US2198822A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 3o, 1940. A M, R, KARGE y 2,198,822

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:n lli o INVENTOR MAXWELL R.- KARGE N I- ATTORNEY April 3o, 1940.

M. R. KARGE 2,198,822 AIR CONDITIONING APPRATUS 4Filed sept. v, 1959 s sheets-sheet 2 INVEN-roR MAXWELL R. KARGE BY Y ATTORNE;

April 30, 1940. I M R KARGE 2.198.822 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Sept. v, 1939 `s sheets-sheet s sa u lNVENTC-)R MAXWELL R. KARQE A ATTORN EY Patented 'Api'. 30, 1940 l UNITED STATES PATENT ol-Flc 3Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus that melts ice for the purpose of air conditioning or cooling and drying the atmosphere of a room.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which comprises an ice chest that can be placed in the most convenient or any outof-the-way place, which ice chest is connected to the air conditioning apparatus which is placed where it is most effective in cooling the air of a room.

Another object of the invention is to use ordinary ice in cakes or in scraps, which ice is melted for the purpose of cooling water, which water is then circulated to and through an air conditioning device by which the air of a room is cooled and the moisture of it is dried out, and the water with its temperature raid is returned to the ice chest where its temperature is reduced N again.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary tank into which the surplus waste water is drained, and inwhich it is held temporarily, and from which at intervals it is discharged Il into any suitable drain.

Another object of the invention is to use the 'accumulated waste water to precool the air that goes through the air conditioning apparatus before it gets to the coil that contains the coldest l0 water that is cooled directly by the ice, after which the waste water is discharged into the sewer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus having two sets of 35 coils therein, one set of coils of which is cooled by the waste water and from which the water is discharged into the sewer, and the other coil is cooled by the water that :ilows from the melting ice, which water is then returned to the ice chest; 40 Another object ofthe invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus having two sets of coils therein, one set of coils of whichv is cooled by the waste water and from which the water is discharged into the sewer, and the other coil is 43 cooled by the water that ilows from the melting ice, which coils are supplemented by a tank which holds a certain amount oi' accumulated waste water, in which tank is submerged a third coil through which the returned water is passed 50 and from which it is discharged into the ice chest. 'I'hese and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in the drawings. described in the specication, and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof. li In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through one form of the apparatus, showing the ice chest, the ian forcirculatlug the air, and the two coils in the fan housing for cooling the air, andan auxiliary waste water tank and a third 5 coil therein for precooling the water that is returned to the ice chest.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the fan and housing therefor, showing the lattice front partly broken away.

vFigure 3 is a vertical cross section through the waste water tank, the section being taken on the line 3cr-3a: of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an assembly view of three of the units placed side by side, with the ian of each unit blowing theair through one common duct, the fans and air cooling coils of the three units being placed in series so that the same air passes through all three cooling units and is driven by` all threeY fans. a

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the water circulating system showing two of the air conditioning and fan units arranged in parallel.

Figure 6 is a detail view of a large icoupling used to connect the Ydischarge end of the fan unit with a window lof a house, or a bus, or a railroad car, et cetera, so that the cooled air is discharged where it is wanted.

Figureisadetail viewofafanunitanda large pipe connected thereto, by which the cooled 30 air can be conveyed to and discharged into any particular place it is desired to have it.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the fan unit with its discharge opening placed against an opening through the wall so that` the complete unit can be placed in one room for the purpose of discharging cool air into an adjoining room.

Figure 9 is an assembly View of the ice chest and the circulating apparatus in one unit, and the coils and fan for air conditioning in another unit, with a flexible tube for containing the iiexible water circulating tubes and the electric wires for connecting the two units together, with the units placed at any desired distance from each other. l Y

, Figure 10 is a top plan view of the ice chest and the housing for the circulating apparatus shown in the lower part of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a small portion of a vertical longi tudinal section on a reduced scale of a compact 5g form of the apparatus, showing an auxiliary waste water tank in which are located two rotary pumps which are operated by two motors in a compartment directly above the water tank. 'I'he motors are attached directly to fans which ciran ice chest having a door2 thereon which swings on hinges 3. The walls of this ice chest are in` sulated so that the ice will be protected as much as possible from being melted by the surrounding air, and will be melted only in the way that the apparatus is designed to melt it, as hereinafter described.

