US1907336A - Orchard heater - Google Patents

Description

y 2, 1933' w. c. scHEu 7,

ORCHARD HEATER Filed Jan. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR will Gide/2e16, M fl/ ATTORNEY5 'May 2, 1933. w Q EU 1,907,336

ORCHARD HEATER Filed Jan. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 I N V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS will 6 Jckew,

Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM C. SCHEU, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SGHEU PRODUCTS COMPANY, LTD., OF UPLAND, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA ORCHARD HEATER This invention relates to orchard heaters adapted for the production of heat by combustion of oil or other combustible liquid, and an important object thereof is to provide an orchard heater having novel features of'construction, such as to provide for more perfect combustion and more complete utilization of the fuel thanhas heretofore been obtained.

A particular object of the invention is to cause generation of vapors from the liquid fuel by heat produced by combustion of a small portion of such fuel with a regulated air supply, and cause the vapors so generated to be drawn upwardly into the stack and there burned in the presence of additional air admitted separately to the stack, so that the main combustion reaction takes place substantially wholly between constituents in the gaseous phase, as distinguished from the combustion of liquid oil at the surface thereof. This object is accomplished primarily by providing a generating chamber adapted to contain liquid fuel, a stack whose interior constitutes a main combustion chamber, a partition wall defining a vapor chamber separate from the generating chamber and opening upwardly and freely into the stack, means for admitting a regulated quantity of air to said generating chamber for combustion of a portion of the fuel therein, to cause generation of fuel vapors by heating the body of fuel therein, and an opening from the generating chambers into said vapor chamber so as to permit the fuel vapors (and products of combustion) produced in the generating chamber to be carried upwardly through said vapor chamber. into the stack. due to the draft therein, said opening being sufficiently remote from the point of generating combustion in the generating chamber to prevent propagation of flame through said opening into said vapor chamber in normal operation of the heater. The generated fuel vapors theef0re pass upwardly in thestack, and suitable openings are furtherprovided for admitting air at the proper position or positions in said stack, for effecting substantially complete and perfect combustion of such vapors. The vapor chamber opening 2-2 in Fig. 1.

upwardly into the stack is preferably located centrally of the heater and within a cylindrical or other dividing wall, while the generating chamber is provided by the annular space between said dividing wall and the outer wall of the base of the heater.

until the entire quantity of fuel is exhausted.

.A further object of the invention is to provideimproved means for regulating the ad- IIllSSlOIl of 'air to said generating chamber.

The complete construction of typical forms of apparatus embodying the principle of my invention and exemplifying the means employed for securing the above advantages, are

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and referring thereto:

Fig. 1' is a side elevation of an orchard heater according to my invention, with the outer wall of the base and the inner or dividing wall partly broken away to show the vapor chamber and'the opening from the generating chamber i to the vapor chamber.

Fig. 2 is a vertibal section thereof on line Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

i Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section on line 44 in Fig. 1, showing the construction of the lower part of the stack.

, Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the regulating means for controlling the admission of air to the generating chamber. 7

Fig. 6 is a perspective view'of the regulating member or valve of such regulating -means.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the stack and upper part of the base, showing possible modifications in the construction thereof.

F Fi 8 isa vertical section on line 8-8 in ig. 9 is a side elevation of the lower portion of another modified form of stack.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section on line 1010 in Fig. 9.

Figs. 11 and 12 are similar to Figs. 9 and 10, showing stillanother possible modification of the stack construction.

In the drawings I show certain preferred .embodiments of my invention, in which the parts of the heater are circular in horizontal cross-section, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited in this respect, and the parts may, if desired, be made of oval, rectangular or other suitable horizontal cross-section. Furthermore, many modifications may be made in the shape and proportions of the several parts, as well as in the means of mounting and securing together said arts. The heater shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inc usive may be considered as comprising two principal parts, a base 1 and a stack 2. The bottom 3 of the base is preferably inclined upwardly continuously from near the outer edge thereof to approximately the center or dished upward so as to provide for complete drainage of fuel from the central portion thereof toward the outer edges. The side wall 4 of the base may be substantially cylindrical or maybe flared somewhat upwardly and outwardly as shown, and is preferably provided with a horizontal offset 5 near its upper edge for the purpose of stiffening the same at this point and causing it to maintain its proper shape. Bottomv 3 and side wall 4 constitute a fuel receptacle. The base is further provided with a cover 6 having a depending annular flange 7 fitting over the upper portion 4' of the side wall. Said cover has a central opening 8 and may be provided with a flange 9 extending upwardly from the edges of said opening.

