US3075750A - Evaporative cooler pad frame construction - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 29, 1963 A. D. GOETTL 3,075,750

EVAPORATIVE COOLER PAD FRAME CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR. ADAM D. GOETTL Agent Jan. 29, 1963 A. D. GOET'II'L EVAPORATIVE COOLER PAD FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed July 7, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR. ADAM D. GOETTL Agent FIG.4.

Jan. 29, 1963 A. D. GOETTL EVAPORATIVE COOLER PAD FRAME CONSTRUCTION- Filed Jxily 7, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F l G. 7.

'I'IIIIIII'IIIA I I S l 9 INVENTOR. ADAM D. GOE TTL W 6QQW Agent t 4 r 3 W 25%- 3 f? g? I Q f s 9 ll see. c the atcnt r the mm from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing parts and portions 3.tl75,75tl in elevation to facilitate the illustration EVAPQRATEVE CGOLER PAD FRAME FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional View taken from the CQNSTRUCTEQN This invention rela'es to an evaporative cooler pad frame construction and more particularly to an evaporative cooler pad frame construction having novel features for removably supporting an evaporative cooler pad in spaced relation to air inlet louvers of an evaporative cooler whereby water which gravitates through the evaporative cooler pad does not contact the louvers and permit them to become encrusted with mineral salts.

In the operation of evaporative coolers Water is elevated to the upper portions of evaporative cooler pads by a pump or water p essure whereupon the water is distributed over the upper surface of the pad and permitted to gravitate downwardly therethrough. A blower is usually provided to force air through an evaporative cooler pad and the air enters the cooler through a louvered plate in the side wall thereof preliminary to its passage through the pad. in conventional evaporative coolers the pad is placed adjacent or contiguous to the louvered plate and water passing downwardly through the pad wets the louvers of the plate. Minerals in the water collect on the louvers of plate and form a thick crust which eventually reduces air flow efficiency through the louvers and also causes an undesirable appearance of the louvers externally of the cooler.

It has been a problem to provide an evaporative cooler pad frame construction which readily permits the pads to be removed and yet operated in spaced relation with a louveredL plate whereby the plate does not become encrusted with mineral salts from Water passing downwartly through the evaporative cooler pad adjacent thereto.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a. novel evaporative cooler pad frame construction wherein an evaporative cooler pad is readily removable from an evaporative cooler and wherein the pad is maintained in spaced relation hip with an air inlet louver plate thereby preventing the plate from becoming encrusted with mineral salts during operation of the evaporatire cooler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel evaporative cooler pad frame construction wherein a trough and pad retaining screens are arranged in a unitary assembly with an evaporative cooler pad.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for removably retaining an evaporative cooler pad and trough assembly in the frame of an evaporative cooler.

Another object of the invention is to prevent louver plates at the outer sides of evaporative coolers from becoming encrusted with mineral salts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative cooler pad frame construction which maintains an evaporative cooler pad unitary assembly with a water distributor whereby the entire assembly may be removed from the frame of an evaporative cooler for maintenance service and pad replacement.

Further objects and advanta es of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings in which:

PEG. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of an evaporative cooler showing an evaporative cooler pad frame construction of the present invention installed therein.

PEG. 2 is a fragmentary, plan, sectional view taken line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

' H6. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of an 'evaporative cooler showing the modified form of an evaporative cooler pad frame construction in accordance with the present invention.

5 is a fragmentary, plan, sectional view taken from the line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional View of a further modified form of an evaporative cooler pad frame construction in accordance with the present invention showing parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken from the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken from the line 5-8 of FIG. 6 and FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, sectional View taken from the line 99 of FIG. 6.

As shown in HQ. 1 of the drawings an evaporative cooler sump ll) is disposed to receive water which drains from evaporative cooler pads positioned thereabove. The sump it? supports corner frame elements 12 of an evaporative cooler frame. These corner frame elements are provided with vertical recess tracks 14- which receive flanged edges 16 of a louver plate 15 at one outer side of an evaporative cooler. As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing an upper edge 2% of the louver plate 18 is disposed inwardly of a top skirt 22, of an evaporative cooler whereby the upper portions of the flanges 16 are retained in the tracks The lower edge 2 of the louver plate 18 is disposed inwardly of the sump pan l8 and is provided with a folded portion terminating in a hook shaped member 26 which is hooked over a normally upper edge 25 of the sump pan ill. Thus, the louver plate 18 is supported in the side wall of a conventional evaporative cooler frame.

