US3870489A

US3870489A - Air filter systems for debris collecting apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3870489A
Application number: US297408A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roland E Shaddock
Original assignee: Myers-Sherman Co
Current assignee: Myers-Sherman Co
Priority date: 1972-10-13
Filing date: 1972-10-13
Publication date: 1975-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-03-11
Also published as: GB1421025A

Abstract

A mobile debris collecting device including a vehicle mounted debris box with an entrance for air-carried debris and a clean air flow exit, the box having an internal division and including, in separate compartments, a bag house filtering unit and a cyclone filtering unit, the units being usable separately from one another.

Description

1 1 Mar. 11, 1975 Ruble et a1. Wendel United, States Patent Shaddock 55/314 X 55/302 55/315 55/432 X 55/337 X Shaddocli..................

Stephens.......,............ Kluge et Cornett.............................

ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures (FMHHHH I I i114,

Primary ExaminerTim R. Miles Assistant ExaminerNeil F. Greenblum Attorney, Agent, or Firm-1-1ill, Gross, Simpson, Van Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson A mobile debris collecting device including a vehicle mounted debris box with an entrance for air-carried debris and a clean air flow exit, the box having an internal division and including, in separate compartments, a bag house filtering unit and a cyclone filtering unit, the units being usable separately from one another.

[ AIR FILTER SYSTEMS FOR DEBRIS COLLECTING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Roland E. Shaddock, Streator, 111.

[73] Assignee: Myers-Sherman Company, Streator,

| l ih l l i l i lr ll 1h N J IHH il N H" H Int. B0ld 50/00 Oct. 13, 1972 References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3/1942 Tolman,

[22] Filed:

[2]] Appl. No.: 297,408

[58] Field of Search 1 FATENTEDHAM 119. 5

Szi-LET 2 U? 3 mm mm. mm 2 PATENIEB MRI 1 I975 SHEU 3 OF 3 AIR FILTER SYSTEMS FOR DEBRIS COLLECTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to debr is collecting apparatus and more particularly to an air-filter system having dual capabilities for such apparatus.

2. Prior Art Air-filtering systems used separating debris from an air-stream are well known. Two commonly used types are bag houses-and cyclones.

It has also been known to mount air-filtering systems on vehicles for mobile debris collection. Such mobile systems generally include a vehicle carrier equipped with a debris collecting box containing interiorly thereof the air-filtering system. The box generally has a separate inlet and a separate outlet, the inlet being connected to a collection hose and the outlet being connected to the primary air flow inducer such as a fan, compressor, or the like.

The air flow through such a system is from the collec tion hose to the interior of the debris box and then through the filter system to the outlet from the box to the primary air flow inducer.

The type of air filter system to be used is determined by the type of debris to be collected. For example where the debris to be collected consists ofa fine sized particle matter such as a dust, fly ash, rock dust, or talclike material, and particularly in those instances where the debris is dry, a bag house provides the best filtration. However where larger size particles or where wet material, such as leaves and the like material is to be collected, a cyclone type of filtering system is preferable. Heretofore, the art has provided only a single filtering system mounted on a single vehicle. This is not proved disadvantageous where the use of the vehicle is to be limited to a given type of debris collection. However where a general use vehicle is desired, it has generally been necessary either to use two separate vehicles equipped with differing filtering systems or to change the filtering system within the vehicle depending upon the nature of the debris to be collected by the apparatus. It would be an advance in the art to provide a single debris collecting apparatus equipped with both wet and dry filtering systems. it would be further an advance in the art if such an apparatus could be provided wherein the filtering systems can be used separately from one another.

SUMMARY My invention provides a single debris collecting apparatus, which may be, and in the preferred embodiment is, vehicle mounted and which includes both wet and dry air-filter systems usable separately from one another. This system includes a debris box which has disposed interiorly thereof both a cyclone air-filter system and a bag house air-filter system, the systems being positioned in separate internal compartments. Means are provided for using the filter systems independently of one another.

