US1609584A

US1609584A - Blower

Info

Publication number: US1609584A
Application number: US1611A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ira H Spencer
Original assignee: Spencer Turbine Co
Current assignee: Spencer Turbine Co
Priority date: 1925-01-10
Filing date: 1925-01-10
Publication date: 1926-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1943-12-07

Description

Dec. 7 1926. 1,609,584

' l. H. SPENCER BLOWER Filed Jan. 10 1925 1 A I" 1 l I 3 /W' ZAQ I Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

' uuirun STATES P A'TQENT or Free.

IRA SH. SPENCER, 0F LMZIEST)HIHREFQRD, ;CO-I\INEGTICUT ASSIGNDR TO THEESPENTGER .TURZBINE'HCOMPANHZZOF vMESH;:IH.IeREE'IEY0RD, CONNECTICUT, A :CORPOZRATION- OF:CON

INECTIGUSE.

-.BLOWER.

Application filed January 10, (1925. Seria1'No. 1,611.

My invention relates more especially "to that class of'blowers that are usedfor supplying air to pneumatic musical instruments, andan object of the'inven'tion, among others, is the production o't'c' means whereby "the sounds incidenttotheoperation of themm tor .for drivingthe'b'lower is transmitted to a minimum degree along the conduit for supplying air from the blower 'to the musicalinstrument; and a "further object of 'the inventionis to provide means whereby "the amount of air admitted'to 'theblower-will be automatically controlledto azdegree depending upon the amount supplied to the musical instrument.

'One 'form of device embodyingmy invention and in the construction and "use of which the objectsherein set out, aswell as others, maybe attained, is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View in central .vertica-l'sed tion on a plane -passinglengthwisethrough the shaft of my improved blower;

Figure "2 is a view in sectionon .a-plane denoted by the dotted line 2-2 'of'Figurel, looking toward the left, the base piecesbeing omitted.

FigureS is :an end view, looking toward theright, .of'the "structure as seen. in Figure '1, but minus the basepieces.

Figure 4c is a top view of my improved blower.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 6 indicates the case of -my improved I'blower that may be of any suitablematerial, constructed in-any "desired manner and .:ar "rangedto rest upon a saddle composed of :base'pieces "7. Aanotor-S is mounted'on a "support-9 located within-an open chamber 'TO'inthe endof'the case, said chamber being separated from aninlet chamber 11 by means of a wall 12, and from a fan chamber "19*by a wall 33 havingan inletopening or "eye 13 for-air that is supplied to the blower. ikshaft lo-is operatively connected with "themotor and-fans 1617=1'8 aresecured *tor'the shaft. 'The "fans 16 -=rotate i-n the chamber 19 from-which a maximum portion dfthezairgpassing in a't the inlet opening 13 isforc'e'd' by centrifugal action of the fan 16 through an outletopening 20 to a pipe 21 through" which the -air is conducted to the pointw'here it isitobe .used, asto'the reseroperating --diiierent sparts 1 of an 1 organ and the device herein shown -is, therefore, equipped' with means for' =providing airat a low pressure by 'EICt-IOILOf low pressure fans 16 in the low pressure chamber '19, as-well as to provide air at *a higher pressure b-y th-e action of the high; pressure -'f-ans 'in' the high pressure chamber 22.

There are spreferablyetwo 'o tthe fans 18 rotating in chambers 2'5-"26, and while the fans 1'6 a-nd 17 supply-airunder pressure to the -o'rganthe fans 18 are -=suction fans for OPQI'fltlIlg-SllCtlOIl mechanism appurtenant to the organ, these fans receiving a1r+f=rom an inlet-pipe Q'Y throughwhich the air is drawn from the organ (and which is -exhausted "through perforations '28 in -the case 6.

"The arrangement thus far described is very confipactand enables the rnclosuregwith- *ina single caseo'f' a i minimum size of -fans for-creating different pressures of air and also for creating suction wit-lirespeet toan instrument, as 1 an 4 organ in connection wvith which the blower is used, thearr-angement- 0f the outlets "21 and 24 and the inlet 27 being --such as to enable the compact arrangement "herein illustrated.

An important feature of my invention-resides in the a means for controlling the flo-w of air-*to the fans 16 and 17, this control comprising valves that are automatically closed to a degree depending-upon the amount o'f airbeing consumed. More or less nolse is made by 1 the motor and when the valves are open this noise I is transmitted to a greater or "lesser extent through the I pipes for conveying-the air to the organ or similar instrument being--supplied* by the blower.

This noise is objectionable, but whenthe or- :gan is iplayi'ng the noise is mu'flied. However when the-or an isnot 31a in there' is nothing to niuflie the noise and T it is, i therefore; important that means 'shall be provided for preventing transmission of the noise at this time.

I, therefore, provide valves 29 that are located to cover ports 30 in the wall 12. These valves each have a hinge 81 located on that side of the valve opposed to the direction of flow of the air currents within the chamber 11, this flow being a swirling or circular motion given to the air by a rotation of the fans and which, flowing across the valves from the hinged edge thereof, has a tendency to close the valves. When a greater quantity of air is being consumed the pressure in the conduit is reduced whereby the valves open to admit more air and thereby restore the pressure in the blower, and at the same time the musical instrument being in operation the noise transmitted through the valve openings is muiiled as hereinbefore referred to. lVhen the amount of air consumed by the instrument is lessened, thereby reducing said pressure, the valves gradually close owing to the reduced pressure and also to the swirling motion that is set up by the fans, this swirling and circular motion being in a direction as above described to close the valves. Vfhen no air is being consumed the pressure is reduced to a minimum and the swirling motion thus becomes great enough to close the valves and thus prevent noise to an objectionable extent from being transmitted to the vicinity of the musical instrument. At this time when the flow of air to the organ is stopped and when the fans are running there will be nothing but a swirling motion of the air in the chamber 19, and this swirling motion under all ordinary eircun'istances is suliicient to over come the action of gravity and to close the valves and maintain them closed under these conditions, altho the valves with the hinges at the lower sides thereof will open when the fans cease rotating.

