US1051991A - Automatic cut-off for electric water-heaters. - Google Patents

Description

,R. G. & J. W. PINE. AUTOMATIC OUT-OFF FOR ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1912.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. C., R. C. & JfW. FINE.

AUTOMATIC OUT-OFF FOR ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

aftouuqg connected with the heater when said closure vRosooE C. FINE, and JACOB CHARLES C. FINE, ROSCOE G.

EINE, AND JACOB W.

FINE, or NANTICOKE,

PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF FOR ELECTRIC WATER-HEATERS.

' Application filed March 5,

To all whom it may cmwe'rnr I Be it known that we, CHARLES C. FINE, W. FINE, citizens residing at Nanticoke, in the county of Luzerne, State of Pennsyl-- Vania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Cut-Oil's for Electric Water-Heaters; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric water heaters and more especially to automatic cutoffs constructed and arranged to break the heating circuit when the water in the heater-has reached a predetermined temperature and the object of our invention is to improve the construction and increase the efiicieney of devices of the above described character.

A further object of our invention is to provide a cutoff which may be inclosed in the removable closure for the filling opening of the heater and which will be automatically of the United States,

is put in place.

Specification of Letters Patent.

With these and other objects in View, our invention will be more fully described,.illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show 'a preferred embodiment of our device and then specifically pointed out in the claims which. are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central section on an electric heater with our cutofi applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the cutoff upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line'H of Fig. 2 showing the manner of connection employed between the heating circuit and our device. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the clamping ring and its adjunct parts.

Referring nore specifically to the drawings, 'in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, 10 designates in general a well knownform of electric heater comprising a sheet metal base 11. and a tubular upright portion 12 which forms a casing within which is supported a vertical heating vessel 13 comprising a sheet metal tube closed at lower end Liquid is drawn ofl throu Patented Feb; 4,1913. 1912. Serial No. 681,798.

and extending upwardly into the lower end i of a tubular extension of the cast metal top piece 14, which constitutes in part a portion of the top wall of the casing and in part the top wall of the heating chamber vessel. The said top piece 1t also forms a support for the liquid reservoir 15 which is preferably madeof glass and which is provided at its top with a removable cap piece or closure 16 which normally closes the filling opening of the reservoir.

The upper margin of the upright casingmember 12 is seated within an annular groove formed in the bottom of the casing 14 and is clamped between the base and said top piece, and the base is attached to the latter by means of hollow rods or tubes 17 as shown inFig. 1. The reservoir is-held in place upon the casing by means of tubes 18 which extend between and are attached at their ends to the casing 14: and to a clamping ring 19 fitted to the upper open end of the reservoir, a seat for the cap 16 being formed in the upper face of said clamping ring.

The tubular heating Vessel 18 is surrounded by an electrical heating coil 20 which is connected with a supply circuit and switch -as will. be hereinafter described, said coil being preferably wound about a thin insulating layer of mica. 21 or the like, which immediately surrounds the heating vessel. The coil is also inclosed by a heat insulating sheet 22, of asbestos or the like, to protect the casing from the heat of the coil.

The liquid passes from the reservoir to the heating vessel through a pipe 23 which leads through an opening in the casing 14: and extends to the lower end of the vessel 13. gb a draw 01f pipe 24 having a faucet 25. The p wall or casting 14 is provided with an op ning through which the steam and heated w iter niaypass to the reservoir and this opening is preferably fitted with a hollow, perforated plug 26 by means of which the circulation of water between the vessel and the reservoir is limited.

The cap 16 is provided at its lower inner edge with an annular, inwardly directed flange or seat 2'l forined of a non-conductive material such as vulcanized rubber, an seated upon this flange in position to extend downwardly a slight distance within the vessel 28, preferabl metal and filled wi high coeflicient of ex A tubular extension municates with and .30 positioned within upwardly and central is a threaded stud 31 its length with an adj Guide rods 33 exte ametricall a cross b y formed of li h some liquid pansion such as alcohol. 29 of this vessel, comsupports a diaphragm p and extending In this diaphragm provided interm usting nut 32.

