Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: A method including bending an elongate portion of a flat strip of metallic material into a ring about an axis extending parallel to a thickness of the elongate portion of the strip of metallic material. The method includes fixing end portions of the ring together to form a flat ring, the flat ring having opposite flat side surfaces, a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface, a pair of radially inner edges, and a pair of radially outer edges, wherein the pair of radially inner edges connect the radially inner surface and the opposite flat side surfaces and the pair of radially outer edges connect the radially outer surface and the opposite flat side surfaces. The method includes connecting a plurality of curved blades to the flat ring and connecting a hub support to the curved blades at a position spaced from the flat ring along the curved blades.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that includes a plurality of elongated metallic fan blades, a first metallic end ring, a second metallic end ring, and a metallic hub support connected to the fan blades intermediate the first and second end rings. The fan blades include straight inlet edges radially inward from first and second radially inner edges of the first and second metallic end rings so that inlet portions of the blades extend radially inward from the first and second metallic end rings. In another aspect, a fan assembly is provided that includes a hub support having a hub strip and a hub ring. The hub strip has an elongate configuration with an attachment portion connected to the hub ring at one end of the hub strip and another attachment portion connected to the hub ring at an opposite end of the hub strip.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: In one aspect, a manufacturing system is provided having lobe clamps configured to secure lobes of a spider, drive assemblies configured to pivot the lobe clamps, sensors for detecting the position of the lobe clamps, and a control system operably coupled to the drive assemblies and configured to cause the drive assemblies to pivot the lobe clamps and impart a twist to lobes of the spider. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes twisting lobes of a spider in a first direction toward initial target positions using a machine, permitting the lobes to twist in a second direction toward free state positions, and twisting one or more of the lobes using the machine in response to the one or more lobes having free state positions different than final target positions of the lobes.

Abstract: In one aspect, a manufacturing system is provided having lobe clamps configured to secure lobes of a spider, drive assemblies configured to pivot the lobe clamps, sensors for detecting the position of the lobe clamps, and a control system operably coupled to the drive assemblies and configured to cause the drive assemblies to pivot the lobe clamps and impart a twist to lobes of the spider. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes twisting lobes of a spider in a first direction toward initial target positions using a machine, permitting the lobes to twist in a second direction toward free state positions, and twisting one or more of the lobes using the machine in response to the one or more lobes having free state positions different than final target positions of the lobes.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: In one aspect, a manufacturing system is provided having lobe clamps configured to secure lobes of a spider, drive assemblies configured to pivot the lobe clamps, sensors for detecting the position of the lobe clamps, and a control system operably coupled to the drive assemblies and configured to cause the drive assemblies to pivot the lobe clamps and impart a twist to lobes of the spider. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes twisting lobes of a spider in a first direction toward initial target positions using a machine, permitting the lobes to twist in a second direction toward free state positions, and twisting one or more of the lobes using the machine in response to the one or more lobes having free state positions different than final target positions of the lobes.

Abstract: In one aspect, a fan assembly is provided that can be manufactured while producing a significantly reduced amount of scrap material. More specifically, the fan assembly utilizes a hub ring and one or more hub strips to support a plurality of blades rather than a solid center disc or end disc used by some prior approaches. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes bending a member into an annular configuration and joining end portions of the member together to rigidly fix the member in the annular configuration. The rigid annular member may be used as an end ring, a hub ring, an orifice, or other component, while producing significantly less scrap material than traditional approaches.

Abstract: The present invention employs improved fan blade shapes to improve fan blade performance in one or more manners (i.e., increased fan efficiency, lower fan noise, greater fluid moving capability, and the like). In some embodiments, the fan blade has a front side, a rear side, an inner attachment portion, an outer edge, a curved leading edge and a curved trailing edge. The outer edge can define an arc between a forward position and a rearward position of the fan blade. In some embodiments, the leading edge extends outward and intercepts the arc of the outer edge at the forward position, and the trailing edge extends outward to the rearward position. Various angles, lengths, and other dimensions of the blade can have selected values to produce superior fan performance.

Abstract: The present invention employs improved fan blade shapes to improve fan blade performance in one or more manners (i.e., increased fan efficiency, lower fan noise, greater fluid moving capability, and the like). In some embodiments, the fan blade has a front side, a rear side, an inner attachment portion, an outer edge, a curved leading edge and a curved trailing edge. The outer edge can define an arc between a forward position and a rearward position of the fan blade. In some embodiments, the leading edge extends outward and intercepts the arc of the outer edge at the forward position, and the trailing edge extends outward to the rearward position. Various angles, lengths, and other dimensions of the blade can have selected values to produce superior fan performance.