US2701997A - thatcher - Google Patents

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US2701997A
US2701997A US2701997DA US2701997A US 2701997 A US2701997 A US 2701997A US 2701997D A US2701997D A US 2701997DA US 2701997 A US2701997 A US 2701997A
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room
window
unit
expansion
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    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24FAIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F1/00Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
    • F24F1/02Self-contained room units for air-conditioning, i.e. with all apparatus for treatment installed in a common casing
    • F24F1/022Self-contained room units for air-conditioning, i.e. with all apparatus for treatment installed in a common casing comprising a compressor cycle
    • F24F1/027Self-contained room units for air-conditioning, i.e. with all apparatus for treatment installed in a common casing comprising a compressor cycle mounted in wall openings, e.g. in windows
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24FAIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F1/00Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
    • F24F1/0003Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units

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  • This invention relates 4to summer 'air conditioning units and to enclosures or containers, for such units, particularly when they are used n conjunctiomwith steam or hot waterheating installatxonls'whereby, 1f desired, new or existing pipedheating systems may'also be used advantageously forcentral air conditioningor cooling during hot weather. f
  • the object of this invention is to-provide an improved air conditioning unit and container which may be readily installed adjacent to and encase new or ⁇ existing heating radiators thereby to providev for both heating landy coolingv from the same unit;l and by this expedient to deliver fresh, filtered, cool and dehumidifed air into the room and to exhaust warm air continually therefrom for summer air conditioning, without interference with use of said radiatorsfor heating and without" any of the elaborate building alterations or air duct installations required for present systems.
  • An object of the invention is also to aord a compact and efficient air conditioning unit and container occupying relatively little space within a room, one that may quickly and easily be attached to or installed near heating radiators by a workman using only standard tools, and which, throughthe use of new or existing piping and/or electric wiring, provides complete central summer and winter air conditioning.
  • Another object of the invention is to improve the appearance Aand to increase the facility of installation of packaged air conditioning units; and to provide means whereby they may be used advantageouslyl to' air condition'entire, major or any portions of buildings, new or old; and to provide means whereby such installation may be ⁇ used, interchangeably, either with pneumatically or electrically driven air conditioning equipment.
  • Still another object ofthe invention is to provide packaged, factory-dimensioned units which can be permanently or temporarily and removably attached and fitted to any desired window and/or ⁇ room heating equipment; and have an appearance, nevertheless, of a permanent and, functional designed portion of a building, 4and thus avoid temporary present government or other restrictions againstalterations of a permanent nature in buildings.
  • Anothenobjective of the invention is to eliminate or minimize leakage of Freon from parts of thel apparatus during those portions of the year when it is not in use, and to accomplish this without use of a hermetically sealed housing', for the motor and 'a compressor.
  • Fig. l is atop view of the novel outer container or casing for the year-round air conditioning unit, to be located beneath a window;
  • Fig. 2 shows infront elevation the various parts of the novel airconditioning unit Apositionedin-a supporting frame and in a casing, but with the front por- 2.701.991 Patented Feb. 15, 17955 ltion thereof rremoved to exposerthe said p arts, and is "a vertical section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. l.
  • Fig. ⁇ 3 is ⁇ a ⁇ horizontal section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. Zand looking in the-direction of the arrows,
  • Fig. 4 shows ⁇ one form of a ⁇ fully installed unitin vertical section takenl on line of Fig. 2, looking in the directionof the arrows; and shows, also, the piping connections of the unit ⁇ to aradiator when a compressed air motor is used to power the unit.
  • Fig. 5 is an exploded view in perspective of the framework ⁇ and of the installed apparatus (shown in broken lines), and of its casing, with the vertical and top panels and duct sections (the latter ⁇ also inmbroken lines) so displaced as to expose the various parts of the uniti v l
  • This new and improved air conditioning unit and encasing container is adapted for use ⁇ with either electric or compressed air drive; in the latter instance, it utilizes compressed air furnished through ⁇ the piping of the heating systemas the power and as' an ⁇ auxiliary refrigeratng'means. More detailed explanations of this compressed air conditioning system will be found in my U. S. Letters Patent NOS. Re. 21,203 and 2,244,319, entitled Piped Air ConditioningV and Heating System.
  • 10 denotes a conventional radiator, installed generally beneath a window sill 11, in either a steam or hot water heating system of the type commonly used ⁇ iny dwellings, apartment buildings, hotels, oice buildings,'and the like.
  • a vertically slidable window 13 having a ⁇ window sash 14 to support and retain the glass of window 13.
  • the instant invention will be described relatically slidable windows, although it is obvious that it may also be employed in connection with other types of window structures, such as metal Casement windows and the'like, after they have'been provided with suitable openings for intake and discharge of cooling fresh air streams.
  • Figs. 2-4 illustrate vthis noyel andv improved air conditioning unit completely assembled 'in an angle-iron frame 15 after the unit has been "removed from its shippingcontainer, and having the front 30 of the casing (Fig. 5) cut away in Fig. 2 to expose its parts.
  • Four elements, generally-disconnected during shipment, are necessary for the complete installation of the unit. They are a factory-assembled'unit' of the hot weather air conditioning and cooling unit parts 15 to 26; a vertical front panel 30 and attached side panels 33; and a horizontal top panel 28, shown in Fig. 5, for the enclosure, the part 28 having attached or separate parts of air ducts 27 and 27 (as the 'fourth said element), the top forming a false sill and air duct assembly.
  • Figs. 3 and 5 illustrate how readily and easilythe equipment may be so packed for shipment and subsequent installation.
  • horizontal panel 28f may be placedV vertically inv a shipping crate (not shown) with telescopic spouts 28,y (Fig. 4) retracted, and in the space occupied by radiator 10 (Fig. ⁇ 3) which ordinarily will be already installed in the room.
  • Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the manner and ease with which the unit may be installed fter having been shipped in partially disassembled conition.
  • the elements 15 to 26, adapted to fit and to be secured one upon the other at the factory, comprise the equipment by which cool and dehumidied air results from a Freon direct expansion cycle, either electrically driven or by the power produced by the expansion of high pressure air supplied to an air motor 19, in warm weather, through inlet pipe 35', from existing hot water or steam supply pipe 36'.
  • Precooled, dehumidified and filtered fresh air can, therefore, be supplied to this unit in warm weather from supply lines 36' and 35', to be further conditioned therein and circulated into room air to be air conditioned.
  • This unit becomes associated, by installation, with either an existing cast iron radiator 10 or a new, relatively compact heat transfer unit or convector (not shown), either of which may be positioned as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and hereinafter described.
  • the fourth and important element of the assembled summer unit is a pair of ducts or channels 27 and 27' for circulation of fresh air under the influence of blower 21. These ducts may be secured to the top panel element 28, if desired.
  • Parts to 26 of the equipment shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are, in effect, a rearrangement of the elements generally used in portable room coolers in which cooling and dehumidication of air is attained by compression and expansion of Freon or other volatile liquids.
  • these parts are assembled in a framework 15 in a novel manner designed to make the unit more compact and more generally useful than heretofore.
  • This framework has two tiers, a lower tier and an upper tier, as shown in front view, Fig. 2, and as is also manifest from the shape of the framework 15 in Fig. 5.
  • Each tier is provided with a oor and cross-beams (not shown) to which the various elements of the unit are secured.
  • a solid, back wall 15" (Figs. 3 and 4) covers the rear of the frameworkexcepting at points where a damper 37 is installed and where the horizontal legs of the fresh air ducts penetrate it.
  • the Freon compressor 17 is mounted and may be directly connected by a shaft 18 to a motor 19 also mounted on the framework and floor of the lower tier.
