US2675094A - Unit heater filter frame - Google Patents

Description

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April 13, 1954 F. M. YOUNG 2,675,094

UNIT HEATER FILTER FRAME Filed NOV. 19, 1952 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNIT HEATER FILTER FRAME Fred M. Young, Racine, wis assignor to Young Radiator Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 19, 1952, Serial No.:321,434

This invention relates to fram structures for mounting removable filters on standard unit heaters.

Unit heater is the common designation for a type of overhead space heater eithersuspended from the ceiling or set on a'platform bracketedto a side Wall. It Comprises a series of exteriorly finned tubes, through which tubes a heated fluid flows, and wherewith is associated 'a fan for directing the heated air through thearea' between the fins for circulation out into the room to be heated.

When this type of heater is used in plants where the equipment involves the use of viscous materials, which in the course'of their use inevitably contaminate-the a'tmesphere-ofthe room with atomized or vaporized particles thereof, the finned tubes of "th'ehea'ter in time become coated with concentrations of the viscous material. Obviously, these-accretions tendto reduce the heat exchange efficiency of the heater. 'Un'der extreme conditions this reduced efiicie'ncy'may be as great asfifty percent. Onlythe removal of this viscous coating will restore the heater to its expected efiiclency.

Since these heaters are often suspended from a very high ceiling-or the'wall platform is rather high above the floor-andthe *heat'ingcoilis connected to the "heating fluid-inlet and outlet conduits, it is an expensive operation to effect such cleaning. This is especially trueif theheater'has to be disconnected and "lowered to the floor and the normal operation of'the heating system interrupted. It, therefore, becomes advantageous to provide an eficient and economical arrangement for associating filterswith -a unit heater and which will extract these air-laden"deleterious materials before the air reaches the heating coils.

The main objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide an improved frame structure for mounting air filters on conventional or standard unit heaters; to provide an improved filter frame structure of this kind which is simpl iii-"form, economical to manufacture, and easy to attach to the heating unit either before or after its installature constructed in accordance Withthis inVention, the filters "being shown inplace; I

Claims. (01. 183--74) Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the filters removed;

- Fig. 3 is a -horizontalsectional View taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of "Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view-taken on the plane of the line l4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the severaL'specially forlned parts constituting a'p'articular embodiment of this invention.

The essential conceptof this invention involves the formation and assembly of a plurality ofparticularly-formed metal stampings for attachment to a unit heater housing seats to removably'support a pair of standard filters inangular relationship to each other rearwardlyof theheater fan, and through which filters the air isdrawn before passing through -the heating coil.

A unit heater, for use "with which this filter frame structure is designed, comprises a housing 5 wherein ism'ounted-a finned-tube heating coil 7 and back of which is arranged a motor' driven fan 8.

The emlaodiment "of this concept shown in "the accompanying drawings, comprises apair of main mounting members II and l2, three spacing support elements 53,14, and '15, and a pair of bracing plates l hand i i, all of which'are bonded-together to form theiramestructure With rectangular-side openings 16in front'of which'are supported the filters t3 the same being secured in position on the structure by 'a locking plate 2t. As herein shown, all of these parts, constituting this improved structure, preferably are met-alstampings all, except the locking plate, being spotwelde'd together.

The main mounting members 'II and I2 are of irregular hexagonal shape three sides of which define rectangular'base'section 22 and-the other three sides defineatrapeziform'extension 23. The perimetrical portions along the short lease section sides and the non-parallel sides of the trapeziform extension are bent over to provide transverse flanges 2t. Opposed and parallel to each of these flanges along the extension 23 is an angle bar 25 bonded to the inner races of'the respective members it and '12 to form guideways 26 for the filters E9.

The spacing support elements i 3 and I4 in cross section approximate a '2 one leg 21 of which is considerably longer than the other and "termimates in a flange 22!. These elements 1'3 and H are bonded at their ends to the members II and 82 adjacent the basecorners. The short leg 29 is disposed in alinementwith *the angle bars 25. The intermediate part 3! forms an abutment at :xtheiend of the 'guideway 2'55 for a filter l9.

The spacing support element 15 in cross. section is somewhat channel shaped being formed by a web part 32 and divergent flanges 33. ,The web part 32 of this element [5 in width is somewhat less than the short side of the trapeziform extension 23. The element I5 is bonded at its ends to the respectively opposed inner faces of the members H and I2 slightly inward from the end of the extension 23 so as to dispose the flanges 33 in alinement with the angle bars 25, thus aiding in defining the guideways 26.

