Electrostatic precipitator

Claim 2

An improved apparatus for electrically precipitating foreign particles such as dust that are present in a gaseous medium such as air which comprises, a frame defining a through-extending open central portion, a group of continuously connected longitudinally extending spaced-apart configurated electrically conductive plate portions mounted within said open portion, a continuous ionizing wire length having a pair of opposed rows of end-positioned connecting loop portions and a series of substantially parallel length portions in a spaced relation along and between adjacent pairs of said plate portions, cooperating spring means; a pair of opposed and spaced-apart bar members extending along outer reaches of said rows of connecting loop portions and means for maintaining said bars members in a self adjusting outwardly flexibly spread-apart positioned relation with respect to each other for positioning said rows in an electrically insulated self-adjustably tensioned relation along said bar members within the open central portion of said frame, means independent of said spring means for applying electric current of positive potential to said continuous wire for electrically charging foreign particles in a gaseous medium moving through said open portion, and means for applying electric current of opposite potential to said plate portions for collecting the charged particles thereon.

Claim 3

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying current of positive potential is adapted to engage a connecting loop portion of said wire length in its positioned relation along an associated one of said bar members.

Claim 4

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for applying current of positive potential has a tensioned arm adapted to engage the said connecting loop portion of said wire length.

Claim 5

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises flexible tension-maintaining means connecting opposite ends of said continuous wire length between said pair of bar members.

Claim 6

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, said means for maintaining said bar members in a flexibly spread-apart relation with respect to each other comprises a pair of opposed and spaced-apart support members carried by said frame and mounting said plate portions within said housing, and said maintaining means further comprises compression spring means positioning each bar member of said pair on an associated one of said pair of support members.

Claim 7

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises tension springs connecting each end of said continuous wire length in an adjustably tensioned relation with respect to said pair of bar members, and each bar member of said pair has rounded recess portions adjustably carrying an associated row of said loop portions of said continuous wire therealong.

Claim 8

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, means is carried by said bar members for guidably supporting and positioning said loop portions of said continuous wire length in such a manner as to enable tensioned adjustment of said continuous wire along the full extent of its length, said spring means is positioned with respect to said bar members and opposite end portions of said continuous wire for maintaining said length portions of said wire in a tensioned self-adjustably securely retained position along their full extent on said pair of bar members and between said plate portions, and said means for applying electric current of positive potential comprises an electrically conductive element adapted to slidably engage one of said loop portions.

Claim 9

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, a pair of support members are secured within said frame to extend along opposite sides of the open central portion thereof, said plate portions comprise a plate member row having opposed end tabs defining integral loop-like connecting portions, and said connecting portions are secured on said support members.

Claim 10

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said plate member row is of one-piece integral metal construction which extends fully along the length extent of said ionizing wire.

Claim 11

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein, each of said bar members extends along an associated one of said support members, and said maintaining means comprises spring means for flexibly urging said bar members outwardly with respect to each other.

Claim 12

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein each of said bar members has means positioning said loop portions of said wire in an electrically insulated and endwise adjustable relationship with respect to said support members.

Claim 13

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein, each of said bar members has a central area therealong provided with cross-connecting portions and open by-pass portions, mounting means is carried by each of said support members and extends through said open by-pass portions, and said spring means of said maintaining means is carried by said mounting means to engage and support an associated said bar member thereon.

Claim 14

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein, each of said bar members has a pair of said rails and a central area therebetween in alignment with and along an associated one of said support members, a pair of continuous wires of the defined construction and positioning are connected to said electric current applying means and are mounted to extend between each pair of opposed side rails of said pair of bar members.

Claim 15

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, each said bar member has a pair of said rails that are connected together in a spaced relation and in such a manner as to define a central series of open by-pass portions therealong, electrically conductive support members are secured to said frame and extend along said open by-pass portions of each of said bar members, said plate portions have opposed end tabs that extend through said open by-pass portions and are secured to an associated one of said support members, and said bar members are of electrical insulating material for providing the insulating of said continuous wire from said support members and said plate portions.

Claim 16

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, said plate portions are defined by a continuous one-piece electrically conductive metal plate member of interconnected spaced looped construction, and a pair of spaced-apart electrically conductive metal support members are secured to said frame and said plate member for mounting said plate member adjacent opposite ends thereof within said frame.

Claim 17

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein, each of said bar members has means for carrying said loop portions of said continuous wire in an electrically insulated adjustable positioning therealong.

