Patent ID: 7350364

Claim:
An evaporative cooling system for poultry houses and the like, comprising: a reservoir disposed adjacent to an open portion of an associated poultry house, and configured to communicate with a source of cooling water, and flow cooling water through at least a portion of said system; at least one evaporative pad configured to flow cooling water generally vertically therethrough and ambient air generally horizontally therethrough; said pad having a lower end thereof disposed directly above said reservoir to drain cooling water from said lower end of said pad into said reservoir, and an upper end thereof configured to receive cooling water thereon; a fan disposed on one side of said pad and adapted to flow ambient air through said pad in a generally horizontal direction to evaporate a portion of the cooling water flowing generally vertically through said pad, and thereby lower the temperature of the ambient air, and subsequently flow the cooled ambient air into an interior portion of the poultry house; and a header disposed above and along said upper end of said pad, and including a water distribution conduit configured to flow cooling water longitudinally therethrough, and including a plurality of orifices positioned along the length of said conduit and shaped to emit streams of water cooling therefrom in a generally outwardly direction; and a deflector extending generally above and outwardly of said conduit, and having a generally hood-shaped, predetermined configuration which deflects the streams of cooling water emitted from said orifices, and disburses the same in a predetermined pattern onto and across said upper end of said pad; said deflector having a flexible portion which permits said predetermined configuration of said deflector and said predetermined spray pattern to be varied to accommodate different configurations of said pad.