Patent ID: 8262370

Claim:
A blower assembly comprising: an engine and a fan, said fan comprising a fan housing enclosing a fan wheel and a fan inlet; a casing enclosing said engine and said fan therein, said casing being provided with an air inlet; an air path defined from the air inlet to the fan inlet; wherein air is pulled through said air path from said air inlet into said fan inlet by the fan wheel; wherein said air path is defined such that the air pulled by the fan wheel passes and cools the engine on its way into the fan inlet; a main discharge outlet leading from the fan housing in the form of an outlet pipe, said outlet pipe leading to a blower tube; an alternate discharge opening provided in the fan housing proximate to the fan wheel; wherein said alternate discharge opening is located such that air is still pulled from the air inlet of the casing into the fan inlet, thereby passing and cooling the engine, and discharged therethough if said main discharge outlet, or the blower tube, is blocked; wherein the alternate discharge opening in the fan housing is disposed proximate to an exit opening in the casing so that air from the alternate discharge opening is allowed to exit the casing.