US1759586A - Steam-heating system - Google Patents

Description

F. H. MONTREUIL STEAM HEATING SYSTEM 2' SheeLs-SheefI 2 Filed sept. 24, 1925 Patented May zo, 1930l FRANK H. MONTREUIL,

-WEBSTER a OOMIANYQA'. CORPORATION 4on NEW 'JERSEY n STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM Appucatimidiedk september 2li,Y 192.5. serial Nq. 58,277,

My invention hasvforr its object asimple yand inexpensive means for heatinga garage or other small building adjacent to but separated from Aa residence. or main building z 5 which is provided with a steam heating 'system, .whereby the steam supply for heating the garage Vmay be derived from the'boiler of tlie heatingsystem in the residence 0r main. building and wherein the heating ofthe ga- 1o rage or other small buildingm'ay be accomplished without danger ofthe waterofcondensation in the'pipes or'radiators becoming frozen( n It frequently'happens that-residences are provided with small 'garages' or Otheriso- 4lated out-buildings whicherequireheat but` do not warrant the installation of'a separate ,distinct heating plant,l .and attempts have beenfinade to supply the'steam forjlieating` radiators or coils in the gara'geror out-building from` the( boiler in thef'residence ormain building. Experience. has demonstrated, however, that itis not :feasible to employ an extension vof the usual system fof steam'heating employedin the residence orfmain building as a means of heating the garage or outbuilding as if ity was anextra room. yItf-has been found thatsuch attempts have lresulted building and comprising a boiler and a two-v pipe system wherein the steam is supplied to the radiators by one set'ofpipes and the yWater of condensationtherefrom is returned by gravity through a secondset of pipesanddelivered to the boiler, combined with lradiators in the garagek or yOut-,building coupled with-,the boiler bypipingso as to Operate as a one-pipe system, thelwater loficondensa- Y tion .from said radiators returning to lthe boiler by gravity` and the air liberated in the radiators being permitted to'escape into the atmosphere through a suitable automaticiY .l valve device which permits such escape of. vair but prevents the escape of steam and, Y

preferably, alsoprevents an inflow; of air.

or 'rietILADIIL-rima,l PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR To yWARREN The residence or building is heated by means ofthe usual two-pipe gravity sys-v 'fil tem, preferably of the modulation type: and

under anormal predetermined .differential across the radiators, whereas the'pgarage is heated-by a one-pipe systemwherein the .wa-

ter ofr condensation returns through a pipe-P buried in the groundfsufliciently low to -prevent Vfreezing and delivers to thefboilerby gravity, and wherein the steam is supplied to the one-pipe connection with the radiators in the garage or out-buildingift'without A a pres- .sure differential across the radiators) ,Iwhethuer. thesame is delivered through a buried supplyl and'return pipeor through a separate boxed steam supply-main in parallel connection with the water return pipe `when the dis- 1' tance between the residence or main building and the' garage or Out-building yis relatively small and temperature .conditionsare not too severe. l

My Vinvention also comprehends detailsk of n. vrOonstructon which, together with the features above enumerated, are more fully described hereinafter and lpointed out in the'claims. Referring'to the drawings :Figj l is a vertical section of a residence and agarage equipped with heating apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modic'ation ofmy invention; and'Fig.` v

3 is a vertical section of thel garage radiator air reliefvalve. v

, p k9o l represents the residence or main building. n 2 represents asteam boileror generator suitable for generating steamofa-pressure sulii- Y l 'ciento for the purposes of a gravity system of steam heating, suchfas maybe required to properly-heat a residence or!V main building. 3 is la steam main-receivingsteam from thefboiler 'and provided with steam risers 4 leading tothe radiators 5in Athe diiferent rooms of the building, and the steamvsupplied to lthe radiatorsinay be ycontrolled by suitable valves 6. Y The water of condensation from the Vradiators passes therefrom down-V ward through vertical return pipes 8 which connect into a return main 7 in the basement from which-the water of condensation may pass to a receiver 10i in whicha'st'atic head VVV15 @may be maintained and from which ,receiver said water' is gradually Ydelivered `througha ypipe 10? and checkfvalfve 11' intothe loweri'V part of the boilerQ: The'radiators 5 are provided,"at theirA discharge openings, with suit-V;

