US1681377A

US1681377A - Storage water heater

Info

Publication number: US1681377A
Application number: US509087A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer S Stack
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-10-20
Filing date: 1921-10-20
Publication date: 1928-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1945-08-21

Description

Aug. 21, 192s.

E. S. STACK STORAGE WATER HEATER Filed Oct. 20. 1921 Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES ELMER S. STAUK, 0I' BomVIInLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORAGE WATER HEATER.

Application ma october 2o, 1921. seriai no. 509,087.

The resent invention relates to water heaters of t 1e type by which water may be heated and stored, ready for use when needed. Such heaters are commonl known in the art' as storage systems and t ey usually consist of a tank or boiler and a gas burner arranged to direct the products of combustion of gas against a part of such boiler, together with accessory connections and automatic heat controlling means regulated by the temperature of the stored water.

Storagek heaters or systems as heretofore made have caused trouble and have suffered loss of efliciency through collection of sediment in the bottom of the storage reservoir and condensation of water from the products of combustion of the heating flame upon the outside of the boiler or water heater. Sediment accumulated in the parts of the system against which the heating flame is directed has a blanketing effect, hindering the flow of heat into the water and causing the metal of the boiler or heating unit to become overheated. When overheating occurs the met-a1 may be burned or melted through, or the heat insulating effect of the sediment blanket may keep it at a high temperature after the flame has been shut off and until cold water has come into contact with the heated parts, with resulting liability of warping and cracking the metal. Further, sediment in the arts of a boiler exposed to heat causes` disco oration of the water, because in those parts the water is in motion such that it stirs up the sediment and carries some of it to the discharge point. And the presence of sediment there induces deposition of more sediment because the heating of the metal to high temperature causes rust to form rapidly, and the retardation of. water circulation causes the water to become excessively hot and minerals or other forei matter carried in solution and suspension 1n the water to be precipitated Condensation of water from the products of combustion occurs when the part of the heating system on which the flame impinges contains water cold enough to reduce the temperature of such products below the dew point of the water vapor which is always a part of such products of combustion. The water of condensation from this source has a strongly corrosive action and rapidly deteriorates the parts of the system with which it comes in contact.

My object has been to overcome the ditriculties and sources of trouble herein outlined the invention consists being explained in connection with the following detailed description o f the pgart-icular apparatus shown in said drawing. igure 2 is a cross section on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Herein 1 represents a storage tank having an upper head 2, a bottom head 3 and two inner heads or

partitions

4 and 5. The partition 5, which is the innermost one of these inner heads or partitions is convex upwardly and forms an acute angle 6 with the sides of the tank. An opening 7 is formed through the part1t1on 5, preferably at the highest point thereof, which is also its center; but at any rate well above the junction ofthe sides of the partition with the side walls of the tank. Both the bottom head 3 and the intermediate head 4 are preferably convex downwardly; and the intermedia-te head joins an inner shell 8 of smaller diameter than the outer or main shell of the tank and to which it is connected by a ring 9. The head 4 and inner shell 8 together form a partition intermediate the bottom head and the innermost partition. Thus there is provided between the heads 3 and 4 a water chamber 10, and between the inner and outer shells a water leg 11 of considerable height joining the water chamber 10.

A heating chamber 12 hangs down from the bottom head 3 and is connected therewith and has communication with the chamber 10; and a conduit 13 runs from the intermediate head 4 into the heating chamber and provides communication from the latter to the space or chamber 14 between the intermediate and inner heads. Outside of the conduit 13 and within the connection between the

chambers

10 and 12 is a space 15 suiliciently wide to permit free flow of water.

A gas burner 16 is arranged beneath the heating chamber and is adapted to direct a flame of gas against the outside of said chamber. The burner is supplied with gas by a pipe 17 in which is arranged a valve 18 controlled by a thermostat 19 in any well known or other suitable way so as to diminish or out off entirely the supply of s to the burner when the water in the tank 1s heated to a prescribed temperature, and to increase the supply of gas to the burner when the water temperature drops below aprescribed degree. 20 represents a tube supplying a pilot burner from a oint at the supply side o statical y controlled valve 18.

