Dual-duty blowing and exhausting apparatus

Abstract

A dual-duty blowing and exhausting apparatus is provided. The apparatus may be quickly and conveniently converted between blowing and exhausting configurations without exposing its parts to undue wear or damage, and without causing the escape of the collected dust or other scrap material. The apparatus comprises a body member formed with an intermediate cylinder section having a conically contoured internal surface portion coaxially disposed about an axial bore. The apparatus also includes an exhaust valve coupled to a first end section of the body member in substantially sealed manner. This exhaust valve serves to guide compressed air introduced into the body member to the conically contoured internal surface portion for expulsion through the tapered throat portion during the exhausting operation. The apparatus further includes a blow valve detachably coupled to the exhaust valve for effecting the blowing operation. The blow valve includes a substantially tubular member which receives a central shaft sleeve member having a plurality of angularly offset fins extending radially therefrom. The central shaft sleeve member receives in spring biased manner a slide rod, on a radially flared flange to which is coupled a gasket seal that obstructs the axial bore upon the blow valve's coupling to the exhaust valve. The compressed gas introduced into the body member is thus deflected to the blow valve for expulsion through the gun-barrel section.