Air cleaner

Claim 1

An air cleaner including concentric first, second and third cylindrical sleeve means, said first sleeve means providing an outlet and said second sleeve means having a larger diameter than said first sleeve means and having flange means so as to provide a ring-shaped inlet therebetween and said third sleeve means having substantially the same diameter as said second sleeve means and providing an axial extension of said second sleeve means, the end of said third sleeve means remote from said second sleeve means being closed, the cross sectional area of said first sleeve means being less than the cross sectional area between said first and second sleeve means whereby air passing between said first and second sleeve means and through said third sleeve means will travel at a lower linear speed than air passing through the outlet formed by said first sleeve means, means adjacent said inlet for imparting a swirling motion of air entering said inlet and for controlling the linear speed of air through said inlet including a series of angularly spaced vanes, means resiliently mounting each of said vanes at only one end for normally urging the opposite end thereof toward the said one end of the next vane adjacent thereto, the distance between said one end and said other end of each vane being generally sufficient so that said vanes can flex substantially closed when the suction in the outlet decreases sufficiently and to flex open to admit air required as the suction in the outlet increases, a plurality of radially extending arms having blower blades supported at the outer ends thereof, means rotatably mounting said blower arms within said third sleeve means so that said blades are nearer said third sleeve means and generally in the path of air flowing from said second sleeve means, said blades being coaxially arranged with respect to said third sleeve means, a plurality of radially directed turbine blades on said means which rotatably mounts said blower arms, said turbine blades being located radially inwardly of said blower blades nearer said first sleeve means whereby air entering said first sleeve means engages said turbine blades to help rotate said blower blades in a manner to increase the centrifugal force of particles entrained in the air outwardly in the direction of said third sleeve means, said third sleeve means having a discharge opening through which said particles may pass.