US1791314A - Recirculating air heater - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3, 1931. J. H. HOLTON RECIRCULATING AIR HEATER Filed June 1, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. MZl/Jl? A. Haifa/2,

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lil'il'ilillllilll A TTORNEY Feb..3, 1931. JQH. HOLTON RECIRCULATING AIR HEATER Filed June 1, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (/0/727 /9 7/0] 10/2 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oar-Ice JOHN H. HOLTON, OF NOBBISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO mm CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE B-EOIBGULATING AIB, HEATER Application filed June 1, 1929. Serial No. 387,821.

The present invention relates to heaters and more particularly to a unit for circulatome of the obJects of the heating and recirculating air.

resent invention are to rovide an improve air heater; to

'rovide a eater wherein provision is made or the circulation and recirculatlon of air through the heater; to provide a heater con.-

struction which permits economy of manufacture, standardization of equipment, and

- heater construction wherein repairs and replacements can be readily made without disassemblin the air ducts and external connections; an to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a perspective of a heater einbodymg one form of the present invention; Flg. 2 represents an enlarged side elevation of the top portion of the heater partially broken away to show the interior assembly; Fig. 3 represents a perspective of the fan ends of a heater assembly removed from the floor mountin Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of 1g. 2; Fig. 5 represents a front elevation of a heater embog ying a modified form of the invention; and ig. 6 represents a side elevation of the heater of Fig. 5 partly broken away to show the interior assembly.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, one form of the pres: ent invention is shown embodying a floor mounted heater unit consisting generally of a casin 10, a heater 11, and a fan assembly 12. he casinglO is constructed, in the present instance, as a rectangular duct provided with a horizontal inlet 13 at the bot-- tom portion and a vertical outlet 1 1 at the top portion thereof, the casing 10 at all other points being closed in order to provide a through passage for air. The vertical corner frames of the casing .10 are extended below the inlet 13 as legs .15 and hence air has unrestricted access to the inlet 13. I

As a. means for heating the air which passes through the duct formed by the casing 10, the heater 11 is provided and preferab is made up as a complete whole arranged to e attached to the casing but readily removable therefrom should occasion warrant.

The heater 11 consists of a novel coil structure including a lurality of vertically disposed tubes 16 o the finned heat radiatin type, which, in this instance, are each close at the top and attached to and communicating with a common header 17. At a convenient and suitable place the header 17 opens into a fitting 18 which has a supply pipe 20, leading to a source of steam, and a return pipe 21 for the water of condensation.

11 order toprevent air from bein trapped in the upper closed ends of the tu cs 16, a.

vent tube 22 extends upwardly in each of the tubes 16 and terminates in close proximity to the closed end of these tubes 16 inan open end for entrance of air. The lower ends of the vent 'tubes 22 are attached to and communicate with a pipe 23 which extends longitudinally of and within the header 17 but projects at one end thereof to enter an exterior water seal chamber 24. An air vent pipe 25 provides for the escape of air from the pipe 23 while a thermostatically controlled valve 26 closes oil the pipe 25 in case steam finds its way thereto. The onlycommunication between the ipe 23 and the header 17 is an indirect one y way of a ipe 27 extendin from the header 17 to the c amber 24 for t e-purpose of ensuring the main- When placed in the casing 10, the heater 11 is located with one open side parallel to and in close proximity to the outlet 14. This brings the body of the heater entirely within 5 the casing and in consequence its weight is between the front aud'back of the casing 10 so that the center of gravity of the entire heater is such as to maintain stable equilibrium. Also when assembled the supply pipe and return pipe 21 lead out to the respective connections, and the water seal chamber 24 has its vent pipe 25 opening to the atmosphere.

For the purpose of circulating air throu h the casing 10 from the inlet 13, throu h t e heater 11, and out of the outlet 14, a %an of proper ca acity is driven by a motor 31 mounted on racket arms 32. The position of the fan 30 is parallel and in close proximity to the side of the heater and the arran ement is such that the compact assembly of t e fan, motor and heater leaves a relatively large chamber between the fan and the rear wall of the casing so that a free and full supply of air can be drawn up and laterally directed through the heater and outlet 14.

