US2998184A - Triple action air adjusting ring - Google Patents

Description

g- 1961 G. E. VALENTINE ET AL 2,998,184

TRIPLE ACTION AIR ADJUSTING RING Filed Sept. 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Aug. 29, 1961 G. E. VALENTINE ET AL 2,998,134

TRIPLE ACTION AIR ADJUSTING RING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 18, 1958 INVENTORJ 6:01PM gun mu;

BY -M w W ATTORNEYS Aug. 29, 1961 cs. E. VALENTINE ET AL 2,998,184

TRIPLE ACTION AIR ADJUSTING RING Filed Sept. 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lfl lllllk' Hilllllll l I l l 1 l ATTORNEYS I 2,998,184 TRIPLE ACTION AIR ADJUSTING RING George E. Valentine and Joseph H. Eubanks, Schuylkill Haven, Pa., assignors to V. & E. Products, Inc., Schuylkill Haven, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 761,865 2 Claims. (Cl. 230-114) This invention relates to blowers and to air flow control apparatus for such blowers.

It is often desirable and even necessary to provide blowers with readily adjustable ports to control the flow of air through the blower to provide different performance characteristics as required by the different service conditions under which the blowers operate. When such blowers are used in conjunction with coal stokers, for example, it is advantageous to provide a relatively large air inlet when the blower is idle so as to provide unrestricted natural draft under the fire. When the blower is operating, on the other hand, such a large opening would permit excess air flow and would render burning ineflicient. In the latter case, therefore, a much smaller opening is required. In the majority of situations in which such blowers find use it is also desirable that the adjustments set forth above be made quickly and automatically.

As far as is known, no air flow control apparatus has been developed in the past which meets the foregoing requirements and which is, at the same time, as simply and inexpensively constructed as is desirable, prior attempts to provide such an apparatus having been, at best, only partially successful.

It is a major object of this invention to provide an inexpensive and simple structure, for use in connection with blowers, which provides automatic adjustment of the size of the air flow passages of said blowers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel air regulating structure, with few moving parts, requiring a minimum of maintenance, adapted to be used with blowers and designed to provide large air inlet area when the blower is idle and a smaller air inlet area when the blower is in operation, the conversion from large to small and vice versa being immediate and automatic.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel air regulating structure which is completely selfcontrolling and which is automatic in the simplest sense of the word.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel air regulating structure, usable in conjunction with the blower of a coal stoker system, which structure pro vides for unrestricted natural draft when the blower is idle and an adjustably restricted flow of air when the blower is in operation.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partially sectional front view of a blower incorporating the novel air regulating device of the present invention and showing the position of the parts when the blower is idle.

FIGURE 2 is a partially sectional front view of a blower incorporating the novel air regulating device of the present invention and showing the position of the elements when the blower is operating.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the device shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view of a horseshoe-shaped control element which forms a part of the novel air-regulating device.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the element shown in FIGURE 4,

nited States Patent C "ice FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of one of the shutter elements.

FIGURE 7 is an isometric view of another of the shutter elements of the novel air-regulating device.

Referring to FIGURES 1, '2. and 3 of the drawings, the novel air regulating device of this invention indicated generally at 10 is shown as applied to a squirrel-cage blower 12. Squirrel-cage blower 12 is of generally conventional construction and comprises a main scroll type chamber 14 containing a rotor 16, a housing 18 adjacent chamber 14 containing a motor for driving rotor 16, and the usual tangential outlet section 20. A central air inlet aperture (not shown) is provided in side wall 24 of the main chamber 14 concentric with the axis of the rotor 16. v

Projecting outwardly from side wall 24 and surrounding the central air inlet aperture therein is a cup-like member 26 with apertures 30 in its cylindrical side wall.

Rotatably mounted around the periphery of member 26 is a horseshoe-shaped control element 28 comprising two laterally spaced horseshoe-shaped side pieces 31 connected at intervals along cross-bars 3-2 and at their ends by braces 33. Projections 36 extend outwardly from each sidepiece 31, the corresponding projections of each side being joined by cross-bars 38.

Mounted between sidepieces 31 are three curved shutters 39, 40, and 41, so constructed that the radius of curvature of each is substantially the same as that of the outer periphery of the member 26. Each shutter is provided near one of its ends with an axle 42 which is shitably mounted for free rotative movement in grooves 44 located at the inner periphery of sidepieces 31. One end of the axle 42 for the shutter 39 extends freely through an opening 47 in a stop 53 projecting from one of the sidepieces 31 into one of the openings 30. The length of the shutters is such that, in their closed position (FIGURE 2), apertures 30, over which the shutters lie, are either partially or completely covered, as will hereinafter be set forth. Projections 36 and their cross-bars 38- are so located that they serve as stops to arrest the movement of the shutters when they are in their fully open position, as in FIGURE 1. Cross-bars 32 are so located that they serve as rests for the ends 46 of the shutters when said shutters are in their closed position, as in FIGURE 2. A mounting-lug 48 (see FIGURES 1, 2 and 3) attached to the main chamber 14 serves as a stop for shutter 39 when the shutters are in their open position (see FIGURE 1). On shutters 39, 40 and 41 are counterweights 49, 50 and 51, respectively, so located that when the blower 12 is not in operation, the shutters will rotate automatically to their open position, as in FIGURE 1. To effect this result, the counterweights are differently positioned oneach shutter element, depending upon the relative positions of the latter. H I

