GB2233391A

GB2233391A - Ventilation equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2233391A
Application number: GB9009508A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Warwick Farren
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-04-29
Filing date: 1990-04-27
Publication date: 1991-01-09
Also published as: GB8909942D0; GB9009508D0

Abstract

A portable/transportable ventilation machine (10) comprises a support frame (20) carrying a fan (34) and an engine (48) for driving the fan, the fan being in a cowling (36), so that air or other gases are caused to pass through the cowling by rotation of the fan. The machine may be readily transported to a site for temporary operation eg. a sewer repair site. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Ventilation Equipment DESCRIPTION This invention concerns ventilation equipment.

Ventilation is essential to the well being of persons working in a variety of situations, for example, in mines and factories. In those situations ventilation equipment is fixed in place.

However, for temporary work situations, such as in repairing sewers, it is not viable to have permanent ventilation equipment, so that other precautions have to be taken such as limiting time of exposure to hazardous working conditions. That only serves to increase the time taken for a particular job and does nothing to eliminate the actual cause of any problem such as noxious fumes.

An object of this invention is to provide ventilation equipment that may be readily transported to a site for temporary operation.

According to the invention there is provided a portable/transportable ventilation machine comprising a support frame carrying a fan and an engine for driving the fan.

Preferably the fan is in a cowling so that air or other gases are caused to pass through the cowling by rotation of the fan. Then, piping can be connected to the cowling and lead to a site to which or from which gases/air are to pass. Thus, the machine of the invention may be used to remove noxious fumes, smoke and the like or to introduce fresh air.

The engine is preferably of a lightweight type and may be petrol driven.

The fan may be of any suitable type, such as a centrifugal fan, for example of the type having radial fins inclined relative to their direction of travel.

The fan may conveniently be belt driven.

The frame is preferably of simple construction.

For example the frame may be constructed as one piece from tubular metal to provide both lower support members and upper support members, the lower support members being preferably provided with feet, say of rubber, and the upper members carrying a support beam for a fan/cowling arrangement and for the engine.

The ventilation machine of the invention may be used in any temporary location or even permanent location, if desired, although its primary uses will be in temporary working situations for inspection and/or maintenance of sites where harmful fume or gases are a hazard to workers or in emergency situations, such as for smoke removal.

The invention further comprehends therefore, a method of ventilating a site using one or more machines of the invention.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ventilation machine of the invention; Figure 2 is a cut away and elevation of the machine of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the machine of the invention; Figure 4 shows detail of the belt guard of the machine of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows detail of the engine mounting of the machine of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows schematically a use of the machine of Figures 1 to 5; Figure 7 shows another use of the machine of Figures 1 to 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, a ventilation machine 10 comprises a pair of space parallel channel section members 12 open downwards each having near their ends rubber feet 14 secured in position by means of nuts 16 and bolts 18.

The channel section members 12 have mounted thereon a one-piece tubular metal frame 20. The frame 20 has two upper spaced parallel members 22, each of which leads to an upright member 24 at right angles thereto, each in turn leading to one of a pair lower spaced parallel members 26 also parallel to the upper members 22. The lower spaced parallel members 26 are connected by a lower frame member 28 and are attached to the channel section members 12.

A beam 30 is welded between the upper frame members 22. The beam 30 has through on bearings an axle 32 for fan blade 34. The fan blade 34 rotates in a cowling 36 mounted on the beam 30. Both ends of the cowling 36 are covered by grills 38. The axle 32 carries a pulley wheel 40 around which passes a toothed V-belt 42 also passing around another pulley wheel 44 on axle 46 of a petrol engine 48. The engine 48 is mounted on a rectangular plate 50 (see Figure 5) welded onto the beam 30. The engine 48 is of a conventional type having a petrol tank 52 air filter 54 and an engine block 56 containing piston, crankshaft etc.

The V-belt 42 is part covered by the cowling 36 and grill 38 but outside the cowling a cover plate 58 is provided shown in outline in Figure 1 but in detail in Figure 4.

The ventilation machine 10 operates by means of the engine rotating pulley wheel 44 to rotate pulley wheel 40 via the belt 42, which is turn rotates the fan blade axle and hence the fan blade. The fan blade 34 has radial fins 60 inclined relative to their direction of travel so that at one end of the cowling air is drawn in whilst at the other air is forced out. Thus, the ventilation machine can be used to draw air or other gases out of or to blow air or gases through an area.

In use a flexible pipe will be attached to one side or other of the cowling with its other end positioned to blow in or draw out air or other gases to or from a desired location.

-The ventilation machine 10 is constructed in such a way and of such a size that it can be readily transported to a desired site say for temporary or even emergency working, such as for ventilation of a sewer under maintenance/inspection.

One use of the ventilation machine 10 is shown in Figure 6 in which a sewer 70 is under repair. Noxious fumes occur in sewers but by strategic positioning of ventilation machines 10 danger from such fumes can be eliminated or at least reduced to a safe extent.

In the illustrated example the sewer 70 is blocked just beyond the first and third of three manhole entrances 72 by means of inflated balloons 74.

The balloons are wedged in position but on top of a adjustable soffit 75 allow sewage flow to continue.

At either or preferably both of the first and third manhole sites a ventilation machine 10 is located, one to blow air into the sewer and the other to draw gases out (with one machine 10, that would be used to draw gases out relying on intake of fresh air from the other manholes) through flexible pipelines 76 connected to special manhole covers 77. The middle manhole 72 is used as the working entry to the sewer.

For the above purpose, the cowling of each machine will be provided with either a discharge or intake pipe 78 as appropriate that extends to a much higher level, to ensure that gas discharge or air intake is at a safe distance from working areas.

As shown in Figure 7, ventilation machines 10 can be mounted on a trunk 80 for transportation, the truck being provided with a support frame 84 for an extended discharge or intake pipe 78.

Whilst use of the ventilation machines of the invention has been described in connection with sewer maintenance/inspection, it will be appreciated that such machines may be used in many environments requiring removal of fumes and the like or input of fresh air. Some examples of other uses of the machines of the invention include in manholes liquid storage tanks, new building sites and smoke removal.

Claims

1. A portable/transportable ventilation machine comprising a support frame carrying a fan and an engine for driving the fan, the fan being in a cowling, so that air or other gases are caused to pass through the cowling by rotation of the fan.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine is petrol driven.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan.

4. A machine as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the fan has radial fins inclined relative to their direction of travel.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of claims l to 4, wherein the fan is belt driven.

6. A machine as claimed in any one of claims l to 5, wherein the frame is constructed as one piece from tubular metal to provide by lower support members and upper support members.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said lower support members are provided with feet.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein said feet are of rubber.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein the upper support members carry a support beam for a fan/cowling arrangement and for the engine.

10. A ventilation machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of ventilating comprising connecting a ventilation machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 to a situation to be ventilated by a pipeline from said situation to the cowling of the machine.