US2397120A

US2397120A - Two level control

Info

Publication number: US2397120A
Application number: US442937A
Authority: US
Inventors: James L Breese; Hayter Bruce
Original assignee: OIL DEVICES
Current assignee: OIL DEVICES
Priority date: 1942-05-14
Filing date: 1942-05-14
Publication date: 1946-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 1963-03-26

Description

J. 1 BREESE ET AL.

TWO LEVEL CONTROL Filed May 14. 1942 Patented Mar. 26,` 1946 'rWo LEVEL CONTROL James L. Breese and Bruce Hayter, Santa. Fe,l

N. Mex., assignors to Oil Devices, Santa Fe, N. Mex., a limited partnership of Illinois Application May 14, 1942, Serial No. 442,937

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to an improvement in controls for liquids, and has for one purpose the provision of a control adapted for the delivery of a liquid fuel to a burner.

Another purpose is the provision of improved safety means for preventing the accumulation of more than a predetermined relatively smallamount of fuelin the bottom of a burner in the event of burner failure.

Another purpose is the provision of improved control means for accurately controlling the now of fuel to a burner.

Another purpose is the provision of means for cutting 01T the flow of fuel to a burner in response to a predetermined excess fuel in the bottom Of a burner.

wardly inclined away `from the pot bottom. Thedetails of the burner do not of themselves form part of the present invention, but we illustrate for convenience a pot type burner, lthe side walls f which are provided with a plurality of primary air inlet apertures 4. Any suitable secondary air inlet means may be provided at or near the top of the pot.

It will be understood that in burners of this type a liquid hydrocarbon fuel delivered to the bottom of the pot, as at 5, is vaporizd by the heat of combustion above. The vaporized hydrocarbon mixes with the primary air delivered through the apertures 4 to form a preliminary or partially combustible mixture, which upon being mixed with a secondary air supply burns at or above the top of the pot.

I0 generally indicates a float chamber, with any suitable preferably removable top Il, I2- is a supply line extending to-the pot and delivering fuel to a filter chamber I3, which has an upwardly extending passage I4, terminating in a valve seat I5 and located within or surrounded by a sleeve IB, apertured as at I'I.

It will be understood that fuel from any suitable fuel source not herein shown flows upwardly along the passage I4 and outwardly through the passage I1 into the interior of the chamber I0 to form a body of liquid I8. a fuel delivery sleeve extending upwardly from the bottom of the chamber Il) and communicating with a line 20, which in turn extends by the elbow 2I to a lower chamber 22, havingv a cover 23. The interior of the chamber 22 is in communication with the outer end of the fue1 sur-myl line 3. i

We may provide any suitable means for maintaining a generally constant level of fuel in the first chamber I0. We illustrate for example a float 25 adapted to control a valve stem 28, terminating in a valve element 21, opposed to the valve seat I5. It will be understood that the float 25 rises in response to a rise in the level of the fuel body I8, and moves the valve stem 25 downwardly into closing position. We illustrate the float 25 ashaving an arm 28, pivoted` as at 28a'on any suitable normally fixed support 29. An outer end 30 of the arm is in engagement with a flange 2Gb on the upper end 26a of the valve stem 26. A spring 3| tends normally to urge the valve towards open position,

- the action of the spring being checked by the oat 25. When the level of the fuel I8 rises with the float, the stem 26 moves toward closed position. When the lever of the fuel I8 drops, the float 25 is eifectlve to move the valve towards open position.

It will be observed that the sleeve I9 terminates below the normal fuel level in the chamber I0. 40 is an inner sleeve, the lower end of which is positioned in the upper end of the sleeve I9. The' member 40 is provided with a metering portion 4|, the bore 42 of which receives the lower end of a valve stem 43. The member 43 has a metering lower end 44, which is slotted, as at 45, to provide one or more metering apertures. It has also a conic portion 46 adapted to serve as a positive closure when moved against the valve seat 41. The inner sleeve 40 is apertured as at 49 above the valve lseat 41.

48 is an exterior control knob. It will be understod that, in response to rotation of the knob by any suitable mechanism, the stem 43 raises andlowers, and thus varies the effective metering area of the slots 45. Thus, a controlled flow of fuel is permitted downwardly along the pasexample thermostatically responsive control,

gages a weight lever 51.

means, may be employed whereby the amount of through the bottom of the chamber I and has anopen top, as at I,'above the normal level of the fuel body I8.

