US2350497A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1944. K. TfDAvls 2,350,497

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 14, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 :ai f9.1. i J r wf 1"' 20 fj' a I l T s "3" j T y v f 5 E 9 3 f' i iV l 'l L s s 27 0/ 2f f7 2f l( 1 T June 6, 1944.

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed DSG. 14. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

K. T. DAvls l 2,350,497

Patented June 6, 1944 KeithV T.- Davis, Milwaukee,Wis;, assignor to L. J. Mueller Furnace Company; Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Appucaumnecember 14, 1942; seri1-Nu.46s,913'

(o1. sasssi 7 Claims.

rIhis l invention relates 4to; improvements infair conditioningA apparatus, and more particularly-td a system.` for .buildings orfenclosuresg ofa rever-SL ble. characterV susceptible oi being operated tvforheating purposes in -thevvinter and. forsummer comfort conditioning.

A generalobject of: the .invention is to provide an, apparatus-arranged. .fori conventionallforced circulation WarmH air Winter` J heating,- together which permitsythe. forced. ,circulation of cool or conditioned tairthroughuthe bui1ding,.in summelxf A furtherpbject of the invention is to provideA with a. novel arrangement of ducts -and dampers a building air` conditioningapparatus oftheicharacter describedwhich; during.;summer comforti conditioningfutilizes both. the supply Aducts. to` the 1 building rooms and .thenormalxreturnzductsaior r dischargingintoithe. rooms/,cooled or. conditioned l,

air.

.AA-further; object of the invention isl to provide an air conditioning `apparatus' which, Vfonsumrner; operation, draws a supply ofzrelatively, cool-aina into the .ian-orblovver casing K,throughinterposed l filters orair treating mechanism so that the fair is influenced` thereby beforev being introduced :into -i the building rooms.

A further, object oithe .invention 'isf to. provide ,f

anair conditioningapparatus Which, for summer cooling actually :functions to push .1"i1tered-andA conditioned air. into the building. rooms-With the spent air being ultimately.;evacuatedmtlflroughV open windows in .roomswhere na marked circulationlis desired.

A .further l obj ect: of .the .invention fis to 1provide an, vair, conditioning apparatus. Which-.When used-.-

for; summer. comfort conditioning.....in .,.localities havinglow .relative -humidities, may ,employl Van evaporative cooler. to.` conditionthe` air prio-roto the forcing of Vthe same into the building rooms.

A further object oi the invention is to provide an .air conditioning apparatus Vwhich mayl include an ,evaporative cooler WithoutJany increase in the size of the ducts .utilized bythe apparat-us Vwhen it functions as a heating apparatus.

A.` further -obj ect ofthe invention is to` provide..

an air conditioning apparatus operablefor summer comforty conditioning ,which `exhausts air through a building Window and replaces, the air.

withcool outdoor night air which is first ltereda disagreeable dust andhay-fever irrito remove tants.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus primarily adaptedr/ for a Ahome orbuilding installation, but also applicable to commercial or industrial usages Where;Y in the vair in an enclosure should, because of in; dustrial operationsl therein, be susceptible ofhave ingv its Acharacteristics and temperature` quickly A further obj ect of lthe invention is to'provide' lmerfusey f coai-reuzht air; furnace, buurt should ueffune adual purpose air conditioning' apparatus Which is of very simple'4 construction, which may loe easily changedover from heating'to' cooling' duties by simple manipulations, which is fefcientin' o'p eration, and which Visvvell :adapted fori'thepur'- poses described. n

With theabove and fot-her objects inf vievv,'the`` invention consists of the improved air jc'ondition-,A ing apparatus and its partsand combinations ask set forthinthe'clairnsfand all equivalentsjthereoi:

In the-'accompanyingdrawings, inJWhichlthej same reference-characters lindicate nthe same parts in-all of-tlievievi/s:47E K l u Fig.A 1 -is asemi-schematic;"fragmentaryjvertie g cal@ sectional view through the Llowerportieri ofi a-buildingequipped wi-t-h the' improvedairoorie" ditioniiig'apparatus; f l

