US2782982A

US2782982A - Air impeller and motor unit

Info

Publication number: US2782982A
Application number: US415760A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth A Merz
Original assignee: Torrington Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Madison Management Group Inc
Priority date: 1954-03-12
Filing date: 1954-03-12
Publication date: 1957-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1974-02-26

Description

Feb. 26, 1957 K. A. MER'Z AIR IMPELLER AND MOTOR UNIT Filed March 12. 1954 INVENTOR. KENNETH A. MERZ W H/W A TTORNE Y United States Patent AIR IMPELLER AND MOTOR UNIT Kenneth A. Merz, Cornwall, Conm, assignor to The Torrington Manufacturing Company, Torrington, Conn a corporation of Connecticut Application March 12, 1954, Serial No. 415,760

4 Claims. (Cl. 230-417) The invention relates to an air impeller and motor unit of the type wherein there is an outer generally cylindrical housing and wherein there is a generally cylindrical smaller shell within the housing and connected therewith, an annular air passageway being provided between the housing and the shell. An electric motor is located within the shell and at least one air impeller driven by the motor serves to move air through the said annular passageway.

One object of the invention is to provide a unit of the typespecified having improved means for connecting the motor with the shell so as to be supported thereby. In accordance with the invention the said means comprises two 'discs which are connected with the motor at opposite ends thereof, the said discs engaging the shell to be centered with respect thereto and further engaging the shell to prevent movement of the discs toward each other.

The said discs thus cooperate with the shell to hold the a motor in fixed relationship with the shell.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a unit of the type specified havingtwo air impellers drivenby the motor and located within the housing adjacent the opposite ends of the shellso that air movement through the unit is effected in two successive stages.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and from the following description and" claims. I

In the drawing I have shown in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it willbe understood that various changes may be made from the construction shown, and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of an air impeller and motor unit embodying the-invention, this view being taken along the line 1-1 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a left end'view with the left impeller omitted.

Fig. 3 is a right end view.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top .view. with a portionof the outer housing broken to show interior parts.

As shown in the drawing, an outer generally cylindrical housing 10 is provided which is preferably'formed of sheet metal. The housing is shown as positioned horizontally but the invention is notso limited.

Located concentrically within the housing 1%) and be-- tween the ends thereof is a smaller and shorter generally cylindrical shell 12, preferably also formed of sheet metal. An annular space or passageway is provided within the housing 10 and around the shell 12 for the movement of air longitudinally through the unit. The shell 12 may comprise a sheet of metal bent or coiled to the required cylindrical shape, the abutting ends of the sheet being connected in any suitable manner.

The shell 12 is connected with the housing 10 and is held in place by a plurality of generally radial members 14, 14, preferably formed of sheet metal. As shown in Fig. 2, there are eight members 14, 14 butthexnumber.

of such members may be varied. The members-.14; 14

may be connected with the housing and with the shell in any suitable manner but as shown each member 14 is provided with outer tongues 16, 16 which extendthroughzi slots in the housing. It) and with inner tongues 18,18 which extend through slots in the shell 12. The. ends of the tongues on each member are bent or upset to firmly connect the member with the housing and .with the shell.

An electric motor 20 is positioned within the shell; 12, the casing of the motor preferably being generally eylindrical and having a diameter substantially less than.

The motor 20 has a" shaft 21 with at that of the shell. least one portion projecting from the casing at the cor-' responding end thereof, and preferably the shaft has two projecting portions projecting from the casing at opposite ends thereof. be widely varied, but as shown the said casing has end projections 22 and 24 concentric with the shaft and has fiat transverse faces surrounding the said projections.

The motor 21} is rigidly connected with the shell 12 by means of two similar mounting discs 26 and 28, preferably formed of drawn sheet metal. The inner portions of the two discs are connected with the motor 20 at the opposite ends thereof. The peripheral portions of the said discs are engageable with the shell to be centered with respect thereto and are further engaged with the shell to prevent movement of the discs toward each other. Thus the two discs cooperate with the shell to hold the motor in fixed relationship with the said shell.

When the motor casing is shaped as shown and described, the inner portion 30- of each of the mounting discs 26 and 28 is fiat and is directly engageable with the corresponding flat transverse face of the motor casing; and each said inner portion 30 iscentrally'apertured' to .clear the corresponding motor casing projection 22" or 2 Each of the said discs 26 and 28 preferably has a peripheral annular portion 32 which fits within the shell 12 and each of the said discs preferably has a peripheral annular flange 34 which abuts against the corresponding Each of the said discs has a pref- -f erably conical portion 36 which connects-the inner-poo end of the shell 12.

tion 30 with the annular portion 32.

During assembly the motor is centrallylocated as" shown and the discs 26 and 28 are put in place approximately as shown. Means is provided for'forcing the inner portion 300i at least one of the discs into'engagement with the corresponding transverse motor face. The longitudinal dimensions of the discs 26, 28 and of the shell 12 and of the motor 20 are so related that the discs are slightly, distorted when their saidinner portions are in engagement with the said motor faces, the resultbeing that the motor is firmly held in fixed relationship with'the" shell.

