US2273587A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1942. J. E. MYERS AIR CONDITIONER Filed Oct. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTO Feb. 17, 1942.l .1. E. MYERS 2,273,587, AR l(.ONDITIONER Filled oct. 26, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Feb. 17, 1942 J amesE. Myers', Milwaukee, Wis., assigner. of one-` half to William F. Simonsen, Milwaukee,.Wis.

Applicationoctoberz, 194.0, seria-1v No.f 362,934.- Y

(el. `sia-109) 5 claims.

My present invention relates in general to: improvements in the art of airconditioning, and relates more specifically to `improvements in the construction and operation of apparatus for humidifying the air in a h ot air heatingsystem or the like.

`A n object of the invention. is to provide an improved air conditioning assemblage which is` simple and compact in construction and highly efficient in use. f

Many devices andsystems for effectingv air conditioning yin houses and other buildings have recently been proposed and used with varying degrees of success, and while some of these systems are quite satisfactory` in operation, they are also relatively complicated and expensive to install and operate. It is frequently desirable with systems of this kind lto be able to embody the same` in heating plants. which have already been installed and in use, and rsuch embodiment.

should be readily possible without `damaging or, rebuilding the existing installations. In many cases, it is also desirable to be able to vary the degree of humidication to, which one room of a house is subjected, independentlyof others, and

this cannot be readily accomplished with systems l wherein the entire air conditioning isv effected at a common zone located near the heater.` The prior systems. besides being too costly toinstall, are not sufficiently flexible in use, and cannot be conveniently embodied in existing heating systems of relatively standard design.

It is therefore a more vspecific lobject of my present invention to provide. an. improved humidifying unit adapted to be quickly and eiecy,

tively` installed within thestandard air box of.

an ordinary hot air heating system, either beforer opposite sides and through the humidifier.

Y Still another specific object of my invention` ris to provide a simpleAv andcompact humidifier unit of relatively'large capacity, and improved means for controlling the oper-ation ofthe unit..

An additional specific Aobject` of the invention is to provide an improved moisture supply unit for heated air, or the like, which can be readily inspected and cleaned, and which may be removably suspended within the air duct.

Another additional specific object of this invention isto provide aV durable air humidifying assemblage which can be. made to iit air ducts of various sizes and shapes and which can moreover be: manufactured and sold at moderate cost.

These andy other' objects and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent from the following detailed descriptionl A` clear conceptionv of the sever-al features constituting my present', improvement, and of the mode of"` constructing and utilizing humidifying units built in accordance` with the invention, may be hadA by referring` to the drawings accompanying and. forming a part of` this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar' parts in the various views.

Fig.y 1L isf aV part sectional front view of one of the improved humidifying` units installed in a standard hot air box in back of a removable grille register, portions of -thelatter having been broken away; Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the assemblage of Fig. 1, showing the humiditying unit adjustably mounted in the air box, and the section being taken on the line 22;

Fig. 3l isafragmentary vertical sectionthrough the lower portionof` a iixedly supported modified;v humidifying` unit, provided with modified meansV for obtaining variableV flow yof air with respect to the, unit,-and. also showing a modification in the construction of the unit itself;

Fig. 4 is a, fragmentary section through a modified; removal. permitting suspension device for the, humidifying unit;

Fig. 5 isa side View of the modified suspension means of Fig. 4;r and Fig.A 6 is4 adiagrammatic, front view of a portion. of one of the improved units, showing a modified' arrangement ofthe screen and undulations. y i

Whilev the. invention. isshown and described herein, as being, specifically embodied in a humidifying lunitespeciallyadapted for application to a standard hot air. heating system box and register assembly, itis not the desire or intentionr to thereby unnecessarily restrict the Ascope or utility of the improvement.

heating systemto which the improved humidifying unit is applicable, ordinarily comprises al numberV oi similar hot-air boxes 9 each having a lower inlet opening I and a front outlet opening II; a register frame I2 secured to each box 9 around the outlet opening I I, and ordinarily coacting with the floor I3 and with the adjacent wall I4 of a building; a grille I5 detachably secured to the frame I2 by means of fasteners I6; and a hot air supply conduit or duct I'I communicating with the lower inlet opening I0 of each of the boxes 9 between the building studding I8. 'There may be one or more of these hot air box and register assemblages in each of the several rooms of a building, .and all of these devices may be supplied with heated air from a common furnace or other heating source. The hot air boxes '9, frames I2, grilles I5, and ducts I'I are of relatively standard sheet metalr construction, and may assume Various shapes and designs.

