US1778538A - Heating device - Google Patents

Description

R. N. TRANE HEATING DEVICE Oct. 14, 1930.

Original Filed April 23, 1926 5 2 0 2 aw 1 e vN q I v 6 O a O/A M, w 5 a 4 2 latented Oct. 14, 1930 PATENT OFFICE REUBEN N. TRANE, OF LA OROSSE, WISCONSIN HEATING DEVICE Original application filed April 23, 1926, Serial No. 104,196, Divided and this application filed. May 31, 1928. Serial No. 282,003.

This invention is a division of my application No. 104,196 filed April 23, 1926, and it relates to radiators used in steam, vacuum or hot water heating systems and employing a multiplicity of fins of thin sheet metal in heat-conducting relation to the heat tube portion of the radiator, which contains the heating medium. In heating arooin, such a radiator, as compared with the usual cast iron radiator, operates more upon the principle of convection of air than upon the principle of radiation.

An object of my invention is the provision of a radiator which, for the same heating capacity, has a volume, floor area, weight, height and cost considerably less than the usual cast iron radiator construction.

Still another object is to increase the speed of the air circulating through the radiator unit, which I accomplish partly by the design of the unit itself and partly by providing it with a chimney-like cabinet which serves greatly to augment the air circulation.

I also contemplate a simplified and improved construction for the cabinet.

A still further object is an improved control for the heating effected by the radiator unit, which I accomplish by the control of the air passage therethrough rather than by controlling the steam admitted to the radiator.

A further object is to conserve floor space and improve the radiation efliciency by providing a vertically stacked radiator unit in which radiators are connected in parallel and housed in a new and novel structure.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing the same reference characters are employed as are used in the parent application above mentioned. This drawing represents diagrammatically a vertical, transverse section through a cabinet having two vertically spaced radiator units.

The heat radiating element is fully de.

scribed in the application above mentioned and may be described generally as a heat conducting tube surrounded by a plurality of heat radiating fins, the flanges of which are held securely and in heat exchange relation to the tubes by any suitable means. When my radiator unit is used in substitution for the usual cast iron radiator it affords a certain amount of heat by direct radiation but most of it is afforded by the natural flow of air upwardly through the unit and between the fins.

I have found that the radiator unit must not be too high for most economical operation, for if the vertical distance through which the air has to pass between the fins is too great, the air becomes heated substantially tothe temperature of the fins, and for the last portion of its upward travel absorbs very little more heat, so that the radiating fins above a certain level are not nearly so effective as the lower part of the fins. When the radiator unit is used alone, that is, without a stack or chimney the most economical results, I believe, are had when the height is about 7 inches. 7

I have found, however, that if a chimneylike casing or conduit is provided above or below the radiator unit, a surprisingly rapid multiplication of the speed of the air flow is secured. 75

In installations where floor or wall space is at a premium and where it is therefore, not expedient to install two cabinets, I prefer to use two vertically stacked radiator units connected in parallel as regards the flow of air. The construction of such a unit is dia= grammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein the first unit U is set outwardly from the wall about 4 inches but T has a casing shell 120 essentially similar to 85 that of a single unit construction. The second radiator unit U which is preferably oppositely inclined, is placed in vertical align-.-

ment with the first unit, U but above the top of the cabinet shell 120, the cold air for the second unit U being taken up in the passageway between the rear wall of the shell 120 and the wall of the room.

The upper unit U has a shell 121 similar to shell 120. In this figure the cold air inlet 95 from the fioor is controlled by a single damper 122 at the bottom of the front wall of the cabinet, which controls the air sup= plied to both units, thereby doing away with the necessity of interconnecting dampers in an adjusting rod 125.

It should be noted that although this radiator unit is considerably higher than the ordinary cabinet and also a little deeper, it conserves considerable floor and wall space as compared with two single unit cabinets and it still delivers at least a part of its heated air at a relatively low height.

V'Vhile I have described in detail a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that I am not limited to the details therein set forth except as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A radiator unit of the type utilizing air circulation between fins of a heat exchange element comprising a lower cabinet, an upper cabinet superposed over said lower cabinet, a radiator element adjacent the bottom of each cabinet and a single damper for regu lating the air supply to both cabinets.

2. In combination, heat radiating fins, a tube extending through and in heat exchange relation to said fins, a shell surrounding and extending above said fins to form a chimney therefor, a second shell above said first shell, heat radiating fins and a tube in heat conducting relation thereto in said second shell, the tubes being connected in series for conducting the heating medium through the radiator and the air passages to said radiators being arranged in parallel.

3. In a device of the class described, a radiator provided with fins inclined to permit the entrance of air, a shell forming a chimney about said radiator to cause air circulation through the radiator, a radiator superposed above this shell with fins being incirculating air therefor, said shells being superposed forming a single cabinet and having separate air discharge openings, a conduit connecting the air intake of the upper shell with the air intake of the lower shell and means for permitting air from the outside to be drawn into the upper shell.

6. In a radiator assembly, two shells superposed to present the appearance of a single cabinet, an air conduit rearwardly of the lower shell for admitting air to the upper shell, the front wall of said conduit being the rear wall of said lower shell, radiator units at the bottom of each shell, independent superposed discharge openings for said shells and a single damper for regulating the amount of air supplied to said shells. 7. In a radiator assembly, Vertically disposed and superposed radiators connected in series, separate inlet passages for admitting air to one of said radiators from rearwardly thereof and to the other radiator from forwardly thereof, a common damper for regulating the air admitted through said passages, and separate air outlets for discharging air forwardly from above each of said radiators in different horizontal planes.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of May, 1928.

REUBEN N. TRANE.

clined oppositely to the lower fins to permit the entry of air, an air passage extending below and behind the first shell and a second shell enclosing the second radiator to provide a chimney for circulating air.

4. A radiator assembly comprising two vertically disposed radiators, means for circulating heating fluids through said radiators including inlet and outlet pipes, the outlet pipe of the lower radiator being connected to the inlet pipe of the upper radiator, encasing shells for the radiators and independent air supplies for'said radiators and independent superposed air discharge openings in said shells whereby maximum heat transfer efficiency may be obtained and whereby the warmest air is discharged at the lower level.

5. In a radiator assembly, the combination of a lower radiator, a lower shell surrounding the same and acting as a chimney therefor, an upper radiator, an upper shell surrounding the same to form a chimney for gen

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