Nozzle assembly
View Patent ↗A nozzle assembly includes a nozzle body with an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet, and with the passageway having a flow area and a fixed diameter at the outlet. A lever is supported at the nozzle body, and the nozzle assembly further includes an actuator, which is supported by the nozzle body and configured for varying the cross-section of the flow area through the outlet in response to the lever being moved relative to the nozzle body.
1. A firefighting nozzle assembly comprising:
a nozzle body having an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending from said inlet to said outlet, said passageway having a flow area and a fixed diameter at said outlet;
a lever supported at said nozzle body;
an actuator, said actuator supported by said nozzle body;
a movable body disposed in said passageway, said movable body supported for linear movement in said passageway, and being responsive to movement of said lever, and said movable body reducing the flow area through said outlet when said movable body is moved toward said outlet and increasing the flow area when moved away from said outlet,
said movable body having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end being closer to said outlet than said proximal end and being laterally movable within the passageway so that water flow through the passageway centers said distal end of said movable body in said passageway, and
said movable body further comprising an elongate body with said distal end formed at one end of said elongate body and said proximal end formed at an opposed end of said elongate body, said proximal end being supported by a pin connection in said passageway wherein said distal end is pivotable with respect to said proximal end and is laterally movable in the passageway wherein fluid flowing in said passageway generally centers said movable body in said passageway; and
a stream shaper, said stream shaper coupled to said movable body and moving with said movable body when said movable body is moved in said passayay in response to movement of said lever;
said proximal end of said movable body is pivotally mounted to said stream shaper wherein said distal end of said movable body is laterally movable with respect said stream shaper.
2. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said lever comprises a handle.
3. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said movable body has a generally bicone-shaped body.
4. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said generally bicone-shaped body comprises a curvilinear conical downstream end and a linear cone-shaped upstream end.
5. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 4 , wherein said generally bicone-shaped body comprises a cylindrical-shaped portion between said curvilinear conical downstream end and said linear cone-shaped upstream end.
6. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said stream shaper supports said movable body in said passageway.
7. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said stream shaper includes an outer cylindrical wall, an inner cylindrical wall, and a plurality of webs extending between said outer cylindrical wall and said inner cylindrical wall to define a plurality of fluid passageways.
8. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said lever includes a plurality of predefined positions corresponding to outlet flow areas of a plurality of conventional fixed orifice nozzles.
9. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said lever includes a plurality of predefined positions corresponding to predefined positions of said movable body.
10. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said nozzle body includes a central nozzle body, an outlet adapter mounted to said central nozzle body, and an inlet adapter mounted to said central nozzle body.
11. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 10 , wherein said inlet adapter comprises an inlet adapter assembly with an adapter base mounted to said central nozzle body and a swivel inlet body rotatably mounted in said adapter base.
12. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 10 , wherein said outlet adapter includes a connection for mounting an accessory to said nozzle body.
13. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 12 , wherein said connection comprises a threaded connection.
14. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said movable body includes a sealing surface for sealing the outlet when said movable body is moved to a closed position in response to said lever being moved to a position for shutting off flow through the nozzle assembly.
15. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said movable body is supported for linear movement in said passageway, said movable body having a varying cross-section so that when said movable body is moved longitudinally in the passageway the cross-section of the flow area through the passageway is varied.
16. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said proximal end of said movable body is pivotably secured within said passageway to allow said movable body to pivot about said proximal end while remaining supported for linear movement responsive to movement of said lever.
17. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 16 , further comprising a pin, said pin pivotally mounting said proximal end of said movable body in said passageway.
18. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 17 , wherein said pin has a non-planar bearing surface, said non-planar bearing surface pivotally mounting said proximal end of said movable body in said passageway.
19. A firefighting nozzle assembly comprising:
a nozzle body having an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending from said inlet to said outlet, said passageway having a flow area and a fixed diameter at said outlet;
a lever supported at said nozzle body;
an actuator, said actuator supported by said nozzle body;
a movable body disposed in said passageway, said movable body supported for linear movement in said passageway and being responsive to movement of said lever, and said movable body reducing the flow area through said outlet when said movable body is moved toward said outlet and increasing the flow area when moved away from said outlet;
said movable body comprising means for sealing said outlet when said movable body is moved to a closed position in response to said lever being moved to a position for shutting off flow through said nozzle assembly;
a means for reducing the scale of turbulence in an incoming water flow, said means for reducing coupled to said movable body and moving with said movable body when said movable body is moved in said passageway in response to movement of said lever,
said actuator configured for varying the cross-section of the flow area through said outlet in response to said lever being moved relative to said nozzle body; and
means for centering a distal end of said movable body in said passageway when water flows through said passageway,
said means for centering comprises means for pivotably connecting said movable body to said means for reducing.
20. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 19 , wherein said movable body has a generally bicone-shaped body.
21. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 20 , wherein said generally bicone-shaped body comprises a curvilinear conical downstream end and a linear cone-shaped upstream end.
22. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 21 , wherein said generally bicone-shaped body comprises a cylindrical-shaped portion between said curvilinear conical downstream end and said linear cone-shaped upstream end.
23. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 19 , wherein said means for reducing includes means for supporting said movable body in said passageway.
24. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 19 , wherein said means for reducing comprises a stream shaper including an outer cylindrical wall, an inner cylindrical wall, and a plurality of webs extending between said outer cylindrical wall and said inner cylindrical wall to define a plurality of fluid passageways.
25. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 19 , wherein said lever comprises a means for selecting an outlet flow area corresponding to one of a plurality of conventional fixed orifice nozzles.
26. The firefighting nozzle assembly according to claim 19 , further comprising connection means for mounting an accessory to said nozzle body.