Dual purpose foam generating and high pressure nozzle

Abstract

A dual purpose nozzle for low pressure foam generating and high pressure fluid spraying including a nozzle body having inlet and outlet portions and defining a slide chamber and a mixing chamber, an inner nozzle is slidably mounted in the slide chamber and having an internal passageway for communicating fluid from the inlet portion to the outlet portion of the nozzle body, the mixing chamber terminating in an outlet discharge opening and the nozzle body having at least one inlet opening therein upstream of the outlet discharge opening for admitting air into the mixing chamber, the inner nozzle having a discharge end with a primary discharge opening therein generally aligned with the outlet discharge opening in the nozzle body, a spring is provided for biasing the inner nozzle in an upstream direction with the discharge end normally disposed above the air opening in the mixing chamber so that low pressure fluid entering the mixing chamber from the passageway draws air in through the air openings to generate a foam of bubbles and droplets which is sprayed from the outlet discharge opening of the nozzle body. Shoulders are provided on the inner nozzle for causing it to move downstream in the slide chamber and the mixing chamber against the bias of the spring when high pressure fluid is admitted to the passageway and discharged from the end thereof below the air intake openings and in close proximity to the discharge end of the nozzle body to form a high pressure fluid spray.