Self-cleaning air scrubber

Claim 2

A self-cleaning air scrubber for removing contamination from a column of air and including; a tunnel-like housing with an intake opening at one end and a delivery opening at the other end and having a horizontally disposed tray with a bottom extending between said ends, a baffle intermediate the ends of the tunnellike housing and dividing it into two chambers namely a vertically disposed precipitation chamber and a horizontally disposed expansion chamber, said baffle having a horizontally disposed lip extending transversely of the tunnel-like housing and spaced above said tray forming an airflow restricting nozzle over a water level therein, means pressuring the column of air to move through the intake opening and downwardly through the first mentioned precipitation chamber for discharge through said nozzle and along said water in the tray and into the expansion chamber, fog generating means permeating the column of air entering the precipitation chamber with water mist, and collector means in the form of a weir mounted on the tray having a horizontally disposed lip extending transversely over and spaced above the said bottom at the said other end of the tunnel-like housing to establish said water level and for receiving and discharging contamination fallout carried upon accumulated water passing over said weir, the column of air discharging throUgh the delivery opening at said other end of the tunnel-like housing.

Claim 3

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the intake opening at said one end of the tunnel-like housing is vertically disposed for inducing downward precipitation of fog-mist enveloped contamination within the precipitation chamber.

Claim 4

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the nozzle formed by the baffle lip is disposed to project the column of air horizontally for inducing wave motion upon the said accumulated water level to carry contamination fallout to said collector means.

Claim 5

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the baffle is a vertically disposed wall wherein the nozzle formed by the baffle lip projects the column of air horizontally for inducing wave motion upon the said accumulated water level to carry contamination fallout to said collector means and turbulate the column of air for inducing recirculation thereof with air discharged through said nozzle.

Claim 6

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the lip of the baffle is vertically adjustable to determine the nozzle aperture and thereby control the precipitation chamber pressure and expansion chamber pressure.

Claim 7

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the fog generating means is comprised of at least one downwardly disposed nozzle liberating fine water spray as particles of moisture floating within the column of air.

Claim 8

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the fog generating means is comprised of a bank of downwardly disposed spray nozzles liberating fine mist from a pressured water supplied manifold as particles of moisture floating within the column of air.

Claim 9

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the weir of the collector means has a vertically adjustable horizontally disposed lip extending transversely over the bottom to establish said water level and over which the contamination fallout drops to the exterior of the tunnel-like housing.

Claim 10

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the weir of the collector means has a vertically adjustable horizontally disposed lip extending transversely over the bottom to establish said water level and over which the contamination fallout drops through a tubular air trap to discharge at the exterior of the tunnel-like housing.

Claim 11

A self-cleaning air scrubber for removing contamination from a column of polluted air and including; a tunnel-like housing comprised of imperforate top, a horizontal tray with a bottom, sides and ends, a baffle depending from the top and extending between the sides intermediate the ends of the tunnel-like housing and dividing it into two chambers namely a vertically disposed precipitation chamber and a horizontally disposed expansion chamber, an intake opening into the precipitation chamber and a delivery opening from the expansion chamber, said baffle having a horizontally disposed lip extending transversely in spaced relation to and above said tray and bottom forming an airflow restricting nozzle over a water level therein, means pressuring the column of air to move through an intake opening and downwardly through the first mentioned precipitation chamber for discharge through said nozzle and along said water in the tray and into the expansion chamber, fog generating means permeating the column of air entering the precipitation chamber with water mist, and collector means in the form of a weir mounted on the tray having a horizontally disposed lip extending transversely over and spaced above the said bottom at the said other end of the tunnel-like housing to establish said water level and for receiving and discharging contamination fallout carried upon accumulated water passing over said weir, the column of air discharging through the delivery opening at said other end of the tunnel-like housing.

Claim 12

A self-cleaning air scrubber for removing contamination from a column of polluted air and including; a tunnel-like housing comprised of imperforate top, a horizontal tray with a bottom, sides and ends, a baffle depending from the top and extending between the sides intermediate the ends of the tunnel-like housing and dividing it into two chambers namely a vertically disposed precipitation chamber and a horizontally disposed expansion chamber, an intake opening into the precipitation chamber and a delivery opening from the expansion chamber, said baffle having a horizontally disposed lip extending transversely in spaced relation to and above said tray and bottom forming an airflow restricting nozzle over a water level therein, means pressuring the column of air to move through an intake opening and downwardly through the first mentioned precipitation chamber for discharge through said nozzle and along said water in the tray and into the expansion chamber, fog generating means permeating the column of air entering the precipitation chamber with water mist, and collector means in the form of a weir mounted on the tray having a horizontally disposed lip extending transversely over and spaced above the said bottom at the said other end of the tunnel-like housing to establish said water level and for receiving and discharging contamination fallout carried upon accumulated water passing over said weir, the column of air discharging through the delivery opening at said other end of the tunnel-like housing.

Claim 13

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the intake opening into said precipitation chamber is vertically disposed through the top of the tunnel-like housing, for inducing downward precipitation of fog-mist enveloped contamination within the precipitation chamber.

Claim 14

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the nozzle formed by the baffle lip is disposed to extend between the sides of the tunnel-like housing to project the column of air horizontally for inducing wave motion upon the said accumulated water level to carry contamination fallout to said collector means.

Claim 15

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the baffle is an imperforate vertically disposed wall wherein the nozzle formed by the baffle lip projects the column of air horizontally for inducing wave motion upon the said accumulated water level to carry contamination fallout to said collector means and turbulate the column of air for inducing recirculation thereof with air discharged through said nozzle.

Claim 16

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the lip of the baffle is vertically adjustable to determine the nozzle aperture over the accumulated water level and thereby control the precipitation chamber pressure and expansion chamber pressure.

Claim 17

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the fog generating means is comprised of at least one downwardly disposed nozzle liberating fine water spray as particles of moisture floating within the column of air.

Claim 18

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the fog generating means is comprised of a bank of downwardly disposed spray nozzles liberating fine mist from a pressured water supplied manifold as particles of moisture floating within the column of air.

Claim 19

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the weir of the collector means has a vertically adjustable horizontally disposed lip extending transversely between the said sides to establish said water level and over which the contamination fallout drops to the exterior of the tunnel-like housing.

Claim 20

The self-cleaning air scrubber as set forth in claim 10 and wherein the weir of the collector means has a vertically adjustable horizontally disposed lip extending transversely between the said sides to establish said water level and over which the contamination fallout drops through a tubular air trap to discharge at the exterior of the tunnel-like housing.