GB1597272A - Method of making a radiator - Google Patents

Description

(54) A METHOD OF MAKING A RADIATOR (71) We, FONDERIE F. LLI PERANI S.p.A., an Italian Body Corporate, of Brescia, Italy, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a method of making a radiator for use in rooms and houses in general by die-casting particularly of light alloys.

There are known the advantages of radiators obtained by die-casting which, with respect to conventional radiators (obtained by sand moulding or by pressing metal sheet), are easy to make and require a lesser amount of material to be used; thereby they are cheaper.

In comparison with these advantages there are some drawbacks mostly due to the need of particular moulds for making these radiators. Said moulds are limited in size by practical limitations of manufacture and handling and the size of radiator required for a particular application is often larger than the size limit of the mould. In particular some parts of the mould, such as cores forming vertical ducts or uprights of the radiator, have to be provided with crosssections of reduced size with respect to their length because these parts are subjected to stresses which increase when the length increases. This drawback is even more marked in the case of radiator fins located in parallel planes perpendicular to the axes of the collecting chambers, the pitch or spacing of said fins being very reduced.

Another drawback arises from the weakening of the core for each collecting chamber, since at least one chamber requires diametral openings for the cores forming the uprights or vertical ducts. Con sequently, even from this point of view, the sizing of the radiator depends, obviously, on the obtaining of strong structures for the cores of the mould.

The invention provides a method of making a radiator, the radiator comprising two header chambers and a duct interconnecting the header chambers to allow fluid to pass from one header chamber through the duct and to the other header chamber, the method comprising forming by die-casting a plurality of portions of the radiator, each portion providing a surface extending transversely of the length of the duct and for abutment with a surface of another portion so that the duct is exposed in cross section; arranging the portions so that the said surface of one portion abuts and said surface of another portion, and fixing the portions together about their abutting surfaces to provide a radiator.

The method may include forming two substantially identical halves of the radiator.

The method may also include forming three portions, two of which are substantially identical and are a part of the header chambers, the third portion providing the duct and the rest of the header chambers.

The invention also includes a radiator when made by a method according to the invention.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a partial elevational view of two radiators as connected to one another to form a battery; Figures 2 and 3 are partial cross-sectional views, on an enlarged scale, as taken along the lines II-II and III-III respectively of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial sectional elevation of one of the radiator ends, two of the three complementary elements being shown before being, connected together; Figure 5 is a horizontal partial section of the radiator of Figure 4; Figures 6 and 7 are illustrations of a radiator similar to that shown in Figures 4 and 5, in which the two complementary elements are identical.

Referring to Figures 1-3, the illustrated radiator comprises a plate A provided with one or more vertical ducts 10 which form the uprights of the radiator. These ducts, in cross-section are rectangular with semicircular ends the long axis of which lies in the middle vertical plane of the radiator, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 5, or a circular cross-section, as illustrated in Figure 7. The ends of the duct or ducts 10 lead to collecting chambers 12 provided at the upper and lower ends of the plate A. These chambers 12 have each end 14 suitably threaded in order to retain, in a known manner, a connecting member B, which successively mechanically and hydraulically connects to one another a different number of radiators thereby forming a battery of desired size.

The front and rear walls of the plate A are provided with fins 16, extending parallel to one another and vertically. The thickness and pitch of the fins 16 are very reduced compared with known radiators; practically the thickness may be reduced even to 1-2 mm, whereas the pitch is about 4-8 times the thickness, In this case the fins 16, while being very thin, do not bring about the drawbacks occurring in radiators having greatly spaced fins. In this case the longitudinal edges of the fins 16, owing to the small spacing, from practically continuous surfaces for the front and rear faces of the plate A.

The vertical ducts 10 are provided at diametrically opposing locations with ribs 18 which lie in the plane in which the axes of the collecting chambers 12 lie and which form, with corresponding ribs 18 of the adjoining vertical ducts, vertical slots 20 through which air may pass. The collecting chambers 12 are formed as two heads 22 of cylindrical shape delimitating the ends of the plate A and are provided at the pheriphery thereof with curved ribs 24 having their ends connected to the aforesaid vertical fins 16, thereby forming the substantially parallelepipied plate having its ends of half-round shape.

