US2102989A

US2102989A - Orchard heating system

Info

Publication number: US2102989A
Application number: US146683A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theodore W Bose
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-06-05
Filing date: 1937-06-05
Publication date: 1937-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 1954-12-21

Description

Dec. 2l, 1937. T. w. BosE ORCHARD HEATING SYSTEM Filed June 5, 195'? .HM inval ww.

' Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES VPAT-ENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of plant husbandry and pertains particularly to improvements in means for maintaining an even temperature in orchards.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide an improved system of supplyingl heat to orchards whereby, during unseasonable cold spells of weather, damage to the plants may be prevented by surrounding the samel with warmed air which will maintain' the general atmosphere at a temperature above the point where damage might be done to thevplants.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide in a system of the above described character, a novel means of heating and circulating air from a novelly constructed furnace through pipes for discharge in the vicinity of the orchard trees.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a heat distributing system for' orchards, novel detachable distributing units and means for controlling the escape of heated air therethrough.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be vchanged or modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing: I e

Figure 1 is'a view in plan of a heated air distributing system constructed in accordance with the present invention, with parts of the system being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an end of a cross distributing'pipe .showing an air escape control plate.

Fig. -5 is a view in plan of a heated air escape 5 control means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I generally designates the air heating structure forming part of the' present nace housing the wall is provided with a suitable door 3 covering an entrance 'opening to the furnace and with air inlet apertures 4 and disposed within the furnace is a burner unit of a suitable design for burning fuel oil or gas, the unit being suppliedrby the pipe line 6 which is controlled by a valve 1. The burner unit 5 has not been illustrated in detail as the specic struc--A ture of the same constitutes no part of the present invention, it merely being necessary that there be employed a unit which will properly burn 4oil or gas, as stated.

A portion of the top wall of the furnace is indicated by the numeralll and this has leading thruit the products of combustion escape pipe 9. Except for the outlet or escape pipe 9 and the openings 4, the furnace casing is closed so that when'theburner 5 is in operation, a considerable amount of heat will be maintained therein.

Disposedbeneath the surface of the ground and leading from one side of the furnace struczo ture, is a heated air conducting pipe I0 which4 is. connected with the drum or hollow plate -III which lies over the burner unit 5 in the manner illustrated. The pipe I0 leads to a series of distributing pipes I2 which are also beneath the g5 surface of the ground and pass between the rows of trees in the orchard, the positions of which trees are indicated by the numerals I3.

Upon the side of the furnace structure oppo'-l site from the distributing pipes I2, is the air inlet pipe |21ab which leads into the furnace and is connected with the drum I0 as illustrated to lead air thereinto from above the surface of the ground and in the pipe I2 upon suitably supported bearings II. is a shaft I5 on which is mounted a blower 35 fan I5. This shaft I5 also carries a pulley I1, preferably of the type to take a V--shaped driving belt and this pulley is connected by means of the belt I8, with a similar pulley mounted upon the shaft of a motor I 9 which may be electrically 40- driven or may be operated by gasoline or oil.

The pipe I2'l has an air pipe 20 leading thereinto from the interior of the furnace structure, A

as illustrated, so that when the fan I6 is operated by the motor I9, some air will be sucked from within the furnace into the pipe I2 and driven forwardly through the drum tothe distributing pipes I2, being additionallyheated in its passage through that portion which lies over the heat" plate II.,

Each of the distributing pipes I2 has extending upwardly therefrom at spaced intervals correspending withl the distance between the` trees of each row, a. pipe 2| which terminates adjacent the surface of the ground and is adapted to be closed by the removable cap 22, such as is illustrated particularly in Figure 2. When the cap 22 is removed, there may be coupled with the upper end of the pipe 2| the end of the standard portion 23 of a substantially T-shaped pipe unit, which is indicated generally by the numeral 24. These pipe units or Ts have the lateral arms 25 thereof inserted into extension pipes 26 so that heated air rising from the distributing pipe I2 into a T-24 will be carried laterally by the extensions 26 for discharge therefrom adjacent the surface of the ground into the air beneath the adjacent trees.