The upper part of the stack comprises a frusto-conical wall portion 11 tapering downwardly and outwardly from a restricted outlet opening 12 at its upper end, and terminating at its lower end in a substantially imperforate cylindrical wall portion 13. The lower part of the stack comprises a substantially imperforatecylindrical rim or wall portion 14 and an annular flange or apron 15 extending inwardly therefrom and preferably, but not necessarily, inclined somewhat upwardly toward the center as shown in Fig. 2. Said annular flange 15 may, however, be substantially horizontal as shown'in Fig. 4. Projecting downwardly from the inner edge of, the annular apron 15 is a cylindrical dividing wall 17 which fits inside the flange 9 of the cover 6 and extends through opening 8 and downwardly to the bottom 3, resting thereon but fitting loosely thereupon so as to provide suflicient clearance, as indicated at 18, between the bottom edge of wall 17 and the bottom wall 3 for draina e of fuel therethrough. The cylindrical ividing wall or partition 17 is shown as being formed integrally with, or secured to, the lower ortion of the stack (annular flange 15), so t at the engagement of said wall with the bottom 3 and with the edges of opening 8 and flange 9 serves to support the stack. It will be understood, however, that said wall 17 may, if desired, be separate from the stack, and the latter may be separately secured to or supported upon, the cover 6 in any suitable-manner.

The annular space 19 between the outer wall 4 and the inner dividing wall constitutes the generating chamber, while the space 20 inside the dividing wall constitutes what may be termed a vapor chamber, opening upwardly and freely into combustion chamber 32 provided by the interior of the stack.

The air for the vapor-generating combustion is introduced through an air admitting and regulating device 21 mounted above an opening 22 in the cover 6. Said regulating device may comprise a tubular member 23 hingedly mounted on cover 6 at one side of opening 22, as shown at 24', and provided with a plurality of regulating openings 25 in its side wall, and a cap 26 fitting rotatably on said tubular member and having an opening 27 in its side wall adapted to cover or uncover the openings 25 upon rotation of said cap, whereby the openings 27 and 25 cooperate to regulate the admission of air through opening 22.

Aperture means are provided in dividing wall 17, establishing communication between the generating chamber19 and the vapor chamber 20, and said aperture means is sufliciently removed from the air admitting device 21, and hence from the zone of vaporgenerating combustion so as to prevent propagation or continuation of the generating flame throu h said opening means into the vapor cham er during normal operation of the heater. For this purpose, a single opening 30 is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, located substantially diametrically opposite the air admitting means 21, but it will be understood that my invention is not restricted to this particular relative position of said opening, the essential feature being in any case that it is sufficiently remote from the air admitting means so that the distance travelled by the gases and vapors in the generating chamber, before reaching said 0 ening, is suflicient to permit completion 0 the vapor-generating combustion before reaching said opening, thus substantially preventing burning at the surface of the liquid fuel in the vapor chamber. Instead of a single opening, I may provide two or more openings 30, as shown in Fig. 7, both of these openings being located at a portion of the dividing wall 17 remote from the air admitting device 21.

The means for admitting the main air supply to combustion chamber 32 may advantageouslycomprise a plurality of openings 33 distributed uniformly in the annular flange or apron '15. Additional air supply d so as to provide openings therebetween as indicated at 35. The upper part of the stack may be uniformly spaced from rim 14 by means of spacing blocks 36 whichmay be secured torim 14 by suitable means such as bolts or rivets 37, the upper part of the stack being secured to said spacing blocks by suitable means, such as bolts or rivets 38. An desired number of spacing blocks 36 may be provided and the spaces therebetween constitute the openings 35 for admission of air. Said openings are uniformly distributed about the stack and are of uniform size, so as to admit air to the inside of the stack equally from all sides.

In starting the operation of the above described heater, fuel oil or other suitable liquid fuel is placed in the liquid receptacle provided by bottom 3 and side wall 4 of the base 1, said fuel receptacle including the.

lower portions of both the generating chamber 19 and the vapor chamber 20. Saidreceptacle may be filled with fuel to any desired level such as indicated at S in Fig. 2,

such level being sufficiently below the cover 6 to provide the necessary space above the fuel for passage of air products of combus- 2 tion, and generated vapors. Considerable variation is permissible in the method of initiating the combustion in the heater. One

method which may be used for this purpose consists in opening the air admitting device 21 by means of hinge 24 and pouring a small amount of gasoline therethrough onto the surface of the fuel and igniting the same, and also pouring some gasoline or similar material through the upper end of the stack onto the interior walls thereof and igniting the same at this po nt also. The air admitting device-21 is then lowered about its hinge, but the cap 26 is turned to such position as to bring the opening 27 therein in positon to expose a considerable part of the openings 25, so as'to admit a relatively large supply of air for proper starting of the combustion.

