GB2108062A

GB2108062A - Air intakes

Info

Publication number: GB2108062A
Application number: GB08131126A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ivan Hauton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-10-15
Filing date: 1981-10-15
Publication date: 1983-05-11
Also published as: GB2108062B

Abstract

An air intake for agricultural tractors, combine harvesters and other non-vehicular equipment comprises a box-like housing 22 shaped and proportioned to fit in front of the tractor radiator grill. The housing 22 is entirely closed apart from the top and rear sides which provide air intake and air outlet openings. Thus air for the tractors engine cooling system is drawn through the air intake 44 in the direction of arrow A and thence through the radiator grill and the radiator itself in the direction of arrows B. Intake 44 faces upwardly and is at the level of the top of the engine housing. In use, very little ash or chaff is drawn into intake 44. The reason for this may be the production of a countercurrent arising from the bottom wall 30 of the housing 22. The housing is a sheet metal fabrication and very simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The housing may have a pivotable front wall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Air intakes This invention relates to air intakes and in particular, though not exclusively, to air intakes for agricultural tractors, combine harvesters and the like. The invention is also applicable to other machines, whether vehicles or otherwise, having air intakes and for which a reduction in the intake of foreign matter floating in the air is desirable.

In the case of agricultural tractors, a problem which arises during the period immediately after the grain harvest is that of the blockage of tractor radiators and their associated grills by the ash resulting from straw burning after havesting of the grain crop by a combine harvester. The ash left on the surface of a field after straw burning is disturbed by the tractor wheels during subsequent farming operations such as ploughing or direct drilling or preliminary light tillage operations prior to direct drilling.

This problem is particularly acute during dry weather, and this problem arises to an even greater extent in countries having particularly dry weather conditions. In such conditions, problems analogous to those mentioned above in relation to radiator blockage by ash arise in other circumstances, including ordinary grain and other crop harvasting conditions. Analogous problems can also arise from dust clouds generated in dry conditions during almost any farming operations.

It will be appreciated that, in relation to tractors, the above problems are particularly acute in the case of front wheel drive tractors in which the front wheels tend to generate more ground surface agitation and thereby promote the entertainment of light matter into the air in the front region of the tractor where the cooling air for the engine is drawn through the radiator grill and hence to the radiator itself. This situation arises both for water-cooled engines having a conventional radiator engine cooling system and air-cooled engines in which the air passes over an engine cooling grill structure.

In order to minimise the problems arising from the entry of ash and chaff frorn grain crops and other like matter into engine cooling systems, various proposals have been made. In the case of currently available tractors, a wire mesh grill or the like is provided in front of the radiator with a view to stopping such matter before it reaches the radiator itself. In practice what happens is that in conditions of high ash or chaff entrainment in the air, the radiator grill rapidly becomes blocked thereby preventing the passage of sufficient air to the radiator, and the engine overheats and the operator is obliged to shut down the engine and clean the radiator grill.

In the case of combine harvesters, many elaborate proposals have been made to prevent the entry of foreign matter. Chaff etc. into the engine compartment, including high speed rotatable wire mesh air entry grills, centrifuge separating devices, and the simple expedient of a very large fixed wire mesh air entry device.

None of these prior proposals is applicable to tractors. The elaborate separating systems used or proposed for combines are physically not feasible in the limited space available in front of the radiator of a tractor. Likewise, the provision of a sufficiently large fixed grill is also out of the question.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air intake device particularly suitable for agricultural tractors, but possibly applicable to other machines as well, offering improvements in relation to some at least of the problems of presently available devices as identified above.

According to the invention there is provided an air intake device in the form of a housing having an air outlet opening for connection to an air suction device such as a radiator cooling fan, and an air inlet opening, wherein a wall of the housing is provided opposite the air inlet opening, and the air outlet opening is formed in the housing between the air inlet opening and said wall.

in an embodiment of the invention described below the air intake device is found to have a very low tendency to draw light matter entrained in the air into itself -- and hence to the apparatus connected to the air intake device. This is believed to be due to the rebounding of the air from said wall of the housing opposite the air inlet opening.

In this specification, said wall of the housing opposite the air inlet opening will be referred to hereafter as an air rebound wall.

Preferably, in the operating attitude of the air intake device, the air inlet opening faces upwardly, and the air outlet opening faces generally at right angles thereto. For example, in the case of an air intake device for an agricultural tractor, the air inlet opening faces upwardly and the air outlet opening faces rearwardly (with respect to the direction of operative forward motion of the tractor), the air outlet opening directly facing the tractor radiator. Where the air intake device is provided as an add-on accessory, the original tractor radiator grill will be positioned between the radiator and the air outlet opening of the air intake device. Where the air intake device is provided as original equipment, then there may well be no need for any counterpart of the traditional tractor radiator grill.

A further preferred feature of the invention is that the housing comprises a generally flat air rebound wall positioned opposite the air inlet opening. The form of the housing may be generally rectangular. Moreover, the housing is preferably a closed structure apart from the air inlet and air outlet openings formed therein. Though it may not be too disadvantageous to forrn some parts of the housing from wire mesh or expanded metal or the like, such materials quickly become blocked with ash or chaff or the like in many agricultural operating conditions, and it is preferred that the housing is formed of a material which is impermeable to air. For example, the housing can be manufactured simply and inexpensively as a sheet metal fabrication.

