US3776122A - Atmosphere circulation system - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for circulating atmosphere within a chamber such as a smokehouse is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of fans mounted on carriages which are reciprocally movable relative to the chamber along predetermined paths, preferably along the side walls or ceiling of the chamber, transverse to the axis of rotation of the fan blades, and means is provided for reciprocally moving the fan carriages along said predetermined paths while the fan blades are being rotated.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Julian Jordan 416/246 wmm ed m 0cm wwww 9999 mmww mwwm 3 84 95 967 ,3, 2 23 W v S H a Y P S m. m N a 0 0k C h g H C .n A n L m e um .n C we R J I E0 C A M E n m c R m mm M J JC 9 l 0 m n M m m. T v x A m A 1 1 1 4 5 3 5 7 7 [22] Filed: June 15 1972 Primary Examiner-William J. Wye

Attorney-Albert Pendleton et a].

21 Appl. No.: 263,152

ABSTRACT A system for circulating atmosphere within a chamber 1971, abandoned.

such as a Smokehouse is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of fans mounted on carriages which are reciprocally movable relative to the chamber 98 29 F24 13100 along predetermined paths, preferably along the side walls OI ceiling Of the chamber, transverse to the axis of rotation of the fan blades, and means is provided [51] Int.

[58] Field of 98/33 A, 33 R for reciprocally moving the fan carriages along said References Ci predetermined paths while the fan blades are being ro- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1890 Schmidt et 416/246 14 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEUBEB 4mm 3.776.122

. SHEET 10? 3 INVENTOR BY JOHN A. JULIA/V 52 34 36 ATTORNEYS PATENTEBHEC 4 I973 sum 2 UF 3 FIG. 5

BY 4%, am

INVENTOR JOHN A. JUL M N AT TORNE'Ys ATMOSPHERE CIRCULATION SYSTEM This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 124,313 filed Mar. 15, 1971, now abandoned.

' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber such as a smokehouse, a greenroom or even a cooling chamber such as a freezer or refrigerator. The invention will be described herein'in connection with a smokehouse, but it will be understood that it will have application to various other types of chambers in which it is desirable to rapidly circulate the atmosphere.

In a smokehouse of the type in whichmeat products such as sausages, hams, bacon and the like are'treated, it is desirable to have an efficient circulation of the smoke so that the product undergoing treatment will be uniformly smoked. Heretofore the atmosphere within the smokehouse has been circulated by means of the blowers and ducts which introduce the atmosphere into the chamber and withdraw it from the chamber. In such systems, however, the circulation of the atmosphere within the chamber is dependent upon the force with which the atmosphere is introduced through the inlet duct and the force of the suction at the outlet or return ducts. Various circulation systems of this type have been designed, exemplary of which are those disclosed in my US. Pat. No. 2,505,973 issued May 2, 1950 and No. 2,625,095 issued Jan. 13, 1953. These circulation systems of previous design have relied upon external blowers and fixed inlets and outlets in order to achieve circulation within the smokehouse or chamber.

It has been found that a greatly improved circulation is obtained if the location of the circulating force caus ing the flow of atmosphere within the chamber is changed substantially continuously. The flow of atmosphere may be continuously'directed toward the interior of the chamber while the location of the circulating force, which is preferably a fan but may be an inlet duct, is being moved, preferably in either a verticalor horizontal plane. The fluid atmosphere will thus'be caused to flow around and contact all portions of the product within the chamber to effecta uniform treat ment thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an improvement in an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber such as, for example, a smokehouse where food products such asmeat are treated with a heated, smoke laden atmosphere. In one form the apparatus includes atmosphere directing means for forcibly directing a flow of atmosphere from one side of the chamber toward the interior of I the chamber, and means is provided for moving the atmosphere directing means along a predetermined pathwhile the atmosphere directing means continues to forcibly direct the atmosphere toward the interior of the chamber.

- In the preferred embodiment of the invention-the atmosphere directing means comprises a pluralityof fans, each having a rotatable blade disposed within the within an elongated tubular member or carriage shaft disposed adjacent to and preferably forming apart of the wall ofthe chamber. Each tubular member is provided with a longitudinal opening through which the shaft of the fan extends, and the fan blade is mounted thereon exterior of the tubular member within the chamber. Means is provided for reciprocally moving the carriages longitudinally within the tubular members, thereby reciprocally moving the fan blades within the chamber and causing a continual change in the flow of the atmosphere within the chamber.

