US1315754A - Charles h - Google Patents

Description

C. H. ADAMS.

FAN ATTACHMENT FOB AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, I9! 7.

1,315,754. Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

CHARLES H. ADAMS, or DENvEmoomnADo, ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-FOURTH T0 E; PETERSON, or DENVER, COLORADO.

FAN ATTACHMENT FOR.AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed September 25, 1917.

To all ac/tom. it may concern:

lie it known that I, (ii-mantis I-I. AnAMs, a citizen of the United States, residingat the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful IIDPI'QVGlIlGfltS in Fan Attachments for Autgnnohilcs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventiomwsuchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon. which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means :for clear- I ion the dust from in front of the wind-shield of automobiles, whereby the occupants of the car are protected from the dust usually incident to automobilinp; on dry roads in the country and other locations. It is well known that in dry weather and on roads that are much traveled by automobiles, the atmosphere is usually betogged with dust constantly, thus makingit necessary for the occupants of the car to breathe thedust laden air. Furthermore, this dust settles on the car and its occupants. thus greatly inter fer-ingwith the pleasiu'e o1 automobiling.

My improvement intended to overcome this difficulty at least in a large degree, and consists in equippin the car preferably just forward of the wind-shield with a fan con nected in operative rolatiormvith the engine, whereby when the car is in motion, this fan will be rotated and dispel the dust from the space directly in front. oil. the windshield,

and thus render the air passing through and around the wind-shield. but in close proxiinity thereto, freer from dust than would. otherwise be. This device also prevents snow or sleet, as well as dust from gathering upon the wind-shield and obstructing the view since the fan propels the dust, sleet or snow forward and outward from the windshield.

As illustrated in the drawing, I mount a bearing upon the body of the car between the hood and the wind-shield and in this bear ing I journal the fan, a flexible shaft being connected at one extremity with this journal and at its opposite extremity with a pulley mounted on the radiator and actuated by the fan belt. It will be understood that any suitable operative connection between the fan and the engine shaft may be em- Speci ficat ion of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

Serial No. 193,123.

ployed .without departing in any way from the spirit of the invention.

Having briefly outlined my improvement, I

will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of an automobile equipped with my improvement, the radiator eing partly broken away in order to better disclose the operating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22, Fig. 1 looking toward the right.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view showing the fan and its connection with a flexible shaft on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a section taken through the pulley with which the lower end of the flexible shaft is connected.

Fig. 5 is a section cutting the journal of the fan wheel and illustrating its connection with the flexible shaft, the parts being shown on a larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 5 looking toward the right. i

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the inner clutch member viewed in general from the same line looking; toward the left.

Thesame reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views,

Let the numeral 5 designate a post having a base plate (1 securedto the body of an automobile 7 just forward of the wind-shield 8. The upper extremity of this post is provided. with a hearing; 9 in which is journaled ,the short or stub shaft 10 of a fan wheel 12.

This fan wheel as illustra ted in the drawing consists of a hub 13, blades 14: and a rim 15 with which the outer extremities of the blades are connected. The stub shaft 10 of the tan Wheel is bored, as shown at 16, to receive one extremity 17 of a flexible shaft 18, the bottom of the bore or socket 16 being; toothed, as shown at 19, to cooperate with similar teeth 20 formed on the inner extremity of the part 17 of the flexible shaft, so that if the flexible shaft rotates, the teeth 20 will interlock with the teeth 19 and rotate the :tan wheel. Provision is made, however, to allow the fan wheel to expend its momentum after the engine shaft, and consequently the flexible shaft, has ceased to rotate. For this purpose a pin 21 is passed through a slot 22 extending through the part 17 of the flexible shaft. A spiral spring 23 is placed in the slot, one of its extremities engaging the pin 21 while the other ex tremity engages the opposite end wall of the slot. This spring is of such character that after the flexible shaft ceases to rotate, it will yield sufficiently in response to the pressure of the pin 21 to allow the fan wheel to rotate under momentum without rotating the flexible shaft. The pin 21 extends lnto a circumferential. recess 24: formed partly in the shaft member 10 of the fan wheel and partly in a retaining col.- lar 25 applied to the end of said shaft member for retainingthe flexible shaft in operative connection with the shaft member of the fan wheel, the collar being secured in place by means of screws 26.

As illustrated in the drawing, the flexible shaft below the fan wheel'passes through an opening 27 formed in the body of the machine, the opposite extremity of this shaft terminating in a cup member :28 which is secured to a small pulley 29 which is mounted on a stationary shaft 30 terminating in a plate 31 which is secured to the radiator by suitable fastening devices 32. The pulley 29 is connected with the station ary shaft or journal 30 by a screw and a washer or plate 34. This pulley 29 is so located that it is engaged by the fan belt 35 when the engine is in operation, the fan belt being operated from the engine shaft 36 and being connected with a small pulley 37 fast on the hub of the fan 38 arranged in the usual manner within the hood.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improvement will be readily understood. As soon as the engine starts, motion is transmitted to the fan wheel 12 through the medium of the connections heretofore described. The rotation of this fan wheel drives the dust or storm laden atmosphere forward," away from the wind-shield of the machine, and consequently frees the an- 111 front of the occupants of the car from dust or at least reduce the amount of dust and prevents the accumulation of dust, snow or sleet upon the wind-shield.

Attention is called to the fact that my improvement may be employed on vehicles of all characters as well as upon automobiles. F or instance, it may be advantageously employed on railway cars and in all other relations where the function of clearing the atmosphere in front of the car or vehicle is to be accomplished duringthe movement of thevehicle. Furthermore, the fan or fan wheel may be operated from a traction wheel of the vehicle through themedium of proper gearing or other connections as well as from the motor of a motor driven vehicle. Hence, it will be understood that the use of the device is not limited to motor driven vehicles.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a dust and storm clearing attachment for automobiles and other vehicles, the combination with the vehicle, of a windshield and a fanmounted on the front part of the vehicle and immediately in front of the windshield, and an operative connection between the fan and the engine.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a motor operated vehicle, of a windshield and a fan mounted on the front part of the vehicle and in1- mediately in front of the windshield a shaft operated from the motor, and an operative connection between the shaft and fan to permit the latter to rotate after the shaft has stopped.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES H. ADAMS.

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

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