US2518132A

US2518132A - Portable wick type oil heater

Info

Publication number: US2518132A
Application number: US652076A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wallin G Foster; Richard C Oppenlander
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-03-05
Filing date: 1946-03-05
Publication date: 1950-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1967-08-08

Description

Aug. 8, 1950 w. e. FOSTER ETAL PORTABLE WICK TYPE OIL HEATER Filed March 5, 1946 INVENTORS lVa/fih 6 Foster P/cfiar'd C gape/dander ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 8, 1950 PORTABLE WICK TYPEOIL HEATER Wallin G. Foster and Richard C. Oppenlander, Denver, 0010.

Application March 5, 1946, Serial No. 652,076

This invention relates to portable oil burning heaters and more particularly to heaters of the distillate burning type adapted to keep internal combustion engines of automobiles or other craft stored in unheated places, warm, among other uses.

7 A principal objectof'this invention is to provide such a portable oil heater of improved construction and of presently available materials.

Another object of the invention is to so construct such a heater that there is less chance of the vaporization and combustion chambers thereof becoming disturbed upon use, to better insure against the chance of accident. 7

Other and further objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of the heater, with a partof the snufling'cylinder broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the heater, shown without the handle;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal staggered sectional view looking down on the plane of the staggered line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the burner head vaporizing and combustion chambers looking downwardly upon the lines 44 of Fig. 2.

We provide our heater with a reservoir l0, preferabl of metal, for containing'kerosene or other suitable fuel, having a handle I l and filling cup or opening l2 having air intake vents l3 for entrance of air in the cap l4. The cap, with the vents l3, acts as a flame adjuster, by controlling the amount of air which passes through the holes in the cap. The holes or ventilating openings I3 are preferably arranged near the periphery o the top portion of cap l4 so that when the cap is screwed down completely upon the threaded nipple or member I 2, the inwardly directed flange of said member will close or seal-said openings and thus cut ofi the inflow of air to the reservoir Ill. It will be understood that by unscrewing or loosening the threaded cap or closure l4, air in additional quantities may enter through the openings or vents l3. Arounda' central opening I5, through the top of the reservoir, we provide a circular U-shaped collar reservoir IS with upstanding side walls, as illustrated, in which we insert an asbestos ring wick H. In this reservoir I6 we place preferably a tablespoon of denatured alcohol and then light the primer wick H, for

producing priming heat to cause vaporization of the heating fuel from reservoir l and tolight the burner, as will be more fully explained. The

'7 Claims. (Cl. 126-96) ing wall of the opening [5, and in that space is snugly and removably inserted a circular perforated metal shell [8, open at the top and bottom thereof.

Inside the shell I8 and resting on the upstanding wall of the center opening I5, is a circular disc or burner head 30, having perforations 30a and a central opening 3! in which a wick tube 32 is fastened for carrying a suitable woven wick 33. Inwardl protruding ears l9 are cut in the shell l8 just above the head 30 and are arranged to hold the burner head 30 in place over the opening l5 as long as'the shell I3 is in place, as illustrated. Fastened to the underface of the burner head 30 is a fine mesh wire screen 34. Spaced midway between the wick 33 and the shell I8, and fastened to the top of the burner head, is a circular upstanding spacer flange 35, as illustrated, adapted to snugly and removably receive the open lower end of a perforated vaporizing chamber member indicated generally as V. A baflle plate 36 is providedat the lower end of the wick tube.

The vaporizing chamber member V comprises an inverted round metal can-shaped member with the walls of perforated metal, closed at the top and open at the bottom, having the round wall shell portion 31' snugly and removably fit at the bottom down around the outside edge of the flange 35, and a solid. metal top portion 38 with outwardly extending fingers or holding means 39. The fingers 39 protrude outwardly on top of shell l8 ta prevent removal of that shell when the vaporizing chamber is in place. Similarly, the burner'head 30 is held in place, as illustrated, by the vaporizing'chamber member V'wall portion 31 pressing downwardly against flange seat 35, as well as the fingers 39 pressing the ears IQ of the shell l8 downwardly on the burner head, so that when the vaporizing chamber member V is placed as illustrated, the entire burner assembly is held in place thereby. As assembled, space 5| within the member V is the vaporizing chamber, and the space between the shells l8 and 31 comprises the combustion chamber.

