US1462703A - Electric water heater - Google Patents

Description

July' 24, 1923. 1,462. 703

1 w. s. JONES ELECTRIC WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 13 1921 6 a H I 14 a l INVENTOR. WT S. Jones BY I ATTORNEY Patented July 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES WALTER S. JONES, OF ORWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

Application filed September 13, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, IVALTER S. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orwood, county of Contra Costa, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric ater I'Ieaters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in electric water heaters, the principal object being to provide a device which may be readily attached to the outer end of an ordi nary water faucet, and so constructed that when the water and current are turned on, a flow of hot water will issue from the heater, which heated flow will continue as long the current and water are turned on.

Another object is to construct the device in such a manner that without an excess expenditure of current, the water will be almost instantaneously heated upon emerging from the faucet.

-The device is therefore admirably adapted for domestic service in the lavatory or kitchen permitting as it does a supply of hot water being had, at'any time of the day or night.

Another advantage my device has over the ordinary form of gas and similar heater lies in the fact that no current is wasted in heating a quantity of water greater than it is intended to be used at the time, thereby cutting down the cost of operation to a minimum.

The above advantage of course is possessed by the Ruud and similar gas heaters, but considering the complexity of structure and piping, and the consequent expense of installation of the latter, there can be no comparison between these devices and mine, which is small and compact, and relatively inexpensive and has no parts liable to become deranged.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved heater.

Serial No. 500,389.

Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof taken on a line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a casing, preferably of metal and lined or covered as at 2 with any suitable heat insulation material, to prevent radiation of heat.

This casing is open on top, and preferably cup shaped at the bottom, being closed at that end except for a central outlet 3 of suitable size. Adapted to be screwed or other wise removably secured in the upper end of the casing is a cap 4, having a centrally located intake member 5, provided with a union nut 6 whereby it may be screwed onto a threaded-end faucet or bibb cock.

Removably screwed or otherwise fixed in the cap and surrounding the inlet in close relation to each other is a plurality of tubes 7 of some good heat radiating material, which are closed on the bottom and extend inwardly of the casing to a point adjacent the outlet end thereof and lie substantially parallel to the sides of the casing. In each tube, and electrically insulated therefrom as at 8, is an electric heating coil 9 or other heating element, all these coils being connected in series with an ordinary form of extension cord 10 having a plug 11 to fit any standard socket.

In order to enclose and conceal the connections between the various coils, both for safety and neatness of appearance, the cap 4 is preferably cup shaped as shown, the various leads projecting into the cup portion, and the latter being then filled in with a composition insulating wax 12 such as is on the market.

The current may be turned on from the socket connection, or an individual switch may be provided in or adjacent the casing, as may be found most practicable.

Positioned transversely in the casing at spaced intervals are screens 13, of exceedingly fine mesh, through which the tubes 7 of course pass, thus dividing the easing into a number of separate compartments. The object of these screens is to retard the passage of the water through the casing as long as possible, while permitting it to finally emerge, so that the water entering the casing from the faucet will be held therein long enough to absorb a generous amount of heat from the coils.

As many coil-tubes are used as can be lit placed inthe casing, with but. little space therebetween, so as to present the maximum of heat radiating surface to the water, but since there can be no tube directly down the center 01 the casing, or wherever the intake 5 is located and on account f the latter, the uppermost screen, and the remainder if desired, has a central solid plate 14% thereon extending to the tubes surrounding this vacantcentral'area. The watertherefore, entering the casing witlr considerable force fromthefaucet, will-first strike against this solid plate, and instead of tending to pass directly through into the next chamber, will be divertedjtoward the sides. of the casing andbetween and around the hot tubes, thereby aiding in the rapid heatingof the water.

\Vhile this device is particularly described as being intended for attachment to a faucet, and may be readily changed from one to another at will, by providing both the in take and outlet of the casing with pipe coupling, or unionmembers, the device may be permanently installed, either vertically or horizontally, in the piping system, of the building.

The cap etbeing removable, the tubes may be. inspected for corrosion etc. at any time, andithe tubes themselves. being also removable, the coils may likewise be inspected and replaced: when necessary.

Erom theforegoing description it will'be readily seen that I have produced such a device "as substantially fulfillsthe objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specificationsets forth in de tail the present and preferred construction of the; device, still 'in practice such deviations from-such detail may be resorted to as donot form a departure from the spirit of the; in-vention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my. invention, what I claim as new and usefuland desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric water heater comprising a casing adapted to be filled with Water and connected at one end to a source of water supply and provided with an outlet at the other end, said casing being divided into a plurality of compartments between the intake and outlet of the casing, electric heating elements in the casing projecting' into the compartments, and means for retarding the passage of the water into and out of the compartments from the intake to the o tlet of the casing.

2. An electric water. heater comprisi g a casing adapted to be connected at one end to a source of water supply and provided with an outlet at the other end, electric heating elements in the casing insulated therefrom and from the water, and transversely disposed and spaced fine-mesh screens in the casing whereby to divide the latter into a number of compartments, the heating elements projecting into the compartments.v

3. An electric water heater comprising a tubular casing open at one end andiprovided with an outlet at the other end, a cup-shaped cap securedonto the casing at its open end, and provided with a water-intake member, a plurality of heat radiating and enclosed tubes projecting lengthwise and inwardly of thecasing from the cap, anelectric heating element in each tube, the terminals of said elements projecting into the cup portion of the cap and being there connected together in a circuit, and a filling of insulating material withw-hich the cap is then filled, an an extension cord leading from the cap anE connected to the element-terminals, an adapted for connection to a source of; cur rent.

Intestimonywhereof I afiix my signature.

WALTERS. JONES.

Images