US2732891A

US2732891A - Liquid fuel feed system

Info

Publication number: US2732891A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1956-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-31

Description

Jan. 31, 1956 K- s. JENSON ET AL 2,732,391

LIQUID FUEL FEED SYSTEM Filed June 15, 1951 INVENTORS. [fame/f2 ad's/25012 BY ZflZ/ZZB J2 iZedaa/z MZMMZ k LIQUID FUEL FEED SYSTEM Kenneth S. Jenson and Willis N. Nelson, Wisconsin Rapids, ,Wis., assignors to Preway Inc, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 15, 1951, Serial No. 231,858

4 Claims. (Cl. 15836.6)

This invention relates to a liquid fuel feed system for oil burnersand the like. A primary purpose is to provide for use of a drum of substantial capacity from which liquid fuel is delivered through a feed pipe by siphonic action to a burner, for replacement of the drum, when empty, by a fuel-full drum without spillage or loss of fuel "in any amount, and for restoration of the siphonic condition in the feed pipe as an incident to such replacement. In such a fuel feed system there is no refilling, occasional or otherwise, of any fuel tank fixedly connected to the heater, range, or the like, with the attendant fire hazard that always accompanies such an operation.

his a further purpose of this invention to utilize a fuel feed system having a siphon tube whose short arm extends from a point close to the drum bottom upwardly through a filler opening at its top and thence laterally and downwardly to provide a long arm which depends through the open upper end of a stand-pipe to a point below the drum bottom, a feed tube extending from the stand-pipe at its bottom to a constant level valve which controls the fuel flow rate to the burner. Such a siphon tube carries at the lower end of its short arm a priming pump operable, with reciprocations of the siphon tube, to lift fuel from the drum to the top end of its short armfro m whence it may flow laterally and downwardly through its long arm into the stand-pipe for delivery therein to at a point below the drum bottom. By such an operation, a siphonic condition is restored to the fuel feed system so that the flow of liquid therethrough proceeds automatically thereafter.

' A suggestive embodiment of this invention in a practical and efiicient form is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a heater equipped with the present feed system operatively connected to a drum containing liquid fuel in a substantial amount;

' Fig. 2 which is a similar view wherein the fuel supply drum is removed and the disconnected siphon tube of the feed system is shifted to a rest position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical elevational view of the fuel supply drum and its supporting rack, with portions of the drum and of the stand-pipe in section to show certain parts therewithin;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in vertical section of the priming pump that is carried at the lower end of the short arm of the siphon tube; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail in perspective of the upper end of the siphon tube and of the drip pan associated therewith.

The present fuel feed system is illustrated in connection with a heater H mounted on a base B from which rises a stand to provide a supporting rack R, preferably at the heater rear side. This rack comprises a vertical n 1ounting"wall 6 with outturned end walls 7 and 8 extending along its opposite margins. A plate hook 9 is afiixed'to the mounting wall near its top.

The fuel supply drum D chosen by way of example is United States Patent 0 a familiar five-gallon container of elongated cross-section and formed with a bottom 10 and with a filler opening 11 near one end of its top. A hinged lid 12, when swung down, is arranged to cover this opening and to uncover it fully when swung up and back into a position of rest against an inclined wall 14 to which is joined one end of each of several parallel bars 15 constituting a multiplebar handle for the drum. The opposite ends of the handle bars are joined to an upstanding wall 16 near the proximate end of the drum. Such a fuel container is adapted to be carried upon the supporting rack R in operative relation to a locating means such as the end wall 7, when one of its handle bars 15 is rested on the plate hook 9; when so suspended, the drum requires only an operative connection to a fuel feed system leading to the burner (not shown) in the heater H in order that the latter may start functioning.

The problem here presented and effectively solved is the provision of such a fuel feed system having a siphon tube equipped with a priming pump to produce a siphonic condition which will assure a continuous feed of fuel from the drum so long as the supply lasts, which is facile for operative disconnection from an empty drum, with avoidance of any drip or spillage, for operative connection with a replacement drum that is oil-full ready for use, and wherein the siphon tube may be used as a handle to effect reciprocations of the priming pump to re-establish in the feed system a siphonic condition which may be depended upon to assure a continuous feed of fuel from the drum to the heater burner.

As herein shown, a constant level valve 20 is interposed in the fuel feed system between a tube 21 leading to the burner in the heater H and a feed tube 22 which is joined to a stand-pipe 25 close to its bottom. The housing which contains the constant level valve is carried upon the mounting wall 6. of the rack R, and the stand-pipe is also aifixed to this rack adjacent its end wall 8 so as to be fixedly supported thereby in a vertical position. The upper end of the stand-pipe which is open terminates at a level which is higher than that of the liquid fuel within the drum D, when full.

