US1983112A - Regulator for oil burners - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1934. G. w WHITEHURST REGULATOR FOR OIL BURNERS Filed Dec. 5, 1955 GM Mllilkll r51 Patented Dec. 4, 1934 1,983,112 REGULATOR ron om mmmms George W. Whitehurat, Portsmouth, Va. Application December 5, 1933, Serial No. 701,078 I i '1 Claims.

This invention relates to oil burners such as is shown in my copending application for patent Serial No. 701,077 flled of even date herewith, now Patent No. 1,983,111, and particularly to a heat regulator for such a heater.

The general object of my invention is to provide means for regulating the heat supplied from an oil heater .without the necessity of turning up or turning down the wicks of the heater or manually. opening or closing valves.

A further object is to provide a supply tank for the heater having a float controlled inlet valve andha'ving a thermostatically controlled outlet valve with means for regulating the maximum and minimum outlet from said valve to any desired degree.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

The flgure of the drawing shows an elevation a heater constructed in accordance with my invention, the reservoir or tank with its allied parts being insection.

Referring to this drawing, A designates a central or medially disposed chamber within which is disposed a series of concentric combustion chambers designated B, the lower ends of these combustion chambers having burners C provided with wicks D. Disposed exteriorly of the central casing A are flue passages shown in elevation in 80 the figure and designated E whereby products of combustion are caused to circulate and pass out through a flue not shown, the spaces F between these flue passages E and the casing A extending from front to rear of the burner and permitting the passage of air into the room through these spaces so thatthe air may be heated. This structure is fully disclosed in my pending application above referred to and, therefore, needs no further description.

Oil is supplied to the burner of the heater from an oil tank or reservoir designated 10. The bottom of this tank rests upon a fitting 11 having a branch 12 connected shown in dotted lines and designated 13. Having screw-threaded engagement with the bottom wall 14 of the reservoir 10- is a valve seat 15 which depends into the chamberll and is formed with inlet openings or passages 16.

For the purpose of holding the chamber 11 in 50, place against the bottom 14, a screw 17 is provided which extends up through the bottom of the chamber 11 and extends into the depending portion of the seat 15. By removing this screw,

the chamber 11 may be removed from the reser- 56 yell and then the seat may be removed.

to the fuel supply pipe (c1. es -s) The top of the reservoir is formed by a plate 18 which has a central guide aperture for a valve stem 19. This valve stem coacts with the seat 15 and is guided at its lower end by a guide 20. For the purpose of controlling this valve, I provide a. float 21 engaging against levers 22 whose inner ends engage within a flanged collar 23 carried by the valve stem 19.

It will be seen that with this construction when the float rises, the levers 22 will force the valve 19 downward, close the inlet aperture through the seat 15 and as the liquid within the reservoir 10 falls, the float will descend, permitting the pressure of the oil entering through pipe 13 to lift the valve until the proper height has again been reached.

It will be understood, however, that an operative connection might be formed between the ends "of the lever 22 and the float 21 to cause the upward movement of the valve 19 upon the downward movement of the float.

Disposed to one side of the reservoir 10 and cast as part of this reservoir, if desired, is a chamber 24, which, at its lower end, is formed with a valve seat 25 opening into a duct 26 extending laterally go from the bottom of the reservoir 10, this duct 26 being closed at its outer end by a plug 27. A screw 28 extends upward through the bottom of the duct 26, this screw having a shank 29 which may be manually turned to adjust the screw in 5 either direction, this shank passing through a gland 30. The upper end of the chamber 24 is constituted by a thimble or gland 31 having screw-threaded engagement with the walls of the chamber 24. Extending downward through this gland and through the chamber 24 is a valve stem 32 having a valve 33vat its lower end coacting with the valve seat 25, this valve having at its lower enda pin 34 extending through the valve seat 25 and confronting the screw 28. The valve 5 stem 32 just below the cap 31 is formed with a shoulder 35. g v

Supported'in brackets upon the plate 18 is a thermostat designated generally 36 which is shown as consisting of a coil or any other suitable material which will ex- .pand under heat and contract under cold and which is exposed to the air of the room. The outer end of this coil is transversely extended at 3-7 and supports the against a bead 38 carried by the valve stem. The other end of this coil 38 extends down into a socket formed in an angular arm 39 which is mounted upon a pin or shaft 40 journaled in the bracket 41. Thus the or spiral of metal 1 0 valve stem 32 bearin arm 39 may rock. The .110

ward to any degree required. As the arm 39 is forced downward by the nut 44, it will cause the spring to turn in a clock-wise direction and force the arm 37 downward whereas when the nut 44 is loosened, the spring 43 will force the arm upward, thus causing the arm 37 to lift, lifting up on the valve 42. When the temperature increases beyond a desired point, which point is regulated by adjustment of the nut 44, the arm 37 of the thermostat will move downward, permitting the valve stem 32 to move downward toward a closing position, thus reducing the flow of oil to the wicks.

In" order to prevent an entire closing off of the flow of oil to the wicks, the screw 28 is provided, which by adjustment limits the degree to which the valve 33 may move toward the seat so that there will always be at any time a small flow of oil to the wicks unless the screw 28 is fully retracted.

In order to prevent an excess opening of valve 33, a shoulder 35 is provided which stops the valve 33 ,on its upward movement at any desired setting of maximum oil flow, controlled by the setting of the gland 31.

A suction pipe leads from the top plate 18 to one of the flues E. Irregular draft caused by high winds or from other causes acts through pipe 45 to cause a lift or upward 'pull on float 21 and also a lift on oil in reservoir 24 through vent 46 equal to the lift on the oil in the burner ring C. This causes an even oil flow by balancing pressure or suction. Pipe 45 also carries 011 the fumes within the tank 10.

