US2998932A - Framed movable screens for use in aerator devices - Google Patents

Description

P 1951 E. P. AGHNIDES 2,998,932

FRAMED MOVABLE SCREENS FOR USE IN AERATOR DEVICES Filed April 24, 1958 FIG. IA.

INVENTOR Elie P. Aghnides ATTORNEYS United States PatentQ 2,998,932 FRAMED MOVABLE SCREENS FOR USE IN AERATOR DEVICES Elie P. Aghnides, 46 W. 54th St., New York 19, N.Y, Filed Apr. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 730,568 12 Claims. (Cl. 239-432) plural screens are superposed on one another. The pro vision of frame devices of types suggested heretofore results in an appreciable reduction in the effective mixing area provided by the screens.

The present invention serves to obviate the foregoing difliculties, and is particularly concerned with improved screen structures for use in water aerators or fluid mixing devices, which screen structures are framed by shells so arranged that they do not materially reduce the fluid mixing area presentedby the screens themselves. The screen structures are movable within said shells, with the shells and screens being so disposed with respect to one another that the shell can be placed within an aera-' tor casing, whereafter the screen moves to a desired position within the shell under the combined force of gravity and applied fluid pressures.

This movable characteristic of the screens is an important feature of the present invention, in that it permits the shell framing the screens to provide a relatively large spacing between superposed screens without appreciably cutting down the mixing area of the screen or screens; and the movable screens which are characteristic of the present invention further permit, in several embodiments of the invention, the shells to be placed within an aeraa tor casing in either of two positions, whereupon the, screens will move to a desired predetermined position.

relative to the casing itself. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a framed screen unit for use in water aerator or fluid mixing devices, which framed unit decreases very little the effective air-water mixing area. of the screen.

or screens employed.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a framed screen unit comprising a framing shell hay-ing a floating or movable screen or screens therein, whereby said screens move or gravitate to the lowest part of the framing shell when the unit is placed in a horizontal position. 1

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a screening unit which is framed with a a shell structure of very thin material whereby plural such units may be superposed to effect a desired relatively large spacing between screens without simultaneously cutting down the effective mixing area of the screens to any appreciable extent.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved framed screen unit for use in water aerator devices which employs a shell so arranged as to have only limited contact with the inner wall of the aerator body or casing, thereby to prevent" the cementing of the screen unit to the casing bycalcium deposits collecting on the interior of the casing.

2,998,932 Patented Sept. .5, 196i use in water aerator'or fluid mixing devices, which is more easily cleanable than units suggested heretofore.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved framed screen unit comprising a shell having a movable or floating screen there-: in, so arranged and constructed that the overall unit may be placed within an aerator body in either of two positions without affecting either the operation of the aerator or the relative spacing between components of the aerator, whereby the aerator itself may be more readily assembled and disassembled than has been the case heretofore.

Still another object of the present invention resides {in the provision of an improved screenunit for usegin' water aerator or fluid mixing devices, which screen unit,

comprises a shell having a floating or movable screen,

therein, and also having openings in the wall of the shell for the admission of air to the'region of said' movable or floating screen.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved framed screen unit so,

' constructed that plural such units can be disposed-in A still further object of the present invention resides f ne'sted relation in an aerator or fluid mixing body.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a framed screen unit having lateral projections whereby a spacing is provided between the.

inner wall of an aerator body and said framed screen unit when the said unit is placed within said aeratorv body.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of improved framed screenfunits employa ing movable screens so constructed andarranged that plural superposed screen units can be placed within a, shorter aerator body for a given spacing between screens than has been the case heretofore. j j

In providing for the foregoing objects and advantages; the present invention contemplates the provision of a water aerator or fluid mixing device comprising .a casing having an improved mixing screen unit or units therein. Each said mixing screen unit preferably comprises "a thin walled shell of appreciable height in relation to'the' height of the screen surface itself, having a screen'st'ruo; turemovably disposed therein. H I