Flexible means such as a chain or flexible cable may be employed to connect two or more fans in sets for corresponding movement relative to said chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a chamber such as a smokehouse or the like, portions of the chamber along one wall having been broken away to show apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the chamber with portions-thereof along one side having been broken away to show apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of the smokehouse showing two of the fans, the carriages and the tubular members within-which the carriages are adapted to move; I

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of a portion of the chamber showing the fans, the carriages, the tubularmembers and the means for reciprocally moving the carriages within the tubular members;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus as viewed from the interior of the chamber;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of a smokehouse sectioned to show schematically another embodiment of the atmosphere circulation apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the smokehouse sectioned to-show schematically the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top plan view showing one of the fans affixed to a carriage which is ounted for movement along a vertical track adjacent lb ne side wall of the smokehouse; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of one (if the fans affixed to a carriage which is mounted for movement along a horizontal track adjacent the deiling of the smokehouse.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. I-S the atmosphere circulation apparatus 8 of the invention is shown in conjunction with a smokehouseilO for treating meat or other food products which may be draped or otherwise suspended from racks or carts 12, schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. The smokehouse 10 actually forms a chamber within the building 14, the ceiling portion of which is illustrated in FIG. 2.

The smokehouse or chamber 10 is of generally rectangular cross section, having a pair of oppositely disposed, lateral side walls 16 and I8 and oppositely'disposed front and back side walls 20 and 22, respectively.

The top side wall or ceiling 24 closes the top of the chamber 10.

In the front side wall 20 there are three door openings 26, 28 and 30 providing access to the interior of the chamber. These openings are closed by means of hinged doors 32, 34 and 36, respectively. In FIG. 1 these doors are shown swung partly open, and in FIG. 2 the doors are shown in their completely closed position as they would be during operation of the smokehouse.

In smokehouses of previous design the hot, smoke laden air is usually led into the Smokehouse chamber by ductwork, and it is withdrawn through return ducts. The placement of the ductwork is carefully designed so that proper circulation of the atmosphere within the chamber may be accomplished. The present invention eliminates the necessity for much of the ductwork. The chamber may be heated by means of a gas burner 38 having a tube 40 which extends inwardly substantially the length of the smokehouse or chamber 10. A smoke generator 42 of standard construction conducts the smoke through a conduit 44 to an inlet 46 into the interior of the chamber. Humidity within the chamber is controlled by means ofa humidifying apparatus including a pipe 50 extending within the chamber, and suitable shielding is provided above and below the gas burner and the humidity pipe. This shielding may, for example, be in the form of a top shield 52 and a bottom baffle 54 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The interior of the Smokehouse may be vented to the atmosphere through the roof of the building 14 by means of a suitable exhaust duct 48, having suitable manual or automaticallyoperated dampers 48a and 48b. The atmosphere within the Smokehouse or chamber is circulated, and a supply of fresh air is added to this atmosphere by means of the apparatus 8 constructed in accordance with the instant invention.

The apparatus 8 includes atmosphere directing means in the form of a plurality of fans 60 mounted adjacent the side of the chamber 10 for forcibly directing a flow of atmosphere toward the interior of the chamber. The number of fans 60 will, of course, depend upon the size of the chamber which in FIG. 1 is slightly foreshortened, with only four such fans on each lateral side being illustrated. In the remaining figures, 2-5, the front two fans, which for purposes of description are identified as 60a and 60b, are shown.

Each fan 60 is mounted on a carriage 62 which is dis posed within a hollow tubular member or carriage shaft 64 in one of the lateral walls 16 or 18 as the case may be. Each carriage 62 has a pair of flanges 66 and 68 which are disposed for sliding movement within vertical tracks 70 and 72 on the inner end walls of the tubular members 64. Thus the carriages 62 with the fans 60 mounted thereon are slidably movable in the vertical direction guided by the vertical tracks 70 and 72.

