US1894085A - Air conditioning and circulating device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1933. w, CONLEY 1,894,085

AIR CONDITIONING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Shet 1 dawns Jan. 10, 1933. A. w. CONLEY I 1,394,085

AIR CONDITIONING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuewtoz ARTHUR M GOA LE) Patented Jan. 13, 1933 PATENT FFICE ARTHUR W. CONLEY, 0F SHAKER HEIGHTS, OI-IIO AIR CONDITIONING AND CIBCULATIN'G DEVICE Application filed. August 3, 1931.

This invention relates to a device for conditioning and circulating air.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a device which is of simpler construction and more efficient operation than similar preceding devices. A further object is to provide in a generally flat fan housing a fan and a humidifying element which is also generally flat and disposed in substantial parallelism with said fan. A further object is to provide a superior means for supplying moisture to the humidifying element. Other and more limited objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying draw- Fig 1 is a central vertical sectional view of one-half of a device embodying my in vention; Fig. 2 is a top plan View of a quadrant thereof; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view of the moisture elevating device showing its connection with the fan and fan motor; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on a reduced scale and taken between the fan and fan motor.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral A refers to a supporting pedestal which may be provided with an ornamental base, not shown. Supported on the pedestal A is a receptacle B adapted to contain water or any other volatile liquid or solution desired. Removably supported on the receptacle B is the air circulating and conditioning assembl C.

The assembly C includes a fan housing indicated generally by the numeral 10, a fan motor 11 supported thereby, a fan 12 carried by the armature shaft 13 of the motor 11, a centrifugal liquid elevating means 14 also carried by the armature shaft 13 and a humidifying element indicated generally by the numeral 15 and supported by the lower inturned edge 16 of the fan housing 10. Attached to the outside of the fan housing at the lower edge are supporting lugs 17 provided with curved lower edges 18 adapting them to fit over and rest upon the outwardly curved upper edge 19 of the receptacle B.

Serial No. 554,651.

The fan housing 10 is a generally fiat hollow structure preferably composed of sheet metal and having a dish-like lower portion 20 provided with the inturned edge 16 already referred to and an inwardly and upwardly concaved upper portion 21 terminating in an inwardly and downwardly turned bead 22. The bead 22 is bent or spun over and preferably welded or otherwise securely attached to the upper edge of a flange 24 of the top wall member 23. The top wall member 23 will be provided with a plurality of louvers 25 affording easy passage for air therethrough A depressed inner portion 26 may be provided for the reception of the motor 11 to which such inner portion may be attached as by screws 27. The motor shaft 13 is provided with a collar 28 to which the fan element 12 is secured as by screws 29. Extending downwardly below the collar 28 is a member 30 which may be a continuation of the shaft 13 and which is provided at its lower end with projections 31 adapted to engage the walls of the member 14 at spaced points and to be secured thereto as by a screw 32 passing through the member 14 and entering recesses 33 in the members 31. It is to be understood that any desirable number of the projections 31 may be provided but that it is essential that they do not materially obstruct the passage of water or other liquid upwardly through the member 14.

The humidifying element 15 comprises a pair of in*-- er and outer ring members 34 and 35, each of which has a toothed edge, connected together by members 36 secured thereto as by soldering or welding and wick means 37 wound back and forth over the teeth of the ring members 34 and 35. It will be understood that the rings 34 and will preferably have the same number of teeth. It will be noted that the teeth on the inner ring member 34 are somewhat higher than those on the member 35 whereby the wick means 37 has a slightly downward slope and that the upper edge of the conical member 14 is positioned substantially at the level of the lower edge of the inner extremities of the various convolutions of the wick means 37. As will be clear from Fig. 4 the spaces between the teeth of the inner ring member are substantially filled by the wick. By this arrangement water is delivered in droplets by centrifugal action upon the inner portions of wick and against the ring member 34 which extends a material distance downwardly and terminates in teeth 38. By this arrangement the inner portions of the convolutions of wick are kept wet, all excess moisture beyond that able to be conducted along the wick from the wet inner ends running down the ring 34 and dripping from the teeth 38 back into the receptacle B. The slight downward inclination of the wick 37 permits some gravity action in the feeding of moisture therealong well as preventing water from being delivered to any portion thereof except the inner ends which are directly exposed to the drop ts thrown out from the periphery of the upper flange 39 of the member 14. By a proper adjustnjient of the inclination of the wick means 37 a greater or less amount of water can be caused to flow outwardly. It is highly desirable tiat not enough water should flow along the wick 37 to result in dripping irom the lower ends thereof and consequently from the lower edge 16 of the fan housing 10, since such action might result in drops of water being carried out of the device by the air current which passes outwardly between the fan housing and the upper edge or" the receptacle B. The outer ring 35 may be continuous i1 is somewhat flexible to allow for springing into position through the open bottom of the fan housing 10. Optionally it may have a gap of two or three degrees of are between the ends to allow for convenient compression for insertion into the fan housing.

In operation, the motor 11 rotates at ahigher rate of speed in such a direction as to cause the fan 12 which is carried by the armature thereof to throw a current of air downwardly through the louver-s 25 in the fan housing 10, through the wick means 37 and out through the space between the fan housing and the receptacle B at a slightly upward angle. At the same time the cone 14 which rotates with the motor shaft 13 will by centrifugal action elevate water from the receptacle B and discharge the 5' me from its periphery against the inner portions of the convolutions of the wick means 37.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention I wish it understood that I may make certain changes therein without departing from the seope oi my invention and that I am limited only in accordance with the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a, receptacle, a fan housing having an open bottom and an upper wall provided with a plurality of louvers, an electric motor supported by said upper wall centrally thereof and having the armature shaft extending vertically downward, a substantially horizontally disposed fan carried by said shaft, a generally flat, horizontally disposed humidifying element comprising inner and outer rings and wicking wound back and forth therebetween supported under said fan, and means for maintainin said element moist.

2. In a device of t e character described, a receptacle, a tan housing having an open bottom and an upper wall provided with a plurality of louvers, an electric motor supported by said upper wall centrally thereof and having the armature shaft extending vertically downward, a substantially horizontally disposed tan carried by said shaft, a generally flat, horizontally disposed humidii'ying element comprising inner and outer rings and wicking wound back and forth therebetween supported under said fan, and means including a funnel member carried by said armature shaft coaxial therewith and extending into said receptacle for maintaining said element moist.

3. In a device of the character described, a generally flat, horizontally disposed fan housing, a horizontally disposed fan element in said housing, said housing below said fan and comprising, inner and outer toothed rings, means connecting said rings together and wick means wound back and forth on the teeth thereof, the teeth on the inner said ring being disposed slightly above those on the outer, a motor for driving said fan, a hollow conical member driven by said motor for supplying water to the said wick, the upper edge of said conical member being so disposed as to deliver water by centrifugal action against said inner toothed ring and the said wick means.

4. In a device of the character dscribed, a receptacle, a fan housing spaced above said receptacle, a fan in said housing, means for driving said fan, a humidifying element associated with said fan housing and including inner and outer rings and wick means extending therebetween, a liquid elevating funnel member rotatable with said fan and having its discharging lip positioned below the top of the wick means, said inner ring being of a width to extend far enough below said discharging lip to prevent any liquid from being thrown from such lip between said fan housing and said receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

ARTHUR W. CONLEY.

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