Patent Publication Number: US-5522549-A

Title: Jet nozzle assembly for removing pests from crops

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to nozzles, and relates more particularly to a jet nozzle assembly used to produce a jet of water for removing pests from crops. 
     While cultivating crops, farmers will regularly spray pesticide to kill pests. However, using pesticide to kill animal pests will cause environmental pollutions or contamination problems. Before eating or cooking, fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly washed to remove residual pesticide. However, because crops may absorb residual pesticide from soil, washing crops before eating or cooking cannot completely eliminate the problem of pesticide contamination. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a jet nozzle assembly which can be used with a 31/2 horsepower water pump to produce a jet of water for removing pests from living crops so as to eliminate the application of pesticide in killing pests. To achieve this object, there is provided a jet nozzle assembly comprised of a socket to hold a nozzle plate having a jet nozzle, a stepped barrel fastened to the socket to hold a hollow shaft having a front cup, a coupling coupled to a water supply pipe, a connector connected between the hollow shaft and the coupling to guide water from the water supply pipe through a water passage on the hollow shaft, permitting water to be further driven out of the jet nozzle of the nozzle plate through spiral grooves on the front cup of the hollow shaft. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a jet nozzle assembly according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the jet nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is sectional view of the jet nozzle assembly of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 shows the jet nozzle assembly of FIG. 2 operate. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a jet nozzle assembly in accordance with the present invention is generally comprised of a socket 1, a stepped barrel 2, a connector 3, and a coupling 4. The socket 1 is covered with a nozzle plate 11 and sealed by a packing ring 12, having a plurality of inside ribs 101 and a ring plate 102 retained within the inside ribs 101. The socket 1 further comprises a screw hole 103 at one end, which receives the nozzle plate 11 and the packing ring 12 on the inside. The nozzle plate 11 has a circular flange 111 at an inner side and a jet nozzle 112 at the center. The stepped barrel 2 holds a hollow shaft 21 and a rubber ring 22, defining a longitudinal open chamber 201 and having an outer thread. The shaft 21 comprises a front cup 211 at one end, two opposite spiral grooves 213 on the peripheral wall of the front cup 211, a conical member 212 received in the front cup 211, a hollow screw rod 216 at an opposite end, an intermediate shaft section 214 connected between the front cup 211 and the hollow screw rod 216, two opposite water outlets 215 through the intermediate shaft section 214 at two opposite locations, and a longitudinal water passage 217 through the hollow screw rod 216 in communication with the water outlets 215. The connector 3 comprises a water chamber 301, a water outlet 302 at one end of the water chamber 301, an inner thread 303 around the water outlet 302, a stepped mounting stem 304 above the water chamber 301, two opposite water inlets 305 on the stepped mounting stem 304 at two opposite sides in communication with the water chamber 301, an outer thread 306 around the top end of the stepped mounting stem 304 for mounting a locknut 31 and a gasket 32 and a pair of rubber rings 33 and 33a. The coupling 4 comprises a front mounting hole 411 vertically disposed at one end, two annular grooves 41 around two opposite ends of the front mounting hole 411, a rear coupling portion 42, and a longitudinal water passage 412 communicated between the rear coupling portion 42 and the front mounting hole 411. 
     The assembly process of the jet nozzle assembly is outlined hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The outer thread 306 of the stepped mounting stem 304 is inserted from the bottom in proper order through the rubber ring 33a, the rubber ring 33, and the gasket 32, and then screwed up with the locknut 31, permitting the rubber rings 33a and 33 to be firmly respectively retained with the annular grooves 41. After the connection of the connector 3 and the coupling 4, the rubber ring 22 is mounted around the screw rod 216 of the shaft 21, then the screw rod 216 of the shaft 21 is inserted through longitudinal open chamber 201 of barrel 2 and threaded into the inner thread 303 of the connector 3 and then welded to the connector 3 by spot welding. When the shaft 21 and the stepped barrel 2 are connected to the connector 3, a gap is left between the outside surface of the front cup 211 and the peripheral wall of the longitudinal open chamber 201. The nozzle plate 11 and the packing ring 12 are then fastened to the socket 1 by threading the outer thread 202 of the stepped barrel 2 into the screw hole 103, permitting the circular flange 111 to fit into the ring plate 102. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, when the rear coupling portion 42 of the coupling 4 is coupled to a water supply pipe 5, water from the water supply pipe 5 flows through the water passage 412 and front mounting hole 411 of the coupling 4 into the water chamber 301 of the connector 3 via the water inlets 305, and then flows out of the water chamber 301 through the water outlet 302 into the water passage 217 of the shaft 21, and then flows out of the water outlets 215 on the intermediate shaft section 214 of the shaft 21 and is then guided by the spiral grooves 213 and the conical member 212 to move out of the jet nozzle 112 rapidly. When the jet nozzle assembly is used to eject a jet of water against crops, the pressure of the ejection of water does not damage the tissues of crops when pests are removed. 
     It will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.