Each of the fans 60 has a fan blade 74 mounted on a rotatable shaft 76, the shaft being driven by means of an electric motor 78. The shaft 76 may actually be the shaft of motor 78; however, in the illustrated embodiment the motor drives the shaft 76 by means of a belt 80 extending around the pulley 780 on the motor shaft and the pulley 76a on the fan shaft. As best illustrated in FIG. 3 the fan shaft 76 extends outwardly through a longitudinal slotlike opening 82 in the interior side of the tubular member 64, and the blade 74 is connected to the shaft 76 exterior of the tubular member 64. A resiliently flexible means in the form of a pair of longitudinal flaps 84 and 86 mounted adjacent the opening 82 substantially closes the opening. These flaps are formed of a resilient material such as a heat resistant rubber or neoprene, and they are so constructed that they will normally extend toward edge touching engagement with one another to substantially close the longitudinal opening 82 in each of the tubular shafts 64 while at the same time permitting rotative and reciprocal sliding movement of the associated fan shaft 76 therein. Thus the motor 78 and the drive connection between the motor and the shaft 76 are disposed within the tubular member 64 and are substantially protected from the effects of the atmosphere within the chamber 10 by means of the resilient flaps 84 and 86.

To further protect the motors 78 and to provide a means for ventilating air into the chamber 10, a pair of ventilating manifolds or plenums 88 and 90 are provided, the plenum 88 being connected to a blower 92, and the plenum 90 being connected to a blower 94. The plenum 88 communicates with the tubular members-64 on the left-hand side of the chamber 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the plenum 90 is in fluid communication with the tubular members 64 on the right-hand side of the chamber. The blowers 92 and 94 are adapted to generate a positive pressure in the plenums 88 and 90 and in the associated fluid connected tubular members 64 on the lateral sides of the chamber 10, causing the pressure within the tubular members 64 to be higher than the pressure within the chamber 10. As a result of this higher pressure within the tubular members 64, the fluid atmosphere within the chamber 10 will be prevented from entering the tubular members, and the fans will be additionally protected. Since the longitudinal flaps 84 and 86 are resilient, a slight amount of air will leak out of the tubular members 64 into the interior of the chamber 10, thus providing a constant supply of fresh air to the chamber 10.

The carriages 62 with the fans 60 mounted thereon are adapted to be reciprocally moved in a vertical direction within the tubular members 64 by means which may include a reversible electric motor 96. This motor drives a sprocket 98 over which a chain 100 extends. The end of the chain 100 is connected to one of the carriages 62 so that when the motor 96 is driven in one direction, the carriage and the fan mounted thereon will be elevated, and when driven in the opposite direction the carriage and the fan will be lowered.

While each carriage and fan may be independently moved, in the illustrated embodiment an adjacent pair of fans such as fans 60a and 60b are connected by a flexible element such as the chain 100. Thus one end of the chain 100 is connected to the carriage for the fan 60a, and the other end of the chain 100 is connected to the carriage for the fan 60b. This is best shown in FIG. 5. The chain extends over the sprocket 98 driven by the motor 96 and over an idler sprocket 102. It-will be noted that the sprocket 98 is disposed above the tubular shaft 64 which contains the carriage for the motor 60a, and the idler sprocket 102 is disposed above the tubular shaft which contains the carriage for the fan 60b. When the motor 96 is operated to drive the sprocket 98 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5, the fan 600 will move upwardly in its tubular shaft, and the fan 60b will move downwardly in its tubular shaft until these two fans reach the position illustrated in FIG. 5. At this point the motor 96 may be re- '5 versed to drive the chain 100 in the opposite direction, lowering the fan 60a and raising the fan 60b.

The reverse cycle of the motor may be controlled by means of limit switches 104 and 106 which contact lug pins 108 and 110 extending outwardly from the chain 100. The switches 104 and 106 may operate to effect reversing of the motor 96 in any well-known manner such as, for example, through relays or, if desired, the switches may be arranged to merely reverse the current to the motor 96 causing the reverse operation of the motor. Since the motors 78 of the fans 60 are adapted to reciprocally move, the electrical connection to these motors must either be a flexible cable such as is illustrated and identified by the numeral,l12,- or, in the alternative, a slide wire connection could be utilized In other words, the connectors for the motors'could, extend to adjacent one of the side walls of the tubular members 64, and there a conducting shoe or contact connected thereto may engage and slide along parallel bus bars or'wires in order to maintain power to the motors 78 in all positions of the fan.-

It will be noted thatin the elevated position of the fans illustrated in FIG. 2 a portion of the airflow-will be directed above the baffle 54 so that the hot and humidified atmosphere above the baffle will be blown across the baffle and will be suitably mixed in the chamber.

