Gas separation – With means for advancing clean portions of continuous or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-01
2001-03-06
Smith, Duane S. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
With means for advancing clean portions of continuous or...
C055S354000, C055S491000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06197077
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to filter assemblies and, more particularly, to a flexible filter screen assembly which is capable of being securably attached over an air intake opening of an air filtration, treatment or intake structure of conventional design.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Filtration assemblies are known in the art which can be used in conventional cooling towers and like structures. Normally, such filter assemblies are used for filtering particles from a coolant flow within the cooling tower.
An example of a filtering assembly for an air intake is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,722, issued to Simmons, and which shows a flexible screen positioned to cover an opening of the air intake. The screen includes a top, bottom and first and second side walls and also provides a container located at the base of the structure beneath the intake opening for storing the flexible screen when not in use. A pulley arrangement is provided and which includes cables extending in parallel fashion and in proximity to the first and second sides of the flexible screen. The cables engage the respective sides of the screen by virtue of O-rings which are also secured within eyelets formed along the edges of the sides of the screen and so that the screen may be slidably guided during raising and lowering. An alternate embodiment of the Simmons '722 reference discloses first and second containers secured in parallel extending and opposing arrangement over ends of the air intake opening. A continuous roll of flexible screen material extends between first unused and second used rolls contained in the first and second containers, respectively. An unused portion of the screen is unrolled and advanced over the opening by rotating a crank associated with a selected container and replaces a previously unrolled and used portion which is subsequently rewound onto the second roll.
An additional example of a prior art filtration assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,008, issued to Neumann. The Neumann reference teaches a roller-strip filter for air or gas purification and which, similarly to the second embodiment of the Simmons '722 reference, teaches first and second units for holding feed and wind up rollers for advancing a filter screen.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention is a filter screen assembly for mounting over an air intake opening of a structure. The structure has a height, a width and a depth and defines a selected face within which the air intake opening is formed, the selected face including a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side surrounding the intake opening.
The filter screen assembly includes planar and flexible filtration screen having a substantially rectangular shape and defined by a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge and a second side edge. A top edge of the screen is capable of being suspended in one preferred embodiment from a corresponding top of the air intake structure hook portions. Additional weighted rods function as stiffening and tensioning members and are capable of being inserted within first and second sleeves formed along the corresponding top and bottom edges of the screen.
Fasteners are provided for securing, in one embodiment, first and second side edges of the screen to the first and second sides of the intake opening as an additional feature to the suspending hook portions. The fasteners include eyelets which receive therethrough correspondingly positioned tubular portions extending from intake structure when the screen is applied over the intake opening. Mounting screws are engaged within open facing ends of the tubular portions, the screws each including an enlarged head which abuts against the portions of the screen encircling the eyelets and prevents disengagement of the screen from the intake structure. In an alternative embodiment, the fasteners are provided to the exclusion of the suspending hook portions and may secure the screen to the intake structure on the opposite sides of the intake opening or may extend along the top along or top and bottom of the opening.
In a further embodiment, a storage container may also be positioned proximate a side of the structure adjacent the opening, such side preferably being the bottom but possibly also a side or top. The container includes a bottom and a pair of side walls which define an open interior for receiving the screen and a lid hingedly connected to one of the side walls of the container.
REFERENCES:
patent: 187894 (1877-02-01), Osggod
patent: 2521455 (1950-09-01), Gorgun
patent: 3695008 (1972-10-01), Neumann
patent: 4347885 (1982-09-01), Von Knorring et al.
patent: 4894071 (1990-01-01), Klein
patent: 5370722 (1994-12-01), Simmons
patent: 5529593 (1996-06-01), Simmons
patent: 5560120 (1996-10-01), Swanson et al.
Simmons Jesse Kenneth
Simmons Maralyne J.
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Smith Duane S.
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