  • the shaft 18 of the motor can extend from both ends thereof as shown; and on the outboard end the shaft is journaled in bearings 19 and carries at its extreme end a combined ilywheel and slinger wheel 19".
  • the slinger wheel dips into a trough 24", as shown, and.condensate resulting from dehumidifcation of room or fresh air by the evaporator coils 23 mounted in the lupper tier of the framework flows through a customary tube, partly shown at 24', from the condensate pan 24.
  • condensate is thrown over the condenser coil, as is customary in this type of room cooler, in order to promote, by latent heat of evaporation, the cooling of the warm compressed Freon in the condenser coils 20.
  • These condenser coils extend across the lower tier of the framework, both vertically and horizontally, so that they block passage of any air except that which llows through the convolutions of the coils and their fins.
  • the drip pan can also be connected by a drain pipe, e.
  • the fresh air blower 21 which also may be mounted in the lower tier of the framework; and this may be of the well known squirrel-cage type which will aspirate air through condenser coil assembly 20 and project it upward in the direction of the arrows into the air outlet duct 25 which is mounted in the upper tier of the framework.
  • the squirrel cage of blower 2l may be driven by means of a jack shaft 18 journaled in bearings 20 depending from the underside of the lower tier of the framework. This jack shaft may be driven by a belt and pulley wheels or by chains and sprockets 18" as illustrated in Fig. 'l of the drawing.
  • any desired speed of blower 21 can be attained, either higher or lower than the speed of the main shaft 18.
  • Thermostatic expansion valve 16' connected to the evaporator coils and the liquid receiver 16 in the conventional manner, can be mounted in a convenient portion of the lower tier, as shown, or perhaps better in the upper tier.
  • the Freon liquid receiver 16 is shown mounted in the upper tier, to receive the condensed liquid Freon flowing from the condenser coils 20 to receiver 16 through tubing (not shown).
  • the vertical leg of the cooling, fresh air intake duct 26 at the lefthand end, for example, of the frame, and the warm air outlet duet 25 at the opposite end of the frame-whereby circulation of a cooling stream of outside air over parts 17, 19 and 20 to remove the heat of compression and other sources of heat from thc direct expansion unit is provided.
  • motor 19 When motor 19 is an air expansion motor, then its walls and tubing will be cool, even if insulated, and aid in removing the heat of compression, rather than adding to it as does an electric motor drive.
  • the outlet port of such expansion motor is connected, as shown in Fig. 4, with one of the four openings (here the lefthand opening) of radiator 10, which serves to non thesoundjof the, exhaust and vto, trap any condensate from the very cold exhaust air from air expansion motor 19.
  • a room air blower 22 which can also be of the squirrelcage type and be mounted on the shaft of electric motor 34, as isy most clearly seen in- Fig. 2.
  • This electric motor maybe independent of the operation'of the rest of the equipment and may be 1,52 horsepower more or less, i. e., suflicient only in power to drive the room air blower whenever desired.
  • the room air blower 22 ejects recirculated room air through' grille 29 in the top panel, ⁇ whichair enters the unit through grille 32 in the vertical panel of the enclosure, best seen in Fig. of the draw- Between the two vertical legs ofthe cooling air ducts,
  • a damper 36 is provided in the floor of the upper tier by which means anincrement of fresh air can be aspirated into the room air stream flowing. into the-unit throughgrille 32'and filter 31, and thus join the re- .circulated room air as it flows through evaporator coils 23, The combined air streams are aspirated into the device through the room air blower 22.
  • the damper37 (which may be of the I sliding or swinging type), shown in the rear wall of the an electric drive is employed, cool, dehumidified air will flow through the space around radiator 10 after it leaves it, as through an opening 10' in' its upper righthand end.
  • cold weather when steam flows through the radiator, forced draft of either room air or of combined room air and fresh air upwardly through the leaves of the radiator 10 can be attained by energizing the motor 34 by closure of a suitable switch of an electric circuit (not shown) mounted-on the unit.
  • Athird ⁇ damper 38 in the floor of the first tier of 'the ⁇ unit provides for mixture of a controlled amount of fresh air (aspirated through intake duct 26-by motor 34 and blower 22), joining through damper 38 the stream of recirculatedroom air owing beneath the framework through channel 35 ⁇ and the second grille 3.2' in the lower portion'of the enclosure, seenbest in Figs. 4 and 45. Sov far as I'am aware, this device thus provides novel means for securing ventilation and forced circulation of air upwardly through the leaves of a Aradiator in cool weather.- i
  • sections of the intake and outlet'fresh air ducts may /be elbow in shape and' may telescope into the upper portions ofthe ⁇ vertical legs of said ducts 26 and 25 and insuch a man- -pansion motor 19 when that type of drive rather than ner that the horizonal legs of these ducts re'sts upon the ⁇ window sill 11, as shown in Fig. 4.
  • the duct from blower be attained merely by adjusting the extent ofthe telescopic ma'y enter and leave the duct system beyond theline of' thewindow 13,y as lshown in Fig. 4.
  • a window cleaner can telescope the as shown in Fig. 1.
  • All of the equipmentfheretofore described can be of standard ⁇ dimensions and by virtue Vof telescopic arrangement of the duct of blower 22 and the ducts25, 26, 27, -27 and28- can be adapted to fit any type of window sill,
  • the majority of the window sills will have the same height. It is probable, also, that the radiators 10.will be of the same dimensions in the majority of the rooms; sothe sides 33 ofvertical panel 30 may also be adjusted at the factory to provide a close ft between the rear edges of sides 33 and the wall of the building to the rear of or enclosing the radiator.
  • the two horizontal dimensions of the top panel 28, i. e., its width and breadth, can also be adjusted at the factory to fit the width and depth of the window sills, and thus to span the distance from the window sill to the outer surfaceof the vertical panel 30.
  • top panel 28 two grilles 29 and 3l, as shown in Fig. l and in the exploded view of Fig. S, are provided, the grille 29 being primarily for the flow of cool, dehumidil'ied, fresh or room air in the summer time, actuated by the room air blower 22. But cooled dry air will also ow upwardly through grille ⁇ 31 or 29 whenever the motor 19 is pneumatically powered to drive the direct expansion yequipment in warm weatherif the radiator is used as a muffler and moisture trap.
  • Eithertlie grille 31 or the grille29, or both can be used for circulation of heated air flowing from the top of vradiator 10 in the winter time, when steam is turned on Vand flows .through the radiator. If the damper 37 in the rear wall of the framework isopen, then, by actuationof ⁇ the electric motor 34 and room air blower 22, substantially all of the ow of heated air in the winter time will be through the front grille 29. Otherwise,- with damper 37y closed and without the forced draft thus provided, the. flow will be by thermosiphon effect through the lower front grille 32,lthen underneath the frame through channel 35 and then upward over the radiator 10 and, continuing upward, into theroom through rear grille"31. ⁇
  • framework 15 may be enclosed in removable thermal and acoustic insulating boards (not shown) or that thesey may be yattached to the vinner surfaces of vertical panel members 30 and 33 and of top .panel-member-28. Also, it will generally bebetter to'face the outer surfaces ofv angle-iron frame15'with strips of thick felt against which the inner surfaces ofthe casing. elements 86 will impnge closely, so as to insure a snug and rattleproof fit, and to prevent leakage of the cooling and the conditioned air streams into one another.
  • the vertical height of the front and side panels 30 and-33 should generally be one or a few inches more than the height of window sill 11 from the oor of the room; arid the vertical sides of top panel 28 should be six inches or so deep, i. e., sufiicient to cover the vertical sides of duct sections 27 and 27' plus one or a few inches for overlap of the outer edges of-vertical panel faces 30 and 33.