Below the baffle 54 it is preferred that there be provided a suitable fan guard for each of the fans. This mayv be a substantially U-shaped screen as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, and it is preferred that a handrail. or guard 116 be provided along each side ofthe chamber in front of the screens 114 and fans 60 to prevent damage to the screens and the fans by the heavy product carts or racks 12.

The foregoing is a description of the one embodiment, and it will be readily appreciated that various modifications may be made and that the invention may be embodied in other forms. For example, the fans 60 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 5 move in the vertical direction and are disposed adjacent the lateralside walls 16 and 18 of the Smokehouse or chamber. These fans, however, could be arranged to operate in a horizontal direction or even at an angularrdirection between the horizontal and the vertical. If the fans are arranged to move in anything but the vertical direction, it is recommended that an additional chain be'provided on the opposite side over idler sprockets corresponding to but oppositely disposed from the sprockets 98 and 102 illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus the fans would be forcibly moved in each direction instead of moving downwardly under the force of gravity as in the illustrated embodiment. Even when operating in the vertical direction, it may be desirable to provide such a chain in order to make sure that the fans do move downwardly to the desired position. The fans could also be mounted, for example, in the ceiling of the chamber or Smokehouse l0, and they could be arranged to move in an arcuate path rather than in a rectilinear path,.for example. Moreover, they could be made to move in an endless path instead of being reciprocated along the same rectilinear path.

In addition, the means for guiding the carriages and motors in the vertical direction in the embodiment of FIGS. L5 is a slide connection between the flanges 66- and 68 and the vertical tracks and 72, respectively.- I

It may be desirable to provide a rolling connection at this point; forfexample, rollers may be placed on the flanges 66 and 68 to roll within the tracks 70 and 72, or various other roller or slide engagements may be provided between the moving carriage 62 and the stationary interior of thetubular member 64.

The chamber 10 has been described as. being a Smokehouse, and the provision of the hollow tubular members 64 with their interiors substantially sealed from the interior of the chamber 10, is desirable when the atmosphere within the chamber is of a type which would cause deterioration .or damage the operating parts of the fansincluding the motors 78. If, however, the chamber 10 were used, for example, for treating food product without smoke and at ambient temperatures or even with refrigerated air, it perhaps would be possible to eliminate the tubular shafts 64 and have the motors for the fans operated completely within the chamber 10' instead of being protected within isolated shafts 64. This of course, would also permit the elimination of the ventilation manifolds 88 and 90 and the associated blowers 92 and 94 as well as the smoke generating unit 42. 'of course, if cooling was required, refrigeration coils and blowers would be needed instead.

In the embodiment of FIGS. l-5 the adjacent pairs of fans 60 in each wall of the chamber 10 are connected by the flexible chain so that these move in opposite directions, one fan moving up while the other fan'is moving down. If desired, the fans may be paired oppositely; for example, as viewed in FIG. 1, the first fan 60a on the left-hand side of the chamber 10 may be paired with the first fan on the right-hand side so that when one fan moves up the other fan moves down and vice versa. Thus, instead of being paired with fan 60b the fan 60 would be paired with the first fan on the opposite wall 18. Various other combinations and pairings may be utilized depending upon the circulation desired within the chamber, and it may be desirable in certain instances to operate all or synchronization.

Various alternative means may be utilized for achieving the reciprocating motions for the fans. In the illustrated embodiment two limit switches are used for this purpose, and. a reversing motor is operated by these limit switches. If desired, a single two-way switch couldbe moved to one position by a chain-carried pin or cam several pairs of the fans in when the chain reaches its limit in one direction, and

this switch could be moved to its other position to reverse the motor 96 when the chain reaches its limit in the other direction. Reciprocation jmay also be achieved by a mechanism which operates continually in one direction, such as, for example, an endless chain.

The hollow tubular carriage shafts 64 are particularly adapted to protect the electric fans 78 from the effects of the atmosphere within thechamber 10. It has been found, however, that hydraulic motors also may be used in this application. Hydraulic motors do not require protection from the atmosphere of the chamber and, therefore, with an atmosphere circulation apparatus employing such motors, the tubular carriage shafts 64 may be eliminated.

