle;
- (g) disposing the nozzle holder in the nozzle tube;
- (h) sliding the nozzle holder down the nozzle tube;
- (i) engaging the nozzle at one of a plurality of different predetermined positions along the nozzle tube longitudinal axis, so as facilitate control of an axial translation of the nozzle with respect to the surface to be treated;
- (j) applying pressurized fluid to blast media;
- (k) transporting the blast media to the nozzle via the blast hose;
- and
- (l) applying the blast media from the nozzle through the second opening to the surface to be treated.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.