  • the outer surface along these edges may be covered with a thin layer of felt or similar material (not shown) to insure a snug fit between the vertical and top panels.
  • top, back corner of sides 33 of the vertical panel should be shaped to fit molding such as that beneath window sill 11 as depicted in Fig. 4.
  • Other details of dimensioning and configuration of the container elements of the. enclosure will be understood and selected by the workers in this art.
  • air supply line 35' can be coupled to the compressor jacket; and the heated compressed air will then flow from an opposite point in the jacket to the inlet port of the air motor through a coupling and air line (not shown) from the outlet of the compressor jacket.
  • a check valve also not shown may be installed in air supply line 35' to prevent back flow of heated compressed air from the jacket of Freon compressor 17 into air inlet pipe 35'.
  • the couple when the unit is powered by electric motor drive of compressor 17, the couple may be the now almost universally used hermetically sealed type; which is used, of course, to minimize leakage of Freon and which almost invariably occurs only during periods of non-use of the device. I have shown, particularly in Fig. 2, the motor 19 directly connected to the compressor 17 by a shaft 18 and without a housing of any kind enclosing the couple.
  • compressor 17 is provided with cocks 40 and 41 on the intake and outlet ports of the compressor. These will remain open during the warm season of the year, but will be closed when the heating season arrives and remain closed until the resumption of cooling the following spring.
  • cocks 40 and 41 on the intake and outlet ports of the compressor.
  • blower 21 it is, of course, within the scope of the invention to 'locate blower 21 at a higher elevation, for example, in
  • the upper tier of the framework in which case it could perform the function of the air outlet duct 25 and even a portion of the duct 27.
  • thele standardized units can be shifted about a building at wi It is also within the scope of this invention to elevate the entire unit to the top of a window, or adjacent to and secured to the wall or the ceiling above a window. In this type of installation, the air intake and outlet ducts and/ or telescopic spouts will project above the upper edge of the partially lowered upper sash of a window.
  • a compact, all-season, air conditioning' unit for permanent or removable emplacement and use in association with, adjacent to and in front of a heat radiator and a window sill of a room window comprising an elongated framework, an air-cooled compression-expansion refrigerating device having its elements arranged within the framework, together with cooling fresh air intake and heated air outlet ducts for the compression-expansion device each including a vertical duct section disposed within but at opposite ends of said framework and an elbowed section for horizontal disposition relatively to the window sill above and substantially at opposite ends thereof, said vertical and elbowed sections being adapted for telescopic joining to afford continuous passageways therethrough for air stream ow respectively from and to the window line and through said compression-expansion device; and a removable housing which comprises a vertical front and side panel member and a substantially horizontal top lid member assemblable therewith, said members being dimensioned and adapted for cooperation with a wall of a room and the sill of the window to encase said ducts, heat radiator,
  • the framework is provided with an upper and a lower supporting tier and the vertically disposed ducts are positioned in the upper tier of said framework.
  • An air conditioning unit according to claim l wherein the lower and top panel members are provided, respectively, with grilled openings for ow of room air to the unit and for flow of cooled or heated air from the unit and the grilled openings of'-the top panel member are centrally disposed between said horizontally disposed sections of the ducts for intake air and outlet air.
  • a compact room air conditioning system including an attachment to be located adjacent to a window sill and comprising in combination a compressed air supply pipe, a sound muffler, a cold-air expansion engine connected to said pipe and arranged to exhaust its cold air into the room through said muffler, and a load driven by said motor comprising an air-cooled direct-expansion air conditioning device adapted to supplement the room cooling elr'ect of said cold-air exhaust, whereby a materially improved operating eiciency is attained, and air inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used to cool said device, said ducts being arranged, for compactness, at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover to the window line.
  • a compact air conditioning attachment for piped room air heating equipment located adjacent to a window sill and having means for supplying compressed air to said system comprising a cold-air expansion motor including means connectable with the discharge side of the motor for delivery of the expanded air to the room to be cooled and a load for the motor comprising an air-cooled direct-expansion air conditioning device of the type employing a.volatile refrigerant as the working uid, said device being adapted to supplement the effect of said cold air from the motor, and air inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used to cool said device,
  • a compact room air cooling and dehumidifying attachment for piped steam and hot water heating systems comprising in combustion a sound muler, a cold-air expansion motor arranged for connection of its inlet to pipes of said system and of its outlet to said muffler to discharge cold air into the room, and a load for said motor located adjacent to a window sill and comprising an air-cooled direct-expansion air conditioning device for supplementing the cooling effect of said cold air from the motor, and air inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used to cool the device, said ducts being arranged, for compactness, at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover to the window line.
  • a compact, self-contained, room air conditioning unit located adjacent to a window sill and a radiator of a heating system and arranged to be cooled by a stream of outside air flowing to and from the unit over said window sill, comprising a direct-expansion refrigerating device located adjacent to the window and comprising a volatile liquid refrigerant compressor and an air-cooled condensing coil for cooling the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve, and an evaporating coil to cool and dehumidify air to be conditioned, a cold-air expansion engine arranged to drive said refrigerant compressor by expansion of compressed air to be delivered from a distant source of supply ⁇ through pipes of the heating system, said engine being arranged to discharge its cold air into the room to supplement the air conditioning effect of said device, and inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used for cooling said device, arranged for compactness at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends af the window sill and extending thereover to the window ine.
  • a compact, self-contained, room air conditioning unit located adjacent to a window sill and a radiator of a heating system and arranged to be cooled by a stream of outside air owing to and from the unit over said window sill, comprising a direct-expansion refrigerating device located adjacent to the window and comprising a volatile liquid refrigerant compressor and an air-cooled condensing coil for cooling the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve, and an evaporating coil to cool and dehumidify air to be conditioned, a cold-air expansion engine arranged to drive said refrigerant compressor by expansion of compressed air to be delivered from a distant source of supply through pipes of the heating system, said engine being arranged to discharge its cold air into the room through the said radiator of the heating system to supplement the air conditioning effect of said device, and inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used for cooling said device, arranged for compactness at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover to
  • a compact, self-contained, room air conditioningunit located adjacent to a window sill and a radiator of a heating system and arranged to be cooled by a stream of outside air flowing to and from the unit over said window sill, comprising a direct-expansion refrigerating device located adjacent to the window and comprising a volatile liquid refrigerant compressor and an air-cooled condensing coil for cooling the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve, and an evaporating coil to cool and dehumidify air to be conditioned, a cold-air expansion engine arranged to drive said refrigerant compressor by expansion of compressed air to be delivered from a distant source of supply through pipes of the heating system, said engine being arranged to discharge its cold air into the room to supplement the air conditioning effect of said cold air exhaust from the expansion motor into the room to be cooled, and a load for said motor comprising a device having an air-cooled, volatile liquid refrigerant compressor, and condensing and evaporating coils, for enhancing the room cooling effect of the cold
  • a compact, narrow, elongated room cooling unit adapted for emplacement adjacent to and beneath a window and window sill of a room, said cooling unit cornprising the elements of an air-cooled, compression-expansion-condensation refrigerating device of the type employing a volatile refrigerant as the working uid; an elongated framework adapted to support the refrigerating device; and an intake duct for the fresh-air stream to remove heat of compresssion from the refrigerating device and a heated-air stream outlet duct adapted to be spaced apart and disposed for compactness at opposite ends of said 65.
  • said ducts being adapted to extend through the device, inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used for cooling said device, arranged for compactness at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device, and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover tothe window line, and a grille for ow of conditioned air therethrough located in the upper surface of said unit and between said inlet and outlet ducts.
