Rotatable radiator assembly for a vehicle

A vehicle engine radiator assembly has a radiator having first and second opposed surfaces, an inlet conduit, and an outlet conduit. A fluid coupling is connected to each conduit and is of a construction sufficient for pivotal movement of the radiator for controllably directing either the first or second surface outwardly from the vehicle. Means is provided for permitting pivotal movement of the radiator and maintaining the radiator fixed to the vehicle at a preselected position. The radiator is pivoted for changing the direction of air flow therethrough for removing dirt and other materials from the radiator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
During operation of a vehicle engine radiator, air flow generally passes in 
a single direction through the radiator. Eddy currents within the radiator 
generally permit airborne foreign materials such as greases, dust, and 
dirt to be deposited on heat exchanger surfaces of the radiator. As these 
deposited materials increase, the cooling efficiency of the radiator 
decreases. As is known in the art, the radiators are generally of a 
construction which causes cleaning of the radiator to be difficult and 
undesirably time consuming. These undesirable events are particularly 
pronounced where the vehicle is a work vehicle which operates in extremely 
dusty conditions. 
This invention therefore resides in a radiator assembly which has a 
rotatable radiator which permits the direction of the passage of air 
therethrough to be reversed relative to the radiator and functions to 
remove accumulated foreign material from the radiator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 has an engine 11, and a radiator assembly 
12 having a radiator 13 for cooling fluids from the engine 11 by moving 
air through the radiator 13 by a fan 14. As is further known in the art, 
the radiator 13 has first and second opposed surfaces 15, 16, an inlet 
conduit 17 for receiving fluid from the engine 11 and passing fluid to the 
radiator 13, an outlet conduit 18 for returning fluid from the radiator 13 
to the engine, and a tortuous fluid pathway (not shown) for passing fluid 
from the inlet conduit 17 to the outlet conduit 18 while passing air by 
the fan 14 from one surface 15, through the radiator 13 and to the other 
surface 16 (FIG. 3). It should be understood that by use of the word 
radiator herein, it is intended to cover any type of heat exchanger. 
A first fluid coupling 20 is pivotally connected to the inlet conduit 17 
and is of a construction sufficient for passing fluid into the radiator 
13, as hereinafter more fully described, at a first position at which the 
first surface 15 of the radiator 13 is directed outwardly from the vehicle 
10 and at a second position, as shown in FIG. 2, at which the second 
surface 16 is directed outwardly from the vehicle 10. A second fluid 
coupling 21 is pivotally connected to the outlet conduit 18 and is of a 
construction sufficient for passing fluid from the outlet conduit 18 at 
said first and second positions. 
Referring to FIG. 2, first means 22 is provided for maintaining at least 
one of the fluid couplings 20 fixed to the vehicle 10 and permitting 
movement of the fluid couplings 20,21 toward and from the vehicle 10 for 
movement of the surfaces between the first and second positions. In the 
preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, a first means 22, 22' is associated with 
each fluid coupling 20,21. 
Means 22 can be of like or different structure than means 22'. Preferably, 
each are of common construction and the construction of only means 22 will 
be described for purposes of brevity. 
The first means 22 comprises an elongated element 23 having an axis "A", a 
first end portion 24 connected to the vehicle 10, and a second end portion 
25 having an opening extending therethrough for receiving the associated 
fluid coupling 20. The first means 22 and associated fluid coupling 20 can 
be a unitary element. The elongated element 23 can be of other 
construction and fixed to the vehicle by other means without departing 
from this invention. 
The first end portion 24 of the elongated element 23 has a slot 29 
preferably extending along the axis "A". Second means 30, such as bolts, 
extend through the slot 29 and are connectable to the vehicle 10 for 
movably connecting the first means 22 to the vehicle. The first means 22 
is movable from a first position, shown by solid lines, at which the 
radiator 13 can be rotated and a second position, shown by broken lines 
"B", at which the radiator 13 is closer to the vehicle and at a normal 
operation position. 
Referring to FIG. 3, each fluid coupling has a chamber 31, a fluid 
passageway 32 communicating with the chamber 31, and adjacent openings 
33,34 on opposed sides of the chamber 31. The openings 33,34 are of sizes 
sufficient for receiving a respective one of the inlet or outlet conduits 
17,18. 
Each inlet and outlet conduit 17,18 has at least one opening 35 through a 
sidewall thereof that is positioned at a location in communication with 
the chamber 31 of the respective fluid coupling 20 in the installed 
position therethrough. 
Means 36, such as O-ring seals 37,38 are provided for maintaining a fluid 
seal between the fluid coupling 20 and the associated respective conduit 
17. Here O-rings 37,38 are positioned in the annulus between the conduit 
17 and the fluid coupling 20 each on an opposed side of the chamber 31. 
In the operation of the apparatus, after sufficient dirt has accumulated on 
the radiator 13 to begin detrimentally affecting the efficiency of the 
radiator, the bolts 30 are loosened, element 23 is moved outwardly from 
the vehicle 10, the radiator 13 is rotated 180.degree. about the couplings 
20,21, and the element 23 and associated radiator is moved back to the 
original position "B". At this changed orientation of the radiator 13 
relative to the engine 11 and fan 14, air flow through the radiator is 
reversed relative to the original. The forces from the air passing through 
the radiator in a reverse direction function to displace dirt and other 
foreign material which have accumulated on radiator 13. 
Other aspects, objects, and advantages of this invention can be obtained 
from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.