US259494A - Automatic draft-regulator and ventilator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) I

M. B. CHURCH.

AUTOMATIC DRAFT REGULATOR AND VBNTILATOR. No. 259,494. Patented Jline 13, 1882.

UNTTED STATES rates.

PATENT MELVIN B. CHURCH, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,494, dated June 13, 1882.

Application filed December 31, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom "at may concern Be it known that I, MELVIN B. CHURCH, of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful 5 Improvementin Ventilators and Draft-Regulators 5 andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the ventilation of rooms and regulation of the draft of stoves and furnaces by means of an automatic damper. It is also applicable to the cold-air-supply pipe of furnaces and heaters of any sort in which a supply of cold air is conducted to the heatingchamber previous to the distribution of it. to the rooms.

My invention consists, first, of an automatic damper, and, secondly, in an arrangement of this automatic damper in such relation to the stove or other heater thatit shall regulate automatically the draft.

In the accompanying drawings, Figural represents the outlines of any ordinary outstanding stove with a pipe containing myimproved damper in section. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged end of the pipe detached with the valve in place. Fig. 3 shows details of construction.

In these drawings the pipe to is represented as connected to the smoke-pipe of the stove just in rear of the body thereof. Itma-y be made of ordinary sheet metal,like the common stovepipe. I cause it to extend down to near the floor. In the lower end of this pipe I place my improved automatic valve. This consists of two semicircular plates of sheet metal, halfdisks, which I pivot at their straight edges within the lower end of the pipe. These valves are represented at b I). They may be pivoted on a single transverse rod or wire passing through theceuterof thepipe; butI prefer to pivot such valves each upon aseparate rod passing through the pipe from side to side. A small flange may be turned inward, or a small section cut from the edge of the pipe may be so turned, or a rivet inserted so that the outer edges of the valves may be supported in a horizontal position. It will be understood that the weight of the valves is relied upon to keep the same closed when not acted on by the draft.

The valves may be each fixed to its pivoted wire or rod, and the same may extend through their hearings in the side of the pipe and be turned at right angles, and provided with a weight adjustable on the horizontal part ofthe rod or wire to give greater or less leverage, in order to counterbalance in part the weight of the valves and make them more sensitive to the action of the draft. This detailis shown in Fig. 3, in which the bent and of the pivoted rod or wire is represented at c and the adjustable weight at e. The rods or wire are bent at right angles, and the weights tend to open the valves 1). It will be readily understood that when thereisahot firein thestove,andin consequence a correspondingly strong draft, it will tend to create a vacuum in the pipe a and to raise the valves by reason of the pressure of the air thereunder from the outside. This will tend to open the valvesmoreorless,accordingto thestrength of the draft and the amount of the pressure. Obviously the weights on the arms 0 should be adjusted as may be found necessary for an ascertained degree of temperature in each case; but the arms may he graduated so that the weight may be set, after experiment, for any required degree of heat. The result of this action of the valves is twofold. Under any increased degree of heat the valves are raised and thefoul and cool air that is near the floor escapes, and is carried away by the draft. At the same time the access of air to the pipe behind the stove checks the draft from and to the fire and diminishes the combustion and heat. Thus an automatic ventilator and draft-regulator is supplied in a simple arrangement of automatic valves. The weights may be adjustable, so that ordinarily the valves will be slightly open for ventilation, which, under ordinary circumstances, will not interfere with the draft. I have found this form effective for both purposes.

' I am aware that a balanced swinging-valve has been placed in the draft-channel leading to the fire-place of a steam-generator, adapted to be closed by the entrance of air and kept open byits own gravity and the balance-weight;

from my own, and I therefore disclaim it.

I am aware that pipes for discharging the l foul air into the draft and extending down to but such device is clearly different in principle near the floor outside of the stove are notnew, such apipe being shown in Patent No. 85,931, of 1869, said pipe being provided with a valve adapted to be moved by hand. Such a pipe is also shown in Patent No. 186,518, of 1877, with an automatic valve operating to open and close the draft-valve to the stove as the ventilatorvalve closes and opens. In the latter patent the draft applied to the stove is dependent upon the non-action of the ventilating-valve. The essential ditference between my invention and the patent last named lies in this point, that I do not interfere with the draft of the stove directly, but use automatic valves connected with the draft-pipe outside of the stove alone. In the patent referred to the draft is not supplied to the stove unless the ventilatorvalveis closed,whilein my apparatus the ventilator-valve may act without regard to whether the draft-valve of the stove is open or closed.

MELVIN B. OHURG EI.

Witnesses:

L. W. SEELY, F. L. MIDDLETON.

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