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An orifice holding spring disk. The spring disk is utilized to retain orifice(s) against a smooth flat platen surface. The spring disk may further comprise an inlet flow conditioning nozzle, provided in (a) a flow collimating configuration to produce a coherent flow waterjet, or (b) in a de-collimat

An orifice holding spring disk. The spring disk is utilized to retain orifice(s) against a smooth flat platen surface. The spring disk may further comprise an inlet flow conditioning nozzle, provided in (a) a flow collimating configuration to produce a coherent flow waterjet, or (b) in a de-collimating configuration to produce a divergent waterjet. The spring disk has an annular outer ring, one or more through-holes, and counterbores to form wells in the spring disk. The wells are slightly larger in diameter than the particular orifice to be mounted and slightly shallower (in the water flow direction) than the thickness of the orifice. A nozzle cap compresses the platen and spring disc against a high pressure inlet tube. The outer diameter of the spring disk is forced to flex to the cap surface while the center portion is restrained by the orifice that is resting on the platen.

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1. A waterjet orifice assembly comprising:a) a high pressure tube having an inside diameter defined by opposing sidewalls, a threaded end, and a bottom compressive end portion; (b) a nozzle cap, said nozzle cap having threads sized and shaped for complementary mating engagement with said threaded en

1. A waterjet orifice assembly comprising:a) a high pressure tube having an inside diameter defined by opposing sidewalls, a threaded end, and a bottom compressive end portion; (b) a nozzle cap, said nozzle cap having threads sized and shaped for complementary mating engagement with said threaded end of said high pressure tube, said nozzle cap having an outlet bore, and, adjacent said nozzle cap outlet bore, a platen receiving surface; (c) a platen, said platen comprising (i) a body, (ii) a smooth upper orifice receiving surface, and (iii) a lower end portion sized and shaped for complementary mating engagement with said platen receiving surface in said nozzle cap; (d) a spring disk, said spring disk having and upstream side with a top surface and an downstream side with a bottom surface, and an overall diameter larger than the diameter of said central bore in said high pressure tubing, said spring disk comprising (i) a generally circular disc portion, (ii) at least one counterbore through said circular disk portion, said at least one counterbore defined by sidewall portions, said at least one counterbore of preselected height and diameter, said at least one counterbore further comprising an upper flange portion, (iii) an annular ring sidewall portion, said annular ring sidewall portion extending downwardly from said generally circular disc portion, and (iv) a flow conditioning nozzle, said flow conditioning nozzle located upstream of said upper flange portion; (e) at least one orifice, said at least one orifice having a central bore sized and shaped for escapement of high pressure fluid therethrough, said at least one orifice having a height at least slightly larger than said preselected height of one of said at least one counterbores in said spring disk, said at least one orifice removably mounted in said at least one counterbore of said spring disk; and (f) wherein said spring disk is clamped between said bottom compressive end portion of said high pressure inlet tube and said platen, which said platen is compressed by said platen receiving surface of said nozzle cap, so as to force said at least one orifice downward against said upper surface of said platen. 2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a single orifice is provided, and wherein said outlet bore of said nozzle cap is concentric with said central bore of said high pressure tube.3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a single orifice is provided, and wherein said at least one counterbore of said spring disk is concentric with said central bore of said high pressure tube.4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said spring disk is sufficiently flexible so as to avoid crushing of said orifice when said nozzle cap is tightened to secure said nozzle cap to said high pressure tube.5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said orifice has an inlet side having an inlet side area, and an outlet side having an outlet side land area which sits against said upper surface of said platen, and wherein hydrostatic pressure is contained within said high pressure tube and transmitted to said inlet side area of said orifice, and wherein force is transmitted through said orifice to said outlet side land area of said orifice, and wherein said inlet side area is larger than said outlet side land area of said orifice, so that sealing of said orifice against said upper surface of said platen is achieved.6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 5, wherein said upper surface of said platen comprises a lapped surface.7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring disk comprises a plurality of counterbores, each one of said at least one counterbores comprising an upper flange portion, and wherein an orifice is provided in secure mounted engagement in an upper flange portion in each one of said plurality of counterbores.8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring