US1731924A - Atomizer - Google Patents

Description

Oct; '15, 1929. E. L.. Emmm 1,731,924

ATOMIZER 1mm ma. 26, 1924 2 amate-shew; l

nomma Filed Feb. 28, 1924 2 Sheetswsheet 2 d Patented Oct. 15, 1929 `UNITED ASTATES PATENT oFF-ice AToMIzEn Application filed February 28, 1924. Serial No. 695,847.

My invention relates to atomizers and it has special reference to devices that serve to subdivide liquids into a finely divided or atomized state through mechanical means and, if

desired, independently of heat. v

cles such as obtain when a liquid is projected through an atomizer. The means that I employ atomizes a liquid by forcing it to flow as a film in contact with a surface to which it may adhere and along a path' of substantial length While being subjected to a centrifugal force that, in turn, induces the flow of t e liquid along said path.

It is proposed to substitute for a disk of large diameter a disk of relatively small vdiameter but provided with spaced, concentric and laterally projecting flanges, ridges, ribs or 4corrugat-ions whereby radial paths upon the face of the small diameter disk may be provided which will be j considerably elongated over the normal radius of the disk. The nature of these radial paths over which the liquid film is forced outwardly by centrifugal force, may be varied in accordance with the 4Vcharacter of the concentric flanges or ridges formed upon the face of the disk. But in any event zig-zag radial paths are formed on the face of the small-diameter disk over which the liquid flows outwardly from the center of the disk. 4

By means ofthe foregoing construction of a relatively small diameter disk, the advantage is secured of having a small-diameter and revolving disk wherein relatively long radial paths are provided, thus ensuring complete liquid.

One object of my invention 'is to furnish an atomizer of the general character indij cated above in which an enlarged peripheral discharge area is provided by means of a multiple of relatively small cooperating disks whereby large quantities of atomized liquidmaybe spread and discharged Without suffering'retardation because of a limited peripheral discharge area.

A second object of my invention is-to provide an atomizer, as described, that may be used as a carburetor or fuel vaporizer and which automatically controls the peripheral discharge area and1 therefore, the quantity of atomized liquid' that may be discharged therefrom independently of the diameter of the rotating disks comprised therein..

Another object ofmy invention is to provide an atomizer or carburet r wherein the rotating or spreading disks wi be selfpropelled at a high rate of speed and which automatically controls the quantity of atomized liquid in accordance with the demand upon the atomizer or carburetor.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character desc'ribedabove which will be simple and economical to construct and efcient in operation. 75

For a better understanding of the nature, scope and characteristic features of my invention, reference may be hadf to the follow ing description and the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of' a fuel atomizer constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View in elevation of a portion of my assembled multi-disk struc ture wherein the air vane constructionis illustrated; l

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one ofthe spacers interposed between adjacent atomlzatomization, breaking-up or spreading of the ing or spreading disks, as embodied in the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the atomizing or spreading disks embodied in the multi-disk vaporizer of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is view, partially in elevation and partially in section, showing a modified fuel atomizer wherein the propulsion of the multidisk structure is accomplished by means of an electric motor.

A Referring to Fig. 1, a housing 10 is provided at its upper end with a liange 11 in .which spaced openings 12 are formed in order to admit bolts for securing the casing or housing 10 to the manifold (not shown) of an internal combustion engine. The device illustrated may be assumed, for convenience, as being a fuel atomizer or a carburetor for an internal combustion engine. The connecting passageway between the manifold of the internal combustionengine and the carburetor constitutes an opening 13 that is formed at the throat of the casing 10 'in which a butteriy valve 14 is .interposed that is actuated in any convenient Way, such as by means of a linkage mechanism 15.

