US1842335A - Fuel control system - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1932. E. J. TE PAS FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 21, 1928 gwuentoz Jan. 19, 1932. TE PAS 1,842,335.

FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM Filed April 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mnmmu Patented Jan. 19 32" f 5 N T D sures PIA-TENT." OFFICE EDMUND J. TE Pas, or Lsxnwoon, onro, ASSIGNOR T trim PATROL VALVE Gourm.

- or CLEVELAND, 01110, A conrom'rron or omo e 'UEL con'rnor. srsrmr Application nice April n,

This invention relates to automatically controlled gas burning appliances and in par- I ticular thethermostatic control means used 1 in connection therewith. In automatically controlled gas fired heating appliance of the conventional type it is .customary to have a constantly burning pilot light adjacent the main heating burner of the appliance .so that when the control valve is opened admitting gas to the main burners an ignition flame is present to ignite the gas issuing from these burners. In the event of extinguishm'ent f the pilot light under these circumstances r W.gas will escape from the main burners and may cause a serious explosion or lead'to other hazardous results. I As a means to prevent the escape of unburned gas due to pilot light zfailure, .thermostatic safety switches controlled by the heat of the pilot flame and in circuit with the operating valve have been proposed. When thepilotlight is burning such safety switches are normally in a closed position and the electrically operated valve may be controlled by the first named thermostatic switch. Upon I extinguishment of the pilot light the safety 1 switch automatically opens breaking the cir--- controlled valve and.

cuit to the electrically. I preventing its opening and admitting gas to the main burner.

incorporated in its arrangement certain 'fea 4S tures of safety combined in a simple inexpen- 'The above arrangement is objectionable due to the use of a plurality of separate conproved thermostatic valve.

section taken on line 5 -5 Fig. 3. 1 j

canbe 1528. Serial '1'... avraos. I

sive control including a novel thermally actuated valve. With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel constructio'n, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter described, illustratedins'ome of its embodiments in the accompanying drawings and particularl pointed out in the appended claims. Stated in general terms my improved gas burner control comprises thermostatic flame. operated valve wliich requires the presence of an ignition orpilot flame for its operation. I, The ignition flame which is instrumental in opening the main su pl valve is further used to ignite the gas adl ilitted to the main burner, upon the opening'of this valve. I The principal advantage of my improved control is that the main gas supply valve is thermally operated and requires the presence of aflame at the pilot burner before it is possible to open the valve. By operating the valve in this manner it provides a safe means of operation for large gas fired heating units.

The pilot flame that lights the burner causes the gas supply of the burner to be turned on.

Referring to the drawings showing one embodiment of my invention; F1g. 1' is a plan elevational view showing my improved valve as applied to a multipleburner gas burning appliance. Fig. 2 is a-aside elevational view of the elements shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view in section, showing my im- Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a 'Fig. 1 illustrates in part, some of the elements of the burner assembly of a multiple burner gas burning appliance. This arrangement may refer to a house heating furnace or boiler or any other gas burning ap pliance which is intended to be controlled at some distant'point by means of a thermostatic I9.

valve responsive to the temperature of the medium which is being heated.

The reference numeral 1 indicates the main heating burners of the appliance which are preferably constructed as shown as Bunsen or atmospheric type burners. The burners 1 are mounted on gas and air mixing tubes 2, which are connected to adjustable valves 3 of the usual ty which regulate the maximum height 0 the flame of the burner 1. The valves 3 are threadedly received in the burner manifold 4, located outside the heating appliance.

The reference numeral 5 indicates the front wall of the appliance, which in the present case is used to support the inlet ends of the mixing tubes 2. Gas to the burners 1 is supplied by way of the fuel feed pipe 6, which is connected to the inlet end of a thermostatic valve 7, that is in turn connected at its outlet end to the manifold 4. The thermostatic valve 7 is provided with an internally threaded outlet 8 which communicates with the inlet side of the valve 7 and is provided for the purpose of connecting the constantly burning pilot burners 8 and 9 to the gas supply line 6. This connection is aflectedby means of a fitting 10 which is received in the outlet 8. A T fitting is connected to the fit ting 10 and is connected at one of its branches to a small gas valve 12 which is connected to thel conduit 13 leading to the pilot burners an 9.

