Combined rotating bed scrubber and water eliminator

• US 4,266,829 A
• Filed: 10/16/1979
• Issued: 05/12/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
• Original Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
• Inventors: Divers, Edward F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nozick, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US06/085,451
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 55/91, 55/90, 55/92, 55/96, 55/97, 55/233, 55/259, 55/306, 55/400-409, 55/467, 55/522, 55/524, 55/527, 55/528, 55/DIG. 25, 299/12, 299/64
• US Class Current: 299/64
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 5/20 Drawing-off or depositing dust dust-removing while drilling E21B21/011; while slitting E21C35/22

Abstract

A device used as a combined scrubber and water droplet eliminator which may be employed in removing particulate from air, especially in conjunction with an underground mining machine. The scrubber is made of a fibrous bed material and is rotatable by a motor forming part of a bed assembly. Adjacent to the rotatable bed are water sprays directed to spray towards and on the bed as it rotates. A suitable air movement device, such as a fan, draws dust-laden and water drop-laden air to the rotating bed. The air goes through the bed and the dust and water particles impact the bed'"'"'s rotating wetted fibers and are forced radially directly outward. The bed'"'"'s rotation takes place against the inlet portion of a stationary bell mouth assembly. An air seal caused by the air pressure differential seals the rotating bed to the inside surface of the assembly. The rotating bed causes particles and water to be moved towards the bed'"'"'s circumference where an open weave allows the particles and water to be dispersed in a continuous flushing action.

Claims

1. A combined air scrubber and water droplet eliminator assembly for removing dust particles from ambient air comprising:

a bed mount assembly having an opened housing with an entrance portion and an exit portion for allowing the air to enter and exit therethrough, the diameter of the entrance being larger than its exit;

a rotatable smooth surface fibrous bed made of uniform thickness and a layered mesh wire material, each wire being less than 0.01 of an inch in diameter and offset from the wire of adjacent lamina, said bed being mounted in the entrance portion of the housing and, when in an operative mode, bearing against the housing on all sides and so oriented as to receive a liquid spray and air from an air control means which forces ambient air into its smooth surface; and

a motor assembly for causing the bed to rotate in its mounted position at a speed of at least 1,000 revolutions per minute as air is forced towards it and liquid sprayed on it, the combined effect of the rotation and forced air causing an air seal to form totally around the edges of the bed causing it to bear against the entrance of the housing, whereby as the dust and water drop laden airstream flows into the bed dust particles above a predetermined size and moisture content are stopped by the bed and slung from its edge surface.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mesh wire is a polypropylene material and the bed is approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

3. The assembly of claim 1 also including in combination:

an underground mining machine having a material cutting head at its front end;

said air scrubber and water droplet eliminator assembly being mounted on said machine near its front end and rearward of its cutting head and adapted to receive airborne mining dust particles generated during the cutting operation.