US1265554A - Electric water-heater. - Google Patents

Description

S. M. VALUES.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER. APPUCATION HLED NOV. 2a. 1915.

1,265,554 Patented May 7,1918.

0 z k I E 20 may INVENTOR WITNESSES 2 I BY gag/1% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SALVADOR M. VALDES, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO I. H.

' SEIBER AND MRS. EVA H. KUH N.

nnnoraic WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

To all whom it may cohce'rn: I, Be it known that I, SALVADOR M. Vamms,

a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Water-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric Water heaters wherein spaced pole ieces or terminals in the circuit are put mto, electrical connection with each other by the water which passes between them and therefore serves as a resistance element.

Among the objects of the present invention is the employment of such a device within a metallic shell or casing which, however, does not come into electrical connection with the live wire of the circuit, and therefore the user gets'no shock.

Another object is to provide for the flow of the water through the device in a tortuous course both longitudinally and circumferentially so as to bring it into contact intimately with both faces of all pole, pieces as far as possible.

Other objects will appear in the followm specification and claim, reference being he to the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 1s a front elevat on of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 thereof, and I j Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section.

Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of two of the pole pieces or tubular electrodes, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the disks.

In my invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the numerals 1 2, 3 and 4 designate pole ieces or electrodes formed in the shape of 'tu es nested within and yet out of metallic contact with each other, and

while I havesho wn four such tubes (see Fig.

4) I would-not be limited in this respect. The'innermost andfsrnallest tube 1;is slightly longer than the others and is threaded at one extremity as seen at 5. At-'-t ,eir opposite extremities all tubes, includin binding posts in theshape bolts 6 with nuts 7 thereon. l Tea'r{ the left end of the innermost tube'l, and of all others which would bear odd reference numerals (and which are connected with the live wire of the circuit asexplained below) is a hole 8; and near the right ends of the tubes which are connected with the return wireof the :tuous course tobe follow is one, have of the tu left ends and-ti:

'1 an O? my aprrepri -typ set 110 circuit are holes 9. In Fig. 3 I have shown the. various tubes as so arranged that all. these holes are above the axis of the entire device for a purpose yet to appear, but it is clear that by a different disposition of the tubes axiall a different arrangementof the holes would result, causin adifierenttorby the water as ex lained below. Against one end (here the le end) of the tube is disposed a disk 10 of insulating material impervious to water, the same being provided-with a series of annular grooves 11 'for receiving the left extremities of the tubes, and at proper points with holes 12 through which pass the bolts 6 so that the nuts 7 may be applied to their outer ends to hold the tubes in the grooves. Agzinst the opposite extremities of the to s-is dispose a second and similar disk rovidcd with like grooves ill-although the oles 12 are absent, and this disk has a central threaded aperture 14: intowbich the threaded extremity 5 of the innermost .tube engages for the obvious purpose of holdinall the tubes properly spacedfroin' eac other b the grooves in the andboth the and; upon the extremities 'o thetubes as bestT-seen in Fi 3. The'bindinfilpostsof every other tube ginning with e'innermost are electrically connected outside the left disk 10 as at 16, and the posts of the intermediate tubes are also connected as at 18, v and the connecting straps are themselvesirespectively connected with the liVfB and return the return wire of the cable, for reasons which will bee xplained'bel0w.f

The series oftubes abovedescribed is now inserted into a metallic shell or casing 20 of tubular shape 'which is of greaterinternal diameter than any of the tubes and. into loo whichthe disks'lO and 13 fit closely so that. Y the shell is. in'sulat'ed from the/tubes, the shell of greaterlen thanany md'. P 'Q]- -I w i he I cirbin posts fipfo'r a purposetdhaexplained. pon theextremi ties of this shall are mounted cupped 1:39;.

igs;

or caps 21 and 22, the former shown-im 3. as including a switch. or. circuit closer Fig. 3 the switch stem 23 extends through the center of the head 21 and carries a handle or key24 on-the exterior of the same, and within said cupped head such stem carries an arm 25 whose extremities are ada ted to simultaneously make contact with t e connecting piece-16 and a plate 26 at the inner end of the live wire, or to be thrown out of contact with both of them b turning the stem by means of the key. T e return Wire being in constant contact as at 18 with the return tubes, when the live wire is thrown into contact with the live tubesthe circuit is complete as will be explained. I do not wish to be limited,'however, to this specific form of switch or circuit closer, nor to its exact, location' but attention is directed to the fact that between the left disk 10 and thecupped. head 21 is a chamber 27 surrounded by the left end of the casing 20, in which stand the terminals or binding posts of the tubes or electrodes, the extremities of ,the wires from the cable, and the switch; and no water eve'r enters this chamber. A similar but small chamber 28 is formed by .7 the other. head 22 for a purpose to be explamed.

