US3275072A

US3275072A - Radiator core guard

Info

Publication number: US3275072A
Application number: US389531A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond F Suchomel
Original assignee: International Harverster Corp
Current assignee: Dresser Industries Inc
Priority date: 1964-08-14
Filing date: 1964-08-14
Publication date: 1966-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-27

Description

Sept. 27, 1966 R. F. SUCHOMEL 3,275,072

RADIATOR CORE GUARD Filed Aug. 14, 1964 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR RAYMOND F. SUCHOMEL ATT'Y Sept. 27, 1966 R. F. SUCHOMEL 3,

RADIATOR CORE GUARD Filed Aug. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III-2P4 INVENTOR RAYMOND F SUCHOMEL 2 ATT'Y United States Patent Ofiice.

3,275,072 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 ware Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 389,531

9 Claims. (Cl. 165-134) This invention relates to a vehicle radiator guard. It

more particularly relates to a radiator core guard which, in distinction to an external grill or guard bars provided to protect the radiator of the vehicle against front end bumping or collision damage, protects the inner face of the radiator core from erosion and damage due to impingment from flying abrasive particles. Tractor type vehicles, particularly front end loaders of that type, have a radiator fan on the inner side of, and in line with, the radiator core which is provided in con ventional manner at the front end of the vehicle; a forwardly-blowing pusher fan is the preferred radiator fan, instead of a conventional suction fan which would pull the air in a rearward direction between the coolant tubes in the core. For one thing, the pusher fan causes hot air leaving the radiator to dischargein a forward direction away from the operator, so that he can avoid the discomfort of the hot air during warm weather. In the loaders referred to, the situation would be aggravated by a suction fan, because spillage .and dirt siftingfrom the bucket of the loader would be inducted into the rearwardly directed air passing the fan and then be blown at the operator.

The pusher fan arrangement has disadvantages, One of the chief difficulties is dirt, grit, and the like in the air which hit the blades of the pusher fan and which impact against the radiator core causing abrasion, leakage, and ultimate failure of the cooling system of the vehicle.

An object of my radiator guard invention is to material 1y reduce or substantially eliminate the foregoing abrasion and leakage problem.

Another object in line with the foregoing objective is to provide a hard metal guard not only for protecting the exposed inner or primary row of tubes'in the radiator core, but equally importantly if not more so, forprotesting the cooling fins' in the core which, when eroded away, then expose the secondary and further rows of tubes to abrasion and leakage.

A specific object of my invention is the provision of a. single-layerthick, guard structure for the core .of a radiator, of which the thickness is substantially that of a single layer of tubes, and which comprises: a plurality of vertical tubes disposed in the single layer and made of tubing having flat opposite walls and arranged with their major cross-sectional axes so as to be parallel to the di- 'rection of air flow through the core; horizontally disposed, vertically spaced apart fins holding the tubes apart with substantially the center to center spacing of tubes in the core to be protected; and attachment brackets for mounting the structure in a gapped relation inwardly offset from that core.

A more specific object, based upon the objective'just stated, is to provide guard structure such as the foregoing, for use in a cooling system between an outwardly blowing pusher fan and the core of a radiator located on the outer side of the pusher fan, wherein the core of the radiator comprises nonferr'ous vertical tubes which are softer than ferrous metal, and nonferrous fins which are softer than ferrous metal, and wherein ferrous, abrasionresistant tubes are provided in the guard structure and ferrous, abrasion resistant fins are provided in the guard structure. The fixed gap between the guard structure and the radiator core offsets the structure sulficienily to the rear that the guard structure only is in the effective path of and takes the impact of the particles. By the time, if at all, at which the particles strike against the more vulnerable, softer radiator core structure, they have spent their major momentum and tendency to cause abrasion.

I have observed that a major portion of the fan-thrown dirt and particles, especially heavier particles, flies from the downstream face of the fan blades not directly forwardly in the fore-and-aft direction which is taken by the air pushed by the blades. Instead, those particles are thrown at diagonal angles within a multitude of planes essentially normal to the plane of rotation of the fan. Due to the diagonal trajectory, both the fins and the tubes of a conventional radiator core are vulnerable to the abrasion of such flying particles. The present guard creates a large scale rectilinear honeycomb effect which, due to the depth of the guard, tends to take the direct impact of many if not most of the diagonally moving particles and thus spares the radiator core.