In order to provide for the very compact arrangement of the fans hereinbefore referred to and which arrangement comprises an important feature of my invention, the fans are so arranged that they may be supported upon the projecting end of the motor shaft, that is, a bearing is not provided atthe onter end of said shaft, the single motor bearing of the shaft being suihcient. In accomplishing this result the lower pressure fan 16 which embodies the largest construction is located next to the shaft bearing and the high pressure fan 17 which is next in size is located next to the larger and lower pressure fan. The suction fans 18 which are the smallest in construction are located at the end of the shaft 15 and these suction fans, in addition to their being the lightest by reason of their size, are formed of duralium or aluminum or other light sufficiently strong metal. It is impractical to construct the fans 1(517 of these light metals and especially of duralium, as the cost owing to their size would be excessive and these fans of the greater weight are, therefore located next to the motor.

is a further aid in decreasing the length of the case the backs of the suction fans are placed facing the backs of the high and low pressure fans, and this enables a decrease to be obtained in the length of the shaft and also of the case.

The arrangement of the narrow suction fans at the outer end of the case enables the structure to be conveniently assembled, as it is necessary to use wrenches and other tools within these chambers for the purpose of assembling the parts. This may be easily done as to the chamber 19 as such tools may be inserted through the opening 20, and the same is true of the chamber as such tools may be inserted through the opening in the pipe 24;. Such an operation, however, is impossible as to the chambers 2526, but their location at the outer end of the case enables the fans to be secured as by the use of certain tools b fore the plates closing the chamhers are secured in position, and it should be noted in this particular that a partitioning Wull 32 is located between the suction chambers and the high and lower pressure chambers thus dividing the end of the case 6 containing the motor from the opposite end thereof.

in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes 1 have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative, and that the 111 vention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

I claim-- l. A blower comprising a case substantially round in cross section, a shaft extending within the case with its outer end unsupported, a bearing for the end of said shaft opposite said unsupported end, means for driving said shaft, and a series of fans secured to said shaft within the case, said fans increasing in weight from the outer unsupported end of the shaft toward said bearing.

2. A blower comprising a case substantially round in cross section, a shaft extending into said ease with its outer end unsupported, a bearing for the end of said shaftopposite said unsupported end, and a series of fans secured to said shaft within the case and increasing in size from the free unsupported end of the shaft toward said hearing.

3. A blower comprising a case substantially round in cross section and having a series of chambers including a low pressure 'Ill chamber, a high pressure chamber and chambers arranged in the order named, a shaft extending through said chambers and having its outer end unsupported, a bearing for the opposite end of the shaft, means for driving said shaft, and a lower pressure fan,

a high pressure fan and other fans located in the said chambers in the order named.

4. A blower comprising a case substantially round in cross section and having a chamber, a second adjacent and communicating chamber of less width than the first chamber, a chamber adjacent to said second chamber and of less width than said second chamber, a shaft projecting through said chambers, fans having relative widths compared with said chambers and located therein, the end of said shaft farthest away from the widest chamber being unsupported, a bearing for the opposite end of said shaft, and means for driving said shaft.

A blower comprising a case substantially round in cross section and having a chamber, a second adjacent and communicating chamber of less width than the first chamber, a chamber adjacent to said second chamber and of less width than said second I chamber, and divided therefrom, a shaft extending through said chambers and having its end farthest from the widest chamber unsupported, a fan located in each of the first two named chambers and of widths com pared with the widths of said chambers and secured to said shaft, a fan located in the last named chamber and with its back facing the back of the fan in the adjoining chamber and secured to said shaft, and means for driving said shaft.

6. A blower comprising a case having a wall therein, a plurality of ports opening through said wall on diametrically opposite sides of the center thereof, a valve for each of said ports, means for closing all of said valves by movement of a current of fluid in a circular direction, and means within said case for creating a current of fluid flowing in. a circular direction.

7. A blower comprising a case having a wall therein, ports located on opposite sides of'the center of said wall and opening therethrough, a valve for each of said ports, means for closing all of said valves by movement of a current of fluid in a circular direction, and means within said case for creating a current of fluid flowing in a circular direction.

8. A blower comprising a case having a wall therein with a plurality of ports opening'through said wall on diametrically opposite sides of the center thereof, a valve for each of said ports, said valves being mounted on hinges, means for closing all of said valves by movement of a current of air in a circular direction, and means located within the case for creating a current of fluid flowing in a circular direction.

9. A blower comprising a case having a wall therein with a plurality of ports arranged on a circular line and on diametrically opposite sides of the center thereof, valves mounted on hinges to open and close said ports, the hinge for each valve being located on that side of the port opposed to movement of a current of air along said circular path, and means located in'said case for creating movement of air in a circular path. 7

10. A blower comprising a case having a wall therein with a plurality of ports opening through said wall on diametrically opposite sides of the center thereof, a valve for each of said ports, said valves being mounted on hinges and all of the valves extending from said hinges in the same direction in a circular path, whereby said valves are all closed by the movement of a current of air in a circular direction, andmeans located within the case for creating a current of fluid flowing in a circular direction.

IRA H. SPENCER.