' With my invention, the watershould be admitted to the bottom of the casing. By preference I use an inlet pipe 30 whose lower end communicates with a hole 31 in the shell or casing as best seen in Fig. 2, and whose upper end has a coupling 32 by means of 1ch "it may be attached toan ordinary spigot of fiucet F. Connected as at 33 with the outer end o f/the right hand head 22 is an outlet. pipe 34 which is preferably car ried downaround and under the casing, and inward to about the center of the same where it delivers at the point 35 directly under the mouth of the faucet; and therefore when this attachment is applied to the latter the water will be delivered at the same point as from the faucet, but a little lower. When the faucet is opened the course of the water is as follows: Entering the bottom-of the casing at about the center of the length thereof as indicated at 31 in Fig. 2, the water flows into the space 36 between the easing and the. outermost tube 4 which, as above stated, is connected with the return wire of the cable, fills this space longitudinally and then rises within the shell around both sides of the-tube until it reaches the hole 9 at the 'top of the latter. Through this hole it flows into the second space 37 between the tubes 4 and 3, and at one end of both tubes because the hole 9 is at one end of the tube 4. Falling on the tube 3, the water flows around the same into the bottom of the space 37, wherein it flows longitudinal] within the outer tube 4 and fills up the si es of the space until it establishes an electrical con- ,nection or short circuit between these tubes or electrodes so that the current may pass through the water which latter forms a resistance element and therefore becomes heated to an extent. In similar manner the wat'ernow banks up within the annular space between the tubes 4 and 3 until it nearly fills the same, when it passes through the hole 8 at the left end of the tube 3 and drops into the next space 38 between this tube and the tube 2; herein it follows substantially the same course as above described, and finally flows into the space between the tubes 2 and 1, as indicated at 39. This is continued throughout the entire series of tubes whether there be more or less than as shown, and eventually the water in a highly heated condition flows through the innermost hole 8 into the bore 40 of the innermost and smallest tube 1, whence it passes into the chamber 28 within, the right and cupped head 22, and flows along the outlet pipe 34 to the oint 35 where-'t is delivered hot for use. i fits tightly within the casing 20 as'Pintend, no water may flow into the chamber 27 beyond it, and therefore neither the wires nor the switch can be'corroded or short circuited. The-switch is moved by turning the key 24'from the exterionand the 'current can be cut otf'without interrupting the flow of water; therefore when the current is on warm water flows from the outlet 35, and when the current is oil cold water may be drawn as soon as the warm water within the device has passed through it. The de 9 of heat imparted to the water flowing t rough this device is dependent on the number of t-ubes'within the series, their dimensions, the temperature of the water flowin from the faucet F, and the strength of t e current. Exce ting the disks and insulating elements the evice may bemade entirel of metal andthe user cannot be shocked y placing his hand anywhere on the exterior. While I- have shown'the-series of disks and casing as disposed in a horizontal position in Fig. 1, and will doubtless employ that construction and arrangement when the deyicp is aplied to the spigot or faucet witlun a bat to arrange it in other ways to a apt it to'the f the left handkdisk 10 uses to which it is to be put. Obviously,

also, it is notnecessary that the holes 8 and 9 shall all be at the top, and bysetting the various tubes difierently on their axes with- .in the grooves of the two disks it is clear that the water could be compelled to follow a tortuous course circumferentially of the battery, although the alternate disposition .ofithe holes 8 and 9 at opposite ends of the battery will compel the water always to follow a tortuous course longitudinally thereof.

What is chimed as newjs: 4 In a water heater, the combination with a horizontal cylindrical metallic shell having a water inlet in one side, insulating disks fitting closely within the shell nenr its ends, one oi them having il waiter outlet opening and [will of them having concentric grooves in their faces, 31 series of mncentric nested nn-inllic tubes disposed within the shell with their extremities in said grooves and one extremity of the innermost tube projecting through said Uinliill", the inbes being provi 'ed with slilg'gfll't't water openings, an

projections on one end of said tubes passing through the renmining disk; of cupped ln-inls titted to the extremities of the said shell illHl with the disks respectively producing chambers whereof one is in communi ation with the central tube, n watcr-outlet pipe communicating with the head of this chamber, connections within the other chamber between the projections of certain tubes including the outermost; connections between the projections of the remaining tubes including the innermost, feed and re,- turn wires leading into this chamber, the return wires being attached to the said firstnamed connections, and a Switch located within this chamber between the feed wire and the other connections and with its handie projecting beyond the head, for the pur- )OSG described.

In testimong whereof I'Iafiix my si ature. ALVADQR M.

VAL ES.

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