US2054200A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

P 1936- G. w. LANGFORD AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 2'7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 miliillil e 1936- G. w. LANGFORD AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS I Filed March 27, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wl|l||||ll Sept. 15, 1936. e. w. LANGFORD 7 2,054,200

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 460175 44 a gig/4 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 27,

5 Claims.

The invention relates to air conditioning apparatus and has for one of its objects to provide a portable apparatus which may be easily carried from one room to another. Other objects are to provide an apparatus adapted to filter, humidify, heat and circulate the air; to provide an electrically operated apparatus which may be readily connected into an electric socket; to construct the apparatus of two units which are adapted to be used together, or one of which may be used separately; to form one of the units with a fibrous member which is adapted to function as a wick or a filter, or both; to form the other of 'the units with a fan for circulating the air; and

to assemble these units in such manner that the air passing through the apparatus passes through the fibrous member.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus showing an embodiment of my invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections therethrough at right angles to each other;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus showing another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line l -M of Figure 4;

Figures 5 and 6 are vertical sections therethrough at right angles to each other;

Figure 'l is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus showing another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 8 is a rear elevation thereof;

Figures 9 and 10 are vertical sections therethrough at right angles to each other.

The air conditioning apparatus shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises the rectangular receptacle l for liquid, such as water, this receptacle being open at its upper end and preferably having its bottom extending laterally beyond its side walls to form an endless flange 2. 3 is anupright frame mounted on the bottom of the receptacle and extending upwardly above its upper end, this frame being laterally spaced from the side walls. 4 is an endless porous fibrous member supported by the frame and extending downwardly within the receptacle to its bottom and preferably spaced from the side walls of the receptacle. This fibrous member-is designed to carry the liquid upwardly to its top by capillary attraction and it is also designed for the passage 1933, Serial No. 663,067

of air, so that when the receptacle contains liquid the fibrous member functions both as a wick and an air filter. The fibrous member is preferably made with two side walls integrally connected at their upper ends to embrace the frame and the 5 lowerends of these side walls preferably engage the bottom of the receptacle l, the arrangement being such that the fibrous member may be readily removed and replaced by another or cleaned and again mounted upon the frame.

The air conditioning apparatus also comprises the housing 5 which is preferably of rectangular cross section. The lower end of this housing is open, so that the housing may be telescoped over the receptacle I. The housing is provided in its 15 front wall with the air discharge opening 6 and in its rear and end walls with the air inlet openings I which are controlled by the shutters 8, these latter openings being opposite the portion of the fibrous member 4 above the receptacle I. 20 9 is a fan within the housing and arranged to force air outwardly through the discharge opening 6 and I0 is an electric motor within the housing for driving the fan, the fan being preferably mounted upon the rotor shaft. The motor, as 25 shown in the present instance, is supported from the top of the housing by the brackets II.

For the purpose of compelling all of the air passing through the air conditioning apparatus to pass through the fibrous member 4, I have 30 secured to the inner sides of the side walls of the housing the endless stop i2 preferably formed of angle bars which engage the top of the fibrous member 4 and close the space between this top and the side walls of the housing.

It will be noted that with this construction of air conditioning apparatus the receptacle I and the associated parts carried thereby form a unit and the housing 5 and the associated parts carried thereby form a separate unit and that these 40 two units are removably assembled to form a portable apparatus which may be easily carried. With these units in assembled relation and with the shutters 8 in open position and the liquid in the receptacle, the fan 9 upon being driven by 45 the electric motor III will draw air through the air inlet openings I and the fibrous member 4 and then upwardly into the housing 6 and discharge this air outwardly through the discharge opening 6. It will also be noted that the con- 50 struction is such that the unit comprising the housing, fan, electric motor and associated parts may be separately used to produce a current of air in a room, or that it may be separately used by placing the housing upon a radiator and closing the air inlet openings by the shutters to produce a current of heated air.

For the purpose of heating the air discharged through the discharge opening 5 of the housing 5, I have provided the electric heating element l3 within the discharge opening outside the fan and I have also provided the electric switch l4 for separately controlling the operation of this heating element. I5 is the electric switch for separately controlling the operation of the electric motor l0 which latter is preferably constructed to run at different speeds, such as a high speed and a low speed. Suitable electric connections are provided for detachable engagement with an electric socket. With this construction, the electric motor may run at either speed and the heating element may be used at either speed, or cut out.

The electric heating element I3 is preferably insulatably carried by the electric motor I0, so that the fan 9, electric motor and heating element form a unit adapted to be detachably mounted on the brackets H. I also preferably provide the grille 5' outside the heating element and forming a part of the unit.