The screen surface is trapped within but not fastened to any portion of the framing shell whereby. said s'creenl surface is permitted to move or fioatwithin the shell under the combined forcesof gravity and applied fluid token, due to themovable or floating nature of the indi-jj vidual screens, each unit can be placed in either of .two' positions within the aerator casing without affecting the relative spacing between the actual mixing surfaces pro: sented by the screens. v

The shellsutilized in each of the aforementioned units can have one or more flat screens therein; or can in the alternative, as will be described, have at least one jdish'ed screen surface therein. In either event, the-screens are 3 movable whereby the advantages already described be achieved. The shells moreover can be provided wit one or more openings in the side walls thereof for the admission of air to the region of the mixing screen or screens. Instead ofv providing such side openings, how-"1" ever, either the framing shells and/ or the aerator casing", can be provided with depressions or projections to assure that portions of the framing shells are spaced from the 3 inner wall of the aerator casing, whereby air, admitted for example adjacent the discharge end of the aerator, can pass upward between the framing shells and easing body to enter each shell adjacent the mixing screen surface or surfaces carried therein.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1A is a cross-sectional view of an improved aerator employing novel movable framed screens constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 1B is a view taken on line 1B1B of FIG- URE 1A.

FIGURE 1C is a detail view of a portion of a typical unit of the type employed in FIGURE 1A.

FIGURE 1D is a detail view of a screen mesh of the type preferably employed in the practice of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a modified Screen unit constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a screen unit constructed in accordance with a further modification of the present invention.

FIGURE 3A illustrates an alternative form of dished screen such as may be employed in the present invention.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a screen unit constructed in accordance with still another modification of the present invention.

FIGURE 5 illustrates screen units constructed for nested superposition in accordance with still another modification of the present invention; and

FIGURE 6 illustrates a still further embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is related to my prior copending application Serial No. 560,299, filed January 20, 1956, for: Fluid Mixing Devices; and of my prior copending application Serial No. 639,782, filed February 12, 1957, now abandoned, for: Unframed Forarninous Structures for Fluid Mixing Devices.

Referring to FIGURES 1A through 1C, it will be seen that an improved aerator constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a casing 10 having an outlet end 11 defined by an outlet ring 12 interconnected with the body 10 by a plurality of lateral arms 13. The elements 10, 12 and 13 are integral with one another; and the outlet ring 12( arms 13, and body 10 preferably comprise a single stamping.

The interior of the casing 10 preferably includes a diaphragm 14 of the type previously described in my prior copending application Serial No. 640,859, filed February 18, 1957, for: Improvements in Water Aerators. The particular form of diaphragm represented by 14 in FIG- URE 1A comprises a body which may be formed of a material such as polyethylene, and defines three substantially concentric rows of openings 15 as well as ring-like projections 16 which partially close the inlet ends of a plurality of tubular chambers 17. The several chambers 17 may have a diameter of approximately one mm., and a height of approximately 3.5 mm.; and the restricted apertures defined between the openings 15 and the partial closing rings 16 may be 0.50 or 0.75 mm. The diaphragm 14 further includes a plurality of feet 18 spaced about the periphery thereof; and there are preferably eight feet 18 so spaced. The feet 18 support the diaphragm 14, as shown in FIGURE 1A, on the upper edge of a mixing screen unit 19 which is in turn supported on a further mixing screen unit 20 carried on the outlet ring 12 of the device.

Each of the units 19 and 20 comprises a framing shell 21 (see FIGURE 1C) which is constructed of fairly thin material, e.g. it may be approximately 0.25 mm. thick. The shell has a height A (see FIGURE 1C) which is approximately 3 mm., and also defines a pair of laterally 4 extending lips having an edge dimension B of approximately 0.5 mm. adapted to support a screen mesh 22 thereon. The overall shell 21 is, therefore, of hollow annular shape, and defines relatively large substantially circular upper and lower openings disposed substantially coaxial with the casing 10.

