US1758017A - Method of and apparatus for controlling the temperature of mammoth incubators - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1930. H. L. WATSON 1,758,017

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF MAMMOTH INCUBATORS 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11.

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Filed Feb. 11. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5' Indentor: flar'oldjwai'son, Fj V7 .f/ftorneys.

Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD I]. WATSON, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE AS- SIG-NMEN TS, TO AMERICAN IN CUBATORS, INC., OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF MAMMOTH INCUBATORS Application filed February My invention is especially adaptable to that class of incubators, generally known as mammoth incubators, which embody a plurality of egg containing compartments arranged in superposed tiers one above the other, and having heat radiating means extending through the several compartments in each tier connected with a suitable water heating unit from which warm water is supplied to heat the compartments.

It is requisite for the successful operation of incubators of this general class that the difierent compartments be maintained during most of the hatching period at substantially uniform temperatures and considerable difficulty has been experienced in effecting this result by reason of the fact that when the heating water is drawn from a common source and thence conducted to the different superposed tiers the compartments in the lower tiers are generally found to be cooler than those in the upper tiers.

In U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,508,569 granted to me August 5, 1924, and entitled Improvements in heating systems for mammoth incubators, I disclosed and claimed a heating system comprising a heating unit for supplying hot Water and piping extending therefrom to the radiating means of each tier in such manner that the water for the upper tier is taken from a lower point in the common source than the water for the lower tier, with the result that relatively hotter water is continuously supplied to the latter than to the former to thereby compensate for the normally cooler position in which the lower tier is disposed. While a heating system constructed in accordance with the disclosure of my said application is entirely satisfactory in practical operation, it is obvious that, once installed, it is subsequently operative to always direct the hottest water to a given tier and relatively cooler water to other tiers although certain conditions often arise in the operation of mammoth incubators under which it is desirable to selectively direct to a given tier, either continuously or for a short period only, relatively hotter or colder water than would normally flow thereto yet without changing the temperature of the water the other decks.

11, 1925. Serial No. 8,370.

flowing to the other tiers. Obviously such result cannot be effected by increasing or decreasing the fire in the heating unit for by so doing the temperature of the entire body of heating water is raised or lowered with corresponding increase or decrease in temperature of the water flowing to all of the units.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of selectively controlling the temperature of the compartments in the difierent tiers or decks of mammoth incubators by directing hotter or colder heating water drawn from a source coimnon to all of the decks, respectively, into each of them inaccordance with the degree of temperature which it is desired to maintain in the compartments thereof, said method being capable of performance in such manner that the temperature of the compartments in any given deckcan be controlled without affecting the temperature maintained in those of A further object of my invention is the provision of apparatus for the performance of the aforesaid method and which may be so operated as to selectively direct to a given deck of a mammoth incubator heating water of relatively higher or lower temperature than is being directed to other decks, the heating water for all of the decks being drawn from a source common to all of them and heated by a single heating unit.

My invention further includes all of the other objects, novel steps and methods of operation and features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more particularly specified and described or which will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated various forms of apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and suitable for the performance of my improved method.

It will be understood that the invention may be utilized in connection with a mammoth incubator embodying any desired number of superposed decks each of which is generally divided to form egg containing com partments, and each of which ordinarily embodies suitable heat radiating means extending therein or therethrough, and I have therefore shown in the said drawings only such portions of an incubator having three decks as is necessary for an adequate comprehension of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view of one end of such an incubator in operative combination with one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the heating unit and associated parts shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the wall of the unit being broken away to better disclose the arrangement of certain parts disposed therein, and Fig. 3 is a front slevation thereof, partially in fragmentary section on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail vertical section of certain of the parts of a slightly modified form of apparatus, while Fig. 5 a front elevation, subetantially similar to Fig. 1 save that certain parts are broken away in vertical section, illustrating a still further modified form of apparatus arranged for thermostatic as distinguished from manual ope "ation. Like symbols are used to designate corresponding parts in the different figures.

