Drift eliminator assembly

Claim 1

In combination with a liquid cooling tower having an air inlet, an air outlet, and means for directing currents of air along a path of travel from said inlet to said outlet in substantially horizontal, intersecting relationship to liquid gravitating within the tower, a drift eliminator assembly within the tower, disposed to remove droplets of liquid entrained in said air immediately prior to discharge of said air through said outlet; said drift eliminator assembly comprising: a. a plurality of drift eliminator panels secured together in an end to end relationship; b. each of said panels including a plurality of longitudinally extending drift eliminator blades positioned one above the other and supported at their respective ends by a pair of side plates; c. said side plates of longitudinally adjacent panels being secured together so as to define an integral drain channel therebetween; d. said side plates having openings integral therewith and said eliminator blades being inclined so as to permit liquid collected on said blades to flow through said openings into said drain channel; e. each of said side plates includes first and second flanges extending longitudinally outward therefrom towards the adjacent side plate such that corresponding first flanges and corresponding second flanges of adjacent side plates are in contact with one another so as to form said integral drain channel therebetween; f. said first flanges include connecting ears integral therewith for receipt of fastening means therethrough so as to secure together longitudinally adjacent side plates; and g. vertically extending support members secured between adjacent pairs of said connecting ears for suspending said drift eliminator assembly within said tower.