The improved humidifying unit specifically illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises in `general two oppositely corrugated or undulated screen sections I9, 20 secured to eachother as by solder 2|; opposite side plates or members 22 to which the opposite ends of the screens I9,v 20 are rmly attached; a top bar 23 rigidly uniting the side members 22; an upper V-shaped trough 24 coacting with the upper edges of the screen sections I9, 28 and having a series of bottom perforations 25 normally covered by a porous liner 26 of asbestos or the like; an imperforatek lower U-shaped trough 2I spanning theside members 22 below the lower edges of the screen sections I9, 20; an adjustable liquid supplyvalv'e 28 and connection 29 for feeding liquid through the bar 23 into the upper trough 24; and a liquid drain tting 39 and flexible connection 3| for discharging excess liquid from the lower trough 21.

The humidifying screens I 9, 2U may be corrugated with angular serrations 32 as shown in` Fig. 2, or with curved undulationsv 33 kas illustrated in Fig. 3; and the corrugations or undulations may extend horizontally across the unit as in Fig. 1, or they may be of herring-bone shape 34 as illustrated in thediagram of Fig. 6. Rather fine square mesh metallic wire screening is preferably utilized in producing the pervious distributing screens I 9, 20, and the mesh forming wire may be disposed either diagonally as in Figs. 1 and 4, or horizontally as in Fig. 6.

The sheet metal frame comprising the side members 22, top bar 23, and lower trough 2'I of each humidifying unit, may be formed of various sizes and shapes adapted to approximately nt Within and between the side walls of various standard hot air boxes; and these frames should preferably be of such dimensions that they may be inserted and removed through the central openings in the register frames I2 when the grilles I5 are removed therefrom, and may be secured to or suspended kfrom the side walls of the air boxes 9 in various ways.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the side members 22 of. the air conditioning unitare swingably suspended at their upper ends by means of special screws 35 which are driven through the inner metal wall of the air box 9, and the lower extremities of these members 22 are provided with ears 36 having arcuate slots 31 with which other screws 38 coact. When the lower screws 38 are released, the entire humidifying unit may be swung about the common axes of the upper screws 35, so as to cause more or less air to travel upwardly along the front and rear and through the screen sections I9, 20. By tightening the lower screws 38, the unit will be clamped in adjusted position, and the adjustment may be y 42. This plate 4I can obviously be swingably ad- .lusted about the common axis of the lower fastening screws 42 so as to cause any desired proportions of the warmair stream entering the inlet opening I0, to flow either in front of the screen sections I9, 20, or in back of these sections and through the same.

Because the improved humidifying unit is readily accessible upon removal of the register grille I5, it is possible to utilize an ordinary vacuum cleaner to remove accumulated dust from the screens I9, 20, without necessarily disturbing the mounting of the air conditioning unit itself. However, the improved units may also be detachably suspended as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, by means of rivets 43 secured to the upper ends of the side members 22, and coacting with recessed suspension saddles 44 attached in any suitable manner to the opposite side walls of the air box 9. The lower portions of these removably suspended units may be provided with one or more removable retaining screws 39; and the valve 28 should then be positioned far enough above the bar 23, to permit the rivets 43 to be lifted out of the saddles 44when the unit is kbeingremoved and re-inserted. I

The liquid supply valves 28 are accessible for the purpose of controlling the amount of liquid delivered to each humidifying unit, and hence the humidity, by removing the corresponding register grilles I5; and the liquid supply connection 29 for each unit may be a relatively small flexible tube of copper or the like communicating with a water supply. The perforations 25 at the bottom of the. upper V-shaped trough 24 may be spaced along this trough so as to insure uniform distribution of the liquid downwardly along screen sections I9, 28, and the porous trough liner 26 causes the liquid passing through the perforations 25 to assume the form of a thin film owing gradually along the screens and spreading laterallyr in al1 directions. The ilexible excess liquid discharge tubes 3| which are detachab-ly attached to the fittings 30 of the several air conditioning units, may be formed of rubber or the like so as to permit free adjustment or removal of the units, and may also be directed into thev basement or other overflow receptacle. Ordinarily, no excess liquid should reach the lower trough 21, and this trough is merely provided for safety.

