Abstract: An inlet air passage in the aerodynamically configured front end of a motor vehicle directs an inlet air stream at an inclination upwardly from the bottom of the front end of the vehicle and across a radiator for cooling engine coolant and wherein the radiator has coolant tubes and air centers for forming air flow passages through the radiator between spaced headers. The tubes are inclined with respect to the vertical headers at an angle selected to locate the air flow passages parallel to an inlet air stream for aligning the inlet air stream with the air flow passages for reducing air pressure drop across the radiator.

Abstract: A serpentine heat exchanger tube structure is formed with spaces between opposite runs of the tube structure that are smaller than the fins which must be inserted into the spaces. The tube structure is pressed onto a series of spreader blades at a fin inserting station to spread the runs of the tube structure, the fins are loaded into a series of compartments of a shuttle at a remote fin loading station, the shuttle is moved to the fin inserting station to position the compartments opposite the respective spaces of the tube structure on the side of the tube structure opposite the side from which the spreader blades entered, and a series of insertion blades are moved into the compartments to move the fins out of the compartments and into the tube spaces as the spreader blades are simultaneously withdrawn.

Abstract: A center machine for producing corrugated fins for heat exchangers has servomotor driven pullout rolls for stretching a compressed corrugated strip to desired fin density and normally driven in phase with corrugation forming rolls. A cutoff knife severs parts from the strip and a sensor measures the length of each part. A control determines part length error, calculates servomotor speed adjustment needed to nearly correct the error and causes such a speed adjustment for a short period to alter the phase of the pullout rolls relative to the forming rolls.

Abstract: The scroll compressor 10 includes a housing 12, a fixed scroll 18, an orbital scroll 24, an axial thrust and rotation prevention assembly 46, and an orbital scroll drive. The orbital scroll drive includes a crankshaft 74 rotatably journaled in the housing 12. The crankshaft includes an integral disk 76 and an eccentric crank pin 78 with a lubrication passage 96. An eccentric bushing 80 is journaled on the crank pin 78 and in a boss 82 on the orbital scroll by a needle bearing 81. An eccentric bushing retainer 102 has a shank portion 104 that is pressed into the lubrication passage 96 and an enlarged head portion 106 which holds the eccentric bushing 80 on the crank pin 78. If the eccentric bushing retainer 102 becomes partially unseated from the lubrication passage 96, the surface 114 on the enlarged head portion 106 will contact a surface 116 on the end plate 26 of the orbital scroll 24 and keep the eccentric bushing 80 properly positioned within the compressor housing 12.

Abstract: A receiver dehydrator for a refrigeration system for heating and cooling accommodates flow in either direction. It comprises a canister with openings near the top for coupling to refrigerant lines, and tubes inside the canister extending from the openings to tube mouths at the bottom of the canister for either intake or withdrawal of liquid. A baffle between the mouths allows liquid passage from either mouth to the other but inhibits flow of gas bubbles. The baffle has many perforations for liquid flow and an inclined vane outside each opening directs rising bubbles away from the perforations to encourage migration to the top of the canister. Alternate perforations have vanes on opposite sides of the baffle for gas-liquid separation in either flow direction. A desiccant bag between each tube mouth and the baffle further aids in such migration.

Abstract: Flat tubing is fed from a continuous supply into an embossing station and then into a cutting station and is briefly stopped periodically for an operation in each station. The embossing station has embossing dies for forming a transverse groove in the tube where a cut is desired and for reducing the tube perimeter dimension adjacent the cut to a required size. At the cutting station grippers engage the tubing on either side of the groove and bend the tubing to separate it at the groove.

Abstract: A wobble plate compressor includes a non-rotary socket plate mounted on a journal of a rotary drive plate. The drive plate includes a bushing and a needle-type thrust bearing to accommodate relative rotary movement between the plates. The socket plate and drive plate are retained together by an assembly including a square-edged annular channel formed in a recessed journal, a thrust washer for engaging the journal and the bushing and a dished retaining ring. The dished retaining ring also includes square edges mating with the adjacent sides of the channel. The retaining ring engages the thrust washer so as to provide a preload force to seat the washer on the journal and for biasing the socket plate against the thrust bearing. The retaining ring is characterized by a three degree dish angle when compressed between two flat parallel surfaces with an applied load of 30N.