Further features, objects, and advantages will either be specifically pointed out or become apparent, when for a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of the front end of a tractor type vehicle suitable for mounting a front end bucket loader attachment, a portion of the radiator guard being cut away to show the radiator structure in an engine compartment embodying the present invention;

FIGURES 2, 3, and 4 are top plan, rear elevational, and right side elevational views of a core guard mounted to the radiator structure;

FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 are demonstrative top plan, left side elevational, and left rear isometric views to show the general environment and trajectory of fan-thrown particles; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary left side elevational view corresponding to and showing a detail of FIGURE 4.

More particularly in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a front engine vehicle selected for purposes of illustration consists of a crawler tractor 10 shown as having an en- 'gine compartment containing an engine 12. The engine 12 operates a V-belt drive 14 to drive a pusher type fan 16 for moving air forwardly and outwardly through the radiatorguard 18. A radiator 20, including a core 22-, is fixedly mounted on a main frame 24 of the tractor forwardly of and in line with the fan 16. The radiator carries a radiator core guard 26 in protective relation ship between it and the fan 16. The front end bucket 1 loader attachment referred to is omitted to simplify the drawings.

The radiator core 22 is a conventional type having a plurality of horizontally disposed, relatively spaced apart copper fins 27, each being provided with a series of spaced apart transverse openings or apertures. Such openings are in vertical alignment with similar openings in adjacent fins and, together therewith, receive a series of vertical fluid conducting core tubes 28. The core tubes 28 are a copper alloy such as brass and are disposed transverse to and held uniformly spaced apart by means of the fins 27.

Upper and lower tanks 30 and 32 'of the radiator are communicatively interconnected by means of the core tubes 28. The upper tank 30 has an inlet 34 connected to the pressure side of a conventional water pump, not shown, and the lower tank 32 has an outlet 36 connected to the suction side of the water pump referred to.

The crawler tractor 10 is suspended at opposite sides upon crawler track frames, of which the nearer one is indicated at 38 and each of which includes -a front idler 40 and an articulated, metal, endless track 42.

brackets 46 and the top edge of the upper section, the. upper section is mitered along a diagonal axis-1n the plane of the guard. A center section of the guard has attachment brackets 50 at the opposite vertical side edges and includes another row of vertical tinned steel tubes 48b. A bottom section of the guard carries a. set of 7 attachment brackets 52 at the opposite vertical edges thereof and includes a row of vertical tinned steel tubes 48c which are mitered along a diagonal line between the bottom edge of the lower section and the respective brackets 52.

Sets of vertically aligned screws 54, according to FIG- URES 2 and 3, secure the wing-like attachment brackets to vertically disposed side members 56 carried by the radiator 20. The core tubes, individually identified by numerals'having separate subscripts 28a, 28b, and 28cfor the respective front, center and rear rows, are seen to v have a slightly staggered relation from row to row, but

the tubes have the same uniform center-.to-center spacing within each row. The guard tubes have the same uni-' form center-to-center spacing as the core tubes 28a, 28b,

.and 28c, and the guard tubes are each aligned in the vertical plane of an individual tube of the rearrow 280.

In FIGURES 3 and 4, the upper section 'of the guard carries U-shaped support brackets 58 at the top edge, and the lower section carries U-shaped support brackets 60 at the bottom edge. Clamping plate devices 62 secure together the sections of the guard at their adjacent edges so as to interconnect and rigidity the structure. The devices 62 are readily removed and greatly :facilitate the removal of the guard, one section at a time, in ,cases where the entire guard must be removed from the engine compartment and in cases where two or perhaps only one section must be removed for individual replacement of that section. V

In FIGURE 5, the diagonal arrows indicate generally the trajectory of fan-hit particles in horizontal planes abovethe hub of the fan 16. The combination-of the gap G, between the core guard-26 and the radiator core 22 and the thickness T of the core guard 26 provide a sufiicient parallel walled, honeycomb eifect to protect the radiator core 22. The guard tubes are generally indicated at 48 and the core tubes are generally indicated at 28. a

The same effect as the foregoing obtains in planes out of the horizontal which are parallel to the axis 64 indicated for the .fan. Abrasion and erosion are confined to the guard 26. I

In FIGURE 6, the diagonal arrows indicate the trajectory of fanhit particles in vertical planes to the left of the axis 64 'ofthe fan 16. The trajectory is diagonally downwardly, whereas on the opposite side of the fan axis the trajectory will be diagonally upwardly in vertical planes.

