US2260535A - Automobile heater - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 28, 1941. H. J. DE N. M-ccoLLuM 2,260,535

AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed April 6, 1938 Patented Oct. l2 8, 1941 vUNITED STATES PA'VI'ENMTl OFFICE 2,260,535 AUTOMQBIL HEATER Henry J. De N. McCollum, Evanston, Ill.

Application April 6, 1938, Serial No. 200,316

3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to automobile heaters, and more particularly to automobile and similar heaters of the internal combustion type.

An automobile heater of the general type to which my present invention pertains is disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 61,213, filed January 28, 1936, now Patent 2,191,178, February 20, 1940.

My present invention relates'to various modications and improvements in combustion chambers utilizable in heaters of this type.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved combustion chamber for internal combustion heaters for automobiles and the like.

A further object is to provide an improved combustion chamber and means for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber usable in a heater of the internal combustion type.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is a fragmentary central vertical sectional view of an automobile heater incorporating an improved form of combustion chamber and fuel admitting means.

The improved combustion chamber of my invention may be incorporated in a heater of the general type shown in the drawing, which comprises a frame plate I which is mounted upon the dash I2 of a vehicle by means of brackets I4,

l a heat radiating plate I6, and cap screws I8. A

combustion chamber casting 20 is secured t0 the plate I0, and is provided with a tubular outlet projection 22 which is connected by means of a suitable conduit 24 with the intake manifold 26 of the automobile engine or with any other suitable source of suction. The rate of flow of gases of combustion to the intake manifold is determined by a flow restricting nozzle 28 having a Venturi-shaped passageway extending therethrough, the mouth of the nozzle 28 forming a seat for a valve 30 at the end of a valve stem 32.

The valve stem 32 is manually operated by means of a handle button 34 secured at the end opposite the valve 30. The valve 30 is located adjacent the outlet end of a circuitous passageway 36 formed in a radiator casting 38. The latter casting is surrounded by a copper shell 40 over which flanged heat radiating fins 42 are pressed.

An apertured baille plate 44 covers the ends of thesections of the passageway 36. Air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle is forced 'downwardly past the fins 42 by means of a fan 46 operated by an electric motor 48. The motor,

fan, and radiator are enclosed in a suitable housing 50.

The casting 20 contains a combustion chamber 52 generally cylindrical in shape, the outlet end of which isformed by a re-igniter plug 54 which is made of a suitable refractory ceramic material. A baffle plate 56 is secured in the other end of the combustion chamber 52 by being pressed thereinto, this baffle plate having recesses along its peripheral edge to permit the flow of air into the combustion chamber. .An igniter chamber 58 is located at the side of the combustion chamber 52 and communicates therewith through an aperture 60. Within this igniter chamber 58 may be any suitable ignition means such as an electrically heated coil of nickelchromium wire, a spark plug, or similar device.

A carbureting device 62 is threaded in the top of the combustion chamber casting 20, and communicateswith the chamber therein through inlet port 64. The carbureting device 621 may be of any simple conventional construction, and is herein disclosed as having a Venturi-shaped pas-I sageway 66 to which air is supplied from th atmosphere through ports 68 and gasoline or other liquid fuel supplied through'a jet 10,' the nozzle of which terminates adjacent the throat of the passageway 66. Fuel is supplied to the jet 10 through a conduit I2 which is connected toA a suitable container 'I4 of liquid fuel, which in most instances will be the float-bowl of the engine carburetor but may be a suitable auxiliary reservoir for gasoline or other fuel.

Y A suitable device 'I6 for insuring an` adequate supply of Ifuel during the-starting period is preferably provided so as to facilitate the ignition of the fuel mixture in the combustion chamber by enriching this mixture during the initial period of operation. This device is more fully disclosed and is claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 177,077, filed November 29, 1937, now Patent 2,192,688, March 5, 1940.

