US2705973A - Turning vane and conduit structure - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1955 w TURNING VANE AND CONDUIT STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 24, 1950 f I {F .f if

X dm A TTORNEYS United States Patent TURNING VANE AND CONDUIT STRUCTURE Jack W. Kice, Wichita, Kans., assignor to The Coleman Company, Inc., Wichita, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Application November 24, 1950, Serial No. 197,304

3 Claims. (Cl. 13839) This invention relates to a turning vane and conduit structure. The invention is particularly useful in connection with conduits having bends therein through which fluids are turned at rather sharp angles.

In conduits or casing structures having bends which cause the stream of air or other fluid to be turned at rather sharp angles, turning vanes are secured within the bend portion so as to prevent the air, etc. from packing at the bend and to cause it to flow evenly with a minimum of loss of velocity into the passage lying in the new direction. Such varies are fabricated upon frame members and involve substantial expense while at the same time the parts work loose and there are vibrating noises which occur as a result of the high air or fluid velocities.

I have discovered that by the use of a new design, a single plate can be made to provide the vanes while at the same time requiring a minimum of bending and weakening of the vanes. I have further discovered that by supporting the plate in a diagonal or angular position at the bend of the casing, the vanes can be turned a relatively short distance and with relatively little twistingto provide downwardly and forwardly curved surfaces wh ch are effective in directing the fluid around the bend with a minimum of friction.

An object of the invention is to provide a single plate structure equipped with integral vanes effective for the above described purposes. A further object is to provide in combination with a casing having a bend therein providing angularly related communicating passages, a plate structure supported within the casing adjacent the bend and providing integral vanes which are held rigidly against vibration for evenly guiding the current of air about the bend. A still further object is to provide within a casing having a bend therein providing angularly related passages, a plate equipped with flanges for anchoring the plate in a diagonal position substantially centered with respect to the bend while affording integral turning vanes. A still further object is to provide a plate equipped with integral turning vanes having flanges for supporting the plate within a bent passage while providing integral tapering strips or gussets at the point of twisting of the vanes whereby a sturdy support at the point of twisting is provided for the vanes. Other specific ob ects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment by the accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a turning vane plate embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view showing the turning vane plate in position within a conduit; and Fig. 3, a developed view or top plan view of a die-cut plate from which the vanes have not yet been drawn and the flanges have not yet been turned.

In the illustration given, designates a casing which is bent or turned at 11 so as to provide a vertically extending passage 12 and a forwardly extending passage 13. In the illustration given, the forwardly extending passage 13 terminates to provide an outlet. It will be understood that the present invention is applicable to any casing having a bend therein providing thus angularly related and communicating passages. The invention is particularly useful in an air mixer device of the character shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 760,572, filed July 12, 1947, and now abandoned.

In one phase of my invention, I die-cut a plate 14, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The lower metal segment, as indicated by the numeral 15, may be entirely removed to form a passage 15a, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The upper Patented Apr. 12, 1955 segments 16 are preferably slitted only along a U-shaped line which leaves a flared neck portion 17 connecting each portion 16 to the plate, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thereafter each of the flared segments 16 is bent rearwardly in a curved manner to form the vanes 18 as illustrated best in Figs. 1 and 2. The bending of the vanes rearwardly thus leaves flow spaces 19 between the vanes.

In the specific illustration given, the marginal top portion of the plate 14 is bent forwardly to form an attachment flange 20 and the marginal bottom portion of the plate is similarly bent forward to form a flange 21. The flanges 20 and 21 may be secured to the casing 10 by spot welding as indicated at 22 in Fig. 2. The body of plate 14 may be thus supported at an oblique or diagonal position and substantially in the central portion of the bend 11. By thus supporting the plate 14 in the inclined position shown at the bend, it is unnecessary to turn the vanes 18 to any great extent and a relatively slight twist ing of the vanes is sufficient to bring the vanes to the rearwardly and downwardly curved positions shown, in which they are effective for guiding the air streams around the bend.

Operation In the operation of the structure shown, the plate 14 may be formed as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The blank plate is die-cut to eliminate the strip 15 and thus provide space 15a. The remaining segments 16 thereabove are rounded at their corners and are provided with flaring gusset or neck portions connecting them to the plate, thus reinforcing the vanes at their point of connection with the plate and where the vanes are twisted. The vanes are curved and turned to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The stream of air arising vertically through passage 14 strikes the vanes 18 and is passed in a plurality of guiding current portions forwardly into the passage 13. If the passage 13 is employed as a discharge passage, the air streams will be deflected forwardly from the discharge opening. By inclining the plate 14 within bend 11, the vanes 18 are turned a minimum of distance while at the same time reaching downwardly so as to divide the rising stream and direct it smoothly in a forward direction toward the passage 13. The inexpensive structure thus provided is also effective by reason of its integral construction in eliminating vibration noises and providing a sturdy unitary turning vane structure.

While I have shown the flanges 20 and 21 turned in a forward direction, it will be understood that these may be turned in different directions while still providing the inclined plate 14 carrying the integral vanes. The finished plate structure is readily secured in position within the bend portion of the casing by spot welding or other suitable means.

The sides 24 of the plate 14 are preferably turned down at about to stilfen the plate and also reduce the area of interference with air-flow at the edges.

While in the foregoing specification I have shown a single structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the details of structure thereof may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A turning vane structure adapted for mounting in the bend of a flow conduit, comprising a plate having laterally turned marginal edges adapted to extend along the walls of a flow conduit, said plate having a plurality of parallel, generally U-shaped slits extending thereacross with the legs of each U-shaped slit terminating adjacent said marginal edges, said slits providing tongues therebetween extending substantially from one marginal edge of the plate to the other, said tongues being curved laterally to provide a plurality of turning vanes integral with said plate, and said turning vanes being spaced apart and having unobstructed flow passages throughout the entire areas therebetween, whereby said plate throughout substantially its entire area provides a bank of turning vanes with unobstructed flow passages completely filling the spaces therebetween.

2. In an air flow structure, a casing having a bend therein providing angularly-related communicating passages, and a turning vane plate secured to said casing and extending in an inclined plane across said bend within said casing, said plate having laterally turned marginal edges extending along the walls of said casing, said plate having a plurality of parallel, generally U-shaped slits extending thereacross with the legs of each U-shaped slit terminating adjacent said marginal edges, said slits providing tongues therebetween extending substantially from one marginal edge of the plate to the other, said tongues being curved laterally to provide a plurality of turning vanes integral with said plate for directing the flow of air through said casing from one angularly-related passage to the other, said turning vanes being spaced apart and said plate providing in the entire areas between the vanes unobstructed flow passages, whereby said plate provides throughout substantially its entire area alternate turning vanes and unobstructed flow passages with the result that minimum obstruction to the free flow of air through said angularly-related passages is afiorded.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said laterally curved tongues and laterally turned marginal edges extend in the same general direction, and in which said plate is equipped at its top and bottom with angularly extending flanges adapted to secure the plate within said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 26,438 Lathrop Dec. 13, 1859 1,996,596 Smith Apr. 2, 1935 2,096,272 Young Oct. 19, 1937 2,115,720 Holmes May 3, 1938 2,134,649 Will et a1 Oct. 25, 1938 2,381,345 Greenlaw Aug. 7, 1945 2,383,639 Ferguson Aug. 28, 1945 2,509,016 Peterson May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 819,028 France Oct. 8, 1937

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