able vvautomatic traps 9l which permity the passage of water and ai-r into-the returnpipes 8, but restrict the passage of steam. A sys- ;temfof this 'character'is well known as a two- VVanelevation in Vthe room space which willV provide a staticheadin the return pipe. coml Eposed of parts 16 and1fl7` from the radiator vpipe or gravity system and lis adapted to operate Vunder,relatively. -low steam pressure,

but employs a diferentialtin pressure be- ;tween the supply-*and returnfsides of the systern to insure; circulation and hence is provided with additional means embodied in the staticV head for positively returning the water --of condensation to theboiler against boiler pressure. f "12 represents a relatively :small: size compared to' the main building orjresidence and,y usuallylocated at a short distance from theresidence" and builtl directlyA VVupon' .the v ground. TheA roomk space therein f is varranged Vrelatively Vlow v'with re- .Y `spectto 'the floors Y of fthe residenceV and more lorV lesson a level Witli'the'basernent inv-which the boiler isv located. *,.The radiator 13 arranged .within'the garage is best made in the form yof av wall radiator andsuspended at equivalent to; the static'head` which would bei required to return the :water offcondensaf tion? into the boiler by gravity in the residence or. mainv building, saidV elevation of the ra-dia- Vtorvonlybeing required 'when theV garageV #floor isv substantially at or below the water level .in theboiler. If for any reason :the

- Yfloor level of the garage should-be atV afsuiicient Vheight above the water level inthe -boilerequivalentl to the height'of the' static head required, then the radiatoror heating Vunit might be supported directly from the V'floors If, on the other hand, the floor ofthe Y' v 'garage.was"so'lowv down that it was,V considfwithsteam: throughpthe `over Y Y which'fisasuspendedfabove thegroundlevel.

erably below 'the water levelA in the boiler, it would then be necessaryithat this'radiator or heatingf unitfbeelevatedlto approximately the upper' part ofntheroom space;- even if adjacent the *ceiling*y ,s The rad'ator .13 inf the Vga-raie isfsiipplied ead pipeV v14 and'ra'diator sandpreferably boxed iniV This steam supply.,l main@ 14 lis preferably :inolined frornits end-.zwhichgventers the Vg'a-rag'efla'fnd corineotediby a vertical .pipe 151 leading down:-

garage'y orV out-building of,

radiator;

pipe 15 through said b lanclrll yinto or pipe 14, at" its, end inv theV residence or main building, has'a Vdownward branch 14a connectingrwith the steam Vmain 3 from'the vboiler; and this pipe 14 may befeXtended 30 downward as a drip pipeilS and f connected e to the pipe 11b (providing Va .connection from' the return pipe 17 to the boiler) so that any g water of condensation lwhich' flows backward fromv the pipe 14fwill be transferred, Y e5;

bygravity, to thereturnrside'ofthe system. 1

The return pipe'Y 17 connects by pipevv 11b with the .lower part of :the boiler Q kand a -checkvalve '11*l is preferably insertedinsaid headV pipe 11a, to permit the. wateriof condensation toflow intotheboiler'bvvgravtf' 'i butrpreventk the outward flow of the water from, the boiler." InYV addition to. the check f valve 11, a check valve 11"V is 'alsoarranged?9K5V 10 and the drip pipe 18 to prevent flow `of water from's'aid static 'head pipe l()a Vinto the dripY pipe Yas wellas preventing 'it-*flowingj -back into the returnpipe 17,1 Y

VReferring further-tofthe'radiatorrldn the Y garage,-the end thereof mostl distant .from the vent-pipe is provided with an automatic vent valve 21 (which may be' ofV la thermostatic VA"11o construction) which will permit'the passage of airbut preventthe:` passage of steam. The discharge from said thermostatic. valve i maypass into the atmosphere through a check valve'22 which is'sofarranged -as to permit i15`*v ytheescapeof air from vthe system but prevent the inflowof air thereto, so that'if there Vis avacuuInproduced'within' the radiator, itmay:l be maintained-until overcome bythe Y inflow of steam. The' vent pipe20: also is 7120 provided with a manually operablenvalve 23 by. means of which the escape-of airfrom the radiatorI may be controlled whereby the heating-capacity ofi the radiator lmay be'kvaried;

by'air binding it to a greater or lesserextenhk `A125V l Yadmission of; steam.V A

