US2174251A - Heater - Google Patents

Description

p 6, 1939. F. c. WILLIAMS 2,174,251

HEATER Filed April 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Fra mcms C. w\LLIAMS ATTORNEY.

Sept. 26, 1939. F. c. WILLIAMS 2,174,251

HEATER Filed April 23, 1937 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 E1 INVENTOR.

Ffimucvs C. W lLLmr-ls ATTORNEY.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HEATER F. C. WILLIAMS Filed April 23, 1937 mmmm Sept. 26, 1939.

INVENTOR. FRANCS C. UJmuAms Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATER Francis 0. Williams, Dearb'orn, Mich. Application April 23, 1937, Serial No. 138,606

The present invention relates to heatin'g appliances or more particularly to" that typeof furnace commonly known asa salamander wherein the products of combustion are circulated directly throughout the area to be heated;

It is an object of the presentinvention to provide' a heating'unit for heating large areas rapidly and with relatively low consumption of inexpensive fuel.

10 A further object ofthe invention is the provision of a heating unit in which the products of combustion of the fuel are circulated throughout the area to be heated but in which pure air is mixed with said products of combustion in such proportions that the deleterious constitu ents'thereof such; for example, as carbon monoxide will be presentonly in such small amounts as will be perfectly harmlessr A further object of the invention is theprovi- 20 sion in a device of this character of means for regulating the proportion of pureair' circulated and the'rate of consumption of fuel and'hencethe rate of heat output. I

A still further object of the invention is thepro-' 25 vision of means for so circulating the air that is to be mixed with the outgoing products of combustion as to cause a preheatingthereof and at the same time a coolingof thoseportions of the unit which might otherwise be damaged 30 by the excessive heat resulting from consumption of fuel therein. 1

One form of my invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following specification wherein fur- 35 ther of its objects and advantages are made apparent.

In the drawings: 7 Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a heating unit embodying my invention,

40 Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on'the' line 11-- II of Fig. 1, V

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on the line III-J11 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken 45 on line IV-IV of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 3 and illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

50 the invention is illustrated as comprising a rectangular metal housing generally indicated at H), the walls of which may be formed about any suitable framing structure or if desired may be formed of sufficiently rigid material to support 55 themselves, The housing llT' may be supported upon a hollow metallic base II which forms an air space sufficient to provide an insulation that will pr'event'damage to a floor ofwood or other inflammable composition. Centrally within the housing I is a vertically extending fuel magazine IZ'adjacent the lower end of which is a' grate comprising grate bars 13 supported at their opposite ends by trunnions 14; the rear trunnions of the grate bars l3 extend through the back wall of the magazine l2 behind which wall they 1 are provided with intermeshing. gears I5. These trunnions are further extended through the back walls where the outer ends of one or more of them may be squared, as shown, for the reception of'a removable wrench which may be em- 1.

ployed. to oscillate the grate bars thus agitating the material supportedby them and causing the residual products of combustion to fall between them to the bottom of the magazine.

Approximately centrally of the housing and 0 horizontally disposed forwardly and on two sides of the magazine I2 is a partition IS. The upper compartment formed by the partition 16 com municates by means of an opening ll (see Figs.

2 and l) with a blower unit comprising a housmg IS, a motor l9, and rotor ZUsupported and driven by said motor. The rotor 20 when driven by the motor draws air through an intake 2| and expels it through the opening H. The greater portion of the air thus put into'circulation by the blower is caused to pass around the upper end of the magazine l2 above the partition l6 and'is then forced downwardlywhere it passes forwardly on both sides of the lower end of" the magazine and is permitted to escape through an outlet 24" provided for this purpose at the forward face of the housing.

In order to provide air in any desired quan tity to support and regulate combustion of fuel in the magazine l2 a hinged damper 25 is arranged rearwardly of the fuel magazine and in a position to intercept the manor air from the blower and direct a portion thereof downwardly through a grill 26 and through a suitable opening 21 in the lower-most portion of the rear wall of the fuel magazine so that it may pass upwardly between the bars of the grate and out through the opening 24. Ascreen 28 is preferably provided to filter the products of combustion thus" passing through the opening 24 to prevent burning embers or the like from passing into the area to be heated. The damper 25 is provided with an operating lever 29 on a shaft 30 which extends through the housing and carries a crank arm 31' at its inner end connected by a link 32 with the damper, so that upon rotation of the lever 29 the damper may be adjusted and the quantity of air deflected thereby to pass directly through the fuel magazine may be varied.

The upper portion of the rear wall of the fuel magazine may be provided with an air inlet in the form of a plurality of perforations such as shown at 33 in Fig. 4. The air intake is preferably arranged directly in line with the blast of air entering the housing I! so that a small por tion of the air will pass into the upper end of the fuel magazine and create a pressure therein sufiicient to drive downwardly any fumes that may have a tendency to rise causing these fumes to remain in the area of greatest heat until complete combustion has occurred and they pass out through the opening 24 in front of the housing.

The fuel magazine extends upwardly through the top of the housing and is provided at its.

above the grate is preferably surrounded by refractory tile as indicated at 39 to prevent unnecessary radiation of heat and to serve as an insula-- tion and protector for other'portions of the unit.

