US2226613A - Heater - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3l, 1940.

H. J. DE N. MOCOLLUM HEATER Filed July 31, 1939 www IIIIZWZ Patented Dec. v31 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATER Henryr J. De N. McCollum, Chicago, Ill. Application July 31, 1939, Serial No. 287,556

i` Claims.

l My invention relates generally to heaters of the internal combustion type, and more particularly to improvements in such heaters whereby the supply of the mixture of fuel and air to the comi bustion chamber is thermostatically controlled so as to make the mixture less rich when the heater has attained its normal operating temperature.

It is thus an object of my invention to provide an improved heater having a thermostatically controlled means located within the body of the heater for admitting additional air to the cornbustion chamber thereof when the heater has attained normal operating temperature.

A further object is to provide an improved means for regulating the fuel mixture supplied to a heater of thel internal combustion type.

A further object is to provide an improved vthermostatically controlled means'for regulating the -fuel and air mixture supplied to an internal com- :o bustion type heater, which is simple in construction, substantially noiseless in operation, which is durable, and which may be economically manufactured.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l. is a fragmentary vertical sectional view-of a heater embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional $0 view) of the combustion chamber and its fuel supply conduit;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 3723 of Figure 2.

My invention is illustrated as being incorporated in a heater particularly designed for use yin heating the passenger compartment of Aan automobile, andis shown as attached to the dash or re wall III which separates the engine com-v partment from the passenger compartment .of the automobile. The heater comprises generally a casting I2 which has a combustion chamber I4 formed therein. Fuel is supplied to the combustion chamber from a suitable chamber I6 which may be the float bowl of the engine carburetor or any other suitable source of fuel, such as an auxiliary gasoline tank in which the gasoline is maintained at a definite level. The gasoline isdrawn from the reservoir lithrough a conduit/I8 to a v carbureting device 20, where the fuel drawn through the conduit I8 is partially vaporized and mixed with an amount of air to form a rich mixture for starting purposes. The rich mixture is4 drawn through a tubular extension 22 forming `part of the casting I2, and through an insert tube 24 into the combustion chamber, the mixture flowing -through apertures 26 formed around the periphery of a baille plate 28.

The baille plate 28 has radially extending lugs 30 which snugly engage the bore 32 formed in the casting I2, and are pressed against a shoulder 34 5 formed at the 4end of the bore 32 by a sleeve or liner 36 which is pressed into the bore 32.

The liner 36 has a suitable aperture 38 formed therein to register with a correspondingly shaped opening formed in the side of the bore 32 to prol0 vide for ow of the fuel and air mixture into an igniter chamber 4U which is provided with an igniter 42 which may be an electrically heated coil of Nichrome or similar resistance wire.

The left hand end of the combustion chamber l5` is partially closed bya reigniter plug 44 which has a plurality of apertures 46 to permit flow of the products of combustion from the combustion chamber, and is preferably made of a somewhat v porous ceramic material. The reigniter plug 44 20 is held in place by a split spring ring 48. I

The products from the `combustion chamber 4iiow through a circuitous passageway formed in a radiator casting 5 0 and ilow from the latter through a vacuum compensating discharge nozzle 25 52 under the control of a valve 54 which is manually operated by a control button 56. Operation .of the button 56 also controls the operation of electrical switching mechanism 58 by which the I ow of energizing current to the igniter 42 and 3o the supply of current to an electric motor 60 are controlled.

The motor 60 drives a fan 62 which circulates air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle over heat radiator fins 64 which are in heat 35 conducting relationship with the radiator 50. The products of combustion are withdrawn through a tubular extension 65 forming part of the casting I2 and through a conduit 68 connected thereto into the intake manifold I0 of the 40 automobile engine.

, The baiile plate 28 previously mentioned is made of thermostatic bimetal, and when coldhas its central portion pressed against and closing the end of a tube 'I2 which is pressed into a com- 45 plemental bore 14 formed in the end of the tubular extension 22 ofthecasting I2. The outer end of the tube 12 is open to the atmosphere, but

its inner end, when the heater is at atmospheric temperature, is closed by the baille 28. Thus, 50 upon initiation of the operation of the heater by pulling outwardly onthe controlknob 56; a rich mixture is initially supplied tothe combustion chamber by the carbureting device 20. thus facilitating ignition of this mixture. 55

lil

However, after normal combustion within the combustion chamber ifi commences, the heme plate 28 will become heated and due to its bimetal construction, gradually become deformed so as to move away from the inner end of the tube 12 t0- ward the shape in which the baiiie plate is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Under these circumstances, atmospheric air will be admitted through the tube i2 and spread in a sheet-like radiating stream over the surface of the bae 2d to be intimately mixed and aid in the further atomization of the gasoline in the mixture which is projected against the baie plate 28 from the end of the tube 2d.