as desired; to limit the available space forthe 'It'will be Seen from Vthe foregoing '1 tionthat, whilea predetermined differential in pressure is provided` across the radiators in FBO It willvr further vbe seen that the .supply pi-pe 11b between the boiler and the static-jaenV 'l inthe pipellbV between the staticghead pipe f Vsteamsupply connection 19V is provided-with- Y a'verticalventpipe-20 whose lowerlendV is j connectedto 'the radiator alittle Vabove the'fio Apossiblelevel ofthe water of condensationf therein which may accumulate whenheating Y up thel radiator, andtlie' upper end of said d the ktwo-pipe gravity system employed Jfor heating the residence or main building and suitable' static head or other equivalent means in the returns iis-required to insure the delivery of the water ofcondensation into Vthe boiler against the pressure therein, the radiatorin the garage is operated as a 'one-pipe y'system andhas nov pressure differential be `by reason of the fact that the steam main 14 and the returny main 17 are Coupled together at their respective ends whereby the pressures in the two are equal, said coupled mains being jointly connected-with the radiator through one opening, thereby permitting bothfthe inflowv ofgsteam and the outflow of water. While there is no differential pressure across the radiator, a static head, however,

y mustbe provided in the pipe 16 whichl is sulicient to'insure they return of they water of condensation which may ypass from the radiator 13 into the boiler against the `steam pressurey therein, but ordinarily -this will be insured it thereis only one or two inches of static head abovey the water level or just sufficient to overcome the friction and lift the check valves 11a' and 11`in passing throughl the return pipes 16. and 17 intothe boiler, because, iny this case, we -have thek normal steam pressure' of the boiler upon the top of the static head in the pipe 16. '1 By reason of the construction shown, it is manifest that no water of condensation-can remain in the piping at. any level'above the level of the vwater in the boiler, unless a partial Vacuum y radiator retains capacity for rapid conden-v is produced in the radiator 13, and this is, of course, possible under certain conditions o'foperation such as when firsty turning on ytheV steam atvalve14b. located in the main building.v When this is done, the steam passes by pipes 14 and 15 into the radiators ywhere it is condensed and, if the condensation is very rapid as would occur in extremely cold Weather, a vacuum is produced in the radiator and will be maintained so long as the sation, because the check valve 22 automatically closes and prevents inflow of air to break the vacuum.A However, when the radiator becomes suiciently heated the power to maintain the vacuum is destroyed by the inowing of more steam and thereafter the radiator operates normally. n

Assuming that less than the full heating capacity of the radiator is required, the hand valve 23 may be closed, and in this e'vent', the

air liberated from the steam will be retained in the radiator and may be accumulated therein to the desired degree. Whenoperating in this manner, the steam enters and fills the lower part of the radiator andthe water of condensation continually flows ofi' by gravity. Il' the accumulations of air increase to suchan extent that insufiicient heat is pro-- vided, the valve 23 may be opened until the quantity ofair is reduced to that desired and the'radiator thus given an increased capacity to the extent necessary.