'In the preferred embodiment the debris collection box consists of a six sided rectangular, hollow box which has a transverse internal division wall therein. The internal division wall is preferably double hulled, with on hull extending from the top of the box and terminating in'spaced relation to the bottom of the box and the other hull extending from the bottom of the box and terminating in spaced relation of the top of the box. The wall is located closer to the front than to the rear of the box with the rearmost hull of the wall terminating in spaced relation to the top. A bag house assembly is positioned between the front wall of the box and the transverse wall. A cyclone filter system is positioned between the rear of the transverse wall and the rear of the box. The debris collection hose communicates with an inlet to the debris box which extends from the front of the box past the transverse wall into the rear compartment. The cyclone filter system has a closable opening thereto and the transverse wall has a closable opening between the top of the rearmost hull and the top of the box. Both the cyclone and the bag house filtering systems exhaust to a common outlet from the debris box. The common outlet is in turn connected to a primary air flow inducer.

in the preferred embodiment, positioned below the bag house are a pair of transverse angers adapted to move material filtered from the air stream by the bag house to the side of the forward compartment. The transverse augers terminate above the end of an angled elevating auger which moves the debris to the rear compartment through the transverse wall for storage therein. In this manner it is not necessary to empty the forward compartment containing the bag house when dumping the debris box. A closure plate is provided at the terminus of the angled auger.

Thus, when it is desired to use the cyclone system, the closure plate at the terminus of the angled auger is positioned to close off communication through the angled auger housing and the closure plate between the top of the debris box and the top of the rearmost hull of the transverse wall is positioned to block off communication between the front and rear compartments of the debris box. Further, the closure plate at the opening to the cyclone unit opened. Thus, the debris entering the debris box through the inlet flow with the. air stream to the rear compartment where the heavier particles will fall out. The air. stream and the remaining debris flow into the cyclone filtering unit where the debris are removed in a known manner from the air stream. The air stream then passes through a transverse duct to another duct which in turn communicates to the common outlet.

When it is desired to use the bag house, the closure plate at the entrance to the cyclone filtering system is closed and the closure plates at the terminus end of the angled auger end at the rearmost hull of the transverse wall are open. The air flow is then from the collection hose through the entrance duct to the rear compartment and then through the double hulled wall to the front compartment, then through the bag house to a duct connecting to the outlet.

The debris separated from the air stream by the bag house filter system fall to the bottom of the front compartment where they are moved by the transverse augers to the angled auger. The angled auger then moves the debris to the rear compartment for eventual dis posal.

Because of the provision of the dual air filtering systems in the single debris box, the versatility of the debris collecting apparatus is vastly increased. In addition, the provision of the separate internal compartments allows the use of one of the air filtering systems independently of the other.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved debris collecting apparatus.

It is another, and more specific object of this invention to provide a dual air filter system debris collecting apparatus.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a debris collection apparatus using a flowing air stream to collect debris and to direct the debris to the interior of a debris box, the debris box having an air filtering system therein to remove the debris from the air stream and the debris box being equipped with two separate air filtering systems.

It is yet another and more specific object of this invention to provide a debris collecting apparatus having a debris collecting box with two air filter systems disposed therein in separable compartments with one of the air filter systems being a cyclone filter system and the other being a bag house filtering system and means being provided to operate the systems independently of one another for the filtering of an air stream flowing through the said debris box.

