US2211335A

US2211335A - lindemann

Info

Publication number: US2211335A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1940-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1957-08-13

Description

Aug. 13, 1940. H. E. LINDEMANN AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 50, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

ENTOR. ITZEITU.

I 1 H 1,5 1 5% I; I J Iv g t WW 4 E .4 z

Hm Elincf BY W 67 z ATTORNEY.

13, 1940- H. E. LINDEMANN 2,211,335

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIEHIIIIEI 4 1 I I I 4 9 4 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIII 1 v INVENTOR. 4/ 4 Herbsrl ELmd'Emann BY I ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 13, 1940 ENT QFFICE AIR CUNDITEGNING APPARATUS Herbert E. Lindemann, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Perfex Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 30, 1937, Serial No. 161,585

l Claims.

This invention relates generally to air conditioning apparatus but more particularly to a unit type air heating and cooling apparatus and the principal object of this invention is to pro- 5 vide an improved apparatus of the foregoing type which is simple and durable in construction, easy to assemble and install, and extremely efficient in operation.

A further object is to provide an improved unit conditioning apparatus in which all unsightly pipe fittings, valves, traps, and other elements are concealed from View behind the unit, thereby enhancing its appearance.

A Another object is to provide an improved unit '15 structure in which the various parts of the core thereof may expand or contract, in accordance with varying temperature changes, independent of each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a core construction for an air conditioning unit in which no soldered, welded or brazed joints are utilized in assembling the various elements thereof.

An additional object is to provide an improved .25 core construction for a unit apparatus in which the tubes thereof are arranged to provide two passages of the heating or cooling medium directly in the path of the air stream, resulting in increased efiiciency, and in which the tubes are 3 arranged so as to provide adequate drainage.

A further object is to provide an improved housing or casing for an air conditioning unit together with a support for the same in which all strains and stresses are removed from the 35 pipes and fittings and from the core elements, thereby greatly eliminating the possibility of leakage.

A particular feature is concerned with an improved header construction for the core of a 40 conditioning unit in which the supply and return headers are formed integrally whereby the use of seams is eliminated and the number of joints reduced.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain 45 novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of the parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is il- 50 lustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example in the form of an air conditioning apparatus generally known as a unit heater, although the advantages and features thereof are 55 equally applicable to other types of air conditioning apparatus such as unit coolers, humidifiers, dryers, etc.

Referring particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows in perspective and on a reduced scale the general outward appearance of a preferred form of air conditioning apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a top View of the apparatus in section, drawn on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a rear view along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 with certain parts in section;

Fig. 4 is an end view along the lines 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the header and a portion of the tube arrangement;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation showing the header construction;

Fig. 7 is a top View of the header and a portion of the core in cross-section;

Fig. 8 is an end view of one of the elements of the core; while Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view of the louver support.

The outer housing or casing for the air conditioning apparatus consists primarily of a sheet metal channel shaped top plate I, and a bottom plate 2, together with dished out cast metal side or

end plates

3 and 4. The

side plates

3 and 4 are formed with outwardly extending flanged portions around their edges and are provided at their top ends with a pair of integral cast lugs or projections 5 and a similar pair of lugs 6 at their bottom ends. In order to attach the top and bottom cover plates to the side plates the front and rear edges of these plates are provided with return bent portions which engage the lugs 5 and 6 and are fastened thereto by the screws 1 which thread into the lugs. The top edges and the front edge of the side plates are provided with a small flange or lip portion 8 which engages the edges of the top and bottom cover plates in order to more securely bind the plates together and render a more pleasing appearance to the complete housing.

Suitably arranged vertically within the housing is a dual passage cast metal header 9 and a radiator core indicated generally at H. The top of the radiator core H is provided with a sheet metal fin guard l2 which is channel shaped to engage the front and rear sides of the core ii. A similar fin guard i3 is arranged on the bottom of core H and is secured to the bottom of the header 9 by bolts M. The end of the radiator core ll opposite from the header 9 is provided with a channel shaped tube spacer IS, the top and bottom ends of which are suitably attached as by welding to the ends of the fin guards I 2 and I3. In order to properly position the radiator core within the housing, the

side plates

3 and 4 are provided with spacing lugs I6 at their top and bottom ends which engage the top and bottom corners of the core and hold it in its proper set position. From the foregoing it will be seen that the fin guards I2 and I3 together with the tube spacer I and header 9 form a unitary inner housing or supporting structure for the core II which enables the core to be readily removed or replaced and which considerably facilitates the assembly of the apparatus in the housing.

