US1158107A - Cooling-tower. - Google Patents

Description

B. H. COFFEY.

COOUNG TOWER.

APPLICATION man JUNE 8.1914.

Patented Oct. 26,1915.

7/76 was BARTON COFFEY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE COOLING TOWER 00., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

COOLING-TOWER.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.,

Application filed June 8, 1914. terial No. 843,706.

T all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, BARTON H. COFFEY,

' citizen of the United States, and resident of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooling-Towers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the organization and combination of parts in an atmospheric cooling tower whereby important gains in structural strength are obtained without increase of Weight, and other advantages. I attain these objects by the arrangements of parts illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 an elevation of the cooling tower as a whole, Fig. 3, a section on the line 1-1, Fig. 4, a detail of an intermediate vertical lattice girder post, and Fig. 5 a detail of a corner post both shown in side elevation. Figs. 6 and 7 are details showing methods of fastening the louvers to the respective posts 1 and 2.

Similar figures refer to similar parts in all views.

As a cooling tower is often erected on the roof of a building possessing a small margin of surplus strength it is important in addition to reducing costs, that the structure should be as light as consistent with the dead load and wind stresses imposed upon it,'and it must also be consistent with the building code in force at the site. In the majority of building codes of our first-class cities, columns are limited to a ratio of least radius of gyration to unsupported length of approximately 120 irrespective of imposed load. This requirement necessitates an extremely heavy steel section often far in excess of load demands unless the unsupported length of the column is small. Local stifi'- ness must be Provided to resist severe wind pressures to which cooling towers are especially subjected. A firm support must be given the spray louvers 15 to resist wind stresses and ice loads in cold weather. The steel work must be fully exposed for painting and inspection in order to successfully combat corrosion to which cooling towers are peculiarly liable.- All of these requirements are accomplished by my improved construction without employing special members for the purpose.

In general the tower skeleton is of steel sections comprising four corner posts 1, Figs. 1, 2 and 5 joined horizontally at various levels by the members 3, the bracing bemg completed by the diagonal rods 4, thus forming a skeleton tower completely braced for horizontal thrust and in'which the unsupported length of the columns as a whole is fixed by the vertical spacing of the members 3. I'call this the primary bracing. At lntcrmediate points are located the lattice posts 2 secured to the horizontal members 3, thus tying them in to the primary system of bracing.

The corner posts 1, Fig. 5, are braced individually only against vertical stress or weight, the member 12 transferring such weight to the panel point 16, Figs. 2 and 5 of the primary system of bracing. The posts 2, Fig. 4 are completely braced individually forming a lattice' girder with chords 7 and 8, horizontal members 5 and inclined members 6 thus being able to receive both weight and horizontal thrust without buckling in the plane of the'lpost, though weak in the other direction. In the planes of the horizontal members 3 and secured to them are the drip decks 14, Fig. 3

possessing great stiffness and strength hori-' zontally in all directions, acting as horizontal s ol1d girders and thus capable of transmitting horizontal wind stresses, received from members 3 at intermediate points suchw,

as junctions with posts 2, back again ..to

members 3 at their extremities. andf'then into the panelpoints- 16 er the primary system of bracing.

The inclined members 6 and 11 of the respective posts 2 and 1 support the louvers 1 5 which are formed of steel plate or tongue and groove boards of considerable width and possessing both girder and compressive strength, and are thoroughly secured to the inclined members as shown at Figs. 6 and 7.

It follows then if the posts 2 tend to bend in the direction of the arrows A Figs. 1 and 2, between the horizontal planes of the members 3, such movement is communicated to the louvers 15 and transmitted by,' compression to the louvers at right angles thereto at the end of the tower, which in turn transfer it by girder strength to the endposts 2 in the direction of the .arrows B which lie in their plane of strength. lhusnone of the posts 1 or 2 can buckle between the panel points 16 without distorting other posts 2 in the plane of strength, and consequently the unsupported length of all posts can be taken at the pitch of the louvers, and light sections used both in conformity with the code and with safety.

It is obvious from inspection of the various views that the steel frame isfully exposed for inspection and painting.

Having now described my improvement I claim:

1. In a cooling tower, side posts in the form of vertical latticed girders provided with inclined panel supporting members, in

structural combination with a louver system consisting of horizontal inclined plane members possessing considerable tensile compression and girder strength, and rigid fastenings connecting the inclined members with the louver system, thereby making the combination an integral whole; substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cooling tower a completely braced frame or skeleton, vertical latticed girders. and a louver system consisting of plane members possessing considerable tensile compression and girder strength rigidly joining the girders withthe frame at and between panel points; whereby a structure is created braced both locally and as a whole substantially as and for the purpose described.

Signed at 50 Broad St. New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this sixth day of June A. D. 1914.

BARTON H. COFFEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

Images