Air-distribution system

Claim 1

AN AIR-DISTRUBTION SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING DIFFERENT PREDETERMINED QUANTITIES OF AIR TO DIFFERENT ZONES OF A BUILDING SPACE AND WITH PREDETERMINED DIFFERENT DEPTHS OF PENETRATIONS INTO DIFFERENT ZONES COMPRISING A WALL COMMON TO SAID DIFFERENT ZONES, A PLENUM CHAMBER SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID WALL AND CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLIED WITH AIR FOR MAINTENANCE OF POSITIVE PLENUM PRESSURE, AND A PLURALITY OF AIR-CONTROL DEVICES INSERTED IN SAID WALL IN A PATTERN DEPENDENT UPON THE DIFFERENT AIRLOAD REQUIREMENTS OF DIFFERENT ZONES AND JOINTLY HAVING A DISCHARGE AREA NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 2% OF THE AREA OF SAID WALL FOR SUBSTANTIAL UNIFORMITY OF THE PLENUM PRESSURE AT ALL OF SAID AIR-CONTROL DEVICES, SAID CONTROL DEVICES EACH COMPRISING A PERFORATED PLATE STRUCTURE BRIDGING AN OPENING IN THE WALL AND STRUCTURE, SUCH AS A PLATE, IN THE PLENUM CHAMBER AND HAVING A SURFACE VARIABLY SPACED ALONG SAID PERFORATED LOWER PLATE TO FORM A FLOW PASSAGE CONVERGING IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF AIR FORM THE PLENUM THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS IN SAID PLATE AND DETERMINING THE FLOW RESISTANCE OF THE AIR-FLOW PATHS TO SAID PERFORATIONS, AT LEAST SOME OF SAID CONTROL DEVICES HAVING MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE INTERPLATE SPACING.