US2820449A - Heating system humidifier - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1955 Jan. 21, 1958 R. P. SKERRITT HEATING SYSTEM HUMIDIFIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1955 INVENTOR. 25A???" To BY wl/zff HEATING SYSTEM HUMIDIFIER Roy P. Skerritt, Detroit, Mich. Application February 14, 1955, Serial No. 488,037

2 Claims. Cl. 126-113) This invention relates to humidifiers and, in particular, to hot air heating system humidifiers equipped with evaporator plates.

One object of this invention is to provide a humidifier which is especially well adapted for use in so-called high pressure hot air heating systems wherein the heated air is forced under pressure from the, heating furnace to the space being heated through pipes of relatively small diameters adapted to be embedded in the concrete floors of the rooms to be heated, as in certain so-called ranch type houses.

Another object is to provide a humidifier which is adapted to be mounted in an aperture in a side wall of a hot air furnace, the humidifier pan being equipped with evaporator plates having their lower ends immersed in the liquid therein and having their upper ends projecting through the aperture into the hot air stream, means being provided in the aperture to substantially seal ofi the humidifier pan and its water-level-regulating mechanism from contact with the heated air, thereby protecting them from the adverse effects of heat and pressure.

Another object is to provide a humidifier of the foregoing character wherein the protecting means consists of a partition separating the water supply compartment of the humidifier from the hot air passageway within the furnace, this partition also having slots through which portions of the humidifier plates snugly pass, thereby utilizing the slotted partition plate as a humidifier plate rack.

Another object is to provide a humidifier of the foregoing character which is mounted on the outside wall of a heating furnace casing, and projecting through an aperture therein into the hot air stream, the evaporator plates having wings which project from the main portions of the plates into the interior of the heating duct.

Another object is to provide a humidifier of the foregoing character Wherein the combination partition and evaporator plate rack prevents hot air under pressure from reaching the humidifier chamber in sufiicient volume to objectionably raise either the pressure or temperature therein, thereby preventing interference with the action of the water-level-regulating mechanism by such pressurized hot air, as in prior humidifiers, and also preventing raising of the temperature of the humidifier compartment and the water in the humidifier pan sufficiently to cause the accumulation of lime deposits.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a horizontal section through a humidifier according to one form of the present invention, taken along the line 1--l in Figure 2;

Figire 2 is a vertical cross-section through the humidifier taken along the lines 22 of Figures 1 and 3;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the humidifier taken along the line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the side wall of the heating furnace to which the humidifier is 2,32%,4429 Patented Jan. 21, 1958 attached, showing the aperture and fastener holes made therein;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mounting bracket by which the humidifier is attached to the heating furnace at the location shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the combination partition and evaporator plate rack shown in the central portion of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of an evaporator plate retaining bar shown in the central portions of Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the fioat-operated water-level-control valve shown in the lower lefthand corner of Figure 2; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section through the evaporator plates and partition showing the wedging sealing action therebetween.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a humidifier, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention as mounted on a heating furnace l1 and projecting into the casing 12 thereof. The furnace 11 is preferably of the so-called high-pressure type employing relatively small hot air pipes through which the heated air is forced under pressure. The side wall 14 of the heating furnace casing 12 is provided with an aperture 16 (Fig. 4) having top and bottom edges 18 and 20 and upper and lower side edges 22 and 24 spaced apart from one another at different widths and separated from one another by horizontal shoulders 26. The aperture 16 is surrounded by spaced fastener holes 28 aligned with the corresponding fastener holes 34} in the open-centered rectangular border portion 32 of a mounting bracket, generally designated 34. The latter has a rectangular aperture 36 having upper and lower edges 58 and 40 aligned with the upper and lower edges 18 and 20 of the aperture 16 and having side edges 42 aligned with the wider side edges 24 thereof.

Formed integrally with the border portion 32 are parallel side wings 44 having front edges 46 composed of upper arcuate portions 48 of about 90 arc, and straight vertical lower portions 50. The side wings 44 also have straight bottom edges 52. Adjacent the junction of the curved edge portion 48 of each wing 46 with the border portion 32 is a notch 54. The side wings 46 also have aligned vertical slots 56 and aligned upper and lower pairs of holes 57 and 53 respectively for the purpose of supporting the evaporator plates and pan, as disclosed below. lnsertable in the slots 56 are the notched opposite ends 60 of an evaporator plate retaining bar 62, the notches 6-!) being separated from one another by a distance equal to the separation of the slots 56 in the side wings 46 of the mounting bracket 34.

