US1495648A - Venturi orchard heater - Google Patents

Description

may 27 1924 1,495fi48 w. c. SCHEU VENTURI ORCHARD HEATER Filed July 5,, 1922 Fatented May 27, 1924.

UhliTEE STATES WILLIAM C. SCHEU, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VENTURI ORCHARD HEATER.

Application filed July 5, 1922. Serial No. 572,783.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that VVILLIAM C. SCHEU, citizen of theUnited States, residing at Los 4 Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and 5 State of California, has invented certain new and Useful Improvements in Venturi Orchard Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved de- X0 vice for protecting orchards from damage by frosts. It is particularly adapted to burn liquid fuels of various grades and qualities from the heavy crude oils and distillates to the finer and lighter grades.

\Vhen damaging frosts and freezes occur during the blossom and fruit period and 1t becomes necessary to resort to artificial heat to protect the trees from frost damage it is of the utmost importance that the heating devices be of such a construction that the consumption of fuel is so regulated and controlled through the medium of automatic and manually controllable means that practically no smoke is produced.

Such a condition produces the maximum heat with the least consumption of fuel, and where all of the gas generated from the fuel is consumed there is a minimum of carbonaceous and asphaltic material or residue deposited around the interior of the heaters to interfere with their perfect operation.

The present invention embodies a construction and controllability that will produee practically smokeless heat, from any burnable grade of liquid fuel, for prolonged periods, with the minimum of care and at- 'iention and will hold and maintain combustion as long as any fuel remains in the heater.

()ne object of the present invention is to incorporate in the design and construction of an orchard heater an easy and reliable means for igniting the fuel in a battery of distributed heaters.

Another object of the invention is to provide. a combustion stack of unique design and construction, whereby a practically perfect. smokeless combustion is obtained with a short er stack than has heretofore been possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combustion stack in two easily separable sections, so designed and proportioned that the top section will slip loosely over the lower section and form a rain shield therefor when the heater is out of use. This top section, so used, in combination with a small cap to close the stack opening giving complete protection against the ingress of rain.

Another objectiof the invention is to provide a combustion stack made of two tapering sections. The lower section resting on the theater with its large opening down and the reduced opening up. The second sect-ion resting on the first section with its smaller opening engaging the smaller opening of the lower section, with its larger opening upward. This arrangement produces a combustion stack of Venturi construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide air inlet openings in the lower section of the combustion stack of such a shape and arrangement as will greatly facilitate the combustion of gases within said stack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device located in or adjacent the air inlet opening of the cover to act automati cally as a deflector or retardent member, whereby the gas generating flame at or near said air inlet opening is prevented from being wholly drawn away from said opening, or from the surface of the oil, by the strong draft passing through the combustion stack, and thereby a fire is maintained at or adjacent said air inlet opening at'all times and during all conditions of operation wheither using a light or a heavy grade of fue Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the construction and operation are made more manifest by a study of the drawings accompanying this specification and claims.

It will be observed that like figures of reference apply to like parts of the drawupper stack section is reversed and is resting over the outside of the lower stack section and completely enveloping the same to act as a rain shield. Just above the stack in this view is shown a small cap for closing the stack opening to prevent rain reaching the interior of the heater through said openmg.

(All

Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1.

Figure 4.- is a plan of the deflector (lGY-lQG- as shown in connection with the ignition cup in Figure 1.

This invention comprises a an orchard heater having a fuel receptacle or bowl 1', a cover 2 therefor. Arranged onthe cover 2 is an air inlet openin 5 having an upturned flange 6 around its edge to prevent water running into the opening.

Arranged directly under the air opening 5 is an ignition cup 7 secured to the under side of the cover 2. This cup 7 has an annu lar recess 8 extending around a central opening 9, the purpose of Whichis to form a pocket or cup for retaining a portion of ignition fuel for starting a tire and the generating of gaswithin the heater.

The edge of the annular recess 8 also acts as a support for a member 10 of disc form and having a depending flame deflector 11 attached thereto and extending down into the fuel receptacle to near the bottom thereof.

Arranged over the air inlet opening 5 is a perforated plate 12 pivoted to the cover 2 and ada ted to swing over the opening 5. Pivoted centrally on the plate 12 is a shutter 13 having an elongated opening 14, the shutter 13 is adapted to be turned on the plate 12 and exposed the openings therein as may be necessary to admit the air required to maintain combustion in the gas generating space in the heater.

The sectional Venturi combustion stack comprising a part of this invention is made as follows:

The lower section 3 is detachably secured to the cover 2 by means of a friction joint.

The wall of this stack section is provided with openings 16, made by slitting and bending the metal of the wall inward forming inverted louvers, which have the effect of directing the incoming air upward along Bid till

the inside of the stack, and seem to more or less prevent the incoming air from going toward the center of the stack. This effect has produced a much better combustion of the gases, probably through a better mixing of the air and gases without materially interfering with their upward movement.