This chest is lled with large blocks of ice which are indicated by the reference numerals`4, 5, 6, "I, and 8. These blocks ordinarily would each weigh one or two hundred pounds -or more. This ice chest has an inclined bottom 9 on which the blocks of ice are piled, which bottom drains to the left as shown in Figure 1. Under this bottom is a tank I0 in which the water derived from the melting ice can accumulate. From this tank is a drain I I through which the surplus water passes into an auxiliary tank I2. In this tank is a coil of pipe I3. This coil of pipe is fed from a pipe I4, which is the return pipe from the air conditioning apparatus. The water after it is circulated through this coil I3 passes out through the pipe l5 into a long pipe I6. 'This pipe has perforations therein, through which the water is sprayed onto the cake of ice at the bottom of the ice chest, which water melts the ice Aand is cooled thereby. 'I'he water cooled to the lowest possible temperature accumulates in the tank III. Thisl Water has a. temperature very nearly as low :as the temperature of the melting ice. The cold water is drawn out of the tank I0 through an inverted siphon I1 4shown in Figure 5 through a valve I8 by a rotary pump I9,I which pump is driven by an electric motor.

This pump forces theF water up through 4the pipe 20 into the coil 2|, which is contained in the housing 22 of the fan and air conditioning unit.

AThe waterA passes up through this coil to the top, and from the top is drawn out and passes down through the pipe I4 into the coil I3 submerged in the auxiliary tank I2, where the water is precooled by the waste water, and from this coil it again passes tl'nough the pipe I5 to the spray nozzle I6, and is circulated in this way through the apparatus indelinitely.

The excess Water as it rises in the tank I0 is drawn off through the drain II into the auxiliary tank I2. When the water rises to a certain level in the tank I2 it raises a oat 23 which closes a switch and starts'the motor 24 to operating, which drives a rotary pump 25 through a belt 26. This rotary pump 25 draws off the excess water from the tank I2 and discharges it through the outlet pipe 21 into an auxiliary coil 28 carried in the back of the housing 22, through which air passes on its way to the fan and by which the air is precooled before it gets to the coil 2| which contains the coldest water drawn from the tank I0. p

It will be understood that the tank I0 contains the coldest water; that is, water having a temperature nearly the temperature of melting ice, and the tank I2 contains water having a4 temperature several degrees higher than this. In this way the cooling eiect of the waste Water is utilized to the utmost before the water passes from the drain pipe 29 into the sewer.

When the-level of Athe water in the tank I2` drops, the iloat 23 drops and opens the circuit `much faster.

causing the electric motor 24 to become idle. In this way the surplus water is lremoved from the tank I 2 intermittently only as it is needed to prevent an overow from that tank. The water from the tank I2 flows through the coil 28 when the 5 pump 25 operates, and when the pump stops the water stands still in the coil 28.

The rotary pump I8 is driven by a pulley 30, which in turn is driven by a belt 3| from a pulley 32`driven by a motor 33, which operates continuously as long as the manually operated switch remains closed. It will also be understood that instead of a manually operated switch this motor may be controlled by a switch that is operatedv by a thermostat 34 which opens the switch as soon as the temperature of the room that is being air conditioned is reduced to the proper point.

It will also be understood that the bottom 0I.' the housing 22 that is under the coils 2| and 28 is Water tight. This bottom catches the drip from the coils, which drip is the water of condensation that is condensed from the moist air by the cooling coils 2lA and 28 of this apparatus. This water of condensation can be drained directly into either thetank I2 or the tank I0.

In the fan unit is placed an electric motor 48 which drives a belt 4I,which'in turn drives a shaft 42 on which is carried the fan 43. This fan" draws the air horizontally in the direction of the arrow shown immediately back of the fan and the air is drawn through the top and sides of the housing of the fan unit, through the coils 2| and '28,` as indicated by the arrow at the top of the unit. At the front the `fan is covered by a grille 44, through which the air 'is blown. The motor 40 is controlled by a switch which can be manually operated or operated by a thermostat, for which purpose the thermostatshown at 34 can be used.

