US2406278A - Cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 20, 1946. T.-

.WORTH CLEANER Filed July 12, 1943 Inf/672150? Tkomms C. %rz% Patented Aug 20, 1943 UNITED STATE CLEANER, I Thomas C. Worth, Market Harborough, England Application July 12, 1943, Serial'No. 494,295

This invention relates to an air or gas cleaner, and it has for one object to provide means for separating dust, dirt or other solid matter from a moving stream or column of air or gas.

It has for another object to provide a means for carrying out in a single apparatus two stages of separation, in one of which the heavier or larger particles are removed. and in the other of which the smaller or lighter particles are removed.

Another object is to provide in asingle, compact apparatus, means for accomplishing dry separation and fluid separation in a single, continuous process. I

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the type indicated formed of a plurality of readily separable parts to permit effective and convenient cleaning.

Other objects will appear from time totime throughout the specification and claims.

This invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is-avertical of the device; I

Figure 2 is a transverse section *taken'at-line section through one form 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an' elevational detail showing one form of a separable attaching means.

Like parts are indicated bylike characters throughout the specification and the drawing.

In the particular form here shown, the device comprises a housing which is, in efiect, formed by three main and preferably separable parts. There is thu an upper housing section I, which 2 Claims. (Cl. 183 -8) may be cylindrical in cross'section, which is closed by a member 2 which may be permanently secured in place or, if desired, may be removable. The member I is provided with a'perforation or opening 3 in which an outlet connection member 4is positioned. 1

Within the housing I a massof filter material 5 is positioned. terial in place by an upper member'which may comprise an annular portion 6 and a plurality of branches I which may meet at the center, as at 8. In general, the member formed by these parts is shaped to provide many openings, but is of such size and shape, and the openingsare of such size and shape, as to prevent the filter material from being carried away in the moving stream of air or gas.

The filter mass is supported and positioned It is convenient to hold this mafrom below by a member which may comprise an 2 i desired, may be removably secured to the hous ing. 7

An intermediate housing section -I2 is; in effect, cuplike. It comprises a generally cylindrical portion which fits, as at I3, about the lower portion I4 of the housing section I. The housing-section I may be provided with an outwardly extending bead orflange I5, against which the upper edge I6 o1v the housingsection I2 abuts whenthe parts are assembled together. ()ne convenient means ,for securing the two housing sections together comprises 'bayonet locks which are formed by slots I"! in the section I2 which embrace pins I8 in the section I. Other attaching mean could, ofrcoursa be substituted forthese.

' Thef'housing section I2 is provided with a bottom portion I9which'is preierablydntegralwith the side portion I2 andwhich is also preferably integral with a central tubular inlet member 20. Preferably the cup portion formed by the members I2, I9 and 20 is 'rounded,;as at 2|; and 22. The upwardly extending inlet member 20 may be provided with a flange or bead 23. Positioned within the portion I2 ;andgengaging the inner face of the member 20 is a bafile which is annular inplant and is preferably'curved or concave and upwardly facing. Its inner edge lies'against and is preferably secured tojthe upper and of the member 20, as at 25, and it maybe provided with openingsZB adjacent whichyare'positioned out-' 20 by arms 3| which are secured to that mem As shown, the, outeredge ber and to the baflle, 32 of the baffle 30 projects into the area bounded by the baffle 24, and the lower edge 32 of the baflie 30 is belowthe upper edges of the baffle 24 and'below the upper edge of the member 20.

Thecup member ordinarily contains a quantity 7 of oil or other liquid and preferably that liquid stands at a level somewhat above the lower edge 32 of the bafile 36, although considerable variationin'the oil level may occur without destroyingp the effectiveness of thedevice;

A third housing section is positioned removably belowthe section I2 and may be held in place by a spring bail 33 which is preferably provided with a roller or other anti-friction device 34,.the

bail being pivoted in ears '35 which are integral with a band 36, whichis itself, positioned about and secured to the housing section I 2. The lower section includes a shell or. housingiportion 31 which at itsupper edge abuts-against a portion of the member I2,preferably the bottom portion i9, and it is provided with a plurality of openings 38 which are formed by outwardly projecting tongues 39. The effect of this constructionis to ive enteringifair a whirling motionr One or more slots or openings 40 are formed in the shell 31 and adjacent each of these there is preferably formed an outwardly projecting lip or vane 4i which tends to scoop on solid matter which comes 7 into contact with the inner surface of the mem;

This solid-1c,

ber 31 or approaches that'surface. matter is directed to the openings 50' and passes through them into a space which is defined partly .by' the member 31 and partly by a shell 42. This V shell at its upper edge 43 is in sealing contact with a flange or collar 44 which is secured to the shell 31, as at 45, and the space enclosed between the members 37. and 42 thus forms a receptacle into which solid matter deposited from spirit of the invention, and my showing .is, therefore, to be taken as,'in a sense, diagrammati In particular, the structural details may be widely varied. The means for holding the .parts separably together might be of almost any type.

