Air cleaning device

Claim 2

An air cleaning apparatus arranged to receive dirt laden air moving horizontally at high speeds, comprising a horizontally disposed generally air tight cleaning chamber, said cleaning chamber having an inlet at one end thereof, means directing water into the dirt laden air stream at the inlet of the cleaning chamber, a horizontally disposed venturi in the cleaning chamber located just inside the inlet to cause an acceleration of the air stream and to cause the water to be sheared into a large quantity of small droplets that attach themselves to the dirt in the air stream, a larger diameter regain passage joining the venturi in the cleaning chamber, a Y joining the regain passage of the cleaning chamber, said Y having an upwardly inclined passage to receive the lighter cleaned air and a continuing horizontal passage to receive the heavier water dirt mixture, a downwardly extending water and dirt discharge passage arranged in communicating relationship with the outer end of the continuing horizontal passage of the cleaning chamber, said continuing horizontal passage of the cleaning chamber carrying the water and dirt mixture remaining after removal of the lighter cleaned air to the downwardly extending discharge passage, said downwardly extending discharge passage having a drain in the bottom thereof for removing the dirt and water mixture from the apparatus, an unhoused rotary centrifugal fan having its central portion abutting and receiving the lighter cleaned air from the upper end of the inclined passage and the fan including a concentric portion located outwardly of the centrally positioned inclined passage, whereby the fan creates a negative pressure, the energy of which is used to accelerate the air and break up the water in the venturi and causes flow of the air stream through the regain passage and pulls the lighter clean air up the inclined passage where it is thrown centrifugally outwardly by its concentric portion beyond the inclined passage for reuse.

Claim 3

An air cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the upwardly inclined passage is disposed at approximately 45* to the horizontally disposed cleaning chamber.

Claim 4

An air cleaning apparatus arranged to receive dirt laden air moving horizontally at high speeds, comprising a horizontally disposed generally air tight cleaning chAmber, said cleaning chamber having an inlet at one end thereof, means directing water into the dirt laden air stream at th inlet of the cleaning chamber, a horizontally disposed venturi in the cleaning chamber located just inside the inlet to cause an acceleration of the air stream and to cause the water to be sheared into a large quantity of small droplets that attach themselves to the dirt in the air stream, a regain passage joining the venturi in the cleaning chamber, a Y joining the regain passage of the cleaning chamber, said Y having an upwardly inclined passage for the lighter clean air and a continuing horizontal passage for the water and dirt mixture, a downwardly extending water and dirt discharge passage arranged in communicating relationship with the outer end of the continuing horizontal passage of the cleaning chamber, said continuing horizontal passage of the cleaning chamber carrying the water and dirt mixture remaining after removal of the lighter clean air to the downwardly extending discharge passage, said downwardly extending discharge passage having a drain in the bottom thereof for removing the dirt and water mixture from the apparatus, an unhoused rotary centrifugal fan having its central portion abutting and receiving the lighter clean air from the upper end of the inclined passage and the fan including a concentric portion located outwardly of the centrally positioned inclined passage, a housing enclosure spaced outwardly from said generally air tight cleaning chamber and including said unhoused rotary fan whereby the unhoused fan draws the lighter clean air up the upwardly inclined Y passage where it is received in the center thereof and the clean air is then redirected centrifugally outwardly by the concentric portion of the fan and thence back and around over the cleaning chamber and within the housing enclosure, said housing enclosure having a discharge port where the clean air may be discharged and used as desired.

Claim 5

An air cleaning apparatus arranged to receive dirt laden air moving horizontally at high speeds, comprising a horizontally disposed generally air tight cleaning chAmber, said cleaning chamber having an inlet at one end thereof, means directing water into the dirt laden air stream at th inlet of the cleaning chamber, a horizontally disposed venturi in the cleaning chamber located just inside the inlet to cause an acceleration of the air stream and to cause the water to be sheared into a large quantity of small droplets that attach themselves to the dirt in the air stream, a regain passage joining the venturi in the cleaning chamber, a Y joining the regain passage of the cleaning chamber, said Y having an upwardly inclined passage for the lighter clean air and a continuing horizontal passage for the water and dirt mixture, a downwardly extending water and dirt discharge passage arranged in communicating relationship with the outer end of the continuing horizontal passage of the cleaning chamber, said continuing horizontal passage of the cleaning chamber carrying the water and dirt mixture remaining after removal of the lighter clean air to the downwardly extending discharge passage, said downwardly extending discharge passage having a drain in the bottom thereof for removing the dirt and water mixture from the apparatus, an unhoused rotary centrifugal fan having its central portion abutting and receiving the lighter clean air from the upper end of the inclined passage and the fan including a concentric portion located outwardly of the centrally positioned inclined passage, a housing enclosure spaced outwardly from said generally air tight cleaning chamber and including said unhoused rotary fan whereby the unhoused fan draws the lighter clean air up the upwardly inclined Y passage where it is received in the center thereof and the clean air is then redirected centrifugally outwardly by the concentric portion of the fan and thence back and around over the cleaning chamber and within the housing enclosure, said housing enclosure having a discharge port where the clean air may be discharged and used as desired.