  • a compact room air cooling unit located adjacent to a window sill and a piped source of compressed air, comprising a compressed air expansion motor adapted to back of said framework near the top and ends thereof and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover at least to the window line; and a removable casing dimensioned to lit over and to cover said window sill and to encase said device and ducts.
  • a room cooling unit wherein a conditioned air outlet means is provided and adapted to be located between said fresh-air intake and heated-air outlet ducts.
  • a compact, room cooling unit adapted for emplacement adjacent to and in front of a window and window sill of a room, said cooling unit comprising a removable cabinet means; an air-cooled, direct-expansion refrigerating device of the type employing a volatile refrigerant as the working uid; a narrow, elongated framework adapted to support said refrigerating device within said cabinet means and adapted to have the cooling-air intake and heated-air outlet ducts thereof disposed respectively at the ends of be connected to said source, means for discharging the 86 said framework and within said cabinet means.
  • said ducts fil being adapted to extend throu the back of said framework:near ,tl1e top and ends ereof and to be disposed at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover at .least to the window line; and a duct for ow of r conditioned air from the unit into a room, adapted to be located in the upper portion of the unit and in the region between said inlet and outlet ducts; said cabinet means comprising a vertical front and side panel member and a substantially horizontal top lid member assemblable therewith, said members being dimensioned and adapted for cooperation with a wall of the room and the sill of the window to t over and to encase said ducts, device and framework.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Air-Conditioning Room Units, And Self-Contained Units In General (AREA)

Description

Feb. l5, 1955 c. -J.rH.1=\T ;H|zR l 2,701,997
PACKAGED ROOM UNIT FOR CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Filed April 6, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Feb. l5, 1955 c. J. THATcHl-:R 2,701,997
PACKAGED ROOM UNIT FOR CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Filed April 6. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LL Jj INVENTOR ATTORNEY i This invention relates 4to summer 'air conditioning units and to enclosures or containers, for such units, particularly when they are used n conjunctiomwith steam or hot waterheating installatxonls'whereby, 1f desired, new or existing pipedheating systems may'also be used advantageously forcentral air conditioningor cooling during hot weather. f
rMore particularly, the object of this invention is to-provide an improved air conditioning unit and container which may be readily installed adjacent to and encase new or` existing heating radiators thereby to providev for both heating landy coolingv from the same unit;l and by this expedient to deliver fresh, filtered, cool and dehumidifed air into the room and to exhaust warm air continually therefrom for summer air conditioning, without interference with use of said radiatorsfor heating and without" any of the elaborate building alterations or air duct installations required for present systems.
An object of the invention is also to aord a compact and efficient air conditioning unit and container occupying relatively little space within a room, one that may quickly and easily be attached to or installed near heating radiators by a workman using only standard tools, and which, throughthe use of new or existing piping and/or electric wiring, provides complete central summer and winter air conditioning. Another object of the invention is to improve the appearance Aand to increase the facility of installation of packaged air conditioning units; and to provide means whereby they may be used advantageouslyl to' air condition'entire, major or any portions of buildings, new or old; and to provide means whereby such installation may be` used, interchangeably, either with pneumatically or electrically driven air conditioning equipment.
Still another object ofthe invention is to provide packaged, factory-dimensioned units which can be permanently or temporarily and removably attached and fitted to any desired window and/or` room heating equipment; and have an appearance, nevertheless, of a permanent and, functional designed portion of a building, 4and thus avoid temporary present government or other restrictions againstalterations of a permanent nature in buildings.
It is also an object of the invention to provide means whereby'heating of any desired room in colder weather may, at will, be accomplished by forced circulation of air over a heat radiator or convector; and means wherelby, when desired, a controlled stream of filtered, outside air may be circulated over the heating equipment in colder weather, before it ows into the room.
Anothenobjective of the invention is to eliminate or minimize leakage of Freon from parts of thel apparatus during those portions of the year when it is not in use, and to accomplish this without use of a hermetically sealed housing', for the motor and 'a compressor.
.These and. other objects and much-desired but novel advantages will vbecome more apparent in the follow'- ing description and with reference-to the'accompanying drawings, in which: i, Y, f
Fig. l `is atop view of the novel outer container or casing for the year-round air conditioning unit, to be located beneath a window;
Fig. 2 shows infront elevation the various parts of the novel airconditioning unit Apositionedin-a supporting frame and in a casing, but with the front por- 2.701.991 Patented Feb. 15, 17955 ltion thereof rremoved to exposerthe said p arts, and is "a vertical section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. l.
' Fig.` 3 is` a` horizontal section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. Zand looking in the-direction of the arrows,
of the airconditioning unit installed 'before the heat radiator.
Fig. 4 shows` one form of a `fully installed unitin vertical section takenl on line of Fig. 2, looking in the directionof the arrows; and shows, also, the piping connections of the unit `to aradiator when a compressed air motor is used to power the unit.
Fig. 5 is an exploded view in perspective of the framework `and of the installed apparatus (shown in broken lines), and of its casing, with the vertical and top panels and duct sections (the latter` also inmbroken lines) so displaced as to expose the various parts of the uniti v l This new and improved air conditioning unit and encasing container is adapted for use `with either electric or compressed air drive; in the latter instance, it utilizes compressed air furnished through `the piping of the heating systemas the power and as' an` auxiliary refrigeratng'means. More detailed explanations of this compressed air conditioning system will be found in my U. S. Letters Patent NOS. Re. 21,203 and 2,244,319, entitled Piped Air ConditioningV and Heating System. Some features ofy the encasing container and of the `ducts hereof are shown in my pending application Serial No. 8,445, filed February 14, 1948, for Air Conditioning Unit, now abandoned; and other features and the duct arrangement hereof are shown in my application Serial No. 587,558, filed April 10, 1945, now my U. S. Patent No. 2,582,297, issued January 15, 1952, for Air Conditioning Unit and Expansion Motor Therefor. My present invention provides improvements on the room units already thus disclosed in my pending applications; and this application is a continuation-in-part of said applications and discloses improvements whereby greater economy, better operation and designy and substantially simplified installation procedure are attained.`
Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 4 thereof, 10 denotes a conventional radiator, installed generally beneath a window sill 11, in either a steam or hot water heating system of the type commonly used` iny dwellings, apartment buildings, hotels, oice buildings,'and the like. There is shown in the wall 12 of a building a vertically slidable window 13 having a `window sash 14 to support and retain the glass of window 13. The instant invention will be described relatically slidable windows, although it is obvious that it may also be employed in connection with other types of window structures, such as metal Casement windows and the'like, after they have'been provided with suitable openings for intake and discharge of cooling fresh air streams.
Figs. 2-4 illustrate vthis noyel andv improved air conditioning unit completely assembled 'in an angle-iron frame 15 after the unit has been "removed from its shippingcontainer, and having the front 30 of the casing (Fig. 5) cut away in Fig. 2 to expose its parts. Four elements, generally-disconnected during shipment, are necessary for the complete installation of the unit. They are a factory-assembled'unit' of the hot weather air conditioning and cooling unit parts 15 to 26; a vertical front panel 30 and attached side panels 33; and a horizontal top panel 28, shown in Fig. 5, for the enclosure, the part 28 having attached or separate parts of air ducts 27 and 27 (as the 'fourth said element), the top forming a false sill and air duct assembly. These four elements are all shown "in exploded perspective in Fig. 5 after they have been removed from a'shipping rcontainer (not shown); and Figs. 3 and 5 illustrate how readily and easilythe equipment may be so packed for shipment and subsequent installation. Thus, top, horizontal panel 28fmay be placedV vertically inv a shipping crate (not shown) with telescopic spouts 28,y (Fig. 4) retracted, and in the space occupied by radiator 10 (Fig.` 3) which ordinarily will be already installed in the room. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the manner and ease with which the unit may be installed fter having been shipped in partially disassembled conition.