In FIGS. 6-9 there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention which incorporates many of the modifications previously described. In this embodiment three fans 120, 122 and 124 are connected in a set, all three fans beingdisposed completely within the chamber 10. The chamber 10 is a smokehouse although the ductwork and external atmosphere treating apparatus are not shown in this embodiment. Fans 120 and 122 are mounted for reciprocal vertical movement on their respective vertical tracks 126 and 128 adjacent the opposite side walls of the chamber 10, and fan 124 is mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement on its horizontal track 130 adjacent the ceiling of the chamber 10. The three fans are interconnected by flexible means such as a flexible chain or cable 132 which in the illustrated embodiment is composed of two sections 132a and 1321). Section 132a of the flexible chain extends over a drive sprocket 134 and interconnects fans 120 and 124; section 13212 extends over an idler sprocket 135 and interconnects fans 124 and 122.

As best shown in FIG. 9, the drive sprocket 134'is mounted on a horizontal shaft 136 which is operatively connected to a drive shaft 138 by a universal joint 137. The drive shaft 138 is driven through a chain and sprocket arrangement 140 by a motor 142 (see FIG. 9). In a smokehouse there usually would be several sets of fans and each set of fans would thus have a corresponding drive sprocket 134 keyed to the shaft 136 for driving the flexible chain or cable interconnecting the fans in the particular set.

The structure and mounting of the two vertically movable side wall fans 120 and 122 of each set are the same, with fan 120 being shown in detail in FIG. 8. Each fan is affixed to a movable carriage 143 which has a motor mount 144 on which is mounted a hydraulic motor 146. The motor 146 has a shaft 146a to which is affixed a fan blade 148. An annular fan guard 150, preferably having a protective screen 152 in front, surrounds the fan blade 148, and this guard is affixed to the motor mount 144 by means ofa plurality of brackets 154 and tubular struts 156 which extend angularly between the brackets 154 and the motor mount 144. The carriage 143 for the fan 120 thus comprises the motor mount 144, the fan guard 150 and the'brackets 154 and structs 156 which connect the motor mount to the fan guard.

Attached to the brackets 154 and struts 156 are guide bars 158. For stability and to prevent tipping, there are, preferably, two such bars, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the fan 120, although only the top bar is shown in FIG. 8. These guide bars 158 extend horizontally outwardly from the fan in opposite directions, and the ends of these guide bars are disposed within the vertical channel-shaped guide members 160 and 162 of the vertical guide track 126. These guide track members are affixed to the side wall of the Smokehouse 10. The flexible chain 132 extends over the drive sprocket 134 and is attached to the strut 156 and bracket 154 at the top of the fan carriage 143. Thus, as the sprocket is rotated the fan carriage 143 will be pulled upwardly or will be permitted to slide downwardly in the guide track 126, depending on the direction of rotation of the drive sprocket.

The hydraulic motor 146 of each fan is connected to a hydraulic source (hydraulic fluid supply and return lines) 164 by means of flexible hydraulic hoses 166 schematically illustrated in FIG. 7.

The structure and mounting of the horizontally movable ceiling fan 124 is shown in detail in FIG. 9. This fan is affixed to a movable carriage 167 which has a motor mount 168 on which is mounted a hydraulic motor 170. The motor has a shaft 170a on which is affixed a fan blade 172. An annular fan guard 174, preferably having a protective screen 176, surrounds the fan blade 172 and is affixed to the motor mount 168 by means of a plurality of bracing elements 178. The carriage 167 for the fan thus comprises the motor mount 168, the fan guard 174 and the bracing elements 178. v

The carriage 167 of the ceiling fan 124 is adapted to move along the horizontal track which in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9 is formed by means of a pair of parallel I-beams and 182. The I-beam 180 has a bottom flange portion 180a, a top flange portion 18012 and a central web portion 180a; the I-beam 182 has a bottom flange portion 182a, a top flange portion 182b and a central web portion 1820. These I-beams may span the distance between the side wall of the Smokehouse, and they may be affixed to and actually be the supporting members for the ceiling of the Smokehouse. In most instances, however, they would be spaced below the actual ceiling of the Smokehouse.