The pipe supplying water to be heated is shown at 21 as passing through the upper head of the tank, and as having also a branch 22 extending downward and opening through the Side of the tank at a low point. If desired the inlet opening at the top of the tank may be omitted or closed and the entire cold water supply be delivered to the lower part of the tank through the pipe 22.

The heated water is delivered through a pipe 23 which has a connection with the interior of the tank through the upper head 2 and is connected with a pipe 24 which ma be called, for the purpose of convenient de nition, an eduction pipe, running downward to a connection 25 with the water leg 11.

26 represents a tap for drawing off water and sediment from the space 6 in the tank below the openin 7 and above the inner head 5. 27 is a stacli for conducting away products of combustion from the flame and 28 is a pipe terminating in a tap 29 for drawing off all of the water in the lower chambers when there is occasion for entirely emptying the tank, so as to prevent freezing when the premises 1n which the system is installed are unoccupied during the cold weather.

The entire tank and its adjuncts are supported by a shell 30 which surrounds and encloses the burner and the heating chamber, being supported in turn by legs 3l and being open at the bottom to give access for air to support combustion of the gas. A bar or beam 32 crossing the lower part of the shell 30 supports the burner.

When in operation, the boiler is full of water in all of its chambers, and cold water is admitted through the constantly open inlet connections to replace any hot water which may be drawn off. When the water in the region of the thermostat is cold, gas is admitte to the burner and the flame applies heat to the Water in the heating chamber 12. As this water rises in temperature, it iiows upward through the passage 15 into the chamber 10 and` the water aleg 11, and thence through the eduction pipe 24, cooler water from the bottom of the main chamber then constantly owing through the passage 7, chamber 14 and conduit 13 to take the place of the hot water. When no hot water is being drawn o from the outlet pipe 23 a constant circulation takes place, for the hot water enters the upper part of the boiler through the 'connection o the draw-01T ipe therewith. When the water in the main c amber down to the level of the thermostat has been heated to the thermothe required degree, the su ply of gas to the burner is shut oi, but w en hot water is withdrawn, the incoming cold water cools the thermostat and causes the as controlling valve to be a ain opened. Preferably the outlet of the co d water supply pipe 22 is at or near the level of the thermostat, as shown, in order that the thermostat may be quickly affected by the entering cold water.

ATroubles due to collection of sediment are avoided because the location of opening 7 above any other part of the inner partition 5 prevents sediment in any ap reciable quantity passing to the lower cham ers, and the upward convexity of the inner partition 5 causes all of the sediment which settles out of the water to collect in the angle 6, from which it may be drawn oi from time to time throu h the tap 26. There is no opportunity for t e heating flame and products of combustion thereof to impinge on the surfaces against which sediment may collect, for the walls bounding the angle 6 are insulated from the products of combustion by the water in the chambers 10 and 14. There is also preferably, an external jacket 33 of insulatin material which surrounds the upper part o the tank and rests on a rim or flange 34: located between the lower extremity of the angle 6 and the stack 27. Condensation is avoided because the cold water is not admitted directly into the heating chamber` but is first passed through the chamber 14 which is so much larger than the conduit 13 that the water remains in it for a considerable time. Being largely surrounded by the hot water in the chamber 10, the water in chamber 14 becomes heated by conduction of heat from the surrounding Water to the degree that when it finally enters the heating chamber 12 its temperature is too high to condense the water vapor in the products of combustion from a heating flame.

It is not to be inferred from the description of the use of this heater for heating water, or from the reference to burning gas as the heatin agent, that the protection which I claim is imited to that particular use or to the employment of that particular heating agent. The invention resides in a heatin apparatus having characteristics substantia ly as herein described and hereinafter claimed for all uses to which it may be applied, and combined with any heating agent or means which may be practically used with it. So far as the new steps of the present invention are concerned, it is not important whether or not the heating means is regulated by an automatic thermostatic device, since the value of such a device is merely to prevent damage to the apparatus from overheating and to prevent waste of the heating agent; effects which, while practically necessary, are collateral to the particular objects served by my invention.