It is yet another and most specific object of this invention to provide a mobile debris collection apparatus having a vehicle mounted debris box with an air flow induced therethrough, the air flow entering the debris box from a debris collection hose and passing through an internal air filter system whereby the air stream exits the box clean of the debris, the box containing two air filter systems in separable compartments, the air filter systems being usable one at a time, and the air filter systems being adopted to remove different types of debris from the air stream.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of a certain embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile debris collecting apparatus having a debris collection box equipped with the air filtering systems according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the debris collection box illustrating the placement of the internal components thereof by broken lines;

FIG. 3 is a side view partially in section of the debris collection box of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 on page 3 of the drawings, is a view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 illustrating the interior of the debris collection box;

FIG. 5 on page 2 of the drawings, is a part sectional view of the transverse wall of the debris collection box;

FIG. 6 on page 2 of the drawings, is a fragmentary sectional view of the debris box of this invention taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a mobile debris collecting apparatus 10, consisting of a vehicle 11, having a frame 12 on which is mounted a debris collection box 13, an auxiliary power source 14, a debris collection hose and a primary air flow inducer 16, which may be a fan or compressor, or the like.

In the preferred embodiment, the debris collection box 13 is hinged for dumping from the rear and the debris collection hose 15 connects with an inlet 18 to the box located at the front of the debris collection box, the connection being through a severable connection 19. The primary air flow inducer 16 connects with an outlet 20 from the debris collection box through a severable connection 21.

In operation, the auxiliary power source 14 operates the air fiow inducer 16 to induce a flow of air from the debris collection end 22 of the hose 15 through the inlet 18 to the debris box through an air filtering system positioned within the debris box. The air flow then exits the box through the outlet 20 into the air flow inducer 16. The air stream is then discharged to the atmosphere.

The debris box, best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, has its interior divided into forward 25 and rear 26 compartments. In the preferred embodiment, the debris box is constructed of outer 27 and inner 28 walls, separated by I-beams 29, the I-beams defining channels across the width of the debris box on the top and bottom thereof and, defining vertical channels at the front and rear and along the sides. The spaces 30, defined between the beams and the outer 27 and inner 28, walls can be used for air flow purposes as hereinafter described.

Positioned intermediate the front 31 and rear 32 walls of the debris box is a transverse dividing wall 33 which divides the debris box into the

compartments

25 and 26. In the preferred embodiment the wall 33 is positioned forward of the center line of the debris box. Wall 33 consists of a double hull wall having a rear wall or hull 34 and a front wall or hull 35 separated by spaced apart vertical beams 36. The rear wall 34 begins in contact with the inner bottom wall 28a of the floor of the debris box and extends upward, terminating at an end 38 in spaced relation to the inner wall 28 of the top of the debris box. The forward hull 35 of the wall 33 being in contact with the inner wall 28 of the top of the debris box and extends downwardly and terminates at a point 40 in spaced relation to the inner wall 28a of the bottom of the debris box. In this way communication is provided between the two compartments, the communication being the pathway between the points 38 and the inner wall 28 through the vertical channels defined between the beams 36 and from the channels to the forward compartment 25 and between the point 40 and the bottom inner wall 28a of the debris box.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the transverse wall 33 is pierced by a duct 42 which also pierces the front wall 31 of the box 13 and connects to the inlet opening 18. The duct 42 extends into the rear compartment at 26 and terminates in an open end 43. Positioned within the rear compartment, as best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, is a cyclone air filtering system 45. In the preferred embodiment two

cyclones

45a and 45b are provided. The cyclones are connected to a common inlet duct 46 which has a top opening 47 positioned to the side of the

cyclones

45a, 45b. The common air discharge 48 from both cyclones is vertical to a duct 49 open through the inner wall 28 to the space 30 between certain of the I- beams 29. The cyclones are preferably positioned adjacent one side 50 of the debris box and are supported atop a debris collection bin 51 interior of the debris box. An exterior hatch 52 can give access to the debris collection bin 51. Positioned on the opposite side of the debris box from the cyclones is an exhaust ducting 55 which is opened to the spaces 30 and which runs lengthwise of the debris box from a closed end adjacent the rearmost of the spaces 30 communicating to the outlets 48 from the cyclones, to the front 31 of the debris box where it connects with the duct to the primary air flow inducer 16. During normal operation of the

cyclones

45a, 45b, of the debris bin 51, the inlet is closed from communication with the interior of the debris box 13, except through the cyclones.