With such a stand-pipe we utilize a siphon tube in the general form of an inverted U having two vertical arms of unequal length which join at their tops with a horizontal connecting section 30. The short vertical arm 31 of the siphon tube carries at its lower end a priming pump P that is adapted to enter the filler opening 11 at the top of the drum D and occupy a position therein that is normally adjacent its bottom 10 (see Fig. 3), whereas the long vertical arm 32 is depended into the stand-pipe 25 to extend downwardly therein nearly to its bottom end. In the lowermost vertical position of the siphon tube, which may be fixed by engagement of its priming pump P with the drum bottom 10, the connecting section 30 stands in the clear slightly above the supporting rack R so as to be conveniently accessible for manipulation (see Fig. 1) when it is desired to operate the priming pump P. A cross brace 33 is fixedly extended between the short and

long arms

31 and 32 of the siphon tube, slightly below its connecting section 30, for purposes of reinforcement.

The priming pump P comprises a cylinder 35 (see Fig. 4) having at its top a head 36 that is afiixed to the lower end of the short arm 31 of the siphon tube; a cap 37 at the bottom of the cylinder formed therethrough with an inlet opening across which is a screen 33; an elongated hollow piston 39 having a relatively large mass siidably mounted in the cylinder and yieldingly supported in the upper region thereof by a compression spring 4%) extending between the bottoms of the piston and'cylinder; and at the bottom end of the piston 21 check valve 41 which acts to pass liquid therethroughin an upward direction only, A notched stop flange 42 depends from the cylinder bottom to engage the drum bottom when the priming pump P has advanced to its lowermost position. A priming pump so constructed and mounted will manifestly act, when operated in response to reciprocations of the siphon tube, to lift liquid fuel from within the drum and fill the siphon tube therewith for its full length, thereby creating the necessary siphonic condition for a continuous automatic fuel feed thereafter. In all such reciprocations the stand-pipe serves as a guide to assure that the siphon tube movements will proceed vertically and not otherwise.

' It will be seen that upon reaching the downward limit of movement of the siphon tube in one reciprocation, the momentum of the hollow piston will carry it to the bottom of the cylinder compressing the yieldable spring. Oil will flow through the check valve into the hollow area of the piston. At the upper limit of movement of the siphon tube in one reciprocation, the momentum of the hollow piston will move it to its upper limit of movement, as aided by the spring under the piston, and will carry the volume of oil within the hollow area of the piston along therewith. On the next reciprocation and at the bottom of the stroke of the siphon tube, the momentum of the piston will again carry it downward in the cylinder. As this occurs, fuel in the cylinder beneath the piston will flow through the check valve to replace the fuel formerly within the hollow piston which is left behind by the piston as it moves downwardly.

These operations continue upon successive reciprocatious of the siphon tube until such time as the siphon tube becomes filled and then the flow of the fuel through the tube will continue because the liquid will tend to seek its own level.

Afi'lxedto the top end of the stand-pipe 25 is an elongated drip pan 45 having in its bottom a hole 46 through which is freely extended the long arm 32 of the siphon tube. This hole is coaxial with the open top of the standpipe therebelow so that any liquid collecting in the pan will drain out into the stand-pipe. The drip pan is desirably provided along one wall with an outturned flange 47 for securing the pan to a top flange 48 of the mount ing rack in a fixed position close to the short arm 31 of the siphon tube when the fuel feed system is connected up for operation.

When an empty drum D is to be removed, the siphon tube is raised to lift with it the priming pump P which,

when clear of the drum, is swung around the stand-pipe as an axis through the few degrees necessary to position the priming pump over the drip pan. At this point, the siphon tube is lowered to permit the bottom end of the priming pump to rest in the drip pan where it may remain as long as necessary for replacement of the empty drum with one that is full. Thereafter the priming pump is raised, swung around to a position over the filler opening 11, then lowered into the drum, and then' reciprocated a few times with the siphon tube as the operating medium to restore to the fuel feed system the siphonic condition that is relied upon to assure a continuous fuel feed to the heater. A lid 50 in the form of a shallow cup having an outturned marginal flange is provided with a center opening to receive therethrough the short arm 31 of the siphon tube. This lid slips freely along the siphon tube to a position of rest over the filler opening 11 to provide a closure therefor.

