US1745838A - Apparatus for humidifying and sterilizing air - Google Patents

Description

` Feb. 4, 1.930. Y E. c. Rosi-:Now 1,745,838

` APPARATUS FOR I-IUMIDIFYINGl AIND STERILIZING AIR Original Filed June 12, 1922 i.' Patented Feb. 4, 1930 fA. ld O- l EnWAnn anpsENow, or ROCHESTER, MrNNEsoTA s APPARATUS Fon HUMIDIFYING AND s'rEnILrzING Am This invention relates` to an apparatus for humidifying, washing and sterilizing'the air in heated rooms. It is' well, known that in g closed heated rooms, the air becomes charged kwith bacteria and thatv there ismore or less dust Vand other impurities therein.- It is also Well known that there is a circulation of air upward from the radiators whichare com- I monly used to heat the rooms.- This upward 104 circulation 'of 'air' carries withit a stream of I ldustC :which usually results in a'soiled `place on the ceiling, and if there are any draperies,

- caused by the- 'radiator to humidify, wash andsterilize the air in the room.

It is a further object of the invention to luse the heat of the radiator. to circulate the air .through a casing having means therein for trapping and killing the germs.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide' a casing 'disposed over the' radiator having a receptacle therein containing an oxidizing germicide in a liquid and having absorbent moist surfacesin said casingover and through which the air is circulated., s l

It is still another object of the invention to providek a novel means forsecuring the casing to the radiator to provide a novel means for supporting and spacing the absorbent material and to provide novel means for regulating the amount of liquid in said receptacle.

These and otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection f with theaccompanying drawings in which like Areference characters refer to thel same parts throughout the different views, and in which, f Fig. 1 is a view partl in side elevation and partly in longitudina section showing a radiator with the device attached thereto;

versely between the side members 1 and 2 and are secured thereto in any suitable manldisposed directly against the members 4.

Fig. 2`is a vertical section taken 011 thev Serial No. 567,550. Divided and this application "led January` 22,

1926.A Serial No. 83,163. v

line 2 2 of Fig. l, as indicated by the arrows, showing a portion of the device in adiifer'ent position in dotted lines;

Fig. 3V is a view in vertical section on an enlargedscale of one end of the receptacle;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a modified arrangement; and

Fig 5 isa fragmentary vertical section of the device taken on the line 5 5 'of Fig. 1. .l Referring to the drawings, a radiator of the usual type forfheating a room by steam or hotvwater is shown at a, having the individual sections a1 and a longitudinal member a2 connecting the sections adjacent the top thereof.

A frame is attached to the radiator, said frame comprising spaced frnt and rear side members 1 and 2 which extend lon 'tudinally ofJthe radiator and are connected y the end members 3. Spaced members 4 extend transner, these members being adapted to extend between the sectionsla1 of the radiator and Lito rest upon and be supported by the longitudinally extending member a2, and being shown as recessed for engagement with said member. The members 4 are further prvided with spaced bolts 5 having grooved countersunk heads disposed in the upper surface of the members 4 and having threaded ends projecting therebeneath. A chain or other flexible' member 6 has its end links s or loops disposed over the bolts 5 against collars thereon adjacent the members 4, which links o'r loops are held in placeb the nuts' f threaded onto the bolts. If pre erred, the

ends of the chain or the links thereof can be After the nuts have been 'started on the bolts, the same, together with the chain, can be tightened by turning the bolts from thevupper ends with a screw driver. ,The chain6 is thus clamped tightly against the member'a2 and the frame is rigidly secured to the radiator. The front end of the frame is provided with a plurality of holes 7 suitably arranged to produce an artistic effect. The

- frame is provided with a cover 8 preferably made from a solid panel and having a mold- 10 ing flange around its edge "adapted to lit over the front and' ends of the frame, this cover preferably being removable and simply placed in position'on the frame. 'A detector 9 made of thin sheet material, preferably metal, is secured to the rear member 2 and extends downward in/the rear of the radiator substantially to the bottom thereof.

Supported on the transverse members 4 is a receptacle or tank 10 shown asbeing a shallow rectangular tank having ai partition 11 is disposed betweenadjacent one end thereof. This tank is disposedwith its frgnt side substantially in contact with the inner sideJof the member 1 and a coiled'spring 12 of comparatively light wire one end thereof and the partition 11 being detachably interlocked with the latter'. Foldedd sheets 13 of absorbent material, preferably ordinary blotting paper, are placed over the convolutions of the spring 12v with their lower free ends disposed in the tank adjacent the bottom thereof and a 'curtain 14 of absorbent fabric material such as ordinary mosquito bar, covers the member 13 and depends at the sides-and ends thereof into the tank 10. The tank 10 is adapted to contain a liquid and is provided with a supply pipe 15 and with an overflow pipe 15.

. It is desired to maintain the liquid in the tank at substantially a constant level and for this purpose a valve is disposed in a casing 16 ormed as a hollow stem exteriorly threaded. The valve is not shown but is of any common type and is spring-pressed to closing position or is moved to closing position under the action of both the spring and the liuid.` Such valve is provided with a projecting plunger 17. which, when pressed upon will open the valve". This valve is similar to the well known Schrader bicycle valve. In order to maintain the liquid at the desired level and operate the valve in casing 16, said casing is provided with la bracket 18 held thereon byclamp1ng nuts threaded on' said casing, which brackets has pivotedthereto a lever 19.

