US1722735A - Liquid-fuel-burning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July so, 1929. w. E. DELAND. ,73 I

LIQUIDFUEL BURNING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l ll-W H/L w ATTDRNEZU-E July 30, 1929, w. E. DELAND 1,722,735 LIQUID FUEL BURNING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1927 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

' I I II ATTEJRHEL|5= Patented July 30, 1929.

WENDELL E. DELAND, OF MTOBGESilllli'ilt, MASSAGHFSET'IS.

LIoUIn-runL-Bunnme arrena'r us; 1

Application filed December 20, 1927." Serial No. 241,406.

The invention relates to an improvement in liquid fuel burning apparatus.

The improvement pertains to an apparatus which includes a burner tank kept properly 5 supplied with fuel, and the essentlal object of the invention is to prevent flooding of this tank, together with accompanying economies in structure and arrangement.

. The improvement contemplates an arrange- -ment in which a burner tank issupplied wlth liquid fuel from a main supply tank and the fuel kept at a substantially constant level within the burner tankwith accompanying arrangement whereby excess fuel supplied to the burner tank will be discharged therefrom and instead of being returned to the main supply tarik will be delivered back into the burner tank. To put the matter in another way: 7

p The improvement contemplates the use of a pump kept continuously running .by which fuel is supplied to a burner tank from a mam supply tank with an arrangement whereby all excess fuel delivered into the burner tank beyond that which will satisfy the requirements of this tank will be discharged out of the tank and returned to the pump which redelivers it into the burner tank without drawing upon the fuel in the main tank, the fuel in the main tank being drawn upon only as the requirements of the burner tank demand withdrawal of fuel therefrom.

The improvement further contemplates an arrangement in which the burner tank is equipped with a float-controlled valve for maintaining the liquid fuel in the tank at a substantially constant level, provision being made that in case the float ceases to function and drops, thereupon the liquid fuel discharged into the burner tank will immediately be discharged therefrom by the opening of the valve, and returned to the pump to be circulated by the pump through the burner tank in the manner previously referred to, until such time as the pump ceases to function. though continuing to operate, on account of the breaking of the vacuum on the suction side of the pump. I

The improvement constituting the invention can best be seen and understood by referto ence to the drawings in which a typical embodiment thereof is shown and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view mainly in section but partly in, side elevation of the burner tank and parts incidental to it including especially the float- -11. The valve is provided with ports controlled valve for maintainin fuel de- 11 vered into the burner tank at a su stantially constant level, and I Fig. 3 is a view mainly invertical section of the valve shown in Fig. 2. f

Referring to the drawings y 1 represents the burner tank. ,2 is the burner mounted upon the tankand provided with a pipe 3 leading down into it and through which fuel therein issupplied to the burner in the usual manner. i i

4 represents the main liquid fuel supply tank from which liquid fuel is supplied to the burner tank. This liquid fuel supply tank 1s usually arranged some distance away from the burner tank and in the typical installation is locatedbelow the level of the burner tank. Leading out of the main liquid fuel supply tank 4 is a pipe connection 5 having in it a strainer 6 and connecting with the suction s1de of a pump 7 Extending from the discharge side of the pump is a pipe connection 8 leading into the burner tank for delivering thereto liquid fuel discharged by the pump.

The liquid fuel delivered into the burner tank is maintained therein at a substantially constant level, all excess fuel being discharged therefrom and redirected as will later be explained. .9 represents the liquid fuel within the burner tank. The maintenance of the fuel within the burner tank at a substantially constant level is obtained by a float-controlled valve of which 10 is the valve proper and 11 the seating portion thereof. The seating portion 11 of thevalve comprises a'tube extendingthrough the bottom of the burner tank and held fixed thereto by a flange-forming collar 12 on the inside and opposmg tightening nut 13 on the outside, the nut being arranged upon the end of the tube depending from and extending beyond the bottom of the tank. The body of the tube or' seating portion of the valve extends upward inside the tank and lies Within that portion of the tank occupied by the liquid fuel 9 contained therein. The tube is provided with one or more. ports 14. The valve 10 is in the form of a sleeve which has a sliding fit over i the seating portion of the valve ortube 15 through it which. are adapted to register or lie out of register. with the ports 14 through the valve seat depending upon the relative position of the valve and seat. Atits upper or head end the valve is pivoted at the point 16 to a yoke 17 which forms an extension to a float arm 18 to the end of which is secured a float 19. The yoke--17, extended beyond the valve, is pivoted at the point 20 to an upright or standard 21 fixed to the bottom of the tank by means of a foot 22 which is bound between the flange 12 and the bottom of the tank. In the operation of this float-' contained valve the relative arrangement of the ports through the valve and seat is such that when the tank contains, a normal and proper amount of liquid fuel the valve will be closed, the ports through the valve and seating not registering and accordingly no liquid fuel'can pass through the valve. In case the liquid fuel in thetank risesabove its normal level the fioat will open the valve and permit a discharge of liquid fuel through the valve. The valvular arrangement is also such that in case the float becomes disrupted so as to be capable of no longer properly functioning as a float and drop within the liquid in the burner tank, the valve by the dropping of the float will be opened to permit of the discharge of liquid fuel from the burner tank, the ports through the valve and its seating then regis tering.

