Air drier and cleaner

Claim 2

A drier and cleaner for a compressed air line through which the air, which may carry abrasive particles, travels with a swirling motion in a predetermined sense, comprising a casing having ends spaced apart on a generally horizontal axis, one end having a line inlet and the other end having a line outlet whereby the casing can be connected in the line, a plurality of partitions dividing the casing transveRsely into a plurality of generally cylindrical chambers through which the air can pass successively from the line inlet to the line outlet, the chambers being of larger transverse section than the line, stationary air directing means at the line outlet for causing the air passing to the outlet to swirl in said predetermined sense, stationary air directing means in the partitions directing the air away from said axis to swirl in opposite senses in successive chambers, a screen extending chordwise across the lower part of each chamber and through which the swirling air in the chamber passes downwardly and then upwardly, and below the screen a discharge for liquid and solid matter removed from the air.

Claim 3

A drier and cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stationary air directing means in the partitions comprise elbows through which the air passes from one chamber to the next.

Claim 4

A drier and cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein each elbow has an outlet aimed to direct air between the chamber wall and the next elbow to create a suction at the outlet of said next elbow.

Claim 5

A drier and cleaner for a compressed air line through which the air travels with a swirling motion in a predetermined sense, comprising a casing having a first and a second transverse partition dividing the casing into a first, a central and a third chamber each of substantially circular cross-section and having a common generally horizontal axis, an inlet elbow in the first chamber having a line inlet on said axis and an outlet directing the air to flow through the first chamber with a swirling motion in the sense opposite to said predetermined sense, a plurality of elbows in the central chamber having inlets through the first partition disposed around said axis and having outlets directing the air to flow through the central chamber in said predetermined sense, a plurality of elbows in the third chamber having inlets through the second partition disposed around said axis and having outlets directing the air to flow through the third chamber in said opposite sense, an outlet elbow in the third chamber having a line outlet on said axis and disposed to deliver air from the third chamber to the line outlet with said predetermined sense of swirling motion, each chamber having, at a level below said elbows, a generally horizontal screen in the path of the swirling air and, below the screen and out of the path of the air, a discharge for matter removed from the air.

Claim 6

A drier and cleaner for a compressed air line through which the air travels with a swirling motion in a predetermined sense, comprising a casing having a first and a second transverse partition dividing the casing into a first, a central and a third chamber each of substantially circular cross-section and having a common generally horizontal axis, an inlet elbow in the first chamber having a line inlet on said axis and an outlet directing the air to flow through the first chamber with a swirling motion in the sense opposite to said predetermined sense, a plurality of elbows in the central chamber having inlets through the first partition disposed around said axis and having outlets directing the air to flow through the central chamber in said predetermined sense, a plurality of elbows in the third chamber having inlets through the second partition disposed around said axis and having outlets directing the air to flow through the third chamber in said opposite sense, an outlet elbow in the third chamber having a line outlet on said axis and disposed to deliver air from the third chamber to the line outlet with said predetermined sense of swirling motion, each chamber having, at a level below said elbows, a generally horizontal screen in the path of the swirling air and, below the screen and out of the path of the air, a discharge for matter removed from the air.

Claim 7

A drier and cleaner as claimed in claim 4 wherein the elbow inlets through the partitions are located at equal intervals on a circle concentric with said axis, and the outlets therefrom are directed generally tangentially to said circles.

Claim 8

A drier and cleaner as claimed in claim 5 wherein the total area for flow of air through each partition is less than the area for flow of air through the inlet elbow.

Claim 9

A drier and cleaner as claimed in claim 6 wherein, looking upstream, said predetermined sense is counterclockwise, said inlet elbow has its outlet directed at an angle clockwise from the vertical (i.e., 12 o''clock) towards the chamber wall above the screen, and said outlet elbow has its inlet leading radially downwardly from the third chamber at an angle counterclockwise from the vertical and above the screen.

Claim 10

A drier and cleaner as claimed in claim 7 wherein the discharge for each chamber comprises a downward extension thereof.