Secured as by screws or other fasteners 64 inserted through the holes 58 in the mounting bracket wings 46 is a humidifier pan, generally designated 66, of rectangular shape mounted in such a manner that its forward end 68 extends through the apertures 36 and 16 in the mounting bracket 34 and furnace casing side wall 14 and the side walls '70 and '72 snugly engage the aperture side edges 24 and 42 as well as the wings 44, to prevent leakage of air therebetween in substantial volume. The bottom Wall 74 of the humidifier pan 60 rests on the bottom edges 20 and 40 of the apertures 16 and 36, and overhangs the hot air passageway 13 (Figure 3). The front wall 76 of the humidifier pan 66 is provided with an overflow opening '78 and the opposite side walls-70 and '72 are provided with screw holes 80 aligned with the mounting bracket wing screw holes 58 for fasteners 82 (Figure l) by which the humidifier pan 66 is secured to the wings 44 of the mounting bracket 34.

The side wall 70. of the humidifier pan 66 is bored as at 84 (Figure 8) to receive the threaded hollow stem 86 of a stationary valve member 88 of a water-level-control valve, generally designated 90, held in place by a nut 02 and the usual washers 94 on opposite sides of the wall 70. The valve member 88 is provided with a spray hood 96 and a bracket 98 with side wings 100, all being bored for the passage of the stem 86 and held in position by the nut 92 threaded thereon. The valve member 88 is provided with a nozzle 102 which is engaged by a resilient valve closure member 104, the stem ofwhich is mounted in a hole 106 in a fixture 108 which has a top wall 110 from which side wings 112 extend downward and are bored to receive a pivot pin 114 which also passes through the side wings 100 of the bracket 98. The top wall 110 is provided with a boss 116 which is bored and threaded to receive an adjusting screw 118, the bottom of which is annularly-grooved as at 120 to receive a longitudinal slot 122 extending inward from the rearward end ofa float arm 124 of channel cross-section. The float arm 124 has aligned notches 126 in its side flanges adapted to receive a pin 128 supported in and extending between the wings 112. The pins 114 and 128 conveniently consist of cotter pins. Mounted on the outer end of the float arm 124 is a float 130 of any suitable buoyant material, such as tfoam glass. As a consequence, the rise and fall of the float 130 and the consequent rise and fall of the float arm 124 and the fixture 108 moves the resilient valve closure member 104 away from and toward the nozzle 102 to turn on or cut off the supply of water entering through the water passageway 132. The threaded stem 86 is connected to a source of water under pressure, such as to the ordinary domestic water system.

Mounted against the aperture 16 of the furnace casing side wall 14 between the border portion 32 of the mounting bracket 34 and the side wall 14 and held in place by the fasteners 134 which secure the mounting bracket 34 to the furnace casing side wall 14 is a combination partition and evaporator plate rack, generally designated 136. The member 136 is in the form of a piece of bent sheet metal having an upper portion 138 covering the major part of the aperture 16 in the furnace casing side wall 14 and a lower portion 140 inclined downwardly into the pan 66, with the junction line or line of bend 142 disposed at the upper edge of the pan 66 (Figures 3 and 6). The lower partition portion 140 extends downwardly and forwardly almost to the front Wall 68 of the humidifier pan 66, with the result that the partition 136 substantially seals off the interior of the humidifier pan 66 and the space above it from the hot air passageway 13 of the furnace casing 12, so as to prevent air under pressure from reaching the pan 66 and the chamber 144 above it in substantial volume. The forward edge 146 of the lower portion 140 of the partition 136 is provided with multiple notches 148 for the drainage of water into the humidifier pan 66. Both portions 138 and 140 of the partition 136 are provided with connected slots 150 having upper and lower connected portions 152 and 154 for the reception of evaporator plates, generally designated 156. An evaporator plate hold-down rod 157 is mounted in the holes 57 in the mounting bracket wings 44.

