US2508889A - Floor furnace with removable heater unit - Google Patents

Description

May 23, 1950 c. B. RICHARDSON FLOOR FURNACE WITH REMOVABLE HEATER UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Deo. 11, 1946 CARL B. RHARDsoN May 23, 1950 C. B. RICHARDSON Y2,508,889

FLOOR FURNACE WITH REMOVABLE HATER UNIT Filed Deo. 11, 1946 s sheets-sheet 2 I7 la I6 |9 gmc/Mofo CARL B. RICHARDSON May 23, 1950 c. B. RICHARDSON FLOOR FURNACE WITH REMOVABLE HEATER UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed DeC. l1, 1946 g1/WW CARL b. RICHARDSON @www Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OF FICE4 FLOOR FURNACE WITH REMOVABLE HEATER UNIT 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a novel hot air furnace, more especially of the type commonly known as floor furnaces, adapted for installation immediately below a iloorY and having its discharge of heated air through said iioor.

Such furnaces are customarily used in connection with homes,usually of moderate cost, having no basements or cellars, necessitating the provision of a well or pit below the ground floor in which the heating apparatus must be installed.

Although the equipments in vogue have been found quite eili'cientl in operation, serious diculties have been encountered where the apparatus is to be used in successive seasons, in keeping the same clean, free from rust and consequent impairment, and in the inaccessibility of the critical or main operating parts of the apparatus for necessary repair, in instances requiring the services of more than one repair man.

The invention has for an object, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the provision of a floor furnace preferably of stainless steel or non-rusting material, substantially all operating portions of which are removable from the pit or well, upwardly through the floor where they are fully accessible for convenient cleaning, repair, etc. through the efforts of a single operator, if necessary, and permitting a simple, quick and easy reassembly in the pit or well when the parts have been treated as desired, preferably between successive winter seasons or, in fact, any time conditions so require.

Simplicity of construction and consequent inexpensiveness in manufacture, installation and repair are also underlying objects in the production of the said preferred embodiment of the invention.

A special formation of communication or connection between the exhaust ue of an outside casing and an inner ue from a heating chamber whereby the latter may be tilted and shifted laterally to permit the upward lift thereof through the top opening after the grills and their attached baiiles have been removed;

A fire pot having means facilitating combustion of air and gas mixtures therein discharging into an upstanding chimney or flue for delivering the products of combustion into a surrounding heating chamber at a point substantially above an outlet to the inner iiue from the heating case to the exhaust nue or chimney of the outside casing;

Means permitting detachment and vertical removal from the outer casing of either or both the nre pot or heating chamber surrounding the same and Means permitting a. removal by an upward lift of the fire pot and its parts, theV heating chamber and its parts, and a base or platform for the heating chamber from the, outer casing.`

All of the foregoing, and other novel features of the preferred embodiment of the invention, will be more fully apparent and understood from the detailed descriptionl hereinafter contained, when read in connection With they accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and wherein* Figure 1 is a Vertical sectional View of the furnace, the fire pot and thev soot catchv plate forming a part, thereof being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the fire pot.

Figure 3 is Ia horizontal sectional View through the apparatusv taken on the linef of Figure 1 and looking downwardly o r towards the bottom of the fire pot.

Figure i is a sectional view on the line 474 of Figure 1 looking downwardly.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the meeting or nesting portions of the grill sections and immediately associated parts,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View O f the cuter or cold section of theA associated grill alone, the inner or hot section being removed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein the same reference numerals designate like parts in the several views Il represents the iloor of the room or house to be heated, said door being adjacent to the surface of the ground wherein a pit or well i2 is formed in keeping with known practices, the samebeing of any desired construction with its walls` faced and protected, if desired, or bare Awhere climatic and soil conditions justify, and-I3 represents the bottom of the pit or well. Thispt or well in itself constitutes no departure from customary practices, nor is it a characteristic feature of the instant invention.

