US1874174A - Steam heating system and regulator therefor - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30 1932. J. A. D O'NNELLY v 7 STEAM 'HEATING SY STEM AND REGULATOR THEREFOR v Filed May 24,. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Witnesses: I fnunfor:

gzf W v James ci fianizell y Aug. 30, 1932. J. A. DONNELLY STEAM HEATING SYSTEM AND REGULATOR THEREFOR Filed May 24, 921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 v lNVENTO R James fflflannel? Aug. 30, 1932- J. A. DONNELLY STEAM HEA'RQING SYSTEM AND REGULATOR THEREFOR Filed May 24, 1921 v 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

"asses fn/uenl ar: 2215M Jame; oifiannll W MMMM 7 Aug. 30, 1932. DQNNELLY 1,874,174 4 STEAM HEATING SYSTEM AND REGULATOR THEREFOR Filed May 24, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 il i fne .9 s as g3 [no 614.222

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 @NHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES A. DONNELLY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T WARREN WEBSTER & COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY STEAM HEATING SYSTEM AND REGULATOR THEREFOR Application filed. May 24,

This invention relates to vapor systems of the one or two-pipe types and to regulators therefor and has for one of its objects to provide a means whereby the amount of steam or vapor entering the system is controlled by the amount of condensation therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eflicient form of regulator for said systems or any purpose wherein steam is measured or controlled by the resulting eondensation.

Another object of the invention is to arrange and construct the above mentioned regulator and steam heating systems in such manner that the condensation from only a portion of the system need be passed through the regulator, while it is operating to regulate the vapor or steam supply to the whole system.

Another object of the invention is to pr0- vide means whereby the steam entering the system may be accurately supplied as to quantity to insure the necessary vapor or steam being distributed to the various parts of the system to fulfill predetermined required con 'ditions.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein minute/details of the improvements are de- 3 scribed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the.invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example several of many possible embodiments of the invention: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing a twopipe steam heating system for fractional supply control and distribution, showing the boiler, radiators and connections; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, showing the regulator; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, partly in plan, of the regulator; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of one of the dampers of the boiler; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing a one-pipe steam heating system for fractional supply control and distribution, showing the boiler, radiators and connections; Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a combined hand 1921. Serial N0. 472,229.

valve and regulator union providing a fixed orifice adapt-ed for use with .my improvements; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 6; Figs. 8 and 9 are end views of elements of the union showing orifices carrying partitions in elevation; Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of a combined elbow and regulating orifice adapted for use in my improved system; and Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional View of another form of regulating orifice for said system, and more particularly for use in the branch pipes thereof.

In the two-pipe steam heating system for fractional supply control and distribution shown in Fig. 1, the boiler 10 is provided with a furnace having an ash-pit damper 11 and aflue damper 12 each pivotally mounted on its horizontal axis 13 (Fig. 4) in the frame 14.

A steam supply main 17 rises from the upper part of the boiler and communicates with steam risers 19 which are connected to said main 17 by offsets 20, said offsets also connecting with branch supply pipes 22, each connected with the upper part of one of the respective radiators. Distribution valves 26, connecting with the branch supply pipes 22, control the amount of steam-admitted to the corresponding radiators. The radiators on the floors above are also provided-with similar valves 26, but are otherwise connected to the risers 19 in the usual way.

An equalizing pipe 28 connects the upper ends of all of the said risers 19, whereby condensation water in one of the risers 19 can not be held from flowing downward to the drip pipe 35 by reason of the upcoming steam in the riser, because steam from other risers 19 may freely pass from the equalizing pipe down the riser containing such condensation water and equalize the pressure above and below the water, thereby causing the water to flow downward by gravity and preventing interruption of the normal flow of steam to the radiator or radiators.

30 and 31 are outlet pipes from the lower part of the radiators; and in each of said outlet p'ipes there is inserted a safety or return trap 32 which may be similar to the valves 17, 20 or 20a described in my United States Patent No. 1,536,571, dated May 5, 1925, for

valve for trap systems, of which 20 and 20a are thermostatically controlled and 20a is especially suited to the requirements of the return traps of the system herein described.