The relative proportions of the baffles within the oil bath portion l2 might be Widely varied. The

' number of openings inithe baffle 24 and their particular shape'and disposition might be widely varied. Similarly, the number of openings in the member 37 andtheir positioning in that member might be widely varied.

The use and operation ofthis invention are asfollows: Y

#The invention will ordinarily be associated with an internal combustion engine as a means 40 for cleaning the air which passesto the engine, although it. maybe used in many'other associations in which it 'is' necessar or desirable to remove 'solidjmatter from a moving column of ,air or gas, If it, be assumed that the cleaner is .to be used in connection with an engine, the

member 4 will be connected with the carburetor or will otherwise be connected to carry clean air to the point of u'se. As the engine commences to operate; suction occurs and air is 'drawn 'ing space in communication with said dust scoops,

through the cleanenentering the openings 38 andbeing given a whirling action. The air thus circulates or -whirls about the space withinthe chamber 3i, and the heavier matter tends to move outwardly and hence approach. or come in contact with the inner surface of the mem ber 31. Such heavier matter passes through the opening or openings 40 and may be assisted in this" movement by the scooping action of the members El if they are present. Once solid mat- 6f).

ter has passed through the wall of the shell 31, it is entrapped and remains within the space definedby that member and the member lZ.

The relatively cleaner air now moves upwardly through the member iu and is directed 'downwardly by the member 39 toward the oil or other liquid which is present. The air then moves up- 1 wardly again beyond the'lower' edge 32. of the baffle 36' to and through thef lter mass 5. .The

liquidwithin thecup portion i2 is to agreater 7 orless' degree carried upwardly by the passage of the air or gas, and'toa greater or less degree saturates the filter mass, so that the relatively small passages through which theair or gas must move'in passing through the filter mass are lined 4 with cleaning liquid, and the solid matter is further entrapped in this liquid and removed from the column of gas. flow downwardl again into the cup and carry with it this solid matter. V V

The cleaned air finally emerges from the filter mass and passes outwardly throughthe connection 4 to the point of use.

' -'I claim:

. 1. Inan' air cleaner built up from vertically aligned nested cups, a bottom cup adapted to receive'dust, a dry cleaner cup closing the top 0 air discharge duct extending upwardly'above the level of the liquid in said cup and adapted'to serve as an air discharge outlet for the air entering the dry cleaner cup, an arcuate mushroom bafile overlying the upper end of, said axial duct, adapted to direct air downwardly toward the liquid in said liquid containing cup, an upwardly convex; circumferential baffle provided, at its bottom, with baffled openings and aligned-with the path of flow of air from said mushroom baifie, extending below the liquid level in said liquid containing cup and having an outer discharge edge spaced radially outwardly from the outer edge of the mushroom baille, and a container positioned above and closing the top of the liquid containing c'up,;having a cleaned air discharge duct extending therefrom and havingan air per-' viousfilter mass therein in the line of delivery of air from said liquid containing cup, I l

2. In an air cleaner, a centrifugal separator container having a generally cylindrical upper portion and amp-shaped lower portion, said;up-

per. portion having outwardly extending inlet scoops spaced circumferentially thereaboutjand adapted to impart to the inflowing air a path:-

conformingv enerally tothe inner face of said upper portion, said lower portion having inward-f ly extending dust scoops, extending into the path 1 of flow of the air to be cleaned, a dust receiving housing surrounding the. lower portion of the separator container and defining a dust-receivof liquidin said container, an inverted arcuatemushroom shaped baille adapted to direct the air which flows upwardly through said discharge duct downwardly toward and against the liquid in said container, an additional cleaning housing closing the top of said liquid container, an air pervious filter mass positionedtherein, and an additional upwardly convex bafile positioned in; said liquid container and surrounding said air discharge duct, said additional bafiiehaving, in its bottom,

bafiiedopenings' and being of substantially greater diameter than the diameter of said inverted baf fle, whereby it is adapted to direct airupwardly toward the bottom of said air pervious. filter mass, and means for removably securing said containers in nested relationship.

THOMAS c. WORTH; I

The liquid itself tends to

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