US2689904A - Heating cylinder for hydrometer testing - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 21,1954 w, L, MELTON 21,689,904

HEATING CYLINDER FOR HYDROMETER TESTING Filed March 27, 1952 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY@ @gf 6 ATTORNEY Sept- 2l, 1954 w. L. MELTON 2,689,904

HEATING CYLINDER FOR HYDROMETER TESTING Filed March 27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 l/l/f//fam L.. Me/Q/j ATTORNEY INVENTOR Patented Sept. 21, 1954 HEATING CYLINDER FOR HYDROMETER TESTIN William L. Melton, Selman City, Tex.

Application March 27, 195.2, Serial No. 278,906

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a heating device for heating liquids of a wax nature and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is the cardinal object of the invention to provide a heating device in the form of a cylinder into which a liquid to be heated and tested for lcorrect gravity reading may be readily accomplished by the use of a hydrometer.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a heating device which is in the form of an enclosed cylinder, there being a heating element associated with the cylinder for heating a liquid therein so as to melt the wax substance of the liquid and thus allow a hydrometer to float freely in the liquid and thus obtain a perfect readingfupon the hydrometer.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an electrical heating device of a portable character which may be readily employed for field testing, deriving electrical current from a six volt battery, as well as laboratory testing, in the latter case a 115 volt alternating current being employed.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the heating device, the liquid container being shown partly in section.

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary sectional view of the liquid container, illustrating the heating unit, and,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic View of the electrical circuit for the heater.

Reference is now made to Figure 1 of the drawings wherein a heater generally indicated by the reference character I is shown which in the present instance is illustrated as being of cylindrical form and 'therefore comprises a base mem-,A

ber Il having an upstanding annular flange I2 for support of a tubular metallic housing I3. The housing I3 is formed with an opening IQ. upon one side thereof which is closed by an offset housing I5 suitably secured thereto by means of welding or soldering. The lower ends of the tubular housing I3 and offset housing I5 are secured to the flange I2 by means of bolts I6.

Upon the interior of the housing I3 an insulator lining of asbestos I'l is provided, this lining stopping short of the upper end of the opening I4.

A metallic cylinder I8 is employed for contain- (Cl. 21S- 38) ing the liquid to be heated and tested, having a closed bottom I9 and an open upper end 20 through which the liquid may be poured into the cylinder. The cylinder It has a circumferential flange 2I spaced below the opening 2li, the flange being formed with a series of tapped apertures 22 for mounting the cylinder in the housing I3, as will now be described.

The housing I3 is formed with an inturned flange 23 forming an opening through which the reduced end 2d of the cylinder may pass. The flange 23 is formed with a series of openings adapted to align with apertures 22 of the flange ZI. An annular fiat collar 25 positioned upon the flange 2?; and having openings in registry with the openings of the flange 23 and apertures 22 of the cylinder is secured to the flange 2l of the cylinder by means of screws 26. The bottom I9 of the cylinder rests upon an asbestos plate 21 and additional asbestos 23 may be employed within the housing.

Adjacent the lower end of the cylinder I8, opposite the offset housing I5, the cylinder is formed with an outwardly projecting flat surface 28 providing a seat for a thermostat 30, the latter being provided with a knurled control shaft 3| for varying the setting of the thermostat enclosed within the housing 39. The thermostat being enclosed in the housing I5, the front wall thereof is provided with an opening 32 aligned with the shaft 3l, the opening being closed by a removable plate 33 thereby enabling access to the control shaft 3 I.

Intermediate the length of the cylinder IB, a heating unit 34 is installed, comprising a wire arranged in a tortucus path longitudinally of the cylinder and circumferentially thereof, and occupying a substantial area of the cylinder, the heating element 35 being suitably insulated as at 3%. For maintaining the heating element in proper operative position upon the cylinder I8 a longitudinal split sleeve 3l' is employed, of a diameter to encircle the cylinder and the heating element. The longitudinal edges of the sleeve are bent to provide opposed flanges 3S, the flanges being apertured to receive the clamping bolts and nuts 39 for drawing the sleeve 31 snugly upon the heating element and the cylinder. For additional support of the sleeve preventing longitudinal movements, the cylinder I8 is provided with annular collars liti positioned above and below the split sleeve 3?. Openings il are formed in the lower edge of the split sleeve for admitting respective conductor wires (l2 and i3 which are electrically connected to respective ends of the heating element, as will be explained hereinafter.

A control switch 44 is mounted upon the inner side of the front wall of the housing I5 and includes a switch arm 45 exteriorly of the housing for actuating the switch.

A handle 46 is secured upon the housing I3 directly above the housing I5 which will enable ready carrying of the heating cylinder to varying locations.

An insulated conductor 41 having a male connector 48 is employed comprisingr conductor lines 42 and 42', line 42 leading from the negative side of an electrical source indicated as a battery 49, while the positive line 42 is connected to the switch 44 by a binding post 50. Also connected to the post 50 there is a conductor 5I which is connected to the positive binding post 52 of the thermostat 30 and the conductor 43 is likewise connected to the post 52. A condenser 53 is shunted around posts 59 and 52 by conductor wires 54 and 55 respectively. A female connector 56 cooperates with connector 48 to supply current from a suitable source.

In use, the liquid to be heated for testing purposes is placed in the cylinder I8 to a depth above the heating unit 34, the connectors 48 and 56 being electrically connected to a source of current, it is only necessary to actuate the switch 44 by means of the switch arm 45 to energize the heating element 35, the thermostatic device 3| having been previously adjusted.

It will be apparent that since the cylinder I8 containing the liquid is enclosed in the housing and with the heating element closely embracing the cylinder, the liquid will be quickly heated and that the waxy substance contained in the liquid will be melted so that when a hydrometer (not shown) is disposed in the liquid, the hydrometer may be freely suspended in the liquid so that a correct specic gravity reading may be obtained.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the device this is by Way of illustration only and I consider as my Own all such modifications in constructions as fairly fal1 within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A heating cylinder for hydrometer testing comprising a base, an upright insulated housing mounted on the base and having an inwardly disposed fiange at the upper end thereof, a hollow cylinder secured within said housing and having an open upper end for admitting a liquid to be hydrometer tested, an annular flange below said upper end disposed beneath the inturned flange of the housing, a collar secured above the ange of the housing for connecting said flanges together for support of the cylinder, a heating unit comprising a resistance Wire bent tortuously in a vertical plane and wound circumferentially around the cylinder so as to extend over a substantial area of the cylinder, an insulated sleeve enclosing said resistance wire and means for energizing said heating unit.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,295,045 Lidberg Feb. 18, 1919 1,404,317 Pieper et al Jan. 24, 1922 2,044,573 Hornberger June 16, 1936 2,316,287 Ribas Apr. 13, 1943 2,396,578 Kittel Mar. 12, 1946 2,625,641 Jenkins Jan. 13, 1953

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