Fig. 2V is a Ivertical sectional-view thro-ugh air conditioning apparatus, as adjstedfor sum# stoodthatwithin'the contemplationoifthe inven-fI myiof'zth father fcunveritiou'nffueis. Il also; steanfi orihotwater'heat exchanger coils,r "could be' usd' I 1 is a blower or fan casing 2| which, in its lower portion, houses a conventional motor operated blower 22. A chamber 23 surmounts the blower casing 2|, and therebelow, in the' form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2, are filter screens f 24. A main trunk duct 25, which for winter heating purposes functions as the cold air return duct for the apparatus, opens into an auxiliary.

chamber formed in the upper portion of the chamber 23 by an interposed damper 32. This main trunk duct has connected to it the ends of return air ducts 25 which lead away from' return air registers 21 located in the base porl An inlet air duct 28,` for summer usage, opens f.

into the casing 2I-23 above the filters 24 and below the damper 32. The last mentioned duct 28 may either extend to exteriorly of the building, or it may terminate within the building basement, it being optional and dependent upon the best source of cool air in the summertime. There is also .a duct 29 constituting a direct connection or by-pass between the heating apparatus plenum chamber I8 and the auxiliary chamber in the upper portion of member 23. Likewise, at the lower portion of the blower casing 2| there is a duct or connection 30 extending between the discharge or outlet side of the blower /22 and the air space, within the heating apparatus casing I1. Flow of air through the upper connection- 29 is controlled by a manually operated damper 3|. As mentioned, the damper 32 separates the auxiliary vchamber in the upper portion of member 23 from the base or fan chamber 2|, thellast mentioned damper being disposed above the, discharge end 4of the cool air inlet duct 2B andmbelow the openings of the ducts 25 and 29 respectively. Within the cool air inlet duct 28 there is a thirdi damper 33. The dampers 3|, 32, and 33 areof conventional construction and will not be described in detail.A Suffice it to say that each damper is composed of a plurality of pivotal louvers having a link `connection with one another and with an operating rod and lever extending exteriorly of the duct or chamber in which the damper is installed, so that each damper may be manually moved fromV open to closed position, orvicefversa.

--The improved air conditioning apparatus Ais, 'I

adapted to function in its customary manner in the wintertime forheating purposes. Fuel is burned within the pot I6 of the unit I5, and the blower 22, within the casing 2|, is operated in the customarymanner. It should be specifically noted that for winter operation the dampers 3|, 32, and 33 are adjusted in a manner opposite to that illustrated' in Fig. 2. The dampers should be set sothat damper 3| is closed, damper 32Y is open, anddamper 33 is partially or completely closed. The air to be heated circulates, in the space between the pot I6 and the casing I1, rising into the. heating apparatus' plenum chamber I8, and being rdischarged into the alr supply ducts I9. The latter connect with the warm air registers 28 in the rooms of the building and discharge heated air into the rooms. Asroom air coolsl it drops and returns tothe apparatus I4 by entering thev return `air registers 21 from,y

whence the air is drawn through the returnair ducts 26 into the auxiliarychamberZB. The fan or blower 22 induces the desired circulation, and due to the settings of the various dampers the return cool air is drawn through the filters 24 or other'conditoning medium and is subsequently discharged by the blower through the connection 30 into the lower portion of the heating apparatus casing I1 for re-heating and re-circulation.

