US2997939A - Cooling air flow adjustable lover for heat exchange housing - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 29, 1961 Filed Aug. 7, 195e R. C. SNYDER ET AL COOLING AIR FLOW ADJUSTABLE LOUVER FOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. IA

IN V EN TORS :7b RUSSEL C. SNYDER 8: RONALD E. P RTEE BY gldj m ATTORNEYS Aug. 29, 1961 R. c. SNYDER ETAL COOLING AIR mow ADJUSTABLE LOUVERAFOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1958 INVENTORS RUSSEL C. SNYDER a BY RONALD E. PARTEE Yagi QCA/adi FIG. 3

ATTORNEYS ug- 29, 1961 R. c. SNYDER E-r AL 2,997,939

COOLING AIR FLOW ADJUSTABLE LOUVER FOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING Flled Aug 7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 4

FIG. 5

INVENTORS RUSSEL C. SNYDER 8| RONALD E. PARTEE BY ATTORNEYS 2 997,939 COOLING AIR FLOW ADJUSTABLE LOUVER FOR HEAT EXCHANGE HOUSING Russel C. Snyder, Mansfield, and Ronald E. Partee,

Shelby, Ohio, assignors to Mansfield Metal Fabricating,

Inc., Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 7, 1958, ser. No. 753,811 3 Claims. (Cl. 98-110) The invention relates generally to housings having controlled air circulation for cooling compressors, engines and the like, and more particularly to housings having adjustable louvers for regulating the circulating In compressor stations for gas pipe lines, for example, cooling towers are provided for housing cooling 1in units for the compressors, and these housings have adjustable louvers for admitting a controlled amount of outside air. Similarly, cooling units for diesel engines yare provided with louvered housings admitting outside air, and the louvers are operated by means of thermostatic controls to adjust the air flow because it is very important to maintain a substantially constant temperature within the housing.

In certain prior constructions, the linkages for oper-ating the louvers have been located on the exterior of the housing where they are exposed to the weather, and corrosion results, interfering with eicient operation of the louvers. Moreover, maintenance of the louvers has involved frequent painting to prevent corrosion, and this inevitably results in dropping paint on the fins of the housed cooling units which reduces their cooling efliciency.

An important object of the present invention is Ito provide an improved louvered housing construction in which the operating linkages `are substantially enclosed and protected by the housing.

Another object is to provide a lightweight louver construction which offers a minimum of resistance to air flow.

A further object is to provide a simple and economical cooling housing which is easily operated, requires little maintenance, and overcomes the disadvantages of prior constructions.

These, and other objects which will appear from the following description, are accomplished bythe improvements comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. Various modifications and changes in details of construction are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 1A are sectional views through a louvered housing embodying the invention, FIG. 1A 'being a continuation of FIG. 1 from the line a-b, and the louvers being shown in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan View thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the louvers in full open position.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of FIG. l.

The housing shown in the drawings has end walls and 11 and side walls 12 and 13 forming a rectangular` frame which is arranged to be closed on one side by a series of louvers 14. Preferably, the side and end walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 are substantially channel-shaped in cross section, having outturned flanges 15 adjacent the louvers, and flanges 16 on the side of the frame opposite to the louvers for mounting the housing on the exterior of a cooling tower and the like (not shown).

The louvers 14 are preferably of extruded aluminum and extend transversely of the frame in overlapping relation when closed. Each louver has a central hub 17 which extends the entire length of said louver, and renited States PatientY Patented Aug. 29, 1961 ice versely curved vanes 18 and 19 extending in opposite directions therefrom. The vane 18 has an upturned angl-llar flange 20 Ialong its outer edge, and the vane 19 has a downturned ange 21 along its outer edge for overlapping the ange 20 of the adjacent louver in closed position. As shown, a second ange 21 may be provided parallel to and spaced a short distance from flange 21 for mounting a conventional sealing strip of felt or the like (not shown) between anges 21 and 21.

'llhe combination of the hub and the reverse curve construction of the vanes 18 and 19 extending in opposite directions from the hub provides a rigidied construction which enables the use of lightweight aluminum with edge - ilanges 20 and 21 of minimum width, thus presenting a minimum overall thickness and resistance to air flow when the louvers are in open position.

At each end the hubs 17 of the vanes are pivotally mounted in the side walls 12 and 13 of the frame by means of pivot pins 22 screwed in the ends of the hubs and journaled in sleeve bearings 23 preferably of nylon set in the sidewalls, as shown in FIG. 5. 'I'he side walls 12 and 13 4are rigidly connected together in spaced relation by tubular upper and lower cross braces 24 having screw studs 25 extending through the walls and threaded into said tubular braces.

The mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of the louvers in unison preferably includes a control bar extending lengthwise of the frame along the exterior of one side wall, and may be a channel bar 26 extending along the outside of frame side wall 12. Adjacent to the frame end wal-l 11, the control bar 26 is pivotally connected by means of -a lever arm 27 to the end of a torque shaft 28 extending transversely through the frame under the louvers and journaled in the frame side walls.