The dimensions and shape of the air outlet opening are preferably chosen to conform with the dimensional requirements of the machine or apparatus with which the air intake device is to be used. For example, in the case of an agricultural tractor, the air intake device is provided with an air outlet opening shaped to fit into or over the front end or "hard nose" of the tractor engine and radiator housing. In the case of tractors in which the original tractor grill extends round to the sides of the radiator housing, the air intake device is preferably shaped to fit round and cover the radiator grill.

The housing may be provided with means whereby the size of the air inlet opening may be adjusted. Such means may comprise an adjustable shutter. The shutter may be provided by a pivotable front wall of the housing.

The air intake device may be provided as an accessory for use on agricultural tractors, combine harvesters and the like, and indeed on any apparatus having an air intake for which reduction of the intake of foreign matter floating in the air is desirable. The device may be provided with quick attach means whereby it can be readily secured in its operating position.

The invention also provides the combination of a tractor, especially a front wheel drive tractor, with an air intake device as defined in the above paragraphs. The air intake device may be a detachable accessory or provided as original equipment. In the latter case, the device would be integrated with the housing which is provided on most agricultural tractors in front of the radiator.

This housing is currently used by some manufacturers to house the battery for the tractor's electrical system and some adaptation of the layout may be needed in order to avoid interference by the battery or other structures provided within the housing, with the air rebound function of the bottom wall of the housing of the air intake device.

In the case of tractors which are provided with headlamps mounted within the front grill of the engine housing, the air intake may be provided with a transparent front wall formed, for example, of perspex or other transparent plastic sheet material.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 shows a front perspective view of a fourwheel-drive agricultural tractor having an air intake device according to the invention fitted in front of the original radiator grill; Fig 2 shows a side elevation view of the tractor of Fig 1, including the air intake device; Fig 3 shows a perspective view from above and the front, of a two-wheel-drive agricultural tractor having a similar air intake device fitted thereto;; Fig 4 shows a side elevation view, corresponding to some extent with Fig 2, of the front end portion of a tractor engine and radiator housing, having an air intake device fitted thereto, the device including means whereby the size of the air inlet opening may be adjusted, such means comprising a shutter formed by a pivotable front wall of the housing; and Fig 5 shows a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus of Fig 4, the direction of viewing being indicated by arrow V in Fig 4.

As shown in Figs 1 and 2 a tractor 10 comprises driven steerable front wheels 12, driven rear wheels 14, a driver's cab 16, and an engine housing 1 8 from which an exhaust silencer 20 projects upwardly.

An air intake device 22 is mounted at the front end of engine housing 18, having regard to the direction F of normal operative forward motion of the tractor.

Mounted within housing 18 is the tractor engine 24, and the front end portion of housing 1 8 constitutes a radiator housing 26 within which is a conventional radiator (not shown) which receives fluid from the engine cooling system and through which air is drawn by a fan (not shown) driven by the engine and mounted between the engine and the radiator. The front end of engine housing 1 8 forms a hard nose and is provided in the tractor as originally manufactured with a radiator grill of airpermeable wire mesh or expanded metal material (not shown).

During use of the tractor without the air inlet device 22, the fan draws air through the radiator grill, through the radiator itself and discharges the air rearwards over the engine and towards cab 1 6.

Air intake device 22 is in the form of a housing formed as a sheet metal fabrication. The housing is shaped to conform to the profile of the hard nose 28 of the tractor, in which the radiator grill is mounted. The housing of the air intake device is made up from flat sheet metal wall portions and thus comprises a flat base wall or air rebound wall 30, a front wall tapering upper portion 32, a front wall lower portion 34, a left hand side wall upper portion 36, a left hand side wall lower portion 38, a right hand side wall upper portion 40, and a right hand side wall lower portion 42.

It is to be noted that the top of the air intake device 22 is open and forms the air inlet opening 44 of the device. Likewise, the rear side of the air inlet device 22 is entirely open and forms the air outlet opening 44 of the device.

The interior of air inlet device 22 is entirely empty, and the device is secured in its working position as shown in Figs 1 and 2 by means of clips or other securing devices or fasteners, in the manner most convenient for the tractor concerned.

Preferably, the fastening devices whereby the air inlet device is secured in its working position are of the quick-attach-and-detach kind so that the device can be quickly mounted and dismounted.

The air inlet opening 44 faces upwardly in the working position of device 22 and the air outlet 46 likewise faces horizontally and rearwardly into the tractor radiator grill.

The housing formed by walls and wall portions 30 to 42 is generally rectangular in form and entIrely closed and non-air permeable apart from the air inlet and air outlet openings formed therein.

The front wall lower portion 34 may be formed of a transparent material such as perspex or may have transparent portions to permit operation of tractor headlights mounted in the tractor radiator grill.