A metallic outside casing I4 (preferably stainless or rustless steel, as is substantially all of the parts to be herein described)-conveniently of rectangular contour (Figure 3)-is formed in the well l2 and fitted between the top and bottom thereof as a matter of relatively permanent fixture in said well.

This outside casing rests or carries a pan l5 disposed at the bottom. of the Well to esclude, Within reasonable height, water` or other accumulotions in the bottom of the Well. above thema, v as will be obvious. The corners of the YQntside casing I4 are formed of upright angle bars I6, the flanges of which are of considerable width overlying correspondingly shaped corner braces Ilia and spacers I1, to form vertical ways or grooves I8, for a purpose to be later pointed out, it being here noted that the uprights or angle bars I6 and spacers I1 extend well below the bottom platform or supporting member I9 for the fire pot 2U and associated mechanical structure thereabove.,

Extending around the interior of the apparatus, so as to bridge the angle corners I6 and spacers I1, is an inverted U-shaped bar 20, a depending flange 2| of which is welded to the walls of the angle spacers I1, and another depending flange 22 of which terminating in a ledge 23, receives the supporting member or platform I9 the latter having a surrounding depending flange 24 adapted to bear on the underlying shelf 23 and detachably locked in position through the medium of connections approximately described as ball and socket fittings 25, formed by indentations and rounded projections as best seen in Figure l. The metal and associated parts are such that an attachment or detachment of the platform with its support may be effected by tilting or swinging the base or platform I9 upwardly.

Surrounding the nre pot 20', and substantially enclosing the same, is a metal casing 26 forming with one wall 21 of a heating chamber 28, a chamber 28, into which ample outside air may be admitted through the openings in the angle corner members I6 and spacers I1, constituting the legs of the apparatus and supplied to the combustion areas of the fire pot through apertures 30, in the wall of the fire pot, and 3l, in a contracted neck portion 32 thereof, to be later referred to. The casing 26 has flange portions 33 and 34 welded to the three adjoining walls, as 21 of the heating chamber 28, and a similar iiange 34 welded to the fourth or remaining wall of the said heating chamber at the lower end thereof.

It will be appreciated that it is altogether desirable that as much heat as possible be conserved in the heating chamber 28, and to that end conduction of the heat from said chamber through the metal wall thereof to the metal supporting platform I9 and therebeyondl is prevented, said chamber is insulated all around from said supporting platform by the interposition of non-conducting washers or strips 35 between the upper surface of the platform I9 and surrounding horizontal anges 36 in superposed parallel relation thereto, these parts being permanently fastened together through rivets or bolts and nuts 31 passing through the surrounding ange portions 36, the body of the supporting platform i9 and angle reinforcing bars 38.

- The-lire pot 26' is preferably of cylindrical formation (Figure 4) and has the removable vbottom 3S (Figure 2) secured in place by bolts 40 (Figure l) xed at one end to the outside of ythe iire pot wall and passing downwardly through outwardly projecting lugs 4l (Figure 4) to be engaged by winged threaded nuts i2 in firmly securing the bottom 39 in place, the free ends of the bolts 40 having complemental threads to permit this operation.

The hollow bottom 33 is of substantial height to enable an accumulation of the oil or fuel represented at 43 therein, and in the downwardly dished central portion 44 of the latter for initially setting the apparatus into heating operation, it being noted that through the dished or center of the hollow bottom the supply pipe o r nozzle 45 for the fuel is introduced, the latter receiving its supply from any convenient source, as through a pipe 46 intervening said nozzle and a metering valve 41, diagrammatically depicted (Figures l and 3), and another pipe or lead 66 running from a detachable coupling i9 in communication with the main source of supply, wherever located, and of any optional design not important herein.

