US2822800A - Combined portable space heater and ventilator - Google Patents

Description

7 Feb. 11, 1958 v. c. HlNES 2,822,800

COMBINED PORTABLE sPAcE HEATER AND VENTILATOR Filed Nov. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Var/20 6. fl/nes 4 TTORNiH Feb. 11, 1958 v. c. HINES 2,822,800

COMBINED PORTABLE SPACE HEATER AND VENTILATOR Filed Nov. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Var/700 61 ?e5 A TIURN 2,822,800 1C6 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 COMBINED PORTABLE SPACE HEATER AND VENTILATOR Vernon C. Hines, Denver, Colo., assignor to International Manufacturing Company, Littleton, Colo., a corporation of Nevada Application November 9, 1954, Serial No. 467,773

2 Claims. (Cl. 126-110) This invention relates to a portable combination space heater and ventilator and is particularly adapted for use wherever workmen must be subjected to discomfort because of heat, cold or poor circulation such as in manholes within canopies or tent-like protectors employed by linemen on telephone poles and the like.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a portable apparatus of the aforementioned character including a casing wherein is housed a heater and a heat exchanger, together with blower means for directing artificial currents of air across the heater and the exchanger and thence from the casing to a point of use by way of suitable conduits where the workmen may be made more comfortable during the time of the particular job with which they are confronted.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a heater and ventilator having parts so arranged that maximum absorption of heat by the air is effected so that with but a relatively small burner spaces within which workmen must be confined can be heated to a comfortable working temperature.

Additional objects include many important details of construction to be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined portable space heater and ventilator made pursuant to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the combined heater, heat exchanger and flue entirely removed from within the casing; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig.4.

A hollow casing mounted on a suitable base 12 has a top wall 14, end walls 16 and 18, a bottom wall 20 and a pair of side walls 22 and 24. An inlet opening 26 in the side Wall 22 may be covered with a suitable screen or the like 28 and communicates with a tubular sleeve 31, an outlet opening 30 in the end wall 16 having a tubular flange 33 in circumscribing relationship thereto adapted to receive suitable conduits (not shown) for conveying currents of air developed by blower 32 to a point of use. Blower rotor 32 housed within the casing 10 is driven by a suitable prime mover such as an internal combustion engine 34 (mounted on base 12), through a horizontal shaft 36.

A tubular, upright heater 38, open as at 39 and a heat exchanger 40 are mounted in the casing 10 in the manner shown by Figs. 2 and 3, with the heater 38 next adjacent the end wall 18 and with the heat exchanger 40 in overlying relationship to the blower rotor 32, as well as in direct alignment with the outlet opening 30. A fuel burner 42 is mounted within the heater 38 on the bottom wall 20 and is rendered accessible through a hollow side box 44 communicating with the heater 38. Door 46, in the box 44 accessible from the outside of casing 10, may be opened for purposes of inspecting the burner 42 as desired.

The heat exchanger 40 consists of a plurality of spaced, horizontal, relatively shallow, closed shells 48 in superimposed relationship and interconnected by a number of stub pipes 51). The lowermost shell 48 communicates with the uppermost end of the heater 38, whereas the upper shell 48 communicates with a flue 52 that extends upwardly through the top wall 12 and is protected by a tube 54.

Artificial currents of air are produced by the blower rotor 32, and moving into the casing 10 through inlet 26, are guided directly against the heater 38 near the lowermost end thereof and adjacent the burner 42 by a spiral scroll or shield 56 that spans the distance between the side walls 22 and 24 within the casing 10 and .consists of an upper arcuate section 57 and a lower curved section 59. The shield 56 is disposed between the blower rotor 32 and the heat exchanger 40 and, therefore, all incoming air must traverse the heater 38 as well as the heat exchanger 48, before discharging from the casing 10 through the outlet 30.

The forced draft burner 42 may be provided with a thermocouple 58 to control the fuel supply and with an electric igniter 60 if desired. Fuel orifices for the burner 42 are designated by the numeral 62 and a supply pipe 63 is provided to furnish the burner 42 by liquified petroleum gas or other suitable fuel.

It is to be preferred that mufiier 64 for the engine 34 be connected through the medium of a flexible exhaust pipe 66 that may be positioned according to prevailing winds so as to avoid intake of exhaust fumes through the inlet 26.

A handle 68 suitably mounted on the casing 10, permits manual handling of the entire relatively light weight and compact unit.

It is manifest that in operation, after the burner 42 is ignited and the heater 38 becomes hot, energization of prime mover 34 will operate the blower rotor 32 to force currents of air against the heater 38 for ultimate discharge from the outlet 30. The hot products of combustion rising from the heater 38 and passing through the heat exchanger 40 for exhaust through fine 52 will likewise give up heat to the air currents.

Through use of structure of this type, the aforementioned conduits leading from the outlet 30 may be directed into manholes or into overhead tents or canopies and other points of work for the purpose of permitting the workmen to operate in comfort notwithstanding the tedious nature of the job which they must perform. By the same token, the unit may be utilized for ventilation purposes through use of the blower 32, all in the same manner but without use of the burner 42.

While details of construction may vary within the spirit of the invention, it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. in a portable, combination space heater and ventilator, a relatively narrow, hollow rectangular casing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, one being provided with an air inlet in the lower part thereof, and a pair of end walls, one being provided with an air outlet in the upper part thereof; an upright tubular heater having an open uppermost end, said heater being positioned Within the casing on the bottom wall adjacent the other of said end walls and extending upwardly alongside said other end wall in spaced relationship thereto; a blower rotor rotatably mounted within the lowermost portion of the casing between the heater and said one end wall and located adjacent the inlet for creating currents of air and directing the same through the casing from the inlet to the outlet; an elongated, horizontal, sectional heat exchanger in the uppermost portion of the casing and having oneend thereof secured to the open uppermost end of the heater and placing the exchanger in communication with the heater, said exchanger comprising a number of spaced, substantially parallel, relatively shallow, closed shells disposed in superimposed relationship, there being a plurality of tubular elements interconnecting the shells and placing the latter in intercommunication, said heat exchanger being located in superimposed relationship over the blower rotor and in substantial alignment with the air outlet, each of said shells substantially spanning the distance between the side walls and the ends of the shells terminating in spaced relationship to their respective end walls; a fuel burner disposed within the heater adjacent the lowermost end thereof; a flue mounted on the heat exchanger in communication therewith and extending through the casing for exhausting the heater and heat exchanger of products of combustion emanating from the burner; and a sectional spiral scroll between the blower and the heat exchanger and spanning the distance between the sides of the casing for guiding the air from the blower 4 rotor directly against the burner, upwardly around the heater, laterally across the shells and outwardly through the air inlet.

2. A heater and ventilator as set forth in claim 1, wherein there is provided an arcuate opening at the lowermost end of the heater in the face thereof proximate to said other end wall whereby air emanating from the rotor forces said products of combustion through the heater, the heat exchanger and the flue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,561,741 Page Nov. 17, 1925 2,132,294 Hatvelt Oct. 4, 1938 2,156,101 Willett Apr. 25, 1939 2,193,735 Mueller Mar. 12, 1940 2,263,732 Johnston Nov. 25, 1941 2,373,900 Livar Apr. 17, 1945 2,383,431 Weyenberg Aug. 21, 1945 2,405,427 Holthouse Aug. 6, 1946 2,684,667 Glasby July 27, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 665,164 Germany Sept. 22, 1938

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