Blasting System
Patent Number: US 10569386 Grant Date: 2020-02-25 Filing Date: 2017-11-14
Overview
This patent details a robust blasting system that combines practical mechanical design with pneumatic control to improve slurry flow, pressure equalization, and operator safety. Filed on November 14, 2017 and granted on February 25, 2020, the disclosure — developed by inventors based in Houston, TX and assigned to a Houston, TX applicant — captures several refinements that address common operational challenges in industrial blasting. The tank architecture features a center tube that selectively draws a pressurized air–fluid mixture, a novel venting cap that locks under lug nuts and requires depressurization to remove, and an integrated relief and fill-valve arrangement that precisely regulates fluid volume and pressure. A vibrator, strategically mounted on the shell and used with a conical interior angle and internal filter, keeps abrasive slurry mobilized to prevent clogging and enable reliable feed to the blast nozzle. The design also allows 360-degree hose rotation and a fail-safe pinch cutoff valve for added operator protection. The firm’s prosecution emphasizes clear functional claims and inventive mechanical interplay between hydraulic accumulators, the center tube coupling, and position-locking hardware, demonstrating deep technical drafting and claim strategy.
Key Features
- Selective center-tube air/fluid mixing with hydraulic accumulators
- Pressure-activated venting cap and relief valve control
- Vibrator-assisted slurry flow and anti-clogging geometry
- Fail-safe pinch cutoff and 360° blast-hose rotation
This patented system improves reliability and safety in abrasive-blasting operations and has broad relevance for industrial surface-preparation and fluid-handling equipment.
Invention Details
Abstract: A blasting system, comprising a tank comprising a center tube, an inlet, a fill valve, an outlet, a refilling aperture, and a relief valve. Said tank comprises a top end and a bottom end, said outlet located at said top end of said tank, said inlet located at said bottom end, said fill valve and said relief valve are positioned in a side portion of said tank. Said relief valve closer to said bottom end of said tank than said fill valve. Wherein said tank receives a fluid through said fill valve. Wherein said tank receives a pressurized air through said inlet. Wherein said bottom end of said tank holds said fluid. Wherein said center tube receives a portion of said pressurized air and selectively receives a portion of said fluid to exit through said outlet for a blasting application.
Summary of the Invention: Two embodiments of a blasting system are disclosed. First, a blasting system, comprising a tank comprising a center tube, an inlet, a fill valve, an outlet, a refilling aperture, and a relief valve. Said tank comprises a top end and a bottom end, said outlet located at said top end of said tank, said inlet located at said bottom end, said fill valve and said relief valve are positioned in a side portion of said tank. Said relief valve closer to said bottom end of said tank than said fill valve. Wherein said tank receives a fluid through said fill valve. Wherein said tank receives a pressurized air through said inlet. Wherein said bottom end of said tank holds said fluid. Wherein said center tube receives a portion of said pressurized air and selectively receives a portion of said fluid to exit through said outlet for a blasting application. Said relief valve regulates fluid capacity in said tank and relieves pressure from said tank. Said refilling aperture is surrounded by a plurality of lug nuts, and a venting cap. Said venting cap selectively seals said refilling aperture. Said venting cap comprises a one or more notches. Further, sealing said refilling aperture with said venting cap comprises aligning said venting cap with said refilling aperture, sliding said one or more notches past said plurality of lug nuts, and rotating said venting cap under said plurality of lug nuts.
Second, a blasting system, comprising a tank comprising a center tube, an inlet, a fill valve, an outlet, a refilling aperture, and a relief valve. Said tank comprises a top end and a bottom end, said outlet located at said top end of said tank, said inlet located at said bottom end, said fill valve and said relief valve are positioned in a side portion of said tank. Said relief valve closer to said bottom end of said tank than said fill valve. Wherein said tank receives a fluid through said fill valve. Wherein said tank receives a pressurized air through said inlet.
Patent Document
Related: Mechanical Engineering | Fluid Systems | Materials | Houston, Texas | Shannon Warren, Patent Attorney