' Said lever has a projecting pivot or pintle which is received in an aperture at the endof said bracket. The other end of the lever 19y is -connected to the` bottom of a oat member 2Q. -The-wfloat menber is made of considerable weight and when the water in the tank is lowered the same will drop by gravity andv the other end of the lever 19 whichl lis flattened'and is disposed under the plunger 17 will contact with and move said plunger, thus admitting water until the fluid is-raised to a sucient height to relieve the pressure at the end of the lever on the plunger 1'?. j j

The lever 19 is constructed so, as to 'be rcversible in order to be used with Vthe se type of valve whenit is desired to ve the valve or entrance pipe projecting upwardly into the tank 10. The bracket 18 is reversed in position and the end of the lever which was attached to the float, as'shown inFig. 3

1s connected to the apertured end of the bracket by a suitable pivot, the lever bein provided' with a flattened portion 21 adapte to extend over the plunger 17 The ioat 20 is attached .to the other endof the lever and it will be apparent that the lever now acts as a third class lever and will open the valve when-the oat 20 drops on account. of the lowered liquid level. i

The liquid used in the tank 10 is preferably water containing an oxidizing or germicide substance. It has been found that potassium permanganate is a suitable substance v..

surface of said members and the dust, baC- teria and other impurities jfwill, lin a large" measure, be trapped and collected on said members. The water will be constantly evaporated and the atmosphere of the room will be humidied. 'The germicide and oxidizingl 4agent will not evaporate and this agent -will act to kill the germs and bacteria collected on the sheet members 13 and the curtain or -fabric 14. No fumes of the germicide will thus vbe disseminated intotheatmosphere.

Any decomposed material tending to make the Water or saturated .parts become foul will be oxidized by the oxidizing agent so that the apparatus will be kept in tresh and sanitary condition at all times. Actual tests made with the device show tliat the vbacterial content of the air is reduced over iity percent. f

The inside of the box or'irame formed by the members 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as the inside of the cover 8 will preferably be,x coated with water proof coating, such a varnish, and the outside of the members will be finished to correspond w'vithtlhlel .other woodwork/of the It is further noted that the pan 10,`

l'OOm.

as shown in Figs. ,land 3, is removable by f merelyremoving cover 8 and then turning the pan edgewise and sliding the same laterally and upwardly kfrom under the v'inlet .pipe 15s I,

From the above pdescription it is seen that applicant has provided an extremely elicient apparatus for the purpose intended which has great utility. The humidity of -the air is automatically proportionedA to the ai i' r thewalls and i v'wperies of the-room against the eo dust laden aire arising from the l and onel A thereof and thex amount vof heat vra-l diated. rilie cleansing of vthe airv protects" radiatorr The device, also, 'is etlicient for cooling window radiator sea-ts as the cover 8 can be constructedy to form a seat or shelf. The device, as a whole, forms an eicient and ornamental apparatus, the action of which is entirely automatic. The control of the inlet of the water and the overflompipe ren ders the device entirely safe and requires very little attention.

It will, ofcourse, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, and arrangement of the apparatus without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth,in the novel parts and combinations ofl parts disclosed and setforth in p the appended claims.

terial disposed over the convolutions of said member and extending between said convolutions with their lower ends disposed in the liquid in said tank.

2. A humiditieradapted tobe placed over a radiator having in combination, a liquid containing tank, asupporting member in said tank extending above the level of liquid therein, spaced absorbent means carried by said member and having their lower ends disposed. in said liquid, an absorbent fabric -curtain covering said means: and depending i at the sides and endsthereof into the liquid p in said tank and means for directing air cirv culated by said radiator over said means and curtain. I 3. A humidifying device having in combii nation, a tank containing liquid, amember, y comprising a coiled w1re sprlng extendlng longitudinally of said tank in contact with the bottom thereof, and extending above the securing Xsaid casing to ,said radiator and means connected to a water supply for automatically maintaining a certain level of water in said tank.

5. A humidifier and moisture distributing device having in combination, a tank containing liquid and adapted to be supported on a radiator, a member disposed in the liquid said tank and extending longitudinally thereof, said member engaging the bottom of the tank and comprising spaced convolutions extending above the level of water in said tank, and sheets of absorbent material disposed between and supported by said convolutions adapted to have their lower portions disposed in the liquid-in said tank.

6. A humidifier and sterilizer adapted to be placed'over a radiator having in combination, aftank containing liquid and supported on said radiator, a plurality 3f spaced sheets of absorbent material impervious to air, extending transversely of said tank. having their lower ends disposed in .the liquid therein and projecting above said liquid, means in said tank for supporting said sheets, a curtain of fabric material pervious to air disposed over said sheets and depending into the liquid in ,Said tank and means for directing air rising about said radiator through said curtain and over said sheets.

In testimony whereof I atix my signature.

EDWARD C. ROSENOW.

liquid therein and folded sheets of absorbent material disposed over the convolutions ofsaid spring with the lower ends disposed 1n the liquid in said tank.

4. A humidifier and sterilizeradapted to be placed over a radiator having 1n comblnation, a liquid containing tank, a member having convolutions extending longltudinally of said tank and above the levelA of the liquid therein, sheets of absorbent materlal disposed over and between said convolutions of i said member with their lower ends disposed in the liquid in said tank, an. absorbent fabric curtain covering said sheets and' depending t'the sides and ends thereof 1 nto the liquid in said talk, a casing surrounding said ltank supported by said radiator and adaptedV to direct air circulated by said radlator over 35 and thnough said sheets and curtain, means

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