disk is sufficiently flexible so as to avoid crushing of said orifice when said nozzle cap is tightened to secure said nozzle cap to said high pressure tube.9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring disc comprises at least three leaf spring portions.10. A waterjet orifice assembly comprising:(a) a high pressure tube having a inside diameter defined by opposing sidewalls, and a threaded end having a bottom compressive surface portion; (b) a nozzle cap, said nozzle cap having threads sized and shaped for complementary mating engagement with said threaded end of said high pressure tube, said nozzle cap having an outlet bore, and, adjacent said nozzle cap outlet bore, an interior counterbore having a platen receiving surface; (c) a platen, said platen comprising (i) a body, (ii) a smooth upper orifice receiving surface, and (iii) a lower end portion sized and shaped for complementary mating engagement with said platen receiving surface in said nozzle cap; (d) a spring disk, said spring disk having and upstream side with a top surface and an downstream side with a bottom surface, and an overall diameter larger than the diameter of said central bore in said high pressure tubing, said spring disk comprising (i) a generally circular disc portion, (ii) at least one counterbore through said circular disk portion, said at least one counterbore defined by sidewall portions, said at least one counterbore of preselected height and diameter, said at least one counterbore further comprising an upper flange portion, (iii) an annular ring sidewall portion, said annular ring sidewall portion extending downwardly from said generally circular disc portion; (e) an orifice, said orifice having a central bore sized and shaped for escapement of high pressure fluid therethrough, said orifice having a height at least slightly larger than said preselected height than a selected one of said at least one counterbores of said spring disc, said orifice removably mounted in said at least one counterbore; and (f) wherein said spring disk is clamped between said bottom compressive end portion of said high pressure inlet tube and said platen, which said platen is compressed by said platen receiving surface of said nozzle cap, so as to force said at least one orifice downward against said upper surface of said platen. 11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein a single orifice is provided, and wherein said outlet bore of said nozzle cap is concentric with said high pressure tube.12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 10, wherein said spring disk is sufficiently flexible so as to prevent the crushing of said orifice when said nozzle cap is tightened to secure said nozzle cap to said high pressure tube.13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said orifice has an inlet side having an inlet side area, and an outlet size having an outlet side land area which sits against said upper receiving surface of said platen, and wherein hydrostatic pressure is contained within said high pressure tube and is transmitted to said inlet side area of said orifice, and wherein such force is transmitted through said orifice to said outlet side land area of said orifice, and wherein said inlet side area is larger than said outlet side land area of said orifice, so that sealing of said orifice against said upper receiving surface said platen is achieved.14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 10, wherein said upper receiving surface of said platen comprises a lapped surface.15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein(a) said spring disk comprises a plurality of counterbores, and wherein an orifice is provided in interfitting mounted engagement in each one of said plurality of counterbores; (b) said platen comprises a plurality of platen apertures therethrough, said platen apertures each axially centered with one of said orifices; and (c) said nozzle cap comprises a plurality of outlet bores therethrough, said outlet bores each axially centered with one of said orifices and a companion one of said platen apertures. 16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 10, wherein said spring disk is removably replaceable.17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, or claim 10, wherein said orifice is removably replaceable.18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, or claim 10, wherein said platen is removably replaceable.19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 10, wherein said platen comprises an integral cylindrical base, and an annular shoulder, and wherein said spring disk further comprises an annular shoulder, and wherein said spring disk compresses said orifice against said upper orifice receiving surface of said platen, and wherein said spring disk and said platen are compressed in an operating position between said nozzle cap and said compressive end of said high pressure tube.20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 10, wherein said generally circularly disc portion of said spring disk comprises (a) art outer wall region having a first thickness, and (b) an inner spoke region having a second thickness.21. The apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein said first thickness and said second thickness of said generally circular disc portion are substantially identical.22. The apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein said first thickness is larger than said second thickness, so that the thickness of said generally circular disc portion is less in said inner spoke region.23. