Separate numbers from characters and text

I have a long column containing numbers, characters and text. I want to use and equation to extract the numbers to the left of the “ and place that information in the adjoining cell. Examples of cell contents are as follows:

40" 27.6# NEWS
37.5" 40# COATED
21.75" 30# NEWSPRINT
18" 30# NEWS
18" 30# NEWS
21.75" 30# NEWS
21.75" 30# NEWS



Cell content is in column “E”. Want the result to appear in column “F”.
In the first line of the example I need the 40 to appear in column “F”
In the third line of the example I need the 21.75 to appear in column “F”

Please, can anyone provide an equation to accomplish the task?

For example
=--LEFT(E2,search("""",E2)-1)
in F2 and copy down.

My pleasure. Please do not forget to mark this question Solved.