As a further precaution against radiation of heat causing the side walls of the housing to become overheated and thereby Warped or discolored it is desirable that bafiies 40 be provided to divide the compartment below the horizontal partition [6 into horizontally extending chan nels thus permitting free passage of air from the rear to the forward end of this compartment and preventing undue radiation of heat to the outer walls of the housing.

Curved plates as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 may also be. provided at the forward corners to direct the air centrally of the forward end of the housing so that it will pass freely through the opening 24. To operate the heating unit a fuel such, for example, as coke is stacked in the magazine until it is substantially full and the fuel is caused to burn at the bottom of the stack adjacent the grate l3. To'obtain combustion of the fuel at this point a wood fire is first started on the grate with the cover of the magazine removed and a small covering of coke is placed over the wood fire until the coke is well caught. At this time the blower which may be used to incite ready combustion of the wood and coke is cut'oif, the magazine stacked with coke and the cover securely clamped in position.

The air forced through the openings 33 in the upper portion of the magazine and the cool air circulated about the exterior thereof maintain the temperature of the coke in the upper portion below the point of combustion and as that portion being burned on the grate deteriorates and gives way the stack in the magazine moves downwardly under the force of gravity providing an automatic feed of fuel to the area of combustion.

The blower draws in fresh air usually from within the building in which the unit is operating but if the building is relatively small or comparatively air tight an extension may be placed over the blower inlet and led to the exterior of the building to obtain fresh air. The greater portion of the air passes around the magazine as has been described while that portion necessary to produce the desired amount of heat and the desired rate of fuel combustion is directed into the fuel magazine by the means of the adjustable damper 25. The air circulating about the magazine then passes downwardly and forwardly below the horizontal partition l6 and is forcibly discharged through the opening 24 in front of the housing not only mixing with and carrying with it the products of combustion from the fuel magazine but causing somewhat of a Venturi action thus forcibly expelling the heated fumes from the magazine and preventing undue concentration of heat and consequent radiation which would have a destructive effect upon the unit itself.

A heating unit thus constructed is capable of rapid and highly efficient heating of large areas as'an inexpensive fuel may be burned at any desired rate and with substantially one hundred per cent of efficiency as practically all of the heat is forcibly directed over the required area. Owing to the large quantity of fresh air continually mixed with the product of combustion from the fuel magazine the proportion of noxious gases in the output of the unit is so small as to be negligible. However, if it is desired to heat relatively small enclosed areas where the presence of even a small percentage of carbon monoxide or other noxious gases would be undesirable, the forward opening of the combustion magazine may communicate with a radiator such as is illustrated at 42 in the modification shown in Fig. 5, and this radiator may comprise vertically spaced tubes 43 positioned in front of the outlet opening of the unit so that the products of combustion may be carried througlr-these tubes to a suitable fiue and directed to the open atmosphere. The air circulated about the magazine will pass over and between the radiator tubes 43 thus absorbing their heat without mixing with the undesirable products of combustion.

Heating unitsof this character may be conveniently mounted upon trucks so that they are readily portable or may be provided with large eye bolts permitting them to be conveniently moved about by a crane and are thus well adapted to use in heating portions of large plants where men are at work to provide comfort for the workers and in many instances to maintain special materials in workable condition.

Heating units constructed in accordance with my invention are also suitable for warming up internal combustion engines as well as other machinery where a moderate or high temperature is necessary to create favorable operating condition.

While a preferred embodiment of my invention has beenillustrated and described, it is, of course, to be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the construction and arrangement of its several parts within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

l. A direct heat furnace comprising a rectangular housing, a fuel magazine arranged centrally and vertically within the housing, a generally horizontal partition in front of and on two sides of the fuel magazine dividing the housing into an upper and a lower compartment, said housing having a forward opening in communication With the lower compartment and an opening from said lower compartment into the combustion chamber of the fuel magazine, a blower carried at the rear of the housing to force air into the upper compartment whereby air will be circulated around the upper end of the magazine then downwardly and forwardly in the lower compartment to pass outwardly through the opening in the housing an adjustable damper to intercept the air entering the housing, means to direct the air deflected by the damper into the lower end of the fuel magazine, and means for permitting a portion of the air entering the housing to enter the upper end of the fuel magazine.

2. In a heater, a housing; a plurality of plates in said housing attached to the inner walls thereof and cooperating with each other to close a fuel magazine, said plates dividing the space between the housing and fuel magazine into upper and lower compartments, there being an opening in the housing into the lower compartment and an opening from said lower compartment into the combustion chamber of the fuel magazine; an air blower carried by the housing to force air into the upper compartment whereby said air will be circulated around the outside of the upper end of the fuel magazine, then downwardly into the lower compartment; an adjustable damper to intercept the air entering the housing; means to direct the air deflected by the damper into the lower end of the fuel magazine; and means for b-y-passing a portion of the air entering the housing into the upper end of the fuel magazine to create a pressure therein sufiicient to force the still combustible components of the products of combustion into contact with the furnace to cause the burning thereof.

FRANCIS C. WILLIAMS.

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