The incubator as shown comprises three superposed decks or tiers A, B and C, although a greater or less number may be utilized, each containing a plurality of compartmcnts having radiating means R comprising coils or pipes extending therethrough and connected, as hereinafter more particularly described, with a heating unit or furnace H substantially of the construction usual to heaters of this character save in the particulars hereinafter referred to. This heater which is conveniently placed adjacent but spaced from one end of the decks may be pro vided with ash and fire doors D, D and with a smoke pipe S for carrying away the products of combustion as well as with a water jacket J substantially surrounding the inner fire pot K thereby providing a chamber or space for containing the water to be heated. As heaters of this general class are well known and the construction of the various parts to which reference has been made is thoroughly understood, further description thereof would be superfluous.

Suitable means are provided for controlling the fire in the heater, preferably by actuation of the doors D, D so as to maintain the water in the jacket J at a predetermined substantially constant temperature, said means in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 comprising an expansion tank T supported at the upper end of a pipe E communicating with the interior of the jacket and containing a float F arranged to actuate a lever L pivotally supported adjacent the tank, the ends of the lever being connected by cords or chains G with the doors D, D in such manner that when the float is raised from a predetermined position by expansion of the water in the system due to increase in temperature thereof, the doors of the heater will be operated to reduce the rate of combustion therein, and vice versa when the float is lowered, thus maintaining the water at a substantially constant temperature. This method of controlling the heater and the means to which reference has just been made in connection therewith are convenient for accomplishing the desired function but other means may be employed for that purpose such, for example, as a thermal unit, as here inafter referred to in connection with the form of invention shown in Fig. 5, or any other means suitable for so controlling the heater as to maintain the water at a substantially constant predetermined temperature.

In accordance with my invention the jacket wall of the heater is extended on one side, conveniently that intended to be placed adj acent the end of the incubator, so as to form a water chamber 1 enclosed by a vertical side wall 2, bottom wall 3, preferably horizontally disposed top wall 4 and end walls 5-5, these several walls being preferably cast integral with the jacket wall, the chamber l being in free communication with the interior of the jacket and in effect forming an extension thereof. It is from this chamber that the heating water is directed, in the manner to be described, into the several radiators R, the chamber thus forming a common source from which all of the heating water for the incubator is drawn, and means are provided whereby the water for certain of the radiators or decks may be withdrawn from a higher or lower point in the chamber in which, of course, the contained water becomes progressively cooler as the bottom of the chamber is approached due to the natural tendency of the hottest water to seek the upper part of the chamber.

For the purpose of conducting water from the heater to the radiator R disposed in the lower deck C and thence returning it to the heater after it has circulated through the radiator, a pipe 6 may be carried from the upper part of the chamber 1, at which point the water is, of course, the hottest, to the radiator and a return pipe 7 carried to the lower part of the chamber to which it is connected through the medium of one of the nipples 8, the water thus passing to the radiator in deck 0 through pipe 6 being of the same temperature as the water in the upper part of the jacket which is, as heretofore described, maintained at a substantially constant predetermined temperature by suitable regulation of the fire in the heater.

1n the form of apparatus to which particular reference is now being made, the independent and selective distribution of the water to the upper decks is effected through the medium of a plurality of vertically movthe same.

able pipes which extend into the chamber and respectively communicate with fixedly positioned pipes through which the heating water is conducted to certain of the decks, suitable means being provided for adjusting the movable pipes independently whereby their lower or inlet ends can be positioned at the same or at different vertical heights within the chamber so that the water flowing thereinto and thence passing to the decks with which they communicate can be taken either from different levels or from the same level therein as may be desired.

As the construction and arrangement of each fixed and movable pipe and of the means for moving the latter are similar to each of the others, a description of one of them together with its controlling means will suffice and the following description will therefore be more particularly directed to the movable pipe and associated mechanism which lies at the left hand side of the sheet in Fig. 2 and which may be operated to control the temperature of the water flowing to deck A, the same numerals, however, but with the addition of a prime being used to respectively designate corresponding parts which are operable to control the temperature of the water flowing to deck B.