The screen mesh employed in the units of FIGURES 1A through 1C are of the type shown in FIGURE 1D; and in particular are preferably of the type wherein the several junctures of the screen wires are welded, soldered, or otherwise rigidly interconnected to one another; and similar such screens are preferably employed in the other embodiments of the present invention, to be described hereinafter. The screens themselves are preferably of 40 x 40 mesh, and employ wire having a diameter of 0.009 inch.

Each of the shells 21 defines a plurality of lateral protrusions 23 which are spaced about the screening unit as shown in FIGURE 1B. The several protrusions 23 assure that the screening unit is concentrically positioned within the aerator casing 10 when said unit is placed therein; and also assures that the screen units 19 and 20 contact the inner wall of casing 10 at only limited portions thereof. This limited contact tends to assure that the screening units will not become cemented in place du to the accumulation of calcium deposits on the interior of the aerator; and also provides a passage for air to the interior of each unit, whereby air may pass from air inlets 24 provided adjacent the discharge end of the aerator upward between the protrusions 23 and then between the legs 18 to the region downstream of diaphragm 14.

The screen surface 22 is not rigidly fastened within its associated shell 21. As a result, when the units 19 and 20 are placed in the shell 10, as illustrated in FIGURE 1A,

the screens 22 are adapted to move freely, or preferably with very slight friction, under the force of gravity and of applied fluid pressure, to the lowermost position in each shell 21. The two screens 22 in the units 19 and 20, respectively, are accordingly maintained in predetermined spaced relation to one another during operation of the aerator, with each screen being supported adjacent its peripheral edge by the small overlap portion B defined by the framing shell associated therewith.

In practice, as mentioned previously, the overlapping shell edge B has a dimension of only one-half mm., and this should be compared with framing structures suggested heretofore, wherein the overlapping shell edge ordinarily has a dimension of about 1 mm. The space between the shells 19-20 and the inner wall of aerator body 10 Ge. the radial spacing between protrusions 23) is preferably not less than 1 mm. in an aerator having an inner diameter of 21 mm.; and the shells each have an outlet opening 25 (and a similar, oppositely disposed inlet opening) which is approximately 17.5 mm. in diameter. It will be noted from FIGURE 1 that the outlet ring 12 is of slightly smaller diameter than the discharge outlet 25 of the shells 19 and 20, thereby to assure the roundness and coherency of the stream issuing from the overall aerator; and in practice, the outlet ring 12 has a discharge diameter of approximately 17 mm.

It will be noted that the shells 19 and 20 are each symmetrical, in that they provide upper and lower openings similar to 25 of substantially the same diameter, and they also provide lips such as B adjacent both the upper and lower edges thereof. Inasmuch as the screen con tained in each shell is relatively freely movable therein, each shell 21 can be placed in the aerator unit in either of two positions, inverted relative to one another, in which event the screen surface will move to the proper lower position in the shell to assure that the several screens are properly spaced from one another.

The particular areator shown in FIGURE 1A employs a casing wherein the air inlet is adjacent the discharge end of the casing. In the alternative, the casing may take the form shown in FIGURE 2, wherein a casing 26 is provided with air inlets 27 in the side walls thereof. When this form of casing is employed, the mix-ingscreen units 23 and 29, while otherwise constructed in accordance with the discussion already given in reference to FIG- URES 1A through 1C, need not have the protrusions 23. Such protrusions may be provided, however, in which event a screening unit of the type described in FIGURE 1C can be employed in an aerator casing of the type shown in FIGURE 2 in order to secure the advantages of hrnited contact between the framed screen unit and the inner wall of the casing. 'In the arrangement of FIGURE 2 the screen surfaces are again freely movable within their associated shells, and are supported at a lowermost position within said shells by an in-turned lip (analogous to lip B), as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

It will be noted that in the arrangements of FIGURES 1A and 2 (as well as in any of the other embodiments to be described), the diaphragm 14 (or 14a in FIGURE 2) may include a depending 'leg 30 (30a in FIGURE 2) which is adapted to be disposed closely adjacent to or rest upon the screen in the uppermost screening unit. The leg 30, or 30a, while optional in nature, tends to assure that at least the upstream screen is in correct position when the overall unit is assembled for operation. Even without such legs, however, the screens will, as mentioned previously, tend to gravitate or be moved to proper position during operation of the device.

