Powered contaminant evacuator

Abstract

This invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus attached to an air cleaner such as of an internal combustion engine as in connection with a farm tractor wherein the contaminants drawn into the air cleaner are evacuated to the atmosphere therefrom by said apparatus wherein the improvement consists in having the apparatus continuously operative, providing a positive evacuation of contaminants and comprising a relatively small sized motor driving an impeller which receives contaminants from the air cleaner and evacuates or expells the same and embodies the use of a plurality of vanes whereby the engine associated with the air cleaner is prevented from drawing a reverse flow of air through the exhaust passage of the apparatus and the vanes serve as closure means whereby there is no open passage through the apparatus to the cleaner and thus only a low powered impeller is required to expel the contaminants received. The air cleaner may be otherwise used than in connection with an internal combustion engine.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A positive discharge evacuating apparatus, having in combination a housing,   receiving means within said housing, including,   an annular chamber having an outlet,   a passage within said housing about said chamber having an outlet,   a discharge passage within said housing about said last mentioned passage having a discharge outlet,   said outlet of said first mentioned passage and of said chamber being misaligned circumferentially,   discharge means carried by said housing cooperating with and being complementary to said receiving means comprising,   an impeller,   driving means carried by said housing driving said impeller,   .[.a hub portion of.]. .Iadd.means carried by .Iaddend.said impeller being disposed into said chamber,   said .[.hub portion having a pair of oppositely disposed discharge chutes which alternately.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.provide communication between said chamber and said discharge passage,   vanes carried by said impeller upstanding therefrom disposed in said first mentioned passage,   a plurality of vanes carried by said impeller upstanding therefrom disposed in said discharge passage,   a pair of opposed spaced pairs of said vanes in said first mentioned passage define pockets respectively alternately in register with said outlet of said chamber, and   .[.said.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.other vanes of said .[.other.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.mentioned passage and said vanes of said discharge passage obstructing communication between said outlet of said chamber and said outlet of said discharge passage when .[.one of.]. said .[.discharge chutes of said chamber.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.communicates with said discharge passage.   
     
     
       2. A positive discharge evacuating means in connection with an air cleaner, having in combination a housing,   means removeably attaching said housing to the outlet of said air cleaner,   said housing having a cylindrical body portion,   a chamber in said body portion,   .[.a passage from said air cleaner into said chamber,.].   said chamber having an outlet,   .[.a plate member underlying said chamber,.].   means rotatably supporting and driving said plate member,   a hub portion of said plate member extending into said chamber alternately opening and closing said outlet in said chamber,   said hub portion having chutes formed therein to receive contaminants from said air cleaner for discharge through said outlet in said chamber,   a plurality of vanes upstanding from said plate member circumferentially spaced about said hub portion,   a plurality of vanes upstanding from said plate member disposed circumferentially about said first mentioned vanes,   an annular wall depending from said body portion disposed between said first and second mentioned vanes,   an outlet in said annular wall in a circumferentially misaligned position with respect to said outlet of said chamber,   an annular passage in said body portion receiving said last mentioned vanes,   a discharge outlet from said housing in a non-aligned position with respect to said outlet in said mentioned wall,   said chutes in said hub portion being relatively positioned with respect to said discharge outlet whereby said chutes are non-aligned with said outlet of said chamber when contaminants are being discharged through said discharge outlet from said housing, and   said vanes being positioned to obstruct air passage from said discharge outlet of said housing with said outlet of said chamber when contaminants are being discharged through said discharge outlet.   
     
     
       3. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said driving means comprises a motor carried by said housing and drives said plate member.   
     
     
       4. The structure set forth in claim 2, including a plurality of vanes depending from said plate member,   an annular passage in said housing in opposed relation to said first mentioned annular passage and receiving said last mentioned vanes.   
     
     
       5. The structure set forth in claim 4, including a plurality of apertures extending from said last mentioned annular passage communicating with the atmosphere.   
     