The louver plate is provided with open louvers 39 through which air may pass inwardly into the interior of an evaporat e cooler toward a foraminous evaporatiye cooler pad 32. This pad 32 may be made of wood excelsior or other suitable material and is provided with an inner layer 3 2- of fine glass fibers or other suitable material which will act as a filter to catch dust, insects and other foreign matter thereby preventing it from being carried in the air stream passing through the pad. The pad 32 and filter 3- 3 are contiguous with each other and retained between foraminous pad retainers 36 and 33. These pad retainers 36 and 38 are Wire mesh screen structures having inwardly projecting members 49 and 42 respectively which extend into the pad and vertically support the same between the retainers as and 38. These pad retainers are provided with vertical bars 44 and 46, respectively, and horizontal bars 48 and 59, respectively. These bars are spot Welded together and the projecting members 4% and d2 are welded at the juncture of the vertical and horizontal bars thereby providing rigid durable pad supports. The pad retainer 36 is provided with an uppermost horizontal bar 52 which is pivotally retained in a hook shaped clip channel portion 54- integral with one side of a Water distributor trough as .above the pad 32. The opposite side of the trough 56 is provided with another hool: shaped portion 58 which pivotally retains a horizontal bar as at the upper edge of the pad retainer 36.

The trough 56 may be molded of plastic or may be made of sheet metal if desired. The upper horizontal bars 52 and 6% of the pad retainers 36 and 38 are pivotally retained in the hook shaped clip portions 54 and 58 and due to the resilience of these hook shaped portions 5d and 53 the bars 52 and 643 may be forced thereinto by lateral deflection of the hook shaped portions 54 and 53. Thus, these horizontal bars 52 and 653 are snapped into the hook shaped clips 54 and 5S and are hingedly supported thereby.

The lower ends of the pad retainer screen 36 and 38 are provided with horizontal bars 62 and 64, respectively, which are engaged .and held by hook shaped portions 66 and 68, respectively, of a bottom member 70 at the lower end of the pad 32. This member 70 is substantially channel shaped and provided with openings 72 therein to provide for drainage of water downwardly away from the pad 32. Secured to the bottom member 70 is an air baffle 74 which extends into close proximity to one of the louver vanes 39 in order to minimize the passage of air between the louvers 3t) and the pad 32 at the outer lower portion thereof.

The upper and lower bars 60 and 64, respectively, of the pad retainer screen 38 form trunnions at their ends which are disposed in slots 76 and 78, respectively, of sheet metal plates 89 which extend inwardly from the recessed troughs 1d of the cooler frame corner elements 12 as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing. It will be seen that the trunnion ends of the bars 663 and 64 project a short distance through the plates 80 and that these plates are provided with joggled portions 82 which deflected outwardly from the pad 38 so that the trunnion .endsof the bars 69 and '64 may be cleared from the slots '76 and 78.

It will be seen that the louver plate 18 as hereinbefore described must be raised vertically whereupon the upper vedge 26 of the louver plate passes upwardly behind the skirt 22 while the vertical edges 16 ride upwardly in the tracks 14 until the lower edge 24 of the louver plate clears the upper edge 23 of the sump pan it The louver plate 18 may then at its lower edge be moved outwardly and downwardly until the upper edge 2d thereof clears the skirt 22 whereupon the louver plate 18 may be removed from the side of the evaporative cooler. This provides access for the removal of the evaporative cooler pad assembly which includes the trough 56, pad retainer screens 36 and 38 together with the pad 32 and filter 3d.

The louver plate 18 is provided with a baflie 84 at its upper edge which is fitted adjacent to the hook shaped clip portion 54 of the trough 56 to prevent leakage of air between the pad 32 and the louver plate 13. This baffle is removed together with the louver plate 18 when it is disassembled from the cooler frame as hereinbefore described. The baffle 74 is carried by the bottom member 70 of the evaporative cooler pad assembly as hereinbefore described.

As shown in PEG. 1 of the drawings the inner edges 86 of the louver vanes 30 are spaced from the foraminous pad retainer screen 36 thereby preventing any of the 'excelsior or other material of the pad 32 from engaging these inner edges 86. Thus, water which passes downwvardly through the pad 32 does not contact the louver vanes 30 whereby they are maintained in dry, clean condition. This spacing of the pad from the louver vanes prevents them from getting wet and accumulating deposits -of mineral salts which are normally carried in water used to wet the pad 32.

In operation Water is delivered into the trough 56 by means of a conduit having water therein under pressure and the water drains downwardly from the bottom pad 32 does not contact the louver vanes 30 due to a spaced relation of the edges and the pad retainer frame 36 as hereinbelore described. The excess water passes downwardly through openings 72 and into the sump pan Ill from which it is recirculated by a pump or from which it may be drained oil as desired.