The casing-10 houses a multi-disk rotating element 16 which is mounted upon a rotatable shaft 17. T he upper bearing of the shaft 17 is housed within a bracket 18 that is shown as formed integrally with the casing 10. The lower end of the shaft 17 is conically shaped,

as shown at 19, and housed withiny a bearing 20 which is supported in the lower end of the housing 10. The bottom periphery of the housing 10 is provided with a plurality of spaced airinlets or vents 21 which afford communication through the interior of the housing 10 between the outside atmosphere and the throat 13 of the manifold'feonnection.4

The rotating element 16 constitutes a plurality of spaced superposed disks 22, one of which is illustrated in' Fig. 4. The disks 22 are spaced from one another by means of spacers 23, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 3. The disks 22 are provided with a plurality of'concentrically arranged spaced corru- -gations or ridges 24 thereby providing radial paths upon the face of each disk that are elongated in a zig-zag fashion and in a direction parallel to the plane ofrotation of the` disk.

.As shown in Fig. 4, the outer edge of the ydisk 22 may be providedat spacedintervals 23. The disks are assembled to form arotat.

with pressed nodules 25 which serve to space the dlsks at their outer -edges from one another y The disks at their inner peripheries are held in spaced relation from one another,

as explained above, by means of the spacers able unit as shown in\Fig. 1 by interposing the spacing washers 23 between adjacent disks. End plates 26 and 27 are then applied to the built-up structure and the whole is held in permanent relation by means of holding bolts 28 which extend through the upper end plate 27 and are threaded into the lower end plate 26.

The atomizing disks 22 and the spacers 23 are of annular form and provided respectively with central openings 22-1 and 23 which register with one another in the built-up structure to provide a central elongated passage that constitutes a fuel admission chamber 29 of the rotating element 16. Communication is afforded between the fuel chamber 29 and the spaces between adjacent atomizing disks 22 through openings 30 that are formed at spaced intervals in the spacers 23. It is, of course, obvious that any number of openings 30 may be formed in the spacers 23, depending upon the degree of atomization of the liquid desired, the nature of the fuel to be atomized, its viscosity the speed of rotation of the vaporizing disks and other considerations. When a high degree of atomization of `the liquid is desired, the discharge openings 30 may be decreased in cross sectional area, and if an increased quantity of liquid to be atomized is desired, the number of active disks for spreading the liquid is increased.

In Fig. 4, each of the atomizing disks 22 is provided at spaced intervals along its periphery with integrally formed vanes or blades 31.' The disks 22 may be made from sheet metal that is stamped and pressed in order to provide the concentric corrugations 24 and the radially projecting blades 31 that are sub- 4sequently bent to constitute a part of the propelling vanes for the rotating unit 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the assembled built-up unit 16, the several spaced vanes 31 upon each atomizing disk 22 are brought into continuous relation with corresponding vanes formed upon the adjacent disks and, in the aggregate, form a series of air vanes that serve to propel the rotatable unit 16 Awhen acted upon by the air drawn into the housing 10 through the air vents 21. The assembled propelling vanes 31 project into the path of the air-intake and by reason of their form constitute the propelling means for the rotat-l the fuel chamber 29. The needle valve 33` comprises a plunger 35 that is actuated by. means of a fuel supply lever 36. The needle Avalve construction is well known in the art and, consequently, need not be described in detail, except that through the agency of the adjustable needle valve 33 the quantity of fuel supplied to thefuel chamber 29 lmay be controlled.

In operation,.the floiv of the air through the intake 2l to the manifold connection 13 causes theassembled multi-disk liquid spreading element 16 to rotate at a substantially highV y speed. The fuel admitted into the fuel chamber 29 through the needle valve 33 is forced outvvardl from the fuel chamber 29 by reason of centri ugal force inducing' the flow of the liquid through the passageways 30 formed in j the spacing disks 23. As the fuel comes in contact with thevaporizing disks 22, itv is,

