US2959195A

US2959195A - Air guide device

Info

Publication number: US2959195A
Application number: US689425A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin M Gracer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-10-10
Filing date: 1957-10-10
Publication date: 1960-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1977-11-08

Description

Nov. 8, 1960 M. M. @RACER 2,959,195

AIR GUIDE DEVICE Filed oct. 10. 1957 5 sheetsmsheet 1 FIGJ up MTV l--les l t.

INVENTOR MARTIN M. GRACER Nov. 8, 1960 M. M. GRACER 2,959,195

AIR GUIDE: DEVICE Filed oct. 1o, 1957 s sheets-sheet 2 FIG.3

Nov. 8, 196 M. M. @RACER 2,959,195

AIR GUIDE DEVICE Filed 001:. 10. 1957 25 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGJO INVENTOR MARTIN M. GRACER By? www? @ATTORNEY United States :Patent fi Am GUIDE DEVICE Martin M. Gracer, I-.evittown,N.Y. (71 Laurel Drive, Massapequa Park, N.Y.)

Filed oct. 1o, 1951, ser. No. '689,425 s claims. (ci. 13s-39)V This invention relates to duct constructions of heating, Ventilating and air conditioning systems and more particularly to a duct construction having particular utility in providing eicient air passage through elbows and turns found in duct systems. Y

This application is a continuation-in-part `of my application Serial No. 363,640, iiled June 23, 1953, entitled Air Guide Device, now Patent No. 2,861,597.

.. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a novel air turning device and to-a novel blade or vane supporting plate or rail therefor.

It is well known in the 'art to provide in branches, particularly at sharp corners or bends of a duct assembly, a series of vanes or blades of a curvature to guide air or the like efficiently around such corners or bends. In the early development of these devices, they were factory made and frequently comprised a pair of spaced parallelv upper and lower support plates or rails connected by a ser-.ies of `spaced blades, the ends of which were welded or brazed, or fastened by expensive means to both the said supporting rails.

While the above structure possessed the desired rigidity, the wide variety of duct sizes and angular bends which were required resulted in development by me of turning vane units which could be cut to size and assembled on the job, and which were adaptable to be used in al wide variety of air turning situations which the installing worker may encounter.

While I have provided air turning assemblies and subassemblies having the requisite adaptability, the structural rigidity and aerodynamic eiciency of such assemblies have, in general, been found to lack some of the features of assembled units which are brazed or soldered ICC novel means for temporarily maintaining the blades or rails in predetermined mounted position prior to permanent fastening, thereby facilitating the fastening operation and also permitting trial and error testingof blade alignment, to determine optimum blade placement for the installation to be made.

turning device, ,parts being broken away to show details;

together.- Particularly, such assemblies have, under conditions of unworkmanlike assembly, developed whistles, rattles, noises and other like objectionable characteristics indicating, in addition, a loss in air turning eliciency as well as an inadequate rigidity.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an eliicient, easy to assemble air turning unit capable of being adapted to a wide variety of ducting situations and which, even in prolonged use, is free from objectionable noises, rattles, whistles and other defects.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved blade or vane supporting plate or rail with the advantages aforesaid, and which is adapted to employ blades which may be made on the job of readily available sheeted metal stock. Still a further object of this invention is to provide ya rail of the type and for the purposes described which is adaptable, without alteration, to be used in connection with blades of double wall construction.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rail of the type described which acts as a guide for proper mounting of the blades and permits speedy and secure blade mounting to be accomplished through the use of simple tools. Still a further object of this invention is to provide a rail of the type described which includes Figure 2 is a magnified plan view of the inner rail blade illustrating the position of a double wall blade;

Figure 3 is a magnified plan view of the outer portion of an air turning assembly;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure -3 with the addition of a chisel in blade crimping position;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a typical ducting system, illustrating the use of an air turning assembly;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of my invention during va stage of assembly;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of my invention during a stage of assembly;

Figure 10 is a magnified fragmentary section taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 9 with the addition of a chisel in blade crimping position.

Reference is now made to the Vdrawings forming a part hereof wherein, in accordance with one form of this invention, a pair of blade rails 10--10 serves as the medium for supporting the blades B Awith their ends in buttjoint contact by the formation of a joint positioned to hold the blade in predetermined arcuate position.