For summer usage the heating apparatus is not fired. The dampers 3|, 32, and 33 are arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 2 with the damper 3| open, the damper 32 closed, and the damper 33 open. Through this arrangement of dampers it will be noted that the auxiliary chamber, into which the return air ducts open, is directly connected with the plenum chamber I8 of the apparatus I5. The aforesaid auxiliary chamber is shut off from the fan chamber and is furthermore shut 01T from the summer inletair duct 28, which now opens into the fan chamber above the filters or conditioning unit. Operation of the blower 22 vcauses relatively c ool air to be drawn into the upper portion of the casing 2| through the summer air inlet duct 28. The latter obtains its air supply from the basement of the building or from the outside, depending upon which provides the best source of cool air. This ysupply of cool air, after being drawn through the filters or conditioning unit 24, is blown into the space of the apparatus I5 between the casing and pot, and then passes into and through the various supply ducts I9 and the ducts 25 (which for winter purposes are return air ducts). It is one of the particular features of the invention that for4 summer conditioning air issupplied to the rooms of the building not only through the normal supply ducts I9, but also through the ducts .25,whereby the number of available air supply ducts is increased and air is discharged into the rooms of the dwelling through both the registers 20 and 21. Y Cool and filtered air is thus discharged into the house in very ample quantities. If a marked circulation is desirable in any of the rooms, one or more of the windows I 0 may be' opened, through which the undesirable room air may bey purged.

A slightly modified form of the invention is i1- lustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the heating apparatus AvI5' is the same as that illustrated in connection with the principal form of the invention. However, in lieu of the blower and iilter casing 2| of Fig. 2, there is, in the modification, a casing 2 If which houses a conventional form of evaporative cooler.

rThe inlet side ofthe evaporative cooler casing 2| is covered by a screen 40 and carries an extension 4|, the major portion of which' may be considered as a part vof the cooler or fan casing 2|. Opening into thetop of the extension 4| are one or more return air pipes 25 which, asin the principal form of the invention, extend to return air registers in the lower portions of rooms in the building. The upper auxiliary chamber portion of the extension casing 4| is furthermore in direct communication with the plenum chamber I8' of the heating apparatus I5 by a duct or conduit 29 having one end thereof controlled by a damper3I. Within the upper portion ofthe Aextension 4I and slightly below the open endsofthe vducts 25 and 29 and defining the auxiliary chamber there is a damper 32'. Opening into'the extension 4| below the i damper 32 is a cool air inlet duct 28', used time, and having its discharge end controlled by.r a damper 33'.

Relatively dry air, during summer operation of the apparatus, passes from the air inlet duct 28' into the extension 4I, through the screen 40, and into the evaporative cooler casing 2I. There the air is treated by a water spraying apparatus 42 and is subsequently drawn through a moistened lter pad. Within the other side of the evaporative cooler 2l' is a blower 22' which forcefully discharges the cleansed, cooled and water-treated air into the space between the heating apparatus pot I6 and its casing l'I, it being noted that there is a connection 30 between the discharge end of the blower 22 and the interior of the furnace casing I'. Subsequently the circulation of cooled and conditioned air is similar to that described in connection with the principal form of the invention, and said cooled and conditioned air passes through the ducts 25' as well as the normal ducts I9', entering the building rooms through the warm air registers and the return air registers. Obviously for summer operation the damper-s 3|', 32', and 33' are arranged as disclosed in Fig. 4. When the modified form of apparatus is used in winter lfor heating purposes, said dampers are reversed. The modied form of apparatus, for summer use, nds its greatest utility in localities where the relative humidity is generally low. Evaporative cooling ordinarily requires a substantial number of air changes per hour. If an evaporative cooler were to use only the normal duct work of a hot air heating apparatus, for proper operation the duct work would have to be of substantially larger cross-section than is ordinarily required for heating purposes, and i-t would obviously not be economical to make a heating apparatus over size to permit its use in summer for cooling purposes as during the heating seafson the same would produce substantial heat losses. These contingencies are nicely taken care of in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 because for cooling purposes the heating apparatus return air ducts serve with the normal hot air ducts for supplying cool and conditioned air to the building rooms. This, therefore, greatly increases the duct work capacity and adapts it for the evaporative cooler installation.