It is customary to support the unit air conditioning apparatus in a position where it will not interfere with the occupants of a room or occupy needed space and for this reason the unit may be conveniently supported from a ceiling or at the top of a wall for example. For supporting the unit there is arranged within the casing a relatively heavy metal supporting bracket I'I, one end of which is secured to the top end of the header 9 by a bolt I8, while the other end is attached to the top fin guard I2 by a bolt and nut I9, so that the core is supported at points which lie in a plane passing through its center of gravity and parallel to the core without straining the same. Other bolts and nuts 2I and 22 clamp the supporting bracket I'I directly on to the top cover plate I and for supporting the complete unit suitable hanger brackets 23 and 24 thread on to the bolts 2I and 22. The hangers provide convenient means for attachment of the unit to metal supporting straps or a supporting pipe may be threaded into them if desired. The bolts 2I and 22 are arranged in such a manner that the complete air conditioning unit is supported at points which lie in a plane passing through its approximate center of gravity and parallel thereto so that its weight is evenly distributed on each Side of the hangers 23 and 24. With the foregoing supporting arrangement it will be seen that the core II is supported from bolts 2| and 22 through bracket I'I independent of the housing thereby eliminating all stresses or strains to which it might be subjected to. Similarly the housing by its independent support from the core structure will not be distorted or strained due to the weight of the core. In addition the possibility of the connecting or supply pipes of the unit producing leakage due to the weight of the unit, is entirely eliminated.

In order to force the air to be conditioned through the core II, a fan 25 is provided at the rear end of the unit with a motor 26 to drive it at any desired speed. For supporting the fan motor 26 a number of bolts 2! are arranged upon a supporting plate 28 which in turn is suitably secured as by welding to supporting brackets 29 and 3I and

braces

32 and 33, all integrally welded together. A pair of bolts 34 securely hold the ends of supporting bracket 29 to the edges of

side plates

3 and 4 while a further bolt secures the brace 32 to the top cover plate I. In order to confine the air stream propelled by the fan 25 within the area of the radiator core II, a suitable rectangular fan shroud 35 is provided which has a circular opening in which the fan blades revolve. It is held in position behind the core I I by several screws 36 at the top and bottom of the shroud which thread into the fin guards I2 and I3.

The front of the air conditioning unit is provided with the customary adjustable louvers 31 which direct the conditioned air in any desired direction. The louvers are supported in

angle brackets

38 and 39 which are in turn supported by screws 4I threading into the flanged ends of

side plates

3 and 4. The

louver supporting brackets

38 and 39 are likewise arranged to serve as core spacers and together with the lugs I6 hold the radiator core in its proper position within the housing by engaging the fin guards I2 and I3. The louvers 31 are supported from the

angle brackets

38 and 39 by means of shoulder screws 42 which engage openings in turned down ends of the louvers. The

angle brackets

38 and 39 are provided with threaded lugs 43 into which the shoulder screws 42 are fastened, and in order to arrange it so that the louvers can be adjusted to any desired angle and remain in their adjusted position, a spring washer 44 is positioned between the lug 43 and the turned down end of the louver. The spring washer together with the somewhat resilient end of the louver presents sufficient frictional engagement for the elements to hold the louver in its set position.

It has been customary in the past to provide radiator cores with separate supply and return headers with the connecting tubes arranged between them so that one end of the tubes connected with one header and the other end with the other header. This arrangement presented numerous difliculties and was somewhat impractical due to the fact that during the use of the unit the tubes were subjected to considerable expansion and contractional strains and stresses which resulted in leakage and breakage of the tubes, usually at their connecting point with the headers. In the arrangement according to this invention this diificulty has been overcome by providing a header in which the supply and return header portions are formed or cast into a single unitary structure. The connecting tubes are preferably U-shaped and their ends connected to the single header thereby permitting variations in contraction and expansion of the tubes to take place at their other end. For the purposes of illustrating a particular use for the air conditioning unit incorporating the invention it will be assumed that it is connected to a source of steam supply and thereby serves as a unit heater to heat a space in which it is located. It will be understood however, that any other medium such as cold water or a refrigerant may be passed through the unit and therefor serve to cool the space, or in another of its applications hot water instead of steam may serve as the heating medium. As illustrated clearly in Figs. 6 and 7 the header 9 is provided with a supply header chamber 45 which comprises the steam passage and a return header chamber 46 which comprises the condensate passage and which is separated from the supply passage 45 by a par tition 41, there being no connection for the heating medium between the passages except through the connecting tubes. The supply passage 45 is formed somewhat larger than the return passage 46 due to the fact that the steam passing through the passage 45 will be in a somewhat expanded state while that through the return passage 46 may comprise a somewhat cooler medium or condensate. At the top of the header 9 an inlet port 48 is formed integral therewith, while at the bottom of the header a similar outlet port 49 is provided. The inlet port it will be noted, is of a somewhat larger diameter than the outlet port 49 consistent with the size of the associated chambers. Suitable supply and return piping connections may be threaded into these

