US2189749A

US2189749A - Water heater

Info

Publication number: US2189749A
Application number: US156641A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred T Windheim; Windheim John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-07-31
Filing date: 1937-07-31
Publication date: 1940-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1957-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1940. F, +i"'wmbHE|M HAL 2,189,749

WATER HEATER 2 Filed July 51, 1937 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 13, 1940.

F. T. WINDHEIM ET AL WATER HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1937 ENTORS.

N/ TNESS.

Patented Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES WATER HEATER Fred '1'. Windheim and John Windheim, Nutley, N. J.

Application July 31, 1937, Serial No. 156,641

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in domestic water heaters and more particularly to a tankless, non-storage type water heater for household use in connection with either oil or 5 gas fired burners or boilers.

One of the principal features of the invention resides in combining of a domestic water heater and a boiler booster in a single unit as a tankless domestic hot water supply heater, and a water tank container as a heat transfer unit.

Another feature of the invention is the pro vision of a domestic water heater which embodies the utilizing of the waste heated gases of combustion and the heat from the water of a domestic boiler for heating purposes without affecting any material temperature change in the boiler water.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a domestic water heater embodying a o down-draft principle of heat control wherein a by-pass from the top of the system to a flue is normally open and which is automatically closed only when. the heat in the lowest part of the down draft system reaches a predetermined temperature thus assuring positive circulation of heated gases through the system and the carrying off of the gases of combustion from the furnace or boiler.

Another feature of the invention is to provide 20 a tankless domestic water heater operatively associated with the heat from an oil or gas burner of a domestic furnace which may function for use in the summer season as well as when the furnace is being used for house heating purposes in the winter season, without requiring alterations in the water heater system. 7

Another feature of the invention consists of a water heating system in which water is heated primarily by the heat of the Waste gases of com- 40 bustion of a domestic boiler and which includes automatic means for releasing any excessive accumulation of gases in the system which might otherwise cause an explosion.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an efficient economical Water heater which may be operatively connected with domestic boilers now in use without radical changes in construction or arrangement of parts.

With these and other objects in view, the in- 0 vention resides in the certain novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims and are illustrated in the' accom- 55 panying drawings, in which:

shell I! and rising upwardly and leading to a and with which my combined water heater and boiler booster unit I l is operatively connected.

The water heater and boiler booster unit ll includes an outer steel casing or shell l2 which is of substantially oval shape in plan, the inner side of which is lined with suitable insulating material l3. The shell i2 is supportedupon adjustable legs although any other pedestal support maybe provided. The top of the outer casing l2 opens into a gas accumulator dome ll, the 0 top of which is normally closed by a pair of oppositely disposed hinged safety blow-ofl doors l5l 5. The dome I4 is connected at one side by' a horizontally disposed insulated pipe IS with the flue outlet at the top of the furnace or boiler I0 25 whereby heated gases of combustion from the furnace will enter the top of the outer shell l2 through the dome H. A relatively smaller diameter horizontally disposed insulated by-pass pipe I! has one of its ends connected to the dome ll opposite the pipe l6, while the other end of the by-pass pipe connects with a flue pipe I8, the latter being connected adjacent the bottom of the chimney l9. Theby-pass pipe I! has a butterfly damper 20 mounted therein from which an actuating rod 2| depends. The lower end of the actuating rod extends into a horizontally disposed branch '22 of the fiuepipe l8 and is operatively 40 connected to a temperature responsive device in the nature of a spiral thermo coil 23. The butterfiy damper is normally open but is adapted to automatically close under the action of the thermocoil 23 when the temperature in the lower end of the flue pipe [8 reaches a predetermined temperature.

Housed within the outer casing or shell l2 in spaced relation thereto is an inner casing or shell 24 constructed of sheet iron or the like, the same being supported upon legs 25 which rest upon the bottom of the outer shell l2. The space between the inner and outer sheets constitutes a flue passage for the waste hot gases of combustion from the domestic boiler ID in their passage from the flue pipe I, dome l4 to the lower end of the flue pipe I 8.