Thus, for conducting the water to the radiator in deck A, a pipe 10 is arranged to extend from the inlet end of the radiator to a point adjacent the upper part of the chamber 1, the pipe preferably passing through the wall 4 thereof to terminate a little below That part of the pipe adjacent the chamber is surrounded by and enclosed in a movable pipe or sleeve 11, the lower part of which extends into the chamber and terminates therein and the upper part of which extends above the wall 4:. This movable pipe forms a snug but sliding fit on the pipe 10, and for preventing leakage where the movable pipe passes through the wall a suitable stuffing box, conventionally represented at 12, may be provided, and in a similar manner another stufling box 13 may be arranged at the upper end of the movable pipe to prevent leakage at that point between it and the pipe 10. For returning the heating water to the lower part of the chamber 1 or other convenient part of the water space within the heater a return pipe 14 is extended from the outlet end of the radiator R and connected into the wall 2 through one of the nipples 8. Thus the heating water can free ly circulate upwardly in the conduit formed by the movable pipe 11 and the fixed outlet pipe 10, thence through the radiating coils and thence to the lower part of the chamber 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and it will be apparent that the temperature of the. water as it enters the lower end of the pipe 11 will be determined by the vertical height at which that end of the pipe is disposed within the chamber.

For the purpose of raising and lowering the movable pipe 11 any suitable means may be employed, a convenient form thereof comprising a vertically extending rack 18 having its upper end secured to a lug 19 fixed in any suitable way adjacent the upper end of the pipe in such manner that the rack will depend adjacent the wall 2 for cooperation with a pinion 20 mounted on a shaft 21 journaled in a lug 22 carried by and conveniently cast integral with the acket J and a bracket 23 bolted to the face of the wall 2 the projecting end of the shaft adjacent the gear being squared to receive a removable hand crank 25 by means of which the shaft may be rotated and the gear thereby caused to impart vertical movement to the rack so as to slide the movable pipe 11 up or down as may be desired, the pipe 10, of course, remaining stationary during this operation as well as at all other times. For steadying the rack and holding it in alignment as well as for preventing rotation of the movable pipe which, should it occur, might throw the rack out of engagement with the gear, the free end of the rack may be snugly but slidably extended through a suitable guide 26 secured to the wall 2 or other convenient point.

It will thus be apparent that by suitable operation of the crank the movable pipe 11 may be raised or lowered so as to bring its lower end to any desired point of vertical adjustment in the chamber 1 and that in a similar manner the other movable pipe 11' may be similarly raised or lowered, the adjustment of either pipe being entirely inde pendent of the other. Thus, for example, both pipes may be set substantially as shown in Fig. 2 in which case the warmest water will be directed through pipe 10, and somewhat cooler water through pipe 10, but any other adjustment of the movable pipes may be made so that relatively hotter or cooler water will be selectively directed to either of the upper decks or water of the same temperature to all of the difierent decks, as may be desired and in accordance with the degree of temperature which it is desired to maintain therein.