The other branch of the T fitting 11 is connected to the conduit 14 which is connected to a room temperature responsive thermostatic valve 15 adapted to be located at a point some distance from the heating appliance and for the purpose of controlling its operation. The outlet end of the thermostatic valve 15 is connected to conduit 16 which terminates in a small gas burner 1's". The gas burner 17 is positioned adjacent to and below the constantly burning pilot burner 8 and is in lighting proximity to this burner.

A helical coil of tubing 18 is positioned above and in axial alignment with the burner 17 and is adapted to surround the flame of this burner. The coil 18 forms a part of the conduit 19 which is connected by the apertured nut20 to the valve 7. The coil 18 and. the conduit 19 are filled with vaporizable liquid. The operation of the valve 7 will be described in detail shortly after the manner in which it is controlled by the room thermostat 15 has been stated.

Assuming for the present purposes that 'when a flame is present at the burner 17,

heating of the coil 18 will serve to open the valve 7 admitting gas to the manifold 4 and burners 1. The valve 15 is of conventional design and is adapted to open when the temperature of the surrounding medium drops below the temperature for which the valve is set, and to close when the temperature reaches the valve setting.

which the thermostat 15 is located drops below the temperature for which this valve is set, the thermostat 15 opens its valve, admitting gas to the burner 17 which is ignited from the pilot burner 8 and which then serves to heat the coil 18 causing the valve 7 to open and admit gas to the-main burner.

Should the pilot light 8 remaining extinguished at the start of the operations just stated, the gas burner 17 would not remain ignited to heat the coils 18 and consequently the valve 7 would have remained in a closed position. Under these conditions the gas supply to the main burners will be cut off until the pilot burner 8 was relighted.

By this arrangement a safety control is provided for gas burning appliances which at all times is under control of the pilot burner which is provided for the ignition of the main burner. Upon extinguishment of -the aforementioned pilot light it will be im- 21 and an internally threaded outlet opening 22. A valve port is formed centrally of the valve body and is defined by the valve seat '23. A valve head 24 cooperates with valve seat 23 to control fluid flow through valve. The valve head 24 is faced with a yielding material 25 such as leather and is adapted to readily make a gas tight contact with the valve seat-23.

The valve head 24 is mounted upon a valve stem 26 by means of a ball and socket joint 27. The valve stem 26 is journaled at 28 in and extends through the side of the valve body. A spring 29 is compressed between the valve head 24 and the valve cap 30 serves to move the valve head 24 into engagement with its seat 23. The annul'ar flanged por-- tion 31, of the valve body casting is secured by means of screws 32 to the valve actuating "mechanism housing 34.

The actuating mechanism for the valve 'container 34 is connected manner as b sufficient pressure. are commonly used 1n connection with 011 li uids this consists of a metallic buckling dia hragm '33 which seals the one end of theflui container orhousin 34., The fluid container 34 is provided with portion 37 by means of which it] is secured to the corres ondingly flan 7 es portion 31 ofthe valve b y. The cham er defined by the to'the conduit 19 by means of the apertured nut 20 and the conical sleeve 35 which is secured ina fluid tight soldering, to one end of the conduit 19. T e conical member 35 is received in a correspondingly formed outlet in the extension 36 of the container 34 and locked in a fluid tight engagement therewith by the nut 20. I

The expression buckling diaphragm as used in connection with the element 33 is intended'to cover only diaphragms constructed' a relatively rigid material formed wlth a curved surface. 1 One of the characteristics of such a diaphragm is that its curvature may be or vice versa with a snap when subjected to Diaphragms of this type cans. v J

. The conduit or tubing 19- terminates 1n a helical coil it ma be advisable to have the sealed chamher 6 led with a vapor instead of a liquid.