During normal use of the improved humidifying units, and assuming that the several units have been properly installed in their respective air boxes 9 and connected to a source of liquid supply, each of the units may be adjusted to produce the desired performance and the control valves 28 may be set to supply the requisite quantities of freshliquid. The heated air flowing through the ducts I'I will then flow upwardly along both the front and rear` surfaces of the screen sections I 9, 20, and part of the air .will pass through the screens, thereby picking up moisture in quantities dependent upon the setl ting of the valves 28 and upon the position of the units, or of the distribution plates 4|. If a unit or the plate 4I associated therewith, is inclined forwardly soas to cause more air to flow along the rear thereof and through its screens, the evaporation of moisture will be more' rapid; and likewise, if the valve 28 is opened to a greater extent, the supply of moisture will be increased and the evaporation will be hastened up to the point of saturation of the air. In this manner, any desired degree of humidiiication may be effected at any of the individual registers, within the limits of capacity of each unit -andfto the exclusion of all others.

The position of each air conditioning unit relathe units themselves, and such removal of the Y units can be facilitated by utilizing a suspension such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The screen sections l9, 20 may also be constructed in various ways, and the installation of the units may be effected by a novice with buta few simple tools.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that my present invention provides a simple, compact and eiificient humidifying unit which is extremely flexible in use. The improved assemblage may be quickly and conveniently installed in any standard hot air heating system,

whether new or old, and each unit may Obviously be manipulated and adjusted to produce any desired degree of humidication independently of all other similar units in the heating system. These air conditioning units may also lbe readily produced in various sizes and installed and operated at moderate cost, and are highly eicient and eective in performance.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination with an air distribution box having a lower air inlet opening andan upper laterally directed air outlet opening, a nat airpervious member having its upper end pivotally suspended in the upper portion of said box while its lower end is swingably adjustable across said inlet opening toward and away from said outlet opening, means for delivering a lm of liquid across said member, and means for adjusting the angularity of said Vmember relative to-said outlet opening so as to vary the quantity of air pass- .ing therethrough from said inlet to said outlet openings while maintaining the total eifective area of said inlet opening constant.

2. In combination with a hot air distribution box having a lower approximately rectangular inlet opening and an upper approximately rectangular laterally directed outlet opening, a flat air-pervious member of approximately the same area as said outlet opening movably suspended within said box so that its lower edge may be adjusted across said inlet opening toward and away from said outlet opening, means for delivering a film of liquid by gravity downwardly across said member, and means for adjusting the `position of said member so as to vary the quantity of heated air passing therethrough from said inlet to said outlet openings while maintaining the total effective area of said inlet opening constant. Y

3. In rcombination with a hot air distribution box having a lower upwardly directed inlet opening and an upper laterally directed outlet opening, a flat air-pervious member of approximately the same area as said outlet opening suspended in said box for movement toward and away from said outlet opening, means for delivering liquid downwardly across said member, and means for adjusting the position of said member to vary the quantity of heated air passing therethrough `from said inlet to said outlet opening while maintaining the total effective area of said inlet opening constant.

4. In combination with an air distribution box having a lower upwardly directed inlet opening and an upper laterally directed outlet opening, a at air-pervious member detachably pivotally suspended in the upper portion of said box so that its lower edge may be adjusted toward and away from the lower portion of said outlet opening and across said inlet opening without affecting the effective area of the latter, means for adjusting the position of the lower portion of said member about its suspension pivot, and controllable means for delivering liquid downwardly across said member.

5. In combination with a hot air distribution box having a lower inlet opening and an upper laterally directed outlet opening, a flat liquid distribution member pivotally suspended in the upper portion of said box and having its lower edge adjustable toward and away from said outlet opening across said inlet opening without diminishing the effective area of the latter, means for adjusting said member about its suspension pivot, and means for controllably deliveringfliquid downwardly across said member.

JAMES E. MYERS.

Images