52 is a float located in the lower chamber 22,

i .which cooperates with the pin 53, extending upwardly through the portion of the member 50,.y

and secured at its upper end lto a trip lever 54,

- which in turn is pivoted, as at 55, to the member 29., It has a tooth or dog 56, which normally en- The weight lever carries a weight 58 and is pivoted, as at 59, to the member 29. 'I'he weight lever alsohas an outwardly device maybe reset.

We find it advantageous to permit an actual inspection of the feed downwardly through the.

line 20. We, therefore, illustrate an aperture or apertures 10, which may be closed by glass or any other suitable substance, and which permits the operator to watch the flow or dripping 4of fuel downwardly through the passage.

It will be realized that, whereas we have illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of 'our invention. We therefore wish that the description and drawing be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting us to'our precise showing.

The use and operation of our invention are as follows: 1

The level of fuel. I8 in the chamber I0 is conpot is of great practical importance.

Vuse of controls currently employed with pot type ume of oil in the bottom of the burnerv to burn olf. There is not enough oil inthe burner to do any damage, and'n'ormal combustion can shortly be restored.

In practice, the provision of means of cutting off the oil supply after only a small amount of excess oil has accumulated in the bottom of the With the burners, upon burner failure the pot becomes flooded with a very large amount of-oil. Draining the oil, on the one hand, is a' diicult and annoying procedure. On the other hand, the volurne of oil in the pot bottom is so great that bur-ning'it offlis equally annoying. It may overheat the burner and in any event may cause cary bon deposit and heat delivery at times when heat trolled by the valve -26, 21, in responseto movel,

to produce a lire hazard. Note that the volume ment of the oat 25. The rate of flow of fuel from- .the chamber Ill to the chamber 22 is controlled, either manually or. automatically, bythe valve 43, 44, 45. In the event more fuel is for any reason admitted to the pot I than can'be burned,

and the fuel rises above the normal operatingA delivery is not desired. The time when such a pot'is most likely to go out is-when it is run at a relativelylow or pilot stagewhen heat is'not desired. If it becomes-necessary then to burn off a great depth of oil in the bottom of the pot, the practical annoyance to the user is great.A

Furthermore, if the float 25 fails to close the valve 26, 21, when the fuel n the float chamber I 0 raises toa predetermined level, the fuel, when it reaches the open top 5| of the tube 50, will ow through the tube into the lower chamber 52 and lift the float 52 until the trip lever 54 releases the weight 58V and positively closes the valve 26.

In the operation of the device it should be notedl that the inflow to the float chamber is cut oi whenV the level of fuel in the lpot and in the secondary chamber exceeds a predetermined and relatively low minimum. This tripoif level is in dicated in the drawing and may be located as much as an inch and a halfbelow the' lowest primary air inlet apertures 4.. There is insuicient fuel lin the bottom of the pot at that time may be one-tenth or less than that of the burner the pot reaches the tripoff level, the parts are 'so proportioned that the ilo'at 52 then lifts the trip f lever 54 sufliciently far to'release the dog 56 to permit the weight 58 to drop. In that connec- -tion the lever: 51 strikes the reduced end 26a of the valve stem 26 and forces the valve 21 into closed position, thus' cutting olf any further inow of fuel to the chamber I II. But only a relatively small volume of fuel is in the bottom of the pot I, and in the small lower chamber 22. The parts are so proportioned that the tripolT level is only slightly higher than the operating oil level, and the volume of fuel in the bottom of the pot is, therefore, quite small `and can be burned olf without undue smoking or overheating of the burner.

In view of the fact that the bottom 2 of the pot is higher than the bottom of the chamber 20 of the float 22, very little fuel will be fed into the pot, as the fuel in it is burned off. Thus, in

bottom. No oil enters the float chamber after the re goes out, and after the oil in the pot reaches the indicated tripoif level.

. The oil may be metered drop by drop as it flows from the float chamber to the lower chamber 22, maintaining a rate of ow satisfactory for a low turndown or pilot combustion. The device `controlling -the admission of such liquid fuel to the primary float chamber, a float said primary float chamber, an actuating connection between said oat and said valve, adapted to closesaid valve in response to a predetermined excess level of fuel in the primary float chamber, a secondary float chamberat the general level of the bottom of the burner, in communication with said primary iloat chamber, a fuel delivery pipe extend- -ing from said secondary ioatl chamber to the burner, said pipe constituting the sole avenue of delivery of liquid fuel to the burner from theprimary float chamber, a valve in the. primary 1 oat chamber, adapted to control the volume of flow of liquid fuel from the .primary chamber to the secondary chamber and thus to the burner, means for varying the settingv of said valve, a float in said secondary chamber, responsive to the level of fuel in said secondary chamber and in the bottom of the burner, and an actuating connection between said float in the secondary chamber and the valve for controlling the flow of fuel into the primary chamber.

