US2126969A - Separator for underfired domestic water heaters - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1938. c. H. MORROW 2,126,969

SEPARATOR FOR UNDERF'IRED DOMESTIC WATER HEATERS Filed Sept. 24, 1954 FIG-I m9? ix \5 INVENTOR CLARENCE H. MORRQW w/ya q A TTORNE Y5 Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEPARATOR FOR UND-ERFIRED DOMESTIC WATER HEATERS Clarence H. Morrow, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as-

signor to The Hotstream Heater Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in domestic water heaters of the underfired type, the invention having for its general object the increasing of the efficiency of such a heater by the as here shown, the tank is supported on suitable legs l2 and the burner chamber base member is provided with a suitably sized secondary air in- :5 addition thereto of what is here termed a comlet opening l3. 6 bustion separator. Although the burner 4 may be an oil burner, it More particularly, the present invention relates is here shown as a gas burner, 'being suitably to an underfired domestic water heater in which mounted on the inner end of a lateral feed tube the burner thereof has associated therewith the I4 extending through and supported by the tank present combustion separator, the function of side wall I, the enlarged outer end of said feedlO which is to prevent the products of combustion tube being provided with the usual shutter-conproduced by said burner from mixing with the trolled primary air openings (not shown) and secondary air below the burner. As a result, the having suitably secured thereto a gas inlet conefiiciency of the burner, and hence of the heater, duit I5, the flow of gas through which is conis greatly increased, with very little change in the trolled by a suitable valve I6. 15 construction cost of the heater. To increase the efficiency of the burner 4, and

A further feature of the present combustion hence of the heater, the present combustion sepaseparator is the condensation-confining flange rator is suitably associated with said burner, the thereof, the effect of which is to maintain in the function of said separator being to prevent the products of combustion zone above the burner, products of combustion produced by said burner 20 for reevaporation, any condensation which may from mixing with the secondary air below the occur therein. burner. The combustion separator here shown is Other features and advantages of the present a simple metal member l8 of plate-like form discombustion separator are in part obvious and in posed horizontally just above said burner and part will appear more in detail hereinafter. having a suitable opening 19 in alignment there- 25 In the accompanying drawing, in which one with and corresponding thereto in size. As a reembodiment of the present invention is illussult of said separator, the chamber 3 is divided trated, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the into an upper products of combustion. compartlower portion of a typical domestic water heater ment and a lower secondary air compartment,

of the underfired type, saidheater having assoas clearly shown in Fig. 1. 30 ciated with the burner thereof the present com- Although any suitable means may be utilized bustion separator; and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional to maintain said combustion separator in proper view of said heater just above the combustion association with said burner, the present comseparator thereof, the view being on the line 2--2 bustion separator is bolted or otherwise suitably of Fig, 1. secured to inwardly extending flanges 20 with 35 Referring to said drawing, l indicates the cywhich the brackets I are provided at their upper lindrical insulated side wall of the water tank ends. of the heater, the concave bottom wall 2 of which By the use of the present combustion sepais arranged above the lower end of said side wall rator, the products of combustion produced by so as to form within said side wall and below said the burner 4 within the upper compartment of 40 bottom wall a chamber 3 for a burner 4, the chamber 3 are effectively prevented from mixing bottom of said chamber being closed by a suitwith the secondary air below said burner in the able metal base member 5 bolted or otherwise lower compartment of said chamber. Asaresult, suitably secured to inwardly extending flanges B improper, inefiicient combustion, due to circulaon the lower ends of a pair of opposed brackets tion of burned gases around and through the 45 1, the intermediate portions of which are bolted burner, is effectively eliminated. Moreover, said or otherwise suitably secured, at 8, to the tank combustion separator aids in directing to the side wall I. Extending upwardly from the tank burner, for combustion purposes, the secondary bottom wall 2, in communication with the burner air therefor, the amount of which secondary air chamber 3 therebelow, is a suitable flue pipe 9 is controlled by the size of the secondary air 50 for carrying away the burned gases or products opening l3 in the base member 5. The efiiciency of combustion produced by the burner 4, and exof the burner, and hence of the heater, is theretending down into the tank and terminating adfore materially increased, with but slight change jacent the bottom wall 2 thereof is the usual cold in the construction cost of the heater.

' water supply pipe 10, the hot water delivery pipe In order to confine within the products of 1. In an underfired domestic Water heater, a

container for the water to be heated, wall means providing a substantially closed chamber below Y said container, a burner in said chamber, and a transversely disposed separator in said chamber adjacent said burner and provided with an opening therefor, said separator separating said chamber into a products of combustion compartment above said burner and a secondary air compartment below said burner, said wall means being provided with a secondary air inlet, the

cross-dimensional size of which is materially less than that of said chamber.

2. In an underfired domestic water heater, a container for the Water to be heated, wall means providing a substantially closed chamber below said container, inlet means outside of said chamber for supplying primary air to said burner, and

a transversely disposed separator in said chamber adjacent said burner and provided with an opening therefor, said separator separating said chamber into a products of combustion compartment above said burner and a secondary air compartment below said burner, said wall means being provided with a secondary air inlet, the cross-dimensional size of which is materially less than that of said chamber. F

3. In an underfired domestic water heater, a container for the water to beheated, Wall means providing a substantially closed chamber below said container, a burner in said chamber, and a transversely disposed separator in said chamber just above said burner and provided with an opening therefor, said separator separating said chamber into a products of combustion compartment above said burner and a secondary air compartment below said burner, said wall means being provided with a secondary air inlet, the cross-dimensional size of which is materially less than that of said chamber, the opening in said separator being of substantially the same crossdimensional size as that of said burner and said separator being provided at the edge of said opening with an upwardly and inwardly extending flange, said flange serving not only to confine in said products of combustion compartment any condensate on said separator but also serving to direct inwardly and upwardly over said burner the secondary air passing through said separator opening from said secondary air compartment.

CLARENCE H. MORROW.

Images