US2021583A

US2021583A - Device fob conditioning air

Info

Publication number: US2021583A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1935-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1952-11-19

Description

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Nov. 19, 1935. F.A,WH|TELEY DEVICE FOR CONDITIONING AIR Original Filed Sept. 11, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2` Nr.3. o 0

Il... i Ilmla 4 mental Nov. 1s, 193s aArENrioBr-ica 13 Claims.

My invention relates to a method and device for conditioning air in rooms, and has for its object to provide a simple and eillcient device for concealed installation in the wall of a room between the studding, which by means of connections with cooling and heating devices in the basement, may be alternately'operated to furnish Warm moist air to a room in winter during cold weather, and cold dry air in summer or during hot weather.

It is one object of my invention to provide a method of conditioning air in rooms which consists in removing a portion of the wall of the room through at least one face thereof. to form a recessed channel therein extending vertically from a. point at or near the floor to a point at or.

near the ceiling, introducing a casing into said recess vof like vertical extent having openings into the room at the top and bottom thereof, forming an insulating cover to a wall of said casing having its surface in the plane of the wall of the room and decorating the same so as to conceal said casing, causing air to entm' at one opening and move through the casing to discharge through .the other opening, and conditioning the air as it is moved. It is an object of my invention to provide an air conditioning device for the purpose stated having upper and lower openings therein, together with means for alternately circulating air to cause it to enter through the lower opening and discharge from the upper opening, or to enter through the upper opening and discharge through the low opening.

'Ihe full objects and advantages of my invention 1 will appearin connection withthedetailed description thereof, and the novel features oi my Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation view similar to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view online 3-3 ofY Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on line .4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation 1 of the central portion of the air conditioning device adjacent the blower mechanism. Fig. 6 is a similar view taken at the lower end of the air conditioner. Fig. 7 is a side sectional view of a portion of one of the heatexchangers showing the oblique or downward trendof the tubes 'connect` ing the headers.

My invention embodies a casing preferably-of Device Fon coNm'rroNmG am Frank A. Whlteley, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application september 11, 1931, sei-1.1 No. 562,243 Renewed January 4, 1934 secured aplate 2l of some type of insulating ma 10- terial. The box is adapted to be slipped between two studdings 2i and 22 forming a support in the wall and'is secured permanently in place by nails,

screws or other fastening members indicated at 23 which enter the studding members 2l and 22 and l5 which bring the face of the plate 20 even with the face of the plaster 2l, so that Vcanvas and paper indicated at 25 may entirely conceal the joint 26 where the plaster has been cut away.

Within vthe casing above described .are per- 20 manently positioned heat exchangers made according to the process of my co-pending application, Serial Number 545,940 iiled June 22, 1931, embodying

headers

26 and 21 of generally rectangular cross section, iln plates 28 and connect- 25 ing tubes 29, the tubes being fused into the iin plates and integrated to the headers into which they open, in accordance `with the principles of `said process application, excepting that in the present 'invention the tubes 29 do not extend be- 30 tween and at right angles to the headers 2i' and 21, but, rather extend obliquely between said headers so that all of said tubes have a downward slant from'the headers 28' to the headers 21. as clearly shown in Fig. '1. A

One of said heat exchangers is shown in Fig. 2 1 positioned at the upper part of the casing and having an inlet hot water or steam pipe 3l connected with the bottom of header 26 to an outlet steam or hot water pipe 3l connected with the 40 bottom of header 2l, these hot water or steam pipes going to the customary boiler (not shown) in the basement of the building. Immediately below the upper heat exchanger -is a blower chamber 32 `which will be hereinafter described. 45

' And below said blower chamber is a group of dleheader 2'lthrough connection Il totheupper header 21 and from upper header 21 across to the upper header 2B and therethrough opening I6 and discharge pipe 21 back to the compressor in the basement. Steam or hot water pipes 3l and Il and the cool fluid return pipe 21 and water pipe 3l all pass downward through a chamber 29 formedbyapartitionllspacedfromthe end wall I2 of the casing, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4.

