US2720938A - Louver construction - Google Patents

Description

P. L. GATES LOUVER CONSTRUCTION Oct. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1952 F|G.|O. i

m Z F 6 6 PINER LYNFI'INIEELEZ Oct. 18, 1955 FIG. l2.

FIG. I4.

PINER LYNN CATES United States Patent ()fiice 2,720,938 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 LOUVER CONSTRUCTION Piner Lynn Cates, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application August 25, 1952, Serial No. 306,238

1 Claim. (Cl. 183-75) This invention relates to a louver construction for use in the removal of moisture or drops of liquids from streams of air or the like. The invention is useful in the removal of water from a gaseous stream and, particularly, in the removal of water from air in air cooling systems.

An object of this invention is to provide a louver construction which may be manufactured in quantity rapidly, easily, and economically, rendering it available for widespread use.

A particular object is to provide a louver construction including a one-piece section of louvers. A further object is to provide a construction including a louver section which may be manufactured from a single sheet of material, employing blanking and forming dies to produce sections of louvers.

An additional object is to provide a louver construction including a louver section which will receive a like section nested in it, to increase the number of louvers in the path of an air stream or the like when desired.

Another object is to provide a louver construction including a plurality of louver sections positioned in side by side relation, wherein the individual sections are so constructed that they may be positioned with their louvers positioned reversely with respect to each adjacent section. A further object is to furnish a construction including spacers on each section cooperating with adjoining sections to automatically position the sections in correct relation.

An important object of this invention is to provide a louver construction for use in evaporative air coolers, particularly the home and small building type of cooler. Air coolers of this type must be manufactured to sell at low price, to make them available to the public. At the same time, they must be relatively small, to be installed in and accommodated by small buildings. They must also be durable and efiicient while easily assembled and disassembled. Heretofore, there have been supplied units which include porous mats of excelsior or the like, or other materials over which water is caused to flow and through which air is passed for cooling. Such units have a number of objectionable features. The mats become filled with dirt, requiring disassembly and repacking with new material. Channeling of the water frequently results, decreasing the cooling resulting. It is ditficult to regulate the porosity of the mats to give proper cooling and sufiicient flow of air. Breaks and thin sections may occur in the mats, leaving the interior of a room visible from the outside and decreasing the efliciency. The moisture content of the air is often excessive, there being inadequate or no provision for water removal after cooling. It is therefore an object of the invention to eliminate these and other objectionable features by providing a louver construction which is positioned in the path of a stream of cool, wet air, such as results from the passage of warmer air through a spray or stream of water. Although the new construction could be added to the mat type cooler if desired, eliminating some of the disadvantages of the latter, there is no longer need for mats or the like, and they can be replaced entirely by louvers.

Additional objects include: Providing a louver construction suitable for a variety of uses and which can be positioned however desired, horizontally, vertically or otherwise; providing a construction including means for restricting the movement of separated liquid and allowing it to drain away; and providing a construction which can be placed in a gas stream parallel or perpendicular to the path of flow.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawing of preferred embodiments of the invention, in which the various parts are identified by like reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a broken lower perspective view of a louver section embodying the features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a broken lower elevational view of the louver section of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of two louver sections of the type in Figure 1, in side by side relation, one section being nested in the other;

Figure 4 is an enlarged broken upper perspective view of two louver sections with their spacer flanges projecting oppositely to those shown in the foregoing views, one

' section being nested in the other in the manner shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a broken lower elevational view of the louver sections shown in Figure 4, from the reverse side thereof;

Figure 6 is a broken elevational view of a lower corner of another construction of a louver section;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view of a louver construction, showing an alternate position of a baflie;

Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of a louver construction, showing nested pairs of louver sections parallel to each other and in side by side relation and with the louvers of each pair positioned reversely with respect to those of adjacent pairs, and indicating the path of air flow therethrough;

Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of a louver construction, showing two louver sections in side by side relation and with the louvers of each section positioned reversely with respect to those of the other section, and indicating the path of air flow;

Figure 10 is a broken upper end elevational view of two louver sections in side by side relation and with the louvers of each section positioned reversely with respect to those of the other section.

Figure 11 is a broken perspective view of a louver section including the baflie' position shown in Figure 7;

Figure 12 is a broken lower perspective view of two nested louver sections having the baflie position shown in Figure 7;

Figures 13 and 14 are schematic plan views of louver constructions containing sections of the type shown in Figure 11 and indicating the path of air flow; and

Figures 15 and 16 are schematic plan views of alternate louver constructions having baflie position shown in Figure 7 and indicating the path of air flow.

The louver section 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a body 2 of sheet material, a row of substantially parallel equidistantly spaced louvers 3 integral with the body at the inner edge 4 of each louver and projecting laterally and angularly from the body. In preferred construction, the louvers 3 project at acute angles from the body 2, angles of about degrees being further preferred for high efficiency. For certain purposes, the louvers may project at right angles from the body, as shown in Figures 15 and 16. The outer edge 5 of each louver is substantially parallel to its inner edge 4, and a baflle 6 is formed in each louver along and projecting laterally from its outer edge. Alternatively, a bafiie 612 may be formed in each louver along its inner edge 4 and on the opposite side of the louver from the baflie 6, as shown in Figure 7, for example.

