Apparatus for spraying a liquid

An apparatus for spraying a liquid, such as a cleaning liquid or a lubricating liquid, onto a wire or onto a felt in a plant for paper production. The apparatus has pipeline for supplying the liquid and spray nozzles for ejecting the liquid. A shaft with a cleaning device for the spray nozzles or for the inner wall of the pipeline is disposed within the pipeline. The shaft includes a cylindrical sleeve which has a slotted guide and a thread and is arranged in a housing which adjoins the pipeline, the thread interacting with a control spindle and, furthermore, a bolt or the like being provided which can be adjusted transversely with respect to the housing and projects into the slotted guide in a first position, as a result of which, during a rotation of the control spindle, the shaft is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline. Here, a second bolt or the like is provided, by which the control spindle can be coupled to the cylindrical sleeve in terms of its rotation, as a result of which, after adjustment of the first bolt or the like out of the slotted guide, the shaft can be rotated by the control spindle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of Austrian patent application A 639/2009, filed Apr. 27, 2009; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an apparatus for spraying a liquid, such as a cleaning liquid or a lubricating liquid, onto the wire or onto the felt in a paper production plant. The apparatus has a pipeline for supplying the liquid, spray nozzles, and a shaft with a cleaning device for the spray nozzles or for the inner wall of the pipeline being situated within the pipeline. The shaft is configured, furthermore, with a cylindrical sleeve which is arranged in a housing that adjoins the pipeline, the sleeve having a slotted guide and, furthermore, a thread which interacts with a control spindle, and a bolt or the like being provided which can be adjusted transversely with respect to the housing and projects into the slotted guide in a first position, as a result of which, during a rotation of the control spindle, the shaft can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline.

In an apparatus for spraying liquids, such as cleaning liquids or lubricating liquids, onto wires or onto felts in a plant for producing paper, there is the requirement to provide a cleaning device within the pipeline, by which cleaning device the spray nozzles which are situated in the pipeline and the inner wall of the pipeline can be cleaned. For this purpose, brushes, doctors or the like which can either be displaced in the direction of the pipeline or which can be pivoted within the pipeline are provided within the pipeline.

It is known here that the cleaning device is situated on a displaceable shaft and that a housing which extends in the axial direction of the pipeline is flange-connected to the pipeline, in which housing a control rod is situated which is connected on one side rigidly to the shaft and which is adjoined on the other side by a cylindrical sleeve which is configured with a slotted guide which extends in its longitudinal direction and with an internal thread. A bolt which protrudes transversely from the housing projects into the slotted guide and the internal thread is assigned a control spindle which can be rotated by means of a handwheel which is situated outside the housing.

As a result of a rotation of the handwheel and therefore of the control spindle, the thread of which interacts with the internal thread of the sleeve, the sleeve is displaced within the housing in its longitudinal direction on account of the slotted guide. As a result of this displacement of the sleeve, the control rod and the shaft which is connected fixedly to it and on which the cleaning device is situated are also displaced within the pipeline in its longitudinal direction, as a result of which the spray nozzles which are situated in it are cleaned.

At that end of the slotted guide which is remote from the shaft, said slotted guide is configured with an obliquely extending section, as a result of which the sleeve and the shaft are rotated by approximately 45° on account of the bolt which projects into it, as a result of which the cleaning device is pivoted away from the spray nozzles. This is the inoperative position of the cleaning device, in which the liquid can be fed to the spray nozzles.

By way of that prior art apparatus, however, only cleaning of the spray nozzles takes place by the displacement of the cleaning device.

Furthermore, a device is known, in which the handwheel is coupled rotationally to the shaft for the cleaning device, as a result of which the cleaning device can be pivoted within the pipeline, with the result that not only the spray nozzles but also the inner wall of the pipeline can be cleaned. However, it is not possible by way of this known device to displace the cleaning device in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline, for which reason the technical requirements are not met, since a displacement of the cleaning device in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline is required for optimum cleaning of the spray nozzles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device for spraying liquids, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which provides for a device, in which the cleaning device can be both displaced and pivoted as desired within the pipeline, wherein the cleaning device slides along the inner wall of the pipeline.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for spraying a liquid (e.g., cleaning liquid, lubricating fluid) onto a wire or onto a felt in a paper production facility, comprising:

a pipeline for supplying the liquid, said pipeline defining a longitudinal direction;

spray nozzles formed to eject the liquid;

a shaft with a cleaning device for the spray nozzles or for the inner wall of the pipeline disposed within said pipeline;

said shaft being configured with a cylindrical sleeve formed with a slotted guide and a thread and disposed in a housing adjoining said pipeline;

a control spindle disposed to interact with said thread;

a first engagement device disposed for transverse adjustment relative to said housing and projecting into said slotted guide in a first position, as a result of which, during a rotation of said control spindle, said shaft is displaced in the longitudinal direction of said pipeline;

a second engagement device disposed for coupling said control spindle to said cylindrical sleeve in terms of a rotation thereof, as a result of which, after disengagement of said first engagement device out of said slotted guide, said shaft is rotatable by said control spindle.

