US2119207A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

M y 3.1, 1 38. J. H, GIBBS 2, 19,2

AIR CONDI TIONI NG APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1955 WW i727" [Ml W. A

Patented May 31; 1938 UNITED sT r s PATENT OFFICE I 5,119,207 m ooNm'rI'oNmo, APPARATUS John H. Gibbs, Framingham, Mass.

Application December 26, 1935, Serial No. 56,174

3 Claims. (Cl. 261-81) This invention relates to apparatus for washing, humidifying, disinfecting, medicating or deodorizing a stream of air or other gaseous substance.

,-, It is an object of the invention to provide apliquid. An agitator of sheet material is suspended in the chamber and is vibrated by the air stream in such a manner as to splash the liquid in the pool, thus throwing a spray of liq- .5 uid into the air stream and keeping the walls of the chamber constantly washed. A great deal of the dust carried by the incoming air is caught by the surface of the pool and the wet surfaces of the chamber walls and vibrating agitator. A further cIeansing effect results from the spray of liquid, shaken from the agitator and splashed from the pool. The spray not only washes but also humidifies the air stream, many of the finer droplets of spray being carried out with the stream to-evaporate in the open air.

It has been found that placing the apparatus on a radiator, hot air register or other source of heat accelerates the evaporation as the liquid is thereby warmed and heated air is blown through the apparatus. it has also been found that certain chemicals may be added to the liquid to act as dispersing agents, such for instance as sodium salt of naphthalene sulphonic acid. This aids the liquid to break intoa finer spray which is more easily evaporated.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the description thereof which follows and to the drawing of which E Figure 1 is a sectional view of apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a manner as to dip when at rest into the pool of liquid. This vibrator is located in the air stream, so that, when the stream is flowing, the

vibrator is vibrated thereby in such a manner as to splash a spray of liquid from the surface of the pool into the air stream so as to cleanse, humidity, disinfect or medicate the air passing through the chamber.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawing consists of a portable unit adapted to rest on a desk or table and to be carried from one room to another as desired, but it is evident that the invention may be employed in a built-in housing or duct and suitable means provided for heating the liquid or air.

, As shown, the housing consists of a receptacle ill adaptedto contain a pool of water or other suitable fluid, the housing including a cover 12 which encloses a chamber 13 and is preferably removable'for access to the interior of thehous-. ing. The cover member is provided with a pair of spaced ports it and it, the port it being an inlet port through which a stream of air may be introduced into the chamber l3 to be discharged through the outlet port it. Such a stream of air may be brought to the inlet port it from any suitable source of supply by any suitable means. As shown, a blower 2H, driven by a-motor 22, is mounted on the cover member l2 so that the entire air-conditioning apparatus is a unitary portable device. Extending upwardly from the discharge port it is a flue 2t through which the stream of air escaping from the chamber within the housing is projected in an upward direction. Thus any small droplets of water, which may be projected in the air stream as it leaves the housing, are projected upward so as to evaporate readily before falling to the floor or to the surface on which the apparatus rests.

Within the housing a vibra'table vane 30 is suspended so as to be in the path of the air stream. As indicated in Figures 1 and 2, this vane may be in the form of a sheet of metal or other stiff material bent into suitable non-planar form and swingably suspended as at 32 beneath the inlet orifice M. This vane preferably tapers in width toward the lower end 34, the dimensions of the member being such that, when at rest, it will contact with the pool II, a portion of the member being ,preferably submerged. When the stream of air is directed into the chamber through the inlet port ll, a portion of it enters behind the member 30 and swings the member toward the discharge orifice l6. This swinging movement of the member 30 lifts it clear of the liquid and raises therewith a small amount of liquid on the lower portion thereof. The air stream blows some of this liquid from the tip of the member 30 in the form of a spray and the member at once drops back to splash in the surface of the pool and cause-additional spray. These movements of the member 30 take place rapidly so as to keep the interior of the housing l0 filled with spray during the operation of the apparatus. The spray washes the air stream and also wets the walls of the housing so that a very large percentage of the dust carried by the air stream 'is caught by the droplets of. spray and by the wet walls within the housing. The spray also serves to humidity the stream, many of the fine droplets being carried out through the flue 24 to evaporate in the open air. In order to prevent the escape of larger droplets of'water, the discharge orifice i6 may be provided with a baiiie 38 which extends across the portion of the opening nearest to the inlet orifice I4. This baiiie may be of wire netting or other suitable material.

As shown in Figure 2, the width of the chamber IS in which the member 30 vibrates is only a little greater than the maximum width of the member itself. In order to increase the capacity of the liquid reservoir, the housing I!) may be made wider than the chamber IS, the remainder of the interior of the housing being separated from the chamber as by suitable partitions 40 and 42. In the case of a portable apparatus such as illustrated on the drawing, liquid may be supplied from time to time by pouring in an additional supply as needed. If preferred, it is obvious that any suitable mechanism may be employed for maintaining a constant liquid level within the housing, such mechanism being connected with a supply of liquid in a manner well known in the art.

In Figure 3 is illustrated a modified form of vibratable vane. As shown, this consists of a sheet 50 of pliant material such as soft rubber or suitable fabric. The vane 50 may, if desired, taper in width toward its lower end and is of suflicient length to project below the surface of the pool when at rest. The member 50 may be in one piece or may consist of two or more strips suspended side by side. When a stream of air is being blown through the housing, the stream whips the'free end portion of the pliant vane 50 clear of the liquid so that it splashes the surthe pool surface.

bers 30 and 50 are furthermore adapted to operate successfully and efficiently for diflerent levels of Thus it is possible to operate the device for considerable periods before to replenish the supply of liquid in the pool.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the details of the embodiment of in.- vention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a-housing enclosing a chamber and adapted to contain a pool of liquid, means for maintaining a stream of air through said chamber, and a member suspended in said chamber and vibratable by said air stream to splash liquid from said pool into spray, said member consisting of a sheet of stifl' material bent to suitable shape, said sheet being swingably suspended at its upper end and tapering in width toward its lower end.

2. Apparatus'of the class described, comprising a housing enclosing a chamber and adapted to hold a pool of liquid therein, means for projecting a down draft of air on said pool at one end of said-housing, an outlet at the opposite end of said housing whereby said down draft causes an air flow from one end of the pool to the other,

and a vibrator hung in said air flow and adapted to be vibrated thereby so that its lower end whips in and out of the pool. I

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a housing enclosing a chamber and adapted to contain a pool of liquid therein, means for projecting a down draft of air on said pool at one end of said housing, an outlet at the other end of said housing, and a sheet of non-absorbent pliant material supported at itsupper endbetween said down draft and said outlet, the lower end portion of said sheet being submerged in said pool when the air is at rest.

' JOHN H. GIBBS.

Images