US2012571A - Air cleaner and humidifier - Google Patents

Description

7, 1935. c. A. KUTCHER 2,012,571

AIR CLEANER AND HUMIDIFIER Filed Oct. 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Attorney Aug. 27, 1935. c. A. KUTCHER AIR CLEANER AND HUMIDIFIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2, 1934 Attorney Patented Aug. 27, 1935 UNITE D ,zma n I nIR'oLEANER AND HUMIDIF EK entries A; Kutcher, Sheridan, Wyo

Application october il, 1934; Serial/Na 74 6,586 I 11 2 c eii -i The present inventionrelates tonew; useful improvements in air cleaners andhumidifiers forinternal combustion engines, particularly auto: mobile engines, and has 'forjone of, its. important objects toprovide, in a manneras hereinafter set forth, a device of this character comprising novelv means for maintaining a body of waterat constant level for contact with the air. 1;; :f. 1

Another important object of theinvention is. to

provide an air cleaner and humidifier of theafore'e mentioned character which includes a novel con-v certain conditions, such as when the engine is running at high speed.

Other objects of the invention'are to provide an air cleaner and humidifier for internal combustion engines which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efiicient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost. r

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the" accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

and wherein:-,

Figure l is aview in vertical section through an air cleaner and humidifier constructed in ac-, cordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 Figure 4 isa detail view in perspective ofyone of the baiiies.

Figure 5 is a detail View in side elevation of the safety valve. v I

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a metallic casing I having removably secured to its open; lower end, as at 2, a pan 3 for the reception of a liquid such as water in non-freezing weather and: a, light oil in winter or freezing weather.

,Mountedhorizontally, in the" casing "I is'an air drum 4.having;anintake,5l(see Figure 2)" extendef ingthrough the frontnf-said'casing l.'- Mounted on theouter end of the intake '5 of the drum 4: is a forwardly-projecting intake funnel or the like ,6,

the ,forward end -ofj which isfcovered by a'screen -Themember;liiispreferablyof the shape shown: toadvantagezina-Fig'ure 1: ofthe-dra'wings fortthe purpose of catching a large volume of air as the fan and directing saidairi under pressure into the pan 3: areairfdistributing tubes 8., V

i4 Depending fromithe top;-9 'of the' casing jl into said casing in spaced, concentric relation thereto is a guide sleeve 10. The guide sleeve I0 is for [the reception of an air-tight water tank I I having a supporting flange l2 on its top forengagement with the top 9 of theicasing I. If necessary or desirable, a suitable gasket maybe provided be tween the flange l2 and the'top 9 of the casing l.

handle on top'of the tank ll;

Depending fromthe bottom of the tank The reference numeral l3 designates a carrying ed on its free end portion a removable cap-l5 which is provided with a discharge port l6'. .A

tubular shield ll, which depends fron 'the, air drum 4 into thepan 3, surroundsthe tube spaced, concentric relation thereto,s'aid tubular shield extending between the upper and lower J plates of the drum 4-,as illustrated to advantage in Figure l of the draWings- ,It will also be noted that the tubular shield l1 extends below the lowe er end of the tube'ld to a point adjacent the bottom of the removable pan 3. V

The lower portion of the pan 3 is divided into compartments by baiiles IBthe upper portionsfof which are perforated, as at Hi, to permitthe water, oil or other liquid to level itself at all times," as when the automobile is on an incline. Mount-' ed horizontally on the upper edges of the b'aflles I8 is a substantially fiat, annular baffle 29 which assists in preventing excessivesplashing or agie tation of theliquid.

Theupper portion of the casing lv isiprovide with an outlet 2! for connection with theair intake of the carburetor. the casing I is also provided with an air inlet opening 22 which is controlled by a swinging is a discharge filling tube l4 having threadedly mount- The upper portion of 10" automobilegmoves forwardly and 'from' the engine drum 4:? vDepending:iiromthe drum] into the safety valve 23, said valve 23 being yieldingly secured in closed position by a spring 24. v

In operation, the water, or oil, flows by gravity from the tank I l into the pan 3 until the tially at the lower ends of the air distributing level of the liquid in said pan closes the lower end of the discharge tube I 4, thus preventing the entrance of air into the tank H and stopping further discharge therefrom, At this. point the level of the liquid in the pan 3' will be substantubes 8. Air from the drum 4 passes downwardly through the tubes 8 into contact with the water and said air is cleaned and humidified simultaneously. The'treated air then rises inthe casing'l around the sleeve I0 andpasses through the outlet 2| to the carburetor of the engine through a suitable conduit (not shown).

, the water or otherliquid in thelpan 3 is consumed it is constantly replenished from the tank H. The baiiles l8 and 20, as hereinbefore stated,

preventexcessive splashing or agitation of the water or other-liquid in the pan 3 while at the same time permitting said water or'other liquid to level itself through the medium of the periorations I93 The'tube I7 shields thedischarge end ofthe 'tube' 14; against agitated water caused by the discharge. of'the airfrom the tubes 8'.

Should there be 'a-tendency' to draw the "water fromlthe pan 3 intothe carburetor of the engine, as when said engine is running at high speed, thesafety'valve 23will swing inwardly to open "position against: the tension ofl the' spring 24,thu's breakingfthe vacuum'or suction in the cas'ingfl; 1 a 1 It is believed that the many advantages'of an air cleaner and. humidifier constructed in':ac-" cordanc with the presentinventionwill be readily understood, and althoughapreferred embodi merit of the invention-ls as illustrated' and de- Of course, as

scribed, it is to be understood that changes in their upper portions, a substantially fiat, annular baflie mounted inthe pan on the baflie plates, 'i'an air drum 'mounted horizontally in the casing and communicating with the atmosphere for receiving air therefrom, and tubes depending from the drum for discharging the air into the liquid,

said tubes terminating at their lower ends above the horizontal plane of the annular bafile.

2. An air cleaner ,and. humidifier comprising acasing'h'aving'an'outlet therein, a pan, for the reception ofa liquid, mounted on the casing, a liquid supply tank mountedinthecasing and includinga discharge tubedependin'g into the pan, an airdrum mounted in the casing and encircling the discharge'tube, said air drum communicating with the atmosphere for receiving air therefrom, a tubular shield depending from the air drum into the pan in spaced, concentric re-' lation to-the discharge tube, said shield extending below the lower end'of said discharge tube, and tubesdepending from the drum for discharging the air into the liquid.

* CHARLES A. 'KUTCHER.

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