' The side walls of this lower section 3 are made tapering so that the upper end is somewhat smaller in area than the lower end that rests. on the cover. A short distance down from the upper or small end an outturned head is formed in the wall of the stack.

The upper section 4 of this combustion stack is also made tapering so that one end has a larger opening than the other. a The small end of this upper section is just large enough to slip freely over the small end of the lower section 3 and abut against the outturned head 3 on section 3.

An inturned head 4: near the small end of the section 4: encircles the end of the section incense 3 and thereby gives stability to the assembled sections.

Thisassembled" stack possesses the following features of construction.

The lower end resting on the cover 2 is of large area, the center Where the two sections join together form a restricted area, while the top forms a large area.

This combination produces a Venturi stack.

The combination of elements as here assembled, makes possible for the first time, to my knowledge, the combustion of gases and air with practically smokeless results and a combined stack length very much lessthan has been possible heretofore, resulting in a much cheaper structure, lighter in weight and much less affected by winds tending to blow the stacks 0d the heaters.

Tn combustion stacks having friction joints it has been found that where the double thickness of the joint occurs excess heating takes place which quickly disintegrates the metal at this point and causes rapid burnin 0d of these joined ends, which then have to be trimmed oil, thus shortening the total length of the stack. After being trimmed a few times the stack is so shortened as to very materially aflect its burning efficiency.

It will he noted that while it join these sections with a slip joint, the interposition of beads 3 and 4: give me a rigid enough connection for all practical purposes and in addition provide a much needed and very desirable air space between the metal surfaces of the joint as designated 3*. A

This air space will greatly mitigate the destructive action of'the intense heat at this point and thus add greatly to the life of the stacks.

The arrangement of the inward, upwardly inclined louveropenings; the large area openings at the entrance and exit of the stack; the gradually tapered walls converging toward the junction of the stack sections all combine'to produce a combustion chamber of very marked eficiency, with a shorter total leplgth of stack than has been heretofore pos- S1 e..

All previous short stack heaters, with straight stacks, or with one section tapering, have been consistent smoke producers and have never to my knowledge been eficient heating devices.

Owing to the fact that various grades and qualities of liquid fuel must be consumed at times, it is very desirable that means be provided whereby a tire will be maintained in the heaters regardless of the quality Ofilillt; fuel being used, the only manual adjustment necessary, being the regulation from time to time of the air supply through the medium of the air control members 12 and 13.

The feature of this invention that acts Mill lltl' a menses tion to the movement of the flame adjacent the air inlet opening to prevent .it from being drawn away from this location by the draft from the stack.

When this type of heater is properly adjusted to suit the quality and grade of fuel being used, a roaring fire is maintained just at the air opening and reaching down and around the obstructive plate 11, to and across the surface of the fuel toward the opening into the stack.

The oilice of this intense fire, at and near the air opening in the cover, is to generate a gas from the surface of the oil, which gas as generated is being constantly drawn into the stack for combustion, and when the generating fire is properly maintained the necessary amount of gas is continually generated to maintain proper combustion in the stack and the heater is consequently producing the maximum heat with prac tically no smoke.

The whole situation is entirely dependent on being able to maintain a proper and suflicient generating flame adjacent the air inlet opening in the cover.

The obstructive member 11 at this point should be only sufficiently effective to prevent the generating fire from being pulled away from the s ace adjacent the air inlet opening, otherwise the excess retarding effect of too much obstruction might seriously interfere with getting a maximum efliciency out of the heaters.

To start these heaters in operation it is only necessary that the plate 12 over'the air inlet opening, be swung to one side and a small quantity of burning oil, such as a mixture of gasolene and kerosene, be poured into the cup 8, it being understood that the stack has first been adjusted to extendedposition.

This burning ignition oil is applied from a can having a long spout with an asbestos wick in the end, such as is well known by those skilled in the art.

This burning oil will bubble over the edge of the flange of the ignition cup, and some will run down on the plate 11. 'Sometimes a small bunchof excelsior is placed in the air opening and burning oil poured on it, which will immediately ignite. it. The draft from the stack pulls the flame from the air inlet opening down into the heater over the surface of the oil and in a few seconds gas begins to form and pass into the stack where the air coming in through the louver openings 16 mixes with 1t and there is formed a combustive mixture .which burns quite vigorously and smokelessly and produces an intense heat.

Part of the generated gas of course goes to maintain the generating flame adjacent the air inlet opening. As'soon as suflicient gas is generated to maintain the generating flame in the receptacle and the heating flame 1n the stack, the plate 1:2 is moved around over the air inlet opening and the shutter 13 is adjusted relative to the air holes in the plate 12 to give the proper quantity of air necessary to maintain the intensity of fire desired.