While it would be possible to return all of the condensation water from the radiators through the vapor regulator later to be described, I prefer to return a large part of it through a low wet return main 34 discharging into the lower part of the boiler in the usual way; to which wet main, drip pipes 35 from the steam risers 19 and steam main 1? are connected. Also branch returns 36, each having an air relief valve 37 therein, drain the radiator outlet pipes 31 through return pipes 38 to said wet main.

On the other hand, return risers 40 connect the outlet pipes 30 of a typical group of radiators to a dry return or drip main 41, discharging its condensation water into a steam-tight vapor-regulator cylinder 42, which drains through a return pipe 43 into the lower part of the boiler 10. An air relief valve 44 communicates with the lower part of said cylinder.

In said cylinder 42 is disposed the automatic vapor-regulator 45, controlled by condensation water from the main 41 and controlling the aforesaid furnace dampers 11 and 12. Said vapor regulator 45 comprises a transversely arranged rockshaft 46 (Figs. 2 and 3) rotatably mounted across one end of the cylinder 43. The rockshaft is provided at one end with a suitable stuffing box whereby said end projects to the outside of the cylinder 42. The intermediate part of said rockshaft carries an arm 47 disposed more or less longitudinally within the cylinder, said arm carrying on its free end a cup or receiver 48 receiving condensation water from said dry return main 41. The cup or container 48 is provided at the lower part of its side wall with ahorizontally elongated orifice 49, preferably having inwardly turned edges for retarding the flow of water therefrom into the bottom of the cylinder. The purpose of the horizontally elongated opening is that dirt and other obstructions usually move in or on the water with their major axes horizontal and, therefore, pass more" freely through the horizontally elongated orifices than would be the case if the orifices were round. Inwardly turned edges reduce the amount of discharge.

A balance lever 50 intermediately mounted on the projecting end of rockshaft 46 is provided at the outer end of the arm 51 with a counter-balance weight 53 to counter-balance the weight of said cup 48. At the intero mediate part of said outer arm there are carried upper edge notches 54 and graduations 55 corresponding to possible weather temperatures on the outside of the building or I other enclosure to be heated.

An adjustable weight 56 on the other arm of said lever for bringing the lever to neutral position makes it possible to avoid the necessity of an accurate distribution of weight of the parts in manufacture. A rider 60 carried on said arm 51 is provided with a hook engageable with said arm and carries a plurality of counter-balance weights 61. These adjustable weights provide means for loading the regulator to compensate for changes in outside temperature.

A chain 63 connects the outer end of said arm 51 with the aforesaid flue damper 12, to open the flue damper when the cup 48 is lowered; while another chain 64 connects the free end of said inner arm to said ash-pit damper 11 to close the ash-pit damper when the cup is lowered.

In normal operation, the steam passes from the boiler 10, through the steam main 17,the offset pipes 20, branch pipes 22 and through valves 26 to the radiators.

From the radiators 25, the condensation water passes through the return valves or traps 32, and thence into return pipes. As shown in Fig. 1, the two radiators 25 to the left discharge through pipes 30 into the riser return pipes 40 which are connected at the bottom into the horizontal dry return main 41, and from which said water of condensation discharges into the cup 48 of the regulating means. These left positioned radiators 25 are thermally affected and hence constitute thermally affected means in the control of the regulator in controlling the steam generation in the boiler. In the case of the other or two right-hand radiators, the water of condensation passes by pipes 31 into the vertical riser return pipes 38 and ultimately through the branch return 36 into the wet return main 34 by which it is delivered into the boiler. This arrangement is to indicate that it will suffice for a portion only of the condensation water of the system to be returned to the boiler through the regulating means and thereby permit said means to be smaller in capacity than would otherwise be required, and, moreover, will allow such regulating means to be made of a standard size which would properly operate with heating systems of various sizes.