The carbureting device 62 supplies a mixture of fuel and air which is unnecessarily rich and I have therefore provided an auxiliary air inlet for supplying air at the rate required to effect most eflcient combustion. This means comprises a tube 18 which is pressed into the casting 20 and is filled. with steel wool or similar heat con- 5.', a, similar plug-having a port of different size,

turi-shaped passageway 66 of the latter being effective to create suction in the jet 19 andthereby raise the liquid fuel from the fuel supplyl reservoir 14. r

By suitable means, not herein disclosed, the electrical igniter contained within the chamber 58 is electrically heated during such period as is necessary to assure ignition of the fuel mixture being supplied to the. combustion chamber. The mixture in the combustion chamber will thus be ignited and the products of combustion will flow through the passageways in the re-igniter plug 54, through the circuitous passageway 3'6 in the radiator casting 38, and hence past the open valve 30 through the conduit 24 into the intake manifold 26.

As previously stated, the device 16 is effective to supply fuel at an increased rate for a short period after `the operation of the heater has been initiated and at a lesser rate thereafter.

To increase the combustion eillciency of the device, it is desirable to admit additionalair to the combustion chamber, and this is accomplished by means of the tube 'I8 which is in heat conducting relationship with thecasting 20 and thus will, after the heater has been in operation a short time, be heated to a relatively high temperature. The air which is drawn in through the inlet port 84 in theA metering plug 82 is thus pre-heated upon passing through the steel wool filed tube 1B, and impinges upon the baille plate 56 which, being exposed tothe direct heat o'f the llame in the combustion chamber, is at a relatively high temperature. The auxiliary air is thus heated to a high temperature before it passes into the combustion chamber through the recesses formed around the periphery of the baille plate 56. 'I'his auxiliary air is thus fed into the combustion chamber in a relatively thin streamfsubstantially circular in crosssection due to the shape of the4 recesses in the baille plate, and as aresult is very effectively distributed for assuring complete combustion of the charge being supplied through the inlet port 54.

After a short period of operation the re-igniter plug 54 will become heated to a suiliciently high temperature to assure re-ignition of the combustible mixture'being fed to the combustion chamber, should the flame become extinguished vaccidentally due to a temporary drop in the incontrol the supply of current to the motor 48 and thereby cause operation of the fan and circulation of the air in the passenger compartment indicated in the figure, wherein the ange of' the plug 82 serves as a means to secure a bimetallic thermostatic element 85 in'place, the element 85 having a. portion 86 which forms a valve closing the end of the port 84 when itis at atmospheric temperatures, but which is adapted to be raised therefrom due to change in the shape of the thermostatic element when it attains the temperature of normal operation of the heater. Suitable vibration damping means may be added to thermostatic valve 85 to check liuttering thereof.

While I have shown and described a particular embodimentof my invention,. it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be utilized in other forms of construction. I therefore desire by the following claims to include within the scope of my invention not only the constructions herein disclosed,

but also such other embodiments of the invenlationship with said body and a plug having a metering orifice for regulating the rate at which auxiliary air mayiiow into said tube and therethrough to said combustion chamber. 2. In an automobile heater of the internal com f bustionl type, the combination of a body of heat conducting material having a combustion chamber formed therein, means to supply a combustible mixture of fuel and air to said chamber.

' ber, said last-named means comprising a tubulary take manifold vacuum, as may occur upon sud-l filed January 14, 1937, now Patent 2,191,174,y

February 20, 1940, as well as in my aforesaid application, Serial No. 61,213; As disclosed in these applications. the thermostatic means may also and means to supply auxiliary air to said chamelement in heat conducting relationship with said body for preheating the auxiliary air supply, and temperature responsive means for controlling the admission of the auxiliary air supply to said tubular element.

3. In an automobile heater of the internal combustion type, the combination of a .body of heat conducting material having a combustion chamber formed therein, means to supply a combustible mixture of fuel and air to said chamber, and means to supply preheated auxiliary air to said chamber, said last-mentioned means comprising a relatively long tubular extension formed integrally with said body, a tube mounted within said extension and communicating with the comv' ducting relationship to said tubular extension for controlling the admission of auxiliary air.

HENRY JTDE N. MCCOLLUM.

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