US3667371A

US3667371A - Stove ventilating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3667371A
Application number: US23538A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth S Russell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-03-30
Filing date: 1970-03-30
Publication date: 1972-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-06

Abstract

Ventilating apparatus for cooking stoves and other appliances using hot oils and fats and including a duct having an entrance through which grease-laden air enters the duct. A cartridge positioned within the duct is reversible between two operative positions. This cartridge has a passage therethrough in which baffle means is located for causing grease to be deposited in the cartridge, the baffle means being such that it works effectively regardless of which of the two operative positions the cartridge is in. A spray is located above the cartridge to wash the grease off the baffle means and into a trough located beneath the cartridge.

Description

United States Patent Russell June 6, 1972 [54] STOVE VENTILATING APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Edward J. Michael [72] Inventor: Kenneth S. Russell, 3928 Marine Drive,

West Vancouver, British Columbia, Attorney Fetherstonhaugh & Canada [57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: 1970 Ventilating apparatus for cooking stoves and other appliances [2 1] Appl. No.: 23,538 using hot oils and fats and including a duct having an entrance through which grease-laden air enters the duct. A cartridge positioned within the duct is reversible between two operative C(iI. ..98/1 15 K positiom This cartridge has a Passage themhmugh in which "T baffle means is located for causing grease to be deposited in [58] Field of Search ..98/ I 15, 1 l5 K the cartridge, the baffle means being such that it works effeo tively regardless of which of the two operative positions the [56] Reterences Cned cartridge is in. A spray is located above the cartridge to wash UMTED STATES pATENTS the grease off the baffle means and into a trough located beneath the cartridge. 3,433,146 3/1969 Russell ..98/1 15 K 2,259,626 10/1941 Erikson ..98/1 15 SB 1 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBJUH 6 m 3,667, 371

SHEET '1 UF 2 mvem-on KENNETH S. RUSSELL ATTORN Y5 PATENTEDJun 6 m2 SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOP KENNETH s RUSSELL STOVE VENTILATING APPARATUS This invention relates to ventilating apparatus for stoves and the like for extracting grease from air that is being removed from around the stoves through the apparatus.

Apparatus is in use for ventilating areas having grease-laden therein. These remove a large percentage of the grease from the air, but they have to be washed down frequently to get the removed grease out of them. Apparatus of this nature is used in restaurants and similar places where a great deal of cooking takes place. There is a tendency for the apparatus to become coated with grease. The apparatus includes spray means which is operable to direct wash water therethrough. When the wash action is started after the business closing hour, the apparatus is washed down but becauseof the necessary bafile arrangement, it is difficult to clean the underside of the apparatus, hence over a period of time, there would be an unsightly buildup unless it is wiped or washed by hand.

The present invention solves or reduces this problem by providing a cartridge in the ventilating duct which can be quickly and easily reversed between two operative positions to permit washing of the previously inaccessible surfaces. The cartridge has a passage extending therethrough which communicates at opposite ends with the duct, and in this passage are baffle means arranged to change the direction of flow of the air to cause grease therein to be deposited in the cartridge regardless of which end of the passage the air enters to travel through the cartridge. The baffle means in effect form a plurality of zigzag passages through the cartridge, and some grease accumulates in the lower or underside passages, which is difficult for the spray wash to remove. When this starts to take place, the cange can be quickly turned over so that the accumulation of grease can be washed away. This eliminates hand wiping or washing operations to clean off the accumulated grease.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. I is a perspective view of stove ventilating apparatus in accordance with the present invention,

' FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through this apparatus,

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the reversible cartridge.

Referring to the drawings, is stove ventilating apparatus according to the present invention mounted in operative position above a stove l 1. Although the apparatus may be used in association with any cooking appliance, stove l1 isan example of such an appliance, and it includes a frying plate 12 and a deep fry well 13. Apparatus 10 is mounted above and at the back of stove l l, and has a shelf or hood l5 placed above and extending outwardly over the work surface of the stove.

Apparatus 10 consists of a casing which is substantially the same width as stove 11. This casing includes a lower section 22, an intermediate section 23, and an upper section or plenum chamber 25. These sections open into each other to form a duct 27 extending from the bottom to the top of casing 20. Upper section has a top 29 which may be unbroken, or it may include

removable covers

30 and 31 therein. A discharge duct 34 extends upwardly from cover 29, and is connected to a ventilating pipe, not shown, which usually extends to the atmosphere outside the building in which the apparatus is located. Duct 27 and discharge duct 34 actually form a ventilating duct extending from just above stove 1 l to the outside atmosphere.

