US2853996A - Humidifier unit - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 30, 1958 M. 'A. POWERS 2,853,995

HUMIDIFIER UNIT Filed Aug. 28. 1952 a Sheets-Sheet 1 1111111 1 1 .1 ll 1 II IIIIIIII 111111111111111111111111 [rm LIIIIIII 111 IN VEN TOR.

Nu. ram 4 POM/6W8 BY Sept. '30, 1958 M. A. POWERS HUMIDIFIER UNIT 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1952 INVENTOR 4 .J I 1 {I 27 Ill 8 '6 MIL TON A Powews 3 Sheets- Sheet :5

Filed Aug. 28. 1952 INVENTOR. MILTON A Pow:

A TI' RNA'VJ United States Patent G HUMmIFIER UNIT 1 Claim. (Cl. 126350) The present invention relates to humidifying apparatus which provides efiicient operation with-any type of heating plant. More particularly, the present invention includes a humidifier which is separate from the furnace and which is preferably positionedadjacent the space to be humidified or within the heating duct of the, heating system, the humidifier being operated in response to temperatures in. the exhaust stack of the heatingplantto provide predetermined timing and length of operation.

It is well known that proper humidity control is vital in the living quarters of. a home, especially during the long heating periods encountered during the winter in many parts of the country. Excessive or insufiicienthumidity is damaging both to the health of the .person and the structure and furnishings of the home.

Humidification is, generally obtained in warm air furnaces through pan type humidifiers which are usually located in the bonnet or hood of the furnace. Theamount of vapor from a pan type humidifier depends upon the degree of heat in the passing airstream in the furnace and the length of time of operation of the heating plant. When no heat is required there is no humidity. As the weather grows colder much more vapor is :needed and more humidity is supplied as more heat is called-for and vice versa. Thus, there is an inherent automatic control of the moisture added to theairstream' based upon furnace temperature and the length of operation onsoil and gas fired installations. In coal installations the colder the weather the higher the furnace temperature and themore water evaporated.

However, in the case of boiler heating plants, there is no such means for controlling the moisture addition except by complex and costly means. Furthermore, no practical method'has been evolved-whereby'thei heat in the boiler can be used to evaporate the necessary water. This lack of a humidifier is overcome by the. humidifier of the present invention operating in conjunction with the control system and construction of my co-pending application Serial No. 306,808, filed August 28, 1952, and now abandoned.

Being independently heatedand operated, the humidifier may be installed atxa distance from the controller and-in the most effective location forunrestricteddissemination of the vapor throughout the living areas. On'all remotely located humidifiers heretofore known it has gas'heated. In this preferred arrangement, thefuelsupply line is carried throughthe stack controller on its way tothe humidifien Thus the fuel supply itself and, the means of controlling that supply are. both present in the single gas line to the humidifier.

The same considerations will apply if the humidifier fuel is electricity instead of gas and the controlwill function with equal satisfaction. In that case the controller on the stack will be an electric switch responding to the action of a bimetal or similar actuator in varying the flow of the fuel, in this case electricity, to the humidifier remotely located. In all instances the single conduit between the controller in the stack and the humidifier servesa dual function; namely, to carry the fuel and to vary the amount of that fuel flow to meet the constantly varying needs for humidity in the home.

With my system only two conduits are required, one for water and one for fuel, and these are connected simply and directly. This is in contrast to previous systems, which always required a humidistat in the living quarters, a source of electricity, a step-down transformer (humidistats usually being low voltage operation) and the necessary connecting circuits. Further, both elements of my system, control and humidifier, mount in the basement where connection is simpleand easy. All of these factors are important .in'bringing theinstalled cost of my novel combination to a level wherev it reaches an extensive waiting market. It answers a great need in the home for automatic. humidification which has gone unsatisfied because of the complication, excessive cost, and unreliable operation of humidistat controlled systems which alone have been available heretofore.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide humidifying apparatus which is simple in construction, and whichcan be manufactured at relatively low cost so asto render thesame available to theaverage homeowner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a humidifying system and apparatus wherein the humidifier is operated and heated independently, and wherein the-humidifier may be installed at a distance from the furnace and control unit.

It is another objectof the present invention to provide such a humidifying system and'apparatus wherein the humidifier is automatically operated in response to changes in the temperature of the exhaust gases in the exhaust stack of the heating plant.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a humidifying apparatus which may be used with any type of heating plant or system including boilers or wet heating systems.

It is another objectof the present invention to provide humidifying apparatus which is efiicient and flexible in operation, which is adapted for-quick and simple installa tion, and which is readily and easily accessible after installation.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claim, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the topportion of a heating plant showing the control unit of the humidifying apparatus of the present invention affixed to the exhaust stack thereof, and showing the humidifier aifixed beneath the floor of abuilding.

Figs. v2, 2A.and 2B are views similar to Fig. 1, demonstrating three dilferent constructions for conducting vapor fromthe humidifier into the space to be humidified.

Fig. 3 isan elevation showing the humidifier of the present invention, in position in the heating duct of a heating plant.

Fig. .4.is asectional elevation of they humidifier of the present invention.