The inlet 47 to the cyclones is closable by a cover 57 attachable across the inlet end 47 of the inlet duct 46. When the cover 57 is positioned atop the

inlet

46, 47, the entirety of the cyclones and the debris bin 51 are closed from communication with the rear compart ment.

Located in the front compartment 25, is a bag house air filter assembly 60. The bag house assembly 60 is suspended from a horizontal wall 61 positioned between the transverse wall 33 and the front wall 31 of the debris box 13 in spaced relation to the inner wall 28 of the debris box 13. The horizontal wall 61 has a number of openings therethrough which communicate to the interiors of individual fabric or fabric-like bags 62 which depend from the wall 61 into the front compartment 25. The bags 62 may be received around wire screens 63 to retain them in place and the bottom ends 64 of the bags are closed. Therefore, all communication between the bottom portion 65 of the front compartment below the wall 61 and the top portion 66 above the wall 61, is blocked off, except through the fabric of the bags 62 to the interior thereof and thence through the openings in wall 61.

Portions 28b ofthe inner wall 28 of the top of the debris box 13 are left open to communicate the space 66 with the spaces between the l-beams 29 in the area of the portions 2812. These spaces 30 are in communication at one end with the ducting 55.

A high pressure air system is connected to tubing 67 which extends into the compartment 66 in a plurality of ranks over-lying the openings through the wall 61. Openings 68 in the tubing allow compressed air from the tubing 67 to be blasted into the bags 62 through the openings in the wall 61. Valving 68b is provided for each of the ranks of tubing 67 extending into the compartment 66. The valvings 68 actuate sequentially so that each one of the ranks is subjected to a high pressure air blast, in sequence. In this manner, during the operation of the bag house, when air is flowing through the bags 62, the sequential blasting of air back into the bags 62 will shake debris accumulating on the exterior of the bags from the bags in a known manner. The debris separated from the air stream falls to the bottom of the compartment 65 where two transverse augers 70 extend across the majority of the width of the debris box 13. The transverse augers 70 terminate over the end of a bin-like portion 72 extending below the debris box 13, which receives one end 73 of an angled elevating auger 74. The elevating auger 74 extends backwardly and upwardly through an opening 75 in the transverse wall 33. The other end 76 of the auger 74 is positioned in the rear compartment 26 adjacent the top thereof. The auger 74 is surrounded by a tube 77 and terminates in a closed box 78 having an opening 79 on its bottom side so that the debris moved from the binlike portion 72 of the front compartment through the tube 77 by the auger is free to drop through the opening 78 at the end 76 of the auger into the rear compartment. A closable door or plate 80 is provided for the opening 79 so that the enclosure 78 may be closed from communication to the rear compartment. By closing the door 80 the entire auger tube 77 is closed from communication to the rear compartment.

The opening through the interior of the double hull transverse wall between the points 38 of the top of the hull 34 and the inner wall 28 of the top of the debris box 13 is closable by two or more doors 82, as best illustrated in FIG. 5. The doors 82 may be attached to the inner wall 28 as by hinges 83 and may be main tainedin a closed position as by a bolt 84. The doors 82 may be rubber-backed as at 85 to maintain a tight seal when closed as may be the cover plate or door 80 of the elevating auger 74 and the cover 57 of the opening to the

cyclones

45a and 45b.

Operation of the device is as follows:

For collection of the debris where the cyclone air filters are the best method of filtration, the closure door 80 is applied to the opening 79 of the auger end housing 78 and the doors 82 are closed to block the opening between the point 38 of the hull 34 and the roof of the debris box 13. The closure plate 57 closing the opening to the cyclones is opened. Thereafter, with the compressed air system connected to the tubing 67 being inactive, the primary air flow inducer 16 is activated. This induces an air flow into, and through, the debris box 13 from the debris collection in end 22 of the hose 15 through the separable coupling to the inlet 18. The moving air stream, including the debris collected and to be filtered therefrom, enters the debris box 13 through the inlet duct 42 to the rear compartment 26. The majority of the debris will separate from the air stream in the rear compartment 26. The remainder of the debris in the air stream will flow through the open ing 47 to the cyclone where the remaining debris will be filtered from the moving air stream through the sep arating action of the cyclones in a known manner. Thereafter, the cleaned air stream passes through the outlet 48 from the cyclones to the duct 49, then through the openings 30 to the outlet duct 55 thence to the primary air flow inducer and the outlet 98 thereof. The debris separated by the cyclones falls to the debris bin 51.