The body 2 has a row of generally rectangular openings 7, each of which corresponds in size and shape to a louver 3. When a louver section is constructed by blanking and forming a sheet'of materiaL preferably ductile, corrosionresistant metal, the louvers 3 are partly cut out of the sheet, leaving in the body 2 the openings 7 which follow the outlines of the louvers before the baflies 6 or 6a are formed. The operative surface of the louvers 3 and their baffles 6 overlie part of their corresponding openings 7. To provide maximum capacity, there is provided between adjacent louvers 3 inwardly extending portions of the body 2 merely suflicient to secure the louvers to the body, these portions being numbered 8 in Figure 1, showing triangular portions of the body integral with the inner edges 4 of the louvers 3, and 9 in Figure 6, showing a rounded edge on each portion. Referring to Figures 2 and 6, in the preferred construction, the distance a between successive portionsS, or 9, is at least one-half the distance b between corresponding edges of successive portions. As will appear, this construction allows for equidistant spacing of louvers in an assembly of nested louver sections.

At each of the upper and lower edges of the body 2 is a spacer flange 10, integral with and projecting perpendicularly from the body for a distance preferably as great as or greater than the perpendicular distancefrom the edgesS of the louvers 3 to the body 2, as shown in Figures 3 and 10. The spacer flange automatically spaces the louver sections 1 properly when positioned alongside of each other. The flanges 10 are shown as projecting over the louvers 3, as in Figure 1, and in the opposite direction from the louvers, as in Figure 4, the former con struction being preferred. The flanges 10 also act as basesin the sections 1.

The louver sections 1 are assembled to form a construction wherein at least two sections are positioned side by side and nested within each other or having their bodies spaced at least as far as their louvers project, or a combination of both constructions. In a preferred construction, sections are arranged side by side with the louvers of one section reversed with respect to those of the other, as shown in Figures 9, 10, 13 and 14. The reversal is accomplished by rotating the ends of one section 180 degrees about its transverse axis. With the preferred angles of about 60 degrees between the louvers 3 and the body 2, the louvers overlie their corresponding openings 7 for about one-half of the width of the openings. When the distances a and b are then as described above, an additional louver section 1 may be nested in each section with the'resulting alternate louvers spaced equidistantly, as shown in Figures}, 4, 5, 8, l2 and 13, doubling the louver surface in the path of air flow and extending completely across the openings 7. With the distance a just one-half the distance b, equidistant spacing is easily ,achieved. Alternatively, more than two sections can be nested within each other.

Louver sections 1 wherein the louvers 3 project at right angles from the body 2 may be arranged in side by side relation and with the louvers of each section facing in the same direction, as shown for example in Figure 15,

efiective length along the path of air flow is generally employed.

In use, a plurality of the louver sections 1 is assembled, and the assembly is inserted in a system designed for the removal of water from air, for example, in the path of flow of the air, in a manner such as illustrated in Figures 8, 9, or l316, the air flowing as indicated by the arrows. Rows of single sections, as in Figure 9, or of nested pairs of sections, as in Figure 8, or a combination of the two may be employed as desired. One set of nested sections may suffice for some purposes. As wet air strikes the louvers 3, water separates from the air and collects on the louvers, draining down their sides. The stream of air will move some of the separated water forwardly on the louvers, and the baflies 6 check this water flow and prevent the water from being carried back into the air stream, the water draining down the bafiles instead. When the baflies 6a are employed along the inner edges 4 of the louvers, instead of the baifles 6 along the outer edges 5, thedirection of air flow through the louver sections 1 is reversed, with the operative surfaces of the louvers 3 and their baffles 6a overlying part of the openings 7 on an adjacent section 1. In some constructions, a bafiie may be unnecessary or undesirable and therefore omitted, as

shown in Figure 6. Other positions of the louver sections 1 furnish the same or similar results.

The invention is not limited to the specific constructions shown and described, but may be made in many ways within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A louver construction and arrangement comprising rectangular bodies of sheet material, each said body having a row of parallel louvers integrally formed therein and connected with said body at their ends only, all of said louvers in each said body angularly projecting from the same surface thereof, perpendicular flanges formed along opposite sides of said bodies, the widths of said flanges being at least equal to the projecting distance of said louvers relative to said body surfaces, bafiies on the extending edges of said louvers, said bodies being in aligned parallel relation with respect to each other and having adjacent said flanges in contact therewith, and a rectangular housing having openings in opposite ends thereof, said bodies being snugly received in said housing and transversely positioned with respect to the opening therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,434,154 San Oct. 31, 1922 1,616,297 Alber Feb. 1, 1927 1,761,177 Bradshaw et al June 3, 1930 1,855,381 Bubar Apr. 26, 1932 1,883,456 Ashley Oct. 18, 1932 1,896,656 Anderson Feb. 7, 1933 2,357,734 Haber Sept. 5, 1944 2,506,273 Linderoth May 2, 1950

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