Abstract: A convection braze furnace for brazing aluminum heat exchangers in an inert gas rich atmosphere includes entrance and exit vestibules forming atmosphere barriers of suspended stainless steel strips. The interior of the braze furnace is divided into multiple zones for progressively heating the heat exchangers to a brazing temperature and then cooling the heat exchangers in the final zone. An impeller circulates the heated intent gas atmosphere within each zone to accelerate heat transfer. A chain type conveyor supports the heat exchangers as they are moved through the braze furnace. An isolated return tube surrounds the lower return side of the conveyor chain as it passes through the braze furnace. The braze furnace housing is comprised of inner and outer shells having an inert gas pressurized interstitial cavity therebetween. The inner shell includes a plurality of expansion strips having generally ellipsoidal corner expansion joints.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a pair of tank units with parallel tube and air centers connected therebetween. The tank units are comprised of a separate tank member and header. The header includes apertures for receiving the tubes, and side cavities. The cavities extend the length of the tank unit and include a base with apertures spaced therein and a side wall with receptacles formed therein. The tank member includes flanges to be received within the cavities. The flanges include a projection for mating with the receptacle and a snap tab received within the aperture to provide a snap-on connection between the tank member and the header. An adhesive is provided within the base to seal, reinforce and prevent corrosion in the tank and header joint.

Abstract: A combination radiator and condenser apparatus has a pair of tank and header assemblies adapted to be connected in both a coolant system for liquid cooled engine and a refrigerant system of an automobile air conditioning system. The assemblies each include a tank with two compartments separated by an internal partition which extends the full height of the tank. Each tank includes a slotted header for receiving the ends of a plurality of unitary extruded fluid flow tubes extending between each extruded tank and each of the unitary extruded fluid flow tubes have first and second passages therein connected respectively to the coolant chamber and the high pressure refrigerant chamber of each tank. Each tank includes a unitary tank extrusion and separate header assembly connected thereto. The tank extrusion includes a pair of side walls with the partition therebetween.

Abstract: A machine for making corrugated fins or air centers for heat exchangers from strip stock has forming rolls, packing rolls, metering rolls and two pairs of pullout rolls, each pair having a different number of teeth to produce a different pitch of convolutions. The pairs of pullout rolls are mounted for movement apart or together under control of a cam mechanism so that one pair yielding the desired pitch can engage the centers to set the pitch while the other pair is moved apart to disengage the centers.

Abstract: An automotive radiator has a tank containing a transmission oil cooler which has a double walled tubular configuration for heat transfer from oil circulating between the walls to the engine coolant through its outer wall and its inner wall. Engine coolant flows from radiator heat exchange tubes into the tank and around and through the cooler to a discharge port. To optimize the efficiency of the cooler, a baffle is inserted in the tank to direct most of the coolant flow in the tank through the oil cooler for heat transfer from the inner wall.

Abstract: A refrigerant compressor is disclosed having pistons that reciprocate in radially arrayed cylinder bores of a cylinder block. A discharge chamber is formed in the compressor. A valving means including a timing plate is positioned within the discharge chamber, and alternately covers and uncovers the compressor outlet port. The timing plate includes spaced variable flow orifices to thereby attenuate the pressure pulsations that occur during the operating cycle. The timing plate is a circular disc rotatably connected to the end of the compressor drive shaft. Each flow orifice is pear-shaped and positioned with a constant radial and circumferential spacing for synchronization with the cylinders.