In FIGURE 7, which is similar to FIGURE 6 except for being isometric, it can be seen graphically how elfective is the core guard of applicant when considering the diagonal trajectory coupled with the thickness of the core guard 26T and the gap G between it and the radiator core 22.. Moreover, insofar as particles are concerned moving in vertical planes, theguard tubes48 are squarely in the path and block off the tubes 28c forming the rear row of coolant tubes of the radiator 20. All core tubes shown are made of flat walled tubing. g In FIGURE 8, the clamping plate devices 62 each include two square vertical plates 66 and 68 which fit between the fins 44 of adjacent guard sections at the front and rear of the guard. The plates 66 and 68 clamp against opposite sides of thepstub ends of aligned tubes 4 48 in the guard, and. contain registering apertures in which fits a common bolt 70. A nut 72 received on the threaded end of the bolt 70 tightens the plates 66 and 68 and the radiator sections are thus maintained co-planar so that there 'is effectively a single layer of tubes inthe guardl Following is an example of the specifications of the present core guard;

7 Number of sections 3.,

Thickness of guard 0.70 to 1.13 inches. Relation of radiator 20 and core guard 26 Closely. spaced apart paral lel planes. 7

Axial thickness of gap be 7 tween radiator 20 and guard 26 0.06 inch minimum. Tinned steel guard 'tubes g 48 0.010 wall thickness. a Steel guard fins 44 4 inch center to center spacing.

Junctions between fins and; y tubes in guard 26 Oven-baked soldered .joints. Securement of wing attachrnent brackets to guard Welding or spot welding.

In onephysically constructed embodiment of .the invention applied to a model TD-25 crawler tractor, the;

guard had an axial thickness of 1.13 inches and, without appreciable damage to the guard, kept the radiator core structure free of erosion through 3,730 hours of tractor operation. The reason for this high endurance figure is not precisely known and is not believed to have critical value for appreciating the invention. However, as a possible aid to a better understanding, a theory has been advanced that the pusher fan blades drive foreignmatter toward the radiator core at some angle and in a swirling path which swirls generally in the direction of fan rotation. Particles struck by the fan blade impinge on the core guard, losing their initial force and velocity, and are then carried through the radiator core by the air stream or else fall outside the core area.

It is appreciated that, in the offset relationship described, the metal of the tubes and fins of the core guard structure need not be the same as or compatible with the metal radiator structure itself, inasmuch as no interconnection is made between the-tubes and fins of the two respective structures to one anoher. Within the actual radiator structure, the cooling fins have to be compatible metal to the coolant carrying core tubes, both of themv being'nonferrous and containing considerable copper so that they can be readily soldered together. On the other hand, the core guard tubes and fins can be ferrous because 1 the tubes carry no coolant and hence they are much harder and more abrasion proof than the nonferrous radiator.

with side members and a'core therebetween, said core hav ing horizontal fins joined by rows of uniformly spaced apart verticaltubes, of which the individual tubes of each row have a-slightly staggered position relative to the individualtubes of the next row, and a pusher fan on the inner side of the radiator-structure, the combination with.

said radiator structure: a p

of a supported core guard for attachment to said radiator structure in a spaced-apart relation inwardly oif-' set from the radiator core and parallel to the plane thereof; I

said guard comprising a row of vertical tubes made of 'flat tubing and having their major cross-sectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow;

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apartfins holding said tubes in the row with substantially the same tube center-to-center spacing as the tubes of the inher row of tubes in the core; and

attachment brackets connected between the core guard and the side'members whereby the core guard is supported in the relation described and with each tube substantially aligned in the vertical plane of a tube in said inner row of tubes in the core, so as to be interposed, and take the impact of fan-thrown particles directly upon the fins and tubes of the guard.

Z. A cooling system comprising:

a radiator structure with side members and a core therebetween, said core having horizontal fins joined by rows of vertical tubes of which the individual tubes of each row are uniformly spaced apart and have a slightly staggered position relative to the individual tubes of the next row; i I

a pusher fan in a line confronting the core on the inner side of the radiator structure;

a supported, multi-section core guard for attachment to said radiator structure in a spaced-apart relation inwardly offset from the radiator core and parallel to the plane thereof;

each section of said core guard comprising a row of vertical tubes made of tubing with opposite flat sides and having their major cross-sectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow;

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apart fins holding said tubes in the row with substantially the same tube center-to-center spacing as the tubes of the inner row of tubes in the core;

said sections being in the line between the core and the pusher fan; and

attachment brackets connected between the core guard and the side members whereby the core guard is supported in the relation described, and .with each guard tube substantially aligned in the vertical plane of a core tube in said inner row of tubes in the core, so as to be interposed and block diagonally moving, fan-impacted particles directly upon the fins and tubes of the guard.