Extending the full height of the inner shell or casing 24 and opening through the top and bottom thereof are spaced copper flue tubes 26 the same being spaced well inwardly of the inner walls of the inner casing or shell 24. Extending the full length of the tubes 26 are spiral flns 21 which partition the tubes to provide spiral passages therethrough. Encircling the group of flue tubes 26 and closely spaced relatively to the outermost tubes 26 of the group is a single spiral copper water coil 28, the convolutions of which are closely spaced. The convolutions of the water coil 28 are held rigidly spaced by vertical metal clamping plates 29 spaced from the coil by strips oi insulation 30 interposed between the plates and the coil. Bolts 3| secure the clamping plates 29 together. Due to the arrangement of the flue tubes, the coil 29 is substantially oval in plan to correspond to the cross sectional contour of the inner and outer casings. It is desired to maintain the coil in spaced relation to the group of flue tubes 28 and strips of insulation 32 may be interposed therebetween wherever necessary. The lower end of the water coil 23 extends through the inner and outer cas ing's and connects with a cold water supply pipe 33, whereas the upper end of the coil extends through the inner and outer casings and connects with a hot water supply pipe 34. The hot water supply pipe 34 and the cold water supply pipe 33 are connected by a connecting pipe 35 in which an automatic cold water adjusting valve 36 is arranged. A hot water pipe 31 leads from the outlet side of the mixing valve to the various faucets of a home. The valve 36 is of the conventional type, the operation of which is thermal controlled bythe temperature of the water passing through the pipe 34, whereby if the temperature is excessive, the valve will open to admit cold water from the pipe 33 to mix with the hot water and moderate the temperature of the heated water before the same passes to the pipe 31.

The waterback of the boiler or furnace I is connected by insulated pipes 38 to the upper portion of the inner shell 24, the said pipes 38 constituting hot water inlet pipes for supplying hot water to the inner casing where said water surrounds the flue tubes 26 and copper coil 23. However, the supply of hot water from the boiler I. to the unit H is held in check until the temperature thereof reaches a predetermined high by an aquastat 39 arranged in each pipe 38. Outlet pipes suitably insulated lead from the bottom of the shell 24 to the boiler I!) while risers 4| lead from the pipes 40 to the radiators of a domestic heating system. A drain pet cock 42 is arranged in an outlet pipe 40 to facilitate draining of the boiler water when desired.

In operation, assume that the boiler I0 is charged with boiler water as is the inner shell or casing 24 and

pipes

38 and 40, while the butterfly damper valve 20 is open and the oil burner or other heat generator is in operation. It follows, that the waste heated gases of combustion from the flre box of the boiler it passes through the flue pipe l8 into the gas accumulating dome l4. The by-pass flue pipe l1 being smaller in diameter than the flue pipe IS, a proportional amount of heated gases pass downwardly through,

the flue tubes 26, and through the space between the inner and outer'shells or casings i2 and 24,-

thence out through the flue I8 to the chimney ll. When the heat in the downdraft passages reaches a predetermined temperature set by the thermal coil 23, the said coil operates to turn the rod 2| to close the butterfly damper 20, thus diverting the entire flow of hot gases through the gas passages in the unit H. The aquastat 39 is set for opening at a. predetermined temperature so as to open when the boiler water in the boiler I 0 reaches a predetermined temperature. Heat from the gases passing through the gas passages of the unit II is transferred to the water in the inner casing or shell 24 thus boosting the temperature of the boiler water, while the heat of boiler water in the inner casing acts upon the copper coil 28 to heat the water 'as it passes therethrough from the cold water supply pipe 33 to the hot water supply pipe 34. As previously stated, should the temerature oi the hot water heated by the unit H be in excess of a predetermined degree, the automatic mixing valve 36 will operate to moderate the game by admitting cold water from the cold water supply pipe 33 into the hot water supply line.

Should the hot gases of combustion back up in the unit H, the same will accumulate in the dome l4 and the pressure therein will be relieved by the blowing open of the doors l5, thus avoiding danger of explosion.