In Fig. 4 I have indicated certain parts of a modified form of apparatus for effecting the same result. In this apparatus instead of employing a vertically movable pipe in association with each fixed outlet pipe, I extend the fixed outlet pipe 10 through the top wall 4 of the auxiliary chamber and terminate the pipe a little short of the bottom wall 3 thereof, the end of the pipe being preferably closed by a plug 30. The portion of the pipe projecting below the top wall 4 is surrounded by a pipe or sleeve 31 which extends through a stuffing box 32 carried by the wall 4 and is provided, exterior of the wall and at its upper extremity, with another stutfing box 33 to prevent leakage around the fixed pipe 10. The lower end of the fixed pipe may be provided with an operatively fixed-collar 34 to afford vertical support to the movable pipe which latter, to enable its convenient rotation, may be provided with a handle 35 above the wall 4. F or determining the level at which the water from the chamber will be drawn, that part of pipe 10 enclosed by the movable pipe is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced slots or openings 36 and the movable pipe with other openings or slots 37 horizontally aligned therewith but preferably'so spaced circunrferentially of the movable pipe that when any slot 37 is in registry with any slot 36, all of the other slots in the movable and in the fixed pipe will be out ofregistry with each other. Thus by rotating the movable pipe about the fixed pipe by means of the handle 35, registration can be effected between slots at different vertical heights so as to admit water of ditierent temperatures to the fixed pipe which can then How to the'particular deck with which such pipe is connected in the manner hitherto described. It is believed that theoperation of this form of apparatus will be readily comprehended without further description, it being of course understood that a movable pipe is employed in connection with each fixed pipe extending from the heater to the upper incuhater decks.

In the forms of apparatus hitherto described the adjustment of the movable pipes effected by manually operable means so that oncesaid means have been set to a given position the relative temperatures of the water flowing to the different decks will remain constant irrespective of any variations in temperatureoccurring in one or more of the decks by reason of some local condition or the like. Thus, for example, assuming the movable pipes to have been set by the operator in such manner as to directsomewhat cooler water to the middle deck than is flowing to the lower deck and still cooler water to the upper deck and that a local condition arises by which the air adjacent'the upper deck is suddenly materially lowered in temperature, it would of course be desirable to promptly direct relatively warmer water to that deck to compensate for the eiiect of such local condition on the temperature inside the deck. This, with the forms of apparatus hitherto described, could be readily accomplished by the operator if he were aware of such local condition but in theabsence of the requisite manual adjustment'by him of the movable'pipe controlling that deck, the relatively cool water would, of course, continue to flow thereto. Itmay thus be d'esirablein certain'types oi installations to provide'means for automatically adjusting the movable pipes in conformity with-fluctuations in temperature in the upper decks so as to obviate the necessity for manual adjustment thereof under'suchconditions, and I'shall therefore now describe an apparatuscomprising means for that purpose and which is illustrated in Fig. of the accompanying drawings.

In this apparatus the decks A, B and C as Well as the heaterHmay conveniently be of form and arrangement similar to those already described, theseveral decks being provid ed with'radia tors R, that in the lower deck being connected directly with the upper part of thechamberl of the heater by a pipe 6 and with thelower part of the chamber by a return pipe? so as to receive and return water directly"fromand to thechamber. Instead of employingan expansion tank for regulating the hea'ter'doorst-o control the fire as in the form of the invention hitherto described, I may, if desired, employ asuitable thermal unit U for this purpose, and such a uhit'is shown'disposed at a suitable point in the pipe- 6 and connected with the lower heater door D. Obviously: however, the expansion tank method of control can be used equally well in this form of theinvention or the thermal unit control employed in the form of the in vention" first described if desired and arranged to operate either one or both doors. for, as previously stated, the means utilized for controlling the rate of combustion of the fire in the heater and in turn the temperature of the water in the'heater jacket may be of any form suitable for the purpose.

For returning the water from the radiators in theupper decks I may provide suitable return pipes 40, 40 connected tothe lower part of the chamber 1 by nipples 8 similarly to the form of the invention hitherto described. while for conducting the heating water to the middle and upper decks I provide outlet pipes 42 which extend vertically upward, on'e tor each deck, from the upper wall 4 of the auxiliary chamber and to which they are connected by fixed nipples 43; from each of these outlet pipes a branch outlet pipe 44 extends to the inlet end of the respective radiators, being connected to the outlet pipe by a fitting or T 45. Slidably suspended within each outlet pipe so as to extend down into the chamber 1 is a vertically movable pipe 46 whose upper end is connected to a rod or wire 47 extending out of the upper end of the outlet pipe, which is preferably left open for that purpose; this wire 47 is connected to one end of a lever arm 49 either directly, or through the medium of an interposed link 48 as shown in connection with arm 49, which is pivoted on a bracket 50 carried by the adjacent deck and provided with an adjustable counterweight 51 upon the opposite side of the bracket so as'to counterbalance the weight of the movable pipe and attached parts. For guiding and steadying the link 48 suitable guides lit) 52 may be disposed on the end of the deck A and the link extended therethrough.

