Air cleansing unit

Claim 1

A unit for removing finely divided particles entrained with a moving current of air as said current flows through said unit at a substantial velocity, said unit including: a. a rigid frame defined by a pair of side pieces, and end pieces having first and second longitudinal portions, said side pieces and end pieces cooperating to define a space within the confines thereof through which said current may flow; b. a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced, first channelshaped members that extend between first portions of said end pieces, with each of said first members including an elongate first web that has first and second flanges projecting from longitudinal edges thereof in the same direction, said first flange being of a lesser depth than said second flange, and said first and second flanges of adjoining first members cooperating to define a plurality of elongate first openings through which said air current with entrained particles may flow; and c. a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced, second channelshaped members that extend between said second portions of said end pieces, with each of said second members including an elongate second web that has first and second legs projecting from longitudinal edges thereof in the same direction towards said first members, said second leg of each of said second members being of a lesser depth than said first leg thereof, said second members so disposed that first and second legs of two adjoining of said second members extend into one of said first members to cooperate with said first and second flanges thereof to define first and second passages of substantially equal transverse cross section, said first and second legs of each two of said adjoining second members cooperating to define an elongate second opening therebetween of substantially the same transverse area as one of said first openings, said first and second legs of each two of said adjoining second members cooperating with the first web of said first member into which they extend to define first and second elongate ports that are in communication with said first and second air passages, said first port of less area that said second port, said first and second flanges of each of said first members cooperating with said second webs of two adjoining of said second members to define third and fourth elongate openings that are in communication with two of said adjoining first openings to deliver air containing said entrained particles to said first and second passages in one of said first members, wIth air containing said entrained particles discharging from said first and second adjoining ports as first and second streams of air that are at first and second velocities and move towards one another to impact a swirling motion to air in said second opening prior to discharging therefrom, the major portion of said particles due to the centrifugal force to which they are subjected by said swirling motion being forcefully directed onto portions of said first and second members to which they adhere with said current substantially free of said particles discharging from said second openings, said first members have first ends that are outwardly spaced from an interior surface of said first portion of a first of said end pieces to cooperate therewith to provide a space into which said particles collected on said unit may flow when said unit is angularly disposed in said current of air with said space at the lower portion thereof.