For. controlling the direction of the stream of heated air leaving the outlet 14, a plurality of deflectors 33 are pivoted to the casing 10 one above the other in parallel relation and all preferably of like contour to provide a plurality of passa s 34 which can e changed as to direction y swinging the deflectors either up or down to give the desired stream flow. In order that access can he had to the heater coils and the fan assembly whenever necessary, one side of the top portion of the casing 10 is cut away to form an opening which is closed by a door 35 of a removable type arranged to be locked in place by cam latches 36.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings another embodiment of the invention is shown wherein a casing 40 similar to the casing 10 except as to size is provided and for use where gieatet'. capacity is required. In this form t e heater unit consists of a plurality of pipe coils 41, each of return bend construction and having ends terminatin respectively in two headers 42 and 43, the former having a steam sulpply inlet 44, and the latter a return out et 45. The two headers 42 and 43 are formed as a part of the same end closure for the open side of the skeleton frame 46 which bounds the coils at top, bottom and one end while leaving the two sides open for the passage of air. The number of rows of coils to 41 depends upon conditions to be met. The

fan assembly 47 of this form of the invention consists of two fans 48 and 49 arranged side by side to blow air through the heater coils and maintain the desired circulation through the casing 40. Motors 50 and 51,

respectively, operate the fans 48 and 49 and are mounted on hanger arms 52 from the frame of the heater and hence can be removed with the heater as one unit entirely separable from the casing 40. Doors 53 and 54 are provided at opposite sides of the casing 40 to respectivel permit access to the ends of the heater an fan assembly.

The outlet from the casing 40 in this instance is covered by a screen 55 as a protec-" tion to the enclosed parts and therefore the issuing stream of air leaves the heater substantially horizontally. In case it is desired to deflect this issuing stream of air, deflectors may be used in the same manner as described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2. It is also to be understood that a screen such as shown at 55 can be attached to the heater of Fig. 2 in place of the deflectors there shown. I

It should be noted that the coil structure 41 and fan assembly 47 are both inside of the casing proper so that no part protrudes or extends through or outside of the air outlet. This means that the center of gravity of the complete heater is maintained between the front and rear walls of the casing and a general stable condition exists which allows the heater to stand without special bracing and attachment to walls or other fixed parts.

From the foregoin it will not only be apparent that a compfiate unitary air heater has been devised having a heater and fan located at the same side of a casing outlet but also a novel removable assembly has been in- 100 vented. This assembl comprises an individual unit made up 0 a casing upon which are mounted the heater and fan. Thus the assembly becomes a stock construction suitable for installation in the articular form 1 5 of duct, here shown by way 0 example, or for other uses as the case may be. It will, therefore, be seen that in the present instance the supplemental casing with its attached heater and fan can be placed in the casing 10 as a na unit and when attached thereto and connected to a heatin source is ready to function as required. T e supplemental casing is preferably attached to the main casing by spot welding the suitable means may be employed for the purose.

Having thus. described my invention, I claim: 4 I

1. An air heatin and circulating device 0 comprising in com ination a main casing having an inlet at the bottom and an opening at the top, a supplemental casing removably mounted in said main casing in juxtaposed relation to said outlet and having openings in two opposite sides for the passage of air to said outlet, a lurality of heater pipes arranged transverse y of said supplemental casing to interce t air passing therethrough and a plurality 0 motor driven fans arranged parts together though any other to circulate air throu b said main casing and discharge said air t rough said pipes and said outlet.

2. An air heating and circulating device comprising a main casing having an inlet and an outlet, in combination with a unitary air heating and circulating device consisting of a supplemental casing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a heater mounted in said supplemental casing between said inlet and said outlet, and a fan carried by said casing, and means to attach said supplemental caslng to said main casing with said supplemental air outlet juxtaposed With respect to said main casing outlet.

Signed at Bridgeport, county of Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania, this 9th day of May, 1929.

JOHN H. HOLTON.

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