The evaporator plates 156 are of porous material, such as compressed glass fiber, so as to possess a wick action or capillary force adapted to lift water from the evaporator pan 66 and evaporate it into the hot air stream passing through the heating passageway 13. For this purpose, the evaporator plates are of approximately L-shaped appearance with the elongated main vertical portion 158 (Figure 3) of each plate extending upward to the full height of the slot 150 and having a wing 160 projecting forwardly into the air passageway 13 of the furnace casing 12. The wing portions 160 of the evaporator plates 156 are slightly thinner than the main portions 158 thereof (Figure 9), preferably with a tapered junction 162 between them, so as to provide a sealing engagement between the evaporator plates 156 and their respective slots 150 for the purpose (Figure 3).

of further sealing the humidifier chamber 144 and the in terior of the humidifier pan 66 from the air passageway 13 of the furnace casing 12.

The humidifier chamber 144 between the mounting bracket wings 46 is closed in by a cover, generally designated 164, having a horizontal lower portion 166 extending over the rearward end of the humidifier pan 66 and an upstanding forward portion 168 consisting of a vertical portion 170 and an arcuate or partially cylindrical portion 172, the latter terminating in a downturned flange 174 which hooks into the notches 54 at the upper ends of the wings 46. The upstanding portion 168 of the cover 164 follows the contour of the edge portions 48 and 50 of the mounting bracket wings 46 so as to seal these edges, and the cover 164 is provided with a lateral edge flange 176 which extends downwardly along its sides and around the front end of the evaporator pan 66 In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the humidifier has been mounted in the manner described above, and that the threaded stem 86 of the water-flowcontrol valve 90 has been connected to a cold Water pipe so that the water has filled the humidifier pan 66 to the desired level. At this level, the rise of the float 130, float arm 124 and fixture 108 has moved the valve closure member 104 into closing engagement with the valve nozzle 102, shutting off the further flow of water until evaporation reduces the water level.

' The capillary or wick action of the evaporator plates 156 causes water to be drawn upward into their wings 160, where it is carried away by the heated air passing through the heated air passageway 13 of the furnace casing 12. Although this heated air is under pressure, very little of it can enter the humidifier chamber 144 because of the presence of the combination evaporator plate rack and partition 136 and the sealing engagement of the evaporator plates 156 with their respective slots 150 (Figure 9). The slight amount of air entering the humidifier chamber 144 through the notches 148 or through the slight cracks which may exist elsewhere around the edge of the aperture 16 in the side wall 14 of the furnace casing 12 is insufiicient to aifect the accuracy of the float 130 and consequently the heat carried by it is insuflicient to raise the temperature of the chamber 144 a suflicient amount to cause the deposit of objectionable amounts of lime on the nozzle 102 of the control valve 90. As a consequence, the water in the humidifier pan 66 and the humidifier chamber 144 above it remain relatively cool, and the water is evaporated into the air stream by the evaporator plates 156 through their wings 160. The consequent cooling of the evaporator plates 156 by such evaporation further cools the water in the humidifier pan 66 and therefore prevents lime deposit. In practice, it has been found that in the humidifier 10 of the present invention, the water temperature in the pan 66 is kept down to a temperature below F., and liming up of the valve consequently prevented.

What I claim is:

1. A humidifier comprising a mounting structure having an aperture therein, a water pan mounted on said structure in communication with the atmosphere, a water control valve having an outlet disposed adjacent said pan for the discharge of water therein and adapted to be connected to a water supply source, means responsive to the fall of water level in said pan for opening said valve, a partition closing said aperture and having a series of vertical slots therein, and evaporator plates of material possessing capillary attraction, one of said plates extending through each of said slots with a portion disposed in said pan and extending from the bottom thereof and another portion projecting through the slot in the partition in snugly fitting substantially sealing engagement with the edges of said slot.

2. A humidifier comprising a mounting structure having' an aperture therein, a water pan mounted on said structure in communication with the atmosphere and extending through said aperture, a water control valve having an outlet disposed adjacent said pan for discharge of water therein and adapted to be connected to a Water supply source, means responsive to the fall of water level in said pan for opening said valve, a partition extending across said aperture having a series of vertical slots to provide a rack member, said partition being provided with an angular extension adapted to close the portion of said pan extending through said aperture, and a series of evaporator plates supported by said rack member and arranged one in each slot, each of said plates being of a material possessing capillary attraction and arranged with a portion in the water pan and extending from the bottom thereof and another portion projecting through said aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wilson Nov. 10, 1914 Miller Apr. 24, 1917 Jensen May 16, 1939 Getz Feb. 12, 1952 Bottum Sept. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany May 11, 1903 Italy Feb. 23, 1946

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