There are a large variety of fluids which may be used fOltlllS purpose, including a list of liquids whose boil ng points vary between boiling point of ether and the boiling point of glycerin which represent the two extremes in .whieh may be readily obtained for purpose; One of the factors which de termme. the li aid to be used in connection with the valve is the temperatures within the appliance at the point where the coil 18 is located.

The liquidused should have a boiling point sufliciently high so that when the appliance is in operation with the. main burners supf porting a flame will be wholl only through the operation of the burner 17 and in the absence of J are by reason of the positioning the liquid within the coil 18 y responsive to the gas flame of the burner 17, so that regardless of the temperatures encountered within the appliance at the point where the coil 18 is located, it the valve 7 burner 17. In other words the liquid within the coil 18 can only be vaporized by the flame of,.the' such a flame will condense or remain in a liquid regardless of the operation of the appliance. This desirable result is accomplished in a large measof the coil 18 will be possible to open and close an annularly flanged extendingcoil 18 is valve or strained position as shown in Fig. 3.

reversed changing from concaveto convex erated in the 18 the end-38 of which is sealed. The coil 18, conduit 19 and container 34 arequid. The liquid used may beburner for supplying heat'tb the buckling diaphragm 33. When the diaphragm 33 is distended or in the position shown in Fig. 4 the liquid contents of the coil 18 have been expelled into the conduit 19 and the container 34. Under these conditions the filled with the vapor of the liquid use andit may be subjected to considerable heat without affecting the operation of the causing further movement of the diaphragm. Upon extinguishment of the flame from the burner 17, the vapor within the coil 18 condenses to a liquid allowing the diaphragm 33 to assume its' normal un- By th e use of a concave metallic-diaphragm of the type shown in connection with fluid pressure producing means, it is possible toprovide a snap acting valve which has but one operating element, namely, the diaphragm. Diaphragms of this type when op manner disclosed move from one extreme-position to the other with a snap.

This characteristic of buckling diaphragms is due to the fact that the initial resistance is the anaxifnum resistance and its requires .the building up of sufficient pressure behind the diaphragm to move it to its extreme position before any movement at all takes place. The thermostatic valve shown in Figs. 3 and 4 could be used in conjunction with a tank thermostat such as is used on automatic-water heaters, hot water boilers and many other gas burning appliances.

Animportant feature of my improved control is the fact that there is always present a ame for ignition of the main burner when the gas valve 7 is open as the flame of the burner 17 functions as an igniter in the event of extinguishment of the pilot burners 8 and 9.

'tion and illustration and that various modi fications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departing from my inventionas defined in the appended claims. 1 H

Iclaim: a 1. An automatically controlled heating ap- I pliance comprising a main heating burner, a source of fuel supply therefor, a valve for con-' trolling the supply of fuel to said burner, heatresponsive means for actuating said valve, an. auxiliary burner in communication with said source independently of said main said heat rer sponsive means, a constantly burning pilot burner for ignitingfuel issuing from said auxiliary burner, and a thermally actuated valve for controlling the flow of fuel to said auxiliary burner, said last mentionedovalve being operable directly in accordance with of fuel supply therefor, a pilot burner positioned in lightmg proximity to said main heating burner, an auxiliary burner located well below and in lighting proximity to said pilot burner, a thermally actuated valve for controlling the fuel supply of said main burner responsive in its operation to the heat supplied by said auxiliary burner, said auxiliary burner being in communication with said source in advance of said valve to operate independently of the operation of said valve, and a thermostatic valve remote from the appliance for controlling said auxiliary burner and thereby the operation of said thermally actuated valve.

3. In an automatically controlled heating appliance, a main heating burner, a source of fuel supply therefor, a constantly burning pilot burner located adjacent said main heating burner for igniting the same, an auxiliary burner positioned below said'burner arranged to be ignited by said pilot burner and adapted at times to also provide a flame for assisting the ignition pilot of said main heating burner, a thermally actuated valve for controlling the fuel supply of said main burner responsive in its operation to the heat provided by said auxiliary burner, and a" thermostatic valve remote from the appliance for controlling said auxiliary burner and thereby the operation of said thermally actuated valve.

4. In a heating appliance, a main burner, a source of fuel supply therefor, a thermally actuated valve between said source of fuel an auxiliary supply and said main burner to control the fuel supply thereto, a constantly burning pilot burner for igniting said main burner, an auxiliary burner positioned below and in lighting proximity to said pilot burner providing a flame also in lighting proximity to said main burner when gas is supplied thereto, and a thermostatic actuator for said valve responsive to the heat supplied by said auxil iary burner.

5. In a heating appliance, a main burner,

a source of fuel supply therefor, a thermally actuated valve between said source of fuel supply and said main burner to control the fuel supply thereto, a constantly burning pilot burner burner positioned below and in to said ilot" burner prolighting proximity in lighting proximity to viding a flame also I said main burner when gas is supplied thereto, and'thermo-sensitive fl id pressure means responsive to the heat of said auxiliary burner for the actuation of said valve,

a main heating burner, a source for igniting said main burner,

6. In a heating appliance, amain burner, a source of fuel supply therefor, a thermally actuated valve between said source of fuel supply and said main burner to control the fuel supply thereto, a constantly burning pilot burner for said main burner, an auxiliary burner positioned below and .in lighting proximity to said pilot burner providing a flame in lighting proximity to said main burner when gas is supplied thereto, and a thermostatic actuator for said valve positioned so as to be substantially unafiected by the heat of said main burner and responsive to the heat supplied by said auxiliary burner.

7. In a heating appliance, an atmospheric type main gas burner adapated to be suplied with secondary air from below the urner to complete the combustion of fuel supplied thereto, a source of fuel supply for said main burner, a thermally actuated valve between said source of fuel supply and said main burner to control the fuel supply thereto, a constantly burning pilot burner for said main burner, an auxiliary burner positioned below and in lighting proximity to said pilot burner providing a flame in lighting proximity to said main burner when gas is supplied thereto, and a thermostatic actuator for said valve positioned below said main burner and in. the path of the secondary air stream thereto, said actuator being responsive to the heat supplied by, said auxiliary burner for the actuation of said valve.

8. An automatic room temperature controlling device for house heating appliances and the like comprising the combination of one or more hydrocarbon fuel fired heating burners, a source of fuel supply therefor, a

, pilot burner adapted to ignite one or more of said heating burners, a thermostatically operated regulatin valve remote from said appliance and being responsive to room temperature conditions for maintaining the temperature thereof at a predetermined point, a fuel supply valve for said heating burners, and means comprising an auxiliary burner controlled by said regulating valve and adapted to be ignited by said pilot burner, said auxiliary burner being in communication with said fuel supply in advance of said fuel supply valve to operate independently of the operation thereof, and a heat responsive device r esponsive to the heat of said auxiliary burner for effecting the operation of said supply valve whereby said heating burners are connected to said source of fuel supply only when said pilot light is burning. a

9. An automatic room temperature con-' trolling device for house heating appliances and the like comprising the combination of a hydrocarbon fuel fired heating burner, a fuel supply conduit therefor, a pilot burner for igniting said heating burner, a fuel supply valve in said conduit for controlling the supply of fuel to said heating burner, a heat responsive fluid pressure means for actuating said valve, an auxiliary burner arranged to be ignited by said pilot burner for supplying heat to said fluid pressure means, said auxiliary burner being in communication with said supply conduit in advance of said supply valve to operate independently of the operation of said valve, and an automatic regulating valve solely operatable in accordance With predetermined room temperature conditions for controlling the operation of said auxiliary burner.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

.15 EDMUND J. TE PAS.-

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