US3249553A - Smoke generator - Google Patents

Description

May 3, 1966 s. B. STEINBERG SMOKE GENERATOR Filed Jan. 28, 1963 SPRA Y HEAD ENCLOSED CHA MBER FIG. I

/2 PRESSURE A/R v GAUGE //VLE7' PRESSURE RE GULA TOR FIG. 2

IN VENTOR Samue/ 5. Sfemberg BY g ATTORNEY aerosol smoke from DOP (di-octylphthalate).

United States Patent 3,249,553 SMOKE GENERATOR Samuel B. Steinberg, 534 W. Franklin St., Baltimore, Md. Filed Jan. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 254,136 1 Claim. (Cl. 252359) This invention relates generally to smoke generation equipment, and more particularly it pertains to apparatus for producing large quantities of smoke from a liquid.

There are at present time methods of creating a liquid The first method employs a generator which includes a reservoir of the liquid DOP, heating elements, agitating means, and a moving air stream directed across the surface of the liquid.

The other method creates smoke from DOP by atomizing the liquid without the use of heat.

Both methods for liquid smoke generation are very limited as to the quantity of smoke produced and disappointing even when used in plurality or in combination.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a smoke generator system using liquid DOP which will create large amounts of smoke much greater than heretofore with relatively simple and compact apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for subjecting a large surface of liquid aerosol to gas contact for large quantity production of smoke.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for generating liquid smoke which is economical to manufacture, efllcient and reliable in operational use, and which is compact and easy to maintain.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and single sheet of accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view (partly broken away) showing a smoke generator system comprising this invention; and

FIG. 2 is. a vertical section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the improved smoke generator 8 includes a plurality of conventional venturi type spray heads 10 located in a chamber 14 in a housing 15 having a lid 17. These spray heads 10 operate from a single source of airpressure 12. The present arrangement and generator 8 differ from the employment of a plurality of spray heads working in the open or ambient conditions by providing the housing 15 with a common air tight enclosed chamber 14, within which the spray heads 10 operate cooperatively to produce a heavily saturated atmosphere. The chamber 14 also serves as a common reservoir for an aerosol oil 16.

As best shown in FIG. 2, each spray head 10 draws oil 16 at the desired controlled rate of feed through its individual feed pipe 20 and through the feed dome 22 for discharge across a venturi 24 into the upper part 26 of the reservoir 14. Only the finer particles remain ai rborne.

Approximately 10% of the oil passing through the feed dome 22 is converted to smoke.

The heavier droplets 28 comprising the remainder as well as the generated smoke particles discharge downwardly over and against the common surface 30 for all the spray heads 10.

Thus, there is a great deal of agitation of the liquid oil 16 whereby its surface tension is continuously. broken up by the returning droplets 28. Furthermore, the large exposure of surface 30 very effectually causes the atmosphere in the upper part 26 of the chamber 14 to become a thoroughly saturated fog or smoke which is then ejected from the outlet 18 by the spent air pressure which operated spray heads 10.

Patented May 3, 1966 To operate the smoke generator 8 it is first attachedto a source of clean, dry air of at least one hundred pounds working pressure and able to deliver twenty-five cubic feet of air per minute. The reservoir 16 is filled with DOP so that each of the spray heads may draw from it to create the smoke. The lid 17 is clamped to the top of the housing 15 so that the spray heads 10 are totally enclosed. A flexible two-inch or greater diameter hose may be connected to the outlet port 18 of the smoke generator 8 when it is desired to carry the smoke to a point removed from the generator 8. The generator 8 is operated by turning on each of the control valves v and adjusting the flow of air to approximately six cubic feet per minute through each spray head 10 and the pressure is adjusted to thirty-five psi.

The reason why this smoke generator 8 is superior to any other kind is due to its ability to create very large amounts of smoke without the use of heat, aging chambers, storage chambers, and the like. The smoke created is regulated to a particle size which is convenient for use and of such a concentration that it may be used in systems involving thousands of cubic feet of air moving constantly. The extreme simplicity of the smoke generator 8 enables it to be used with virtually no maintenance problem.

' Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of theabove teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

An aerosol generator, comprising, structure defining a liquid tight housing having a chamber therein, di-octylphthalate aerosol liquid in said chamber having an upper surface defining a common space between the upper portion of said housing and said upper surface of said dioctylphthalate aerosol liquid, means including three horizontally spaced venturi type spray heads linearly positioned in said common space above said upper surface of said di-octylphthalate aerosol liquid, each said spray head having a feed pipe dipping into said di-octylphthalate aerosol liquid, a source of air pressure connected in parallel to said spray heads, said air pressure being 35 psi. at each said spray head, with approximately six cubic feet of air per minute flowing through each said spray heads, said housing having an outlet from said common space of said chamber intermediate the end positioned spray heads of said spaced venturi type spray heads, whereby when said spray heads are pressurized by said air pressure, said di-octylphthalate aerosol liquid is drawn through said venturi type spray heads and atomized at least in part, with the remaining unatomized di-octylphthalate aerosol liquid being discharged from said venturi type spray heads and returned against said upper surface of said di-octylphthalate aerosol liquid in said chamber, and with the spent air pressure discharging said atomized di-octylphthalate aerosol liquid from said common space in said chamber through said outlet of said housing for further utilization thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,770 5/1932 Fleisher 239215 2,613,067 10/1952 Goodyer 2612 2,709,577 5/1955 Pohndorf et al. 239-338 X 2,744,737 5/ 1956 Van Vliet 261-91 2,890,765 6/1959 Friedell 239338 X NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary Examiner.

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