When from time to time it is desired to replace the pad 32 and filter 34 the louver plate 13 is removed as hereinbefore described and the evaporative cooler pad assembly is also removed from the plates of the evaporative cooler frame as hereinbefore described. The bottom member 76 of the evaporative cooler pad assembly is disengaged from the bars 62 and 64 by forcing them together and removing them from thehooked shaped portion 66 and 63 of the bottom member 70. This operation causes slight compression of the pad 32 and filter 3d and when the bottom member 70 is thus removed from the bars 62 and 64 the retainer screens 36 and 33 may be hingedly moved apart so that the projecting bars 40 and 4-2; of the retainers 36 and 33 may be disengaged trom the pad 32 and filter 34 thereby permitting their removal from the retainers 36 and 38.

A fresh pad and filter may be inserted between the retainers 36 and 38 whereupon they may be pivoted toward each other about the axis of their bars 52 and '69 which are hingedly and pivotally mounted in the hook shaped portions 54 and 53 of the trough 56. When the retainers 36 and 38 are pivoted toward each other the bars 4i and 42 thereof are forced to pierce the pad 32 and filter 34 and extend thereinto. When the retainer screens 36 and 38 are forced together at opposite sides of the pad 32 and filter 34 the bottom member 7% at its clip portions 66 and 68 is engaged with the lower bars 62 and 64 of the retainer screens 36 and 38 and compression of the pad 32 and filter 34 maintains the bars 62 and 64 in engagement in the hook shaped clip portions 66 and 68 of the bottom member 76'.

in the modification as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 a pad frame carries a louver plate 92, a trough 94, a pad 96 and supporting retainer screens '98 and 168. This entire assembly carried by the pad frame do is removable *from the cooler frame elements 12 in a similar manner supporting assembly.

Folded over the upper edge of the louver plate 92 is a plate 102 which is formed to provide the trough 94 disposed above the pad 96. Integral with the hook 26 is a bottom member 164 which is folded over the lower edge of the louver plate 92 to form a bottom structure for supporting the pad 96. As shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings vertical edges of the louver plate 92 are folded and extend backwardly into side plates 1% of the pad frame 96. Secured on the inner sides of these side plates Hi6 are angle members 168 which are spaced backwardly from the edges of louvers 312 similar to the louvers 3t). hereinbefore described. Engaging the angles 198 is a pad retaining screen 114 disposed in spaced relation with the edges 11% of the louver vanes 112. inwardly of the retainer 114 is the pad 96 and a contiguous filter layer 116.

A retainer screen 118 engages the filter layer 116 in spaced relationship to the retainer screen 114 and each opposite edge of the retainer screen 118 is held by a flange 120 of each side plate 99.

' The retainer screen 118 is held by a conventional clip bar 122 having hooks 124 on its opposite ends which are engaged in openings 126 in the side plates 99:. The pad retaining screens lid and 118 are provided with horizontal .bars 119 and 121 which extend into the pad 96 and filter 116 and these horizontal bars are secured '.to' the vertical and horizontal bars, respectively, of the pad retaining screenslid and 11-3.

In operation the evaporative cooler pad frame construction as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 prevents the louver vanes 112 from becoming encrusted due to the spacing of the pad 96 therefrom by the screen retainer 114 which is held in the pad frame 90 by the angle members 108.

When it is desired to replace the pad 96 and filter 116 the louver plate 92 together with the pad frame 96, trough 94, pad 96 and screen frames 98 and 1118 are all removed in one unit as hereinbefore described whereupon the hooks 124 of the bars 122 are disengaged from the openings 126 whereupon the retainer screen 118 may be removed permitting replacement of the pad 96 and filter 116.

In the modification as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, inclusive, of the drawings a louver plate 13% is removably sup ported in the cooler frame in substantially the same manner as the louver plate 18 disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings. The louver plate 130 is provided with louver vanes 132 having inner edges 134 and the upper edge of the louver plate is engaged by a folded member 136 having an integral extending plate portion 138 which interconnects side plates 14d integral with folded edges 142 which correspond with the folded edges 16 of the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings.

Connected with the louver plate 130 at its lower edge is the bottom plate 144 which is folded over the lower edge of the louver plate 131 and integral with the hook 26. The bottom plate is provided with openings 146 to permit drainage of water from the evaporative cooler pad into the sump 16.