3. A cooling system comprising radiator structure with side members and a core therebetween, said core having horizontal fins joined by rows of vertical tubes of which the individual tubes of each row are uniformly spaced apart and have :a slightly staggered position relative to the individual tubes of the next row;

a pusher fan in a line confironting the core on the inner side of the radiator structure;

a supported core guard for attachment to said radiator structure in :a spaced-apart relation inwardly offset from the radiator core and parallel to the plane thereof, and in the line between the core and the pusher fan;

said guard comprising a succession of independent, vertically aligned sections;

each section of the guard comprising a row of vertical tubes made of tubing having opposite flat walls and having the major cross-sectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow, each tube in cross section extending for a major portion of, but being smaller in extent than, the thickness of the guard;

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apart fins holding said tubes spaced apart with substantially the same tube center-to-center spacing as the tubes of the inner row of tubes in the core;

attachment brackets connected between the sections of the core and the side members whereby the sections are supported in the relation described and with each tube substantially aligned in the vertical plane of a tube in said inner row of tubes in the core, so as to be interposed, and take the impact of fan-thrown particles directly upon the fins and tubes of the guard; and

clamping plates between successive sections so as to be down between the adjacent fins and in engagement with the tubes so as to clamp the sections together.

4. a cooling system comprising radiator structure with side members and a core therebetween, said core having horizontal fins joined by rows of vertical tubes of which the individual tubes of each row have substantially uniform center-to-center spacing and a slightly staggered position relative to the individual tubes of the next row, and a pusher fan on the inner side of the radiator structure, the combination with said radiator structure:

of a steel core guard for attachment to said radiator structure in a 'gapped relation inwardly offset from the radiator core and parallel to the plane thereof;

said guard comprising a row of thin vertical tubes made of flat walled tubing having their major crosssectional axes parallel to the direction ,of air flow;

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apart fins holda ing said tubes in the row with substantially the same tube center-to-center spacing as the tubes of the inner row of tubes in the core;

the gap between said core guard and radiator core being at least approximately 0.06 inch, and the width of the fins being approximately 0.70 inch to 1.13 inches; and

attachment brackets connected between the core guard and the side members whereby the core guard is supported in the relation described and with each guard tube substantially aligned in the vertical plane of a core tube in said inner row of tubes in the core, so as to be interposed and to block the diagonally moving, fan-impacted particles, directly upon the fins and tubes of the guard.

5. A cooling system comprising radiator structure having a core provided with horizontal copper fins joined by rows of vertical brass tubes of which the individual tubes of each row have opposite flat faces and are disposed in a slightly staggered position relative to the individual tubes of the next row;

a supported core guard for attachment to said radiator structure in a spaced-apart relation inwardly offset from the radiator core and disposed in a first plane parallel to the plane of the core;

said guard comprising a plurality of vertical tubes disposed in said first plane and made of fiat faced steel tubing having their major cross-sectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow;

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apart steel fins soldered to and holding said tubes in the row with substantially the same tube center-to-center spacing as the tubes of the inner row of tubes in the core; and

attachment brackets connected between the core guard and the radiator structure whereby the core guard is supported in the relation described and with each guard tube substantially aligned in the vertical plane of a core tube of said inner row in the core, so as to be interposed and block the fan-impacted particles directly upon the fins and tubes of the guard.

6. For use in a cooling system between an outwardly blowing pusher fan and the core of a radiator located on the outer side of the pusher fan, the improvement comprising:

a core guard for attachment to the radiator in a spacedapart relation inwardly offset from the radiator core and disposed in a first plane parallel to the plane of the core;

said guard comprising a plurality of vertical tubes disposed in the first plane and made of flat tubing having their major cross-sectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow; V

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apart fins holding said tubes apart with substantially the same type center-to-center spacing as the tubes of the inner row of the tubes inthe core; and

attachment brackets for mounting the core guard on the radiator whereby the core guard will be sup ported in the relation described;

said brackets being secured to and so arranged on the opposite vertically extendingside edges of the core guard that each tube wil be substantially aligned in the vertical plane of a tube in the inner row of tubes in the core. 7