Preferably

bolts

38, 38 are provided for-forcing the 1 inner portions of both discs against'the said motor faces; The bolts preferably extend through 'the motor .and-

through holes in the

discs portions

30, 30;and they'are. provided with nuts 40, 40. When the nuts 40;. 40'. are" tightened, the

portions

30, 30 of both:discs.-are forced Patented Feb. 26, 1957 The shape of the motor casing can is supported at both ends and not merely at one end as has been the usual practice in units of this general type. Thus the motor is so supported that it has little or no vibration.

The motor is spaced inwardly from the shell 12 and therefore projections on the motor casing, such as the member 51, do not in any way affect or interfere with the motor mounting. Furthermore, by providing dif ferently shaped discs 26 and 28, if necessary, motors of different sizes and shapes may be mounted without any change in other parts.

At least one rotatable air impeller is located within the housing adjacent one end of the motor and adjacent the corresponding end of the shell 12. The impeller is connected to and driven by the projecting portion of the motor shaft. Preferably there are two

similar impellers

52 and 54 at opposite ends of the motor 20 and at opposite ends of the shell 12. T he two impellers are respectively connected to and driven by the two projecting portions of the motor shaft 21. These impellers are identical in construction but are in relatively reversed positions. A description of the right or second stage impeller 54 will snfiice for both of them.

The impeller 54 comprises a sheet metal cup member 56 connected with a hub 58, the hub being connected with the motor shaft 21 by a set screw 69. The cup member has a cylindrical peripheral portion 62 which preferably has the same diameter as the shell 12. The edge of the peripheral cup portion 62 is preferably closely adjacent the corresponding edge of the shell. Radially extending air

engaging blades

64, 64 are secured to the said peripheral portion 62 of the cup member. The number of

blades

64, 64 may be varied but five blades are shown. Each blade 64 preferably has a generally helical shape as shown in Fig. 4. The blades may be connected with the peripheral cup portion 62 in any suitable manner but as shown each blade has two tabs 66, 66 which enter properly located depressions 68, 68 formed in the said cup portion 62. The tabs may be held in place in the depressions by spot welding or by rivets, and as shown there are

rivets

70, 70.

In operation when two air impellers are provided as preferred, the two impellers are rotated by the motor, their blades moving in paths respectively adjacent the opposite ends of the said annular passageway between the housing and the shell. Air engaged by the blades of the first stage impeller 52 is forced toward the right through. the said annular passageway. The before-clescribed members 14, 14 which connect the shell 12 with the housing 10 also serve as straightening vanes for controlling the movement of air through the said annular passageway. The vanes prevent the air from moving rotatively or .helically in the said passageway and they cause it to move generally longitudinally. To better control the air movement the members or vanes 14, 14 are preferably arcuate in shape as best shown in Fig. 4. Air delivered through the said annular passageway is engaged by the blades of the second stage impeller 54 and is delivered toward the right at a higher speed or at a higher pressure or both.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an air impeller and motor unit, the combination of an outer housing, a shell smaller than the housing and centrally located therein so that an annular air passageway is provided between the housing and the shell,

circumaxially spaced members extending across the said passageway and rigidly connecting the shell with the housing, a motor centrally located within the shell and having a casing with a diameter smaller than that of the shell which motor has a drive shaft with a projecting portion, two similar oppositely positioned motor support ing discs having their inner portions rigidly connected with the motor at opposite ends thereof, the said discs engaging the shell so as to be centered with respect thereto and further engaging the shell so as to prevent movement of the discs toward each other whereby the said discs serve to hold the motor in fixed relationship with the said shell, and a rotatable air impeller within the housing adjacent one end of the shell and connected with the projecting portion of the motor shaft which impeller has air engaging blades movable in a path adjacent the one end of the said annular passageway.

2. An air impeller and motor unit as set forth in claim I, wherein the motor supporting discs have annular portions fitting within the shell near the ends thereof and also have annular flanges engaging the ends of the shell.

3. In an air impeller and motor unit, the combination of an outer housing, a shell smaller than the housing and centrally located therein so that an annular air passageway is provided betwecn the housing and the shell, circumaxially spaced members extending across the said passageway and rigidly connecting the shell with the housing, a motor centrally located within the shell and having a casing with a diameter smaller than that of the shell provided with transverse faces adjacent the ends thereof which motor has a drive shaft with a projecting portion, two similar oppositely positioned motor supporting discs having inner portions adjacent the said transverse motor faces and engageable therewith and having peripheral portions engaging the shell so as to be centered with respect thereto and further engaging the shell so as to prevent movement of the discs toward each other, means for forcing the said inner portion of at least one of the discs into engagement with the corresponding transverse motor face, the longitudinal dimensions of the said discs and of the said shell and of the said motor being so related that the discs are slightly distorted when their inner portions are in engagement with the said motor faces with the result that the motor is firmly held in fixed relationship with the shell, and a rotatable air impeller Within the housing adjacent one end of the shell and connected with the projecting portion of the motor shaft which impeller has air engaging blades movable in a path adjacent the one end of the said annular passageway.

4. An air impeller and motor unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for forcing the said inner portion of at least one of the discs into engagement with the corresponding transverse motor face includes bolts which extend through the motor and through holes in the inner portions of the discs for forcing the said inner portions of both discs against the corresponding motor faces.

References Cited in the. file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,073 Bothezat June 2i, 1938 2,323,456 Curley et al. July 6, 1943 2,488,945 Troller et al. Nov. 22, 1949 2,639,087 Goede May 19, 1953