US2694971A

US2694971A - Air circulator

Info

Publication number: US2694971A
Application number: US184224A
Authority: US
Inventors: John S Andrews
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-09-11
Filing date: 1950-09-11
Publication date: 1954-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-23

Description

J. 5. ANDREWS AIR CIRCULATOR Nov. 23, 1954 Filed Sept. ll, 1950 United States Patent O AIR CIRCULATOR John S. Andrews, Los Angeles, Calif. Application September 11, 1950, Serial No. 184,224 4 Claims. (Cl. 98-38) This invention relates to an air circulator of the type set forth in my co-pending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 89,222 filed April 23, 1949, now Patent No. 2,646,744, of which this application is a continuation at least in part; the device being adapted for use in conjunction with a heater as set forth in said application as a means for intercepting heated air rising from the heater and projecting it horizontally, thereby effecting a positive lateral distribution of the heated air.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a construction in the air circulator whereby unconfined heated air rising from a heater outlet may be inducted into the path of a stream of relatively cooler air generated by a blower, in such fashion that the heated air will be projected and dispersed horizontally under the urge of the air stream and without being brought into contact with the blades or other operative parts of the blower and whereby the blower is protected against detrimental effects of heated air impinging thereon.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby relatively cool air will be supplied to the stream producing blower from unconned space adjacent to the heater outlet, and to also provide means for flowing relatively cool air around the blower actuating motor so as to effect a cooling action thereon and thereby prevent overheating thereof.

Another object is to provide a device of the above character embodying a hood which is adapted to be mounted on a wall in superimposed relation to the outlet of an air heater such as a wall or floor register, or imposed above a stove, steam radiator and the like, which hood is formed with passages for conducting relatively cool air to a blower, and with a separate passage to conduct heated air to a point where it will be inducted into the stream of air developed by the blower.

Another object is to provide an arrangement in the air circulation hood whereby a column of heated air rising from a heater will be directed into an upwardly opening passage from which it may be inducted into a stream of relatively cooler air developed by a blower, to provide means whereby the air stream ejected by the blower will be drawn from the air of a room in which the circulator is installed, both from beneath and from above the hood to thereby augment air circulation, and to provide an arrangement whereby the air drawn from above the hood will be utilized to effect a cooling action on the blower motor.

A further object is to provide an air circulating device which is adapted for application as a built-in feature and also constructable as a portable attachment or accessory which may be readily applied to function with previously installed air heaters disposed in or near the walls of a room and put in operation without the employment of special equipment or skilled installers, and whereby the device may be marketed in the manner incident to ordinary electric fans and the like.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one form of application of the air circulator in conjunction with a heater;

Fig. 2 is a view of the air circulator as seen 1n front elevation with portions broken away;

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the air circulator with portions broken away;

2,694,971 Patented Nov. 23, 1954 Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in vertical section and elevation taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 as seen in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates generally the air circulator, and B designates a heater constituting a source of heat in conjunction with which the air circulator A is particularly designed to be employed.

The heater B may be of any suitable type and construction adapted to generate a supply of heated air and to direct an upwardly flowing column or stream of such air adjacent a side wall C of a room. The source of heat B may comprise a stove, a radiator, a fire-place, a wall heater, floor heater, or any other type of conventional heaters, whether permanently installed or portable. As here shown the heater B embodies a housing D positioned adjacent to the walls C having a front hot air discharge opening E covered by a grill F and through which opening E heat may be directed into a room from adjacent the wall C from any suitable source such as a furnace, or a heating element embodied inthe heater B, not necessary to be here shown.

The present invention resides in the air circulator A which is designed to be positioned on the wall C above and contiguous the heater B, as shown in Fig. 1, to intercept a portion of a column of heated air rising from the heater. As here shown the air circulator A embodies an enlongated hood 6 comprising a top wall a, a depending front wall b, end walls c and a back wall d.