Control element 28 is fitted around member 26 in such a manner that the former can be rotated relative to the latter with slight force. Other mounting means would, of course, be suitable.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it may be seen that the relative dimensions of apertures 30, cross bars 32 and the shutters are such that, even when the shutters are in their closed position, the control element 28 may be rotated relative to member 26 so that portions of apertures 30 are left unobstructed, said unobstructed portions being designated in the drawings as air ports 52. The size of these air ports can be increased by rotation of control element 28 clockwise, or may be totally closed by rotation of control element 28 counterclockwise. The movement of the control member 28 in either direction is limited by the stop 53.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES l-7, wherein counterweights 49-51 are utilized to move shut- 3 ters 3941 to their open position (see FIGURE 1), it will be readily apparent that the blower unit 10 must be physically situated in the system in which it is used in such a manner that the counterweights will be effective "to move the shutters to said open position. For example, if the unit were inverted so that the tangential outlet section 20 were located at the top rather than at the bottom, the counterweights would be ineffective to open the shutters when the motor is turned E.

This problem could be avoided, of course, by the 'substitution for the counterweights of light springs or their equivalents. The bias of the springs would be efit'ective to maintain the shutters in the open position when the motor is turned off; the spring bias would be 'overcome and the shutters would close when the motor is turned on.

In operation, blower 12 is suitably connected in the system in which it is going to be used (see, for example,

the coal stoker system described in Wilson et al. Patent 2,609,834, issued September 9, 1952). Control element can enter the blower inlet only through air ports 52.

When the blower is not operating, the counterweights 49-51 will move the shutters into their open position, as in FIGURE 1.

It is to be noted that regardless of the position to which control element 28 is adjusted to provide air ports 52 when the blower is operating, apertures 30 will be substantially unobstructed when the blower is not in operation, and will accordingly permit unrestricted natural draft.

My novel system will find wide use, and will be especially serviceable in coal stoker systems, as heretofore described. In addition to the advantages heretofore pointed out, the immediately automatic opening of the shutters of my air regulating device will, in such systems, provide for immediate cooling of the furnace grates when the blower stops running, adding to their service life. The air regulating elements of my invention contain few moving parts, are easily and simply constructed, are so designed that worn or unserviceable parts may be easily and cheaply replaced without replacement of an entire unit.

Details of my novel structure may be varied without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. For example, shutters may be constructed of rigid or flexible material. The latter would provide for some give when the blower is operating and the shutters are in their closed position, and would thus result in a better air seal. Cup-like member 26 may be secured to conventional blowers by any suitable means, as by welding, bolting, etc., or, if desired, it may be cast integrally with the blower frame. Mounting-lug 48 may, if desired, be replaced by an additional projection 36, to serve as a stop for the shutter 39.

Furthermore, my invention is not limited to the use of any given number of shutters or apertures 30. While I have found that three of each is most convenient from an efiiciency and a manufacturing standpoint, this number may be varied to suit the desires of the operator.

The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. Air flow control structure for a blower comprising an air inlet member having a substantially cylindrical wall provided with a plurality of air inlet apertures; a control ring mounted on the periphery of said air inlet member and having apertures therein; said control ring being rotatable relative to said air inlet member to vary the portion of apertures in said ring and said air inlet member in registry with one another whereby the size of the portion of the air inlet apertures left unrestricted when the blower is in operation may be varied; and a plurality of shutters mounted on said control ring for free pivotal movement between an inactive position to permit the unobstructed flow of air through said apertures and an active position against said control ring to obstruct said flow of air; means biasing said shutters toward said inactive position and said shutters being movable to said active position by the flow of air through said blower.

2. A blower structure comprising in combination a blower having an air'inlet member having a substantially cylindrical wall provided with a plurality of air inlet apertures; a control ring mounted on the periphery of said air inlet member; said control ring being rotatable relative to said air inlet member to vary the size of the portion of the apertures left unrestricted when the blower is in operation; and a plurality of shutters mounted on said control ring adjacent said apertures for free pivotal movement between an inactive position to permit the unobstructed flow of air through said apertures and an active position to obstruct said flow of air; counterweights biasing said shutters toward said inactive position and said shutters being movable to said active position by the flow of air through said blower.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,990,778 Dodd Feb. 12, 1935 2,153,604 Wheller Apr. 11, 1939 2,273,458 Anderson Feb. 17, 1942 2,441,845 Robinson May 18, 1948 2,603,411 Trumpa July 15, 1952

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