The elements 15 to 26, adapted to fit and to be secured one upon the other at the factory, comprise the equipment by which cool and dehumidied air results from a Freon direct expansion cycle, either electrically driven or by the power produced by the expansion of high pressure air supplied to an air motor 19, in warm weather, through inlet pipe 35', from existing hot water or steam supply pipe 36'.
As was stated in my U. S. Patent No. 2,244,319,
` page 2, column 1, lines 12-31, and page 3, column 2, lines 58--68` thereof, the air flowing to the unit in warm weather from the steam or hot water supply pipe 36' and through the branch pipe 35 thereof may be cooled and dehumidified and ltered in the basement or other relatively cool, central point of a building, and by the means and methods there described and illustrated. It is stated, also, on page 3 of the instant application that such application is a continuation-inpart of my U. S. Patent No. 2,582,297. Said patent, as it states in column 2, lines 9-15 thereof, comprehends use of the said means and methods of my aforesaid U. S. Patent No. 2,244,319. Precooled, dehumidified and filtered fresh air can, therefore, be supplied to this unit in warm weather from supply lines 36' and 35', to be further conditioned therein and circulated into room air to be air conditioned. This unit becomes associated, by installation, with either an existing cast iron radiator 10 or a new, relatively compact heat transfer unit or convector (not shown), either of which may be positioned as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and hereinafter described.
The fourth and important element of the assembled summer unit is a pair of ducts or channels 27 and 27' for circulation of fresh air under the influence of blower 21. These ducts may be secured to the top panel element 28, if desired.
Parts to 26 of the equipment shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are, in effect, a rearrangement of the elements generally used in portable room coolers in which cooling and dehumidication of air is attained by compression and expansion of Freon or other volatile liquids. In this invention these parts are assembled in a framework 15 in a novel manner designed to make the unit more compact and more generally useful than heretofore.
In all prior room air coolers of the console type, the vertical legs of the intage and outlet ducts have been located in the rear of the device close to and on either side of its vertical central line. The consequence has been that the cabinets of consoles have been twenty inches, more or less a few inches, in depth, and have projected into a room that much, plus the depth of thc radiator, from the inner edge of a window sill. Moreover, the horizontal legs of the centrally located fresh air intake and discharge ducts overlie the grille normally provided in the window sill or in the top of a radiator enclosure, thus interfering with free ow of heated air into the room in cold weather. Consoles, consequently, often are removed and stored during the winter season. 'f
These disadvantages are ovecome by my novel arrangement of the horizontal legs of the fresh air ducts 27, 27' at the extreme ends of and overlying a window sill, and by continuing the said ducts vertically downward at the extreme ends of the upper tier rather than at the rear side of the elements of a console-type, portable room cooler. I thus reduce the depth of the Freon direct expansion equipment to ten or twelve inches without any material increase in the width of thc cabinet, which can remain at about thirty-six inches. This is possible because the vertical legs of the said ducts need extend only through the upper half or tier of the unit-as seen at 25 and 26 in Fig. 2, for example-where there is ample space unoccupied by the other elements of the unit. Moreover, this arrangement avoids the obstruction of the grille over the heat radiators which can be centrally located, as at 31 in Fig. l of the drawings. My improved unit can therefore remain in place throughout the year. The parts of the compression-expansion equipment are assembled as shown in front view in Fig. 2 and in side view in Fig. 4. They are all located in the narrow elongated rectangular framework 15 which may be constructed of angle iron; the proportioning and shape of i4 this framework is best seen in perspective in Fig. 5. If desired there may be wing-like extensions of the two end sections of the framework, indicated at 15 (Fig. l), which span the ends of the radiator and extend to the wall of the building, as shown.
This framework, it will be noted, has two tiers, a lower tier and an upper tier, as shown in front view, Fig. 2, and as is also manifest from the shape of the framework 15 in Fig. 5. Each tier is provided with a oor and cross-beams (not shown) to which the various elements of the unit are secured. A solid, back wall 15" (Figs. 3 and 4) covers the rear of the frameworkexcepting at points where a damper 37 is installed and where the horizontal legs of the fresh air ducts penetrate it.
In the lower tier of this framework the Freon compressor 17 is mounted and may be directly connected by a shaft 18 to a motor 19 also mounted on the framework and floor of the lower tier. The shaft 18 of the motor can extend from both ends thereof as shown; and on the outboard end the shaft is journaled in bearings 19 and carries at its extreme end a combined ilywheel and slinger wheel 19". The slinger wheel dips into a trough 24", as shown, and.condensate resulting from dehumidifcation of room or fresh air by the evaporator coils 23 mounted in the lupper tier of the framework flows through a customary tube, partly shown at 24', from the condensate pan 24. By this means condensate is thrown over the condenser coil, as is customary in this type of room cooler, in order to promote, by latent heat of evaporation, the cooling of the warm compressed Freon in the condenser coils 20. These condenser coils extend across the lower tier of the framework, both vertically and horizontally, so that they block passage of any air except that which llows through the convolutions of the coils and their fins. Alternatively, and as is set forth in lines 69-75 of column l1 of my U. S. Patent No. 2,582,297, of which this is a continuation-in-part, the drip pan can also be connected by a drain pipe, e. g., to the return or drainage line for condensate from the radiator, the connection being made either above or below its Sylphon valve. Condensate drip from cooling-evaporating coils can thus be conveniently drained off to the basement of a building, by the use of existing facilities.
Flow of air through the condenser coils and over the parts heretofore described is occasioned by the fresh air blower 21 which also may be mounted in the lower tier of the framework; and this may be of the well known squirrel-cage type which will aspirate air through condenser coil assembly 20 and project it upward in the direction of the arrows into the air outlet duct 25 which is mounted in the upper tier of the framework. The squirrel cage of blower 2l may be driven by means of a jack shaft 18 journaled in bearings 20 depending from the underside of the lower tier of the framework. This jack shaft may be driven by a belt and pulley wheels or by chains and sprockets 18" as illustrated in Fig. 'l of the drawing. By proper selection of the relative size of the pulley or sprocket wheels on the main shaft 18, on the jack shaft 18', and on the stub-shaft 2l which carries the squirrel cage of the blower, any desired speed of blower 21 can be attained, either higher or lower than the speed of the main shaft 18.