ports

48 and 49 and it will be observed that these connections as well as any additional necessary valves, fittings, or traps are all arranged at the rear side of the air conditioning unit where they are concealed from view and where the connections may be conveniently made without disturbing other elements of the unit. This arrangement-greatly enhances the general appearance of the unit and renders it suitable for use in somewhat refined locations.

The he der 9 is provided along one side of the return h ader passage 46 with a plurality of integral bosses 5! while the supply passage is similarly provided along its side with bosses 52. The bosses 5i and 52 serve as a means for connecting the ends of a series of transversely extending U-tubes 53 to the header 9. Each of the U-tubes 53 is arranged with one leg 5 1 which is attached to the supply header passage 45 while the other leg is attached to the return passage 45 so that two passages for the heating medium flowing through the tubes are arranged directly in the path of the air stream, resulting in increased efiiciency of the unit due to the fact that both the supply and return legs of each tube are rendered effective.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the leg 54 is gradually inclined from a horizontal position at the boss 52 to one end where a U-shaped bend 55 is made in each tube which is also inclined downward as shown clearly in Fig. 4, while the other leg 55 extends further downward from the U-bend 56 to the connecting boss 5|. The series of bosses 5i and 52 as seen in Fig. 5 are therefore staggered along the header 9 in alternate series. By arranging the tubes 53 in this manner the expanded steam passes from the passage 15 through the U-tube leg '54 to its end 56 and leg 55, and during this passage has considerable heat extracted from it so that by the time it reaches the end of the return leg 55 the steam is more or less reduced to a condensate. By arranging each leg of the tube at the angle shown, a positive and complete drainage of the condensation from each tube is provided thereby greatly increasing the heating eificiency and doing away with the possibility of noisy and destructive water hammer on account of accumulated condensation.

In order to securely connect the end of the U-tubes 53 to the header 9 a compression fitting 5'! surrounds the end of each tube leg as shown in Fig. '7. The end of the tube is rolled over as indicated at 58 and rests in a seat formed in the bosses 5| and 52 so that by tightly turning in the compression fitting 51 the rolled portion 58 of the tube is closely fitted into the seat so that all possibility of leakage at the connection is eliminated. In addition, by the use of the compression fittings 51 each individual tube 53 may be removed or replaced withut disturbing the other tubes so that repairs can be conveniently made. Furthermore, it is seen that the use of solder, welded or brazed joints between the tubes and header is entirely obviated so that this customary source of leakage is not present in this structure. The use of a single header likewise reduces the number of seams or joints which are customarily utilized. The return header passage 46 is provid ed with an orifice 59 at the point where each of the return legs connect with the header. These orifices it will be noted are of approximately the same size as the inside diameter of the tube legs 55. The supply passage 45 is similarly provided with orifices 6| where each of the legs 54 of the tubes extends into the passage. These openings however, are of a somewhat smaller diameter than the openings 59 in the tubes in order that the steam supply may be evenly distributed from the supply passage 45 in equal amounts to each of the plurality of tubes forming the radiator core, while the orifices 59 are of sufficient larger diameter to adequately carry on the condensation to the return passage 46.

In order to dissipate and carry the effect of the heating medium from the tubes a series of fins 62 are arranged along both legs of the tubes. The fins and tubes may be arranged within the air stream generated by the fan 25 in such a inamier that the row of fins on the leg 55 for example, are staggered with respect to the row of fins on the leg 55 so that the air stream has complete and full effective distribution over all of the area of each fin. As shown in Fig. '7 the fins are mechanically bonded to the tubes in any well known manner, as by having a shoulder portion 63 expanded upon the tubes and as shown in Fig. 8 their surfaces are embossed for added mechanical strength in such a manner so as not to produce unnecessary air turbulence. The vertical position of the fins on the tubes precludes the possibility of dust and dirt settling upon them and where the unit is used as a cooling device any accumulated moisture on the fins is readily drained off and not blown into the room. By this provision the efiiciency of the unit is not reduced.