Within each deck other than the lower deck and in a position tobe readily aifected by changes of temperature therein, a thermostat 55 of any suitable form and construction is supported in any convenient manner in association with a movable arm 56 connected by a link 57 with the adjacent lever 49 in such manner that the expansion and contraction of the thermally actuated elements of the thermostat in conformity with fluctuations in temperature in the deck are operative to swlng the lever about its pivot and thus ralse or lower the movable pipe 46 so as to move its lower or inlet end to a higher or lower position in the chamber with consequent regulation of the temperature of the water flowing therethrough to that particular deck. Thus, upon an increase of temperature in any deck, the thermostat therein will automatically expand and thereby lower the movable pipe so as to direct cooler water into the deck until the temperature therein is brought back to normal with corresponding actuation of the thermostat to again raise the pipe to the position to which it was initially adjusted and, correspondingly, upon a decrease of temperature in the deck the movable pipe controlling it will, through the operation of the thermostat, be raised to direct hotter water into the deck until normal conditions are again restored. It will of course be obvious that, if desired, means of any suitable character may be provided for shortening or lengthening the wires or rods 47 so as to permit the movable pipes to be initially adjusted to any desired height.

While I have herein described'and illustrated with some particularity certain forms of apparatus comprehended by and constructed in accordance with my invention and well adapted for the performance of my improved method for controlling the temperature of mammoth incubators, I do not thereby desire or intend to limit myself solely to the employment of such apparatus for the performance thereof nor to any specific form, construction or arrangement of the various elements entering into such apparatus as the same may be modified or varied from the precise embodiments and forms to which reference has herein been made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. The methodlof controlling the temperature in different decks of a mammoth incubator which consists in selectively directing hotter or colder heating water from a common source into each of said decksupon a decrease or increase of the temperature therein.

2. The method of maintaining substantially constant predetermined temperatures in different decks of a mammoth incubator which consists in causing the heating water for the different decks to flow thereinto from higher'or lower point in a common reservoir from which all of said water is drawn to thereby compensate for fluctuations in the respective temperatures in the different decks.

3. The method of controlling the respective temperatures in difi'erent decks of a mammoth incubator which consists in selectively directing heating water from different levels in a common reservoir into the respective decks, said levels being determined in conformity with the temperature it is desired to maintain in each deck.

4. The method of controlling the respective temperatures in different decks of a mammoth incubator which consists in selectively varying the levels in a common reser-' voir from which the heating water is conducted to the respective decks in conformity with the temperature it is desired to maintain in each deck.

5. The method of controlling the respective temperatures in different decks of a mammoth incubator which comprises the steps of selectively directing heating water from a common source to the different decks and varying the levels from which the water is drawn from said source to selectively regulate the temperatures within the different comprising egg containing compartments and radiating means therein, of a water heating unit, a conduit extending from the unit to one of said radiating means'and comprising a stationary pipe and a pipe movable with respect thereto and extending into said unit and a return conduit extending from the radiating means to the water heating unit.

8. The combination with a mammoth incubator having a plurality of separate decks comprising egg containing compartments and radiating means therein, of a water heating unit, a conduit extending from the unit to one of said radiating means, separate conduits ext-ending from said unit to each of the other radiating means, each comprising a stationary pipe and a movable pipe xtending into the unit, means for effecting movement of each of said movable p pes independently whereby the heating water can be seand radiating-means therein, of a water heater having a water heating chamber, a conduit extending from said chamber to one of said radiating means, and a separate conduit extending from said chamber toanother o t'isaid radiating means and comprising a stationary pipe and a movablepipe communicating therewith projecting into :the chamber and having an (opening within the chamber through which water can flow into the pipe, means tor moving the movable pipe so as to vary the position ,of said opening in the ch amber and return conduits extending from said radiating means to the water heater.

