US1953785A - Combined air cleaner and muffler - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1934. w. B. SULLIVAN 1,953,785

COMBINED AIR CLEANER AND MUFFLER Filed July 23, 1931 Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE COMBINED AIR CLEANER AND MUFFLER Application July 23, 1931, Serial No. 552,705

2 Claims.

This invention relates to mufilers, and more particularly to muiilers for air cleaners for the intake of internal combustion engines.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for silencing the noise incident to the passage of air through the intake to the carburetor.

Another object of the invention is the provision of new and improved silencing device incorporated in a dust collector for the intake of internal combustion engines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved silencing device for the intake for a carburetor that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, that may be easily assembled or disassembled, that is composed of a minimum number of parts, and that is not likely to become bent or distorted or get out of order.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine, showing the invention in position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the device;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

" Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In internal combustion engines as at present constructed there is more or less objectionable noise at the intake or carburetor during the operation of the engine, especially at high speeds, due to the rush of air in a continuous stream into the carburetor from the intake passage.

The principal object of the present invention is to remedy this defect. It has been found that if the direction of the air current be abruptly changed or broken up immediately before the same enters the carburetor this objectionable noise will be greatly lessened or in some cases eliminated or silenced altogether.

One form of construction for accomplishing this purpose, which is by way of example only, will now be described. Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the reference character 10 designates generally an internal combustion engine having an intake passage 11 within which is mounted the carburetor 12 as is usual in such constructions. Since the engine is of the usual or any well known construction, it need not be further described.

The carburetor intake is shown. at 13, on which is mounted the combined dust collector and muflier device 14. This device comprises a casing 15 having a passage through which air flows to the carburetor intake 13.

In the form of construction selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, this casing comprises what for convenience of description will be termed an inner wall 16 and a side wall 17. The inner wall 16 is provided with an opening 18 about which is secured a clamping member 19 which is adapted to secure the casing to the intake 13 of the carburetor. The clamping member has its ends extending radially for receiving a screw 21 for clamping the same to the intake 13 for holding the casing in position thereon. The side wall 17 of the casing is shown as being tapered toward the front of the engine and is provided at its outer edge with a cylindrical portion 22 which terminates at its outer edge in a flange 23 flared radially outwardly.

The connecting portion 24 of the casing between the wall 1'7 and the cylindrical portion 22 forms an annular shoulder against which a filter ele ment or dust screen 25 is adapted to seat. The filter element is secured in position by any suitable means, as the spring ring 26 having a radi- 0 ally outwardly extending loop 27 which is adapted to be inserted in an opening 28 in the cylindrical portion 22 and has its free ends provided with outwardly extending finger pieces 29 and 30 which are adapted to enter a slot 31 and seat in lateral extensions 32 and 33 of said slot, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The filter element 25 may be of any suitable or well known construction. In the form of construction shown, a plurality of wire screen disk members are secured together at their central portion by the shank 34 of a handle member 35. The filter element 25 is adapted to be supplied with a thin filament of oil for removing the dust and other foreign matter from the air drawn through the same by the operation of the engine. This member is adapted to be cleaned and reoiled at intervals. In cleaning and reoiling the filter, the operator first removes the ring 26, which may be done by forcing the finger pieces 29 and 30 toward each other, and removing them through the slot 31, after which the filter member may be removed by pulling outwardly on the handle 35. While still holding the handle the operator may dip the filter element in gasoline or kerosene for cleaning the same, and then after dipping it in oil it may be replaced.

Suitable means are provided for abruptly changing the direction of the air passing through no the casing 15 in order to minimize the noise incident to the air being supplied to the carburetor. In the form of construction selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention a plurality of partition members 36 and 37 are employed for this purpose. These partition members are provided with non-aligned openings whereby the air in passing through the openings will have its direction abruptly changed.

In the form shown, the partition members 36 and 37 which are in the form of disks for engaging the tapered side wall 17, are mounted in spaced relation within the casing 15 posterior to the filter element 25. The disk 36 is provided with openings or slots 38 adjacent its periphery and the disk or partition member 37 is provided with an axial opening 39. The partition members 36 and 3'7 may be provided with laterally and outwardly extending peripheral portions 41 and 42 for engaging the side wall 17 for holding the members in position within said casing, the members 41 being adapted to engage the filter element 25 and the members 42 being adapted to engage the partition 36 for holding the two partitions in spaced relation.

During the operation of the engine, air will be caused to flow by suction of the engine through the filter element 25, which will remove the dust and other foreign matter from the air, after which it will pass through the peripheral slots or openings 38 in the partition 36 and then flow radially inwardly and then axially through the central opening 39 in the partition 37, and from thence directly into the carburetor.

While the slots or openings 38 are shown as being formed by removing a portion of the periphery of the disk between the spacing or peripheral portions or projections, and the disk is provided with a central opening, it is understood that these openings forming passages for the air may be arranged in any other convenient staggered relation.

When it is desired to remove the bafiie or partition members 36 and 37 it is only necessary to first remove the ring 26 and the filter element 25, after which the bafiie or partition members may be removed.

The resiliency of the flanges or extensions 41 and 42 of the partition members 36 and 37 is such that when these members are forced into operative position within the casing 15 they will frictionally engage the inner wall of said casing sufficiently to hold them in place to permit the removal of the filter element without being disturbed. While these partition members are shown as being removable, it is understood they may be rigidly connected to the casing, if desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a casing having its side wall provided with a tapered portion and a cylindrical portion, a filter element within said cylindrical portion, and a pair of disks having staggered openings, Within said tapered portion, and means for holding said element and disks in position within said casing.

2. In combination, a casing having its side wall provided with a tapered portion and a cylindrical portion, a filter element within said cylindrical portion, and a plurality of metallic disks within said tapered portion, said disks having spacing members thereon for holding the same spaced from each other and from said filter element and provided with air passages therethrough, said passages being alternately on the periphery and in the central portion of said disks.

WILLIAM B. SULLIVAN.

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