Claims
- 1. An apparatus for delivering a stream of a mixture of a gas and a powdered abrasive material to a surface, which apparatus comprises:
(a) a container-receiving member for detachably receiving a container for the powdered abrasive material; (b) a discharge nozzle for directing the stream of the mixture of the gas/abrasive material against a surface; (c) a first optionally flexible conduit having one end in fluid communication with the discharge nozzle and the other end in fluid communication with the container, when attached, through the container-receiving member; (d) a second optionally flexible conduit for connecting one end to an external gas source and the other end to the attachment portion for the abrasive material container; (e) a manually-operated pinch valve for pinching either the first or second flexible conduit to regulate the flow of the mixture of the gas/abrasive material to the discharge nozzle; and (f) a housing for parts (a)-(e).
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pinch valve is located between the discharge nozzle and the container-receiving member to constrict the first flexible conduit to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first flexible conduit is removable.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first flexible conduit is releasably connected at each end of the conduit.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each end of the first flexible conduit has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the flexible conduit with the discharge nozzle and the other end of the flexible conduit with a line communicating with the container for the powdered abrasive material attached to the container-receiving member.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pinch valve is located to constrict the second flexible conduit to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second flexible conduit is removable.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second flexible conduit is releasably connected at each end of the conduit.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each end of the second flexible conduit has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the flexible conduit to the external gas source and the other end to the container-receiving member.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1, which further comprises a bypass gas line having a valve, said airline connecting the first and second conduits.
- 11. A hand-holdable apparatus for delivering a stream of a gas and a powdered abrasive material to a surface, which apparatus comprises:
(a) an abrasive material pick-up assembly comprising (i) a container-receiving member for detachably receiving a container for the powdered abrasive material, (ii) two conduits, an inner conduit defined by a surrounding wall having a distal end away from the container-receiving member and proximal end connected to the container-receiving member and an outer conduit defined by an outer wall, having analogous distal and proximal ends, wherein an intermediate passage is defined by the inner conduit wall and the outer-conduit wall, (iii) a container for holding the powdered abrasive material, the container having an open end and a closed end, which container is detachably connected to the container-receiving member through its open end and encloses the two conduits such that distal ends of the conduits are near the closed end of the container, (iv) a passageway through the wall of the inner conduit near its distal end, and (v) an optional passageway through the wall of the outer conduit near its distal end; (b) a discharge nozzle for directing a stream of a pressurized gas/abrasive mixture from the container against a surface to abrade the surface; (c) a gas delivery entry line for delivering a pressurized gas to the interior of the container through one of the conduits; (d) an exit line communicating with the interior of the container and leading to the discharge nozzle; (e) a pressure-actuated member that interrupts the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture from the container to the discharge nozzle, wherein when a pressurized gas is directed through the entry line into the inner conduit or intermediate passage, a pressure differential is created to draw the powdered abrasive material from the container out the exit line and to the nozzle.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the exit line leading to the discharge nozzle is flexible, the pressure-actuated member is a pinch valve located between the discharge nozzle and the container-receiving member to constrict the flexible exit line to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the flexible exit line is removable.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the flexible exit line is releasably connected at each end of the line.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each end of the flexible exit line has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the line with the discharge nozzle and the other end of the line with a line communicating with the container for the powdered abrasive material attached to the container-receiving member.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the gas delivery entry line is flexible and the pressure-actuated member is a pinch valve located to constrict the gas delivery flexible line to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the gas delivery flexible line is removable.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the gas delivery flexible line is releasably connected at each end of the line.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each end of the gas delivery flexible line has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the flexible line to the external gas source and the other end to the container-receiving member.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the conduits of the abrasive material pick-up assembly are positioned to be concentric relative to each other.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the outer conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly has its distal end positioned so that a gap of about 0.035 inch to about 0.125 inch exists between the distal end of the outer conduit and the closed end of the abrasive material container.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the gap is about 0.095 inch.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the passageway through the distal end wall of the inner conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly has a diameter of about 0.015 inch to about 0.030 inch.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the diameter of the passageway is about 0.022 inch.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein there are two passageways through the distal end wall of the inner conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly, wherein each passageway has a diameter of about 0.015 inch to about 0.030 inch and is located 180° from the other.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the inner conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly has a passageway through the wall of the inner conduit near its proximal end.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the passageway near the proximal end of the inner conduit has a diameter of about 0.025 inch to about 0.035 inch.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the passageway near the proximal end of the inner conduit is 0.031 inch.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein pressurized gas is directed into the inner conduit and the gas/abrasive material mixture is directed out of the container through the annular passageway formed between the outer wall of the inner conduit and the inner wall of the outer conduit and to the discharge nozzle.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein pressurized gas is directed into the annular passage formed between the outer wall of the inner conduit and the inner wall of the outer conduit and the gas/abrasive material is directed out of the container through the inner conduit.
- 31. A process for abrading a surface by delivering a stream of a mixture of a pressurized gas and a powdered abrasive material to the surface, which process comprises
(A) connecting a source of pressurized gas to a hand-holdable apparatus that comprises
(a) a container-receiving member detachably attached to a container containing a powdered abrasive material; (b) a discharge nozzle for directing the stream of the mixture of the gas/abrasive material against the surface; (c) a first optionally flexible conduit having one end in fluid communication with the discharge nozzle and the other end in fluid communication with the attached container through the container-receiving member; (d) a second optionally flexible conduit for connecting one end to an external gas source and the other end to the attachment portion for the abrasive material container; (e) a manually-operated pinch valve for pinching either the first or second flexible conduit to regulate the flow of the mixture of the gas/abrasive material to the discharge nozzle; and (f) a housing for parts (a)-(e), (B) directing the discharge nozzle against a surface to be abraded, and (C) actuating the pinch valve to allow a stream of pressurized gas/abrasive material to impinge upon the surface for a time sufficient to abrade the surface.