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said spring disk further comprises a flow conditioning nozzle, said flow conditioning nozzle located on the upstream side of said upper flange portion.24. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or claim 23, wherein said flow conditioning nozzle protrudes above said top surface of said spring disk.25. The apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein said flow conditioning nozzle comprises an upper end, said upper end having outwardly sloping inlet wall portions.26. The apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said outward sloping inlet wall portions are sloped downward at an angle alpha.27. The apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein said angle alpha is equal to about forty five degrees.28. The apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein said flow conditioning nozzle comprises an upper end, said upper end having inwardly sloping inlet wall portions.29. The apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein said inwardly sloping inlet wall portions are sloped downward and inward at an angle beta.30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 29, wherein said angle beta is equal to about forty five degrees.31. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or claim 23, wherein said flow conditioning nozzle does not protrude above said top surface of said spring disk.32. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 10, wherein in said flow conditioning nozzle is shaped and sized to provide a collimating, coherent waterjet.33. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 10, wherein said flow conditioning nozzle is sized and shaped to provide a de-collimating, rapidly spreading waterjet.34. A method of changing water jet quality to or from (a) a highly collimated and coherent waterjet flow, with (b) a de-collimated and divergent waterjet flow, said method comprising:(a) providing the waterjet assembly set forth in claim 8; (b) providing a spring disc further comprising a selected flow conditioning nozzle, said flow conditioning nozzle comprising (a) a collimating, coherent waterjet flow conditioning nozzle, or (b) a de-collimating, divergent waterjet flow conditioning nozzle. 35. The method as set forth in claim 34, wherein said flow conditioning nozzle comprises a shape selected to provide a preselected waterjet flow condition.36. A waterjet orifice assembly comprising:(a) a high pressure tube having an inside diameter defined by opposing sidewalls, a threaded end, and a bottom compressive end portion; (b) a nozzle cap, said nozzle cap having threads sized and shaped for complementary mating engagement with said threaded end of said high pressure tube, said nozzle cap having an outlet bore, and, adjacent said nozzle cap outlet bore, a platen receiving surface; (c) a platen, said platen comprising (i) a body, (ii) a smooth upper orifice receiving surface, and (iii) a lower end portion sized and shaped for complementary mating engagement with said platen receiving surface in said nozzle cap; (d) a spring disk, said spring disk having and upstream side with a top surface and an downstream side with a bottom surface, and an overall diameter larger than the diameter of said central bore in said high pressure tubing, said spring disk comprising (i) a generally circular disc portion, said generally circular disc portion having a plurality of inwardly extending slots therein which divide said disc portion into multiple leaf spring portions, (ii) at least one counterbore through said circular disk portion, said at least one counterbore comprising arcuate portions corresponding to said multiple leaf spring portions, said arcuate portions separated by a gap defined by said inwardly extending slots, said arcuate portions of said at least one counterbore defined by sidewall portions, said arcuate portions of said at least one counterbore of preselected height and diameter, said arcuate portions of said at least one counterbore further comprising an upper flange portion, (iii) a ring sidewall portion, said ring sidewall portion extending downwardly to an upper flange segment, and (iv) a flow conditioning nozzle, said flow conditioning nozzle located upstream of said upper flange portion; (e) at least one orifice, said at least one orifice having a central bore sized and shaped for escapement of high pressure fluid therethrough, said at least one orifice having a height at least slightly larger than said preselected height of one of said at least one counterbores in said spring disk, said at least one orifice removably mounted at said upper flange segment in said at least one counterbore of said spring disk; and (f) wherein said spring disk is clamped between said bottom compressive end portion of said high pressure inlet tube and said platen, which said platen is compressed by said platen receiving surface of said nozzle cap, so as to force said at least one orifice downward against said upper surface of said platen. 37. The apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein a single orifice is provided, and wherein said outlet bore of said nozzle cap is concentric with said central bore of said high pressure tube.38. The apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein a single orifice is provided, and wherein said at least one counterbore of said spring disk is concentric with said central bore of said high pressure tube.