Abstract: A combination radiator and condenser apparatus has a pair of extruded tank and header assemblies adapted to be connected in both a coolant systsem for liquid cooled engine and a refrigerant system of an automobile air conditioning system. The assemblies each include an extruded tank with two compartments separated by an internal partition which extends the full height of the tank and each extruded tank further includes a slotted wall for receiving the ends of a plurality of unitary extruded fluid flow tubes extending between each extruded tank. Each of the unitary extruded fluid flow tubes have first and second passages therein connected respectively to the coolant chamber and the high pressure refrigerant chamber of each of the extruded tanks. The extruded tubes of the coolant passage and the refrigerant passage are separated by a connecting member for preventing the heat conduction from the coolant to the refrigerant. The connecting member may be a thin web or two web connection forming an air space.

Abstract: A heat exchanger apparatus includes first and second parallel tank units with a core of parallel tube passes and air centers extending therebetween for cooling the fluid in the tanks and flowing through the tube passes. The first tank unit includes an integral main tank and outlet tank. The main tank is connected to an inlet fitting for receiving refrigerant vapor and is in fluid communication with the tube passes. The outlet tank is parallel with the main tank and spaced from the tube passes and includes the outlet fitting for directing the high pressure refrigerant liquid to the evaporator of a refrigerant system in an automotive air conditioning system and an aperture between the main tank and outlet tank supplies refrigerant from the core to the outlet tank.

Abstract: A condenser having two piece die formed condenser tube parts that are joined along a beveled outer edge. The tube material is braze cladded on both sides for corrosion resistance and for high quality internal braze bonding of (1) longitudinal tube webs for optimizing burst strength, and (2) the tubes to associated air centers which are not cladded for an economical unit. The tubes can be readily made in a multiport or single port design by die forming the longitudinal webs in each tube part, and at discreet lengths along the tube length to provide a cut off area for sizing the tube and a smooth circumferential area where the tube parts with a beveled outer edge enter the header providing a close fit and high quality brazed joints. This tube design provides material and cost advantages over the conventional extruded tubes or roll formed condenser tubes and is readily fabricated using corrosion resistant alloys providing long service life.

Abstract: An attenuator for pressure and sound energy pulsations, such as are commonly produced in refrigerant gas discharged from a piston-type refrigerant compressor, is provided. The attenuator includes an annular elastomeric body supported by a rigid tubular housing. The body forms a cavity filled with a damping fluid and annular dividers define multiple chambers that are concentrically disposed about a central refrigerant gas flow passage. Damping tracks are provided in the dividers to allow fluid flow between the chambers. As refrigerant gas flows through the passage, the pressure/sound pulsations are flattened and smoothed. The resilient walls of the body are designed to bulge inwardly for a maximum 50% restriction. Gas flow orifices of the dividers have substantially the same cross-sectional area as the refrigerant line.

Abstract: A radial compressor for a vehicle air conditioning system includes a cylinder block having an array of radially arranged cylinders. Each cylinder defines a piston receiving bore that is closed by a discharge valve assembly. A piston assembly is received for reciprocation in each bore by a drive assembly that is operatively connected to the engine of the vehicle. The compressor also includes an annular discharge chamber defined between the periphery of the cylinder block and an outer cylindrical shell. Dams extend into the discharge chamber adjacent the side of the bores closest to a single discharge port; that is downstream of the bores. The dams act as baffles to reflect incident pressure waves to reduce gas pulsations, vibrations and noise.

Abstract: A radial refrigerant compressor assembly for use in automotive refrigerant systems and capable of being cycled between on and off conditions having a fluid passageway extending between the bottom portion of the discharge chamber which operates at discharge pressure and the suction chamber which operates at a reduced suction pressure. A valve is disposed within the fluid passageway and regulates the flow of lubricant between the discharge and suction chambers under the force of the pressure differential existing between these chambers just after the compressor is cycled on and just after the compressor is cycled off.

Abstract: A liquid accumulator for a motor vehicle air conditioning system having a liquid separator and return pipe having an inlet end formed with a flared or trumpet shape that forms a baffle to prevent liquid entry into the return pipe.