The water of condensation flows through the dry return main 41 and drops into the cup 48 and builds up a certain static-head. This head will vary in proportion to the amount of water entering, since the greater the rate at which the waterenters, the higher will be the water level within the cup; while the less the rate, the lower will be the level. The weight of this water in the cup is balanced by means of the movable rider 60 and its weights 61, set at a point on the arm 51, which will control the draft for any desired rate of furnace heating. The immediate damper operating arm and dampers 11 and 12 constitute a regulator for varying the pressure in the steam or heat carrying medium, and the cup 48 with the water therein constitutes a motor means for controlling the operation of the regulator, while the radiator or radiators for providing the actuating fluid for the cup constitute the temperature affected device or means for governing the action of the motor means. More generally stated, the pressure regulator means is controlled by means responsive to temperature for regulating. the pressure of the heating fluid (steam). More broadly stated, the pressure regulator is controlled by temperature controlled regulating means.

If the water returns to the cup faster than necessary to maintain this head, the cup will descend, raise the weights 61, open the damper 12, and close the damper 11. The damper 12 may be adjusted to open only when the air supply through the damper 11 is completely shut off. This is accomplished by a proper construction of the dampers as shown in Fig.

4. When the dampers shut off the drafts, the amount of condensation returnin to the cup 48 will decrease, and the water will eventually return therein to alower level, thereby again causing the opening adjustment of the draft dampers to the proper position fpr the original rate of burning.

As explained above and shown on the drawings, it is not necessary to pass all of the condensation through the regulator. It s is suflicient to choose any typical group of radiators, fairly representative of the entire system. The drips from the steam mains and steam risers should not be returnedthrough the regulator, but through the drip pipes 35,

as they frequently contain water due tov boiler priming and never represent condensation from the radiators. It will be manifest that a large number of orificed radiators may be employed throughout the building for heating its rooms to predetermined temperatures, whereas one or more heating units of sufiicient condensing capacity may be utilized as means responsive to atmospheric temperature.

changes and utilized for controlling the operation of the regulating means of the boiler which controls the steam pressures generated therein and extending into the steam supply main 17. These condensing radiators, act as neans, not only affected by the atmospheric temperatures of the room in which they are placed, but are in fact affected by the varia'' tionsin the outside atmosphere since outside changes affect the room temperatures.-

On first starting up, the adjustment of the regulator should be as follows: The rider and weights 61 are removed and the weight 53 isfixed near the end of the arm 51. The weight 56 is then adjusted on the other arm of the lever to balance the-apparatus. The rider 60 and weights 61 are then placed at the outer or zero mark on the arm 51, which would correspond to the adjustment for zero,

outside temperature; and after the radiation has become entirely heated, the proper tem-. perature may be maintained by removal of some of the weights 61 from the rider, untilthe regulator is again in balance. Thereafter, the apparatus will not require further adjustment except for changes in outside temperature.

As the outside .temperature materially changes, the position of the weight on the regulator lever is manually changed to correspond. This controls the boiler so that it unions about to be described must be adjusted so that all radiators will heat up uniformly, and since the drop in pressure to the farthest radiator is greater than that to the nearby radiators, Eidjustable opening of the valves 26 should be increased for the radiators farthest away and reduced for those nearest the boiler. Hence, if desirable, it is even possible to heat the furthest radiators most or least, depending upon choice. The regulating valve will now be described.

The combined hand inlet and fractional distribution valve 26 comprises a valve body 70 (Fig. 6) forming a casing having a horizontal partition 71 provided with a flat seat 72 having a restricted cylindrical opening 73. Said casing is provided with a downwardly opening outlet opening 75 receiving the pipe :22 and communicating with the seat 73 from beneath, and a cap receiving opening 76 and an inlet opening 77 communicating with the seat from above. Said inlet opening is formed by an exteriorly threaded inlet conduit 80 provided with a transverse partition 81 having an opening 82 (Fig. 8) bounded by an are 83 of small radius and an are 84 of large radius, one hundred and fifty degrees long, and radially disposed connecting edges one hundred and fifty degrees apart. Said arcs and radial edges all have the same generating center concentric to the conduit 80. The edgesv of the conduit adjacent to the outer face of said partition have inwardly inclined faces 86.