2. In combination, in control means for liquid fuel burners, a burner element having a closed bottom and a circumferential side wall, and means for delivering liquid fuel to the burner element, including a primary fuel chamber, a secondary fuel chamber in communication with said primary fuel chamber, a fuel pipe extending from said secondary fuel chamber to the burner element, said secondary fuel chamber extending above and vrbelow the normal range of level of liquid fuel in the burner element, means for controlling the inflow of liquid fuel to the primary fuel chamber, including a movable control valve and means for actuating it, a float in said secondary fuel chamber andan actuating connection between the float and said control valve for the primary chamber, said float in said secondary fuel chamber being directly responsive to fluctuations of the level of a body of liquid lfuel which extends continuously from the interior of the secondary fuel chamber, through said fuel pipe, to the interior of the burner element.

3. In combination, in control means for liquid fuel burners, a burner element having a closed.

bottom and a circumferential side wall, and means for delivering liquid fuel to the burner element, including. a primary fuel chamber, av

secondary fuel chamber in communication with said primary fuel chamber, a fuel pipe extending from said secondary fuel chamber to the burner element, said secondary fuel chamber extending above and below the normal range of level of liquid fuel in the burner element, means for controlling the inflow of liquid fuel to the primary fuel chamber, including a movable control valve andmeans for actuating it, a float in said secondary fuel chamber and an actuating connection between said float and the control valve for the primary chamber, said float in said secondaryfuel chamber being directly responsive to fluctuations of the level'of a body of liquid fuel which extends continuously from the interior of the secondary fuel chamber, through said fuel pipe, to the interior of the burner element, the horizontal cross-sectional area of the secondary fuel chamber being substantially smaller than that of the burner element.

4. 'In combination, in control means for liquid fuel burners, a burner element having a closed bottom and a circumferential side wall, and means for delivering liquid fuel to the burner element, including a primary fuel chamber, a secondary fuel chamber in communication with said primary fuel chamber, a fuel pipe extending from said secondary fuel chamber to the burner element, said secondary fuel chamber extending above and below the normal range of -level of liquid fuel in the burner element, means for controlling the inflow of liquid fuel to the primary fuel chamber, including a movable control valve and means for actuating it, a float in said secondary fuel chamber and an actuating connection between 4said float and the control valve for the primary chamber, said float in said secondary fuel chamber being directly responsive to fluctuations of the level of a body of liquid fuel which extends continuously from the interior of the secondary f uel chamber, through said fuel pipe, to the interior ofthe burner element, the secondary fuel chamber being located at a level substantially below that of the primary fuel chamber.

5. In combination, in control means for liquid fuel burners, a burner element having a closed bottom and a circumferential `side wall, and means for delivering liquid fuel to the burner element, including a primary fuel chamber, a secondary fuel chamber in communication with said primary fuel chamber, a fuel pipe extendingl fuel chamber, including a movable control valve and means for actuating it, a float in said secondary fuel chamber and an actuating connection between said float and the control valve for the primary chamber, said float in said secondary fuel chamberA being directly responsive to fluctuations of the level of a body of liquid fuel which extends continuously from the interior of the secondary fuel chamber, through said fuel pipe, to the interior of the burner element, and means for varying the rate of flow of liquid fuel from the primary fuel chamber to the secondary fuel chamber. y

6. In combination, in control means for liquid fuel burners, a burner element having a closed bottom and a circumferential side wall, and means for delivering liquid fuel to the burner element, including a primary fuel chamber and a secondary fuel chamber in communication with said primary fuel chamber, the secondary fuel chamber being located below the primary fuel chamber, a liquid fuel duct extending from the primary to the secondary fuel chamber, means associated with the primary fuel chamber for controlling the rate of liquid fuel flow through said duct to said secondary chamber, 'a fuel pipe extending from the secondary fuel chamber to the burner element, said secondary fuel chamber extending above and belowI the normal range of level of liquid fuel in thev burner element, means for controlling the inflow of liquid fuel to the primary fuel chamber, including a movable control valve at said primary chamber and means for normally actuating it, and additional means for actuating it including a float in said secondary fuel chamber and an actuating connection extending from the secondary fuel chamber to the primary fuel chamber, said float being directly responsive to fluctuations of the level of a body of liquid fuel which extends continuously from the secondary fuel chamber, through said fuel pipe, to the interior of the burner element.

JAMES L. BREESE. BRUCE HAYTER..