Thermostatic expansion valve 16', connected to the evaporator coils and the liquid receiver 16 in the conventional manner, can be mounted in a convenient portion of the lower tier, as shown, or perhaps better in the upper tier. The Freon liquid receiver 16 is shown mounted in the upper tier, to receive the condensed liquid Freon flowing from the condenser coils 20 to receiver 16 through tubing (not shown). In the upper tier there is mounted the vertical leg of the cooling, fresh air intake duct 26 at the lefthand end, for example, of the frame, and the warm air outlet duet 25 at the opposite end of the frame-whereby circulation of a cooling stream of outside air over parts 17, 19 and 20 to remove the heat of compression and other sources of heat from thc direct expansion unit is provided. When motor 19 is an air expansion motor, then its walls and tubing will be cool, even if insulated, and aid in removing the heat of compression, rather than adding to it as does an electric motor drive. The outlet port of such expansion motor is connected, as shown in Fig. 4, with one of the four openings (here the lefthand opening) of radiator 10, which serves to inutile thesoundjof the, exhaust and vto, trap any condensate from the very cold exhaust air from air expansion motor 19.
and in the upper tierof the framework, there is mounted a filter 31 and the evaporator coils 23, the latter of which vhave at their base the drip pan 24 to collect condensed ,2 and 3. In this upper tier there is also -mounted a room air blower 22 which can also be of the squirrelcage type and be mounted on the shaft of electric motor 34, as isy most clearly seen in- Fig. 2. \This electric motor maybe independent of the operation'of the rest of the equipment and may be 1,52 horsepower more or less, i. e., suflicient only in power to drive the room air blower whenever desired. The room air blower 22 ejects recirculated room air through' grille 29 in the top panel, `whichair enters the unit through grille 32 in the vertical panel of the enclosure, best seen in Fig. of the draw- Between the two vertical legs ofthe cooling air ducts,
ings. A damper 36 is provided in the floor of the upper tier by which means anincrement of fresh air can be aspirated into the room air stream flowing. into the-unit throughgrille 32'and filter 31, and thus join the re- .circulated room air as it flows through evaporator coils 23, The combined air streams are aspirated into the device through the room air blower 22.
When so desired, the damper37 (which may be of the I sliding or swinging type), shown in the rear wall of the an electric drive is employed, cool, dehumidified air will flow through the space around radiator 10 after it leaves it, as through an opening 10' in' its upper righthand end. In cold weather, when steam flows through the radiator, forced draft of either room air or of combined room air and fresh air upwardly through the leaves of the radiator 10 can be attained by energizing the motor 34 by closure of a suitable switch of an electric circuit (not shown) mounted-on the unit. f i
Athird `damper 38 in the floor of the first tier of 'the` unit, as shown `in Fig. 2, provides for mixture of a controlled amount of fresh air (aspirated through intake duct 26-by motor 34 and blower 22), joining through damper 38 the stream of recirculatedroom air owing beneath the framework through channel 35 `and the second grille 3.2' in the lower portion'of the enclosure, seenbest in Figs. 4 and 45. Sov far as I'am aware, this device thus provides novel means for securing ventilation and forced circulation of air upwardly through the leaves of a Aradiator in cool weather.- i
As seen in elements27 and 27 of Fig. 5, sections of the intake and outlet'fresh air ducts may /be elbow in shape and' may telescope into the upper portions ofthe `vertical legs of said ducts 26 and 25 and insuch a man- -pansion motor 19 when that type of drive rather than ner that the horizonal legs of these ducts re'sts upon the `window sill 11, as shown in Fig. 4. "The duct from blower be attained merely by adjusting the extent ofthe telescopic ma'y enter and leave the duct system beyond theline of' thewindow 13,y as lshown in Fig. 4. vBy providing the opening 28"v in' theilower portionof this telescopic extension duct,v entrance of rain into the duct system will be avoided, and the ducts willfbe effectually closed by insertion of extension 28 into ducts 27 and 27.- t Moreover, when desired, a window cleaner can telescope the as shown in Fig. 1.
extension duct 28', thereby freeing the-entire'sill outside the window for the cleanerto stand .uponfor cleaning of the glass of a window.
All of the equipmentfheretofore described can be of standard `dimensions and by virtue Vof telescopic arrangement of the duct of blower 22 and the ducts25, 26, 27, -27 and28- can be adapted to fit any type of window sill,
whether it be low or high, broad or narrow.
, For the'enclcsure or container for this equipment I providethe hereinbefore described vertical panel 30 best seen in exploded view in Fig. 5, and a top panel 28 also the vertical panelsection 30 is movedhorizontally, adjacent to, and so as toenclose the framework 15 and the partsmounted therein, and. until the side portions 33 of the vertical panel 30 touch the wall of the building, v It should be understood that the vertical height of panel 30, that is,'the height from its `lower to its ,upper edge, will be adjusted at the factory so thatwhen vertical panel 30 is' topped with top panel 28, a close-fitting enclosure adapted'to the height of the particular window for which the unit isA designed has been attained. t
ln a building containing 1,000 rooms, for example, it
- is probable that the majority of the window sills will have the same height. It is probable, also, that the radiators 10.will be of the same dimensions in the majority of the rooms; sothe sides 33 ofvertical panel 30 may also be adjusted at the factory to provide a close ft between the rear edges of sides 33 and the wall of the building to the rear of or enclosing the radiator. The two horizontal dimensions of the top panel 28, i. e., its width and breadth, can also be adjusted at the factory to fit the width and depth of the window sills, and thus to span the distance from the window sill to the outer surfaceof the vertical panel 30. By this means, when top panel 28 is laid in place over vertical panel 30, a complete, virtually airtight enclosure for the unit is provided, except for the gri les.
In top panel 28 two grilles 29 and 3l, as shown in Fig. l and in the exploded view of Fig. S, are provided, the grille 29 being primarily for the flow of cool, dehumidil'ied, fresh or room air in the summer time, actuated by the room air blower 22. But cooled dry air will also ow upwardly through grille `31 or 29 whenever the motor 19 is pneumatically powered to drive the direct expansion yequipment in warm weatherif the radiator is used as a muffler and moisture trap. In that arrangement, cooled and very dry air flows from one of the openings, such as 10', in the radiator opposite the inlet for expanded air, which cool dry air, plus that which movies over the exterior spaces between radiator leaves, will ysupplement the cool, dry air from the evaporator coils. Whether the cool, .conditioned air flows both through grilles 29 and 31 or almost exclusively through grille 29 will depend, of course, upon the degree of opening of damper 37. i
Eithertlie grille 31 or the grille29, or both, can be used for circulation of heated air flowing from the top of vradiator 10 in the winter time, when steam is turned on Vand flows .through the radiator. If the damper 37 in the rear wall of the framework isopen, then, by actuationof `the electric motor 34 and room air blower 22, substantially all of the ow of heated air in the winter time will be through the front grille 29. Otherwise,- with damper 37y closed and without the forced draft thus provided, the. flow will be by thermosiphon effect through the lower front grille 32,lthen underneath the frame through channel 35 and then upward over the radiator 10 and, continuing upward, into theroom through rear grille"31.`
It will be understood, of course, that the vertical front and sides of framework 15 may be enclosed in removable thermal and acoustic insulating boards (not shown) or that thesey may be yattached to the vinner surfaces of vertical panel members 30 and 33 and of top .panel-member-28. Also, it will generally bebetter to'face the outer surfaces ofv angle-iron frame15'with strips of thick felt against which the inner surfaces ofthe casing. elements 86 will impnge closely, so as to insure a snug and rattleproof fit, and to prevent leakage of the cooling and the conditioned air streams into one another.
The vertical height of the front and side panels 30 and-33 should generally be one or a few inches more than the height of window sill 11 from the oor of the room; arid the vertical sides of top panel 28 should be six inches or so deep, i. e., sufiicient to cover the vertical sides of duct sections 27 and 27' plus one or a few inches for overlap of the outer edges of-vertical panel faces 30 and 33. The outer surface along these edges may be covered with a thin layer of felt or similar material (not shown) to insure a snug fit between the vertical and top panels.
The top, back corner of sides 33 of the vertical panel should be shaped to fit molding such as that beneath window sill 11 as depicted in Fig. 4. Other details of dimensioning and configuration of the container elements of the. enclosure will be understood and selected by the workers in this art.