The pipe 21 has'a'horizontal'portion 4I overlying the iin plates 2l of the air cooling heat ex. changer. An automatic valve 42 controlled by a solenoid in circuit with the motor of the blowers hereinafter to be described, admits water to pipe 31 and its extension 4I when the blowers are in operation for heating the room. The water is delivered upon the iin plates 2l and ilows down.- wardly along the surfaces of said 1in plates where it is impinged by the upward movement of air andv takes up .suiilcient water eiiectively to humidifythe air of the room and of other rooms of the house.

ordinarily the numidiner wm be used only in connection with the heating means when the blowers are set to move the air upwardly and discharge it fromthe upper opening. In this manner, because of the large amount of wet surface contacted by the moving air, the air will reach the blowers substantially saturated. But it will be the cooler airof the roomandwillhavebeen further cooled by that evaporation to a point well below room temperature, so, as it is immediatelv thereafter heated, it cannot overhumidify the higher temperature air oi' the room, but will ordinarily supply just enough moisture to keep the air at the higher room temperature just sufiiciently and never too greatly, humidifled. 'I'here may be times, however, when, owing to excessive dryness of the air, during severe cold spells, for example, it may be desirable to supply `a greater amount of moisture to the air, and in "such cases the blowers may be reversed, thus the summertime when the cooling heat exchanger is normally in operation, periodically toblow hot airoverthecoolingheatexchangersuriaces to drythemand prevent formation of slimes crothe'r growths which mightte'ndtoclogthese andtokeepthe clean' 2 The air moving arrangement comprises a motor Il and centrifugal blowers M, 4l at the sides of said motor, in the blower chamber 32. As best shownin Figs. 4 and 5, this blower-arrangement is mounted within a rotatable drum havingfront and rear walls and I'I and a trans-'- verse partition 48, all being secured upon a centra] shaft It held in the journal il at the side of the casingand adaptedtoberotatedbyahandle 5I. The dischargeoftheblowersnandil extends though'the transverse partition Il, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of my device will be readily undexstood from the f description. When in the position shown in Fig. 2, the blowers will drawairthrough lowerregister Il andthecasing below,whichwill passthroughtheilnsof the cooling heat exchangers takingupmoisture from the wateriilms thereon and be driven through the iins 2|.ot the heating heat exchanger and dischargetheairwarmlndmoistthroughthe upperregister Il. Whenitisdesiredtousethe device for cooling, the air-moving means is rotated 180, when air will be drawn in through the register Il, pass downwardly through the cooling heat exchangers and discharge into the room through the lower register il, being cooled on the s way.. The water which is condensed from this air on the cold fin plates 28 will gravitate to the bottom and discharge from thesystem through the pipe I2, and any excess water used4 in humidifying will iind exit by the same means.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. 'I'he device is easily installed in houses wherein steam or hot water heating appliances are available and already in use. When the same has been installed, l5 it will be entirely invisible, except at the register openings at top and bottom. It will operate to deliver warm moist air in winter or cold weather, at the top, taking into the system the cold air at theV bottom, and in summer or in hot weather, 0 it will operate to deliver cold dry air at the bottom and take in the hot humid air at the top.

It is cheap to construct, and hence within the means of the ordinary householder.

One advantage of the use of this construction 2li is that in dwelling houses an air conditioner may be placed in each of several rooms, as a living room and a bed room, and be connected to compressor mechanism in the basement by separate leads so that a compressor need be employed only 30 large enough to operate one heat exchanger but may be connected alternatively to either the living room heat exchanger or the bedroom heat exchanger to cool the one in the day-time and the other at night. A further advantage of the air conditioner resides in its use in conditioning the air in oiilces of large oilice buildings or in the rooms of apartments in apartment buildings. Separate air conditioners embodying the principles of my invention may be applied to each 40 oiilce or each group of oiiices, or each room or apartment, and the heating unit supplied with steam from the usual central system and the cooling unit supplied with heat-transferring compressed gases from a large central compressor unit in a manner similar to the distributing and heating medium from a large central heating unit.