The combustion being thus started in generating chamber 19 directly beneath the air admitting means 21, the liqu d fuel becomes ignited at this point and a portion thereof will burn in vthe presence of the air. admitted through openings 27 and 25. Such combustion will heat the body of fuel, or the por- -cause the desired rate of therefrom. It is tion thereof alilacent the point'of such combustion, to s cient temperature to cause generation of vapors therefrom, which will pass around the sides of wall 17 and through openin 30 into vapor chamber 20 and hence upwar ly into the combustion chamber 32. In case the above described procedure is followed, these vapors will be ignited, in the presence of air admitted through openings 33 and 35, by the burning gasoline in the stack, but it will be understood that any other suitable means may be employed'for igniting these vapors and startin the main combustion operation in the com ustion chamber.

The operation of the heater will thereafter proceed in normal manner it being understood that the regulating device 21 may be ad usted after the operation is well under way so as to reduce the exposed area of 0 eny ings 25' and limit the amount of air admitted therethrough, so that just enough air is admitted at t is point to maintain a generating flame at the surface of the fuel in the gencrating chamber of sufiicient intensity to generation of vapors evident that the dividing wall 17 will serve to completely confine the generating flame to the generating chamber, I

as the'distance-from the zone of generating combustion which will naturall be at the side of the generating chamber eneath the air admitting device 21, to the opening 30, is suflicient to prevent propagation or continuation of the generating flame to and through said opening. In the normal operation of the heater, therefore, there will be .substantially no combustion at the surface of the liquid fuel inside the vapor chamber The heating of the liquid fuel for genera-- tion of vapors therefrom is of course not confined to the region of the generating flame.

The hot combustion gases and hot vapors formed at this point will also furnish heat to the surface of the fuel in passing around through the annular generating chamber 19, and cause liberation of further vapors. The body of liquid fuel will also be heated by heat radiated thereto from the main flame in the stack, and heat conducted by the walls of the heater, and all of the heat so received will assist in generation of fuel vapors.

The vapors thus'generated are, as above described, drawn upwardly through chamber 20, due to the draft in the stack, and are burned with a smooth "steady flame in the combustion chamber in the presence of air admitted uniformly from all sides through openings 33 and 35. The conditions are,

An important function of the air admitted to the generating chamber through means 21, in addition to maintaining the necessary combustion therein, is to furnish a stream of hot gaseous products of combustion which are drawn through said generating chamber due to the draft in the stack and continually sweep the generated vapors therefrom into the vapor chamber and hence to the stack for combustion.

Mounting of the cylindrical partition-wall 17 on the stack as above described has the advantageous result that it can be withdrawn bodil with the stack from the fuel receptacle, there y facilitating inspection of and access to the fuel receptacle, for example, in cleaning the same. Moreover the partition wall is in heat conducting contact with the stack, and transmits heat from the main flame in the stackto the vapor in the space enclosed by said partition, as well as to the generating chamber, thereby assisting in the generation of vapor and in preventing condensation of vapor in the vapor chamber.

Since the portion of the bottom of the fuel receptacle which is surrounded by the cylindrical partition 17 is higher than the bottom of the generating chamber, the body of fuel at such central portion may become reduced to a thin layer while there is still considerable depth of fuel in the generating chamber. Under these circumstances there would be a tendency of the fuel to carbonize and cake on such elevated portion of the receptacle bottom, but this tendency is minimized by the protection afforded by the partition wall 17, which to a considerable degree, shields the floor of the vapor chamber from the direct radiation of heat from the generating chamber.

It will be noted that all of the air admitting means are so designed as to minimize the harmful effects of adverse weather conditions, such as rain, snow or wind. It is a particularly advantageous feature of the above construction that the openings in the regulating device 21 are provided in the side wall thereof instead of in the top as has heretofore been customary, so that entrance of rain or snow therethrough is substantially prevented. The openings 33, being located in the annular flange or apron 15, are also effectively protected by the overhanging outer edge thereof from entrance of rain or snow and are also shielded against direct exposure to wind. The upward and inward inclination of said apron is of particular advantage for this reason. Furthermore, the wall portion 13 of the upper part of the stack overhangs and extends sufficiently below the upper edge of rim 14 so as to protect the openings 35 against similar adverse weather conditions,

It will be understood that various modifications in the construction of the stack may be made. utilizing the. same principles of design for providing protected openings for admission of the main air supply. For example as shown in Figs. 7 and- 8, the upper part of the stack may as before overhang and be spaced from an annular. wall ortion 14' similar to the rim 14 above descri d, similar spacing means 36 being provided, leaving openings 35 therebetween. In this case, however, the annular wall portion 14' is shown as overhanging and being spaced from the up er edge of an upward extension 17' of the dividing wall 17 Spacing blocks 36 are provided between the wall portions 14' and 17, said spacing blocks being secured to wall portion 17' as by means of bolts or rivets 37 and wall portion 14 being secured thereto as by means 'of bolts or rivets 38. Openings 35 are thus rovided between the wall portions 14 an 17 so that the main air supply is in this case admitted through the openings 35 and 35'. Both of these air admitting openings are,

in this case also, protected by the overhanging wall portions from exposure to adverse weather conditions.