It is further to be understood that .where the garage is at a distance Jfrom the residence wherethe boiler is situated and steam is rst turned on to the garage in cold weather, there is liability of the steam pressure in the pipe 1 A 14 being so lreduced on its'way tothe garage that very little pressure occurs at the radi'- ator 13. When thishappens, no matter what is the condition within the radiator 13, there willbe insuficient counter-balancing steam which, with such steam pressure as exists, will balance the steam pressure vinthe boiler. In other words, Vthe static head which is automatically made elfective in the pipe 16 vcom-- pensates for the lossof the steam pressure in thelpipe 15 with which it is connected.v Because of this automatic operation `and the maintenance or the radiators 13 vrclear of water, thesame are insured against freezing. There is no water in the steam supply pipes 14'and 15, even though there shouldy be a maximum drop in steam pressure; and as the 85 pressure upon the return pipe 16 and consewater return pipe 17 is'buried'in the ground l belowfreezing level, the danger to said pipe is'overcome. If the, radiator inthe garage is to be shut, oft", when the .garage is not in use, the hand'valve 23 is'closed.v If thevalve 23is wholly shut off, the accumulations 'oi air in the radiator would ultimately prevent the inflow of steam and the radiator would become cold and remain so. IfY the valve'23 were very slightly opened, so pasto permit escape of some air while maintainingsuiiicient airin the4 radiator to air-bind it to the desired degree, the garage may be heated to suit atmospheric conditions. y l struction shown, the arrangement is such that the radiator 13 is operated as in a one-pipe system, but is at alltimes clear of water and controlled wholly by the extent or air-binding permitted. l l y In the modification of my invention, shown in Fig. 2, the garage is located at a considerable distance from the building wherein the boiler is located, and under conditionswhere itis not convenient'to employ an voverhead In thel conn steam zline, as at 14 15 in Fig. 1. I there- A lows: Thesupply of'steamand the outflow i fore employ a'modified construction asfolof water of condensation, with respect tothe radiator Y13'in the;garage,rtake place fat its lower partvas in Fig. 1, and includes the steam mains 16a and 17, the Vlatter leading underground from the. garage and on a slight incline into the cellar ofv the building where the boiler 2'islocated.z Thev connection 'between lthe said main 17aY and theboiler is formed byV an overhead pipe 24 for the supply of steam-and lpipe 11b and check valve V11a for the :passage of water of condensation Vto the boiler, the latter acting'as a drip froml the steam,supply-inain 1'7-which receives its steamrsupply from the pipe 24 connecting with the boiler( The lower end of the` steam main 17a isapproximatelytwelve inches or fthereabouts abovev the normallevel of the water inthe boiler, so as to ,be capable of providing atleast that vmuch of a static head c :in'pipe 11b kfrom .the` drip or condensate from the radiator 13 and main 17a withoutshut- `ting off the steam supply to the main-17at vby valve 14'.V In the garage, the radiator 13 is provided with avent pipe 20 having the thermostatic air valve `21 and thecheck valve 22, all asy shown in Fig. 1,and in additiony theretoit is'also provided with a handy control valve 23 whereby capacity isV provided for `'producing air binding ,of this radiatorto the extent desired, when less thanV the maximum temperature is required. As the main l17n is required to handle both the water of condensation and thefsteam in 4 connection .with the radiatorv in fthe garage, it vis Vrmani-v i fest that this pipe lshould be of largerdameterthan'is requiredfor the water return pipe 17in the'apparatus shown lin Fig. 1; and it .is also understood thatthe radiator inthe garage should be arranged at an elevation which `is suli'cientfto insure the 4Aflow of.

waterof; condensation back to the boiler undervaV sulicent ystatic head to insureits proper return thereto, Veven when thefvalve 14,cr is closed.' p Y It will now'be apparent that'I have devised a novelanduseful means which Vemybodies the features of advantageenumerated as desirabley and have describedY them in that particularity which I deem .to be the best eX- positi'oncof myrinvention, and whileI have shown and described the preferred embodiment thereofwhich has been found in practice to give satisfactory and'reliableresults, I do not restrict myself to the minor or secing system including a boilerrisers,j return pipes and radiatorsand whereinthegwater ofcondensation is automatically. returnedto of steam, thereto, in combination with a separate building at a distance fromlthe main building, and heating meansforsaidseparate building consisting of a'ra'diator ar- Y ranged Aat an elevation above the water level;

in theV boiler in ythemain building,normally v80 open steam supplyand water return connections between the lower part oftheradiator inthe separate building and respectively in communicationwith the steam and water spaces of the boiler in the Vmain building to Y. lnormally maintaingsteam in lthe-radiatorrof Y f the separate buildingsat substantially-boiler pressure, aportion of saidsteam ysupply andV water return connections including a pipeV from the lower part oftheradiator and em@ bedded in the groundwith a'downwardinc Yeline `toward the boiler of vthe main'build- Y ingfand through which return water Vofrcon- VVdensation flows, and means inV communica- 4 'tion with. the interior of theradiatorinthe j .separate building for insuring yregulated communication thereof with the atmosphere'. 2. The i invention according to` claim '1,

wherein further, the. normally open Vsteam supply connection with theradiator in the iseparatebuildingismade as asteam pipe exf A itending above the ground :level and` water level of the boilerand'provided witha downwardly extending part inV direct communicai' tion with the embeddedwater 'return pipe at j: a point Y adjacent to..y the" lower part of. the'`r radiator'andwhereby the water of Vcondensa tion therefrom `flows into the embedded water return'pipe.. n

In Vtestimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand. T Y Y `FRANK'H. MONTREUIL-- c 112eA ondary detailsas the same aresusce'ptible of i Ymodification Vwithout departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention. n

Having now described .myV invention, what Y I claim and Vdesireto secure .byLettersPatent is:H .Y v ,i

1. In a heating system, Va mainV building V,equipped witha `two-pipe gravity steam heart-v f Liao c

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