nd upwardly from disides of the seat 27 and ed centrally with a end with a boy slidably mount uides 33, said bore northe upper face of the 32 spaced a slight dis conductor wire 37 exalong the upper face of ends directed downforations formed in the 0 contact plates 38 which 11 similar contact plates pperface of the seat 27. t plates 39 are each conwires 40 which wires are y through bores formed secured by their free endsv which extend downwardly ace of the seat 27-and ter- 42. which are movable in d in the upper face of the 9 and which ring is also onductive material. -Each terminates at one end over cs 18 and said ends are propring clips 46 which eads of the pins 41, formnection therewith and at to lock the pin in 47 are connected by ps and are extended the tubes 17 and 18 to Suitably insues' 48 lead from the 'one of these wires 48 able form of switch 49 nnected to one of the ire 47 is connected to e heating coil 20 while a d by one end to the other nd by its other 49. It will thus be seen ended through e movable second switch cut as will be The top of ded with a ected to the ll incandessocket and ediate ar 34 1s pr bore 35 and at each means of which it is the stud 31 and the g mally resting upon seat 27 with the. nut tance below it. tends longitudinally the bar and has i wardly through per bar and connected t normally bear upo 39 carried by the u These latter contac nected to conductor passed down wardl in the seat and are to metal pins 41 from the lower f minate in heads grooves 43 forme clamping ring 1 formed of non-c of these grooves one of the tie tub vided with bifur engage over the h ing electrical con the same time so place. Conductor one end to these cli downwardly throu the base 11 ofg'th lated conductor source of power and runs directly to a suit while the other" is co wires 47. The 0th one terminal of th wire 50 is connecte terminal ofthe he I end to the switch that the heating oi the wires 47 and th bar 34 which in efi for cutting oil" the, more fully explain the cap 16 is pre lamp socket 51 ele wire 37 by Wires cent light 53 is 0 acts as an indicat is in operation, handle for the cap.

e 36 by ed over a'ting coil a rcuit is ext e wire 37 of th ect forms a eating curr ed hereafter ferably provi ctrically conn 52 and a sma arried by this or to show when the heater 'd light also acting as a ght sheet I In operation, the cap is turned to disenhaving a gage the pins 41 from their clips, the reservoir 15 and heater chamber 13 are filled with water, the cap is replaced and counterturned to again lock it in place and to close the circuit through the wires 47 and the wire 37 and the current is then turned on by means of the switch 49. As the water in the reservoir is heated the heat is transmitted to thealcohol in the vessel 28 forcing the diaphragm to expand .and so raise the stud 31 together with the nut 32., When the tem perature of the water has reached a certain point, determined by the position of the nut 32, the nut bears against thelower face of the bar 34 and raises the same from place, thereby breaking the circuit between the wires 47 and the wire 37 and as this circuit is part of the heating circuit all further heating of the water is stopped. The light 53 which is also energized by this circuit is cut out thereby showing thatthe water has been sufficiently heated. As soon as the water has cooled below the required point the diaphragm contracts and the bar 34 is seated to again close thecircuit to reheat the water. i

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that we have provided a simple and effective cut oil? for electric water heatwhich not only opens the heating circuit when the water has been sufiiciently heated but which also closes the circuit when the water becomes cool. Because of this the heater is rendered absolutely automatic and will maintain water at a uniform temperature with the lowest possible expenditure of electrical energy and without any attention from the user.

'It will of course begganderstood that minor changes in details of'construction, such as .may be necessary to adapt our device for use upon electrical water heaters of forms other than the one illustrated, may be made if delng from the spirit of our invention.

What is claimed is: 1. The combination. with. an electric heater having a heating circuit, a heating vessel, and areservoir, of a removable cap for closing said reservoir, a thermostatically movable contact member carried by said cap, and

means also-locking the cap inplace.

having a heating circuit, a heating vessel, and a reservoir, sa1d heating vessel and reservoir being connected by tie tubes extendcap for said reservoir, a seat formed in the cap of non-conductive mater1-al,.. thermosame into the diaphragm and causing the ers which is automatic in its action and means for-electrically connecting said contact member in the heating-circuit, saidf ing through the reservoir, of a removable statically expansible diaphragm carried-by sired, Without in the slightest degree depart- 2. The combination with an electric heater" said seat and having an upwardly extending stud, a nut adjustable on said stud, guides and contact members carried by the upper face of this seat at diametrically opposlte points thereofl a contact member slidably fitted on said guides and contacting with said contact members when in lowered posi tion, said contactmember being adapted to be raised by the expansion of the diaphragm, wires extending from the contact members to the lower face of the seat, pins carried by the seat and connected to said Wires and movable in grooves formed in the top of the reservoir, spring clips carried by the reserl voir and adapted to engage said pins to lock l the cap in place, and contact wires forming l part of the heating circuit extending upwardly through the tie tubes and connected to said spring clips.

In testimony whereof, We aflix our signatures, in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES C. FINE. ROSCOE o. FINE. JACOB W. FINE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD HUMP REYS, S. C. THOMAS.

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