Claim 18

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein, each of said support members has a centrally inwardly offset channel portion, each of said pair of bar members has a central area therealong provided with alternate cross-connecting portions and open portions, and said maintaining means comprises mounting brackets secured to extend inwardly from said offset channel portion of each of said support members through the open portions in an associated one of said bar members, and spring means extending from each of said mounting brackets into engagement with an associated one of said pair of bar members for mounting said bar members in the flexible self-adjustable spread-apart relation with respect to each other.

Claim 19

In an improved apparatus as defined in claim 17, further comprising a housing removably containing said frame therein and wherein, each of said bar members has a series of spaced-apart side guide slots therealong on which said loop portions of said continuous wire are adjustably positioned, and said means for applying electric current of positive potential to said continuous wire comprises: first contact means carried in an insulated relation within said housing, flexible contact means carried in an insulated relation by said frame and adapted to slidably engage said first contact means, and said flexible contact means being adapted to engage a loop portion of said wire length.

Claim 20

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, each of said bar members has a series of rounded slot portions therealong that adjustably position an associated row of said loop portions, and said spring means has means associated with each of said bar members for self-adjustably maintaining said continuous wire in a tightly tensioned extending relation along its full length between said pair of bar members.

Claim 21

An improved apparatus for electrically precipitating foreign particles such as dust that are present in a gaseous medium such as air which comprises, a frame defining a through-extending open portion, an electrically conductive collector plate having a group longitudinally extending spaced-apart configurated electrically conductive plate portions mounted within the open portion, a continuous one-piece ionizing wire length mounted in a spaced relation lengthwise along and between adjacent pairs of said plate portions, bar members extending along outer reaches of said wire length, force generating means and means for maintaining said bar members in a self adjusting outwardly flexibly spread-apart positioned relation with respect to each other force generating means for maintaining said wire length in a self-adjusting tensioned relations fully therealong within said open portion, means independent of said force generating means for applying electric current of positive potential to said wire length for electrically charging foreign particles in a gaseous medium moving through said open portion, and means for applying electric current of opposite potential to the said collector plate for collecting the charged particles thereon.

Claim 22

An improved apparatus for electrically precipitating foreign particles such as dust that are present in a gaseous medium such as air which comprises, a frame defining a through-extending open portion, an electrically conductive collector plate having a group longitudinally extending spaced-apart configurated electrically conductive plate portions mounted within the open portion, a continuous one-piece ionizing wire length mounted in a spaced relation lengthwise along and between adjacent pairs of said plate portions, bar members extending along outer reaches of said wire length, force generating means and means for maintaining said bar members in a self adjusting outwardly flexibly spread-apart positioned relation with respect to each other force generating means for maintaining said wire length in a self-adjusting tensioned relations fully therealong within said open portion, means independent of said force generating means for applying electric current of positive potential to said wire length for electrically charging foreign particles in a gaseous medium moving through said open portion, and means for applying electric current of opposite potential to the said collector plate for collecting the charged particles thereon.

Claim 23

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said wire length is in the form of spaced-apart loop connected lengths positioned along and between said plate portions, and said means for applying electric current of positive potential engages said wire length intermediate its end portions.

Claim 24

In an improved apparatus for electrically precipitating foreign particles such as dust that are present in a gaseous medium such as air which comprises, a unitary frame construction, said frame having a pair of electrically conductive cross-extending support members secured in a longitudinally spaced-apart relation with respect to each other, an electrically conductive plate member assembly having a row of transversely spaced-apart and longitudinally extending configurated length portions defining operating compartments therebetween and having opposed loop-like connecting end portions secured between said pair of support members, a pair of electrically non-conductive spaced-apart cross-extending spreader bar members each of which is carried in an outwardly urged mounted relation on and with respect to an associated one of said support members, a pair of continuously integral ionizing wire lengths, each having a pair of opposed rows of end-positioned connecting loop portions carried in an electrically insulated self-adjustably tensioned relation along opposite sides of and on and between said pair of bar members and having a series of looped mounting portions and a series of substantially parallel spaced-apart length portions in a spaced relation along the operating compartments between the length portions of said plate member assembly, and electrical connections to said plate member assembly for supplying negative electric current thereto and to one of said looped mounting portions of said pair of continuous wire lengths for supplying positive electric current thereto.