In Figure 4 I have shown three of these units assembled side by side. Each of these units comprises an ice chest which is filled through a separate door, it being understood that each chest has its own door; and when the units are assembled in this way, the fan units will be arranged in series so that theair that is circulated will pass through all three fans and through all three sets of cooling coils. Because the three fans are in series they will cause the air to move that It will be understood that this apparatus will ordinarily be made in units such as can easily go through an` ordinary doorway. One of these units might be suillcient to air condition a room of ordinarysize, but to air condition a room of double that size two units would be needed. To air condition a room larger, three or more units would be needed, and by this arrangement any desirednumber of units can be placed wherever they are desired and can be coupled together 01350 joint action.

In 'Figure 5 I have shown the water tanks I0 and I 2 such as are shown in Figure 1. 'I'he pumpv I9 discharges the cold water from the tank I0 through the pipe 20, which in turn discharges1 the 05 water into the coils 2I of two fan units placed in parallely relation to each other. These fan units discharge the water that is warmed by the conditioning of the air into the return pipe I4 by which it is returned to the auxiliary coil I3 and 70 from there passes into the pipe I5 to the spray nozzle I6. Y

A In Figure 6 I have shown the fan and the housing 22 of the fan unit partly broken away. To this housing is connected the large bellows tube 7l arrangement l5 with a suitable tip therefor which can be placed against a window opening through which the air can be discharged into a room,v or

into a bus, or a railroad car, et cetera, so that cold air can be blown into the room, or into the bus, or railroad car before it starts lon the trip.

In Figure 7 I have shown a large discharge tube I6 connected to the housing 22 ofthe fan by a suitable coupling, through which the cold air can be conveyed to a distant pointA and discharged into a room, et cetera.`

IIn Figure 8 I have shown the housing 22 of the fan connected to an opening 41, which opening can be provided in a partition, so that the air can be cooled in one room and discharged through a partition into an adjoining room.

It will also be seen that the units shown in Figures 1 and 4 are mounted on casters 48 so that the units can be easily moved around. They can be installed temporarily during the hot season and removed when they are n'o longer needed.

This also facilitates placing the units where theycan be used most eiectively. Y

In Figures 9 and 10 I have shown an ice chest with a circulating apparatus such as is shown in Figures 1 and 4, except that the door 50 is placed on top of the unit, so that the ice chest can be lled from above. 'I'his type of ice chest is desirable because it can be iilled with snow ice, or small pieces of ice, which is waste ice and frequently can be' had much cheaper than ice in large blocks. In this unit I have shownthe electric wires that control the fan unitland the water tubes that connect the two coils of the air conditioning unit with the tanks I0 and I2 of the ice chest all brought together and enclosed in a large `flexible tube 5I. This tube 5I and the tube and wires contained therein can be of any length so that the ice chest can be put at one place and the fan unit can be placed where it will be most effective at any point remote from the ice chest.

It will also be understood that the tubes Il, I5,v

20, 29, et cetera, can all be rubber tubes, or ordinary hose, or metal tubing. The exlble tubing would be most desirable in `many cases because it adds to the flexibility and ease of the installation. v

It will also be understood that in the ice chest shown in Figures 9 and 10 the auxiliary tank .I2 and coil I3 will be omitted, and the water will be returned from the coil 2| to the ice chest, and the water will be fed into the coil 28 only'a's it rises above a certain height in the tank I0, and will be discharged from the coil 28 directly into the sewer. To regulate the speed at which the water ows through the coil 28, `a valve 52 is provided which checks or throttles the discharge of water so that the water will be discharged only when it has risen to nearly the temperature of the room being air conditioned. This makes it possible to melt the ice with the utmost eiiiciency in Aconditioning the air.

It will also be understoodthat in the apparatus shown in Figure 1 the auxiliary tank I2 may be dispensed with and the waste water may be pumped directly from the tank I0 intermittently through the coil 28, the water passing Ifrom there into the drain. In such case the drain Il would be closed up.