Attached to the fan guard 174 of the carriage are two plates 184 and 186, and affixed to the plate 184 ia a bracket 188, and a corresponding bracket is affixed to the plate 186. The brackets 188 and 190 are preferably Z-shaped. The bracket 188 has an elongated vertically extending central portion 188a, a short transverse flange portion 188b at the top and a short transverse bottom flange portion 188C affixed to the plate 184. A pair of vertically spaced horizontal axles 192 and 194 extend outwardly from the vertical portion 188a of the bracket 188, and rollers 192a and 194a are mounted for rotation on the axles, respectively. The vertical spacing of the axles and of the rollers is sufficient to accommodate the lower flange portion 180a of the l-beam 180. Extending downwardly from the top flange portion 188b of the bracket 188 is a vertical axle 196 on which is mounted for rotation a roller 196a adapted to engage and roll along the central web 180C of the I-beam 180.

In like manner, the Z-shaped bracket 190 has an elongated vertically extending central portion 190a, a short transverse top flange portion 190!) and a short transverse bottom flange portion 190C affixed to the plate 186. A pair of vertically spaced horizontal axles 198 and 200 extend outwardly from the central portion 190a, and on these axles are mounted rollers 198a and 200a, respectively. The axles 198 and 200 and the rollers 198a and 200a are so spaced that they will accom modate the lower flange porition 182a of the l-beam 182. Extending downwardly from the transverse flange portion 190b is a vertical axle 202 on which is mounted a roller 202a adapted to engage and roll along the central web portion 1826 of the l-beam 182.

For stability, it is preferred that there be two horizontally spaced sets of rollers on each side of each ceiling fan carriage 167 so that there will be no tilting of the fan or carriage as the carriage is pulled back and forth on the l-beam track 130 formed by the lower flange portions and central web portions of the two l- beams 180 and 182. The upper horizontal axle rollers 1920 on the left side of the fan, as viewed in FIG. 9, support the weight of the fan and carriage on that side, and the corresponding upper horizontal axle rollers l98a on the right side of the fan support the weight of the fan and carriage on that side. These weight-supporting rollers 192a and 198a bear against the upper surface of the lower flange portions 180a and 182a of the I- beams 180 and 182. The vertical axle rollers 196a on the left side and the corresponding rollers 202a on the right side of the fan 124 guide the fan as it moves along the track 130 formed by the two parallel l- beams 180 and 182. The lower horizontal axle rollers 194a on the left side and the lower horizontal axle rollers 200a on the right side of the fan carriage 167 would stabilize the carriage as it is moved back and forth on the I-beam track 130 and prevent any substantial upward or tilting movement of the fan during its operation and movement.

The hydraulic motor 170 of the fan 124 would be connected to the hydraulic source 164 by means of the flexible conduits 204 schematically illustrated in FIG. 7. The flexible conduits would be maintained out of the way of the fan by means of suitable spring retainer elements 206 also schematically illustrated in FIG. 7.

Extending upwardly from the motor mount 168 is a bracket 208, best seen in FIG. 9. This bracket has a transverse portion 208a to which is connected the flexible chain or cable 132. Thus, as the, side wall fan 120 is moved downwardly, the ceiling fan 124 will be moved to the left, as viewed in FIG. 7, and the opposite side wall fan 122 will be moved upwardly. When the fans reach their limit, the motor 140 willbe reversed to move the fans in each set in the opposite. direction.

While there are these fans in each set in the embodiment of FIGS. 69, under some conditions it may be desirable to eliminate the ceiling fan 124 or, in other,

instances, to eliminate the one or even both of the side wall fans 120 or 122.

With this system the fans 120 and 122 onthe opposite sides of the chamber will blow toward the opposite wall and toward each other, and the fan 124 will be blowing transversely downwardly onto the product within the chamber. This opposite and transverse direction blowing of the fans causes a state of turbulence to be maintained within the chamber so that the incoming atmosphere will be churned and thoroughly mixed with the atmosphere within the chamber. In addition the movement of the several fans causes thev turbulent movement of the atmosphere within the chamber to continually change. As viewed in FIG. 7, for example, with fans 120 and 122 at the top and bottom of their respective paths of travel, the atmosphere will tend to move in a clockwise direction. When the positions of these fans are reversed with fan 120 at the bottom and fan 122 at the top the atmosphere will tend to move in a counterclockwise direction. This results in a greater uniformity of the atmosphere within the chamber and a more uniform treatment of the product. In addition, in the illustrated embodiments; the means for forcibly directing the flow of air within the chamber are the fans 60. While this is much preferred, it would be possible to provide a movable inlet or inlets for the atmosphere into the chamber 10.