The top part of the fire pot is narrowed or constricted as at 32, previously stated, and has an inturned surrounding flange or lip 56 to cause deflection of the incoming air through the apertures 3l and arising fuel or gases towards the center of the fire pot to cause better mixing and combustion of the ignited fuel as it passes further upwardly through a substantially elongated chimney or outlet flue 5I, discharging at an elevated or high point in the heating chamber 23 which discharges at the lower portion of said chamber, as indicated at 52, into an exhaust pipe 53 coupled thereat, ultimately delivering to the outlet pipe or equivalent 54. By delivering the products of combustion at the elevated point in the heating chamber 28, benefit from the heat influence thereof will be disseminated throughout the entire area of the heating chamber because of the compelled travel of the products of combustion in the downward direction in the chamber 28 to the exit thereof at the outlet 52- 53, in which course of travel any freed soot or other objectionable matter may fall and accumulate on the top 55 of the casing 26, surrounding the fire pot 20', to be conveniently wiped off or removed by removing the detachable top 56 of the heating chamber 28 either when the device is installed in the pit or well or after the appara-tus has been removed therefrom, of course, the inner grill section 51 having been withdrawn to permit the opera-tion in either respect.

Thumb nuts and complemental screws 55a, form a detachable connection between the top 55 and inwardly turned iianges of the casing 26 surrounding the re pot whereby the fire pot and associated parts may be removed with said top 55 when the latter is unfastened, and the fuel supply line is disconnected from the nozzle d5.

It has been customary to ignite the fuel in a furnace of this character by inserting a torch or igniter through the top of the nre box to near the available fuel or oil supply at the bottom of said re pot, such devices consisting of a rod bearing a wad of absorbent material at its inner end and having an extension constituting a handle at the other end. However, such devices because of their .being left in the fire pot, when not in service, are objectionable in that they become constantly subjected to the intense flame or heat and warp or twist out of shape so that they must be discarded and renewed, etc. The present improvement of this igniter feature of the invention is in having the absorbent material, as asbestos, at the lower end of a freely jointed shaft, the outer or handle end 58 thereof being connected to a relatively broad cap 597 with a depending iiange 60 interfltting with an upturned nange 6l, surrounding an opening 62 in the top 56 of the heating chamber, the cooperating flanges EU-BI on the top and cap being loosely tted or spaced apart, to permit lateral movement of the cap whereby to always insure seating of the anges to secure a two-ring or line contact between the flange and body of the top and cap. The cap or handle portion is adjustable to regulate the length of the exi-ble shaft by means of a thread and nut adjustable attachment 63, and the handle portion V58 of the shaft may serve to suspend the lower portion or asbesitos-carrying portion of the shaft so that the seating of the cap on the top 56 of the heating chamber may be assured. On the other hand the depending end 64 universally connected as at 65 with the handle portion 58 of the flexible shaft carrying the ignitible absorbent material 55 (Figure 2) may move laterally in any direction beyond the sides of the nozzle 45 if the latter should be in the way of the introduction of the igniter.

The course of the fresh air being heated through the medium of the heating chamber 23, and in its passage through the device, is determined by certain bailles or walls (in instances rectangular in contour) and the wood or other inilammable work of the ilooring, in connection with which the device is used is protected by the disposition of the baffles with reference to each other, and to the heating chamber, and with reference to the grill sections broadly, as suggested hereinbefore. The specic construction of these elements will now be pointed out.

As already noted, 51 represents the inner or hot central portion of the grill. 6d represents the outer surrounding portion oi the grill which I have styled the cold section of the grill. These sections are formed and related to obviate dangerous heat conditions from being transmitted from the apparatus to the iloor or wood-work to which the apparatus is applied,V The outer` grill section carries the depending rectangular baille or partition 5l riveted thereto as at 68, the same being of oblong cross-section conforming to the general shape of the apparatus. This outside grill section has a multitude oi air inlet passages 69 and li) passing therethrough, of a number and shape desired, whereby the cooler air of the room may pass therefrom downwardly through the nue li in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1), formed by partition El and the outer casingV i4 of the apparatus. The lower end of the partition or baille Sl suspends freely from the grill section 65, being vertically slotted at its lower end 'l2 to slip over or be raised from the pipe section 53. The lower end of this baille 6l terminates somewhat above the platform i3 that constitutes the major portion of the closure ior the bottom of the apparatus. carried by and suspends from the hot grill section 5l, being riveted thereto at 'lll and arranged so that in assembled condition and operation this partition or baille 'i3 is spaced from the rstmentioned baille El to provide a supplemental air space or insulating area l5 between the baliles.