The hood 6 is formed of a length exceeding that of the heater B and is arranged above the latter so that the end portions of the hood 6 project substantially beyond the opposite ends of the opening E of the heater, and the hood 6 is formed of a width so that when applied to the wall C the front wall b thereof will extend on a vertical plane spaced forwardly of the heater B or at such point relative to the heater that at least a portion of heated air rising from the heater B will be intercepted by and directed into the hood 6 rearward of the front wall b.

Extending longitudinally of the hood 6 interiorly thereof is a partition 7 projecting downwardly from the top wall 8 and from the lower margin of the partition 7 extends a horizontal wall 8 leading to the back wall d; the partition 7 and wall 8 terminating at their ends in inwardly spaced relation to the end walls c. Transverse partitions 9 extend from the ends of the partitions 7 to the front wall b. The hood 6 is thus formed by the

partitions

7 and 9 and the wall 8 with longitudinally extending

passages

10 and 11 separated by the partition 7, with the passage 10 opening downwardly to receive warm air rising from the heater B, and with the passage 11 being enclosed on the four sides thereof by the top wall a, back wall d, partition 7 and horizontal wall 8 as particularly shown in Fig. 4. Downwardly opening passages 12 are formed at the ends of the hood between the end walls c thereof and the transverse partitions 9, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, which passages are separated from the passage 10 by the partitions 9 but open to the ends of the passage 11.

Formed in the top wall a intermediate the ends thereof is an elongated slot 14 which opens to the passage 10 intermediate its ends defined by the transverse partitions 9, and intermediate its sides defined by the front wall b and partition 7, and projecting downwardly from the forward margin of the slot 14 is a rearwardly inclined baffle 15. The slot 14 affords an opening through which heated air rising in the passage 10 may flow to discharge as will presently be described.

Formed in the top wall a intermediate the ends thereof and leading from the passage 11 is a circular opening 16; the top wall a being formed with an upstanding flange e forming the margin of the opening 16. Bearing on a cushion f surrounding the flange 16 and seated on the top wall a, is a blower G embodying a housing having a top wall g, a spiral side wall h, and including a rotary fan 17 in the blower housing mounted on a shaft z' extending through the top wall g of the housing. Tangential vanes i of the fan 17 are presented downwardly opposite the opening 16 and are arranged to act on rotation of the fan to induct air through the opening 16 and discharge it through the blower outlet k which is located and extends along the inner margin of the slot 14.

The shaft i connects with an electric motor H from which leads electrical conductors l and m of the conventional electric circuit. One of the conductors leads to an adjustable thermostatically controlled switch I arranged in the passage adjacent the hot air discharge slot 14.

Extending over the motor H and blower G and carried on the housing A is a protective housing K embodying a top wall n, a front wall o and end walls p. The front wall o is formed with an opening q arranged opposite the discharge opening k of theblower G forwardly of the slot l 14, which opening q projects a short distance above the top wall g of the blower G and has an inwardly projecting baille 18 formed in the wall o terminating on a plane slightly above the top wall g of the blower and a short distance forward of the front edge of the latter. end walls p of the housing K are formed with air inlet openings 19 through which a flowvof air is inducted from above the hood 6 into the housing K to effect a cooling action on the motor H when theblower G is in operation.

The air circulator A may be mounted on the wall C in any desired manner. As here shown the back wall d is formed with a pair of spaced inverted key hole slots r which are detachably engageable with headed screws s or similar fastening or supports mounted on the wall C.

In the application of the invention the air circulator A is arranged above and sufficiently close to the heater B so that a portion of the hot air arising from the latter close to the wall C may ow into the open under side of the passage 10; the hood 6 being designed and arranged so that the column of heated air entering the passage 10 will be concentrated to a large extent in inwardly spaced relation from the end walls 9 of the passage and such that the downwardly opening passages 12 will be presented to zones of relatively cool air at the opposite ends of the heater B.

vIn the operation of the invention on setting the motor H in motion to actuate the blower fan 17, the latter will act to induct air through the opening 16 from the passage 11 to which air is supplied through the passages 12 from the comparatively cool air zones at opposite ends of the heater B. The blower G will effect discharge of the inducted air through the openings k and q in a horizontal direction between the diverging batiies .15 and 18 such as to induct air into the discharging stream through the slot 14 and openings 19. When the heater B is set in operation the column of heated air rising in the passage 10 will be augmented by the induction of air through the slot 14 so that such heated air as it passes through the slot 14 will be intermingled with and projected forwardly by the air stream generated by the blower G.

