US1574938A - Portable steam heater - Google Patents

Description

-March 2 1926. 1,574,938

J. w. RUDDER PoR'rABLE STEAM HEATER Filed July 20 1925 All Z Joh/7 ZU. Budda/1,

y; @M-W jlw ` T llllllllllllilf Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

JOHN W. RUD'DER, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

PORTABLE STEAM HEATER.

Application led July 20, 1925. Serial No. 44,829.

To all whom t may con/ccm: y

Be it known that I, JOHN W. RUDDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable Steam I-Ieaters, of which the following is a specilication. K

The present invention relates to improvements in means for heating rooms and apartments, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and durable heater, which may be readily moved from place to place, in which steam is employed as the heating medium.

The heater embodying the present invention is adapted to be employed` with a lamp or similar source of heat, and the construction provides for obtaining a maximum amount of heat from a body of low pressure steam, a relatively small supply of water only being required to maintain a continuous action of the heater for a relatively long period.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1` is an elevation of a heater constructed in accordance with the present in vention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 2*?. of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical detail section on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, in the several views of which like parts are designated by the same reference characters, the body of the improved heater includes a vertically elongated casing or shell 1, which is provided with a plurality of supports or legs 2, terminating at their lower ends in outwardly projecting feet 8. In the embodiment of y the invention illustrated, four (4) such supports are shown, although in many instances three (3) would sumce. In this connection it will be understood that there can be considerable variation from the details shown and hereinafter particularly described without departing from the invention. The drawing merely illustrates an embodiment of the invention and is not intended, except where details are specifically embodied in the appended claims, to be in any sense restrictive of the invention.

The body 1 is supported by the legs 2 above any suitable source of heat 4. This may, as shown in the drawing, be a suitable lamp. The body 1 is suitably closed at both shown, is connected by athread 6 with theV lower end'of the body 1. This head orv end' piece 5 is formed with a centralopening,

ywhich is surrounded by a depending marginal wall 7, the inner surface of which is provided with a suitable thread. A sleeve 8 is threaded into the depending portion of the end member 5, and extends below the end thereof. Onto this projecting portion of the sleeve or thimble 8 is screwed a cap 9, which forms the bottom of the body.

A plate 1-0 fitted to a 4suitable seat, formed about the inner end of the sleeve or thimble 8, separates the main body 1 from a steam generating chamber, which is closed at its outer end'by thecap 9. Said cap is provided with a series ofoutwardly projecting hollow nipples 11, closed at their outer ends, and communicating at their inner ends with 'the steam generating chamber- A flaring skirt 12 surrounds the nipples 11 and lower portion of the cap 9, serving to confine the heat from the lamp 4 about these portions of the steam generating chamber, so that water admitted thereto as hereinafter described will be rapidly converted into steam.

The water necessary for the steam to be generated is suppliedto the steam generating chamber through a pipe 13, which extends throughout the length of the steam generating chamber `and the body 1, to an elevated reservoir 14. This pipe may be connected to the other parts in various ways. As shown, it is secured tothe wall of the cap 9 at the bottom of the steam generating chamber by the screw 15 and a nut 16 is provided above the upper end of the body 1 to cooperate with a plate 17, which extends laterally beyond the body 1 and over the upper ends of the connections between such body and the radiator pipes hereinafter referred to. Said supply pipe 13 is provided in the steam generating chamber Y with a plurality of small lateral perforations 18, through which the desired amount of water is permitted to flow' to the steam generating chamber.

The division plate 10 before referred to is shown as being held securely in its seat by nuts 19 surrounding and engaging the pipe 13, although any other suitable means may be provided for holding this plate in position and effecting a relatively steam tight joint between it and the interior of the body 1.

The steam generated in the generating chamber formed between the plate 10` and the cap 9 passes outward through connections 20 to a plurality of vertical radiator pipes 21, the upper ends of which are in turn connected with the interior of the body l, adj acent. the upper end, by connections 22.

In practice the number of such radiator pipes will be considerabl greater than those illustrated. To simplify the illustration, the apparatus is shown as provided with only four (4) of such radiator pipes. In practice, however, the heaters have been built with a very considerably greater number, of such pipes, preferably eight (8v) or sixteen (16") being employed, the number, of course, varying with the size of the .apparatus and the heating capacity for which each is design-ed'. i

The connection of the supply pipe 13 with the reservoir 14 includes a cut off 23, and alsoV a sight glass 24, through which it is possible to observe the flow of water from the reservoir to the steam generating chamber.

An exhaust steam pipe or conduit 25 connects the interior of the casing or body 1 with the reservoir 14, and there is also preferably provided in thel top of the body 1 a suitable relief valve for use in case any material: pressure should accumulate in that chamber.

About the lower end of the; body 1 above the steam generating chamber is arranged a second outwardly flaring skirt 80, which assists in confining heat from the lamp 4 about they steamI generating chamber and lower portion of the body yl of the apparatus'.

A drain outlet 31 is preferably provided for the body 1 and a like! outlet 32 extends through the bottom wall of thel steam generating chamber.

