Patent ID: 6878189

Claim:
An air precleaner for separating heavier-than-air particulate debris from debris laden air to provide a clean air flow, the precleaner comprising: a flow path extending through the precleaner from an inlet to an outlet; airflow management structure positioned to direct debris laden air drawn into the precleaner inlet into a vortex flow in the flow path in response to the application of a vacuum to the outlet which is communicated through the flow path to the inlet; a first stage precleaner in the flow path to centrifugally separate and remove particles of debris from the vortex flow and the flow path, the first stage precleaner including a particle accelerator rotatably mounted in the first stage precleaner and rotatably driven by the vortex flow in the flow path to increase the rotational velocity of the vortex flow and encourage removal of debris therefrom; and a second stage precleaner in the flow path downstream from the first stage precleaner to receive the vortex flow from the first stage precleaner and to centrifugally separate and remove from the vortex flow and the flow path particles of debris remaining in the vortex flow.