In this specification the term boiler is lul) llU

used in the sense in which it is commonly applied to hot water storage tanks for domestic use and contains no implication that the water must be heated to the boiling temperature.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Al. A water heater comprising a tank having a bottom head, a heating chamber depending from said bottom head incommunication with the space enclosed by such head, and an inner partition crossing the interior ot the tank above such head, said partition being constructed and arranged with a portion of its structure at a relatively high level, and another portion at a relatively low level forming a pocket tor collection of sediment, and having an opening in said portion at the relatively high level for passage of water into the space between itself and the bottom head, and a. tap leading from said pocket.

2. A water heater comprising a tank having a bottom, a heating chamber below said bottom, means for applying heat to said heating chamber, an inner partition above said bottom delimiting from the interior of the tank a lower chamber which is in flow-receiving communication with the heating chamber below said inner partition, whereby hot water from the heating chamber is enabled to deliver heat to the water above said par,- tition, and a conduit arranged to conduct water from above the inner partition into the heating chamber'.

3. A water heater comprising a tank having a bottom head, a heating chamber depending from said bottom head and having a water connection with the space enclosed by the head, heating means arranged to apply heat to said heating chamber, an inner partition arranged to delimit from the balance o'l the tank a space adjacent to the said bottom head, an eduction pipe for conducting hot water from said space, means for admitting cold water into the tank above said inner partition, and a conduit arranged to lead water from the space abovethe inner partition into the heating chamber.

4. A stoage water heater comprising a tank having abottom head and two inner partitions, one above the other, the upper one of said inner partitions being connected at its edges to the sides of the tank on a continuous substantially closed line, being bulged upwardly from said line and having an opening above the plane ot such line, a heating chamber beneath the bottom head and having a water conducting connection with the space above such head, and a conduit leading through the lower one of said inner partitions into said heating chamber.

5. A storage water heater comprising a. tank having a bottom head and inner partitions above said head dividing the interior of the tank into a lower chamber, an intermediate chamber and an upper chamber, and comprising also a heating chamber in communication with both the lower chamber and the intermediate chamber, means for applying heat to said heating chamber, a hot water eduction pipe leadingfrom the lower chamber, a supply conduit leading to the upper chamber, the intermediate and lower chambers being in thermal contact whereby water in the former is given a preliminary degree of heat before passing to the heating chamber; the partition between the intermediate and upper chambers having an opening for How of water and being otherwise constructed to entrap sediment settling from the water and prevent the passage of such sediment to the heating chamber.

6. A water heater comprising a tank having an interior partition arranged to form two distinct inner chambers, means for conducting cold water to one of said chambers, means tor conducting heated water from the other chamber, an exterior heating chamber, a flowdelivering connection from said exterior chamber with said heated water chamber, a flow connection from the cold water chamber through said partition and through the heated water chamber to said exterior chamber, and heating means arranged to apply a heating agent to said exterior heating chamber.

7. A water heater comprising a tank having a heating chamber the walls ot which are exposed to the products of combustion of a flame, and partitioning means within the tank arranged to delimit two separated spaces in separate communication with the heating chamber, means for conducting water into one ot said spaces, and means for conducing water away from the other space; the last named space being arranged between the heating chamber and the iirst named space.

8. A water heater comprising a tank and a gas burner beneath the tank adapted to direct a flame against the bottom portion thereof said tank including partitions delimiting a lower heating chamber with which the flame from said burner comes directly in contact, a chamber above said heating chamber having communication with the latter for receptionv of heated water therefrom, an eduction pipe leading Jfrom the second-named chamber into the upper part of the tank, a partition delimiting said second-named chamber from the upper part ot the tank and being entirely shieldedtroln the flame, and a conduit leading from the space above said last mentioned partition into said heating chamber and arranged to conduct water thereto exclusively from the second-named chamber.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

ELMER S. STACK.