Greater efficiency in production of power by expansion of compressed air results when it is heated above room temperatures before expansion. Consequently, when pneumatic drive of the compressor is used, it may often be better to use a water-cooled, i. e., jacketed, Freon com pressor, and to conduct the stream of compressed air owing through motor inlet pipe 35 first to and through the cooling jacket of compressor 17 and then to tle inlet port of a pneumatic motor 19. This connection is not shown in Fig. 4, where compressed air supply pipe 35 is cut away just short of a junction with the jacketed type of Freon compressor 17 there indicated. But, of course, and at will, air supply line 35' can be coupled to the compressor jacket; and the heated compressed air will then flow from an opposite point in the jacket to the inlet port of the air motor through a coupling and air line (not shown) from the outlet of the compressor jacket. Greater heat economy and increased power with a given mass of compressed air s thus achieved; a check valve (also not shown) may be installed in air supply line 35' to prevent back flow of heated compressed air from the jacket of Freon compressor 17 into air inlet pipe 35'.
Also, when the unit is powered by electric motor drive of compressor 17, the couple may be the now almost universally used hermetically sealed type; which is used, of course, to minimize leakage of Freon and which almost invariably occurs only during periods of non-use of the device. I have shown, particularly in Fig. 2, the motor 19 directly connected to the compressor 17 by a shaft 18 and without a housing of any kind enclosing the couple.
It will be noted that compressor 17 is provided with cocks 40 and 41 on the intake and outlet ports of the compressor. These will remain open during the warm season of the year, but will be closed when the heating season arrives and remain closed until the resumption of cooling the following spring. By this expedient the body of Freon vapor and liquid in the tubes, coils, expansion valve, and liquid receiver of the direct expansion device will be hermetically sealed and leakproof during cold seasons of the year; the compressor being then unused, its oiled shaft bearing may gradually become dry. with consequent leakage of Freon through the unlubricated bearing surfaces.
However, the only loss of Freon which can occur while valves 40 and 41 are closed is through such unlubricated bearings; and since the quantity of Freon vapor in a warm compressor which has its valves 40 and 41 closed immediately after its last use in the fall is an inconsiderable portion of the total quantity of Freon in the entire device, any leakage during winter months is confined solely to the compressor and soon establishes such a low internal pressure that further leakage stops; and replacement of any loss by such restricted leakage becomes unnecessary except after a period of quite a few years.
Since the vertical and horizontal panels enclosing the unit can be removed so easily, no diiculty is experienced in attending to any such servicing in early fall and spring. and the same can be completed in a few minutes and in lesser time than is customarily required for semi-annual servicing and cleaning of room cooler units.
It is, of course, within the scope of the invention to 'locate blower 21 at a higher elevation, for example, in
the upper tier of the framework, in which case it could perform the function of the air outlet duct 25 and even a portion of the duct 27.
It will be obvious that installation of the hereinbefore described unit requires no alteration whatsoever of awindow or of a radiator or its enclosure associated with the window, other than the removal, in some instances only, of the front panel of a radiator enclosure; such removed panels can, of course, be restored later at will, if the unit of this improvement should later be moved to another window. lt will also be obvious that all parts of this novel unit will be of standard size and configuration, excepting only the dimensions of panel enclosure sections 28 and 30, which will be dimensioned to fit the more or less uniform dimensions of building windows. Because most buildings have only a few types of windows, usually, thele standardized units can be shifted about a building at wi It is also within the scope of this invention to elevate the entire unit to the top of a window, or adjacent to and secured to the wall or the ceiling above a window. In this type of installation, the air intake and outlet ducts and/ or telescopic spouts will project above the upper edge of the partially lowered upper sash of a window.
lt will be understood that modifications of the unit other than those hereinbefore described may be made without departing from the scope of my invention.
I claim:
l. A compact, all-season, air conditioning' unit for permanent or removable emplacement and use in association with, adjacent to and in front of a heat radiator and a window sill of a room window: comprising an elongated framework, an air-cooled compression-expansion refrigerating device having its elements arranged within the framework, together with cooling fresh air intake and heated air outlet ducts for the compression-expansion device each including a vertical duct section disposed within but at opposite ends of said framework and an elbowed section for horizontal disposition relatively to the window sill above and substantially at opposite ends thereof, said vertical and elbowed sections being adapted for telescopic joining to afford continuous passageways therethrough for air stream ow respectively from and to the window line and through said compression-expansion device; and a removable housing which comprises a vertical front and side panel member and a substantially horizontal top lid member assemblable therewith, said members being dimensioned and adapted for cooperation with a wall of a room and the sill of the window to encase said ducts, heat radiator, device and framework.
2. An air conditioning unit according to claim 1,
wherein the framework is provided with an upper and a lower supporting tier and the vertically disposed ducts are positioned in the upper tier of said framework. 3. An air conditioning unit according to claim l, wherein the lower and top panel members are provided, respectively, with grilled openings for ow of room air to the unit and for flow of cooled or heated air from the unit and the grilled openings of'-the top panel member are centrally disposed between said horizontally disposed sections of the ducts for intake air and outlet air.
4. A compact room air conditioning system including an attachment to be located adjacent to a window sill and comprising in combination a compressed air supply pipe, a sound muffler, a cold-air expansion engine connected to said pipe and arranged to exhaust its cold air into the room through said muffler, and a load driven by said motor comprising an air-cooled direct-expansion air conditioning device adapted to supplement the room cooling elr'ect of said cold-air exhaust, whereby a materially improved operating eiciency is attained, and air inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used to cool said device, said ducts being arranged, for compactness, at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover to the window line.
5. A compact air conditioning attachment for piped room air heating equipment located adjacent to a window sill and having means for supplying compressed air to said system comprising a cold-air expansion motor including means connectable with the discharge side of the motor for delivery of the expanded air to the room to be cooled and a load for the motor comprising an air-cooled direct-expansion air conditioning device of the type employing a.volatile refrigerant as the working uid, said device being adapted to supplement the effect of said cold air from the motor, and air inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used to cool said device,
said ducts being arranged, for compactness, at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends of he window sill and extending thereover to the window 6. A compact room air cooling and dehumidifying attachment for piped steam and hot water heating systems comprising in combustion a sound muler, a cold-air expansion motor arranged for connection of its inlet to pipes of said system and of its outlet to said muffler to discharge cold air into the room, and a load for said motor located adjacent to a window sill and comprising an air-cooled direct-expansion air conditioning device for supplementing the cooling effect of said cold air from the motor, and air inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used to cool the device, said ducts being arranged, for compactness, at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover to the window line.
7. A compact, self-contained, room air conditioning unit located adjacent to a window sill and a radiator of a heating system and arranged to be cooled by a stream of outside air flowing to and from the unit over said window sill, comprising a direct-expansion refrigerating device located adjacent to the window and comprising a volatile liquid refrigerant compressor and an air-cooled condensing coil for cooling the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve, and an evaporating coil to cool and dehumidify air to be conditioned, a cold-air expansion engine arranged to drive said refrigerant compressor by expansion of compressed air to be delivered from a distant source of supply` through pipes of the heating system, said engine being arranged to discharge its cold air into the room to supplement the air conditioning effect of said device, and inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used for cooling said device, arranged for compactness at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends af the window sill and extending thereover to the window ine.
8. A compact, self-contained, room air conditioning unit located adjacent to a window sill and a radiator of a heating system and arranged to be cooled by a stream of outside air owing to and from the unit over said window sill, comprising a direct-expansion refrigerating device located adjacent to the window and comprising a volatile liquid refrigerant compressor and an air-cooled condensing coil for cooling the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve, and an evaporating coil to cool and dehumidify air to be conditioned, a cold-air expansion engine arranged to drive said refrigerant compressor by expansion of compressed air to be delivered from a distant source of supply through pipes of the heating system, said engine being arranged to discharge its cold air into the room through the said radiator of the heating system to supplement the air conditioning effect of said device, and inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used for cooling said device, arranged for compactness at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover to the window line.
