US2247239A

US2247239A - Stock tank heater

Info

Publication number: US2247239A
Application number: US314611A
Authority: US
Inventors: Maurice H Keating
Original assignee: HD Hudson Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: HD Hudson Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1940-01-19
Filing date: 1940-01-19
Publication date: 1941-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 1958-06-24

Description

J 24, 1941. M. H. KEATING STOCK TANK HEATER Filed Jan. 19, 1940 fivve/vr e MAUE'ICE I71 hEA TING A 'T'TORNEYJ Patented .l'une 24, 1941 STOCK TANK HEATER Maurice H. Keating, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to H. D. Hudson Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Minnesota Application January 19, 1940, Serial No. 314,611

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to a stock tank heater apparatus. In the raising of cattle in cold climates, an outside watering tank and outside feeding quarters are often used. Being exposed to the weather the water in the tank freezes over depriving the stock of necessary water. This markedly decreases the value of the stock feeding operations and provision must, therefore, be made to supply water in adequate quantities under all temperature conditions. Not only must the stock tank heater be capable of preventing ice formation in the tank, but this must be accomplished at low cost and with a minimum of attention.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a stock tank heater device which is capable of being used under the most severe climatic conditions for preventing ice formation in stock tanks.

i It is an object of the'invention to provide an improved stock tank heater including an improved support for maintaining the stock tank heater submerged in a predetermined spacial relationship with respect to the bottom of the tank.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved burner capable of utilizing low cost normally non-volatile fuels.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved burner capable of being manufactured and maintained in operationat a very low cost.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved burner device capable of being utilized in a stock tank heater and for other heating operations. a

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent in the apparatus illustrated, described and claimed. 7

The apparatus of the present invention is illustrated with references to the drawing:

1 about 22 to 24 inches high and areprovided with an upper beaded edge l.

The stock tank heater apparatus of the present invention consists of a downdraft fiu'e II] which is welded or otherwise affixed in water-tight relationship to a substantially horizontally disposed crossfiue or heat dissipator generally designated Zll. At the end of the heat dissipator 2U, opposite to the-point of connection of fiue Ill there is afiixed a stack generally designated 40, which may be provided with a removable supplemental stack portion generally designated 5B. The down-draft flue ll), heat dissipator 20, and stack All-5i] provide for the carrying of air and the products of combustion along the path of arrow ll in the downdraft flue, thence through the burner. apparatus generally designated I2 along the path of arrow [3 and arrows H (see Figure 2) to the stack iii whereupon the flue gases rise along the path of arrows ll and finally emerge to atmosphere under the rainshield 5! of stack 50.

The downdraft fiue it and the stack 40 are welded or otherwise affixed in water-tight relationship to the water-tight heat dissipator 20. The heat dissipator'iil may conveniently be made i by folding a fiat rectangular piece of metalin a Figure 1 is a side elevational view partly in section of a stock tank heater shown in place in a stock tank.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of'a portion of the stock tank heater shown in Figure 1 taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end view taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view partly in section of a portion of the burner apparatus of Figure 1. I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified part of the burner apparatus.

Figures 6 and 7 show another modification in plan and elevation.

broad U-shape so as to have a bottom 22 and sides. 23 as shown in Figure 3. The top walls of heat dissipator may be made by utilizing a piece of metal having a Width equal to the distance between the side walls 23 and bending it so as to provide a top 24 and downturned end walls 25. The seems it between the bottom-side wall piece and the top-end Wall piece are then welded so as to provide a water-tight box.

Prior to the closure of the heat dissipator'box 24, however, there may be provided a pair of internal bafiles Zl, shaped as shown in Figure 2 so as to provide a circuitous path for the flow of gas through the heat dissipator, the purpose being to scrub the gas against the side walls and thereby achieve maximum heat dissipation.

Adjacent each end of the heat dissipator section 20, there is provided a downwardly extending loop which is preferably made of stiff metal circulated against the sides of heat dissipator due to positioning of baffles 21. As a result, the heat of the products of combustion is dissipated to the water within the tank, and the temperature of the water is raised.

The flames emerge downwardly from downdraft flue l6 and impinge upon the chunks of refractory material ill in dish 69 and accordingly increase the temperature of this refractory material. Ordinarily the refractory material 1| operates in a hot oilless condition since ordinarily no oil falls upon it, but as the rate of burning increases, or in some instances, at the beginning of the burning operation, or when some droplets of oil flow through the basket I4 without burning, the drops then fall downwardly on to the refractory material H with the result that the oil is vaporized thereon and burned. Accordingly, no oil is wasted in the burning operation and burning takes place efficiently.

The rate of operation may be varied from as low as one gallon of oil for each 24 hours to as high as 7 or 8 gallons per 24 hours. At low rates of burning, the temperature in stack 40-50 is low and accordingly the amount of air drawn through the apparatus is at a minimum. As the rate of operation increases, the stack temperature in stack 40-50 likewise increases with the result that additional air is drawn through the apparatus. Approximately the same ratio of air to fuel is thus inherently maintained at low rates of operation and. at high rates of operation with resulting high efiiciency in heat production since excess air is thus minimized.