By virtue of this construction, there is a pi'onounced tendency for the incoming atmospheric air to break up any small globules of iuel which have not been completely atomized, and to secure a very intimate and uniform mixture.

It will be understood that after combustion has commenced, it is not necessary to supply as rich a mixture'as is necessary for starting purposes, and that combustion is more complete and there is less residue which may lbe deposited in the passageways of the radiator if the mixture is made more lean after the heater has commenced normal operation.

As the temperature of the combustion chamber casting and the temperature oi' the heme plate 23 increases, the central portion of the baille plate will move slightly an increasing distance from the end of the air supply tube 12. The baille thus constitutes in eect a type of governor upon the combustion which takes place in the combustion chamber i4, since as more and more atmospheric air is drawn into the combustion chamber, this air itself will have a tendency to lower the temperature of the baiiie plate 2B and cause it to 'flex in a. direction toward the end of tube 12. The

40 richness of the mixture is thus automatically regulated to maintain combustion within'the chamber I4 under optimum conditions By.v selection of a tube 12 having a bore of proper size, the regulation aiforded by the bimetal baille plate 28 may readily be made to secure the optimum mixture for combustion at the dif. ferent operating temperatures.

Since the central portion of the baille plate 28 moves away from the end of the tube 12 when 5 admi-.mm1 air is tov be admitted to the mixture supplied tothe combustion chamber, there is no substantial tendency for the baille 28 to ilutter or hunt. It thus forms, in effect, a damped valve -which is substantially noiseless. By virtue of the met that the heme :s 1s located within the heavy casting 22, and the only path for sound to travel from the baille to the atmosphere is through the long tube 12 such noise as may be occasioned by the striking of the baille against the end of ,the tube- 12, due to variations in the intake manifold vacuum, will not be transmitted in appreciable intensity to the atmosphere. I

While I have sh'own and described a particular fonn of my invention, it will be apparent to those 05 skilled in the art that the underlying principles asaaois closed by said battle plate, and a tube having one end open to the atmosphere and its other end located adjacent said baille plate in position to be closed by the latter when at atmospheric temperature and to be uncovered in part when said baiie plate is heated to a temperature approaching the normal operating temperature oi the heater, thereby to cause the mixture supplied to said combustion chamber to become less rich when said heater is in normal operation.

2.An automobile heater of the internal combustionvtype comprising a casting having a combustion chamber formed therein and having a tubularA extension communicating with said com` bustion chamber, a baille plate of thermostatic bimetal partially obstructing communication between said tubular` extension and said combustion chamber, means for supplying a fuel and air mixture to said tubular extension, and a conduit for admitting atmospheric air for admixture with said fuel and air mixture, said conduit terminating closely adjacent said bafe so as to be closed thereby when said baille is at atmospheric temperature and to be uncoveredwhen said baille is heated to a predetermined temperature.

3. In an automobile heater having a. combustion chamber, a thermostatic bimetal valve partially closing one end of said combustion chamber, a conduit having one end open to the atmosphere and its other end located atUacent said valve in position to be closed by the latter when at atmospheric temperature and to be opened when said valve is heated to a temperature approaching the normal operating temperature of the heater, and means providing a passageway surrounding said conduit for supplying a rich mixture of fuel and air to said combustion chamber.

4. In an automobile heater of the internal combustion type, the combination of a part having a combustion chamber formed therein, means forming a passageway for supplying a combustible mixture of fuel and air` to said chamber, a baille plate of thermostatic bimetal partially obstructing the end of said passageway, and a conduit for .supplying atmospheric air for admixture to said combustible mixture, said conduit terminating adjacent said baille plate so as to be closed there by when the baille plate is at a relatively low temberature and to be opened when said baille plate is heated to a predetermined higher temperature.

HENRY J. DE N. MCCOLLUM.

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