. 7. For use in a cooling system between an outwardly blowing pusher fan and the core of a radiator located on the outer, side of the pusher fan, the improvement comprising: M r

a multi-section guard structure for attachment to the radiator in a spaced-apart relation inwardly ofiset from the radiator core and disposed in a first plane parallel to the plane of the core;

each section of said guard structure comprising a plurality of vertical tubes disposed in the first plane and made of flat tubing having their major crosssectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow;

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apart fins holding the tubes of said sections in vertically aligned relation with substantially. the same tube'center-tor center spacing as the tubes ofthe inner row of'tubes in the core;

clamping plates between successive sections of the guard structure so as to interconnect and rigidity the structure in said'first plane.

8. For use in a cooling system between an outwardly blowing pusher fan and the core of a radiator located on the outer side of the pusher fan, the improvement comprising:

a steel core guard for attachment to the radiator in a spaced-apart relation inwardly oflfset from the radiator core and parallel to the plane thereof;

said guard comprising a. succession of individually replaceable, vertically aligned sections each' having a row of vertical tubes made of flat tubing having their major cross-sectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow;

are supported in the relation described so asto beinterposed, and take direct impact of fan-thrownparticles upon the fins and tubes of the guard tor protecing the radiator core. i a

9. For use in a cooling system between ,an outwardly blowing pusher fan and the core of a radiator. located on the outer side of the pusher fan, the improvement com prising:

a multi-section core. guard structure for attachment to the radiator in a spaced-apart relation inwardly ofiset from the radiator core and in a first plane 7 parallel to the plane of. the core;

each section of said structure comprisinga planar.

row of vertical tubes made of flat steel tubing and having their major cross-sectional axes parallel to the direction of air flow; a

horizontally disposed, vertically spaced-apart steel fins Q in the first plane soldered to and holding said tubes apart ,with substantially uniform tube center spacing; e attachment means individual to the sections of said structure for mounting the sections to the radiator whereby the core guard is supported in the relation described, so as to be interposed and'cause the diagt onally moving fan-impaced particles to be blocked directly by the fins andtubes of said, sectionsyand clamping plates between successive sections of the guard so as to interconnect and rigidity the structure in the first plane. V p 1 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,389,749 9/1921 Froberg l134 1,533,982 7 4/1925' Firkins -.134 X l 1,571,354 2/1926 Whitacre 165-134 X 7 2,902,264 9/1959 Shick et a1. 165134 3,149,667 9/ 1964 Ast-rup 165134 3,190,352 6/1965 Simpelaar 165l34 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

A. W. DAVIS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A COOLING SYSTEM COMPRISING RADIATOR STRUCTURE WITH SIDES MEMBERS AND A CORE THEREBETWEEN, SAID CORE HAVING HORIZONTAL FINS JOINED BY ROWS OF UNIFORMLY SPACED APART VERTICAL TUBES, OF WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL TUBES OF EACH ROW HAVE A SLIGHTLY STAGGERED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE INDIVIDUAL TUBES OF THE NEXT ROW, AND A PUSHER FAN ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE RADIAL STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATION WITH SAID RADIATOR STRUCTURE: OF A SUPPORTED CORE GUARD FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID RADIATOR STRUCTURE IN A SPACED-APART RELATION INWARDLY OFFSET FROM THE RADIATOR CORE AND PARALLEL TO THE PLANE THEREOF; SAID GUARD COMPRISING A ROW OF VERTICAL TUBES MADE OF FLAT TUBING AND HAVING THEIR MAJOR CROSS-SECTIONAL AXES PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF AIR FLOW; HORIZONTAL DISPOSED, VERTICAL SPACED-APART FINS HOLDING SAID TUBES IN THE ROW WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME TUBE CENTER-TO-CENTER SPACING AS THE TUBES OF THE INNER ROW OF TUBES IN THE CORE; AND ATTACHMENT BRACKETS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE CORE GUARD AND THE SIDE MEMBERS WHEREBY THE CORE GUARD IS SUPPORTED IN THE RELATION DESCRIBED AND WITH EACH TUBE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED IN THE VERTICAL PLANE TO A TUBE IN SAID INNER ROW OF TUBES IN THE CORE, SO AS TO BE INTERPOSED, AND TAKE THE IMPACT OF FAN-THROWN PARTICLES DIRECTLY UPON THE FINS AND TUBES OF THE GUARD.