US1756758A

US1756758A - Air cleaner

Info

Publication number: US1756758A
Application number: US232063A
Authority: US
Inventors: Orem Frederick Strattner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-11-09
Filing date: 1927-11-09
Publication date: 1930-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 1947-04-29

Description

vin

Patented Apr. 29, 1930 i FREDERICK sTEArTNEE, oEEM, orV BALTIMORE, MARYLAND .un CLEANER Application. led November 9, 1927. Serial No. 232,063. l

My invention relates to improvements in air cleaners, and more particularly it relates to air cleaners adapted to supply clean air to engines. l

An object of the invention is to provide a device for removing all dust. at all speeds of the motor from the air entering the carburetor without affecting the air supply to the carburetor.

A 'further object is to provide filtering means through' which the air will normally pass' on its way through the cleaner to the carburetor but through which the air need not pass in case the filtering means should become clogged with dust, in which case `the filters will act as baffles and the air will have a continuous passage from lthe atmosphere past the baffles to the carburetor. An uninterrupted communication is thus established between the atmosphere and the intake to the carburetor, the filters functioning entirelyas filters, but if the remote possibility of their becoming materially clogged or failing to function for any other reason should materialize, which is most unlikely to happen, the filters vwill actl as baffles and cleaned air Will 'be provided to the carburetor in either case.

Thus thel invention is designed to obviate any interference with the natural flow of air from the latmosphere to the carburetor or pump or other apparatus in connection with which the air cleaner may he used, and at the same time to effectively and at all times thoroughly clean the air. v

Other objects will appear from the following description and ycl aims and from the drawgIhey invention consists in the features, corn.- bination, and arrangement of parts herein` after describedv and particularly pointed out in the claims. v v

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air cleaner embodying my invention. ig. 2 is an end View of the cleaner.

Referring to the drawings 1 is a cylindrical metal housing having a closed end 2.- At the l opposite end of the housing 1 is mounted a' head 3 having openings 4 for the entrance of air. The head 3 has an annular flange 5 50 adapted to receive the housing. The head 3 is also provided with a concentric flanges?)a providing a central circular opening 6 through the head. Mounted in the circular opening 6 and secured to the head by any suit- 55 able means is a nipple or cylinder 7 which is f adapted to be connected with the intake of the c carburetor and through which the air in leavingl the cleaner must pass. In the construction shown the cylinder 7 is fastened in place o in the head by means of a cotter pin or bolt 8 passing through aligned holes 9 in the cylinder 7 and flange 5l of the head. The pin 8 passes through an eye 10 in a tie rod 11 which extends through the air cleaner from one end 65 to the other and is secured on the outside of the closed end 2 of' the housing 1 by a nut 12 receivcd'on its threaded end 13.

The cylinder 7 is provided with openings 14 in that portion of its wall which is within 70 the housing. The cylinder wall is increased in thickness at l5 to provide a should-er to be engaged by the head 3. The cylinder 7 at its inner end is reduced in thickness at 16 to receive the annular flange 17 of' the outlet end. 75 of filter unit 18. The bore ot' cylinder 7 is of uniform diameter throughout to provide for free passage of the air therethrough.

Filter unit 18 is cylindrical or tubular in form as are also filter units 26, 31, and 34, 8U which are increasingly larger in diameter vand disposed one within the other as will be descri ed. Each filter unit preferably comprises a rectangular section of wire screening A formed or rolled into tubular shape with its er, opposite edges adjacent each other and held in such tubular shape Within filter material B such as flannel felt or the like, which is sewn into tubular form previous to the insertion of the tubular screen therein. Spring bands C oo are placed withinthe screen at its ends to stress it against the filter material B to hold the screen and filter material securel together. Over the ends of the Vseveral tuliular filter units are placed cups or caps of metal or the like which act as reinforcements and means of connection with other parts of the apparatus. .l

he annularflange 17 of the outlet end of filter unit 18 forms a part of cap 19 covering one end of said filter unit. The-cap 19 is provided with a central aperture 20 adapted for the passage of air and the area of which bears a definite relationship to thecombined area of the apertures 14.