Near the lower part of wall portion 31 of the vaporizing chamber member V, we provide several larger draft vent openings 52, cut into the wall 31. v

At'the top of the vaporizing chamber member V, we fasten'an upstanding inverted U- shaped metal bracket 53 to which, at the extreme top, as illustrated in Fig. 2 we fasten a perforated metal h'eat dispersion disk 54.

Inside the outer upstanding wall portion of the collar priming reservoir I6, we snugly and removably insert the open end of a finely perforated cylindrical metal member 55 open at the bottom only, to act as a safety screen to completely enclose the burner elements. The safety screen member 55 is removably held and attached to the wall of the collar reservoir by means of the common bayonet joint 55. Inside the safety screen member 55, and spaced with relation to the dispersion disk 54 so as to press snugly downwardly on that disk 54 when the safety member 55 is in place as illustrated, for normally holding the vaporizing chamber member V in place, we provide a metal cross stop means or bar 51 fastened to the upright wall portion of the safety screen member 55. Obviously, when the safety screen is held in place during operation by its joint 56, it will in turn through

elements

51, 54, 53, 38, 39, 58, I9 and 31 respectively, acting as connecting means, all pressing downwardly, hold the vaporizing chamber in place, and the vaporizing chamber in turn will hold the combustion chamber and burner head in place with respect to the reservoir, resulting in a safer burner by virtue of that inter-relation or cooperation of parts.

We provide a vertical upwardly sliding lighting gate 53 in the lower wall of the safety screen 55 normally held closed by the spring 59, for closing a small opening in that cone 55. A lighted match may be inserted by raising the gate 58 for lighting the primer wick II by lifting the gate 58 after the primer fuel has been inserted inv the collar or primer reservoir IE and after the screen 55 has been replaced and secured by the joint 56.

We provide an inverted removable cup-shaped snufiing cylinder Hi of metal without any perfo rations, for extin uishing the flame inside the burner wh n desired, after being in. use.

To use the heater, the reservoir H1 is filled about full with fuel such as kerosene, andthe,

snuffing cylinder Ill is removed, and also the safety screen 55 is removed. A tablespoon of denatured alcohol primer fuel is applied to: the

circular primer wick II and collar reservoir I6. The safety screen IE! is then. replaced and fastened at 56, by turning the screen clockwise and the burner is started by in erting a lighted match through the lighting gate 58.. The heat-from theprimer fuel heats the entire burner and causes a volatilization of, the heating fuel in. the vaporization chamber SI, and ignites the vapor which e capes from that chamber to the combustion chamber 5!) between the. two perforated. shells. After exhaustion of the primer fuel the burner continues to burn with a hot flame in that com bustion chamber 513,-. The heat is spreadthroughout the interior of the safety screen by the dispersion disk 54. The size of that. flame is regulated by the ad ustment of the air intake: vents !3, of the intake cap M with relation to the shoulder of the cup I2, by opening. or closing, those air vents with relation to that shoulder. Combustion mixture air is drawn through the perforations of the safety screen 5.5. As air canenter through the, safety screen perforations, but flame cannot pass. from the interior to the exterior thereof, there is no liability of explosion or danger of accidental fire in this preferred embodiment of our invention. The perforations through the shells I8 and 37:, and the draft vents in 31, permit a draft across the wick which: assists the ca illary actions of the wick directly proportioned to that draft, fora. drawing? up ofv the fuel and ignition thereof. The flame is so protected that an average wind cannot extinguish it, but an elimination of the oxygen by use of the snuifer cylinder IQ, after closing draft intake vents i3, is required to completely extinguish the flame. The safety screen is economical to manufacture and the smooth inner surface thereof can be occasionally easily cleaned, so as to keep the sizeable perforations free of soot and carbon which forms on the inside thereof, over other materials which might be used for a safety member, such as wire screen. The safety screen of perforated metal needs no guard and is less apt to be punctured in use.