In addition to having the ground level distributing means which comprises the T 24 and the extension pipes 26, each distributing pipe l2 has extending therefrom beneath the ground, aflateral pipe 21 which, at its outer end has an upturned portion 28 which extends a substantial distance above the surface of the ground to dis-` charge heated air directly upwardly. .A'Ihese upwardly discharging pipes and ground level pipes may be used simultaneously or independently of one another, if desired. When the ground level pipes are employed it will be apparent that the heated air may be discharged laterally over the the ground surface Aaround the tree trunks to warm the ground vapor before it contacts the trunk and the tree branches. y 1 In order that 4the escape of heated air from 4the ends of the pipe portions 28, as well as from scribed. 'I'he outer end of pipe 26 has securedthereto the angular braket 29, one arm of which extends across the adjacent open end of the pipe and carries a bolt 30 which passes through an aperture in a cover plate 3| which is located over the open pipe end. By means of a wire 3|n or any other suitable device attached to the plate the position of the plate 3| upon the pipe end may bevadjusted, by oscillation on the bolt, to control the amount of heated airescaping from the pipe and the plate can be held in adjusted position by the frictional contactv maintained between it and the pipe by tightening screw 30.

In Figs. 2 and 5 there is shown a modified form of the heat control plate by which the escape of heat from the upwardly directed outlet pipes 28 is controlled. In this form the plate is generally indicated by the numeral 32, and it is provided with theintegral resilient arms 33 which extend `from one face and which are separated a distance to facilitate their engagement about theend of a pipe 28 so as to have rm frictional contact with the outer surface of the same.

A handle 34 is secured to each plate 32, and by this means theplate can be raised or lowered relative to the adjacent end of the pipe on which it is mounted so thatv the size of the area between air may be made to surround the trunks of the trees and also to envelop the upper parts or foliage of the trees. By means of the ground level pipes, the heated air may be discharged directly against the tree trunks and by using the vertically disposed pipes 28, additional heated air may be discharged directly upwardly into the branches of the trees. Regulation of air flow' is readily controlled by means of the damper plates described and it will also be apparent that the ground level pipes may be closed completely so that the vertical pipes only may be made use of or the reverse method may be employed.

I claim: f

1. In a heat distributing system of the character described, a heating furnace including a casing and a heating unit therein, air conducting means passing through said casing over said heating unit, distributing pipes connected with said means, said means and distributing pipes being beneath the ground surface, means for forcing circulation of air through the conducting means and said pipes, and heated air escape means for the distributing pipes comprising upwardly directed nipples and substantially T- shaped pipe units each coupled with a nipple and adapted to discharge heated air laterally over the surface of the ground.

2. In an orchard heating system of the character described, a furnace structure including a closed casing having a burner unit therein, air conducting means passing entirely through and closed against communication with the interior of the furnace casing, air distributing pipes connected with said conducting means, air circulating means in said conducting means, means for drawing air from the interior of the furnace casing into the conducting means by said circulating means, that portion of the conducting means lying in the casing being disposed over said burner unit, and tubular distributing arms connected with said distributing pipes at spaced intervals and having upwardly directed outlets opening to the atmosphere above the ground.

3. y In an orchard heating system of the character described, a furnace structure including a closed casing having a burner unit therein, air conducting means passing entirely through and closed against communication with the interior of the furnace casi-ng, air distributing pipes connected with said conducting means, air circulating means in said conducting means, means for drawing air from the interior of the furnace casing into the conducting means by said circulating means, that portion of the conducting means in the casing being disposed over said burner unit, tubular distributing arms connected with and projecting laterally from said distributing pipes at spaced intervals and having upwardly directed y means all being disposed beneath rthe surface of the ground', al plurality of outlet'nipples .connected with and extending upwardly from said outlet pipes leading from said distributing pipes.

lateral pipes thru thesuriace of the ground.

' mhatantially 1'shaped pipe units coupled with said nipples and 'arranged to distribute heated air over the surface of the ground, and pipe sections leading laterally from said lateral pipes beneath the surface o! the ground and `terminating in upwardly extending outlet ends which are disposed above the ground surface.

5. In an orchard heating system including an lo air heater. underground heated air. distributing horizontal ground level pipes coupled with said of heated air from said outlet pipes comprising a plate overlying the end of each outlet pipe. a bracketsecured to the outlet pipe and having an arm extending across the adjacent plate, and a pivot member connecting said arm with the adjacent plate upon which the plate maybe oscillated across the adjacent pipe end.

l 'rnmoDoRE w. Bosa.