As shown, the area of aperture 2O is considerably less than the combined area of aperture 14 and the airwill normally pass through apertures 14 I rather than through aperture 20 because the former is the path of least re-- sistance.

Cap 21 on the opposite end of filter unit 18 is provided with openings 22 and has a projection 23 adapted to be received in an open'- ing 24 in the closed cap 25 of filter unit 26. The opposite end of filter unit 26 is covered by a 'cap 27 surrounding and engaging the cap 19. The cap 27 has aperturesy 28 therein and has feet or lugs 29 spaced apart about its periphery. The lugs 29 bear against the inner face of closed cap 30 of filter unit 31. Cap 30 has spaced apart feet or lugs 32 which bear against cap 33 of filter unit 34. Filter unit 31 at its opposite end has an open cap 35 the peripheral end edge 36 of which engages the flange 37 of ring cap 38 on the end of filter unit 34. A facing plate 39 having suitable apertures therein is placed over the rod 11, which extends through aligned bores in the various elements of the apparatus. A spacer 40 is also provided to separate the facing plate from the closed end 2 of the housing. The tie rod 11 serves to securely hold all of the parts in their proper relative positions.

Caps 30 and 33 surround and closely fit the cylinder 7 which extends through suitable central apertures in said caps.

In the operation of the air cleaner, air from the atmosphere enters annular chamber D and normally passes therefrom through filter 34 into annular chamber E and-thence past lugs or feet 32 into chamber F through apertures 14 and cylinder 7 to the carburetor, engine or pump.

Should filter 34 for any reason fail tosupply sufiicient air to meet the demands'of the engine or pump then air will pass over lter 34 to space or chamber G where some of the dust will remain due to changing the direction ofthe air. From chamber G the air will pass through annular opening H into chamber J from whence it will normally pass through filter 31 into chamber E and thence to F and out as before.

^ and If for any reason air in addition'to what passes through filters 34 and 31, is required by the engine, air will pass to chamber J through D and G as before and will pass through filter 26, or if greater supply is needed, will pass around the end thereof past lugs 29 and through holes 28, into chamber K. From chamber K the air Will pass to chamber L through filter 18, or, if greater supply of air is reqluired, will pass around the end thereof t irough lholes 22. From chamber L the additional air as required Will pass through orifice 20, the area of which bears a definite relation to the combined area of apertures ,14, and then through cylinder 7 to the carburetor or the like. y

The cleaner provides a plurality of filters through which yairmay pass butshould the air be prevented from assing through a filter or filters or even retar ed in its passage therethrough, additional air as required will reach the carburetor after being cleaned by repeat- `cd 'reversal of direction Without said additional air having necessarily passed through a single filter, the filters in such case functioning purely as baffles. InA other Words, a complete open passageway from the inlet to the outlet of the cleaner is provided and at all times maintained through which a large per-V .centage of required air may be delivered independently of air passing through the filters should passage through the filters belmaterially retarded or prevented, which is a remote possibility. In the event'that the filters should be rendered inoperative as filters, they will continue to be operative to clean air by functioning as baffles.

It'will be apparent that many changes may be made in the cleaner Without departing from the scope of my invention.

lVith this invention the air supply to the carburetor is in no'wayimpaired lor diminished, the lessened pressure in the carburetor is obviously not increased by the cleaner through which air may pass freely and volumetric efliciency will remain unimpaired.

I claim:

1. lIn combination in an air cleaner, a housing having a central circular outlet and an annular inlet surrounding said outlet, a series of tubular filter units, the diameters of which vary b increments, said lter units being arrange in series one Within another and providing a continuous open passage from inlet to outlet, independent of the existing air passage through the Walls of said filter, said passage completely reversing its direction a plurality of times.

2. In combination in an air cleaner havingan inlet and an outlet, a series of tubular filter units the diameters of which vary by increments, said filter units being arranged in series one within another and providing a continuous open passage from inlet to outlet independent of the existing air passage through the walls of said filters, said passage completely reversing its direction a plurality of times.

3. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a filter through Which all required air will norm ally pass,said cleaner having a series of apertures between the filter and sald outlet, through which the air which passes through said filter must pass to reach the outlet, said cleaner having an open by-pass from said inlet to said outlet through which additional air may pass if required, said by-pass including an aperture, the area of said by-pass aperture being less than the combined area of said series of apertures and bearing a definite relation thereto.

4. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a tubular filter through which all rep quired air Will normally pass to the outlet, a

series of tubular filters Within said first mentioned filter, said filters being capable of functioning either as filters or baffles in that said filters are spaced apart to provide an open passage from said inlet to said outlet through which additional air will pass as required.

5. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a tubular filter through which all required air will normally pass to the outlet, a series of tubular filters within said first mentioned filter, -disposed one within another, said filters being capable of functioning either as filters or as baffles, in that said filters are of varying'lengths to provide an open passage from said inlet to said outlet through which additional air will pass if and as re uired.

6. yIn an air cleaner having an in et and an outlet, a tubular filter through the wall of which all required air will normally pass to the outlet, said cleaner having a series of apertures between the filter and said outlet through whichv the air which passes through the filter wall must pass to reach the outlet, a series of filters within said first mentioned filter disposed one within another` said filters being capable of functioning either as filters orA as baffles, in that they are of varying lengths and diameters and provide an open passage from said inlet to said outlet through which additional air will pass if and as required, said passage including an aperture the area of which is less than the combined area of said series of apertures and which bears a definite relation to said combined area.

7. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a tubular filter through the wall of which all required air will normally pass to the outlet, said cleaner having a series of apertures between the filter and said outlet through which the air which passes through the filter Wall must pass to reach the outlet, a series of tubular filters within said first mentioned filter disposed one Within another, the outermost filter of said series being capable of passing air therethrough to said series of apertures, said filters being capable of functioning either as filters or as baffles in that they are of varying lengths and diameters to provide an open passage from said inlet to said outlet through which additional air will pass as required.

8.A device according to claim 7 in which said open passage includes an aperture the area of which is less than the combined area of said series of apertures.

9. In an air cleaner a series of tubular filters of varying diameters placed one Within another to provide both filtering means and an open tortuous passageway continuous from inlet to outlet of said cleaner to supplement the filtering means and to provide additional air if necessary.

10. In an air cleaner having a central circular outlet, and an annular inlet surrounding said outlet, a plurality of tubular filter members disposed one within another and being of varying lengths to provide a circuitous open by-pass between said inlet and outlet, said by-pass terminating in an aperture communicating with said outlet, and directly in line therewith, said cleaner having radially facing apertures between said inlet and outlet and adapted to conduct air normally passing through said filters to said outlet.

11. In an air cleaner comprising a tubular casing having a peripheral annular inlet and an axial outlet at one end, the opposite end being closed, a series ofy tubular filters Within said casing disposed in spaced apart relation one with another, and decreasing in length as they decrease in diameter, the outermost tubular filter extending from the inner side of the peripheral annular inlet to a point spaced from the closed end of the casing, the second filter being flush with the outermost filter at the closed end of the casing but terminating short of the outlet end of the casing to provide for the passage of air directly through the outermost filter Wall to said outlet, the third filter being flush with the seeond filter at the closed end of the casing but terminating short of the second filter at its opposite end, the fourth and innermost filter having an outlet tube extension. to a point beyond the end of the second filter toward the outlet end of the casing and terminating short of the third filter at the other end to provide through this end of the fourth filter a direct communicationA with said outlet, a wall spaced from the closed end of the casing and closing the annular space between the outer and second filter, a wall spaced from the outlet end of the casing and closing the annular space between the second and fourth filter, and a wall at the closed end of the casing closing the corresponding end of the third filter.

12. An air cleaner according to claim 11 in which said outlet tube extension from the fourth filter is provided adjacent the outlet with an annular series of radially facing apertures establishing direct communication between the outlet and the Iinner side of the wall of the outermost lter, 'said outlet tube having a partition therein between said series of apertures and said fourth lter, said partition having an opening therethrough which bears a definite relation to said apertures;

In testimony whereof, I alix my signature.

FREDERICK STRATTNER OREM.