The ends of the threaded portions 14 of the collecting chambers 12 terminate with circular ridges 26 the height or thickness of which is substantially equal to the half-pitch of the fins 16 in order to provide a battery, as obtained by coupling radiators A, having a harmonious and aesthetically pleasant structure.

Each radiator A has a predetermined and modularly variable length: more specifically the module consists of an elemental radiator comprising only one duct 10 having a number of fins 16 and its ends connected to the collecting chambers 12. In the case illustrated in the Figures 1-4, the radiator battery comprises two or more modular radiators A of modules=1,3,5...thereby forming batteries having a desired surface.

The modular radiators A are in a side by side relationship and are connected mechanically and hydraulically to one another by the connecting members B. Practically, and with respect to the required equipment, the module may be unitary or double, triple or quintuple thereby, combining therebetween in a suitable manner two or more modular radiators, it is possible to provide batteries having the desired radiating surface, by using a reduced number of moulds which practically is not greater than three.

The production of the described radiators, as aforesaid, is advantageously by die-casting using for each radiator A one or two elemental moulds. With respect to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the illustrated radiator comprises three complementary portions, Al and two of A2 which once connected to one another form the considered modular radiator A. Each said portion is obtained by corresponding moulds of simple making not subjected to limitations as in the case of the making of known die cast radiators, especially with respect to the size for the press.This is due to the fact that the making and locating of the cross or core members within the cavities of the mould to form the vertical ducts 10 are carried out in such a way as to allow said cores to freely expand and hence they may be easily removed from the cast radiator, also due to the fact that said cores are firmly connected by one end thereof to the half-core delimitating the cavity 12a of one of the collecting chambers 12 of the considered radiator.

As the mould is closed, the free ends of the cores for the vertical ducts 10 engage seats or housings extending aligned with the pheriphery of the core delimitating the other of the two collecting chambers 12 of the radiator. On the contrary, as the mould is opened, said cores are unthreaded from the ducts 10 and collecting chamber 12 and the obtained radiator is easily removed from the mould. The mould for providing the complementary element A2 has the usual structure for the die casting operation and is provided with a coupling surface X-X butt engageable with the corresponding surface of the element Al, thereby allowing the two elements to be connected or coupled by welding, preferably resistance or flash electrical welding. The thus obtained radiator is then subjected to the conventional finishing operations, i.e. it is bored and threaded at the end portions of the collecting chambers 12, the stock formed at the welding or seal lines X-X being removed.

Thus it is possible to obtain radiators A the walls of which are of a constant and reduced thickness, the structure of said wall being homogeneous and devoid of blowholes; in other words it is possible to obtain metal walls having good thermal transmission characteristics. Moreover, the volume being equal, the obtained radiator has a high water volume and the water may circulate with little resistance.

On the other hand, and with respect to providing rational criteria about the thermal transmission between the radiator and the ambient air, it is possible to provide the radiator of the invention with thin, wide and reduced pitch fins 16 without being subjected to previous limitations such as those imposed by the making of a die-casting mould, in particular with respect to the shakeout of the radiator from said mould.

Moreover, as aforesaid, it is possible to bring nearer to one another the fins 16, in such a way as to, even if they are very thin, prevent persons from damaging them, due to the fact that said fins form, by their flanked edges, a practically continuous surface.

The variation of the radiator illustrated in the Figures 6 and 7, offers further advantages. More precisely, the radiator A comprises two elements A3 and A4 which are symmetrical about a plane including X-X and hence they may be obtained by a single mould. These elements are then coupled to one another by means of welding at the line X-X of Figure 6. In this variation the mould, and in particular the cores for the vertical ducts 10, present a length reduced by about a half of the height of the radiator. These cores wre fixed to an end mould plate forming the engaging surface X-X of the two elements A3 and A4. The connecting of said two elements is quickly and easily carried out owing to the symmetry of the two welding surfaces assuring, under all aspects, the smoothness and evenness of the welding and hence the connecting or jointing of the considered parts.

With reference to the considered embodiments and in order to obtain an accurate aligning of the openings of the vertical ducts 10 and those of the heads 22, locating and reference members are provided between said parts, consisting for example of pins or bushings forming raised edges to engage and align said openings as the several parts are connected to one another. In the case in which the connecting is by flash electrical welding, the aligning and locating of the parts to be welded are carried out by pins or bushings of an electrically insulating material, for self-evident reasons.