The screening units described thus far admit air adjacent the circular openings thereof, analogous to 25. In the alternative, the screening unit may have the shell thereof provided with one or more openings in the side walls of the shell for the admission of air; and structures of this latter type are shown in FIGURES Sand 4. Referring first to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the shell 31 again has upper and lower annular lips 32 and 33 adapted to support screen surfaces; and the shell 31 further defines a plurality of lateral openings 34 for the ad mission of air. The unit of FIGURE 3 has two screens therein, with one of these screens 35 being substantially flat in configuration, and with the other of these screens 36 being of dished configuration so that the screens 35 and 36 are spaced from one another within shell 31, as illustrated.

A unit of the type shown in FIGURE 3 may thus be substituted for two units such as 28-29 of FIGURE 2, or 1920 of FIGURE 1A; and again, the unit of FIG- URE 3 can be placed in either of two positions within an appropriate aerator body, in which event thetwo screen units, properly spaced from one another, will gravitate or be moved to the lowermost position within the shell, while at the same time assuring proper spacing between the screen surfaces themselves as well as between those screen surfaces and the diaphragm.

When a unit of the type shown in FIGURE 3 is employed in a casing of the type shown in FIGURE 2, the dimensions for the shell 31 may be so chosen that the uppermost portions of each of the lateral apertures overlies the air inlets 2'7; and in such an event the diaphragm, such as 14 (or 14a), need not be provided with legs 18 (or 18a), but can rest directly on the uppermost edge of the shell 31.

The particular form of dished screen 36 shown in FIG- URE 3 includes, as illustrated, an upper substantially horizontally disposed portion and an annular screen portion extending downwardly about the periphery of said upper part for spacing the screens 35 and 36 from one another. The side portion of the dished screen 36 tends to interfere with ready cleaning of the device; and in order to facilitate cleaning of the overall screen unit, an alternative form of dished screen, such as that shown in FIGURE 3A, can be employed. This latter form of dished screen, which may be substituted for the dished screen 36 of FIGURE 3, comprises a screen surface 36a, corresponding to the upper portion of dished screen 36, and includes a plurality of screen extensions 36b, 36c

and'36d; extending from the main screen surface 36a in spaced relation to one another.

The several extensions 36b, 36c and 36d can be'bent downwardly with respect to the plane of screen portion 36a after the screen unit has been formed, whereby projections 36b, 36c, 36d form a plurality of spaced legs extending in the same direction from the main screen surface 36a. When such a dished screen structure is placed upon a further screen (such as 35 of FIGURE 3) the legs 36b, 36c and 36d act to space the screen surface 36:: from this further screen (such as 35) and at the same time the spacings between the several legs 36b, 36c and 36d permit ready cleaning of the overall unit.

An alternative form of plural screen 'unit is shown in FIGURE 4. This unit again comprises a shell 37 having upper'and lower annular lips 38 and 39 performing a function similar to the upper and lower lips of the unit already described, depending upon which direction the unit is'placed in the aerator casing. The side walls of the shell 37 define two rows of windows or openings 40 and 41; and the row of windows 41 further definesin-turned lips 42. As a result of this structure, one screen-surface 43 can be supported upon the lowermost lip 39 of the shell 37, while the other screen 44 is supported on the in-turned lips 42 defined by the windows 41.v When the unit is inverted, the screen 44 will be supported on lip 38 while the screen 40 will be supported again on lips 42., whereby the unit is, as before, reversible in nature, without affecting the spacing between the screens and between those screens and the other portions of the aerator. It will be noted that when the arrangement of FIGURE 4 is employed, the dishing considerations of the screen 36 in FIGURE 3 need not be employed; and as aresult, the unit of FIGURE 4 can again be cleaned more readily and better than the unit of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE '5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the framed movable screen structures of the present invention are so constructed and arranged that they may be superposed in nested relation to one another. The unit of FIGURE 5 employs a casing having a plurality of protrusions 51 defined therein for centering the nested screen units. Air enters the device between the several protrusions 51 and then passes upward to the region downstream of the diaphragm 52. The screening units themselves are generally of the type already described in reference to FIGURE 2, except that each unit includes a downwardly extending skirt 53 adapted to nest that unit within the adjacent edge of another unit, as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