The baille 'I3 is adapted to be slipped downwardly over the pipe section 53 in the same manner as already described in connection with the baille 6l. In other words these baiiles are just alike save the diameters are different, permitting the nesting of the baille 'I3 within the outer baille 6l. The operation will 4be understood when it s recalled that the cooler air entering the flue 'H will pass around the lower ends of the bailles 61 and 13 and upwardly through the continuation 'it of the said ilue to, and in contact with, the sides and top of the heating chamber 28, whence the heated air will pass upwardly through the central grill section 5l to the room.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6 it will be observed that the outer grill section 5t has an outwardly extending circumferential main supporting flange il adapted to rest upon the floor of the structure in connection with which the heating apparatus Alike baille or partition 'i3 is is employed, a downwardly extending ange 18 received in the floor opening, a downwardly directed flange 'i9 to accommodate the rivets 68, and an inwardly directed ledge B, the upper surface oi which, together with the adjoining vertical surface of the wall el of this grill section, forms a ilrm angular seat 82 to receive a complemental flange or lug 83 projecting outwardly from the edge of the grill section el. rlhis grill section 5l in turn carries the partition or baffle it riveted to the same at it, as previously reierred to. The inwardly directed supporting ledge 3s is of increased or heavy thickness where it joins the wall el of 'the grill to aford the adequate strength required, as clearly seen in Figure 6, and in order to give the central grill portion 5l a capability to withstand excessive weights and the like superimposed thereon, said section is of trussecl formation, in other words downwardly increased in height to give the added metal and strength at the point most needed.

Two important advantages result from the provision of the sectional grill= one the ease and facility with which the central portion of the grill may be withdrawn, as desired, with suspended portions oi the apparatus, the same being true of the outer grill section and its suspended parts, to open up the interior of the furnace and permit withdrawal of the lire pot, heating charnber, etc.; and to prevent excessive heat being conducted from the heating chamber directly through an integral grill furnace to the flooring or equivalent supporting structure.

In particularly describing the fragmentary sections or detail views, Figures 5 and 6, it is to be observed that but a single supporting ledge 8i] and complemental s-uperposed flange i3 was recited. However, as a matter of fact, the ledge and flange do not extend continuously around the grill but are a number of ilttings of reduced extent, so far as possible, to afford enough supporting strength for the underlying structure while avoiding, so far as possible, continuous metal contact between the two grill sections. This leavesl openr spaces between the inner and outer sections of the grill for the passage of air from the space 'i9 between the bailles 6l and 13. Furthermore, even where the flanges or lugs 33 and ledges` all are present lit is desirable at times that their contacting surfaces may be minimized and heating radiation from the central section of the grill augmented by the presence of nsor ribs 85 on one of the members along the meetrim between the same and the other of said members.

86 is a door hinged horizontally in a suitable cut-away portion of the grill section 5i to afford access to the igniter.

88 is a vertically slidable door in the nature of a panel, constituting the lower portion of one of the end walls of the outer casing of the apparatus affording accessy to the interior, if found necessary or desirable. This slidable door 88 works up-and-down in the ways or grooves I8 provided between the angle upright i6, I6a and the portions ill, the sliding door being adapted to be held in lifted position, at any point desired, by a spring catch 8S in the wall portion I4 adapted to frictionally engage or interlock with a suitably formed part of the door.