Lower section 23 of casing 20 is formed with a slot or entrance 36 extending the width of the casing and opening into duct 27, this entrance being located immediately below shelf or hood 15. A trough 38 is formed at the bottom of casing section 22 below entrance 36, said trough being as wide from front to back as the portion of duct 27 within intermediate section 23 of the casing. Trough 38 slopes laterally to an outlet 39 from which a drain pipe 40 extends. This pipe is connected to a suitable drain, not shown.

A suitable damper, controls therefor, and fire-prevention controls are usually provided in the upper section 25 of casing 20, but as these do not form part of the present invention, they are not illustrated or described herein.

It is desirable to provide spray means in duct 27 for cleaning purposes and for preventing fire from starting in the duct or for putting out any fire that might get started therein. For this purpose, a spray tube 44 extends across the duct in upper section 25 above intermediate section 23. This tube extends completely across the apparatus and is preferably removably mounted therein. The tube is connected to a fluid source, preferably a water source, not shown, when the apparatus is in use. The tube may have a plurality of perforations therein for directing fluid into the main duct,but it is preferable to provide a plurality of nozzles 45 so that the liquid is sprayed throughout the duct. These nozzles are directed generally downwardly so that they direct water against the side walls of upper section 25, intermediate section 23 and through this section. The water washes grease off the surfaces with which it comes into contact, and dirty water flows into trough 38 and thence out of the apparatus through drain pipe 40.

A reversible baffle cartridge 50 is removably mounted in duct 27 in intermediate. section 23 thereof. This cartridge has

end walls

52 and 53,

side walls

55 and 56 and substantially parallel

main walls

58 and 59.

Walls

58 and 59 are fonned with large aligned

openings

61 and 62 therein, said openings extending the width of the cartridge which, in turn, extends the width of duct 27. Cartridge 50 is hollow so that it forms a passage 64 between

openings

61 and 62 and opening into duct 27 above and below the cartridge.

A plurality of laterally spaced, generally vertical zigzag baf: fies 67 are mounted in passage 64 of cartridge 50, dividing the latter into a plurality of zigzag channels 69. The zigzags of baffles 67 are of such magnitude that portions of each baffle overlap portions of each adjacent baffle so that no air cantravel straight through cartridge passage 64. For example, the portion 71 of one of the baffles overlaps the portion 72 of the adjacent baffle, see FIG. 2. As a result of this'arrangement, air traveling through any of the channels 69 in the cartridge cannot flow straight through from opening 62 to opening 61 of the cartridge and must make at least one right-angle turn in each channel. In the illustrated example, the air must make two substantially right-angle turns in opposite directions while traveling through any one of channels 69.

By referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that each channel 69 has opposite ends which coincide with the oppositeends of cartridge passage 64, and these ends .are positioned at

openings

61 and 62 in the

main walls

58 and 59 of the cartridge. It will be noted that the cartridge passage and the channels therein are identical as far as air moving therethrough is concerned when the cartridge rests in the operative position shown in FIG. 2, or when the cartridge is turned over and placed in the same operative position within duct 27. With the cartridge placed as shown, opening 62 forms the entrance end of the channels, while opening 61 forms the exit end of said channels, but when the cartridge is turned over, opening 61 forms the entrance end while opening 62 forms the exit end.

Cartridge S0 is positioned in duct 27 so that it operates effectively regardless of which way it is turned, and it is located relative to entrance 36 so that it can be quickly and easily removed from and placed into the duct through said entrance' Supports are provided in duct 27 for the cartridge. in the illustrated example, these comprise a horizontal bracket 76 mounted on the front wall of section 23 immediately above entrance 36, and a horizontal rib 77 formed in the rear wall of casing 20 below the level of bracket 76 and in line with entrance 36. Supporting means is providedon cartridge 50 to cooperate with these supports.

Projections

80 and 81 are formed on

opposite side walls

55 and 56 of the cartridge and preferably extend the length thereof, as shown in FIG. 5.

Projections

80 and 81 form

inter-mediate shoulders

83 and 84 projecting from the cartridge sides and spaced from

walls

58 and 59 thereof. Projection 80 extends from shoulder 83 towards main wall 58 and forms an outer shoulder 86 adjacent said wall. Similarly, projection 81 extends from intermediate shoulder 84 towards wall 59 and forms an-outer shoulder 87 adjacent said wall.

