NOZZLE ASSEMBLY FOR FLUID JET CUTTING SYSTEM

Abstract: A fluid jet cutting nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle housing (10) in which is releasably secured by hand tightening a nozzle arrangement (18) comprising a threaded closure member (20) to which is attached a collar-defining member (36) encircled by a plastics sealing ring (38). The ring (38) and member (36) interengage on withdrawal of the closure member so as also to withdraw.

Description: This invention relates to fluid jet cutting systems of the type wherein highly pressurized fluid is formed into a high velocity cutting jet by means of a jet-forming nozzle. Nozzle assemblies of the type used in fluid jet cutting systems typically comprise an axially extending housing having an inlet end, a discharge end, and an axially extending, internal fluid passageway coupling the two ends in fluid communication. Pressurized fluid, such as water at a typical pressure of from 137.8 to 448.2 MPA is introduced at the inlet end of the housing and flows towards the discharge end via the passageway. A nozzle element, having a jet-forming nozzle orifice, is positioned in the passageway adjacent the discharge end of the housing. The diameter of the jet­ forming orifice is typically in the range of 0.051 to 1.02 mm. When the pressurized fluid is forced through the jet-forming orifice, a highly collimated cutting jet is formed having a typical velocity in the order of 358 mps, or more. The jet thus formed is well known in the art as being capable of precisely cutting a wide variety of materials with distinct advantages over the alternative cutting methods. It has long been recognized that the orifice element within the nozzle housing must be replaced periodically. Although typically made from an extremely hard and wear resistant material such as synthetic sapphire, the orifice element is subject to wear owing to the extremely high fluid pressures and the rapid acceleration of the fluid as it enters and passes through the orifice. For example, impurities in the fluid impact on the walls of the orifice during operation. Additionally, the fluid within the orifice exerts a cutting force against the orifice walls which change the orifice tolerances over time. The result is that the close tolerances and minimal surface imperfections of the orifice element are lost, and a relatively uncollimated jet of significantly reduced cutting capability is consequently produced. Prior art nozzle assemblies have required the use of hand tools to service the nozzle orifice. Examples of typical nozzle assemblies are illustrated and described in U.S. Patents 4,216,906, 4,150,794, 3,997,111, and 3,756,106, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. As shown in those references, the orifice element is typically mounted within an annular seating element that is captured between the nozzle housing and an annular end cap tightened onto the discharge end of the nozzle. The housing is provided with an interior or exterior threaded region, according to the particular design, which mates with a threaded region of the cap to permit the aforementioned tightening. The upstream face of the seating element seals against the nozzle housing, while the downstream face of the seating element seals against the end cap so that leakage of the high pressure liquid around the orifice member is prevented. In practice, assembly of the foregoing nozzle assemblies require the exertion of a substantial amount of torque to the nozzle caps in order to create an effective seal around the orifice member. The torque required must be sufficient to cause metal distortion at the sealing areas, thereby providing an effective metal-to-metal seal capable of withstanding the high working pressures involved. U.S. Patent 4,660,773, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a mining tool which incorporates a number of high pressure nozzles, each including a seal assembly held in place by a set screw. The seal assembly includes a polyethylene sleeve press-fit about and urged up the internally threaded passageway to progressively push the sleeve and orifice member into the housing. The passageway through the screw is co­ axially aligned with the jet-forming orifice to permit discharge of the cutting jet therethrough. Seal removal is accomplished by removing the set screw and blowing the sleeve and orifice member out of the housing by pressurizing the cutting fluid upstream thereof. Accordingly, handtools such as wrenches and the like have been required to both tighten and remove the nozzle cap from the nozzle housing. This apparently minor inconvenience can, in fact, be a major factor in the cost of nozzle maintenance, in that a qualified maintenance technician must often be summoned, where careful use of handtools are required, to attend to the cap removal. This method of maintenance is often reinforced by labor/management contracts in many factories throughout the world. Consequently, the need to change the nozzle orifice can result in significant down time of the system, while the system operator waits for the maintenance technician to arrive. US 4,306,627 discloses another typical drilling nozzle. The nozzle is screw threaded into a drill stem without the use of any sealing element between the nozzle and drill stem. It would appear that this arrangement would require a tool to apply a substantial amount of torque to ensure that the nozzle is sealed in the drill stem and subsequently to remove it for orifice replacement. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a fluid jet cutting nozzle assembly comprising: a housing having an inlet for permitting the entry of highly pressurized cutting liquid, an outlet end for permitting the discharge of a cutting jet formed from said pressurized cutting liquid, and a fluid passageway communicating between the inlet and outlet end; a generally tubular closure member mounted in the outlet end region of said housing, and having an internal conduit extending between its upstream and downstream ends in fluid communication with the said passageway for accommodating the discharge cutting jet; and collar defining means for positioning a jet defining orifice means at the upstream end region of the closure member so that a jet defining orifice of the jet defining orifice means is in the path of pressurized fluid in the passageway for forming a cutting jet, the jet defining orifice means being disposed within the collar defining means; whereby withdrawal of the closure member from the outlet end of the housing cause withdrawal of the jet defining orifice means, characterized in that the collar defining means is a collar member coupled to the upstream end region of the closure member and into which the jet defining orifice means is affixed, and in that there is a ring means retained loosely between the closure member and the collar member to provide a high pressure seal between the closure member and the outlet end region of the housing, the collar member and the ring means being interengageable, whereby withdrawal of the closure member from the outlet end of the housing causes withdrawal of the ring means therefrom. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an orifice subassembly for use in a fluid jet cutting nozzle assembly of the type including a housing having an inlet for permitting the entry of highly pressurized cutting liquid, an outlet end for permitting the discharge of a cutting jet formed from said pressurized cutting liquid, and a fluid passageway communicating between the inlet and outlet end, and jet-defining orifice means at the outlet end of said housing, comprising: a generally tubular closure member adapted to be mounted in the outlet end region of said housing, and having an internal conduit extending between its upstream and downstream ends positioned to be in fluid communication with the said passageway for accomodating the discharge cutting jet; collar-defining means for positioning the jet defining orifice means at the upstream end region of the closure member so that a jet defining orifice of the jet defining orifice means is in the path of the pressurized fluid in the housing passageway for forming a cutting jet, the jet defining orifice means being disposed within the collar defining means, whereby withdrawal of the closure member from the outlet end of the housing caused withdrawal of the jet defining orifice means; characterised in that the collar defining means is a collar member coupled to the upstream end region of the closure member and into which the jet defining orifice means is affixed, and in that there is a ring means retained loosely between the closure member and the collar member, to provide a high pressure seal between the closure member and the outlet end region of said housing, the collar member and ring means being interengageable, whereby withdrawal of the closure member from the outlet end of the housing causes withdrawal of the ring means therefrom. It is preferable that the ring means is of a resilient plastics material. Resilient plastics seals are known per se, for example GB-A-2163369 discloses a spray jet nozzle threaded into a housing. The nozzle is provided with a resilient seal but this nozzle is suitable only for discharging water at a relatively low pressure e.g. 6800 KPa to 10300 KPa. It will also be seen that there is a replaceable spray forming orifice member, but this is at the downstream end of the nozzle. It will be appreciated that a nozzle assembly can be so designed as to have a sealing arrangement which eliminates the need for hand tools or torque specifications when assembling or disassembling the nozzle, thereby permitting