In order to permit a free longitudinal expansion and contraction of the tube 53 the channel shaped tube spacer I5 is provided with a series of tongues M which engage the top and bottom sides of the U-bent portion 56 of each tube, thereby providing a sliding surface for each tube to permit its expansion and contraction and which at the same time holds the tubes in definite alignment and a definite pitch or angle. In order to further maintain the ends of the tubes in definite aligned relationship, a pair of

parallel angle brackets

55 and 66 are arranged perpendicular to the tubes and suitably attached to the channel plate I5 as by spot welding. In the foregoing manner each of the tubes 53 is free to expand and contract longitudinally at one end while being constrained at the header end. In addition some slight movement may take place at right angles to the axis of the tubes but they are free to expand in this direction without restraint. It should be noted that the sides of the tube spacer l5 encompass the tube bends 55 and thereby protect them from injury at all times.

In the foregoing description and the appended claims it is intended that the expression center of gravity with reference to the unit and radiator core support, shall be construed to mean that these elements are supported at their approximate center of gravity.

While only a single preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described by way of example, it is readily apparent that various modifications of the elements thereof may be devised by those skilled in the art and it is therefor desired that the invention be not limited to the exact disclosure but only to the extent of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a unit type air conditioning apparatus, 2. 1101151113 comprising top and bottom plates together with side plates connecting the ends of the top and bottom plates, the front and rear of the housing being open, means for securing all of said plates together, said securing means comprising pairs of lugs extending transversely from the top and bottom of each side plate, return bend portions formed along the front and rear edges of the top and bottom plates, said return bend portions engaging said lugs so that the lugs lie inside the return bends and within the housing, and means inside the housing for securing the return bend portions to each of the lugs, radiator core supporting means arranged within the housing independent of the plates, and radiator spacing lugs arranged within the housing at the top and bottom ends of each side plate.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a radiator housing comprising top and bottom plates and side plates connecting the ends of the top and bottom plates, said housing being open at the front and rear thereof, a projecting lug extending transversely from the inside top and bottom corners of each side plate within the housing, return bent portions formed along the front and rear edges of the top and bottom plates and defining the top and bottom edges of the front and rear openings of the housing, each end of a return bent portion engaging one of the projecting lugs and fastened thereto on the inside of the housing, radiator core spacing lugs extending centrally from the top and bottom ends of each side plate within the housing, a flange portion formed around the edges of each side plate and defining the side edges of the front and rear openings, the top and bottom flange portions of the side plates engaging and overlapping the ends of the top and bottom plates, and louver supporting means arranged on each flange portion adjacent the front housing opening.

3. In a unit type air conditioning apparatus, a housing comprising top and bottom plates together with side plates connecting the ends of the top and bottom plates, the front and rear of the housing being open, means for securing all of said plates together, said securing means comprising pairs of lugs extending transversely from the top and bottom of each side plate, return bend portions formed along the front and rear edges of the top and bottom plates, said return bend portions engaging said lugs so that the lugs lie inside the return bends and within the housing, and means inside the housing for securing the return bend portions to each of the lugs.

4. In a unit type air conditioning apparatus; an outer housing comprising top and bottom plates having return bent portions formed along the front and rear edges thereof together with substantially channel-shaped side plates having internal projections cooperating with and extending within said return bent portions, internal means for securing said return bent portions to said projections whereby all of said plates are rigidly held together; a core unit within the housing; an elongated supporting bracket concealed inside the top plate of the outer housing having ofiset end portions attached to each end of the core unit for supporting and positioning the same from the outer housing, means for securing the bracket to the top plate of the outer housing whereby the weight of the housing and core unit is independently supported from the concealed supporting bracket; lugs inside of the outer housing side plate engaged by the core unit to position and space said unit from the back of the outer housing, and a pair of vertical right angle louvre supporting brackets removably attached to the inside edges of the outer housing side plates and acting against said core unit to hold the same against said positioning lugs.

HERBERT E. LINDEL/IANN.