In other words, the objects of the invention are achieved in that a second bolt or the like being provided, by which the control spindle can be coupled to the cylindrical sleeve in terms of its rotation, as a result of which, after adjustment of the first bolt or the like out of the slotted guide, the shaft can be rotated by the control spindle.

The second bolt or the like which is situated in a transverse hole of the control spindle is preferably loaded toward radial adjustment under the action of a control spring, said second bolt or the like bearing against the inner end of the first bolt or the like and, after an adjustment of the first bolt or the like radially to the outside, projecting into the slotted guide under the action of the control spring.

The first bolt or the like can preferably be adjusted into a first position, in which it projects so far into the slotted guide that the second bolt or the like is situated outside the slotted guide, into a second position, furthermore, in which both the first bolt or the like and the second bolt or the like are situated in the slotted guide, and additionally into a third position, in which it is situated outside the slotted guide, and can be fixed in said positions.

According to one design variant, the second bolt or the like which can be inserted into a transverse hole of the control spindle is of such a length that it projects into the slotted guide. Here, the first bolt or the like can be adjusted into a first position, in which it projects into the slotted guide, and into a second position, in which it is situated outside the slotted guide. In particular, the wall of the housing can be configured with a threaded hole, into which the first bolt or the like can be screwed and, as a result, can have its position set in relation to the slotted guide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, toFIG. 1thereof, there is shown a pipeline1which is configured with spray nozzles11and in which a cleaning device2is situated. The left-hand end of the pipeline1is adjoined by a feed line12, via which the pipeline1is fed a liquid, such as a cleaning liquid or a lubricating liquid, in particular water, which is ejected through the spray nozzles11onto a wire or onto a felt in a plant for paper production. A cylindrical housing10is attached by means of a flange3to the right-hand end of the pipeline1, in which cylindrical housing10a control device for the cleaning device2is situated, it being possible for the control device to be actuated by a handwheel41. Furthermore, a connection piece13, in which a valve is situated which can be controlled by a control lever14, is connected to the pipeline1. Rinsing of the pipeline1can take place via the connection piece13during the cleaning operation. Periodic cleaning of the pipeline1is therefore required, since dirt particles can be situated in the liquid which is fed to the pipeline1, which dirt particles are deposited on the inner side of the spray nozzles11, as a result of which the functionality of the spray nozzles11is impaired, or which dirt particles are deposited on the inner wall of the pipeline1, as a result of which the functionality of the cleaning device is likewise impaired.

As can be seen, furthermore, fromFIG. 2andFIG. 2A, the cleaning device2is situated on a shaft21which is configured with spacer elements22and with a carrier23for a brush24, the brush24being held on the carrier23by means of a threaded bolt25.

The control device4which is situated within the housing10has a control rod42which penetrates the flange3in a sealed manner and which is connected rigidly to the shaft21. Within the housing10, the control rod42is adjoined by a cylindrical sleeve43which is connected fixedly to said control rod42and is configured with a slot44, a groove or the like, into which a bolt45projects which is screwed into the housing10. At that end of the slot44which faces away from the pipeline1, which slot44extends in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve43, said slot44is configured with a section44awhich extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction and opens into a hole which penetrates the sleeve43. Furthermore, the sleeve43is configured with an internal thread46at its end which faces away from the pipeline1. A control spindle47projects into the sleeve43, which control spindle47is configured with an external thread48which interacts with the internal thread46of the cylindrical sleeve43. The handwheel41, by which the control spindle47can be rotated, is attached to the control spindle47.

The function of this apparatus is as follows:

The control spindle47is rotated by a rotation of the handwheel41. As a result of this, the sleeve43and the control rod42are displaced with respect to the housing10, and the shaft21and, with it, the brush24are displaced with respect to the pipeline1in the direction of the arrow A, by means of the external thread48of the control spindle47and the internal thread46of the sleeve43and on account of the bolt45which projects into the slot44, as a result of which a slotted guide is formed. As a result of this displacement, effective cleaning of the spray nozzles11takes place by means of the brush24.