the system operator to perform the operation without the need for a skilled maintenance technician. Further, such a seal arrangement can be easily installed in, or removed from, the nozzle assembly, and results in a lower profile, lower mass nozzle assembly. Unlike the metal-­ to-metal seals utilized in the prior art nozzles described above, the preferred form of sealing arrangement does not require high preloads supported by relatively large, massive, screw-threaded closure members having threads sufficiently large to support the preload force. A preferred embodiment of fluid jet cutting nozzle assembly as disclosed hereinafter comprises a housing having an inlet for permitting the entry of highly pressurized cutting liquid, an outlet end for permitting the discharge of a cutting jet formed from said pressurized cutting liquid, and fluid passageway-­ defining means communicating between the inlet and outlet end. A generally tubular closure member is mounted in the outlet end of said housing, and includes an internal conduit in fluid communication with the said passageway for accomodating the discharged cutting jet. A collar member is affixed to the upstream end portion of said closure member. Sleeve-­ defining means retained to the closure member by said collar member, provides a high pressure seal between the closure member and the outlet end of said housing. The collar member and sleeve-defining means are shaped to provide interengagement therebetween, whereby withdrawal of the closure member from the outlet end of the opening causes withdrawal of the sleeve-defining means therefrom. Jet-defining orifice means are affixed within the internal diameter of said collar member so that withdrawal of the closure member from the outlet end of the housing accordingly causes withdrawal of the jet defining orifice means. The orifice communicates with the passageway to form the cutting jet from the pressurized fluid. For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation view, in partial section, of a nozzle assembly; Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation view, in section, of an orifice and seal subassembly illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation view, in section, of an alternative orifice assembly. Referring initially to Figure 1, a nozzle assembly is shown to comprise a nozzle housing, or body,10 having an inlet end 12 for permitting the entry of a highly pressurized cutting fluid such as water. A 3.18 mm diameter fluid passageway 14 within the housing 10 couples the inlet end 12 to an outlet end 16 of the nozzle housing. An orifice subassembly, indicated generally at 18, is mounted in the outlet end of the housing and includes a generally tubular closure member 20 having an internal bore 22 in fluid communication with the passageway 14. Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation view, in section, of the orifice subassembly 18 illustrated in Figure 1. The subassembly is shown to comprise an annular orifice member 40, having an 0.152 mm orifice 42 through which the cutting fluid passes to form the cutting jet. In Figure 2, the fluid travels from right to left. The orifice member 40 is affixed to the upstream end of the tubular member 20 by an interference fit with an annular collar 36, which is in turn affixed by means of an interference fit to the tubular member 20. Accordingly, the orifice member 40 is press fit into the upstream portion of the collar 36 during assembly, and the downstream end of the collar 36 is press fit onto the upstream end of the closure member 20. The tubular closure member 20 is preferably made from a high strength, corrosion resistant material such as hardened stainless steel. A jet-accommodating bore approximately 8.9 mm long, is disposed about an axis 24 and extends through the closure member 20 from its upstream end 26 to is downstream end 28. The closure member 20 includes a conically shaped neck portion 30 just downstream of its upstream end from the 2.03 mm diameter of the upstream end to a diameter just less than 3.18 mm of the passageway 14 (Figure 1). The diameter of the neck portion 30 increases in the downstream direction. The downstream end 28 of the member 20 terminates in a knurled, integral, flange 32 which is adapted to be manually rotated during insertion and removal of the subassembly 18 from the nozzle housing. The flange is conveniently sized to have a 12.7 mm diameter. Just upstream from the flange 32, the member 20 is externally threaded at 34. The threads mate with an internally threaded region within the nozzle housing so that the subassembly 18 can be screwed into the housing during assembly by means of the hand-rotatable flange. The collar 36 is formed from a material such as a bronze alloy which has a reasonable modulus of elasticity, resistance to galling by stainless