It is a recognized fact that successful operation of an evaporative cooler cannot be accomplished if conditioned air is recirculated because air passed through the evaporative cooler is subjected to a water spray and if an attempt were made to subsequently recirculate this air and pass it through the cooler it would not be dry air. The improvement of Fig. 4 eliminates this difficulty by introducing new air into the cooler during summer operation. In a conventional heating system, if an evaporative cooler were used in conjunction therewith, only half of the value of its duct work would be usable, inasmuch as return flow to the conditioning apparatus 4would be detrimental to successful operation because such return air would not be dry air, as above pointed out.

While the specioation speaks of cool air in connection with operation during the summer cycle it is the intent that this term include air whose source may be only the basement of the building, or the outside, inasmuch as nighttime outdoor air is generally cooler than air within a building or enclosure. Hence the above-mentioned term should include fresh air, outside air, new air, or make-up air according tothe implication of these terms in the air conditioning art.

For purposes of illustration the apparatus I4 has been shown and described as being installed in the basement of a building. The practice as to the location of installations of this general character differs in different localities, and according to the types of buildings or dwellings. Hence, it should be understood that where conditions make it advisable the apparatus I4 might be installed in the attic, closet, utility room, or porch of a building.

The term building as used herein is lntended to include enclosures generally and a room might be a chambered portion of' an enclosure. Conceivably the improved apparatus might be applied -to commercial or industrial usages and operate to quickly change the characteristic and temperature of a chamber or room wherein operations were being performed on industrial products.

The improved air conditioning apparatus is economical and efficient and provides a dual system adapted for winter and summer conditioning. For summertime the new air from a selected source is ltered and conditioned before being passed into the rooms of the building, and it is a particular feature of the invention that when the apparatus is operated for cooling purposes the duct work which normally serves a-s conduits for return air then is added to the normally used air supply duct work and increases the duct work functioning for conditioned air supply purposes. The apparatus is easily manually changed over from one use to the other, is of simple and novel construction, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, an enclosure having a chamber therein to be air conditioned, said enclosure also having associated therewith a forced warm air circulating system provided with separated inlet and outlet chambers and an intermediate air chamber therebetween and in direct communication with both of the aforesaid chambers, air distributing duct work between said outlet chamber and the enclosure chamber, secondary duct work between the enclosure chamber and said system inlet chamber, a by-pass connection between said system inlet and outlet chambers, a fan within said inlet chamber, an air supply duct opening into said inlet chamber, a damper controlling air flow through said duct, a damper controlling the by-pass connection between the outlet and inlet chambers, and a third damper within the inlet chamber controlling communication between the secondary duct work and the inlet chamber.

2. In combination, an enclosure having therein a forced warm air'circulating system provided with separated fan and outlet chambers and an intermediate chamber therebetween and in direct communication with both of the aforesaid chambers, the fan chamber having an auxiliary chamber, air distributing duct work between said outlet chamber and a space in the enclosure, secondary duct Work between a space in the enclosure and said auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said outlet and auxiliary chambers, a controlled air supply duct opening into said fan chamber, a damper controlling the connection between the outlet and auxiliary chambers, and another damper controlling air flow between the auxiliary chamber and the fan chamber.

3. In combination, a building having therein a Y forced warm air circulating system adapted'to be red only for winter operation and provided withseparated fan and outlet chambers and an intermediate chamber therebetween and in direct communication with both of the aforesaid chambers, the fan chamber having an auxiliary chamber, air distributing duct work between said outlet chamber and a space in the building, secondary duct Work between a space in the buildf ing and said auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said outlet and auxiliary chambers forming communication between the outlet chamberand auxiliary duct work, ya controlled air supply duct opening into said fan chamber, a damper controlling the connection between the outlet and auxiliary chambers which when open for summer operation causes the secondary duct work to augment the distributing duct work for the delivery of conditioned air in an outward direction to the building space and which when closed for winter operation carries return air in a reverse direction, and another damper controlling communication between the auxiliary and fan chambers adapted to be closed for summer operation of the system and open for winter operation of the system.