It is believed that the manner of using and thev advantages of the improvements will be readily understood from the foregoing description and the drawing. The reservoir being suitably filled and the lamp or other source of heatV lighted, the steam generating chamber will be quickly heated. IVhen the cut ott` valve in the supp-ly pipe is opened, water in relatively fine streams will be discharged by said pipe into the steam generating chamber and immediately vaporized. The steam thus produced passing through the radiator pipes will quickly heat such pipes and the radiation therefrom willA heat the ail-rin the room. From the radiator pipes 21, the steam will pass into the main body or tubular casing l and be exhausted through the connecting pipe into the upper portion .of the reservoir where it will be condensed. In case there sho-nld be an abnormal increase of pressure within the body 1, this will escape through the relief valve before referred to. A reservoir of only small capacity is required. It has been found that anapparatus having a reservoir capable of holding three (3) gallons of water i's ample for a continuous operation of approximately twenty-four (24) hours.

The flow of water from the reservoir to the steam generating chamber is relatively slow, and the water is convertedv into steam practically immediately upon its entrance into such chamber.

It will be noted that all of the parts are of very simple construction so that they may be readily assembled and the total weight and bulk of the apparatus is such that it is readily portable. rllhe invention thus provides a means for readily heating rooms and apartments with steam heat, which can be easily moved from room to room, as occasion may require, and which will require a minimum amount of'attention when in operation.

I claim 1. A portable heater of the character described, comprising a vertically elongated body interiorly divided into a lower steamgenerating chamber and an upper steamreceiving chamber, means for supporting said body above a source of heat, a reservoir positioned at the upper end of the body, a water supply pipe connecting the reservo-ir with the steam generating chamber, a radiator pipe outside the body connecting the steam-generating and receiving chambers of the body, and a conduit connecting the steam-receiving chamber with the reservoir.

2. A heating apparatus of the character described, comprising a vertical shell or casing, a closure for the lower end of said casing providing a steam-generating chamber separated from the body of the casing, means for supporting the casing above a source of heat, a flaring skirt surrounding the steam-generating chamber and acting to confine the heat about the low-er end of said chamber, a reservoir, a water supply pipe connecting the reservoir with the interior of the steam-generating chamber, radiator means connecting the steam-generating chamber above the plane of said skirt with the shell or casing above the steam generating chamber, and an exhaust steam conduitconnecting the casing with the reservoir.

3. A heating apparatus of the character described, comprising a vertical shell or casing, a closure for the lower end of said casing providing a steamgenerating chamber separated from the body of the casing, a valved drain outlet connected with the body of the casing above the generating chamber, a drain outlet at the bottom of the steamgenerating chamber, means for supporting the casing above a source of heat, a reservoir, a water supply pipe connecting the reservoir with the steam-generating chamber, radiator means connecting the steamgenerating chamber with the interior of the casing above said chamber, and an exhaust steam pipe connecting the upper end of the casing with the reservoir.

4l. A heating apparatus of the character described, comprising a vertically elongated body interiorly divided into a lower steamgenerating chamber, and an upper steamreceiving chamber, means for supporting said body above a source of heat, a flaring skirt arranged exteriorly of the steam-generating chamber and adapted to direct the heat against the bottom of said chamber, a second similar skirt on the body above the steam-generating chamber, a reservoir, a water supply pipe leading from the reservoir into the steam-generating chamber, radiator means surrounding the elongated body and connecting the two chambers of said body, and an exhaust steam conduit connecting the upper chamber of the body with the reservoir.

5. A heating apparatus of the character described, comprising a vertically elongated body interiorly divided into a lower steamgenerating chamber and an upper steam receiving chamber, means for supporting said body above a source of heat, a flaring skirt adapted to direct heat against the bottom of the body, a plurality of outwardly projecting hollow nipples closed at their outer ends arranged within the space enclosed by said skirt and communicating with the steamgenerating chamber, a reservoir, a water supply pipe leading from the reservoir into the steam-generating chamber, radiator means outside the body connecting the two chambers thereof, and an exhaust steam conduit connecting the upper chamber of the body with the reservoir.

G. A heating apparatus of the character described, comprising a tubular shell having a bottom provided with a central opening surrounded by a depending flange and having an annular seat formed in its inner face about said opening, a plate fitted in said seat and extending across the opening, a cap connected with said flange and Jforming therewith and with said plate a steam-generating chamber, means for supporting the shell with the steam-generating chamber above a source of heat, a reservoir at the upper end of the tubular shell, a water supply pipe extending rom the reservoir through said top plate of the steam-generating chamber into said chamber, radiator means outside the shell connecting the steam-generating chamber with the casing above said chamber, and an exhaust steam conduit connecting the upper end of the casing with the reservoir.

7. A heating apparatus of the character described, comprising a tubular shell having a bottom provided with a central opening surrounded by a depending lange and having an annular seat formed in its inner face about said opening, a plate fitted in said seat and extending across the opening, a cap connected with said flange and forming therewith and with said plate a steam-generating chamber, means-for supporting the shell with the steam-generating chamber above the source of heat, a reservoir at the upper end of the tubular shell, a water-supply pipe having its upper end connected with the reservoir and its lower end connected to the bottom of the steam-generating chamber, said pipe extending through the plate forming the top of the steam-generating chamber and provided within said chamber with a plurality of lateral outlets, radiator means outside the shell connecting the steam-generating chamber with the casing above said chamber, and an exhaust steam pipe connecting the upper end of the casing with the reservoir.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. i

JOHN W. RUDDER.

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