Patent Publication Number: US-2005133103-A1

Title: Three way coupler having adjusting device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a three way valve or coupler, and more particularly to a three way coupler having one or more adjusting devices for adjusting the flowing of fluids.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Various kinds of typical power tools or spraying nozzles or the like are required to be coupled to pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses via the conduits or pipes, for allowing the power tools and/or the spraying nozzles or the like to be driven or operated by the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses.  
      Normally, the spraying nozzles and the power tools are directly coupled to the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses, and are required to be changeably coupled to the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses frequently, and may not be simultaneously coupled to the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses.  
      Various kinds of typical three way couplers have been developed and comprise three ports for coupling to various conduits or pipes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,848 to Wheatley and U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,485 to Lai disclose two of the typical three way couplers each includes three ports for coupling to various conduits or pipes, and one or more valve members disposed in the three way couplers, for controlling the flowing of the air or fluid through the ports of the couplers.  
      However, the typical three way couplers have not designed for and may not be provided for coupling various power tools or spraying nozzles or the like to the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses.  
      In addition, the typical three way couplers do not include or provide any adjusting devices for adjusting the flowing of the air or fluid through the ports of the couplers.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional three way couplers.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a three way coupler for simultaneously coupling two or more power tools and/or spraying nozzles or the like to pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses.  
      The other objective of the present invention is to provide a three way coupler including one or more adjusting devices for adjusting the flowing of air or fluid through the conduits or pipes of the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses, and for allowing the power tools and/or the spraying nozzles to be driven or operated by the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatus with different driving power or forces.  
      In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a three way coupler comprising a housing including a bore formed therein for receiving fluid therethrough, and including two ends for pipe coupling purposes, and including an aperture formed therein and communicating with the bore of the housing, a barrel including a first end engaged into the aperture of the housing, and secured to the housing, and having a valve seat provided in the first end thereof, and including a hole formed therein, and communicating with the bore of the housing, and including a passage formed therein and communicating with the hole of the barrel, and a first adjusting device including a stem slidably engaged into the hole of the barrel, and including a plug movable relative to the valve seat of the barrel, to adjust a flowing of the fluid through the passage of the barrel.  
      The stem includes a rod extended therefrom and having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the hole of the barrel, to form an annular space between the rod and the barrel, and to communicate with the passage of the barrel. The plug is disposed on the rod, and includes a sealing ring engaged thereon for engaging with the valve seat of the barrel. The stem includes a knob secured thereto, to rotate the stem relative to the barrel.  
      A securing device is further provided for securing the knob to the barrel, to maintain the plug in disengagement from the valve seat of the barrel. The securing device includes an outer thread formed on the barrel, and an inner thread formed in the knob to thread with the outer thread of the barrel, and to secure the knob to the barrel.  
      A biasing device is further provided for biasing the plug to engage with the valve seat of the barrel. The stem includes a knob secured thereto, the biasing device includes a spring engaged between the barrel and the knob, to force the plug to engage with the valve seat of the barrel.  
      A second adjusting device may further be provided and attached to the housing, to adjust a flowing of the fluid through the bore of the housing. The housing includes an orifice formed therein and communicating with the bore of the housing, the second adjusting device includes a shank rotatably engaged into the orifice of the housing and includes a passage formed in the shank for selectively aligning with the bore of the housing, to adjust the flowing of the fluid through the bore of the housing.  
      A positioning device may further be provided for positioning the shank to the housing. The shank includes a knob having a plurality of depressions formed therein, the positioning device includes a spring biased projection received in the housing, and selectively engageable into either of the depressions of the knob, to position the shank to the housing at selected angular position.  
      Two sealing rings may further be provided and engaged between the shank and the housing, to make a fluid-tight seal between the shank and the housing. A retaining ring may further be provided and attached to the shank, and engaged with the housing, to rotatably secure the shank of the second adjusting device to the housing.  
      Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a three way coupler in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the three way coupler;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , illustrating the operation of the three way coupler;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 ; and  
       FIGS. 6, 7  are cross sectional views similar to  FIG. 5 , illustrating the operation of the three way coupler. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-3 , a three way coupler in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing  10  including a bore  11  formed therein, and including one end  12  having an outer thread  13  formed therein, and including another end  14  having an inner thread  15  formed therein.  
      The outer thread  13  and the inner thread  15  of the housing  10  may be used for coupling to various kinds of power tools (not shown) or spraying nozzles (not shown) or for coupling to pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses (not shown) via conduits or pipes (not shown) or the like, and for allowing the power tools or the spraying nozzles or the like to be operated or driven by the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses.  
      The housing  10  includes an orifice  16  formed therein, such as formed in the middle portion thereof, and preferably perpendicular to the housing  10 , and communicating with the bore  11  of the housing  10 , and further includes a cavity  17  formed therein, and located beside the orifice  16  of the housing  10 , for receiving a spring biased projection which has a ball  18  and a spring  19 .  
      An adjusting device  20  includes a shank  21  rotatably engaged into the orifice  16  of the housing  10 , a passage  22  formed in the shank  21 , for selectively aligning with the bore  11  of the housing  10  ( FIGS. 3, 4 ), and for controlling or adjusting the flowing of air or fluid through the bore  11  of the housing  10 . The shank  21  includes an annular recess  23  formed in one end thereof, for receiving a retaining ring  24  ( FIGS. 3, 4 ), which may be engaged with the housing  10  for rotatably securing the shank  21  of the adjusting device  20  to the housing  10 .  
      Two sealing rings  25  are engaged onto the shank  21 , and engaged with the housing  10 , for making a water tight or air tight seal between the shank  21  of the adjusting device  20  and the housing  10 , and thus for preventing air or fluid from flowing out through the orifice  16  of the housing  10 . The shank  21  further includes a knob  26  formed or provided on one end thereof, for rotating the shank  21 .  
      The knob  26  of the shank  21  includes a number of depressions  27  formed therein, for selectively receiving the spring biased ball  18 , and thus for positioning the knob  26  and the shank  21  to the housing  10  at selected angular positions, and thus to position and maintain the relative positions between the passage  22  of the adjusting device  20  and the bore  11  of the housing  10  ( FIGS. 3, 4 ).  
      In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 3, 4 , when the shank  21  is rotated relative to the housing  10  by such as the knob  26 , the passage  22  of the adjusting device  20  may also be rotated or adjusted relative to the bore  11  of the housing  10 , in order to adjust the flowing of the air or fluid through the bore  11  of the housing  10 .  
      The housing  10  further includes an aperture  30  formed therein, such as formed in the middle portion thereof, and defined by a hub  31 , and preferably perpendicular to the housing  10 , and communicating with the bore  11  of the housing  10 , and further includes an inner thread  32  formed therein, such as formed in the hub  31  of the housing  10 .  
      A barrel  40  includes an outer thread  41  formed on one end thereof, for threading with the inner thread  32  of the housing  10 , and for securing the barrel  40  to the housing  10 ; and includes a hole  42  formed therein, and communicating with the bore  11  of the housing  10 . The barrel  40  further includes an outer thread  47  formed on the other end thereof, and a recess  48  formed in the other end thereof and communicating with the hole  42  thereof, and having an outer diameter greater than that of the hole  42  thereof to form a peripheral shoulder  49  in the other end thereof.  
      The barrel  40  further includes a manifold  43  extended therefrom and having a passage  44  formed therein and communicating with the hole  42  of the barrel  40 . The manifold  43  includes an outer thread  45  formed on one end thereof, for coupling to various kinds of power tools (not shown) or spraying nozzles (not shown) or for coupling to pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses (not shown) via conduits or pipes (not shown) or the like.  