- 32. The process of claim 31, wherein the first conduit is flexible and the pinch valve is located between the discharge nozzle and the container-receiving member to constrict the first flexible conduit to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 33. The process of claim 32, wherein the first flexible conduit is removable.
- 34. The process of claim 33, wherein the first flexible conduit is releasably connected at each end of the conduit.
- 35. The process of claim 34, wherein each end of the first flexible conduit has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the flexible conduit with the discharge nozzle and the other end of the flexible conduit with a line communicating with the container for the powdered abrasive material attached to the container-receiving member.
- 36. The process of claim 31, wherein the second conduit is flexible and the pinch valve is located to constrict the second flexible conduit to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 37. The process of claim 36, wherein the second flexible conduit is removable.
- 38. The process of claim 37, wherein the second flexible conduit is releasably connected at each end of the conduit.
- 39. The process of claim 38, wherein each end of the second flexible conduit has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the flexible conduit to the external gas source and the other end to the container-receiving member.
- 40. A process for abrading a surface by delivering a stream of a mixture of a pressurized gas and a powdered abrasive material, which process comprises
(A) connecting a source of pressurized gas to a hand-holdable apparatus that comprises
(a) an abrasive material pick-up assembly comprising (i) a container-receiving member for detachably receiving a container for the powdered abrasive material, (ii) two conduits, an inner conduit defined by a surrounding wall having a distal end away from the container-receiving member and proximal connected to the container-receiving member and an outer conduit defined by an outer wall, having analogous distal and proximal ends, wherein an intermediate passage is defined by the inner conduit wall and the outer-conduit wall, (iii) a container for holding the powdered abrasive material, the container having an open end and a closed end, which container is detachably connected to the container-receiving member through its open end and encloses the two conduits such that distal ends of the conduits are near the closed end of the container, (iv) a passageway through the wall of the inner conduit near its distal end, and (v) an optional passageway through the wall of the outer conduit near its distal end; (b) a discharge nozzle for directing a stream of a pressurized gas/abrasive mixture from the container against a surface to abrade the surface; (c) a pressurized gas delivery entry line for delivering a pressurized gas to the interior of the container through one of the conduits; (d) an exit line communicating with the interior of the container and leading to the discharge nozzle; (e) a pressure-actuated member that interrupts the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture from the container to the discharge nozzle, wherein when a pressurized gas is directed through the entry line into the inner conduit or intermediate passage, a pressure differential is created to force the powdered abrasive material from the container out the exit line and to the nozzle. (B) directing a stream of gas/abrasive material from the discharge nozzle against a surface to be abraded, and (C) allowing the pressurized gas to flow into the container to force the pressurized gas/abrasive material to impinge upon the surface for a time sufficient to abrade the surface.
- 41. The process of claim 40, wherein the exit line leading to the discharge nozzle is flexible, the pressure-actuated member is a pinch valve located between the discharge nozzle and the container-receiving member to constrict the flexible exit line to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 42. The process of claim 41, wherein the flexible exit line is removable.
- 43. The process of claim 42, wherein the flexible exit line is releasably connected at each end of the line.
- 44. The process of claim 43, wherein each end of the flexible exit line has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the line with the discharge nozzle and the other end of the line with a line communicating with the container for the powdered abrasive material attached to the container-receiving member.
- 45. The process of claim 40, wherein the gas delivery entry line is flexible and the pressure-actuated member is a pinch valve located to constrict the gas delivery flexible line to regulate the flow of the gas/abrasive mixture.
- 46. The process of claim 45, wherein the gas delivery flexible line is removable.
- 47. The process of claim 46, wherein the gas delivery flexible line is releasably connected at each end of the line.
- 48. The process of claim 47, wherein each end of the gas delivery flexible line has a collar that is snugly, releasably retained to align one end of the flexible line to the external gas source and the other end to the container-receiving member.
- 49. The process of claim 40, wherein the conduits of the abrasive material pick-up assembly are positioned to be concentric relative to each other.
- 50. The process of claim 49, wherein the outer conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly has its distal end positioned so that a gap of about 0.035 inch to about 0.125 inch exists between the distal end of the outer conduit and the closed end of the abrasive material container.
- 51. The process of claim 50, wherein the gap is about 0.095 inch.
- 52. The process of claim 49, wherein the passageway through the distal end wall of the inner conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly has a diameter of about 0.015 inch to about 0.030 inch.
- 53. The process of claim 52, wherein the diameter of the passageway is about 0.022 inch.
- 54. The process of claim 49, wherein there are two passageways through the distal end wall of the inner conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly, wherein each passageway has a diameter of about 0.015 inch to about 0.030 inch and is located 180° from the other.
- 55. The process of claim 49, wherein the inner conduit of the abrasive material pick-up assembly has a passageway through the wall of the inner conduit near its proximal end.
- 56. The process of claim 55, wherein the passageway near the proximal end of the inner conduit has a diameter of about 0.025 inch to about 0.035 inch.
- 57. The process of claim 56, wherein the passageway near the proximal end of the inner conduit is 0.031 inch.
- 58. The process of claim 49, wherein pressurized gas is directed into the inner conduit and the gas/abrasive material mixture is directed out of the container through the intermediate passageway formed between the outer wall of the inner conduit and the inner wall of the outer conduit and to the discharge nozzle.
- 59. The process of claim 49, wherein pressurized gas is directed into the intermediate passage formed between the outer wall of the inner conduit and the inner wall of the outer conduit and the gas/abrasive material is directed out of the container through the inner conduit.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/223,008, filed on Aug. 4, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60223008 |
Aug 2000 |
US |