Device for introducing a liquid into a stream of pressurised gas

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING A LIQUID INTO A STREAM OF PRESSURISED GAS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET THROUGH WHICH, IN OPERATION, A STREAM OF PRESSURISED GAS IS PASSED, THE HOUSING HAVING AN INTERNAL PARTITION POSITINED IN THE FLOW-PATH BETWEEN THE INLET AND THE OUTLET AND CONTAINING AN ANNULAR SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL VALVE SEAT; THE DEVICE ALSO COMPRISING A VALVE MEMBER, ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SEAT AND ARRANGED TO BE LIFTED THEREFROM AGAINST A BIAS BY THE FLOW OF GAS THROUGH THE HOUSING; A GUIDING STEM, EXTENDING COAXIALLY FROM THE VALVE MEMBER AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL THROUGHWAY THEREIN, AND A RESERVOIR, POSITIONED BELOW THE VALVE SEAT, SAID STEM EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE RESERVOIR, THE LATTER COMMUNICATING AT A POSTION ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID THEREIN WITH THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF THE VALVE SEAT AND SAID THROUGHWAY COMMUNICATING AT THE END THEREOF ADJACENT SAID VALVE MEMBER WITH AN ORIFICE IN THE VALVE MEMBER, SAID ORIFICE COMPRISING A RADIAL GROOVE IN THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE LONGITUDINAL THROUGHWAY IN THE STEM AND A COVER EXTENDING OVER SAID GOOVE ALONG AT LEAST PART OF ITS LENGTH, SAID RADIAL GROOVE BEING POSITIONED TO DISHCARGE LIQUID INTO THE GAS STREAM IN A REGION OF REDUCED PRESSURE PRODUCED BY THE FLOW OF GAS PAST THE SEAT, SAID BIAS BEING EFFECTED BY THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND THE STEM AND BEING SUCH AS TO PRODUCE A PRESSURE DROP IN GAS FLOWING THROUGH THE SEAT, AND THEREBY TO PRODUCE A LIQUID AND GAS MIXTURE OF THE DESIRED PROPORTION, SAID STEM BEING MADE OF VERY LIGHT MATERIAL, WHEREBY THE EFFECTIVE DENSITY OF THE STEM AND THE LIQUID CONTAINED THEREIN APPROXIMATES TO THAT OF THE LIQUID.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING A LIQUID INTO A STREAM OF PRESSURISED GAS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET THROUGH WHICH, IN OPERATION, A STREAM OF PRESSURISED GAS IS PASSED, THE HOUSING HAVING AN INTERNAL PARTITION POSITINED IN THE FLOW-PATH BETWEEN THE INLET AND THE OUTLET AND CONTAINING AN ANNULAR SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL VALVE SEAT; THE DEVICE ALSO COMPRISING A VALVE MEMBER, ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SEAT AND ARRANGED TO BE LIFTED THEREFROM AGAINST A BIAS BY THE FLOW OF GAS THROUGH THE HOUSING; A GUIDING STEM, EXTENDING COAXIALLY FROM THE VALVE MEMBER AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL THROUGHWAY THEREIN, AND A RESERVOIR, POSITIONED BELOW THE VALVE SEAT, SAID STEM EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE RESERVOIR, THE LATTER COMMUNICATING AT A POSTION ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID THEREIN WITH THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF THE VALVE SEAT AND SAID THROUGHWAY COMMUNICATING AT THE END THEREOF ADJACENT SAID VALVE MEMBER WITH AN ORIFICE IN THE VALVE MEMBER, SAID ORIFICE COMPRISING A RADIAL GROOVE IN THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE LONGITUDINAL THROUGHWAY IN THE STEM AND A COVER EXTENDING OVER SAID GOOVE ALONG AT LEAST PART OF ITS LENGTH, SAID RADIAL GROOVE BEING POSITIONED TO DISHCARGE LIQUID INTO THE GAS STREAM IN A REGION OF REDUCED PRESSURE PRODUCED BY THE FLOW OF GAS PAST THE SEAT, SAID BIAS BEING EFFECTED BY THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND THE STEM AND BEING SUCH AS TO PRODUCE A PRESSURE DROP IN GAS FLOWING THROUGH THE SEAT, AND THEREBY TO PRODUCE A LIQUID AND GAS MIXTURE OF THE DESIRED PROPORTION, SAID STEM BEING MADE OF VERY LIGHT MATERIAL, WHEREBY THE EFFECTIVE DENSITY OF THE STEM AND THE LIQUID CONTAINED THEREIN APPROXIMATES TO THAT OF THE LIQUID.