steel and to corrosion, and sufficient strength to retain its grip on the closure member. The collar 36 has an outer diameter of 2.54 mm, an inner diameter of 2.03 mm and an axial length of 15.2 mm. As shown in Figure 2, approximately half of the collar's axial length matches with the closure member as described above. The other, upstream, half of the collar's length accommodates the orifice element 40. The orifice element 40, which is press fit into the collar, is formed from an extremely hard material, such as synthetic sapphire, having a 2.03 mm outer diameter. An annular plastics ring 38, of approximately 2.54 mm inner diameter, encompasses the collar 36 and, as described below, seals the orifice subassembly 18 within the nozzle housing 10. During assembly of the subassembly 18, the ring 38 is placed about the upstream neck of the closure member 20, and the collar 36/orifice member 40 combination is press fit onto the closure member. The ring 38 is captured between a radially outwardly extending flange 37, formed on the upstream end of the collar 36, and the conically shaped neck 30 on the tubular member 20 which is just downstream from the member's upstream end 26. The ring 38 is thereby urged into the nozzle housing 10 (Figure 1) by the conical surface of the closure member 20 during insertion of the subassembly 18 into the housing, and is urged out of the nozzle housing by the flange 37 upon withdrawal of the subassembly 18 from the housing. The use of a plastics ring rather than a metal ring, reduces the friction generated against the interior of the nozzle housing 10 during installation and removal of the subassembly 18. Consequently, less torque is required to tighten or loosen the subassembly, permitting the amount of torque generated by a human hand to suffice when applied to the flange 32 of the closure member 20. In practice, it has been found that a ring having a 3.18 mm nominal outer diameter, 2.54 mm nominal internal diameter, a length of 15.2 mm is satisfactory when formed from an organic plastics having a tensile strength of at least 6895 k Pa, and ductility of at least 0.5 elongation before break at tension. The sealing of the subassembly 18 within the housing 10 is effected by the working pressure of the cutting fluid, which forces the orifice element 40 against the upstream face of the closure member 20 to prevent bypassing of the orifice 42 by the pressurized fluid. Additionally, the plastics ring 38 seals the extrusion gap between the interior of the nozzle housing 10 (Figure 1) and closure member 20 by deforming and flowing into the gap therebetween, much like an O-ring or other packing type seal. Because the seal is "pressure activated", the high preloads otherwise necessary to effect high pressure sealing are eliminated, thereby eliminating the high torque requirements which would preclude use of "finger-tight" assembly of the device herein. The subassembly 18, thus described, allows for the handling of the orifice assembly with minimal risk of parts loss or axial misalignment of the orifice 42. The risk of axial misalignment is minimized because the orifice member 40 is mounted coaxially with the passageway 22 by the collar 36. Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an orifice subassembly constructed in accordance with the invention. This embodiment includes a collar 48, having a generally "T"-shaped cross section, preferably formed from stainless steel. The collar 48 has an upstream head section 48a, which captures a plastics seal ring 38′ against the upstream end of the closure member 20′ and a downstream stem section 48b which is mounted within the closure member 20′. An internal, jet-accommodating, fluid passageway 49 extends upstream through the stem 48b, so that the downstream face 48c of the stem is in fluid communication with a counterbore 48d formed in the upstream face of the head 48a. The head 48a of the collar 48 is adapted to receive and hold the synthetic sapphire orifice member 40′. The orifice member 40′ is accordingly fitted within an annular brass disc insert 50, and the resulting combination is press fit into the counterbore 48d, and held in place by the interference fit. The disc 50 is about 0.76 mm thickness. The stem 48b of collar 48 is adapted to be retained within the closure member 20′ during insertion and withdrawal of the closure member from the nozzle housing. The stem 48b is accordingly provided with a circumferential groove 52 sized to retain an O-ring 54 mounted about the stem. Inspection of Figure 3 will show that internal passageway through the closure member contains a shoulder 58 that imparts an internal diameter to the passageway which is slightly less than the diameter of the O-ring. The shoulder 58 accordingly bears against the O-ring 54 during withdrawal of the subassembly 18′ from the nozzle