Similarly, the other end of the control bar is pivotally connected by -a lever arm 29 to a torque Ashaft 30 extending transversely through the frame under the louvers. The shafts 28 and 30 are journaled in conventional nylon sleeve bearings (not shown) in the side walls and have shaft collars 31 and 32 on opposite sides of the bearings, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The lever arm 29 extends beyond the control bar 26 and is pivotally connected to an operating rod 33 which may be actuated by changes in temperature within the cooling units in a well-known manner so as -to automatically open and close the louvers regulating the air flow into and out of the housing.

'Ihe torque shafts 28 and 30 are connected to one edge of the end louvers which lie immediately above the respective shafts by lever arms 34 secured to the shafts and links 35 pivoted to the arms 34. The links 35 are preferably angled and pivoted to bracket ears 36 on one edge of the end louvers. Similar bracket ears 36 on intermediate louvers are pivoted to operating bars 37 for operatively connecting the intermediate louvers, and offset links 38 pass Aaround the upper braces 24 and operatively interconnect the operating bars 37 and the link 35 which is adjacent wall 10. Thus, when the torque shafts 28 and 30 are rotated by movement of the control bar 26 al1 of the louvers 14 are moved in unison between the closed position of FIG. 1 and the open position of FIG. 3.

Accordingly, -all of the louver operating linkage including the lever arms 34, links 35, and bars 37 and 38, is located under the louvers 14 in closed or partly closed position so as to be protected from the elements, and minimize corrosion and maintenance. - End closure plates 39 and 40 are secured to the end walls 10 and 11, respectively, to cooperate with the end louvers in closed position and completely close the frame opening. Moreover, the use of aluminum louvers eliminates the need for painting to prevent corrosion with consequent elimination of dropping paint on the cooling ns within the housing to reduce their eieiency. The use of nylon bearings for 3 the torque shafts and louvers eliminates fther need for lubrication and maintenance at those points.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the design of the louvers, with! theirreverse curves and shallow angesg provides' a minimum of restriction of air flow while providinga structurally strong louver which can-be made out'of light'- weight aluminum.

Whatisclaimed is:

1-.V Air ilow control construction yfor/cooling housing, having an openframe provided with al pair of spaced apart opposedY side Walls, a` series of overlapping louvers mounted in the opposed side Walls of the frame and' adapted for opening and closing movement, transverse torque shafts extending between said side walls, lever arms on said shafts, a controlV bar, additional lever arms on said shafts operatively connected to saidcontrol bar, linkage means within said iframel operatively connecting the iirst said lever arms to the undersidesof saidY louversY for operating them in unison, each, of said louvers havingacentra'l hubV extending the'- entire length thereof, reversely curved vanes extending inv opposite directions from' said hub, reversely turned anges on the outer edges of said vanes for overlapping similar flanges on adjoining lou-vers in' closed position and meanspivotally mounting said hub;

Y2. Air ow control construction for av cooling housingA having an open @frame provided With a pairj of spaced apart opposed side walls, a series ofV overlapping louvers' pivotally mounted at their ends in said side walls andY adapted for opening and closing movement, transverse torque shafts mounted'for rotation between. said side Walls under said louvers, lever arms on said shafts, angled links operatively connecting the endv louvers of said series 't0 said lever arms,voperating bars connected to intermediate: leuvers of said seriesV and to saidl angled links, oiset linksV interconnecting said operating bars, a control bar operatively connected to said torque shaftsV exteriorly of saidv frame for rotating said shafts in unison to pivotally move said louvers, and means for operating said control bar.

3. Air ow control construction for a cooling housing having an open frame provided with a pair of spaced apart oppositely disposed side-walls a series of overlaping louvers mounted in said side walls and adapted for opening and closing movement, transverse torque shafts mounted for rotation between said side Walls under said louvers, cross braces extending.Y between said sidewalls under said louvers, lever arms on said shafts, angled links connecting the end louversof Said series to said lever arms, operating bars connected to intermediate louvers of said series andY to said angled links, otset links passing aroundsaid cross' braces and interconnecting said operatingl bars, said louvers each having'a central hub, means'. pivotally lmounting said hubin said opposite side Walls,rreverse1y curvedvanes extending in opposite'r directions from saidhub, reversely turned flanges on the; outer edges-of. said vanes yfor overlapping similar'flanges on adjoining louvers in closing position, a control bar opera tively connected to said torque shafts exteriorly ,of said frame for rotatingV said 4torque shafts inunison to pivotally move said louvers, and means for operating said control bar.

References'citea in the fue of this'patent Y UNITED srArns PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Construction Specialties, Inc., 261 Jelliif Avenue, Newark, NJ., copyright 1954'. Catalogue AIA File No. 14B-4 1955,. page.

Images