The rail 10 isA a strip of sheet metal initially stamped or otherwise shaped to raise on the inner face repeats of spaced, identically projecting portions, identified generally as 11. The projecting portions 11 comprise specitically the raised, crescent-shaped lead portion 12, trailing portion 13, and the inner face portion 14. The raised,

angular side portions

15, 15 deepen, gradually defining at points of maximum depth a pair of

protuberances

16, 16. The

walls

17, 17 surrounding the

protuberances

16, 16 are graded or tapered so as to present a streamlined surface to streams of air flowing from any direction.

The

walls

17, 17 adjacent the

protuberances

16, 16 terminate in the

parallel fold lines

18, 18, thereby defining on the face opposed to the raised faces, a pair of downwardly depending guide channels 19, 19 (see Figure 3).

Across each protuberance 16 is formed a guide slot 20, each such slot lying approximately normal to the

fold lines

18, 18 and thus being angularly directed relative to the margins of the sheet 10. The slots 20 are preferably tapered to have a wide entrance or mouth portion -21 at the lowermost portion of the protuberance 16, tapering to a constricted throat or edge portion 22 adjacent the face of the rail 10. The slots 20 additionally include opposed, deformable tabs or

lips

23 and 24 for purposes to be described. These tabs or lips may be serrations 23', 24' as shown in Figure 2.

Through the use of the-vane rail above described, fabrication of an air turning assembly is a simple matter. Two identical lengths of rail 10, each suicient to span the bend or elbow, are provided with shaped end cuts C, C', to match the angular or mitred configurations of the elbow, as is well known.

Blades B, which may optionally be formed of rectangles of sheeted metal, are cut to the length desired and areY Patented lflov.y 8, A19.60

assenso arched orV bowed or rolled to assume the correctlyl outlined curvature by manually pressing portions of the longitudinal blade edges into the angularly disposed slots 20. The blades VBwilli be" retained withirnthe sl'otsf Ztl through. thefwedging actioniof thezlugsfZS, 24against the side walls offtllreblades,- and byrthe taperedfnature 'of thev .slots 20 to thereby-f also accommodate the. slots: tometal of different. thickness.

With the blades thus positioned, the t'oprail 10 may be'k similarly mounted with itsl slots' 20I encompassingthe th'eretofore` free edges ofthe blade B`. The thus assembled structure will be frictionally v'retained inposition with' sufficient rigidity to permit experimental` adjust-ment'fof blade extension to eitherside ofthe railfand theflike by actual-introduction into-thel elbow, prior to permanently joining the blad'es By to therails 10.v

Withcorrect bl'ad'cf positioningthus assured,v the` air turni-ngz. device may be permanently assembled, such assembly being accomplished by the crimping ortur'ning over'of the `intersectingportions` 25 ofthe blades Br which extend-through the `slots 20 ofthe yinwardly extending protuberances 16'l andproject from the outer faces of they rails (see Figures 3, 5, 7', 8, 9, 10).

While the blades` may be locked to the rail 10 by splitting the extending blade portion within the socket formed by the'protubera'nce, ascwill be described in detail in connection with Figures 9vv and 10, the rail' assembly includes a novelaguide' structure to` facilitate the crimping operation while assuring the intimate blade rail contact necessary for eiicient, noiseless` operation.

With the portion 250i?v the blade B extending through slot 20,'al chisel Tv is inserted and directed along and within the guidel channel 19, withl the working edge 26' thereof against the extending portion 25 and a bevel 27p lying adjacent the guide 19 of the" rail 10.` When the thus positioned chiselj is-st`ruck', the portion 25 is'tumed from the positionshow-n in d'otte'cl'lines to the position shown inlsolid lines (lowerrail, seeFigur'e 5l) and atf the saine time; a downward angul'arcornponenttending-to seat and draw the blade B edge-tightlyagainst the rail 10 is developedA bythe contact ofthe bevel 27p ofthe chisel T with the guide 19. The guide 19 likewise assures correct positioning of the chisel T against the projecting portion 25, thereby causing crimping and forming in the direction of optimum holding power against the wall 1612.

