Fan equipment

Claim 1

A FAN CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING A CENTRAL INLET OPENING AT ONE END AND AN ANNULAR DISCHARGE OPENING AT THE OTHER END, SAID DISCHARGE END BEING AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID INLET OPENING; A CENTRIFUGAL IMPELLER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID IMPELLER HAVING AN ARCUATE INTAKE SHROUD COMMUNICATING WITH THE CENTRAL INTAKE OPENING AND DEFINING A FORWARD SWIRL CHAMBER CLOSED AT THE SAID ONE END, THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID INTAKE SHROUD BEING RADIALLY SPACED INWARDLY OF THE CYLINDRICAL WAL OF THE HOUSING, SAID IMPELLER HAVING A REAR SHROUD AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID INTAKE SHROUD AND HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERY SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID WALL OF THE HOUSING; BLADES SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID SHROUDS AND HAVING OUTER PERIPHERY EDGES EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SHROUDS ADJACENT THE PERIPERHY THEREOF; ANNULAR WALL MEANS SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM THE CYLINDRICAL WALL AND EXTENDING AXIALLY REARWARDLY FROM ADJACENT TO SAID REAR IMPELLER SHROUD, SAID ANNULAR WALL MEANS AND SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL DEFINING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING CHAMBER TERMINATING IN SAID DISCHARGE OPENING; SHAFT MEANS AND MEANS SUPPORTING SHAFT MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID SHAFT MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING THE IMPELLER; MEANS ON SAID SHAFT MEANS TO ROTATE SAID IMPELLER WHEREBY THE CENTRIFUGED FLUID ENGAGEMENT SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAID HOUSING DIVIDES INTO A MAJOR PORTION FLOWING INTO SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER AND A MINOR PORTION FLOWING INTO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER; SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF SHORT, SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING FLAPS MOUNTED THEREON, EACH OF SAID FLAPS HAVING A FREE INNER EDGE THAT TERMINATES SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF THE BLADES'' OUTER EDGES, EACH OF SAID FLAPS HAVING A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED END PORTIONS ONE THEREOF EXTENDING INTO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER AND THE OTHER PORTION EXTENDING ONLY OVER THAT PORTION OF THE OUTER EDGES OF THE BLADES ADJACENT THE INTAKE SHROUD, SAID FLAPS BEING SO POSITIONED TO REDUCE TURBULENCE IN THE ZONE OF SEPARATION OF THE CENTRIFUGED FLUID AS IT FLOWS INTO SAID SWIRL CHAMBER, AND INTO SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER FROM THE ZONE OF SEPARATION OF SAID MAJOR AND MINOR PORTIONS OF FLUID FLOW.