The air stream developed by the blower is forced outwardly from above the hood 6 with considerable velocity,

and together with the heated air entrained therein is caused to impinge upon and pass around various objects in the room, such as tables, chairs and other furniture, and thus directly heats Various portions of the room intermediate the Hoor and ceiling thereof by conduction, and maintains heat at a normally lower level than where the heated air is permitted to rise to the ceiling directly from the heater.

The thermostat J in the passage 10 is provided for controlling the operation of the air circulator, including the motor H and blower G, and is of a conventional type which is normally closed and is adapted to be adjusted to open and break the circuit to the motor H when the temperature of the heated air in the passage 10 falls below a predetermined degree, as when the source of heat is cut off, but which may be closed against opening under temperature control so that the air circulator may be employed independent of the heater as a means for maintaining air circulation in a room during warm weather.

It will be observed that the relatively cool air supplied to the intake of the blower through the opening 16 is drawn from the lower portion of the room or from beneath the hood, while air inducted into the stream discharged from the blower through the openings 19 in the housing K will be drawn from atmosphere above the hood 6 and shielded by the latter from the heat ascending from the heater B so that the air thus passed through the housing K around the motor and blower therein will be relatively The cool and will conduct heat from the motor and convey it to the air stream developed by the blower.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention ernbraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An air circulator comprising an elongated hood adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall, said hood having top, front, back and end walls and open throughout on its under side, means for fastening said hood on a wall in a horizontally extending position with its open side presented downwardly, an air intake passage in said hood opening downwardly to the open side of said hood throughout the length thereof, said top wall having a slot mediate the length thereof opening to said passage, a blower on said hood having a discharge outlet arranged to direct a stream of air outwardly over and adjacent said slot to induct air from said intake passage throughfsaid slot, and a passage in said hood separated from said air intake passage and from the open under side of said hood and having ends opening to the interior of the hood adjacent the end walls thereof for directing air to said blower from the interior of the hood.

2. The structure called for in claim 1 together with a motor connected to said blower for actuating same, a housing on the top wall of said hood encompassing said motor and blower having air intake openings and having an air outlet opening spaced forward of the blower discharge outlet and forward of said slot through which outlet opening the air stream from said blower is directed to induct air through the air intake passage in said housing.

3. In an air circulator, an elongated hood including top, front, back and end walls, a longitudinally extending partition projecting downwardly from said top wall, transverse partitions spaced inwardly from the end walls of said hood extending between the hood front wall and said longitudinal partition and forming therewith a downwardly opening air intake passage, said top wall being formed with a slot opening to said passage, a bottom wall connecting said partition to said back wall forming therewith a longitudinally extending air intake passage in said hood, air intake passages adjacent the end walls of said hood opening to the ends of said longitudinal air passage, said top wall being formed with an opening leading to said longitudinal air passage, a blower mounted on said top wall and arranged over said opening, said blower having a discharge outlet arranged to direct a stream of air generated by said blower outwardly and horizontally over said slot to induct air from the passage communicating with said slot.

4. The structure called for in claim 3 together with a motor connected to said blower for actuating same, and a housing on said top wall encompassing said motor and blower having air inlet openings and provided with an air outlet opening arranged forwardly of and in spaced relation to the discharge opening of said blower so that streams of air discharged from said blower in passing through said housing opening will induct air into said housing through the intake openings therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,673,072 Houghtby June 12, 1928 1,913,980 Fisher June'13, 1933 2,052,596 Barrett Sept. 1, 1936 2,134,142 Orear Oct. 25, 1938 2,197,679 Boorman Apr. 16, 1940 2,215,901 Christman Sept. 24, 1940 2,217,944 Collicutt Oct. 15, 1940 2,275,295 Greenway Mar. 3, 1942 2,334,056 Anderson Nov. 9, 1943 2,352,485 Kritzer June 27, 1944