When it is desired to operate the system to collect debris best filtered by a bag house, the operation of the system is as follows:

The closure plate 57 is applied to the inlet opening 46 to the cyclones and the closure plate 80 is removed from the auger end box 78. The doors 82 are opened allowing communication from the rear compartment to the front compartment through the doubled-hulled wall 33. Additionally, the transverse auger 70 and the angled elevating auger 74 are activated if desired. The compressed air source is coupled to the tubing 67 to activate the air bag cleaning system. Thereafter, the primary air flow inducer 16 is placed in operation to induce the airflow as follows: Air and debris enter the de- I bris collection hose 15 through the open end 22 and pass to the interior of the debris collection box through the opening 18 communicating to the inlet conduit 42. The air stream and debris are passed to the rear compartment 26 where a portion of the debris will be separated from the air stream falling to the interior of the rear compartment. The air stream then passes through the opening between the point 38 at the top of the hull 34 and the inner wall 28 of the top of the debris box 13. Thereafter, the air flows through the double-hulled wall 33 between the beams 36 to the bottom portion 65 of the front compartment 25. The air flow will then pass through the fabric bags 62 to the interior thereof then through the openings in the wall 61, then through the portions 28a, through the channels 30 and to the outlet duct 55 and the primary air flow inducer.

The fabric bags 62 will filter the debris remaining in A the air stream. The debris separated from the air stream by the bags will fall to the bottom of the forward compartment 25 where it is directed by angled walls 88 to the transverse augers 70. The transverse augers 70 will move the debris to the elevating auger 74 which in turn will move the debris to the rear compartment 26, where it can be removed from the debris box 13 by dumping. If desired, an access door 89, illustrated in FIG. 1, can be provided in the side of the debris box adjacent the ends of the transverse augers 70 to allow debris removal from the front compartment 25 at that point. Additionally, other access doors 90 can be provided to the interior compartments of the debris box 13 as desired.

It can, therefore, be seen from the above that my invention provides an air filter system for a debris collection apparatus where the air filter system consists of two separate air filter systems contained within a common debris collection box but positioned in separate compartments within the box. Air flow communication is provided between the compartments when desired and means are further provided closing off one or the other of the air filtering systems as desired to allow the operation of the air filtering systems independently and separately of one another. Additionally, I have provided for removal of debris from one compartment to the other so as to allow all debris to be dumped from the debris collection box from one compartment.

Although the teachings of my invention have herein been discussed with reference to specific theories and embodiments and although illustrative means for accomplishing explained results have been described, it is to be understood that these are by Way of illustration only and that others may wish to utilize my invention in different designs or applications.

I claim:

1. A mobile debris collection apparatus comprising:

a'vehicle having a frame;

a debris collection box mounted on said frame;

a debris-laden air inlet to said box;

a clean air outlet from said box;

means exterior to said box inducing an air flow from said inlet to said outlet; at least first and second separate and independent air filtrations systems positioned within said box, said air filtration systems being of different types;

means directing the air flow through said box from the inlet to the outlet through only one of said air filtration systems at a time the means directing being selectively actuatable to direct the flow through one of said first and second separate air filtration systems;

the said debris collection box is divided into compartments and one of the said air filtration systems is disposed in each of said compartments;

a cyclone air filtration system is received in one compartment and a bag house air filtration system is received in another compartment, the compartments being separated by a wall, means in the wall comprising a passageway from the one compartment to the another compartment, said passageway being closable to close off the compartment containing the bag house air filtration system from the compartment containing the cyclone air filtration system, the air flow through the box from the inlet to the outlet being only through the one compartment when the said passageways are closed; and

