Fluid contact panel
OwnerCharles M. Armstrong, Eddie D. Dukeinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Extended surface, fluid contact panels which include a plurality of tubular members in generally parallel relationship and spaced in a matrix of thin fins connecting the tubular members to create liquid-gas contact areas on the inside and outside surfaces of the tubular members and the fins. The tubular members and fin matrix are vertically oriented in staggered array with respect to the tower or structure in which the panels are used and in a preferred embodiment, the fins and tubes are tapered and shaped from a plastic material and selected ones of the fins are provided with projecting tabs and matching socket members for connecting the panels in end-to-end relationship and spaced rivet apertures are provided in the fins for accepting rivets to pin the panels in stacked configuration.
Claims11
Fluid contact panels comprising an array of hollow, generally tubular-shaped substantially uniformly tapered members of selected length;
- a plurality of tapered fins spacing said tubular-shaped members;
- top connecting means and bottom connecting means provided in spaced relationship in selected ones of said tapered fins and fastener means cooperating with said top connecting means and said bottom connecting means for joining selected ones of said panels to each other in stacked relationship;
- and end connecting means provided at each end of each of said panels for joining selected ones of said panels to each other in end-to-end relationship.
A fluid contact medium comprising a plurality of fluid contact panels arranged in stacked and end-to-end relationship, each of said contact panels comprising:
- (a) a plurality of hollow, substantially uniformly tapered tubes in spaced array;
- (b) a plurality of tapered fins connecting said tubes at substantially 90 degree spaced intervals and defining a matrix;
- (c) a plurality of feet extending from the bottom of said matrix in spaced relationship, a bottom access aperture in said matrix above each of said feet and a foot aperture in each of said feet and communicating with said bottom access aperture, respectively;
- (d) a plurality of recesses in the top of said matrix in spaced relationship, a top access aperture in said matrix beneath each of said recesses and a recess aperture communicating between each of said recesses and said top access aperture, respectively, said recesses and said feet provided in staggered relationship in each of said panels, whereby a first selected one of said panels and a second selected one of said panels can be stacked in staggered relationship with said feet in registration with said recesses, respectively;
- and
- (e) rivet means inserted in said top and bottom access aperture and in said foot aperture and said recess aperture, respectively, for joining said first and second selected one of said panels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.