Figures 4, 4 5 and 6 show another embodiment of my invention in which Is is the receptacle for liquid, such as water, having in its rear and end walls the air inlet openings II, the openings in the end walls providing hand holes for carrying the apparatus. 18 is the endless porous fibrous member formed in the same manner as the fibrous member 4, but the fibrous member l8 does not extend above the upper end of the receptacle. I9 is an endless stop at the upper end of the receptacle and extending inwardly from its side walls to the top of the fibrous member, so that all air entering through the inlet openings I! must pass through the fibrous member I8. 20 is the housing having an open lower end and the opening 2| in its front wall. 22 is the fan mounted within this housing for forcing air outwardly through the discharge opening and 23 is the electric motor for driving the fan. 24 is an electrio-heating element outwardly beyond the fan and in the opening and both the motor and the element are separately controlled by suitable electric switches. The housing has at its comers the legs 25 which are adapted to engage correspondingly shaped openings at the upper end of the receptacle l6 and formed between its side walls and theendless stop I! and the housing is so shaped that when it is super-imposed upon the receptacle its side walls register with those of the receptacle.

The fan 22, electric motor 23 and the electric heating element 24 also form a unit in this modification which is insertable into or withdrawn from the housing. Preferably these parts are carried by a support adapted to extend through the opening 2| of the housing 20 and forming the air discharge passageway. I also preferably provide the grille 20' outside the heating element and forming a part' of the unit.

The operation of this air conditioning apparatus is the same as that of Figures 1, 2 and 3.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10, 26 is the housing having in its front wall the air discharge opening 21. 28 is the fan within the housing for forcing air outwardly through the discharge opening and 29 is the electric motor for driving the fan. 30 is the electric heating element located within the opening and both this heating element and the motor are separately controlled by individual switches. The unit arrangement of the fan, electric motor and electric heating element is the same as that shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The rear wall of the housing 26 is" formed with the opening 3| through which the receptacle 32 for liquid, such as water, may be inserted into the housing. This receptacle has the rear wall 33 which is adapted to overlap the portions of the rear wall of the housing surrounding the opening 31 and the upper portion of this rear wall is formed with the air inlet opening 34. 35 is the porous fibrous member mounted upon the resilient frame 36 which is preferably formed of wire and which has the zig-zag or corrugated upper and lower portions 31 and 38 respectively. against the top flange 39 extending inwardly from the rear wall 33 above the air inlet opening 34, the end flanges 40 extending inwardly from the rear wall 33 at the ends of the air inlet opening 34 and the side and bottom walls of the receptacle and firmly holds the fibrous member in place, so that all air passing through the inlet opening 34 must pass through the fibrous member. Furthermore, the construction is such that the frame and fibrous member may be readily removed and replaced.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle forliquid, said receptacle being open This frame exerts a yieldable pressure at its upper end, an upright frame on said receptacle and extending thereabove, a porous fibrous member mounted on said frame and extending ,downwardly within said receptacle, a housing said housing for forcing air through said discharge opening, and means for compelling all the air entering through said inlet openings to pass through said fibrous member.

2. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle for liquid, an endless porous fibrous.

member extending from a point above said receptacle downwardly within said receptacle and near its side walls, a housing open at its lower end and telescopically engaging said receptacle and having its side walls spaced from said fibrous member, said housing having an air inlet opening in one of its side walls opposite said fibrous member and an air discharge opening, a fan for forcing air through said discharge opening, and means for compelling all the air forced through said discharge opening to pass through said fibrous member.

3. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle for liquid, a porous fibrous member extending downwardly within said receptacle, a housing extending above said receptacle and communicating therewith and provided with a discharge opening, a fan within said housing for forcing air through said opening, and a stop upon said housing and engaging the upper end of said fibrous member to compel all the air forced through said opening to pass through said fibrous member. Y 7

4. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle for liquid, an upright endless porous fibrous member within said receptacle and spaced from its side walls, one of said side walls being provided with an air inlet opening, a stop at the upper end of said receptacle and extending from its side walls to said fibrous member, a housing above said receptacle and communicating with the space inclosed by said fibrous member, said housing being provided with a discharge opening and a fan within said housing for forcing air through said opening.

' 5. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a receptacle for liquid, a housing extending above said receptacle and communicating therewith and provided with a discharge opening adjacent the top thereof, a fan within said housing above the one wall of the housing provided with an intake opening for air above the level of the liquid, a porous fibrous member positioned at the inner side of the opening and extending downwardly into the liquid, and means cooperating with the porous fibrous member to compel all air flowing through the intake? opening under the action of the fan to pass through-the fibrous member.

"GEORGE w. LANGFORD. m

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