Abstract: A fan advertising device has a portable barrel with a fan, a pivotable or tiltable stand and a modified exterior fan housing. Metal fittings on the inside of the barrel, near the output end of the fan, allow for connection of metal inserts for accessories. The sock is held in place by a shock cord that fits into a groove on the exterior of the fan housing near the output end. A circular opening is located below the groove but above the fan to allow various objects, such as ping pong balls, to be placed into the airstream inside the sock. Those objects act as noise makers, attracting attention to and adding to the visual effectiveness of the sock. A light may be attached to the grate on the inside of the fan allowing for illumination of the entire sock. Illuminating the sock is useful for increasing visibility during darker hours.

Abstract: A system and method for generating tornadoes and other vortex phenomen in an open air, free space enviroment is disclosed. The system includes a flat surface or deck suspended above the ground, a circular hole in the center of the deck, a means for creating an updraft through the hole in the deck and fans or other air moving means for creating a swirling air flow. Preferably, the fans for swirling the air are angled approximately 45 degrees relative to the vertical axis of the updraft flow through the center hole. For swirling the air at higher elevations, as well as at ground level, a multi level fan arrangement having the layers of fans spaced relative to the deck is used. Alternatively, a single level of fans are used in conjunction with louvers or vanes for deflecting the blown air into a fan shape. In another embodiment of the present invention, tangential flow is established by using a multiplicity of tubes for returning air flow from a plenum above an updraft fan.