To attach the heater onto a suitable place where desired, such as to a cross bar under the hood of a car, we provide a metal handle or bail I2, pivotally mounted at lugs or ears I I, attached to the collar I6, with the top end of the bail curved for convenience in use to hook over a support (not shown). Onto that portion of the handle, in use, we preferably apply or attach an asbestos sheet (not shown), as a heat deflector, to preserve adjacent paint surfaces of the hood. of. the car or other object being heated, where necessary.

The burner can be used in an emergency as a road flare or signal light, by removing the safety screen 55 and also removing the vaporizing chamber member V and lighting the center wick direct. In such use, the members 55 and V are not replaced, but the shell I8 is kept in place and: acts as a wind guard, permitting burning for a long time in a high wind.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that many modifications and changes can be made therein by those skilled: in the art without deviating from the spirit and intent of our invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim. is:

1. In a burner, in combination, a fuel reservoir, a wick arranged in fuel-conductive relation with the reservoir, a vaporizing. chamber member disposed. over thewick, a burner head in which an end portion of said wick is sup ported, a combustion. chamber member around the vaporizing chamber member, a safety screen seated on the reservoir in a position to enclose:

the burner head and. chamber membera. and cooperative means comprising a bracket on the vaporizing chamber member and a. cross bar on the safety screen arranged in contacting relation with said chamber members to maintain said chamber members against. relative movement.

when the screen is seated on: the reservoir.

2, In a burner, in. combination, a fuel reservoir, a wick arranged in fuel-conductive relation with the reservoir; a vaporizing chamber'm'ember' disposed over the wick, a: burner head by which an end portion of said wick is supported, a combustion chamber member around the vaporizing chamber, a safety screen seated: on the reservoir in a position to enclose the burner head and chamber members, cooperative bracket and cross bar means onthe. vaporizing chamber member and the safety screen, respectively, arranged in contacting relation with said members for holding;

3. In a burner, in combination, a fuel reservoir; a wick" arranged in fuel-conductive relation with the reservoir, a vaporizing-chamber member disposed over the wick, abur'ner head "removably carriedbythe reservoir 'and in-which an end of said wick is supported, said vaporizing chamber member being removably mounted on the burner head, a combustion chamber member removably mounteduponthe reservoir and surrounding the vaporizing chamber member in spaced relation thereto, a safety screen removably attached to said reservoir and enclosing the burner head and the two chamber'members, said reservoir and burner head having upstanding flanges, said vaporizing chamber member having fingers and said combustion chamber member having ears, connecting means including said combustion chamber member cooperating with said upstanding flanges, fingers, and ears for maintaining the burner headin place upon said fuel reservoir, and stop means including a substantially horizontal bar carried by the safety screen and engageable with the vaporizing chamber member to hold the parts in operative relationship.

4. In a burner, in combination, a fuel reservoir, a burner head removably carried by the reservoir and having a wick therein in fuel-conductive relationship with said reservoir, a vaporizing chamber member removably mounted upon the burner head and having outwardly extending fingers, a combustion chamber member removably carried by the reservoir surrounding the vaporizing chamber member and spaced from the vaporizing chamber member, said combus tion chamber member having its upper edge engaging said fingers, a safety screen removably carried by the reservoir and enclosing the vapor-- izing chamber member and the combustion chamber member, connecting means including said combustion chamber member disposed between the safety screen and the burner head cooperating with said fingers for maintaining the burner head in place upon the fuel reservoir, and stop means including a cross bar carried by the safety screen and engageable with an upper portion of the vaporizing chamber member to prevent movement of the safety screen beyond a predetermined position toward the reservoir.