Another possible modification in the construction of the stack is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. The stack comprises in this case an upper wall portion 42, an intermediate wall portion 43, and a lower wall portion 44.

All of said wall portions are frusto-conical in shape, and the lower edge of wall portion 42 overhangs the upper edge of wall portion 43 and is spaced therefrom substantially uniformly throughout its periphery as by means of spacing blocks 45 secured, for example, in the manner above described, so as to provide openings 46 therebetween. In a similar manner the wall portion 43 overhangs the upper edge of wall portion 44 and is uniformly spaced therefrom about its periphery by means of spacing blocks 47 providing air admitting openings 48. Each of the overhanging wall portions thus serves to protect the openings within the lower edge thereof from adverse weather conditions. Further air admitting openings may, if desired, be provided as shown at 33', in an inwardly extending annular apron 15 whose inner edge may be connected to the upper end of the dividing wall 17, in the same manner as in Fig. 1. The annular apron 15' may be inclined upwardly toward the center as above described, or may, if desired, be substantially horizontal as shown. in 10.

Still another possible mo lfication of the stack construction according to my invention is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In this case the cylindrical portion 50 of the upper part of the stack extends inside and spaced from the cylindrical wall 51 of the lower part of the stack, the edges of the two wall portions overlapping one another so as to prevent direct entrance of wind therebetween and also prevent access of drivin rain into the central part of the stack. he two parts of the stack are as before secured together and held in spaced relation by spacing blocks 52 between which are the openings 53 for admission of air.

I claim:

1. An orchard heater comprising means de fining a generating chamber ada ted to contain liquid fuel, .a stack mounte above and communicating with said chamber and the interior of which constitutes a main combustion chamber, a cylindrical partition wall extending downwardly from the stack and inclosing a vapor chamber and separating the same from the remainder of the generating chamber, said vapor chamber opening upwardly and freely into the stack, means for admitting air to said generating chamber outside and at one side of said partition wall, said partition wall being provided with aperture means leading from the generating chamber into said vapor chamber, said aperture means in the partition wall being wholly at the opposite side of the partition wall from the point of admission of air to the generating chamber, and the portion of the partition wall closest to said oint of admission of air being substantial y imperforate, and means for admitting additional air to the interior of said stac 2. An orchard heater comprising a covered rece tacle ada ted to contain liquid fuel, a stac mounte above and communicating with said fuel receptacle, a cylindrical dividing wall mounted on said stack and extendin downwardly from the bottom of the stac and dividing the interior of said fuel receptacle into an annular enerating chamber outside said dividing wa l and a substantially central vapor chamber within said dividing wall, said vapor chamber opening upwardly and freel into said stack, means for admitting a regu ated quantity of air to said generating chamber at one side of the central va or chamber, said dividing wall being provi ed with an opening establishing communication between said generating chamber and said vapor chamber at only the opposite side of said va or chamber from the point of admission 0 air to said generating chamber the remainder of said dividing wall being imperforate, and means for admitting addi-' tional air to said stack.

3. An orchard heater comprisin a covered receptacle for liquid fuel, a su tantiall vertical cylindrical partition wall dispose centrally of said receptacle and dividing the interior thereof into a central vapor chamber and an annular generating chamber, means for admitting a regulated quantity of air to one side of said generating chamber, said cylindrical partition wall being provided with an opening establishing1 communication between said generating amber and said vapor chamber at only the opposite side of said I vapor chamber from said air admitting means, the remainder of said cylindrical partition wall being imperforat, and a stack communicating at its lower end with said vapor chamber, said partition wall being in heat conducting contact with said stack.

4. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a dividing wall defining a va or chamber in the central portion of said uel receptacle and an annular generating chamber outside said vapor chamber, means for admitting air to said generating chamber, opening means in said dividing wall establishing communication between said chambers, a stack having its lower end in communication with said vapor chamber, said receptacle having a dished bottom continuously inclined upwardly from near the outer edge to approximately the center thereof so as to facilitate drainage of liquid fuel from the central vapor chamber into said annular generating chamber, and said dividing wall extending around the raised-central portion of said dished bottom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub

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