housing, thereby pulling the collar 48, orifice member 40′ and seal ring 38′ from the nozzle housing. In practice, the subassembly 18′ when adapted for use in a nozzle housing having a 6.35 mm internal diameter, comprises its closure member 20′ having an upstream end whose diameter is approximately 6.35 mm, thereby providing a close fit between that portion of the closure member and the interior wall of the nozzle housing. The internal diameter of the closure member 20′ is approximately 5.08 mm in the region downstream from the shoulder 58, and approximately 4.76 mm above the shoulder to provide for compression of the O-ring 54. The closure member 20′ is approximately 15.9 mm in length, and measures 5.08 mm from the upstream end to the shoulder. The collar 48 comprises an annular head portion 48a having a 6.35 mm outer diameter, and a 2.39 mm nominal thickness. The counterbore 49 is of approximately 2.39 mm in the head portion 48a of the collar 40 to accommodate the orifice member 40′ and insert 50′. The passageway of 0.79 mm extends axially downstream from the counterbore, and terminates in a coaxially aligned passageway formed in the stem portion 48b having a diameter of 2.39 mm. The plastic seal ring 38′, which is captured loosely between the head portion 48a of collar 48 and the upstream end of the closure member 20′, has 6.35 mm outer diameter, a 4.75 mm internal diameter, and a thickness of approximately 1.6 mm. During assembly, the subassembly 18′ is constructed by press fitting the orifice member 40′ and insert 50 into the counterbore 48d of the collar 48. The O-ring 52 is installed on the stem 48b of the collar. The plastic seal ring 38′ is placed against the upstream face of the closure member. The collar 48 is then inserted, stem first, into the upstream end of the closure member's passageway. The passageway upstream of the shoulder 58 is sized to compress the 0-­ ring radially inward so that the O-ring passes through the region circumvented by the shoulder. Upon passing the shoulder, the O-ring is permitted to revert to its natural diameter by the larger diameter of the passageway downstream of the shoulder. As in the first embodiment, the illustrated subassembly 18′ may conveniently be screwed into the nozzle housing by means of the hand-rotatable annular flange 32′ integrally formed with the closure member at its downstream end. The pressurized working fluid within the nozzle housing forces orifice member 40′, the insert 50 and the head 48a of the collar 48 to seal against each other, and causes the head 48a to squeeze the seal ring 38′ against the upstream end of the closure member 20′. It may be noted from Figure 3 that the resulting slight downstream movement of the stem 48b and its O-ring is unimpended. The seal ring 38′, like the plastic seal ring 38 of the first embodiment, seals the extrusion gap between the interior of the nozzle housing 10 and the closure member 20′. The cutting jet accordingly passes from the orifice in member 40′, through passageway 49 in the stem 48b, and is directed through the central hole in the annular flange 32′ to cut the workpiece.

Claims: 1. A fluid jet cutting nozzle assembly comprising: a housing (10) having an inlet (12) for permitting the entry of highly pressurized cutting liquid, an outlet end (16) for permitting the discharge of a cutting jet formed from said pressurized cutting liquid, and a fluid passageway (14) communicating between the inlet and outlet end; a generally tubular closure member (20) mounted in the outlet end region of said housing, and having an internal conduit (22) extending between its upstream and downstream ends in fluid communication with the said passageway (14) for accommodating the discharge cutting jet; and collar defining means (36) for positioning a jet defining orifice means (40) at the upstream end region of the closure member (20) so that a jet defining orifice (42) of the jet defining orifice means (40) is in the path of pressurized fluid in the passageway (14) for forming a cutting jet, the jet defining orifice means (40) being disposed within the collar defining means (36); whereby withdrawal of the closure member (20) from the outlet end of the housing (10) causes withdrawal of the jet defining orifice means (40) characterized in that the collar defining means (36) is a collar member coupled to the upstream end region of the closure member (20) and into which the jet defining means (40) is affixed, and in that there is a ring means (38) retained loosely between the closure member (20) and the collar member (36) to provide a high pressure seal between the closure member (20) and the outlet end region of the housing, the collar member (36) and the ring means (38) being interengageable, whereby withdrawal of the closure member (20) from the outlet end of the housing (10) causes withdrawal of the ring means (38) therefrom. 