5. In a burner structure, in combination, a fuel reservoir having a centrally disposed top opening, a burner head having a wick and resting over said opening with the wick arranged in fuel-conductive relationship, a vaporizing chamber member disposed over the upper end portion of the wick and engaging the burner head, a combustion chamber member disposed around the head and the vaporizing chamber member and engaging said head at points spaced outwardly from the vaporizing chamber meniber, a heat dispersion disc member spaced above the vaporizing chamber member and supported by the vaporizing chamber member, holding means carried by the vaporizing chamber member and engaging the combustion chamber member for maintaining the latter in place, a safety screen enclosing the vaporizing and combustion chambers and the heat dispersion disc, said safety screen being removably attached to the reservoir and having an openable lighting gate in a wall thereof, and stop means carried by the safety screen and en gageable with an upper portion of the vaporizing chamber member whereby to maintain the cooperating parts of the burner in proper posi- 6;" tion upon the'res'er'voir and against accidental displacement during operation of the burner.

"6.' A burner structure according to claim 5,

wherein a collar priming reservoir and a ring" priming wick are provided in surrounding re-- lationship to said vaporizing and combustion chamber members, and wherein thejburner'structure includes"aflame-snuffing member which is adapted to be invertedover the-safety screen to extinguish; the flame. of the burner.

'7. In a burner, in combination, a fuel reservoir having an intake cup and a removable and adjustable perforated cap, said reservoir having a central opening in its upper wall surrounded by an upstanding flange, a primer collar reservoir having inner and outer upstanding flanges secured to the fuel reservoir and surrounding said opening, said inner flange being spaced outwardly from the said upstanding flange, a primer ring wick disposed within the primer collar reservoir, a perforated burner head disposed upon said upstanding flange and having a tube carrying a wick in fuel-conductive relationship to the reservoir, a screen fastened to the underside of the burner head and a baffie plate carried by the tube and spaced from and beneath the screen to provide a baffle for the central opening in the reservoir, an annular upright spacer flange secured to the top portion of the burner head intermediate the central opening and the perimeter of said head, a burner wick disposed within the tube, a perforated shell removably seated in the space between the reservoir upstanding flange and the inner flange of the collar reservoir, a vaporizing chamber member comprising an inverted canshaped member having perforated walls, a closed top and an open bottom disposed over the upper end of said wick, the top portion of the vaporizing chamber member carrying outwardly extending fingers and also having a dispersion disc, said vaporizing chamber member being removably seated at its lower open end upon the intermediate spacer flange and in spaced relationship to the perforated shell to provide a combustion chamber, said fingers being adapted to rest upon the top of said shell when the shell and the vaporizing chamber member are seated, said shell having inwardly projecting ears near its lower portion resting upon the burner head when the shell is seated, an inverted cylindrical safety screen formed from perforated metal having a foraminous top portion and being open at its bottom, said safety screen being adapted to be removably seated upon the outer upstanding flange of the primer collar reservoir for enclosing the wick and burner elements, said screen having disposed in a wall thereof adjacent its bottom a slidable lighting gate, spring means for holding the gate normally in closed position, a stop member disposed within and carried by the safety screen transversely thereof, said stop member being adapted to rest upon the dispersion disc when the safety screen is seated upon the structure, means for removably locking the safety screen to the reservoir whereby to hold the vaporizing chamber member onto the burner head and to maintain the other cooperable parts in position to permit the safe use of the burner, and snufling means operatively associated with the structure for extinguishing the burner.

WALLIN G. FOSTER. RICHARD C. OPPEN'LANDER.

(References on following page) ans-mam v REFERENGES CITED Number Name Date The? following references are of re'cordlin the 2 s i 3 8 me ofthis pament, 233,395 Irwm Mair. 1,1881 i v 559,153 Upton ..7 Apr. 28', 1896 UNLTED STATES PATENTS 2,271,076 Hu'pfer' Jan. 27,. 1942 Number 7 Name Date.

Re'-.15;4I-8 Tho'rp May 20, 187-3' FOREIGN PATENTS 553033 Morrill v May 22, 1866 200,913 Howse- H Mar. 5, 1878' Number Cmmtry Date 223,398 Shields Jan. 6, 188-0 10 405,156 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1934.