spread, as 'hereinbefore described, and discharged fromthe-periphery of the disks into passageways 29a formed between the adjacent propelling air vanes 31. From the passage- Ways 29, the yspread or atomiz'ed liquid is sucked into the manifold in quantities depending upon the position ofthe butterfly valve 14 in the throat 13. As the demand for fuel increases in quantity, the valve 33-is .adjusted to permit of an increase in the flow of fuel i-nto the chamber 29.' In order to atomize properly this increased quantity of liquidv fuel, the multiplicity of the atomizingdisks 22 provides automatically an increasing atcmizing agency, depending uponthe numberiof such disks that are renderedactive in atomizing the fuel', Which number is controlled by reason ofthe height attained by the liquid fuel Within the fuel Echamber 29. By employing a multiple of superposed atomizing disks`22, each of Which has the equivalent of a substantially large diameterhyl reason of the plurality of spaced concentric corrugations 24 being formed on its face, an

increased peripheral discharge area is provided for the atomized fuel Which is ample to take care Vof all the demands for fuel made upon the atomizer and permits ofincreasing automatically the discharge of atomized fuel without retardation or hindrance.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be observed that .i the self-propelling atomizer of Fig. 1 is provided with a series of eight pr pelling vanes 31 which I have found ample or'inducing a sufficiently high speed of rotation to the element 16 comprising the plurality of superposed atomizing disks 22. It will be observed that by reason of the spaced concentric ridges 24 formed upon the face of each ofthe atomizing disks 22, a substantially long radial path is formed-for the liquid film-projected upon each disk thereby spreading the liquid suiiicientl-y to' completely atomize it'.. The

ber' 29 is of ample size to handle suflicicnt' atomized liquid -on reaching the peripheral discharge areas of the disks comes in contactwith the air flowing through the air-intake 2l and becomes thoroughly admixed thereivith'in the passagcways 29a before being admitted into the manifold of the internal combusti on engine. The liquid fuel supply chamquantities of fuel that, in turn, lis atomizcd in any desired quantity by reason of the superposed atomizing disks 22, each constituting of itself a .separate atomizing agency for y spreading the liquid fuel projected thereupon through the openings 3() formed in the adjacent spacer 23. The number of atomizing disks 22 that are active at any time depends upon the level of the liquid fuel contained Within the fuel chamber 29.

Under certain conditions it may be desired to dispense with the self-propelling vanes 31 of the device illustrated in Figs. 1, 4 and 3 and, in that event, the assembled rotatable multi-disk element 16 that'serv'es to spread and atomize the liquid fuel, may be propelled by means of an electric motor 40 that is directly connected to the rotatable shaft'17 of` referred to herein since it is conceivable'that many modifications and changes may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the lappended claims.A

Having thus described my invention, wh at.

VI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the U. S, is

1. An atomizer comprising a housing, a rotatable element disposed therein Which embod-ies a plurality of spaced superposed annular spreading'disks, each being provided with a series of concentric spaced corrugations in order to provide elongated radial paths upon eachdisk, annular spacing mem- .bers having grooves,the faces thereof imposed between adjacent-spreading devices so that said disks together with said grooves providel lateral openings to permit fuel to pass therethrough to the face of each of the spreading disks, said disks and spacers having central openings and a closure at the lower end thereof to formv a liquid containing chamber, a liquid inlet at the upper end of said chamber ffor supplying liquid thereto whereby the amount of liquid contained therein automatically controls the active number of spreading disks, means for uniting said spacing members and said disks to -provide a rotatable unitarystructure for spreading said' fuel centrifugally, said housing being provided with air vents adjacent to the peripheral discharge 'areas of said disks, and laterally extending projections on each of said disks 'extending into said air vents, sai-d projections in the assembled built-up structure providing continuous inclined an' vanes.

2. An atomizer comprising a housing, a rotatable element disposed therein embodying a plurality of spaced superposed liquid spreading disks each being provided with a series of concentric corrugations in order to provide elongated radial paths upon each disk, means for admitting liquid to be spread upon the face of each disk, said disks and said spacers forming a liquid containing chamber in communication. with said means, a liquid inlet in communication with said chamber whereby the amount of liquid fed to said chamber automatically controls the active number of spreading disks.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

BERNARD L. ENGELKE.

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