In Figure 11, I have shown a more compact form of my invention. A small insulated tank I2 is attached to the large insulated tank I 0. A drain II connects the two tanks so that the Surplus water accumulating in the tank I Il will flow into the tank I 2. The coldest water is drawn from the tank In through the pipe I1 by the rotary pump I9 which forces this cold water upwards through the pipe 2n through the radiator I coils 2| through the pipe I4 which carries the water to-the pipe I6 which sprays this water against the ice which rests on the inclined bottom 9 from which it ows by gravity into the tank I0. This procedure is repeated over and over again by the pump I9 which runs` continuously or at intervals, which action may be controlled either manually by a switch or automatically by a thermostat.

The surplus water, which results from the melting ice, ows into the tank I2 and is drawn out of the tank I2 by. the pump 25 when the level of the water rises and immerses the pipe Aat the bottom of the pump 25. This water is then forced upwards through the pipe 21 through the radiator coils 28 and out of the tube 29 to the sewer.

This pump 25 operates continuously.

`As shown in Figure 11 the tank I2 contains the two pumps4 I9 and 25 and the four tubes I1, 20, Il and 21. The inside of this tank is made air tight so that the temperature will remain as' cold as possible. In a compartment directly above thisv'is located the motor I9a which directly drives the fau 43a. The motor I9a also drives the pump I9 directly by a shaft which 90 extends through the radiator 2| and through the top insulation of the water tank l2. In this same compartment is located also the motor 25a which directly drives the pump 25 and the fan 43h. 'I'he motor shaft in this case also extends y through the radiator 28 and through theV top insulation of the water tank I2. At the top of each vfan is located a grille through which passes the cold air from the fans and the coils.

I claim: 1. In an airconditioning-apparatus, the combination of a chest adapted to hold ice, a spray pipe at the bottom of the chest adapted to spray water on the ice, a tank below the ice chest into which the water of the spray and of the melting ice drains, an air conditioning coil comprising pipe, means for circulating air through the coil on the ou'tside of the pipe, means for taking water from the tank below the ice chest and circulating it through the inside of the pipe of I0 the coil, an auxiliary tank, a drain connecting the two tanks through which the surplus water of the first tank passes into the second tank, a coil submerged in the auxiliary tank, means for returning the water from the .iirst named coil and passing it through the second coil to the spray pipe.

2. In an air conditioning apparatus, the combination of a chest adapted to hold ice, a spray pipe at the bottom of the chest adapted to spray 00 water on the ice, a tank below the ice chest into which the water of the spray and of the melting ice drains, an air conditioning coil comprising pipe, means for circulating air through the coil on the outside of the pipe, means for taking wa#- ter from the tank below the ice chest and circulating it through the inside of 'the pipe of the coil, an auxiliary tank, a drain connecting the two tanks through which the surplus water o! the rst tank passes into the second tank, a coil submerged in the auxiliary tank. means for returning the water from the rst named coil and passing Vit through the second coil tothe spray pipe, a second air conditioning coil of pipe adjacent to the first named air conditioning coil. 7l

a secondcoil of pipe submerged in the auxiliary tank, means for taking water from theauxiliary tank and passing it through the second named submerged coil and through the second named 6 air conditioning coil and then discharging it into a drain.

3. In an air conditioning apparatus, the oombination of a chest adapted to hold ice, a spray pipe at the bottom of the chest adapted to l0 .spray water von the ice, a tank below the ice chest tinto which the water of the spray and of the melting ice drains, an air conditioning coil comprising pipe through which cold water circulates, an electric motor and fan for circulating air through the coil on the outside of the pipe, a

tube for taking water from the tank below the y t amaca:

ice chest vand Adelivering it to the pipe of the coil, anauxiliary tank; a drain connecting the two tanks through which the surplus water of the first tankpasses into the second tank, a coil submerged in the auxiliary tank, a tube for returning the water from'the air conditioning coil and passing it through the second coil to the spray pipe, -a Apump for circulating .the water through the two coils, wires connecting the fan` single unit.`

' MAXWELL R. KARGE.

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