{A thimhle exteriorly threaded at the outer end 91 for connection with the radiator also provided with a transverse partition 96 (Fig. 9) provided with an opening 97 bounded by an are 98 of small radius and an are 99 of large radius also one hundred and fifty degrees long, and radially disposed connecting edges 100, one hundred and fifty degrees apart. Said arcs and radial edges all have thesame generating center concentric to the conduit, and with said first named generating center. An interiorly threaded hexagonal ring 105 received on the threads of said conduit 80 is provided with end gradations 106 (Fig. 7 disposed fifteen degrees apart. An interior flange 107 (Fig. 6) on said ring engages said shouldered flange 9 1 for holding said openings 82 and 97 inadjusted angular relation. Said flattened corner 93 and apertures are so related that when said flattened corner is uppermost the apertures will be adjusted to give a minimum opening as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, bounded by said small arcs 83 and 98 only, and when said flattened corner 93 is, in either direction, as much as thirty degrees from its uppermost position, said apertures will give an opening increasing in proportion to the angular rotation of the thimble, which can be determined by counting the graduati'ons 106.

A cap 110 disposed in said guide receiving opening is provided with a cylindrical hole 111 having a shoulder 112 at the upper end and threads at the lower end. A friction washer 113 is disposed against said shoulder; and a bushing 114 is disposed in the lower part of said cylindrical hole. A valve stem 117 passing through said hole and bushing is formed with a threaded lower end 118 and with a collar 119 engaging said friction washer. A hand wheel 120 is disposed on the upper end of the stem; and a spring 121 is compressed between said collar and bushing. A valve head 125 received on said threaded lower end is provided at the edge with a recess 126 receiving a guide rib 127 on the inner face of said casing, and at the bottom with an annular recess 128 receiving a gasket 129 engageable with said valve seat.

The amount of opening required is ascer tained by calculation and experiment, and the nipple 90 adjusted angularly in order to give the required opening and flow of steam, after which the ring 105 is screwed tight.

The hand wheel 120 is used for adjustments for temporary or personal or other considerations. I

Under some conditions, it is not desirable that the fractional valve be combined with the handvalve, in which case it may be combined with an elbow 26a (Figs. 1 and 10) or a straight union 26b, (Figs. 1 and 11).

In the case of the elbow 260, the adjusting parts are substantially the same as described of Figs. 6 to 8, except that an elbow 7 0a is substituted for'the valve casing and in the case of the straight union, a nipple 7 07) having a flattened corner 93?) substituted for the valve casing 70a, both nipples 70b and 906 being interiorly threaded though obviously any of the nipples may be either exteriorly.

or interiorly threaded as desired. With the union 26b, adjustment is made by measuring ator units for the purpose of accurately distributing steam to all of said branch mains or risers and tothe respective radiators, to insure proper heating of the rooms according to predetermined requirements and for maintaining the required room temperatures. In the present case, I have combined the use of normally fixed orifices, with provision for automatically controlling and varying the pressure of the steam supplied, in accordance I with changes in the atmospheric temperature; and also with provision for adjusting the calculated areas of the orifices to provide accurate relative proportioning of the radiator inlet normally fixed orificesas well as those of the branching mains or risers. By the employment of orifice control, I am enabled toaccurately supply thexmains or risers and the radiators thereof with exactly the right quantities of steam commensurately with changes inoutside atmospheric tem peratures, by varying the steam pressure under control of changes in the atmospheric temperature. This enables the radiators to be operated with fractional heating, the supply of steam through the orifices being restricted and governed by the size of the orifices and the pressure upon opposite sides of said orifices. This is explained in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 1,681,725.