The provision of the suction pipe 45 is of great importance in securing an even draft. All oil burners are critical to oil supply because of the small proportion of oil to the great volume of air. A float valve and burner is adjusted in the heater with the service door open. The door being open, draft is relieved and oil will stay at a level. Shut the door, however, and immediately the draft through the burner acts on the surface of the oil, raising its level and in a storm or high wind, the oil will keep surging and lifting until it reaches a level equal to the draft pull. By providing this suction pipe to the float chamber and having a connection 46 to the valve chamber 24, the excess draft, abovewhat the unit is regulated for, is balanced. When excess draft occurs above the normal setting, oil is lowered in the valve chamber. If this chamber is open to the atmosphere and the float valve works to keep this level constant, but the suction pipe 45 in my device also acts to lift the float and checks the oil flow so that upon a high draft, the oilflow is checked and not increased and this makes the use of automatic dampers in the stove pipe unnecessary. .The flare-up in oil burners is not from too much air, but from too much oil and I have found from actual experience that action occurs as above stated and that by connecting the oil chamber or reservoir 10 and the valve chamber 24 up by the pipe 45 with the flue E that carries off combustion from the burners, the action of a high draft of air is balanced. The draft no longer acts merely upon the bumers causing more oil to be sucked in but also acts to prevent an overflow of oil and prevent, therefore, any flaring up of the oil burners due to too much oil. 1

The operation of this device will be obvious from what has gone before. There is always, as before stated, a small flow of oil to the wicks D so as to permit these wicks to burn with a low flame constituting a pilot light. As the temperature of the room decreases below the normal degree, the thermostat 36 will act to lift the valve 33 further away from its seat, permitting more oil to flow to the burners, thus securing a higher heat in the burners. If the heat of the room rises above a predetermined temperature, the expansion of the thermostat will cause the valve 32 to lower, thus reducing the flow of oil to the burner. The temperature at which the thermostat will act to increase or reduce the flow of oil to the burner may be accurately regulated by means of the screw 44 so that any desired heat may be maintained.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangements of parts, it will be understood that these may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1'. Means for regulating the flow of oil to an oil burner, comprising an oil containing chamber having an inlet, a float controlled valve controlling flow through said inlet, the chamber having an outlet, a vertically movable valve having a stem and controlling flow through said outlet, adjustable means for preventing the full seating or opening of said valve, and thermostatically operated means for shifting said valve toward or from its seat including a thermostatic coil having an arm engaged with the valve, the inner end of the coil being mounted for oscillation and havingv anarm, a screw extending upward loosely through said arm, a spring urging the last named arm upward, and a nut engaging the screw and adjustable to force the last named arm downward against the action of said spring.

2. Means for controlling the flo'w of oil to a burner comprising an oil containing chamber having an inlet, a float operated valve controlling the inlet of oil to said chamber, the chamber having an outlet. a valve casing extending upward parallel to one end of the chamber and communieating with said outlet and having a valve seat and communicating with the upper end of the chamber, a valve stem disposed in said valve chamber and having a valve coacting with the seat, manually adjustable means for controlling the degree to which said valve can approach its seat, a resilient thermostatic coil mounted upon the chamber, the outer extremity of the coil being i v namedarm and urging it upward, and a nut mounted on the screw and adjustable to force the the spring.

I 3. In an oil burner, an oil containing chamber operatively connected to the burner and having an inlet and an outlet, a float operated valve controlling the inlet of oil to said chamber, a valve casing extending upward parallel to one end last named arm downward against the action of of said chamber and communicating with said outlet and having a valve seat, said valve casing communicating with the upper end of the float chamber above the level of oil therein, a valve stem disposed in said valve chamber and having a valve coacting with the seat, means for shitting said valve nearer to or further from the seat, a flue for the burner and a pipe connection from the upper end of the chamber to said flue whereby to secure equal suction on the flame in the burner and oil in said chamber and in the inlet valve casing on both sides of the inlet valve.

4. In an oil heater having a burner enclosing casing and having a flue carrying oil .products,

of combustion from the burner, an oil reservoir connected to the burner and having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet leading to the burner, a float controlled valve controlling the inlet of oil to the reservoir and a communicative connection between the upper portion of the reservoir and the flue.

5. In an oil heater having a burner enclosing casing and having a flue therefrom carrying away products of combustion, an oil reservoir connected to the burner and having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet leading to the burner, a float controlled valve controlling the inlet of oil to the reservoir, a second valve controlling the flow from the reservoir to the burner, a valve casing therefor, the upper portion of the valve casing communicating with the upper portion of the reservoir, and a communicative connection between the upper portion of the reservoir and said flue.

6. Means :for regulating the flow of oil to an oil burner comprising an oil containing chamber having an inlet, a float-controlled valve therefor, a longitudinally movable-valve having a stem and controlling flow through said outlet, and thermostatically operated means for shifting said valve toward or from its seat including a thermostatic coil having an arm engaged with, the valve, the inner end of the coil being mounted for osci1la-, tion and having an arm, and screw means bearing againstsaid arm and adjustable to oscillate the thermostat in one direction'or the other.

7. Means for regulating the flow 01'- oil to an oil burner comprising an oil chamber having an inlet, a float controlled valve controlling flow through said inlet, the chamber having an outlet, a longitudinally movable valve having a stem and controlling flow through said outlet, adjustable means to limit the movement of the valve toward its seat, the valve stem having a pair of stops spaced from each other, thermostatically operated means for shifting said valve toward or from its seat including a thermostat having an arm, the arm loosely engaging the valve stem between the stops, and means for adjusting the thermostat, the thermostat being mounted upon the exterior of the oil containing chamber.

GEORGE W. WHITEHURST.

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