Positioned between the side plates 141} is a pad assembly including a pair of spaced plates 14-8, which are contiguous with the plates 140 and, on which a trough 15th is supported. The trough 151) is carried by flanges 152 at the upper portions of the plates 148. These plates 148 are provided with spaced flanges 154- and 156 adjacent to which retainer screens 158 and 160, respectively, are positioned. These retainer screens 158 and 169 support an evaporative pad 162 and a filter pad 164 between the plates 148. These plates 148 are provided with fixed pins 166 which project through slots 168 in the side plates 141 as shown best in FIGS. 6 and 9 of the drawings. The opposite ends of trough 15th rest in slots 1'76 in the side plates 14-13 as shown best in FEGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings. The trough 15% is provided with water outlet nozzles 172 which permit water to drain downwardly through the pad 162. Hook bars 174 interconnect the flanges 156 and these hook bars 174 are similar to the bars 122 hereinbefore described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

In operation the louver plate 36} when removed from the cooler frame carries with it the side plates 14% in which are secured the plates 148, trough 151i, pad 162, filter 164 and the pad retaining screens 158 and 161 When removed from the evaporative cooler frame the plates 14% may be removed from the plates 146 by spreading the plates 141) apart to permit the ends of the pins 166 to clear the slots 168. The trough 156 at its opposite ends may then be removed from the slots 17% in the plates 140.

The pads 160 and filter 1411 may be then replaced as hereinbefore described in connection with the replacement of the pads shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawing.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in any manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an evaporative cooler pad frame construction the combination of: an evaporative cooler frame having vertically disposed spaced pad frame plates; a water trough overlying a space between said plates; a pair of foraminous pad supports below said trough and disposed in spaced relationship with each other; one of said pad supports hinged to said trough; a foraminous pad between said pad supports and below said water trough, means holding the lower ends of said pad supports in engagement with opposite sides of said pad; and means removably supporting said trough, pad supports and pad on and be tween said pad frame plates.

2. In an evaporative cooler pad frame construction the combination of: an evaporative cooler frame having vertically disposed spaced pad frame plates; a water trough overlying a space between said plates; foraminous pad supports hinged to and depending from said trough and disposed in spaced relation to each other; a foraminous pad between said pad supports; and below said water trough; means holding the lower ends of said pad supports in engagement with opposite sides of said pad; and means removably supporting said pad supports and pad on and between said pad frame plates; and a louvered plate supported on said cooler frame outwardly of said pad in spaced relation thereto whereby water which gravitates from said trough through said pad does not contact said louvered plate.

3. In an evaporative cooler pad frame construction the combination of: an evaporative cooler frame having vertically disposed spaced pad frame plates; a water trough overlying a space between said plates; foraminous pad supports hinged to and depending from said trough and disposed in spaced relation to each other; a foraminous pad between said pad supports and below said water trough; means holding the lower ends of said pad supports in engagement with opposite sides of said pad; and means removably supporting said pad supports and pad on and between said pad frame plates; and a louvered plate supported on said cooler frame outwardly of said pad in spaced relation thereto whereby water which gravitates from said trough through said pad does not contact said louvered plate, said foraminous pad supports being of wire mesh construction and having trunnion portions, said frame plates having openings receiving said trunnions thereby supporting said pad in said cooler frame.

4. In an evaporative cooler pad frame construction the combination of: an evaporative cooler frame; a pad frame in one side thereof; louvers in the outer side of said pad frame; and a water distributor and pad assembly removably mounted in said pad frame and spaced from said louvers, said assemlby comprising a pair of plates, spaced screens held therebetween; a foraminous pad between said screens and a water distributor supported on said plates and disposed above said foraminous pad, said pad frame having openings therein; and trunnions fixed to said plates and disposed in said openings, said pad frame being of resilient material whereby it may be deflected beyond the ends of said trunnions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,021,437 Walsh Nov. 19, 1935 2,137,905 Church et a1 Nov. 22, 1938 2,233,976 Essick Mar. 4, 1941 2,237,497 Munford Apr. 8, 1941 2,327,242 Balcom Aug. 17, 1943 2,387,473 Spitzka Oct. 23, 1945 2,404,479 Essick July 23, 1946 2,608,396 Shapiro Aug. 26, 1952 2,637,540 Rowe May 5, 1953 0 Lemmon June 10, 1958 2,850,269 Bohanon Sept. 2, 1958 2,856,166 Goettl Oct. 14, 1958

Claims (1)

1. IN AN EVAPORATIVE COOLER PAD FRAME CONSTRUCTION THE COMBINATION OF: AN EVAPORATIVE COOLER FRAME HAVING VERTICALLY DISPOSED SPACED PAD FRAME PLATES; A WATER TROUGH OVERLYING A SPACE BETWEEN SAID PLATES; A PAIR OF FORAMINOUS PAD SUPPORTS BELOW SAID TROUGH AND DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER; ONE OF SAID PAD SUPPORTS HINGED TO SAID TROUGH; A FORAMINOUS PAD BETWEEN SAID PAD SUPPORTS AND BELOW SAID WATER TROUGH, MEANS HOLDING THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID PAD SUPPORTS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PAD; AND MEANS REMOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID TROUGH, PAD SUPPORTS AND PAD ON AND BETWEEN SAID PAD FRAME PLATES.

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