In utilizing the adj ustability of the. orifices in the branching mains or risers, it will be understood that a plurality of such mains or risers may be arranged for zoning by being ill placed at different portions of the building and where different quantities of steam are r required to insure uniform temperature. The requirements are met by adjusting the orifices; and if, owing to storm conditions,

one portion of the building should need more steam temporarily to maintain the desired room temperature, the orifice of the branch main or riser for that part of the building may be quickly and accurately readjusted to meet the temporary required change of condition and with assurance that the individual distribution to the radiators supplied-by such mains or risers will properly distribute the supply main 137 rises from the upper part of the boiler and is sloped in the direction of the flow and communicates with risers 139,

through branch pipes 1 10. Branch pipes 142 connect with the risers by means of said branch pipes 140 and communicate at their upper ends with radiators 145 through valves 146. The branch pipes of the radiators on the floors above are connected to the risers in the usual manner. A hand valve l l6is interposed in each branch pipe 142 at the radiator. An air valve 147 communicates with the interior of each radiator and permits the escape of air and prevents air-binding.

A low wet return main 154 connects the outer end of the steam supply main to the lower part of the boiler; and drip pipes 155 connect certain of said risers 139 to said wet main. l

Drip pipes 160 connect the risers 139 of a typical group of radiators to a dry return or drip main 161 discharging into the steamtight vapor regulator cylinder 42 and drainmg by means of a return pipe 43 into the lower part of the boiler 10, said cylinder also containing the motor portion of the automatic vapor regulator which is actuated by the condensation Water and controls the dampers 11 and 12, all as fully described with relation to the two-pipe system of Fig.1.

The water of condensation flows through the dry return main 161 and drops into the cup of the regulator, and the regulator and damper operate substantially as described in the two-pipe system.

When starting as a vapor pressure system, with the regulator weights 60, 61 at some intermediate position, steam enters the supply mair. compressing the aid in the radiators and forcing it out at the air return and relief valves. When operating as a vacuum system, the dampers are set for full opening until sufficient steam is generated to expel the air from all the radiators and through the relief valves 37 and 44:. This rate of steam supply is maintained until tlfe building is brought up' to temperature. The egulator weights 61' are then set at the point on the scale that corresponds with the outside temperature. This reduces the draft on the furnace to the point which insures the proper pressure and amount of steam to be generated to maintain degrees in zero Weather and, when the demandis less, the pressure, on' the boiler drops to a vacuum, and the air valves close and prevent the air from reentering the radiators.

Either type of my improved system may be operated at any vapor pressure above or below atmosphere, without change in the adjustment of the devices.

The characteristic advantages of my system are as follows: (1) Low cost of installation; simplicity of operation; (3) economy in coal consumption; (4) control of room temperature from one point,the boiler room; (5) conformity of pipe sizes with those of standard practice; (6) control of heat emitted by radiator's'in proportion to outside temperature; and (7) equivalent of hot Water heating in economy.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results,'it is tobe understood that I do not restrict myself to the details as the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from th spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a steam supply; a plurality of radiators connected to. said supply; means receiving water of condensation from a portion only of the radiators; and a regula- .tor controlled by the rate of flow of said conlator controlled by the condensation Water from a portion only of the return means and controlling said steam supply to all of the.

radiators.

3. In combination, a steam supply; radiators connected to said supply; a discharge main connected to a portion of said radiators less than the Whole of them; and a regulator controlled by the condensation water in said main and controlling the steam supply for all of the radiators.

4. In combination, a steam supply main; radiators connected to thesupply main; 9. wet return main; drip pipes connecting certain of said radiators to said wet return main; a dry return main; drip pipes connecting a portion ;only of said radiators to said dry return main to the exclusion of the other radiators; and a regulator controlled by the condensation, water in said dry return main and controlling the'steam supply for all of upper part of the boiler; steam risers rising from said main; branch supply pipes cone uv nected to the risers; radiators connected to the branch supply pipes; an outlet pipe for the lower part of each radiator; a low wet return main discharging into the lower part of the boiler; drip pipes connecting said steam risers and steam main to said low wet return main; a branch return having an air vent Valve therein connected to said low wet return main; a dry return main connected 10 to the lower part of the boiler; return risers connecting the outlet pipes of a portion only of said radiators to said dry return main and the other radiators to said branch return; and a regulator controlled by condensation water from said dry return main and controlling the combustion in said furnace. JAMES A. DONNELLY.

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