Grease extractor for ventilating systems

Claim 1

A GREASE EXTRACTOR FOR USE OVER A COOKING RANGE FOR REMOVING GREASE, OIL AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS FROM A VAPOROUS EXHAUST STREAM, SAID GREASE EXTRACTOR COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A HOUSING INCLUDING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR FRONT WALL HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED APART VERTICALLY ELONGATED ENTRANCE OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN FOR RECEIVING THE GREASE-LADEN EXHAUST STREAM; SAID ENTRANCE OPENINGS EACH HAVING AN INBOARD AND AN OUTBROAD EDGE; A REAR WALL SPACED APART FROM SAID FRONT WALL HAVING A CENTRAL EXIT OPENING THEREIN FOR DISCHARGING THE EXHAUST STREAM AFTER THE EXTRACTION OF GREASE; A PAIR OF SPACED APART SIDE WALLS AND SPACED APART TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS INTERCONNECTING THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS; SAID FRONT, REAR, TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALL DEFINING A BOX-LIKE CHAMBER; THE OUTBOARD EDGES OF SAID ENTRANCE OPENINGS FORMED IN SAID FRONT WALL BEING SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE AWAY FROM SAID SIDE WALLS; A PAIR OF FRONT PLANAR BAFFLE PLATES EXTENDING FROM THE INBOARD EDGES OF SAID ENTRANCE OPENINGS OBLIQUELY BACK TOWARD SAID SIDE WALLS SO THAT THE REAR EDGE OF EACH BAFFLE PLATE EXTENDS SUBSTANTIALLY AS FAR TOWARD THE SIDE WALL AS THE OUTBOARD EDGE OF THE CORRESPONDING ENTRANCE OPENING; SAID BAFFLE PLATES DEFLECTING THE ENTERING EXHAUST GASES AGAINST SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID BAFFLE PLATES AND SAID WALLS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN CONSTRICTIONS BETWEEN SAID BAFFLE PLATES AND A RESPECTIVE SIDE WALL WHICH INCREASE THE VELOCITY OF THE EXHAUST GASES AND EFFECT A SUBSTANTIAL RAM ACTION AGAINST THE SIDE WALLS AND THEREBY DEPOSIT A PORTION OF THE GREASE FROM THE EXHAUST GASES ON THE SIDE WALLS; A PAIR OF EXPANSION CHAMBERS DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID CONSTRICTIONS AND DEFINED BY THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID FRONT BAFFLE PLATES AND SAID REAR WALL OF THE EXTRACTOR HOUSING AND ALSO BY A PAIR OF REAR BAFFLE PLATES ATTACHED TO SAID REAR WALL AT THE EDGES OF SAID EXIT OPENING AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY TOWARD SAID FRONT WALL; SAID EXPANSION CHAMBERS RECEIVING THE VELOCIOUS EXHAUST GASES FROM SAID CONSTRICTIONS AND EXPANDING THE EXHAUST GASES; SAID EXPANSION CHAMBERS ALSO REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE REARWARDLY MOVING EXHAUST GASES SO THAT THEY FLOW TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE HOUSING AND AGGLOMERATED GREASE AND OIL ARE DEPOSITED ON THE WALLS OF SAID CHAMBERS BY CENTRIFUGAL ACTION DUE TO THE FLOW REVERSALS; SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATES EXTENDING FORWARDLY THROUGH AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID REAR WALL AND SAID REAR EDGES OF SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATES SO THAT THE FORWARD EDGES OF SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATES COOPERATE WITH THE BACK SIDES OF THE FRONT BAFFLE PLATES TO DEFINE SECOND CONSTRICTIONS WHICH INCREASE THE VELOCITY OF THE EXHAUST GASES AND EFFECT A SUBSTANTIAL RAM ACTION AGAINST THE BACK FACE OF THE FRONT WALL INTERMEDIATE THE INBOARD EDGES OF SAID ENTRANCE OPENINGS AND THEREBY DEPOSIT A PORTION OF THE GREASE FROM THE EXHAUST GASES ON THE BACK OF SAID FRONT WALL; A SECONDARY EXPANSION CHAMBER DEFINED BY THE BACK FACE OF THE FRONT WALL INTERMEDIATE THE INBOARD EDGES OF SAID ENTRANCE OPENINGS OF THE HOUSING AND SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATES AND RECEIVING THE VELOCIOUS EXHAUST GASES FROM THE SECOND CONSTRICTIONS AND DIRECTING SAID GASES REARWARDLY TOWARD THE EXIT OPENING; SAID FRONT, REAR AND SIDE WALLS OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID FRONT AND REAR BAFFLES EXTENDING DOWN TO AND IN VAPOR FLOW PREVENTING CONTACT WITH SAID BOTTOM WALL SO THAT THE EXTRACTED GREASE AND OIL RUN DOWNWARDLY THEREOVER TO SAID BOTTOM WALL; SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR AND INCLINED FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY WHEN THE GREASE EXTRACTOR IS IN ITS INSTALLED POSITION; DRAIN OPENING MEANS FORMED IN SAID BOTTOM WALL AND ADJACENT THE BACK FACE OF SAID FRONT WALL AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER EDGE OF EACH OF SAID ENTRANCE OPENINGS, SAID DRAIN OPENING MEANS EXTENDING FROM THE INBOARD TO THE OUTBOARD EDGE OF EACH ENTRANCE OPENING; AND A GREASE TROUGH DISPOSED BELOW SAID BOTTOM WALL AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRAIN OPENING MEANS AND COLLECTING THE GREASE AND OIL DRAINING THROUGH SAID DRAIN OPENING MEANS AND PREVENTING GREASE AND OIL FROM DRIPPING OVER THE LOWER EDGE OF THE ENTRANCE OPENINGS BACK ONTO SAID COOKING RANGE.