      Another adjusting device  50  includes a stem  51  rotatably engaged into the hole  42  of the barrel  40 , a sealing rings  52  engaged onto the stem  51  and engaged with the barrel  40 , for making a water tight or air tight seal between the stem  51  of the adjusting device  50  and the barrel  40 , and thus for preventing air or fluid from flowing out through the hole  42  of the barrel  40 .  
      The stem  51  further includes a rod  53  extended therefrom and extendible out of the hole  42  of the barrel  40 , and extendible into the aperture  30  of the housing  10 . The rod  53  includes an outer diameter smaller than that of the stem  51  or smaller than the inner diameter of the hole  42  of the barrel  40 , to form an annular space  54  between the rod  53  and the barrel  40  ( FIGS. 5-7 ) and to communicate with the passage  44  of the barrel  40 .  
      The stem  51  further includes a head  55  extended therefrom or provided on the inner or free end of the rod  53 , and having another sealing ring  56  engaged thereon, for engaging with a valve seat  46  that is formed and provided in one end of the barrel  40  ( FIGS. 5-7 ), and in order to control the water or fluid or pressurized air through the hole  42  and the annular space  54  of the barrel  40  and through the passage  44  of the barrel  40 .  
      The stem  51  further includes a knob  57  provided or secured to one end thereof, for rotating the stem  51 . A spring  58  may be engaged between the knob  57  and the barrel  40 , and received or seated in the recess  48  or the peripheral shoulder  49  of the barrel  40 , to bias the stem  51  out of the barrel  40 , and to bias or force the head  55  and the sealing ring  56  to engage with the valve seat  46  of the barrel  40 , and thus to control the water or fluid or pressurized air through the hole  42  and the annular space  54  of the barrel  40  and through the passage  44  of the barrel  40 .  
      The knob  57  of the stem  51  includes an inner thread  59  formed therein, for threading with the outer thread  47  of the barrel  40  ( FIG. 7 ), and for securing the knob  57  and the stem  51  to the barrel  40  at a selected angular position where the head  55  and the sealing ring  56  are disengaged from the valve seat  46  of the barrel  40 , to allow the water or fluid or pressurized air to continuously flow out through the hole  42  and the annular space  54  of the barrel  40  and through the passage  44  of the barrel  40 .  
      In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the stem  51  is moved relative to the barrel  40  by such as the knob  57 , the head  55  of the adjusting device  50  may also be moved or adjusted relative to the hole  42  and the valve seat  46  of the barrel  40 , in order to adjust the flowing of the air or fluid through the passage  44  of the manifold  43  of the barrel  40 . When the air or fluid is required to continuously flow out through the passage  44  of the manifold  43  of the barrel  40 , the knob  57  may be threaded to the barrel  40 , to secure the knob  57  and the stem  51  to the barrel  40 , and to maintain the head  55  and the sealing ring  56  in disengagement from the valve seat  46  of the barrel  40 .  
      The two ends  12 ,  14  of the housing  10  and the manifold  43  of the barrel  40  may be coupled to various power tools (not shown) or spraying nozzles (not shown) or pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses (not shown) via conduits or pipes (not shown) or the like, and for allowing the power tools and/or the spraying nozzles or the like to be simultaneously coupled to and driven by the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses.  
      In addition, the adjusting devices  20 ,  50  may be used to adjust the flowing of the air or fluid through the bore  11  of the housing  10  and/or the passage  44  of the manifold  43  of the barrel  40 , to allow the power tools and/or the spraying nozzles to be driven or operated by the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatus with different driving power or forces.  
      Accordingly, the three way coupler in accordance with the present invention may be used for simultaneously coupling two or more power tools and/or spraying nozzles or the like to pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses, and includes one or more adjusting devices for adjusting the flowing of air or fluid through the conduits or pipes of the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatuses, and for allowing the power tools and/or the spraying nozzles to be driven or operated by the pneumatic or hydraulic power driving apparatus with different driving power or forces.  
      Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.