At the beginning of operation with the heater nearly full of oil, less air is required, but as the fuel is consumed, and the surface of the oil recedes down away from the air inlet opening, the generating flame increases in size and needs more air. Then is when it becomes necessary to readjust the shutter 13 to give the additional air required. This adjustment is'necessary several times during the period that one filling of the bowl is being consumed.

It is the practice where a number of heaters are in operation during a cold night to apportion a given number of heaters to each of several attendants who pass from one to the other and adjust the air supply as may be required to suit existing conditions.

With the problem solved of always maintaining a fire under Varying conditions, which is the result of my deflector, the operation of a large battery of heaters becomes a very simple matter and can be attended to by unskilled attendants.

It is thought that my description herewith will enable anyone skilled in the art to opera'te these heaters successfully, and while I have described and illustrated the invention in its preferred embodimentI do not wish to be understood as confining or limiting the invention to the exact details of construction and arrangement as shown, but wish to be understood as claiming the invention as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

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

- 1. An orchard heater comprising a fuel ceptacle, a cover therefor, controllable air inlet means on saidQcover, a combustion stack comprising two separable tapered units mounted on and extending upward. from said cover, air inlet means in the walls of one of said tapered stack units, the smaller ends of said tapered stack units being separably connected whereby a tapered. opening is formed through said stack with the opening from the said fuel receptacle into said stack being free and unobstructed.

3. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a cover mounted on said receptacle and having controllable air inlet openings thereon, an unobstructed opening in said cover, a combustion stack comprising separable tapered units mounted over said opening in said cover and extending upward therefrom, air inlet means in the side walls of one tapered unit of said stack, said tapered stack units being connected end to end with a separable slip joint whereby an unobstructed Venturi passageway is established from said fuel receptacle through said stack.

4. An orchard heaterhaving a fuel receptacle and a cover thereon, a stack mounted on said cover comprisin separable connected units, the unit resting directly on said cover having converging side walls and the unit resting on said converging unit having diverging side walls whereby an unobstructed venturi shaped passageway from said receptacle is formed through said superposed stack units.

5. An orchard heater having a fuel receptacle and a cover thereon having controllable air inlet means and an ignition device located adjacent said air inlet means, a stack mounted on said cover comprising separable connected units, the unit resting directly on said cover having converging side walls and the unit resting on said converging unit having diverging side walls whereby an unobstructed venturi shaped passageway trom' said fuel receptacle is formed through said superposed stack units.

6. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle and a cover thereon having an unobstructed gas-passage and a controllable air inlet opening, an ignition cup located under said air inlet opening and a flame defiector member mounted under said ignition cup and extending down into said fuel receptacle, a two part combustion stack mounted on said cover and connected with said gas passage, said stack having air inlet openings in its side walls, said stack parts comprising two separable tapered units superposed one over the other with their small ends con nected by means of a loose slip joint whereby a venturi shaped unobstructed passageway is formed therethrough.

7. A combustion stack for use with oil burning orchard heaters, comprising two tapered units separably connected by their small ends to form a Venturi tube, the slip joint connecting said ends having enlarged side.

tees-pas portions whereby said oint is provided with an air space separating the walls of the slip joint to prevent overheating thereof,

8. A. stack for use with oil burning orchard heaters comprising two tapering units separably connected at their small ends by a loose slip joint to form a Venturi tube, the said slip joint connecting said units having an air space to prevent overheating .ot the double thickness of metal at said joints, one of said units having air inlet openings inits side walls termed by making circumferential slits and bending the metal under said slits inward to form small wall portions for deflecting entering airupward through the said venturi passageway.

9. A venturi shaped combustion stack for use with oil burning orchard heaters comprising two tapered members, beads formed adjacent the small ends of each of said members, whereby when said members are separably connected to form a venturi tube shaped stack the joint termed by uniting the small ends of said tapered members is provided with an air space to prevent over heating and burning of the metal of the stack ends forming said'joint.

10; A. combustion stack for orchard heaters comprising a membermade up of two axially tapering sections, said sections being joined by their small ends with a loose separable slip joint to form a complete combustion chamber, beads formed in the metal at said loose slip joint to separate the metal portions -forming said joint and provide an insulating airspace to prevent overheating and burning of said stack sections, with air inlet means in one of said stack sections to maintain combustion within said stack.

H. A combustion stack for oil burning orchard heaters comprising a member made up of axially tapering sections mounted one above the other to form a venturi shaped passageway therethrough, one of said sections having air inlet means in its side walls, the other said section being adapted when reversed to slip loosely over the section having the air openings and act as a protective shield therefor and a cap to close the upper opening of said reversed stack section,

12. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a cover therefor, a two part tapered stack extending upward from. said cover and having a venturi shaped opening therethrough, one of the said tapering sections of said stack adapted to be removed from the other said section, reversed and nested over the other said section to term protective shield therefor and a cap for closing the opening of said nested stack sections.

in testimony whereof l herewith aiiix my signature,

VfltLlL-IAM Stdlllldll,

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