A baille @t of Lformation depends from the baille '13, being welded thereto at 8l to depend therefrom and be interposed between the metering valve il and the re pot to protect the area around the metering valve as required by insur- 7 ance practices. The improvement in the instant supplemental baflie 90 is in the idea that the same is inserted in position with and supported from the baille 13, and may be removed away from the metering valve to permit better access thereto.

To permit the platform I9, with all of the parts carried thereby, including the exhaust pipe 53, to be tilted and withdrawn from the outer casing, the connection between the said exhaust pipe 53 and the outlet pipe or flue 54 is such that the interior mechanism (pipe 53, heating chamber 28, platform I9, etc.) may be rocked or tilted in a vertical direction as well as moved to the right away from the outlet pipe 54. For this purpose the end of the exhaust pipe l53 is extended freely towards and into the flared or bell-shaped end 92 of the outlet pipe 54, and a close tting or sealing ring 93 is sleeved upon the exhaust pipe 53 to be frictionally held, or otherwise fastened thereon, so that normally said ring 93 may be forced outwardly against the flared or bellshaped end 92 of the outlet pipe to close the space between the two pipes 53 and 54, and on the other hand, as occasion requires, may be slid inwardly along the pipe 53 to permit a tilting of the latter in the end of the pipe 54 to permit the platform I9 and parts thereon to be corre spondingly tilted upwardly to free the engagement between the same and its inverted U-shaped bar or supporting member 20 when the whole of this interior construction. now under consideration, may be moved to the right and the exhaust pipe 53 sufficiently shifted away from the outlet pipe 54 to permit vertical raising of the interior structure within the outer casing.

It will be noted that the contacting face of the ring- 93, with the bell-shaped end 92, is of the same curve conguration as at 94 to afford a broad surface contact.

I claim:

1. In a floor furnace, an outer casing adapted for installation in a pit and having means provided at the bottom thereof for the passage of air from the atmosphere into the interior of said casing, a spring ange carried by said outer casing horizontally around its inner surface at a level above said air-inlet means, a base plate adapted to rest upon and resiliently engage said spring flange, an inner casing aflixed to the upper side of said base plate forming a heating chamber, a re pot mounted within said heating chamber,

means permitting now of air from said air-inlet means to the interior of said re pot, a stack carried by said re pot operative to discharge the products of combustion into the heating chamber at the upper portion thereof, a main exhaust pipe affixed to the outer casing, and means aiixed to the inner casing connecting the lower portion of the heating chamber with said main exhaust pipe.

2. In a floor furnace, an outer casing adapted for installation in a pit and having means provided at the bottom thereof for the passage of air from the atmosphere into the interior of said casing, a spring flange carried by said outer casing horizontally around its inner surface at a level above said air-inlet means, a base plate adapted to rest upon and resiliently engage said spring flange, an inner casing afxed to the upper side of said base plate forming a heating chamber, a re pot mounted within said heating chamber, means permitting flow of air from said air-inlet means to the interior of said re pot, a stack carried by said rire pot operative to discharge the products of combustion into the heating chamber at the upper portion thereof, a main exhaust pipe affixed to the outer casing, an inner exhaust pipe aixed to the inner casing near the lower end thereof and adapted to register at its outlet end with the inlet end of said main exhaust pipe, and a resilient bushing slidably mounted on the inner exhaust pipe adapted to form a gas-tight seal between the two exhaust pipes when they are in registering position.

CARL B. RICHARDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,332 Sabins June 8, 1943 1,405,187 Cole Jan. 31, 1922 1,666,367 Clausing Apr. 17, 1928 1,697,687 Lockwood Jan. 1, 1929 1,754,096 Gohmann Apr. 8, 1930 1,841,569 Brandt Jan. 19, 1932 1,885,891 Breese Nov. 1, 1932 2,144,129 Steel Jan. 17, 1939 2,272,423 Moore Feb. 10, 1942 2,378,485 Jones et al. June 19, 1945

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