10. The combination with a mammoth incubator having a plurality of separate decks comprising .egg containing compartments and radiating means therein, or a water heater having a water heating chamber, a conduit extending from saidlchamber to one of said radiating means, and conduits extending from said chamber to each of the other of Said radiating means, each of said last mentioned conduits comprising a fixed pipe and a movable pipe communicating therewith, projecting into the chamber vand having an opening within the chamber through which water can flow into the pipe, means for independently positioning each movable pipe so asto permit the heating water to flow thereinto and thence to its communicating fixed pipe from a higher or lower level in the chamber and return'conduits extending from saidradiating means to the water heater.

11. The combination with a mammoth incubator comprising a plurality of separate superposed decks each having radiating means therein, of a water heating unit having a water chamber, and separate conduits for conducting heating \vater from the chamber to eachogf said radiating means, said conduits for each of the upper decks comprising a movable pipe extending from within the chamber and a fixed pipeextending from the movable pipe to the radiating means, means for. effecting. vertical-adjustment of the movable pipe whereby the lower .end thereof may bewdi spiosed at a hig er .orlower point within he hamber nd return conduits extending from saidradiatingmeans. to the water heat ing unit,

12,-- The comb nat on wit a mammoth incubator comprising, a plurality of separate decks each having radiating means therein, of a water heating unit having a water chamber forming a common water heating source for all of said radiating means, means for selectively determining the point in said chamber from which the heating water for certain of the radiating means will respectively be drawn, said means comprising a separate fixed pipe extending from each radiating means and a movable pipe communicating therewith and extending into the heating chamber and having an inlet disposed therein, and means for adjusting each movable pipe independently of each of the other movable pipes so as to vary the position of its inlet with respect to the chamber, and return conduits extending from the radiating'means to the water heating unit.

13. The combination with a mammoth incubator comprising a plurality of separate decks each having radiating means therein, ofa water heating unit having a water chamber forming a common water heating source for all of said radiating means, means for selectively determining the point in said chamber from which the heating water for certain of said radiating means will be drawn comprising a separate conduit extending from the chamber to each of said radiating means and embodying pipes, one of which is vertically movable with respect to another, communicating therewith and having its lower end disposed within the chamber, means for efi'ecting vertical adjustment of each movable pipe independently, and return conduits extending from the radiating means to the water heating unit.

14. The combination with a mammoth incubator comprising a plurality of separate decks each having radiating means therein, of a water heating unit having a water chamber forming a common water heating source for all of said radiating means, means for selectively determining the level in said chamber from which the heating water for some of said radiating means will be drawn, said means for each of said radiating means comprising a separate conduit formed of relatively movable telescopic pipes one of which has its lower end disposed within the chamber and is vertically movable with respect thereto, means comprising a rack and pinion cooperative with said vertically movable pipe-for adjustably controlling the position thereof with respect to the chamber, and return conduits extending from the radiating means to the water heating unit.

15. The combination with a mammoth incubator comprising a plurality of separate decks each havingradiating means therein, of a water heating unit having a water chamber forming a common water heating source for all of said radiating means, means for selectively determining the level in said chamber from which the heating water for some of the radiating means will be drawn and comprising for each of said radiating means a separate conduit formed of relatively movable pipes arranged to telescope one within the other, one of said pipes being movable with respect to the chamber and hav ing its lower end disposed therein, means comprising a rack carried by each movable pipe and a gear cooperative with the rack for raising and lowering the pipe so as to vary the height of its lower end with respect to the chamber, and return conduits extending from the radiating means to the water heating unit. o In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of February, 1925.

HAROLD L. WATSON.

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