additional means are provided in said one compart ment to close an inlet to the cyclone filtration system whereby air flow through the said debris box from the inlet to the outlet is to the said one compartment thence through the passageways to the said another compartment when thesaid passageways are open and the said means closing the opening to the cyclone filtration system are closed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bag house air filtration system is suspended above the floor of the said another compartment and means are provided to accumulate debris removed from the air flow by the said bag house air filtration system adjacent to said floor and additional means are provided to continuously move the said debris collected adjacent the said floor from the said another compartment to the said one compartment remote from the bag house whereby the accumulated debris are removable from the area of the bag house.

3. A mobile debris collection apparatus comprising:

a vehicle having a frame;

a debris collection box mounted on said frame;

a vertical dividing wall mounted in said box and dividing it into first and second compartments;

a debris-laden air inlet to said first compartment;

21 first air filtration mounted in said first compartment and formed with a filter passage such that air can pass up through said first air filtration system from said first compartment;

an air outlet extending to the top of said first air filtration system;

means exterior to said box for inducing air flow from said air outlet;

a first closure means mounted on the top of said first filtration system to disconnect it from said air outlet;

a second separate and distinct air filtration system of a type different from said first air filtration system mounted in said second compartment and its outlet communicating with said air outlet;

a second closure means mounted in said vertical dividing wall such that when said second closure means is open and said first closure means is closed, the debris-laden air passes exclusively through said second air filtration system, and when said second closure means is closed and said first closure means is opened, the debris-laden air passes exclusively through said first air filtration system.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first air filtration system is a cyclone air filtration system and said second air filtration system is a bag house air filtration system.

Claims

1. A mobile debris collection apparatus comprising: a vehicle having a frame; a debris collection box mounted on said frame; a debris-laden air inlet to said box; a clean air outlet from said box; means exterior to said box inducing an air flow from said inlet to said outlet; at least first and second separate and independent air filtrations systems positioned within said box, said air filtration systems being of different types; means directing the air flow through said box from the inlet to the outlet through only one of said air filtration systems at a time the means directing being selectively actuatable to direct the flow through one of said first and second separate air filtration systems; the said debris collection box is divided into compartments and one of the said air filtration systems is disposed in each of said compartments; a cyclone air filtration system is received in one compartment and a bag house air filtration system is received in another compartment, the compartments being separated by a wall, means in the wall comprising a passageway from the one compartment to the another compartment, said passageway being closable to close off the compartment containing the bag house air filtration system from the compartment containing the cyclone air filtration system, the air flow through the box from the inlet to the outlet being only through the one compartment when the said passageways are closed; and additional means are provided in said one compartment to close an inlet to the cyclone filtration system whereby air flow through the said debris box from the inlet to the outlet is to the said one compartment thence through the passageways to the said another compartment when the said passageways are open and the said means closing the opening to the cyclone filtration system are closed.

3. A mobile debris collection apparatus comprising: a vehicle having a frame; a debris collection box mounted on said frame; a vertical dividing wall mounted in said box and dividing it into first and second compartments; a debris-laden air inlet to said first compartment; a first air filtration mounted in said first compartment and formed with a filter passage such that air can pass up through said first air filtration system from said first compartment; an air outlet extending to the top of said first air filtration system; means exterior to said box for inducing air flow from said air outlet; a first closure means mounted on the top of said first filtration system to disconnect it from said air outlet; a second separate and distinct air filtration system of a type different from said first air filtration system mounted in said second compartment and its outlet communicating with said air outlet; a second closure means mounted in said vertical dividing wall such that when said second closure means is open and said first closure means is closed, the debris-laden air passes exclusively through said second air filtration system, and when said second closure means is closed and said first closure means is opened, the debris-laden air passes exclusively through said first air filtration system.