l 4. In combination, a building having therein a forced warm air circulating system including a hot air heating unit fired only for winter operation and an air conditioning unit, said air conditioning unit having a fan chamber and an auxiliary chamber, and the heating unit having a plenum chamber, the heating unit forming an intermediate chamber between the fan chamber and the plenum chamber and being in direct communication with both, air distributing duct work between said plenum chamber and a space in the building, secondary duct work between a space in the building and said auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said plenum and auxiliary chambers, a controlledvair supply duct opening into said fan chamber, a damper controlling the connection between 'the plenum and auxiliary chambers which when open for summer operation causes the secondary duct work -to be directly connected with the distributing duct work to augment the latter for the outward delivery of conditioned air to the building space andV which when closed for winter operation carries .return air in a reverse direction to the auxiliary chamber, and another damper controlling communication between the auxiliary and fan chambers adapted to be closed for summer operation of the system and open for winter operation of the system. f

5, In combination, a building having therein a forced warm air circulating system, including a hot air heating unit red only for winter operation and an air conditioning unit, said airconditioning unit having a fanchamber and an auxiliary chamber, and the `heating unit having auplenum chamber, the heating unit being connected to and forming an intermediate chamber between the fan `chamber and the plenum cham ber, air distributing duct work between said plenum chamber and a space in the building, secondary duct work between a space in the building and said auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said plenum and auxiliary chambers, an inlet duct for new air opening intosaid fan chamber, a damper controlling air flow from said duct to the fan chamber, a damper controlling the connection between the plenum and auxiliary chambers which when open for summer operation causes the secondary duct work to be connected with the distributing `duct work to augment the latter for the outward def livery of conditioned air to the building space and which when closed for winter operation carries return air in a reverse direction to the auxil iary chamber, and another damper controlling communication between the auxiliary and` fan chambers adapted to be closed for summer operation of the system and open vfor winter operation of the system. v j

6. In combination, a building having therein a forced warm air circulating unit red only for winter operation and an air conditioningunlt, said air conditioning unit having a chamber with a fan and an air treating device there adjacent, the air conditioning unit also having an auxiliary chamber, the heating unit having a plenum chamber and also forming an intermediate chamber between and in communication with the fan chamber and the plenum chamber through which air is circulated from the air conditioning unit by the operation of the fan, air distributing duct work between said plenum chamber and a space in the building, secondary duct work be'- tween a space in the building andsaid auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said plenum and auxiliary chambers, an inlet duct lor new air communicating with the air.

treating device and fan chamber, a damper controlling air iiow from said duct to the fan chamber, a damper controlling the connection between the plenum and auxiliary chambers which when open for summer operation causes the secondary duct work to be connected with the distributing duct work to augment the latter for the outward `delivery of conditioned air to thebuilding space and which when closed for winter operation carries return air in a reverse direction to the auxiliary chamber, and another damper controlling communication between the auxiliary and fan chambers adapted to be closed for summer operation of the'system and lor winter operation of the system.

7. Air conditioning apparatus for a building having a room therein, said room having a main opening and a secondary opening, a blower unit and an air tempering unit, an independent plenum chamber embodied in each of the units, a connection between said chambers, :an air supply duct connecting the room main opening with the tempering unit plenum chamber, a secondary duct connecting the room secondary opening with the blower unit plenum chamber, being adapted primarily for the suction return of air when the apparatus is functioning for heating purposes, a duct connecting the blower unit with the tempering unit, an air supply duct in direct communication with the blower unit, a damper located across the connection between the plenum chambers, a damper located across the air supply duct, and a damper located across the blower unit plenum chamber, adjustments of several of said dampers serving to shut 01T the auxiliary duct from the blower unit and to connect the same with the tempering unit plenum chamber whereby all of the ducts function for a common out draft of air through the main and secondary openings into the building room.

open

KEITH T. Davis.`

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