2. The nozzle assembly of Claim 1, wherein the ring means encircles at least a portion of the collar member (36). 3. The nozzle assembly of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the collar member (36) encircles the upstream end portion of the closure member (20). 4. The nozzle assembly of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the collar member (36) has an outwardly extending surface (37, 48a) positioned to engage the ring means (38) upon withdrawal of the closure member (20) from the nozzle housing (10). 5. The nozzle assembly of Claim 4, wherein the closure member (20) includes a region of greater cross-­ sectional dimension than the internal diameter of the ring means (38), said region being positioned to contact the downstream end of the ring means (38) whereby the ring means is captured between said region and the outwardly extending surface (37, 48a) of the collar member (36). 6. The nozzle assembly of Claim 4 or 5, wherein the outwardly extending surface (37, 48a) is located at the upstream end of the collar member (36). 7. The nozzle assembly of Claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the outwardly extending surface (37, 48a) is oriented to engage the upstream edge of the ring means (38). 8. The nozzle assembly of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said collar member (36) comprises a member of a generally "T"-shaped section having a generally annular head portion (48a) accommodating the jet-­ defining orifice means (40′) and a generally tubular stem portion (48b) extending axially therefrom, the stem portion being nested within the internal passageway of the closure member (20′) so the head portion (48a) extends from the upstream end thereof, the head portion being sufficiently axially spaced from the upstream end of the closure member (20′) to accommodate the ring means (38′) therebetween, there being means (58) within the closure member (20′) for retaining the stem portion (48b) therein so as captively to retain the ring means (38′) between the head portion (48a) and the closure (20′) during withdrawal of the closure (20′) from the nozzle housing (10). 9. The nozzle assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and including hand-grippable means (32) affixed to the closure member (20) for rotatingly mounting the member within the housing (10) with sufficient hand force to permit subsequent operation of the cutting nozzle with the hand-mounted closure member. 10. An orifice subassembly (18) for use in a fluid jet cutting nozzle assembly of the type including a housing (10) having an inlet (12) for permitting the entry of highly pressurized cutting liquid, an outlet end (16) for permitting the discharge of a cutting jet formed from said pressurized cutting liquid, and a fluid passageway (14) communicating between the inlet and outlet end, and jet-defining orifice means (40) at the outlet end of said housing, comprising: a generally tubular closure member (20) adapted to be mounted in the outlet end region of said housing, and having an internal conduit (22) extending between its upstream and downstream ends positioned to be in fluid communication with the said passageway (14) for accommodating the discharge cutting jet; collar-defining means (36) for positioning the jet defining orifice means (40) at the upstream end region of the closure member (20) so that a jet defining orifice (42) of the jet defining orifice means (40) is in the path of the pressurized fluid in the housing passageway (14) for forming a cutting jet, the jet defining orifice means (40) being disposed within the collar defining means (36), whereby withdrawal of the closure member (20) from the outlet end of the housing (10) caused withdrawal of the jet defining orifice means (40), characterized in that he collar defining means (36) is a collar member coupled to the upstream end region of the closure member (20) and into which the jet defining orifice means (40) is affixed, and in that there is a ring means (38) retained loosely between the closure member (20) and the collar member (36), to provide a high pressure seal between the closure member (20) and the outlet end region of said housing, the collar member (36) and ring means (38) being interengageable, whereby withdrawal of the closure member (20) from the outlet end of the housing causes withdrawal of the ring means (38) therefrom. 11. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ring means is of plastics material. 12. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ring means (38) has a substantially elongate cross-section in the direction along the axis of the passageway (14).

Inventors: AYERS, GARY, STRUVE, RICHARD
Applicants: FLOW SYSTEMS, INC.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B26F3
IPC codes: B05B1, B26F3, E21B7