The bracing plates l6 are of right angle triangular form with integral flanges 30 formed along the right angle edges. These bracing plates it are set medially at the juncture of the spacing support element I5 and the members H and I2 and disposed rearwardly toward the respective base sections 22. The plates 16 are secured in this bracing position by having the flanges spot-welded to the element l5 and the members! I and [2.

The filter locking plate 2| in cross section approximates the form of the element l5 except the web part 34 is slightly wider than the web part 32 of the element l5. A pair of bolts 35, extending through apertures in the web parts of the element !5 and the plate 2|, with their winged nuts 36, hold the plate 2| with the flanges 31 against the filters l9 and serve to lock them in the guideways 26 to cover the openings 18. (See The base sections 22 of the members II and I2 have apertures 38 formed therein along the rear edges whereby suitable fastening means -such as bolts and nuts-may be used to secure the structure to the housing 6 of the unit heater with the flanges 28 abutting the heater housing 6/ The lower member I2 is provided with an insulating grommet 39 through which the electric wires lead to the unit heater motor. With a filter frame structure of this kind. the

' standard unit heater, when used in plants where the air is contaminated with atomized or vaporized viscous materials, can be quickly and economically equipped with filters to protect the heating coils from acquiring an insulation of these viscous materials to the detriment of its proper functioning. Moreover, such a frame structure permits the filters to be readily removed for cleaning-or thrown away-and replaced without removing the unit heater or in any way'disturbing the heating system.

I claim:

1. A filter frame structure for unit heaters comprising, a pair of spaced members each comprising, a pair of members with trapeziform sections, transverse supporting elements bonded at their ends to the members adjacent the corners of their respective bases and adjacent the opposite parallel edges for disposing the members in spaced parallel relationship to constitute rectangular openings along the non-parallel sides of the members and along the bases thereof,

means for attaching the members along their respective bases to the opposite sides of a unit heater housing, and flanges arranged along the non-parallel edges of the members to constitute guideways for the insertion and removal of standard filters to close the rectangular side openings.

3. A filter frame structure for unit heaters comprising, a pair of members with trapeziform sections the non-parallel perimetrical portions of which are bent to form transverse flanges, transverse supporting elements bonded at their ends to the members adjacent the opposite parallel edges for disposing the members in spaced parallel relationship to constitute rectangular openings along the non-parallel sides of the members and along the bases thereof, the elements adjacent the base in cross section approximating a Z and disposed with one leg inwardly parallel to the respective member flanges, the other element in cross section being channel-shaped and secured adjacent the opposite parallel edges of the members, angle bars bonded to the opposed faces of the members in alinement with the one leg of the respective Z-shaped elements and with the flanges of the channel-shaped element so as to coact with the member flanges to form guideways for the insertion and removal of standard filters to close the rectangular side openings, and means for attaching the members along their bases to the opposite sides of a unit heater housing.

4. A filter frame structure for unit heaters comprising, a pair of members with trapeziform sections the non-parallel perimetrical portions of which are bent to form transverse flanges, transverse supporting elements bonded at their ends to the members adjacent the opposite parallel edges for disposing the members in spaced parallel relationship to constitute rectangular openings along the non-parallel sides of the members and along the bases thereof, the elements adjacent the base in cross section approximating a Z and disposed with one leg inwardly parallel to the respective member flanges, the other element in cross section being channel-shaped and secured adjacent the opposite parallel edges of the members, angle bars bonded to the opposed faces of the members in alinement with the one leg of the respective Z-shaped elements and with the flanges of the channel-shaped element so as to coact with the member flanges to form guideways for the insertion and removal of standard filters to close the rectangular side openings, a right angle triangular brace flanged along its right angle edges bonded medially to the inner faces of each of the members and the other element, and means for attaching the members along their bases to the opposite sides of a unit heater housing.

5. A filter frame structure for unit heaters comprising, a pair of members with trapeziform sections the non-parallel perimetrical portions of which are bent to form transverse flanges, transverse supporting elements bonded at their ends to the members adjacent the opposite parallel edges for disposing the members in spaced parallel relationship to constitute rectangular openings along the non-parallel sides of the members and along thebases thereof, the elements adjacent the base in "cross section approximating a Z and disposed with one leg inwardly parallel to the respective member flanges, the other element in cross section being channel-shaped and secured adjacent the opposite parallel edges. of

the members angle bars bonded to the opposed faces of the members in alinement with the one leg of the respective Z-shaped elements and with the flanges of the channel-shaped element so as to coact with the member flanges to form guide- Ways for the insertion and removal of standard filters to close the rectangular side openings, at channel-shaped locking plate of cross section similar to the other element, means for removably attaching the locking plate to the other element to secure the filters in position in the guideways, and means for attaching the members along their bases to the opposite sides of a unit heater housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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