All liquid fuel allowed to pass through the valve on the opening thereof will discharge through the tubular seating 11 of the valve and thereby be directed through the bottom of the tank into a return pipe 23 which connects with the lower projecting end of the valve seat or tube 11 through which the liquid fuel is discharged from the tank. The pipe 23 extends back and connects with the pipe connection 5 on the suction side of the pump. The operation is as follows: It will first be assumed that the pump is in continuous operation, being operated in any suitable manner. The burner tank will beinitially supplied with liquid fuel from the main fuel supply tank, being drawn from this tank by the pump and delivered into the burner tank. T0 permit-,of the initial filling of the burner tank the float is manually maintained in a position within the burner tank where it will operate to close the valve. All excess liquid fuel directed into the-burner tank will be discharged therefrom through the float-controlled valve as the float permits of such discharge when theliquid fuel in the tank rises above-a normal level. All liquid fuel thus discharged will pass back through the pipe 23 and thence will be subjected to the suction developed by the pump inasmuch as it leads directly into the suction side of the pump and accordingly the pump will act upon this returned liquid fuel rather than upon the liquid fuel in the main supply tank, inasmuch as the vacuum or partial vacuum developed by the pump-leading back intorthe main supply tank will be broken by the entry of the pipe 23 containing the liquid fuel returned from the burner tank. This efl'ect is obtained in practically any normal type of installation inasmuch as the liquid fuel returned from the burner tank is contained in a pipe having closer connection with the pump than the pipe leading back to the main supply tank which is" more or less remote. 'Besides the relative arrangement of ,the return pipe 23 and pump and the point where the return pipe connects with the pump is customarily such that the returned liqu1d .fuel will rise in the return pipe to a point appurpose of facilitating the discharge of liquidfuel therefrom as is customary in such appa- '5 ratus. This pressure acting upon the liquid fuel in the burner tank will operate through the valve when open to force the returned liquid fuel back through the return pipe to a.

position relatively near the suction side of the pump in the normal arrangement of the parts. In this way all excess liquid fuel is not returned to the main tank, but is acted upon by the pump and returned to the burner tank,

circulation of the liquid fuel thereby being effected, and the pump will not draw upon the liquid fuel in the main tank except in case the demand of the burner tank for maintaining in it a constant level of liquid fuel requires a withdrawal from the main tank.

In case the float becomes inoperative and drops, thereupon the valve will be made to open and" remain open owing to the determinate arrangement of the ports through the valve and seating. With the valve thus open the liquid fuel in the tank will begin to discharge therefrom and be returned to the pump and circulated back into the burner tank for a. certain period of time. During this period of circulation the burner will still continue to draw upon the liquid fuel in the burner tank I .until such time as the liquid fuel therein has become so lowered that the air will enter through the valve and return pipe connecting with the suction side-of the pump. Thereupon the vacuum on the pump being broken the pump though continuing to operate will cease to function as a pumpand liquid fuel will no longer be delivered into the burner tank with accompanying extinguishing of the burner.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States A; liquid fuel burning apparatus comprising in combination a burner tank, a burner nozzle in operative relation with liquid fuel in the tank, .a main liquid fuel supply tank, a pump, a connection from the. main liquid fuel supply tank connecting with the suction side of the pump, a connection leading from the discharge side of the pump and connecting with the burner tank for supplying liquid fuel thereto a return connection back from the burner tank connecting with the suction side of the pump whereby the pump acting on the liquid fuel returned through said connection will deliver it back into the burner tank, a float-controlled valve for maintaining liquid fuel discharged into the burner tan at a substantially constant level with permitted discharge of excess liquid fuel from the tank by the opening of the valve, said valve being adapted and arranged also to be 10 opened on a determinate dropping of the float as in case of disruption permitting discharge of liquid fuel from the burner tank into said return connection and permitting entry of air therethrough when the, liquid fuel in the tank 15 has been lowered a determinate amount by the continued operation of the burner.

WENDELL E. DELAND.

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