While we have shown and described what we consider to be the preferred embodiment of our invention, we wish it to be understood that such changes and alterations as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A water heating system comprising in combination, aflred boiler, a water heating unit including spaced inner and outer casings, the space between said casings constituting a flue passage. vertical flue tubes extending the lqgth of the inner casing, a water coil contained within said inner casing and surrounding said flue tubes, means connecting said boiler and said inner casing for circulating boiler water through said inner casing, a flue pipe connecting the top of said outer casing with the flue outlet of said fired boiler for conveying hot gases of combustion from said boiler to the top of said outer casing for down passage through said flue tubes and flue passage, a chimney flue leading from the bottom of said outer casing for carrying off the hot gases after their passage through the flue tubes and flue. passage, a by-pass flue pipe connecting the top of said outer casing and said chimney flue, a damper in saidby-pass flue pipe normally in an open position, and thermal actuating means responsive to the temperature of the downdraft gases passing through said chimney flue for moving said damper to closed position when the temperature of the hot gases entering said chimney flue reaches a predetermined degree.

2. A water heating system comprising in combination, a fired boiler, a water heating unit including spaced inner and outer casings, the space between said casings constituting a flue passage,

.vertical flue tubes extending the length of the inner casing, a water coil contained within said inner casing and surrounding said flue tubes, means connecting said boiler and said inner casing for circulating boiler water through said inner casing, a flue pipe connecting the top of 'said outer casing with the flue outlet of said fired boiler for conveying hot gases of combustion from said boiler to the top of said outer casing for down passage through said flue tubes and flue passage, a chimney flue leading from the bottom of said outer casing for carrying OK the hot gases after their passage through the flue tubes and flue passage, a by-pass flue pipe connecting the top of said outer casing and said chimney flue, a damper in said by-pass flue pipe normally in an open position, thermal actuating means responsive to the temperature of the downdraft gases passing through said chimney flues for moving said damper to closed position when thetemperature of the hot gases entering said chimney flue reaches a predetermined degree, and automatic means for releasing excess pressure of the accumulation of hot gases in said flue passage and flue tubes to the exterior of said outer casing.

3. A hot water heater comprising spaced inner and outer casings,'a dome at the top of said outer casing, hinged doors in the top of said dome, a

flue pipe leading from said dome and adapted to be connected to the flue of a fired boiler, a chimney flue pipe leading from the bottom of the outer casing, a by-pass flue pipe connecting said dome and said chimney flue pipe, the by-pass flue pipe being of a cross sectional area less.

than that of said chimney'flue pipe, a group of flue tubes extending through said inner casing, a water coil surrounding said group of flue tubes and adapted to be connectedin a water supply pipe line, hot water inlet and outlet pipes leading from said inner casing and adapted to be connected with the boiler waterchamber of a boiler, a normally open damper mounted in said by-pass flue pipe, and thermal means in said chimney flue pipe adjacent its connection with said outer casing operatively connected to said damper for closing said damper when the temperature in said chimney flue pipe reaches a predetermined fiegree.

ends of said innerfcasing f-a flue inlet in the topof said outer'casing, agfl'ue} outlet at the bottom of said outer casing, a hot 'water heating coil pipe encircling said groupof flue tubes and supported in spaced relation with respect to said flue tubes and inner casing, and hot water inlet and outlet pipes leading from said inner casing and adapted to be connected with the boiler water chamber of a furnace. 4

5. A water heating unit comprising spaced inner and outer casings, the space between said casings constituting aflue passage, a group of vertical flue tubes extending the length of and through the ends of'the inner casing, hot water inlet means entering the top of said inner casing, hot water outlet means leading out from the lower portion of said inner casing, a water coil pipe contained within said inner casing in surrounding relation with respect to said flue tubes and closely spaced from the outermost ofsaid group of vertical flue tubes, a flue pipe connecting the top'"'of said outer casing with the flue outlet of a fired boiler for conveying hot gases of combustion" bottom of said outer casing .for carrying ofl the hot gases after their passage through said flue tubes and flue passage *JOHN WINDHEIM.