Claim 25

In an improved apparatus for electrically precipitating foreign particles such as dust that are present in a gaseous medium such as air which comprises, a unitary frame construction, said frame having a pair of electrically conductive cross-extending support members secured in a longitudinally spaced-apart relation with respect to each other, an electrically conductive plate member assembly having a row of transversely spaced-apart and longitudinally extending configurated length portions defining operating compartments therebetween and having opposed loop-like connecting end portions secured between said pair of support members, a pair of electrically non-conductive spaced-apart cross-extending spreader bar members each of which is carried in an outwardly urged mounted relation on and with respect to an associated one of said support members, a pair of continuously integral ionizing wire lengths, each having a pair of opposed rows of end-positioned connecting loop portions carried in an electrically insulated self-adjustably tensioned relation along opposite sides of and on and between said pair of bar members and having a series of looped mounting portions and a series of substantially parallel spaced-apart length portions in a spaced relation along the operating compartments between the length portions of said plate member assembly, and electrical connections to said plate member assembly for supplying negative electric current thereto and to one of said looped mounting portions of said pair of continuous wire lengths for supplying positive electric current thereto.

Claim 26

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 22 wherein compression spring means flexibly mounts said pair of bar members in a self-adjustably spread relation with respect to each other and on said pair of support members, and tension spring means self-adjustably mounts opposite ends of each of said continuous wire lengths on and between said pair of bar members.

Claim 27

An improved apparatus for electrically precipitating foreign particles such as dust that are present in a gaseous medium such as air which comprises, a housing having a bounding frame defining a through-extending open side area and an end-positioned entry portion, and an operating unit adapted to be slid into and out of a centrally disposed position within said central area through said entry portion; said operating unit comprising, a pair of spaced-apart electrically conductive cross-extending support members, an electrically conductive plate member assembly having spaced-apart endwise-connected longitudinally extending configurated length portions defining operating compartments therebetween and secured at opposite ends thereof between said pair of support members, a pair of spaced-apart cross-extending spreader bar members each of which is carried by an associated one of said support members, a continuous ionizing wire length having an integral construction and provided with a pair of opposed rows of end-positioned connecting loop portions carried in an electrically insulated flexibly adjustably tensioned relation on and between said pair of bar members and having a series of substantially parallel spaced-apart length portions in a spaced relation along the operating compartments between the length portions of said plate member assembly, an electrical contact carried by one of said bar members in engagement with a looped portion of said continuous wire length; and electric current applying means carried by said housing and adapted to be engaged by at least one of said electrically conductive support members and by said electrical contact for supplying current of opposite potential between said plate member assembly and said continuous wire length when said operating unit is slid into position within said housing through said end-positioned entry portion.

Claim 28

An improved apparatus for electrically precipitating foreign particles such as dust that are present in a gaseous medium such as air which comprises, a housing having a bounding frame defining a through-extending open side area and an end-positioned entry portion, and an operating unit adapted to be slid into and out of a centrally disposed position within said central area through said entry portion; said operating unit comprising, a pair of spaced-apart electrically conductive cross-extending support members, an electrically conductive plate member assembly having spaced-apart endwise-connected longitudinally extending configurated length portions defining operating compartments therebetween and secured at opposite ends thereof between said pair of support members, a pair of spaced-apart cross-extending spreader bar members each of which is carried by an associated one of said support members, a continuous ionizing wire length having an integral construction and provided with a pair of opposed rows of end-positioned connecting loop portions carried in an electrically insulated flexibly adjustably tensioned relation on and between said pair of bar members and having a series of substantially parallel spaced-apart length portions in a spaced relation along the operating compartments between the length portions of said plate member assembly, an electrical contact carried by one of said bar members in engagement with a looped portion of said continuous wire length; and electric current applying means carried by said housing and adapted to be engaged by at least one of said electrically conductive support members and by said electrical contact for supplying current of opposite potential between said plate member assembly and said continuous wire length when said operating unit is slid into position within said housing through said end-positioned entry portion.

Claim 29

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein, each of said spreader bar members has at least a pair of transversely spaced-apart rail portions extending therealong, said first-mentioned continuous ionizing wire has its end-positioned loop portions mounted in an adjustable relation along one rail of each of said pair of opposed spreader bar members, a second continuous ionizing wire of the same defined construction and positioning as said first-mentioned wire has its end-positioned loop portions mounted in an adjustable relation along the other rail of each of said pair of opposed spreader bar members, and an electric contact is carried by one of said bar members in engagement with a looped portion of said second-mentioned wire length for applying positive electric current thereto.

Claim 30

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein said plate member assembly comprises a continuous one-piece metal plate member of endwise-positioned opposed rows of interconnected spacer tab portions that are secured between said pair of support members.

Claim 31

An improved apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein said electric current applying means comprises, a flexible spring-like slide-on means adapted to engage said electrical contact for supplying current of positive potential to said continuous wire, and an electrical slide means adapted to supply negative current to at least one of said electrically conductive support members and then to said group of plate portions.