9. A compact, self-contained, room air conditioningunit located adjacent to a window sill and a radiator of a heating system and arranged to be cooled by a stream of outside air flowing to and from the unit over said window sill, comprising a direct-expansion refrigerating device located adjacent to the window and comprising a volatile liquid refrigerant compressor and an air-cooled condensing coil for cooling the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve, and an evaporating coil to cool and dehumidify air to be conditioned, a cold-air expansion engine arranged to drive said refrigerant compressor by expansion of compressed air to be delivered from a distant source of supply through pipes of the heating system, said engine being arranged to discharge its cold air into the room to supplement the air conditioning effect of said cold air exhaust from the expansion motor into the room to be cooled, and a load for said motor comprising a device having an air-cooled, volatile liquid refrigerant compressor, and condensing and evaporating coils, for enhancing the room cooling effect of the cold air exhaust, and air inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream for condensing the compressed refrigerant, arranged for compactness at the ends of the longitudinal axis of the said device and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover to the window line.
11. A sectional, all-season, packaged air conditioning device of the character described, adapted for assembly and to be installed beneath-the window of a room and, in association with the wall thereof, to house and enclose the room air heating, cooling, and circulating means of central air conditioning systems, said device comprising: an elongated, sectional cabinet means adapted to encase the device and including vertical front and side walls and a horizontal top wall; an elongated framework adapted to fit within the cabinet; a vertical partition wall adapted to extend lengthwise within said cabinet means parallel to and to be spaced from the wall of the room beneath the window behind the framework to afford an elongated rear compartment adapted to house the heating means; horizontal partition walls supported by the framework and adapted to extend forwardly from said veitical wall to the front of said cabinet means to afford narrow, elongated bottom, medial, and upper front compartments, the latter two compartments adapted to house air circulating and refrigerating means, and the bottom compartment adapted to afford an intake duct for room air to be conditioned; means for owing a cooling stream of fresh air into and through said device, comprising an open-ended air-inlet duct member adapted to be superimposed upon the sill or' the window at a side thereof and to extend from the window line and over the sill and through the cabinet means beneath said top wall and to discharge fresh air into a front compartment at an end portion thereof; a similar open-ended, heated air outlet duct member adapted to extend to the window line and to be superimposed upon said sill at the opposite side thereof, spaced apart from said inlet duct member, and similarly to communicate with the opposite end portion of said front compartment, and adapted thereby to afford ow of fresh air streams therethrough to remove heat from said refrigerating means and to discharge spent heated air to the external atmosphere; a conditioned-air outlet means adapted to deliver conditioned air to the room and to be located within the cabinet means in the upper region thereof between said fresh air inlet and outlet duct members; and damper means adapted to'control and direct flow of air streams through and out of the said device when it is assembled, installed and operated.
l2. A compact, narrow, elongated room cooling unit adapted for emplacement adjacent to and beneath a window and window sill of a room, said cooling unit cornprising the elements of an air-cooled, compression-expansion-condensation refrigerating device of the type employing a volatile refrigerant as the working uid; an elongated framework adapted to support the refrigerating device; and an intake duct for the fresh-air stream to remove heat of compresssion from the refrigerating device and a heated-air stream outlet duct adapted to be spaced apart and disposed for compactness at opposite ends of said 65. framework, said ducts being adapted to extend through the device, inlet and outlet ducts for the outside air stream to be used for cooling said device, arranged for compactness at the ends of the longitudinal axis of said device, and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover tothe window line, and a grille for ow of conditioned air therethrough located in the upper surface of said unit and between said inlet and outlet ducts.
10. A compact room air cooling unit located adjacent to a window sill and a piped source of compressed air, comprising a compressed air expansion motor adapted to back of said framework near the top and ends thereof and at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover at least to the window line; and a removable casing dimensioned to lit over and to cover said window sill and to encase said device and ducts.
13. A room cooling unit according to claim 12, wherein a conditioned air outlet means is provided and adapted to be located between said fresh-air intake and heated-air outlet ducts.
14. A compact, room cooling unit adapted for emplacement adjacent to and in front of a window and window sill of a room, said cooling unit comprising a removable cabinet means; an air-cooled, direct-expansion refrigerating device of the type employing a volatile refrigerant as the working uid; a narrow, elongated framework adapted to support said refrigerating device within said cabinet means and adapted to have the cooling-air intake and heated-air outlet ducts thereof disposed respectively at the ends of be connected to said source, means for discharging the 86 said framework and within said cabinet means. said ducts fil being adapted to extend throu the back of said framework:near ,tl1e top and ends ereof and to be disposed at opposite ends of the window sill and extending thereover at .least to the window line; and a duct for ow of r conditioned air from the unit into a room, adapted to be located in the upper portion of the unit and in the region between said inlet and outlet ducts; said cabinet means comprising a vertical front and side panel member and a substantially horizontal top lid member assemblable therewith, said members being dimensioned and adapted for cooperation with a wall of the room and the sill of the window to t over and to encase said ducts, device and framework.
Shurtlei June 10, 1924 Askin May 8, 1934 Roessler Nov. 26, 1935 Sargent Mar. 22, 1938 Carrier et al. May 31, 1938 Thatcher June 3, 1941 Bolcom July 22, 1941 Shrock Aug. 5, 1941 Smith Dec. 9, 1941 Thatcher Ian. l5, 1952
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Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1497031A (en) * 1922-02-10 1924-06-10 Moline Heat Heating and ventilating apparatus
US1958225A (en) * 1932-03-30 1934-05-08 Fedders Mfg Co Inc Ventilating and air conditioning apparatus
US2022523A (en) * 1934-07-27 1935-11-26 Gen Electric Air conditioning apparatus
US2112221A (en) * 1933-06-03 1938-03-22 Campbell Metal Window Corp Ventilating and air treating unit
US2119127A (en) * 1938-05-31 Ventilating and conditioning
US2244319A (en) * 1939-08-05 1941-06-03 Charles J Thatcher Piped air-conditioning and heating system
US2250352A (en) * 1939-08-22 1941-07-22 Clarence A Bolcom Air conditioning device
US2251764A (en) * 1938-12-31 1941-08-05 Mechanovent Corp Housing
US2265497A (en) * 1935-03-29 1941-12-09 Gen Motors Corp Refrigerating apparatus
US2582297A (en) * 1945-04-10 1952-01-15 Charles J Thatcher Air conditioning unit and expansion motor therefor

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2119127A (en) * 1938-05-31 Ventilating and conditioning
US1497031A (en) * 1922-02-10 1924-06-10 Moline Heat Heating and ventilating apparatus
US1958225A (en) * 1932-03-30 1934-05-08 Fedders Mfg Co Inc Ventilating and air conditioning apparatus
US2112221A (en) * 1933-06-03 1938-03-22 Campbell Metal Window Corp Ventilating and air treating unit
US2022523A (en) * 1934-07-27 1935-11-26 Gen Electric Air conditioning apparatus
US2265497A (en) * 1935-03-29 1941-12-09 Gen Motors Corp Refrigerating apparatus
US2251764A (en) * 1938-12-31 1941-08-05 Mechanovent Corp Housing
US2244319A (en) * 1939-08-05 1941-06-03 Charles J Thatcher Piped air-conditioning and heating system
US2250352A (en) * 1939-08-22 1941-07-22 Clarence A Bolcom Air conditioning device
US2582297A (en) * 1945-04-10 1952-01-15 Charles J Thatcher Air conditioning unit and expansion motor therefor

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