US1116647A

US1116647A - Air-washer.

Info

Publication number: US1116647A
Application number: US69782512A
Authority: US
Inventors: Guy P Thurber
Original assignee: Automatic Train Control & Signal Co
Current assignee: Automatic Train Control & Signal Co
Priority date: 1912-05-16
Filing date: 1912-05-16
Publication date: 1914-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 1931-11-10

Description

G. P. THURBER.

AIR WASHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY16,191'2.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

Inventor wltnesses Attorneys i we sher.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUY P. THURBER, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESI VE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNfiYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AIR-WASHER.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GUY P. 'llnunnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Air-Washer, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in air washers, the primary object of the invention being the provision of a novel means adapted to be disposed in the pipe line of an air brake system for separating any lubricant or foreign substances from the air, so that the air when delivered to the various operating mechanisms of the system, and more especially to a plurality of train controlling devices as used in connection with the train control and signal systems set forth in the patent to Gardner B. Gray, No. 909,083 dated January 5, 1909, will be free of such substances, thus preventing injury to the operating parts of the many delicate instruments used in systems or" this character.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an air washer and air separator adapted to be connected in the train line of an air brake system and so disposed that the air must pass therethrough, said air washer being provided with an anti-freezing and oil removing fluid, such as wood alcohol, and a plurality of screening means being disposed within the washer to assist in more evenly separating the foreign substances from the air, the air in passing through the washer havihg imparted to it a rotating or twirling motion to facilitate the removal of the moisture from the air. lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the comhination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can he made with in the scope of what is claimed without dethe invention re 1 is a vertical through the air ion taken line a section taken on lo the dr central 5 is a section l 0 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16,

' Patented Nov... 10, 1914.. 1912. serial No. 697,825.

Theair Washer which is clearly shown in detail 1n Fig. 1, is provided with a removable cover into which is led the respective inlet train pipe 1 and outlet train pipe 3, the lower end of the washer being reduced and provided with the drain port 16 closed by the plug 17. The plug 18 closes the central port of the cover 15, but may have led there from another lead pipe such as 3, if deemed necessary.

In order to fully set forth the operation of the device, the descri tion of the washer will start with the admission of the air to the we ing 2. Mounted in and carried by the cover 15 and in communication with the train pipe 1 are the two couplings 19 which carry the concentrically disposed inlet pipe 20 which terminates at a point above the lower end of the casing 2 and is provided with the spun mm 21 which secures the lower perforated disk 22 in fixed relation to the pipe 20. This disk 22 is oh lesser diameter than the diameter of the chamber of the casing 2 and has connected thereto the tie'rods 23 Whose upper ends are connected to the spider 23. Carried by the tie rods intermediate of their ends, is the fine mesh disk or screen 2 1, which is slightly above the perforated disk 22, and the perforated disk 25 made of similar material to the disk 22 which latter has its periphery in contact with the wall of the chamber of the casing 2, while carried by the spider 23 is a fine mesh screen 26, the mesh thereof being the same size as that of the screen 24. The intermediate disk 25 is provided with the sleeve 27 which provides acircular space about the pipe 20 thus causing the air to follow the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1 to pass out or the lower end of the pipe 20 and upwardly through the body of alcohol which preferably fills approximately one-halt of the interior out-the chamber of the casing 2 and is maintained at all times slightly above the fine mesh screen 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. An inverted funnel shaped hood 29 carried by the spider 23 which itself carries the concentrically disposed tuhe or sleeve 30. *la by l per end of the ale ch oonstit'u and the outer surface of the inverted conical deflector 36. The deflector 36 is provided with the outwardly and downwardly flaring rim 37, while made fast to the lower end of the deflector 36 is a sleeve 38 which is mounted upon the tube 20 and hasconnected thereto the spiral wings 39 which force the air to take a spiralpath, thus imparting a rotary motion to the air.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it is evident that the air entering the pipe 1 and following the direction of the arrow downwardly through the stationary pipe 20, will enter the body of the alcohol and will pass through and around the perforated disk 22 and through the screen mesh 24 thus being broken up to a considerable extent so that the oil and gum carried by the air will be removed therefrom by the alcohol, said air entering the channel 28 of the perforated disk 25 and also passing through the perforations of the disk to and through the screen 26. At such point the hood 29 will .deflect or guide the air into the tube 30 where by reason of the spiral 39 the air is caused to rotate around the fixed tube 38 and the deflector 36. By this means any of the alcohol that is carried by the air will be deflected outwardly by the deflector 36 and its rim 37 due to centrifugal force, and will flow downwardly upon the stationary baflle 32 and finally into the casing or chamber of the washer. The washed air may then pass upwardly and out of the conducting pipe 3 to the desired conduit leading to the various train controlling devices.

It has beenfound by experience, that the alcohol in the washer will remove all of the gum and oil from the air and that even though a slight amount of the alcohol be carried by the conduit 3 through the various valves and ports of the train controlling devices, that this alcohol does not have any detrimental effect upon the parts but really assists in cleaning the ports and'valves and keeping them in proper working order.

What is claimed is:

1. An air washer comprising a casing containing a body of liquid, an air inlet pipe extending into and terminating within the body of liquid, means for imparting a rotating motion to the air rising from the liquid, and a separator, in the path of the rotating air, acting to separate the moisture from the air.

2. An air washer comprising a casing containing a body of liquid, an air inlet pipe extending-into and terminating within the body of liquid, means above the liquid, for imparting a rotating motion to the air rising from the liquid, a separator in the path of separator so that the moisture contained in I the air will be thrown outwardly on to the baflle plate.

3. An air washer comprising a casing containing a body of liquid, an air inlet pipe extending into and terminating within the body of liquid, an upright sleeve within the casing, means for leading the air escaping from the body of liquid into the sleeve aforesaid, means within said sleeve for imparting a rotating motion to the air, and a separator, above the sleeve aforesaid acting to separate the moisture from the air.

4. An air washer comprising a casing containing a body of liquid, an air inlet pi e extending into and terminating within t e body of liquid, a sleeve surrounding said inlet pipe in spaced relation therefrom at a point above the level of the liquid, means for leading the air escaping from the body of liquid into the sleeve aforesaid, a member surrounding the air inlet pipe and within the sleeve adapted to imparta rotatin motion to the air, and a separator surroun ing the air inlet pipe above the sleeve.

5. An air washer comprising a casing containing a body of liquid, an air inlet pipe extending into and terminating within the body of liquid. means for confining the air after leaving the liquid, a spiral'mounted in said confining means, and a separator above the spiral.

6. An air washer comprising a casing containing a body of liquid, an air inlet pipe extending concentrically and downwardly into and terminating within the body of liquid, means surrounding said pipe for confining the air after leaving the liquid, a spiral mounted within said confining means, a member above the confining means having an inverted conical surface and an outwardly and downwardly flaring rim above the inverted conical surface, and a downwardly inclined baffle plate surrounding the inverted conical surface and in spaced relation therefrom.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the prescnce of two witnesses.

. GUY P. THURBER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH Knox STONE, GARDNER B. GRAY.