Many obvious variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention herein illustrated, described and claimed.

Thus other refractory materials, such as stone or metal may be utilized, if desired for chunks 68, and other shapes and configurations of flues, stacks and heat transfer sections may be used. In some instances it is desirable to dispense with the drop interceptor plate and merely allow the oil to drop downwardly on the blocks of material for ignition thereon and the basket i4 may if desired be replaced with a fixed grid. Likewise, the specific type of bracket for supporting the stock tank heater may be varied to meet the exigencies of any particular installattion. The heat producing unit may be utilized in stock tank heaters or for other purposes, for example, in brooder stoves, space heaters, or the like, where it is desirable efiiciently to burn low grade fuel with a minimum of attention.

These and many other variations will be ob vious to those familiar with the art, and intended to be within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A heater comprising a downwardly extending flue, a plurality of lumps of solid refractory material supported in the path of gases flowing through said flue, said material being loosely packed so as to permit gases to flow downwardly therethrough and means for dripping oil downwardly onto the pieces of non-burnable material for ignition thereon, said pieces of refractory being positioned so that a central piece is in the path of the dripping oil so as to intercept and splatter the oil onto the surrounding pieces.

2. A heater comprising a downwardly extending flue, a plurality of lumps of solid refractory material supported in the path of gases flowing through said flue, said material being loosely packed so as to permit gases to flow downwardly therethrough and means for dripping oil downwardly onto the pieces of non-burnable material for ignition thereon, said pieces of refractory being positioned so that a central piece is 1 in the path of the dripping oil so as to intercept and splatter oil on the surrounding pieces of refractory, and another mass of non-burnable material in the flame path and below said first mentioned non-burnable material.

3. A heater comprising a downwardly extend.- ing flue, means for dripping oil downwardly through said flue, a, drip plate mounted transversely of the flue in the path of said dripping oil for intercepting and splattering the oil, and non-burnable material supported adjacent and around the drip plate in the path of the splattered oil, said non-burnable material being loosely packed to permit the passage of gases downwardly therethrough.

4. A heater comprising a downwardly extending flue, means for dripping oil downwardly through said flue, a drip plate mounted transversely of the flue in the path of said dripping oil for intercepting and splattering the oil and a first mass of non-burnable material supported adjacent and around the drip plate in the path of the splattered oil, said first mass being loosely packed to permit passage of gases downwardly therethrough, and another mass of non-burnable material below said first mass in the path of flames originating on the first mass of non-burnable material.

5. A heating device comprising a down draft flue, and oil conduit means for dripping oil down said flue, a drip plate supported transversely in said flue for intercepting and splattering the dripping oil, a plurality of chunks of absorbent refractory material positioned around the drip plate in positions to intercept most of the splattered oil, said chunks being loosely spaced to permit the passage of gases downwardly therethrough, a secondary oil catch basin below the end of said down draft flue in the path of flame travel therefrom for catching excess oil and a plurality of chunks of absorbent refractory material in said catch basin.

6. A heating device comprising a vertically disposed down-draft flue, oil supply and conduit means for dripping oil downwardly in said flue, and a metal basket of pertused material supported in said flue, said basket being provided with a drip plate for intercepting and splattering the oil dripping down the flue and a plurality of chunks of absorbent refractory material arranged around the drip plate for intercepting the splattered oil, said chunks being loosely spaced to permit the passage of gases downwardly therethrough.

7. A heating device comprising .a vertically disposed downdraft flue, oil supply and conduit means for dripping oil downwardly in said flue, a metal basket of pertused material supported .in said flue, said basket being provided with a drip plate for intercepting and splattering the oil dripping downwardly in the flue and a plurality of chunks of absorbent refractory material arranged around the drip plate for intercepting thesplattered oil, said chunks being loosely spaced to permit the passage of gases downwardly therethrough, a secondary catch basin located beneath the basket in the path of gas travel therefrom and a plurality of chunks of absorbent refractory material in secondary catch basin.

8. A heater comprising a downwardly extending flue, means for dripping oil downwardly in the flue, and an oil dispersing means in the flue,

said means being of heat refractory material having a large number of projections thereon and a plurality of spaces therethrough for the passage of gases flowing through the flue, the size of said dispersing means being such that it extends practically across the flue, one portion of said means being positioned to intercept and splatter oil on the remaining portion of said means for burning thereon, so that the major part of the gases passing through the flue isforced to pass through the spaces in the dispersing and igniting means. I 9. A device of the type s'et'forth' in claim 8 wherein the dispersingmeans is composed of a plurality of irregular chunks of firebrick sintered together. i

m I MAURICE H. KEA'IING.