In use, the engine cooling fan of tractor 10 draws air through the radiator and the radiator grill causing a corresponding flow of air through the housing of air inlet device 22. Air is drawn downwards through inlet opening 44 in the direction indicated by arrow A. Air then proceeds out of the housing provided by device 22, in the horizontal rearward direction indicated by arrows B, through air outlet opening 46 and through the tractor radiator grill and the radiator itself The air is then discharged by the fan rearwardly over the engine 24 in the usual way.

The provision of air inlet opening 44 facing upwardly and located at a relatively high position tends, in any case, to reduce the amount of chaff, ash or other air-entrained matter drawn into the radiator grill and the radiator itself. However, I have discovered the surprising fact that when the tractor and the device 22 are operating even in air carrying large quantities of chaff, ash or other entrained matter, very little of such matter is drawn through inlet opening 44 and hence onto the tractor grill and the radiator.

The reason for this surprising result has not been established beyond all reasonable doubt, but I believe that it must be due in part at least to the effect of the air rebound wall 30 forming the base of the housing provided by the air inlet device 22.

The direction A of entry of the air and the air's velocity is such that some at least of the air rebounds from the base wall and passes out of device 22 as a countercurrent, this countercurrent serving to inhibit the entry of ash and other airentrained matter.

In the embodiment of Fig 3 the air inlet device 48 is fitted to a tractor 50. In this case, the tractor is a rear wheel drive model and of generally smaller dimensions than tractor 10. The air inlet device is therefore proportioned to fit into the front end of the tractor engine and radiator housing as described above. The general structure of the air inlet device is substantially as described above. in Fig 3 the open top portion of the device 48, which forms the air inlet opening 52 can be clearly seen.

In the embodiment of Figs 4 and 5, an air inlet device 54 is mounted in front of an engine/radiator housing 56, substantially as described in the above embodiments. Device 54 is constructed substantially as described above but is provided in this case with means whereby the size of the air inlet opening may be adjusted. Such means comprises an adjustable shutter provided by a pivotable front wall 58 of the housing of device 54.

Front wall 58 is pivotable about an axis 60 to adjust the dimensions of the top air inlet opening 62. Means, not shown, such as slots and a wing nut and bolt, is provided to enable front wall 58 to be secured in any desired operating position.

In use, this embodiment operates substantially as described above in relation to the preceding embodiments. However, in particularly hot operating conditions, if the engine operating temperature begins to rise, front wall 58 can be pivoted forwards to increase the air inlet opening and provide improved cooling.

Among the advantages provided by one or more of the embodiments described above are the simple and inexpensive and easily manufactured form in which an air inlet device has been provided which reduces the amount of air-entrained matter drawn into machinery such as a tractor or combine harvester. Moreover, the device is easily mounted and dismounted and is easily adapted to many different working situations. In the embodiments of Figs 4 and 5 the air inlet opening can be matched to the air requirements of the engine or other apparatus concerned.

Among modifications which could be made in the above embodiments are changes in the shape and proportions of the device. Also, the device could be mounted in different working attitudes and could be provided as permanently mounted original equipment on tractors or other machines, though it is an important aspect of the present invention that the device can be readily provided as a quick-attach accessory.

Obviously, it is not essential for the whole of one wall to be devoted to the air inlet opening and the whole of another wall to the air outlet opening.

The sizes of these openings are chosen according to the requirements of the apparatus concerned.

Likewise, many different shutter arrangements may be provided for modifying the air throughput of the device.

Where a tractor has a side radiator grill in addition to a front grill, the device can be shaped and proportioned and mounted so as to enclose the side grill as well as the front grill.

Claims

1. A tractor having an engine, a heat exchanger for the engine, and an engine housing for the engine and heat exchanger assembly, a fan to draw air over the heat exchanger, and an air intake device through which the fan draws air to the heat exchanger, the air intake device being in the form of a housing having an air outlet opening through which in use passes to the heat exchanger and the fan, and an air inlet opening, a wall of the housing being provided opposite the air inlet opening, and the air outlet opening being formed in the housing between the air inlet opening and said wall, the housing of the air intake device being a closed structure apart from said inlet and outlet openings, and the inlet opening facing upwardly and being at generally the same level as the top of said engine housing.

2. A tractor according to claim 1 wherein said air inlet device is substantially completely open on its side facing said heat exchanger and engine assembly, so as to form said air outlet opening.

3. A tractor according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said air intake device is formed of imperforate sheet material.

4. A tractor according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said air intake device is shaped to form an extension of said engine housing.

5. A tractor according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said air intake device is detachable from said engine housing and quickattach connectors are provided to secure the air intake device thereto.

6. A tractor according to any one of the preceding claims comprising adjustable shutter means whereby the size of said air inlet opening may be adjusted.

7. A tractor according to claim 6 wherein said adjustable shutter means comprises a pivotable front wall of said air intake housing.

8. A tractor according to claim 1 wherein said air intake device is constructed substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A tractor having an air intake device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 0. An air intake device in the form of a housing having an air outlet opening for connection to an air suction device such as a radiator cooling fan, and an air inlet opening, wherein a wall of the housing is provided opposite the air inlet opening, and the air outlet opening is formed in the housing between the air inlet opening and said wali.

11. An air intake device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.