US1756215A - Fan - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1930. I w. H.v SCHNEIDER FAN` original Filed oog. 17.

W, ATTORNEYS.

Patented pr. 29, 1930 I PATENT OFFICE WILIAM H. SCHNEIDER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN FAN Application tiled October-17, 4921, Serial-No. 508,276. Renewed March 25, 1929. f

This invention relates to fans and is particularly directed to a fan for controlling the temperature in the circulating or cooling system of an internal combustion engine.

Objects of vthisinvention are to provide means for normally maintaining a proper temperature of the circulatingmedium; to provide means whereby this temperature may be varied to -meet various. conditions un'der which the engine works; and to provide means which may be directly controlled by the ltemperature of the circulating medium.

Further objects are to provide a fan for an internal combustion engine with the blades of the fan so arranged that their angular position may be varied to thereby vary,` control, or reverse the How of air past the engine and through the lradiator; to provide such a fan in combination with means for controlling the angular setting of the' blades; and to provide means which may be used in conjunction with the usual automobile equipment.

Further objects are to provide a fan inl which the blades may have their angular position varied by remote controlled means. in which the bladesare so proportioned that their angular position may be varied by the spindle 14 which is provlded at its outer end expenditude of a small amount of energy; to provide a fan and control means therefor,

whose parts, although adequately` housed,

may be readily inspected, renewed or repaired.A

Embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the fan. Figure 2 a partial sectional view of an automatic control for such fan. e

Figures 3 and 4 a side and end elevation respectively of a manual control for the fan.

Figures', 6, and 7 partial, transverse. sectionalviews of a four-bladed, three-bla'dcd and two-bladed fan'respiectively."

Figure 8 a detail of themechanism for set.

ting the blades at the desired angularity.

' Figures-,9 and 10 details of the joints for the ends of the iexible connector and housing therefor, at the point where 'the flexible' grally with the adjacent angularly arranged tubular member, or may be carried by a bracket extending inwardly, from the annular member 1 (see Figure 7). These tubularmembers 1a and 1b provide a space between them for a purpose hereinafter to be described. Each face of the annular member is provided with an overhanglng flange 1 concentrically arranged with respect to the body of the annular member 1, and with inwardly projecting lugs 1d provided with apertures 1h. The annular member 1 is carrie'd by means of a bell-shaped member. 2,

having a tapered or conical portion 2* and integrally formed pully 2a which is provided with an internal bushing 15.

The device is rotatively supported upon a with an integral collar 14d, and at its inner end with reduced portion adapted to be passed through an apertured bracket 14 carried by thev internal combustion engine. The projecting port-ion 14" of the spindle is threaded and is adapted to receive a nut 14's so that the bracket 14;n may be clamped between such nut and the shoulder 14 of the spindle, thereby rigidly securing such spindle in operative relation to the engine and to the radiator in the usual yand well-known position. The spindle is further provided with an outwar ly projecting reduced and threaded portion 14a upon which is screwed an elongated cap member .9 for a purpose hereinafter .to be described. The front ortion of the annular member 1 is closed y a conical cap 16, such cap and the member 2Il being'both properly centered by means of their respective flanges 16a and 2c., suitable rivets or abolts 17 passing through these flanges and the apertures 1h in the annular member l. In this manner an enclosed hollow hub provided with a unitarily formed pulley is rotatively mounted upon a rigidly positioned spindle.

A series of spindle members or shafts are passed thru the tubular members 1 a and 1b and through gears 5 positioned between such tubular members, the gears being preferably ri idly secured to the spindles or short shafts 3 by means of pins 5. The outer or projecting ends of the short shafts 3 are pro-l vided with hat enlarged faces 3", .spaced slightly apart and adapted to receive the fan blades 18 between them, such blades being heldin place by suitable rivets These blades, as will be noted from an inspection of Figure 5, are equally spaced about the extended axis of the shaft 14 and are preferably ribbed to give, respectively, a perfect balancing about the axis of the shafts 3 and the necessary rigidity. The lgears 5 are provided through a portion of their peripheries with ordinary spur teeth 5 and are adapted to mesh with a circularly formed rack 4a. rThe rack 4a has integrally formed hubs 4 which terminate at their outer ends in cupshaped enlargements 4"' and L1. This circular rack is carried by ball-bearings consisting of the balls 4d, the cup-shaped bearings 4b and 4,`and the conical members 8c, such latter being carried upon a shaft 8, axially arranged with respect to the entire fan. These ball-bearings and rack are held in position upon the shaft 8 by means of a nut 8d of such shaft. By having the rack mounted upon ball-bearings, it will rotate with thc fan, and thereforethe intermeshing teeth will be relieved of a large amount of wear. The solid portion of the gears 5 form stops to limit the angle through which the blades may be turned. It will be seen that when the shaft 8 is moved axially of the fan through the rigidly positioned spindle 14, that it moves the rotatively mounted circular rack 4, and simultaneously partially rotates all of the blades about their central axes. In this manner the flow of air, both asI to velocity and direction, may be controlled by the position of the shaft or spindle 8.