Claim 6

An air cleaner comprising a generally horizontally disposed air tight cleaning chamber, an inlet at one end of said cleaning chamber admitting dirt laden air to said cleaning chamber, nozzle means directing water into said cleaning chamber at a position adjacent said inlet, a restriction in said cleaning chamber at a position close to the water nozzle means and constituting a horizontally disposed venturi, said cleaning chamber having a larger regain portion on the other side of the venturi, an upwardly inclined clean air passageway joining said cleaning chamber at a position on the other side of the regain portion, an unhoused centrifugal fan having a central portion generally centered over the upper open end of the inclined clean air passageway, said unhoused fan having an outer concentric portion extending radially beyond the inclined clean air passageway, said unhoused fan creating energy for movement of the air through the air cleaner, for accelerating the air and water in the venturi, for pulling the generally clean air up the inclined passageway, and for the centrifugal force for moving the generally clean air outwardly, and means removing the dirt and water from the cleaning chamber at a position beyond the juncture with the inclined passageway.

Claim 7

An air cleaner comprising a generally horizontally disposed air tight cleaning chamber, an inlet at one end of said cleaning chamber admitting dirt laden air to said cleaning chamber, nozzle means directing water into said cleaning chamber at a position adjacent said inlet, a restriction in said cleaning chamber at a position close to the water nozzle means and constituting a horizontally disposed venturi, said cleaning chamber having a larger regain portion on the other side of the venturi, an upwardly inclined clean air passageway joining said cleaning chamber at a position on the other side of the regain portion, an unhoused centrifugal fan having a central portion generally centered over the upper open end of the inclined clean air passageway, said unhoused fan having an outer concentric portion extending radially beyond the inclined clean air passageway, said unhoused fan creating energy for movement of the air through the air cleaner, for accelerating the air and water in the venturi, for pulling the generally clean air up the inclined passageway, and for the centrifugal force for moving the generally clean air outwardly, and means removing the dirt and water from the cleaning chamber at a position beyond the juncture with the inclined passageway.

Claim 8

An air cleaner as set forth in claim 4 in which said means removing the dirt and water comprises a vertically depending passageway joined with and having communication with the cleaning chamber.

Claim 9

An air cleaner comprising a generally horizontally disposed air tight cleaning chamber, an inlet at one end of said cleaning chamber for admitting dirt laden air at a velocity of approximately 4,000 fpm to said cleaning chamber, nozzle means directing water into said cleaning chamber at a position adjacent said inlet, a restriction in said cleaning chamber at a position close to the nozzle means and the inlet and constituting a horizontally disposed venturi, said cleaning chamber having a larger regain portion on the other side of the venturi, an upwardly inclined clean air passageway joining said cleaning chamber at a position on the other side of the regain portion, an unhoused centrifugal fan located at the upper open end of the inclined passageway, said unhoused fan having a central portion centered over the upper open end of said inclined passageway, said unhoused fan having an outer concentric portion extending beyond the inclined clean air passageway, said unhoused fan in combination with the admission speed of the dirt laden air creating the energy for moving the stream of dirt laden air and water through the device and causing said venturi to increase the speed of the stream to a range of 20,000 to 30,000 fpm to cause the water to be sheared into a large quantity of small droplets, said larger regain portion of the cleaning chamber acting to slow the speed of the stream and to permit dirt particles to be attached to the small water droplets, said fan further acting to pull the cleaned air up the inclined passageway and out the upper end thereof through the central portion and centrifugally outwardly through the outer concentric portion for reuse, and means removing the water and dirt from the cleaning chamber at a position beyond the juncture with the inclined passageway.

Claim 10

An air cleaner comprising a generally horizontally disposed air tight cleaning chamber, an inlet at one end of said cleaning chamber for admitting dirt laden air at a velocity of approximately 4,000 fpm to said cleaning chamber, nozzle means directing water into said cleaning chamber at a position adjacent said inlet, a restriction in said cleaning chamber at a position close to the nozzle means and the inlet and constituting a horizontally disposed venturi, said cleaning chamber having a larger regain portion on the other side of the venturi, an upwardly inclined clean air passageway joining said cleaning chamber at a position on the other side of the regain portion, an unhoused centrifugal fan located at the upper open end of the inclined passageway, said unhoused fan having a central portion centered over the upper open end of said inclined passageway, said unhoused fan having an outer concentric portion extending beyond the inclined clean air passageway, said unhoused fan in combination with the admission speed of the dirt laden air creating the energy for moving the stream of dirt laden air and water through the device and causing said venturi to increase the speed of the stream to a range of 20,000 to 30,000 fpm to cause the water to be sheared into a large quantity of small droplets, said larger regain portion of the cleaning chamber acting to slow the speed of the stream and to permit dirt particles to be attached to the small water droplets, said fan further acting to pull the cleaned air up the inclined passageway and out the upper end thereof through the central portion and centrifugally outwardly through the outer concentric portion for reuse, and means removing the water and dirt from the cleaning chamber at a position beyond the juncture with the inclined passageway.

Claim 11

An air cleaner as set forth in claim 6 in which said means removing the water and dirt comprises a vertically depending passageway at the end of the horizontally disposed cleaning chamber opposite the inlet.

Claim 12

An air cleaner as set forth in claim 6 in which the angle of inclination of the upwardly inclined clean air passageway is in the range of 45* to the horizontally disposed cleaning chamber.