I claim:

' l. An `air conditioner comprising a casing adapted to be positioned inthe wall of a room between studding and having top and bottom openings, means in said casing for heating air, means in said'casing for cooling air, and means in the casing for moving air adjustably to cause the air to enter the casing at the bottom and discharge from the top when the heating means is in operation, and to enter the casing at the top and discharge from the bottom when the cooling means is in operation.

2. An air conditioner comprising a casing having upper and lower openings, means at the top of the casing for heating air, means at the bottom of the casing for cooling air, a blower between said means, and means for positioning the blower to discharge air upwardly through said heating means and out of the upper opening or downwardly through said cooling means and out of the lower openings.

3. An air conditioner comprising a casing adapted to be positioned in the wall of the room between studding and having top and bottom openings, means in said casing for heating air, means in said casing for cooling air, and means in the casing for moving air through'said cooling means and said heating means, and means associated with the cooling means for humidiiying the air as it is moved therethrough when the heating means is operative to heat the air.

4. Anr air conditioner comprising an elongated vertical casing having openings close to the i'ioor and to the ceiling respectively of a room, two sets oi heat exchangers therein, means to cause one of said sets to give oil heat, means to cause the other set to absorb heat, and means in the casing to move air in opposite directions in said casing for respective delivery through one of said openings of heated air or of cooled air.

5. An air conditioner comprising an elongated casing, two sets oi heat exchangers therein, each embodying a multiplicity oi.' vertical iln plates, means to cause vone of said sets to give oi! heat, means to cause the other set to absorb heat, and means to wet the surfaces of the cooling iins when the heating fins are in operation.

6. An air conditioner comprising a casing having contiguous spaced parallel vertical walls, a rotatable table therein between said walls, a blower` mounted on said table for moving air l through the casing, means to rotate the table arid means in the casing for conditioning the air moved by the blower.

8. An air conditioner, comprising a casing forming a vertical elongated duct adapted to be positioned in the wall of a room between studding and having top and bottom openings near the ceiling and iloor, respectively, means in said casing for heating air, means. in said casing for cooling air, and a blower in said casing adjustable to cause the air to move through the casing and enter and discharge from the openings in one direction when the heating means is in operation and to move through the casing and enter and discharge from the openings in an opposite direction when the cooling means is in operation.

9. An air conditioner, comprising an elongated casing having top and bottom openings, a heating heat exchanger and a cooling heat exchanger in said casing, means to cause water. to flow down 5 over the exposed surfaces of the cooling heat exchanger to make it serve as a humidifier when the heating heat exchanger is operative, and means located above the cooling heat exchanger to move tlsle air.

l0. An air conditioner, comprising a casing having openings at the ends, cooling and heating heat exchangers in said casing, means to cause water to ilow overfthe exposedsurfaces oi the cooling heat exchanger to make it serve as a humidiier when the heating heat exchanger is operative, and means between the heat exchangers to move the air.

11. An air conditioner, comprising an elon- 'gated casing having openings at or near its ends, go

a heating heat exchanger located towards one end thereof, a cooling heat exchanger located towards the other end and having a wall thereof spaced from a wall of the casing, and inlet and outlet pipes for the heating heat exchanger entering the casing at said last-named end and extending along in thevspace between said walls.

12. An air conditioner comprising an elongated casing, means in the casing for heating air, a multiplicity of spaced plates forming a corresponding number ofparallel passageways extending within the casing, means to move the air to be subject to said heating means and to pass through said passageways, and means to wet the surfaces oi said plates while said air is 85 moved.

13. An air-conditioner comprising a casing forming a vertical elongated duct having upper and lower openings, a blower mounted .wholly within the casing having an air outlet extending longitudinally of said duct to move the air therethrough, means to shift the position of the blower to direct movement of the air either up or down in said casing to discharge either through the upper or lower openings thereinto, and means in the casing for conditioning the air as it is moved.

FRANK A. WHITELEY.