The inner end of the spindle 8 has attached thereto a ieXible member, such for example as a spring wire 12, by means of a shell nut 8", the nut having a central aperture through which the wire 12 projects. Figure 9 shows in detail this construction. A convenient way of insuring the retention of the wire 12, is to bend its end 12a into a loop and place a drop of solder thereon so as to form a globular nob or terminal 12", greatly in excess of the size of the aperture through the shell nut 8e. This nut is provided with internal threads meshing with external threads formed upon the inner projecting terminal cap 9 receives the housing or flexible sheath 11 of the wire or member 12.. This sheath 11 has secured thereto a thmble 11a, providedl f with a terminalflange 11b adapted to engage the interior of the member 9, and threaded upon its exterior or projecting portion to receive a clamping nut 11C.

From the construction thus far described, it is apparent that by shifting the control member 12 axially through its guiding and enclosing sheath 11, the flow of air may be controlled both as to its speed and. direction, and that such control may be had from a remote point. Various types of control may be used, two 'of which will be described herewith. y i

' One form of control, such as is shown in Figure 2, comprises a thermostatic device in the form of a metal .bellows 6.' This bellows or thermostatic device is positioned within a casing 7j by means of an annular threaded member-7", such member serving to close the otherwise open end of the casing 71. rThe inner end of the `thermostatic member 6 is provided with an outwardly projecting pin 6b, whose extreme end 6c is threaded. This pin is projected through an apertured boss on the member 7e and is retained in place by means of a nut 6d.. The casing vis secured in any desired position by means of the flange 7 which latter is provided with a series of holes 7 h to receive attaching bolts. The outer end of the casing 7j is provided with a threaded boss 7 a, having an aperture through which a spindle 6?, secured to the outer end of the thermostatic member 6, projects. The outer end of this spindle 6a is attached to the innerend of the control Wire or member 12 by means of a nut 6d`in a manner similar to that previously described. This construction is shown in detail in Figure 10. An elongated cap 10 is threaded to the projecting boss 7a and is internally shouldered at 10c to receive one portion 7 vof a packing gland, the other portion being provided by the conically recessed outer end of the boss 7a. The packing 7b is positioned vbetween the portions of the packing glands and is forced into intimate Contact with the rod 6 when the elongated cap 10 is screwed into position. The inner end of the sheath 11 for the Wire 12 is secured to the outer end 10b of the member 1() in a manner similar to that previously described in connection with the member 9.

In this device a portion of the circulating cooling medium for the internal combustion engine is passed through the casing 71, to thereby transmit to the thermostatic member 6 substantially the temperature of the cooling medium of the engine. The member 6 is hermetically sealed and carries D therein any desired expanding material, such as is commonly employed in this `type of thermostatic device.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the temperature ofthe cooling medium rises, the thermostatic device 6 expands in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, and thereby pushes the wire 12 outwardly through its guiding sheath 11. The wire in turn, pushes the spindle or rod 8 axially of the fan, and causes partial rotation of the gears' 5. This rotation of the gears is transsystem to rise to the desired point. Under extreme conditions, as when starting during cold weather, the fan blades are reversed so as to withdraw the warmer airy from under the hood and pass it through the radiator, thereby securing more rapid rise of temperature 1n the system with resulting improved elflciency.

It may be found desirable under certain conditions to provide a manual control for the v setting of the fan blades. Under these conerable lever 13a ditions, the device illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, is employed. The wire 12 extends into a casing 13, and its sheath 11 is secured to such casing in a manner similar to that pre viously described. The inner end of the wire is secured to a lever or member 13, ri idly carried upon a rock shaft 13", such shafgt extending at one end outwardly through the wall of the outer casing 131 A manually ops is rigidly secured to the projectino' portion 13b and the rock shaft, and is provi ed with a pointer to indicate the setting of the fan blades', such setting being conveniently marked upon the curved face 13c of the casing 13.

It will be seen that a fan has been provided for cooperation with`an internal combustion engine to accurately control the temperature of the circ Alatingl cooling medium, to thereby secure incr-,eased efficiency for the engine.A

It is to' be noted that under certain conditions itis diliicult for the radiator to carry away and radiate the large quantity of heat given it by the circulating medium. Under these conditions, the setting of the fan blades 1s such as to increase the-How of air and secure the desired radiation and the corresponding desired temperature of the cooling medium. Under other conditions, it is desirable to conserve the heat of the system, and this is readily accomplished by decreasing the angular setting of the fan blades. Under extreme conditions, it may be desirable to pass the heated air surrounding the engine outwardly through the radiator. This is readily accomplished by reversing the iow of air by a suitable angular setting of the fan blades.

I claim l. In combination, a rotary fan comprising a body portion, having pivotally'mounted radial blades; an automatic controlling member remotely positioned with respect to said fan', and including a casing; a flexible, nonextensible member projecting therefrom; means within said casing for causing said non-extensible member to move axially; a sheath surrounding said non-extensible member; and means for operatively connecting said non-extensible member and said blades to transmit controlling motions of said nonextensible member to said blades, to thereby automatically vary the angular setting of said blades.

. 2. A rotary fan comprising a hollow hub,

an apertured support for rot'atively carrying said hub, a rod slidably mounted in said apertured support and extending into said hub, a series of spindles positioned within said hub and extending outwardly therefrom, gears carried by said spindles, a freely rotatable rack mounted on said rod and adapted to mesh with said gears, and a series of blades carried `by said spindles, whereby the angular setting of said blades may be controlled by the axial motion of said rod.

WILLIAM H. SCHNEIDER.

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