Another form of nesting arrangement is shown in FIGURE 6. In this particular arrangement, the casing 55 is not provided with protrusions or indentations similar to 5-1 (of FIGURE 5); and accordingly, the framing shells for the nested screening units 56 and 57 are provided with protrusions 58 which are somewhat analogous to. the protrusions 23: already described in reference to FIGURE 1B. The protrusions 58 differ from protrusions 23, however, in that they continue below the level of the screens 59, as shown at 60. This modified construction is employed to assure that the lower edge 61 of the lower screening unit will not come so close to the shoulder 62 of the aerator discharge opening as to prevent the admission of air to the interior of the casing, as desired.

I claim:

1. A mixing unit for use in a water aerator comprising first and second annular lips disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation to one another, said lips being interconnected by a side wall extending therebetween whereby said lips and side wall define a hollow annular shell having upper and lower substantially circular openings,

and mixing screen means in said shell having a thickness less than the distance between said lips, said mixing screen means being substantially freely movable in said shell between said first and second lips, the outer diameter of said mixing screen means being larger than the diam eter of said upper and lower openings and smaller than the largest inside diameter of said shell, said mixing screen means being always supported on one of said pair of lips in freely spaced relation to the other of said pair of lips and being adapted to gravitate toward one or the other of said annular lips for support thereon at a position adjacent one or the other of said circular openings depending upon the position of said shell.

2. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said mixing screen means consists of a single screen.

3. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said mixing screen means comprises at least one screen.

4. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said mixing screen means comprises superposed screens.

5. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which the mixing screen means comprises superposed screens interconnected at their peripheries.

6. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which one of said lips after extending inwardly then extends downwardly to form an outlet skirt.

7. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in combination with a second such unit fastened to and located on the downstream side of the first unit.

8. A pair of mixing units as defined in claim 7 in which spaced portions of the side wall of one of the units have been punched inwardly to form a lip separating the two units as well as to form an air inlet.

9. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said side wall has spaced lateral protrusions to center the unit in the aerator and provide air passageways between the protrusions.

10. A mixing unit for use in a water aerator comprising a round screen element, a cylindrical tube having a. diameter slightly larger than that of the screen element and a height substantially greater than the thickness of said screen element, said screen being positioned within the tube, and lips extending inwardly from the upper and lower ends of the tube to retain the screen within the tube, said screen element being the only one in said tube, whereby the screen element is substantially freely movable within the tube between the lips at the opposite ends of the tube.

11. A mixing unit as defined in claim 10 in which the Width of said lip is smaller than the height of said cylindrical tube.

12. A mixing unit as defined in claim 10 in which said cylindrical tube has spaced lateral protrusions to center the unit in the aerator and provide air passageways between the protrusions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,983 Riedy Aug. 30, 1910 1,582,296 Neighbauer Apr. 27, 1926 2,210,846 Aghnides Aug. 6, 1940 2,334,802 Zu ckermann Nov. 23, 1943 2,424,612 Gunter July 29, 1947 2,532,565 Miller Dec. 5, 1950 2,541,854 Bachli et a1. Feb. 13, 1951 2,633,343 Aghnides Mar. 31, 1953 2,651,546 Palm Sept. 8, 1953 2,747,930 Hyde May 29, 1956 2,770,446 Aghnides Nov. 13, 1956 2,771,998 Holden Nov. 27, 1956 2,774,584 Aghnides Dec. 18, 1956 2,778,620 Goodrie Ian. 22, 1957 2,787,452 Aghnides Apr. 2, 1957 2,849,217 Bachli et a1. Aug. 26, 1958 FOREiGN PATENTS 219,084 Switzerland May 1, 1942

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