At the end of this control movement, the bolt45passes into the obliquely extending section44aof the slot44, as a result of which the sleeve43, the control rod42and the shaft21are rotated by approximately 45°. This position of the shaft21is shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 3A. As a result, the spray nozzles11are released by the brush24. Since the bolt45passes at the end of the oblique section44aof the slot44into the hole50which is situated there, a further rotation of the sleeve43and therefore a displacement of the brush24are no longer possible.

As is shown, furthermore, inFIG. 4andFIG. 4A, a further bolt51, by which the sleeve43and the control spindle47can be coupled rotationally to one another, can be inserted into the housing10in addition to the bolt45.

As can be seen fromFIG. 5andFIG. 5A, the control spindle47is configured with a projection47aat its end which lies opposite the handwheel41, which projection47ahas a transverse hole52, into which the second bolt51projects. Since the head51aof the second bolt51is situated in the hole50and, furthermore, the first bolt45projects with a projection45ainto a hole51bwhich is situated in the head51aof the second bolt51, the control spindle47cannot be either rotated or displaced. Rather, the cleaning device is situated in its inoperative position.

As soon as, in contrast, as can be seen inFIG. 5B, the first bolt45is moved upward in the direction of the arrow C, the second bolt51is released by the first bolt45, as a result of which the control spindle47can be rotated. Since the control spindle47is coupled rotationally by means of the second bolt51to the sleeve43, the control rod42and the shaft21, the shaft21is rotated via the sleeve43and the control rod42by a rotation of the handwheel41, as a result of which the brush23is pivoted along the inner wall of the pipeline1.

One of these further operating positions is shown inFIG. 5C. As a result of this, both the spray nozzles11and the inner wall of the pipeline1can be cleaned.

An apparatus is therefore produced, by means of which the cleaning device2which is situated in the pipeline1can be both displaced and pivoted as desired with respect to the pipeline1, as a result of which dirt particles which are situated on the spray nozzles11and on the inner wall of the pipeline1are detached from the spray nozzles11and from the inner wall of the pipeline1.

In order to remove said dirt particles from the pipeline1, the valve which is situated in the connection piece13is moved into its open position by pivoting of the hand lever14, as a result of which the liquid which is fed via the line12enters the pipeline1and flows away via the connection piece13. As a result, dirt particles which are situated in the pipeline1and have been detached from the spray nozzles11and/or from the inner wall of the pipeline1by means of the brush24during the cleaning operation are led away through the connection piece13.

The second embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention explained usingFIG. 6,FIG. 6A,FIG. 6BandFIG. 6Cdiffers from the first embodiment in that the second bolt51which is inserted into the hole52which is provided in the projection47aof the control spindle47is configured with a compression spring53which is situated between the projection47aand the bolt head51a, and in that the first bolt45which is screwed into a hole10awhich is provided in the housing10can be set to three different height positions.

In the position which is shown inFIG. 6andFIG. 6A, both the bolt45and the second bolt51protrude into the hole50which is situated at the end of the slot44, as a result of which the control rod42and the shaft21cannot be either rotated or displaced and the cleaning device is situated in its inoperative position.

In the position which is shown inFIG. 6B, the first bolt45protrudes so far into the slot44that the second bolt51has been moved counter to the action of the compression spring53in such a way that the bolt head51ais situated outside the slot44. It is the starting position of the control spindle47and the control rod21. Here, by way of a rotation of the handwheel41, a displacement of the cylindrical sleeve43, the control rod42and the shaft21takes place by the slotted guide and a displacement of the brush24takes place in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline1.

As soon as, as shown inFIG. 6C, the first bolt45has been moved so far upward that it is situated outside the hole50, whereas the bolt head51ahas passed into the hole50under the action of the compression spring53, the control spindle47is rotationally coupled to the cylindrical sleeve43and, via the latter, to the control rod42and the shaft21. As soon as the handwheel41is rotated, the brush24is pivoted as a result along the inner wall of the pipeline1, as a result of which said pipeline1can be cleaned.

An apparatus is therefore likewise produced, by means of which the cleaning device2which is situated within the pipeline1can be both displaced and pivoted as desired along the inner wall of the pipeline1.