It will be readily recognized that the guides 19 may serve also to direct a peening hammer P against the projections 25, to secure atight tit between the blades B and the rails (seef Figures 7 and 8'). When the hammer P is swung'approximately in the -direction of the arrow (see Figure 7*), the angularly disposed guide 19 will insure that the hammer strikes the portion 25 normal to the slot 20, therebyV forming a vane torail connection for optimum strength. As may beseen from Figure 8, thedownwardly inclined nature of the guide 19 will` permit the hammer to strike the portion 25 simultaneously with the guide 19, thereby tending to seat the blade more intimately against the rail as-the portion 25 is turned from the upright position (Figure-8- in'dotted lines) tothe turned or locking position adjacent'the wall 16b.

Afm-ther method of locking the blades B within the slots20` isill'ustrated in Figures 9 and 10 where a chisel T is placed against the projecting portion 25 of the blade B, with the working edge 26 of the chisel arranged to lie substantiallyV normal to the edge of the rail 10. When the thus positioned chisel is struck a sharp blow, the portion 25 will be divided into two tabs, 25h, 25p, which tabs will ,be folded'v by the bevels 27p of the chisel from the partially spread' position (Figure 10, dottedV lines) to the' anchored' position (solid lines), where they will lie entirely within the protuberances 16, with one or the other of -the tabs 25p, ZSbadjaCent-the wall 16b.

It has been determined that imperfections in the buttjoint' vane bladefjunction,` such as' slight spaces between the said parts-or barred lateral bladel edges; can cause n`` and inefficiencies in operation'caused by undue exposure or gaps of the saidfjllnctions to.- direet air flow.

While my device has primary utility in connection with blades or vanesYoftt-hesingle wall-type', .it will be understood that allthe'advantages aforesaid also pertain when a double wallblade.y Bf isernployed. In the latter case, the shielding and noise minimizing action as aforesaid is provided for thefrear'wally of the double blade by the

ridges

12 and 13.

In Figure 6 I have illustrated a portion of a typical ducting system including air turning devices variously disposed to performfsev'e'ra-l air"tu'rn`ing applications. The

taperedI wall constrnction'ofl the'protuberances I6 assures?` minimum resistance" to air ow and more etiiclentran'f` turning deflection, and consequent increases in eiiciencyil over other known air turningy devices, as well asA servingf tov rigidity therails against vibration under the influence of air ow.

Likewise, great economies are effected by' the simplicity'-l ofconstruction and assembly' of l mydevice', without any corresponding sacrificel of quality, the above advantagesf` being retained in a unit suitable for userin -a-wide variety-v of' air turning applications;

Having thus described my inventiony and'illustrated-itsr* use, what I' claim as new and desire to secure by Lettersl Patent'is l 1. A rail adaptedtobe vjoined bycrimping to air turn ing blade members to form an air guide, comprising sheeted metal shaped to provide' on one face" aA plurality? of; spaced-apart, inwardly extending protuberances, said; protuberances having opposed wallsv detining slots having?` extended edges defining tabs spaced from theffedgesfofi said slots, thereby to.-provide a ytemporary' frictional `anchoragel for said blade members prior to crimping, said protuberances defining on the other face depending guide' channels directed substantially normally to said slotsv whereby a' tool may be readily' ailg'ned` and guided into blade crimping position against a portion of said blades projecting through said slots.

2. A rail in accordance with claim 1" wherein said extended edges are serrated.`

3. A rail infaccordance with claim -2 whereinl the-walls definingy said slots are taperedfto constricted throat por`V tions adjacent said rails, said -edgesand throat portions forminga two point'suspension for frictionally anchoring said blades within said slots prior to crimping.

4. A device in accordancefwith claim l wherein said guide channel is inwardly directed at ananglehaving` a'- downward angular component along said rail calculated" toldivide-.thethrust of a chisel struck when resting against aprojecting portion of a blade and said guiderchannel into componentsV comprising a' blade crimping component and-a blade seating component, said last namedv component operatingtoy draw said'- bladetightly againstsa'idrail assaid first componentcrmps said blade.-

5. In. a rail adapted to maintain a plurality of arcuate" arcuate blades suspended between parallel upper and lower sheeted metal rails and forming butt-joint junctions with each of said rails, said rails including ridge means arranged to be proximately spaced from said junc- A`tions and to follow generally said arcuate contours, thereby shielding said junctions from direct aerodynamic ow and minimizing aerodynamic disturbances, such as whistling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gordon et al. Aug. 8, 1899 Speiser Mar. 11, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES