US1732055A - Humidifier - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 15,1929. w, p LEE 1,732,055

.HUMIDIFIER Filed May 8, 1928 WWI' ATTORNEY Patented Oct. l5, 1929 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM P. LEE, F NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA.

HUMIDIFIEB Application tiled Hay B, 1928. Serial No. 276,121.

This invention relates to humidifers for use in homes, schools, and other buildings.

A primary object of the invention is to so construct a humidifier that it may utilize the waste heat from the smoke pipe of a heating plant to warm and va or1ze a spray of water for the purpose o introducing the proper amount of moisture into the air in a building.

It is well known that the lack of humidity in homes and schools and the change from an inside humidity of about 30% to an outside of about 60% causes a vast amount of sickness, more particularly catarrh, colds, and l5 diseases of the mucous membranes. Moreover, with a high percentage of humidity, the temperature' may be reduced from five to seven degrees and the occupants of the building be made more comfortable than with a highertem eratureandalowerhumidity. For instance, tlie reduction in temperature of say five to seven degrees results in the saving of from 12% to 25% in consumption of fuel in addition to the other advantages above set forth. It has been found by experience that a room temperature of 65 F. 1s very comfortable when the humidity is 50%, while when the humidity is a temperature of 72 or 75 F. is required to produce the same 30 comfort.

It is to obtain this improved result that this invention is designed.

Another obj ect is to so construct the humidifier that a circulation of air may be produced within a building by drawing in cold air from a point remote, warming it, and causing it to clrculate around a sectlon of smoke pipe, saturating it with moisture and discharging it back into the building as warmed, moist, cleansed air.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modification Vwithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the claimed invention there being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and practical form, in which;

Figure 1 represents a side elevation with parts broken out, of a humidifier constructed 5 1n accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a to plan view.

In the embodlment illustrated, the humidifier 1 constituting this invention comprises a pipe section 2 of approximately the same diameter and length of the section of smoke pipe which it is designed to replace in the smoke pipe of a furnace or other heater.

A jacket 10 is arranged around the pipe section 2, said jacket being larger in diameter than said section but shorter in length, and having its ends closed except where the pipe section 2 passes therethrough.

In the side wall of the jacket 10 at or near one end thereof is an opening 11 preferably having mounted therein a pipe 11'l for the entrance of the cold air, and at or near the other end of the casing 10 is an openin 12 with a pipe 12 leading therefrom and w ich is designed for the discharge of warmed moistened air.

Wound around the pipe section 2 within the casing or jacket 10 is a small metal pipe or tube 13 which terminates within the casing at one end in a spray nozzle 14 arranged to discharge against one side wall of the casing, for a purpose presently to be described. The other end of this coil pipe 13 extends through the casin and is provided with a control valve 15 or regulatin the sup ly of water through the coil 13, it eing undorstood that this coil ipe or tube 13 is desi ned for the passage t erethrough of water om city or other pressure supply source. The valve 15 is connected by suitable levers, not shown, with the front or check damper of the furnace so that the amount of water passing through the coil 13 will be controlled by the opening and closing of the front damper of the furnace.

At the end of the pipe 2 nearest the chimney, islocated a check damper 3 which replaces the damper usually located nearer the eating plant, said check damper being .designed to allow the section 2 contained within the jacket 10 to retain the heat by allowing the air which checks the draft cf the heatin plant to enter back of the humidifier.

In t e side of the jacket 10 o posite the spray nozzle 14, is placed a smal trap door 16 to afford access to the nozzle to adapt it to be adjusted to meet the requirement for which the humidifier is intended, such as the amount of water needed for saturating the air for use in a different number of rooms and to be supplied under various conditions.

A small drain 17 is located at the lower part of the jacket 10 for the return of any excess water which is not vaporized.

This humidifier while primarily designed for use in connection with hot water or steam plants may be easily attached to furnaces by extending the cold air inlet pipe 11a to connect with the cold air intake of the furnace, and discharging the moist hotair from the outlet pipe 12a directly into the upper air chamber of the furnace from Which-it will be carried to all the hot air outlets.

It is also to be understood that this humidifier may be made in any desired shape, arranged at any angle to suit the space to be occupied, and the plant in connection with which it is to be used, the only requirement being that the cold air pipe 11 shall be lower than the hot air or hot moisture discharge pipe 12". It is also to be understood that air passing through this humidifier may be cleansed and purified by allowing a larger amount of water to pass through than can be vaporized so that the excess water flowi ing back through the drain pipe 17 will carry off the impur1t1es.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily ap arent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course he understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

I claim 1. In a humidifier, a pipe section adapted to replace a similar section of a smoke ipe' from a heating plant, a casing surrounding said pipe section and of greater diameter than said section, said casing being closed at its ends except where the pipe section passes therethrough, said casing having an air inlet at one end and an' outlet at the other, a small pipe coiled around the pipe section within said casing and provided at one end within the casing with a discharge nozzle and having the other end extending through the casing and provided with a control valve.

2. In' a humidifier, a pipe section adapted to replace a similar sectlon of a smoke pipe from a heating plant, a casing surrounding said pipe section and of greater diameter than said section, said casing being closed at its ends except where the pipe section passes therethrough, said casing having an air inlet at one end and an outlet at the other, a small pipe coiled around the pipe section within said casing and provided at one end within the casing with a discharge nozzle and having the other end extending through the casing and provided with a control valve, and 'a drain plpe leading from said casing to carry ofil any excess water not fully vaporized.

3. A humidifier'comprising a smoke pipe section, a casing surrounding said section, said casing being provided with means for receiving and discharging air which is heated in its passage through the casing, a small pipe coiled around the pipe section within said casing and provided at one end within the casing with a discharge nozle and having its other end extending through the casing and provided with a control valve.

Signed at Northfield in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota this 30 day of April A. D. 1928.

WILLIAM P. LEE.

Images