Access doors 118v may be provided at the back of each tubular member 64 for servicing the fan motors 78. The reversing motors 96 are disposed on top of the chamber 10 and may be enclosed if desired.

it is to be understood that the present disclosure has 2 been made only by way of example and that many additional modifications and changes in various details may be resorted to without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable, blade disposed within the chamber, and means for moving said fans along predetermined paths relative to said chamber while said blades are being rotated, said fan moving means including means interconnecting a plurality of said fans in sets for corresponding movement relative to said chamber, said means interconnecting the fans in eachset including a flexible element, and

versing the drive direction upon a predetermined movement of the chain in each direction.

3. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of elongated tubular members each having a longitudinal opening along one side, a carriage mounted for longitudinal movement within each of said tubular members, a fan carried by each of said carriages having a shaft extending outwardly through the opening in the associated tubular member and having a fan blade mounted thereon exterior of said tubular member, and means for reciprocally moving said carriages longitudinally within said tubular members.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein resiliently flexible means is provided for substantially closing the longitudinal opening in each of said tubular members while permitting rotative and reciprocal sliding movement of the associated fan shaft therein.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein guide means is provided on the interior of each of said tubular members for guiding the associated fan carriage in its reciprocal movement longitudinally within said. tubular member.

6. The structure of :claim 5 wherein means is pro vided for pressurizingsaid interior members relative 'to the interior of said chamber, whereby the atmosphere within the chamber will be prevented from contacting the interior or the tubular members.

7. in an air circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, means mounting each of said fans adjacent a side of said chamber for movement relative to said chamber along a predetermined path substantially parallel to said adjacent chamber side with the air flow from each said fan being directed transversely inwardly from the adjacent chamber side toward the interior of said chamber and the air flows from adjacent I fans are opposed and directed generally toward one another to create a state of atmospheric turbulence within said chamber, and means for reciprocally moving each said fan along its predetermined of said fan is being rotated.

8. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber having a top side and a plurality of substantially vertical sides, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, a carriage for each fan, a pair of spaced parallel guide tracks for each of said fan carriages, each pair of guide tracks being disposed in a plane adjacent to and substantially parallel to a side of said chamber and extending generally toward and away from the junction of the top side and at least one vertical side of said chamber, means mounting each of said fan carriages for movement along a respective pair of said guide tracks with the axis of rotation of the blade of each fan being maintained substantially normal to the plane of the guide tracks for that fan, and means for reciprocally moving said fans along said guide tracks, whereby the atmosphere may be directed path while the blade I transversely inwardly from the sides of said chamber toward the interior of said chamber.

9. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and with respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, at least some of said fan blades being mounted for rotation about substantially horizontal axes, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, and power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, with the blades which are mounted on horizontal axes being moved in a substantially vertical direction, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered.

10. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and with respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, at least some of said fan blades being mounted for rotation about substantially vertical axes, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, with the blades which are mounted on vertical axes being moved in a substantially horizontal direction, and power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered.

11. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and with respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, each of said fans including a separate first power means for rotating the blade of the fan and comprising a component of the fan which is moved with the fan along the predetermined path for that fan, and power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered.

12. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and with respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered, and means interconnecting a plurality of said fans in sets for corresponding movement relative to said chamber.

13. In an air circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, means mounting each of said fans adjacent a side of said chamber for movement relative to said chamber along a predetermined path substantially parallel to said adjacent chamber side with the air flow from each said fan being directed transversely inwardly from the adjacent chamber side toward the interior of said chamber, and means for reciprocally moving each said fan along its predetermined path while the blade of said fan is being rotated, at least one of said fans being mounted adjacent the top side of said chamber for movement substantially parallel thereto, whereby the air flow from said fan will be directed downwardly toward the interior of said chamber as the fan is moved by said moving means.

14. The structure of claim 13 wherein at least one other of said fans is mounted adjacent a vertical side of said chamber for substantially vertical movement, and means is provided interconnecting said top side fan and said vertical side fan for corresponding movement relative to said chamber.