     
       6. A positive discharge evacuating means in connection with an air cleaner, having in combination a housing,   means removably attaching said housing to the outlet of said air cleaner,   contaminant receiving means within said housing having communication with said outlet of said air cleaner, said receiving means comprising,   an annular chamber having an outlet,   a passage about said chamber having an outlet,   a discharge passage about said last mentioned passage having a discharge outlet,   said outlet of said first mentioned passage and of said chamber being misaligned circumferentially,   contaminant discharging means cooperating with and being complementary to said contaminant receiving means comprising,   an impeller comprising a plate member and an upstanding hub portion,   driving means carried by said housing driving said plate member,   said hub portion of said impeller being disposed into said chamber,   said hub portion having a pair of oppositely disposed discharge chutes which alternately provide communication between said chamber and said discharge passage,   a plurality of vanes upstanding from said plate member disposed in said first mentioned passage,   a plurality of vanes upstanding from said plate member disposed in said discharge passage,   a pair of opposed spaced pairs of said vanes in said first mentioned passage define pockets to receive contaminants from said chamber,   pair of said opposed pairs of said vanes being respectively alternately in register with said outlet of said chamber, and   said other vanes of said first mentioned passage and said vanes of said discharge passage obstructing communication between said outlet of said chamber and said outlet of said discharge passage when one of said discharge chutes is aligned with said outlet of said chamber.   
     
     
       7. The structure set forth in claim 6, wherein said opposed pairs of vanes in said .Iadd.first .Iaddend.mentioned passage aligned with said outlet of said chamber are spaced further apart than the .[.other.]. .Iadd.others .Iaddend.of said .Iadd.plurality of .Iaddend.vanes in said first mentioned passage. 
     
     
       8. The structure set forth in claim 6, wherein all of said vanes respectively have sealing engagement with the adjacent walls of their respective passages.   
     
     
       9. The structure set forth in claim 6, wherein an annular channel in said housing underlies said plate member in alignment with said discharge passage,   vanes carried by said plate member are disposed in said underlying channel, and   said channel has a plurality of apertures therethrough to the atmosphere. .Iadd. 10. A positive discharge evacuating means in connection with an air cleaner, having in combination   a housing,   means removeably attaching said housing to the outlet of said air cleaner,   said housing having a cylindrical body portion,   a chamber in said body portion,   a passage from said air cleaner into said chamber,   said chamber having an outlet,   a plate member underlying said chamber,   means rotatably supporting and driving said plate member,   means carried by said plate member extending into said chamber alternately opening and closing said outlet in said chamber,   said last mentioned means passing contaminants from said air cleaner for discharge through said outlet in said chamber,   a plurality of vanes upstanding from said plate member circumferentially spaced about said last mentioned means,   a plurality of vanes upstanding from said plate member disposed circumferentially about said first mentioned vanes,   an annular wall depending from said body portion disposed between said first and second mentioned vanes,   an outlet in said annular wall in a circumferentially misaligned position with respect to said outlet of said chamber,   an annular passage in said body portion receiving said last mentioned vanes,   a discharge outlet from said last mentioned passage in a non-aligned position with respect to said outlet in said chamber,   said last mentioned means being relatively positioned with respect to said discharge outlet whereby said last mentioned means closes said outlet of said chamber when contaminants are being discharged through said discharge outlet from said last mentioned passage, and   said vanes being positioned to obstruct air passage from said discharge outlet of said last mentioned passage with said outlet of said chamber when contaminants are being discharged through said discharge outlet of   
     
     
        said chamber. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11.  A positive discharge evacuating means in connection with an air cleaner, having in combination a housing,   means removeably attaching said housing to the outlet of said air cleaner,   said housing having a cylindrical body portion,   a chamber in said body portion,   a passage from said air cleaner into said chamber,   said chamber having an outlet   a plate member underlying said chamber,   means rotatably supporting aid driving said plate member,   means carried by said plate member extending into said chamber alternately opening and closing said outlet in said chamber,   said last mentioned means passing contaminants from said air cleaner for discharge through said outlet in said chamber,   a plurality of vanes upstanding from said plate member circumferentially spaced about said means,   an annular passage in said body portion receiving said vanes,   a discharge outlet from said last mentioned passage in a non-aligned position with respect to said outlet in said chamber,   said last mentioned means being relatively positioned with respect to said discharge outlet whereby said last mentioned means closes said outlet of said chamber when contaminants are being discharged through said discharge outlet from said last mentioned passage, and   said vanes being positioned to obstruct air passage from said discharge outlet of said last mentioned passage with said outlet of said chamber when contaminants are being discharged through said discharge outlet of said chamber. .Iaddend.