From the preceding description the possibility is confirmed of obtaining, by rational and practical criteria, radiators which are under all aspects satisfactory, in particular from the technical point of view, due to the fact that the thicknesses of the several parts of said radiators are reduced, thereby improving the thermal efficiency thereof with consequent economical advantages.

Havmg regard to the provisions of Section 9 of the Patents Act, 1949, attention is directed to the claims of cop enduing application No. 10497/78. (Serial No, 1597271).

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of making a radiator, the radiator comprising two header chambers and a duct interconnecting the header chambers to allow fluid to pass from one header chamber through the duct and to the other header chamber, the method comprising forming by die-casting a plurality of portions of the radiator, each portion providing a surface extending transversely of the length of the duct and for abutment with a surface of another portion so that the duct is exposed in cross section; arranging the portions so that the said surface of one portion abuts the said surface of another portion, and fixing the portions together about their abutting surfaces to provide a radiator.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including forming two substantially identical halves of the radiator.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, including forming three portions, two of which are substantially identical and are a part of the header chambers, the third portion providing the duct and the rest of the header chambers.

4. A method of making substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

5. A radiator made by a method as claimed in any one preceding claim.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. lines X-X being removed. Thus it is possible to obtain radiators A the walls of which are of a constant and reduced thickness, the structure of said wall being homogeneous and devoid of blowholes; in other words it is possible to obtain metal walls having good thermal transmission characteristics. Moreover, the volume being equal, the obtained radiator has a high water volume and the water may circulate with little resistance. On the other hand, and with respect to providing rational criteria about the thermal transmission between the radiator and the ambient air, it is possible to provide the radiator of the invention with thin, wide and reduced pitch fins 16 without being subjected to previous limitations such as those imposed by the making of a die-casting mould, in particular with respect to the shakeout of the radiator from said mould. Moreover, as aforesaid, it is possible to bring nearer to one another the fins 16, in such a way as to, even if they are very thin, prevent persons from damaging them, due to the fact that said fins form, by their flanked edges, a practically continuous surface. The variation of the radiator illustrated in the Figures 6 and 7, offers further advantages. More precisely, the radiator A comprises two elements A3 and A4 which are symmetrical about a plane including X-X and hence they may be obtained by a single mould. These elements are then coupled to one another by means of welding at the line X-X of Figure 6. In this variation the mould, and in particular the cores for the vertical ducts 10, present a length reduced by about a half of the height of the radiator. These cores wre fixed to an end mould plate forming the engaging surface X-X of the two elements A3 and A4. The connecting of said two elements is quickly and easily carried out owing to the symmetry of the two welding surfaces assuring, under all aspects, the smoothness and evenness of the welding and hence the connecting or jointing of the considered parts. With reference to the considered embodiments and in order to obtain an accurate aligning of the openings of the vertical ducts 10 and those of the heads 22, locating and reference members are provided between said parts, consisting for example of pins or bushings forming raised edges to engage and align said openings as the several parts are connected to one another. In the case in which the connecting is by flash electrical welding, the aligning and locating of the parts to be welded are carried out by pins or bushings of an electrically insulating material, for self-evident reasons. From the preceding description the possibility is confirmed of obtaining, by rational and practical criteria, radiators which are under all aspects satisfactory, in particular from the technical point of view, due to the fact that the thicknesses of the several parts of said radiators are reduced, thereby improving the thermal efficiency thereof with consequent economical advantages. Havmg regard to the provisions of Section 9 of the Patents Act, 1949, attention is directed to the claims of cop enduing application No. 10497/78. (Serial No, 1597271). WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A method of making a radiator, the radiator comprising two header chambers and a duct interconnecting the header chambers to allow fluid to pass from one header chamber through the duct and to the other header chamber, the method comprising forming by die-casting a plurality of portions of the radiator, each portion providing a surface extending transversely of the length of the duct and for abutment with a surface of another portion so that the duct is exposed in cross section; arranging the portions so that the said surface of one portion abuts the said surface of another portion, and fixing the portions together about their abutting surfaces to provide a radiator.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including forming two substantially identical halves of the radiator.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, including forming three portions, two of which are substantially identical and are a part of the header chambers, the third portion providing the duct and the rest of the header chambers.

4. A method of making substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

5. A radiator made by a method as claimed in any one preceding claim.