We claim:

1. In combination with a heater supported on a base, a stand rising fixedly from the base, suspension means carried by the stand for releasable upright support thereon of a portable liquid fuel drum having a top filler opening, a vertical stand-pipe secured in a fixed vertical position to the stand and connected at its lower end with the heater,

1 the upper end of the stand-pipe being open, a siphon tube having a long vertical arm loosely receivable within the standrpipe for a substantial portion of its length and a short downwardly extending vertical arm loosely receivable within the drum through the filler opening thereof, and a priming pump operable by vertical reciprocation thereof having an inlet opening at its bottom, the lower end of the short arm ofsaid tube being affixed to the upper end of said pump and communicating therewith, said pump being adapted to be positioned thereby within the drum toward its bottom, the siphon tube affording an operating element for reciprocating the priming pump vertically within the drum to force liquid fuel therein to rise and flow through the siphon tube and out through the long arm thereof, thereby establishing a siphonic condition within the tube to assure a constant feed of fuel therethrough into the stand-pipe and to the heater, said stand-pipe acting as a guide for the siphon tube during reciprocation thereof.

2. In combination with a heater wherein liquid fuel is burned, a vertical stand-pipe open at its top having a fixed vertical mounting adjacent the heater and at its lower end a fuel feeding connection therewith, means for securing a portable liquid fuel drum having a top filler opening in a fixed upright vertical position adjacent the stand-pipe, a U-shaped siphon tube comprising two spaced vertical arms of unequal, length, the long arm of said two arms being receivable within the stand-pipe to a level below the drum bottom and the short arm being receivable within the top filler opening of the drum for dependency therein, and a priming pump operable by reciprocation thereof and having its upper end afiixed to the lower end of the siphon tube short arm and in communication therewith, said pump being adapted to be positioned by the short arm in the drum toward its bottom and arranged, when reciprocated within the drum in response to operation of the siphon tube, to lift liquid fuel therefrom for feeding through the siphon tube and delivery through the lower end of its long arm into the stand-pipe, thereby establishing a siphonic condition within the siphon tube to assure a continuous feed of liquid fuel therethrough.

3. In combination with a heater wherein liquid fuel is burned, a vertical stand-pipe open at its top having a fixed vertical mounting adjacent the heater and at its lower end a fuel feeding connection therewith, means for securing a portable liquid fuel drum having a top filler opening in a fixed upright vertical position adjacent the standpipe, a siphon tube comprising two spaced vertical arms connected at their tops, one arm, longer than the other, being receivable within the stand-pipe to a level below the drum bottom and the other short arm being receivable within the top filler opening of the drum for dependency therein, a narrow elongated drip pan fixedly secured at the stand-pipe top and formed therethrough with a hole in register therewith for receiving the siphon tube long arm, said drip pan having a horizontal, extent sufi'lcient to underlie the short arm of the siphon tube when the short arm is swung over the drip pan and to permit the short arm to extend beyond it when the short arm is manually swung aside about the long arm rotatable in the stand-pipe as an axis, thereby to afford a supporting base for the siphon tube while said portable drum is being exchanged, said drip pan acting to collect and deliver to the stand-pipe through said hole any fuel that inadvertently issues from the siphon tube short arm.

4. In combination with a heater wherein liquid fuel is burned, a vertical stand-pipe open at its top having a fixed vertical mounting adjacent the heater and at its lower end a fuel feeding connection therewith, means for securing a liquid fuel drum having a top filler opening in a fixed vertical position adjacent the stand-pipe, locating means coacting with the drum to fix its horizontal position, a siphon tube comprising two spaced vertical arms of unequal length, the long arm being receivable within the stand-pipe to a level below the drum bottom and the short arm being receivable within the top filler opening of the drum for dependency therein, and a priming pump 5 operable by reciprocation thereof and having its upper end afiixed to the lower end of the siphon tube short arm and in communication therewith, said pump being adapted to be positioned by the short arm in the drum toward its bottom and arranged, when reciprocated within the drum in response to movement of the siphon tube, to lift liquid fuel therefrom for feeding through the siphon tube and delivery through the lower end of its long arm into the stand-pipe, thereby establishing a siphonic condition valve to permit flow of liquid fuel into said piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and a compression spring for yieldably urging the piston upwardly in the cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 809,438 Galopin Ian. 9, 1906 1,082,661 Tucker Dec. 10, 1913 1,297,621 White Mar. 18, 1919 1,744,738 Birnie, Jr; Jan. 28, 1930 1,856,083 Sather May 3, 1932 2,137,469 Willson Nov. 22, 1938 2,213,521 Haeberlin Sept. 3, 1940 2,473,562 Barnes June 21, 1949