UNITED T S: AT T iFFrCEa i 3 a CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Inventor(s) JOHN A. JULIAN I I M It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

C01. 10, line 34 "interior" should be --tubu lar- Signed and sealed this 7th day of Ra 1971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETGIHJR,JR. C. I'IRRSIIALL' 'DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner. of Patents FORM po'mso $69) I uscoum -oc wan-poo

Claims (14)

1. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, and means for moving said fans along predetermined paths relative to said chamber while said blades are being rotated, said fan moving means including means interconnecting a plurality of said fans in sets for corresponding movement relative to said chamber, said means interconnecting the fans in each set including a flexible element, and said fan moving means further including a drive for said flexible element.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said flexible element is a chain and said drive includes means for reversing the drive direction upon a predetermined movement of the chain in each direction.

3. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of elongated tubular members each having a longitudinal opening along one side, a carriage mounted for longitudinal movement within each of said tubular members, a fan carried by each of said carriages having a shaft extending outwardly through the opening in the associated tubular member and having a fan blade mounted thereon exterior of said tubular member, and means for reciprocally moving said carriages longitudinally within said tubular members.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein resiliently flexible means is provided for substantially closing the longitudinal opening in each of said tubular members while permitting rotative and reciprocal sliding movement of the associated fan shaft therein.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein guide means is provided on the interior of each of said tubular members for guiding the associated fan carriage in its reciprocal movement longitudinally within said tubular member.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein means is provided for pressurizing said interior members relative to the interior of said chamber, whereby the atmosphere within the chamber will be prevented from contacting the interior or the tubular members.

7. In an air circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, means mounting each of said fans adjacent a side of said chamber for movement relative to said chamber along a predetermined path substantially parallel to said adjacent chamber side with the air flow from each said fan being directed transversely inwardly from the adjacent chamber side toward the interior of said chamber and the air flows from adjacent fans are opposed and directed generally toward one another to create a state of atmospheric turbulence within said chamber, and means for reciprocally moving each said fan along its predetermined path while the blade of said fan is being rotated.

8. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber having a top side and a plurality of substantially vertical sides, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, a carriage for each fan, a pair of spaced parallel guide tracks for each of said fan carriages, each pair of guide tracks being disposed in a plane adjacent to and substantially parallel to a side of said chamber and extending generally toward and away from the junction of the top side and at least one vertical side of said chamber, means mounting each of said fan carriages for movement along a respective pair of said guide tracks with the axis of rotation of the blade of each fan being maintained substantially normal to the plane of the guide tracks for that fan, and means for reciprocally moving said fans along said guide tracks, whereby the atmosphere may be directed transversely inwardly from the sides of said chamber toward the interior of said chamber.

9. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and witH respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, at least some of said fan blades being mounted for rotation about substantially horizontal axes, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, and power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, with the blades which are mounted on horizontal axes being moved in a substantially vertical direction, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered.

10. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and with respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, at least some of said fan blades being mounted for rotation about substantially vertical axes, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, with the blades which are mounted on vertical axes being moved in a substantially horizontal direction, and power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered.

11. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and with respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, each of said fans including a separate first power means for rotating the blade of the fan and comprising a component of the fan which is moved with the fan along the predetermined path for that fan, and power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered.

12. In an atmosphere circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, the axes of rotation of said fan blades being so directionally oriented with respect to one another and with respect to said chamber that a state of atmospheric turbulence is created throughout said chamber, each of said fans being mounted for movement relative to said chamber along predetermined paths transverse to the axis of rotation of the blade of said fan, power means for forcibly moving said fans along said predetermined paths while said fan blades are being rotated, whereby the turbulent movement of the atmosphere within said chamber may be altered, and means interconnecting a plurality of said fans in sets for corresponding movement relative to said chamber.

13. In an air circulation system for a chamber, a plurality of fans each having a rotatable blade disposed within the chamber, means mounting each of said fans adjacent a side of said chamber for movement relative to said chamber along a predetermined path substantially parallel to said adjacent chamber side with the air flow from each said fan being directed transversely inwardly from the adjacent chamber side toward the interior of said chamber, and means for reciprocally moving each said fan along its predetermined path while the blade of said fan is being rotated, at least one of said fans being mounted adjacent the top side of said chamber for movement substantially parallel thereto, whereby the air flow from said fan will be directed downwardly toward tHe interior of said chamber as the fan is moved by said moving means.

14. The structure of claim 13 wherein at least one other of said fans is mounted adjacent a vertical side of said chamber for substantially vertical movement, and means is provided interconnecting said top side fan and said vertical side fan for corresponding movement relative to said chamber.

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