When cartridge 50 is positioned in duct 27 as shown in FIG. 2, intermediate shoulder 83 rests on bracket 76, while outer shoulder 87 rests on rib 77. This retains the lower portion of the cartridge in line with duct entrance 36, and opening 62 is the entrance for channels 69, while opening 61 is the exit for said channels. When the cartridge is turned over, intermediate shoulder 84 rests upon bracket 76 and outer shoulder 86 rests upon rib 77 so that the cartridge is operative exactly the same as when it was in the first position; In the latter case, opening 7 61 forms the entrance for the cartridge channels, while opening 62 fonns the exit thereof.

During operation of apparatus 10, grease-laden air from above stove 11 is directed by hood 15 through entrance 36 into duct 27. This air travels upwardly through channels 69 of cartridge 50 and out through discharge duct 34. As the air moves through the zigzag channels 69, the grease is deposited upon the surfaces of baffles 67. The spray equipment is operated periodically so that spray pipe 44 directs the cleaning fluid into and through passages 69 and over the surfaces of baffles 67. This washes the grease off of the exposed baffle surfaces. However, there is a tendency for the grease to remain on the baffles near the entrances of the zigzag channels because the wash cannot efi'ectively get at it. When this occurs, cartridge 50 can be turned over so that the grease will be exposed to the direct wash action. The fact that the cartridge is reversible eliminates the need for removal of the cartridge to thoroughly wash. As hot water is usually sprayed on the cartridge, this results in a larger percentage of the accumulated grease being removed than would be the case if it were still down in the entrance ends of the channels.

I claim:

l. Stove ventilating apparatus comprising a substantially vertical duct having an entrance in one side thereof and through which grease-laden air enters the duct in a substantially horizontal direction, a removable reversible cartridge positioned within the duct and having a plurality of laterally spaced zigzag baffles therein forming a plurality of generally vertical zigzag channels opening out at opposite ends from op posite substantially horizontal surfaces of the cartridge to communicate directly with the duct above and below the car tridge, said channels having lower portions inclined in a downward direction away from the entrance and upper portions inclined upwardly in the opposite direction to said lower portions when the cartridge is in operative position in the duct, said grease-laden air having to make a sharp turn back from its horizontal flow to enter said channels thereby causing a large portion of grease to separate from the air under centrifugal action before reaching the cartridge, projections formed on opposite side walls of the cartridge and extending longitudinally of said cartridge, said projections fonning outwardly projecting intermediate shoulders substantially midway between said horizontal surfaces, each of said projections extending from the intermediate shoulder formed thereby towards one of said horizontal surfaces, to form an outer shoulder adjacent said one horizontal surface, the outer shoulders of the opposite side walls being adjacent opposite horizontal surfaces of the cartridge, and a support on each of opposite walls of the duct, one of said supports being positioned immediately above the passage entrance and the other of said supports being below the level of said one support and across the duct from said entrance, said cartridge being positioned in the duct with one intermediate shoulder resting on the support above the duct entrance and the outer shoulder on the opposite side of the cartridge resting on the support across the duct from the entrance thereof, whereby the cartridge can be turned over and be properly positioned and operative in the duct but cannot be positioned other than with the lower portions of the channels inclined in the downward direction away from the duct entrance.

Claims

1. Stove ventilating apparatus comprising a substantially vertical duct having an entrance in one side thereof and through which grease-laden air enters the duct in a substantially horizontal direction, a removable reversible cartridge positioned within the duct and having a plurality of laterally spaced zigzag baffles therein forminG a plurality of generally vertical zigzag channels opening out at opposite ends from opposite substantially horizontal surfaces of the cartridge to communicate directly with the duct above and below the cartridge, said channels having lower portions inclined in a downward direction away from the entrance and upper portions inclined upwardly in the opposite direction to said lower portions when the cartridge is in operative position in the duct, said grease-laden air having to make a sharp turn back from its horizontal flow to enter said channels thereby causing a large portion of grease to separate from the air under centrifugal action before reaching the cartridge, projections formed on opposite side walls of the cartridge and extending longitudinally of said cartridge, said projections forming outwardly projecting intermediate shoulders substantially midway between said horizontal surfaces, each of said projections extending from the intermediate shoulder formed thereby towards one of said horizontal surfaces to form an outer shoulder adjacent said one horizontal surface, the outer shoulders of the opposite side walls being adjacent opposite horizontal surfaces of the cartridge, and a support on each of opposite walls of the duct, one of said supports being positioned immediately above the passage entrance and the other of said supports being below the level of said one support and across the duct from said entrance, said cartridge being positioned in the duct with one intermediate shoulder resting on the support above the duct entrance and the outer shoulder on the opposite side of the cartridge resting on the support across the duct from the entrance thereof, whereby the cartridge can be turned over and be properly positioned and operative in the duct but cannot be positioned other than with the lower portions of the channels inclined in the downward direction away from the duct entrance.