Fig. is a side elevation of the humidifier shown in Fig. 4.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

The invention includes generally a control unit which is in communication with the interior of the exhaust stack of a furnace or heating plant. As the heating plant puts out greater heat and the temperature within the exhaust stack increases, the need for humidity becomes greater. At a predetermined temperature the control unit causes a gas fired burner in the humidifier to heat a container of water. As the water is heated, vapor rises therefrom and passes from the humidifier into the space to be humidified.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the drawings wherein the humidifier is indicated generally at and the control unit is indicated generally at 12. The control unit 12 is aflixed to the exhaust stack 14 of the heating plant 16. The details of the control unit are set out at length in my aforementioned co-pending application Serial No. 306,808. Generally, the control unit includes a thermal element 18 which extends into the interior of the exhaust stack 14. The length of the element protruding into the exhaust stack 14 is controlled by the adjusting member 20. The rate of heating the thermal element 18 is directly pro portional to the amount of its surface extending into the exhaust stack. When the thermal element is heated to a predetermined temperature, then a bimetallic element within the control unit 12 opens a valve which permits gas to flow from the inlet pipe 22 through the valve and into the outlet pipe 24. The gas flows through the pipe line 24 into the burner 26. (Fig. 4). A burner which has been found satisfactory is a burner manufactured by Servel Inc. of Evansville, Indiana, and it is this burner which is shown in the drawings. The burner 26 has a heat transfer member 28 positioned adjacent the burner ports 30, and this heat transfer member acts in cooperation with a safety valve 32 to cut oil? the gas supply when the pilot flame is out. Thus, if a draft should happent to blow out the pilot flame, the heat transfer member 28 will cool and cut ofi the gas supply to the pilot burner in the conventional and well known manner.

The construction of the humidifier 10 is thoroughly disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. A metal housing is indicated at 36 and a portion of the interior of the housing 36 is fitted with an asbestos jacket 38. A cap 40 is aflixed in any suitable manner such as press fitting to the top of the housing 36. The cap is provided with an asbestos liner 42 and has a central hole 44 therein adapted to fixedly receive the stack 46 in the assembled position. The cap 40 is also provided with a plurality of vents 48 which permit the products of combustion to escape from the burner 26. In this manner the hot burner gases are mixed with the basement air and are cooled sufliciently to eliminate danger of overheating. A pair of rods 50 and 52 are aflixed to the cap 40 by screw threaded engagement with the nuts 54, 56, 58, and 60.

A tank 62 is disposed directly above the burner 26.

This tank 62 includes the upper half section 64 and the the flared portion 67 formed on the lower section 66 as skirt 65 of the upper section is placed within the sidewall of the lower section. Thus, an elfective seal is provided between the sections 64 and 66 which prevents condensate water from running out of the joint between these sections. Also, the stack 46 is aflixed to the top section 64 of the tank 62 with the extension 77 extending d0Wnwardly into the tank 62 so that condensed water will drop clear of the stack 46 and prevent leakage from developing.

A rod 68 is threaded into the nut 78' which nut is rigidly afiixed to the bottom tank section 66. Secured to the rod 68 by the clamp 72 is the burner assembly 26. The burner assembly is adjustable up or down the rod 68 so that the best position for eflicient heating of the tank 62 may be attained. The clamp 72 holds the burner assembly 26 in the selected position on the rod 68 by means of the set screw 73. The bottom of the rod 68 extends through the plate 74 and is aflixed thereto by the nuts 76 and 78. The plate 74 is provided at its ends with flanges 77 which are provided with openings 79. Screws 105 extend through openings 79 into threaded engagement with nuts 110 which are fixedly secured on the inner surfaces of housing 36. Screws 105 may be threaded out of nuts 110 to remove plate 74 from housing 36 for disassembly of tank section 66. Plate '74 extends only partially across the width of housing 36 to provide openings for the admission of air to burner 26.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the bottom section 66 of the tank 62 is connected to a float controlled water chamber 80 by the U-shaped line 82 which extends through a U-shaped slot 107 in the upper edge of a door 108 which is removably mounted on housing 36 by means of a wing nut 109. The portion of the line 82 which is adjacent the tank 62 is surrounded by a shield 81 which keeps hot gases from the burner 26 away from the cold water in the line 82. The water chamber 80 is provided with a float and a metering valve which are of conventional construction and readily understood. Thus, these parts are not shown. Water is provided in the chamber 80 from a source of water through the supply line 83 (Fig. 1) to the valve (not shown) in the chamber 80 and passes through the U-shaped line 82 into the tank 62. When the water in the tank 62 and chamber 80 reach a predetermined level, the float (not shown) in the chamber 80 cuts oif the metering valve in the usual manner and no more water is fed into the chamber 80 or tank 62. However, as the burner 26 is operated, the water in the tank 62 is evaporated and passes out the stack 46 into the space to be humidified. As the water is evaporated, it is replaced through the float chamber 80 and line 82. A stand pipe 85 is provided in the float chamber 80 so that excess water will be spilled outside the humidifying apparatus if the valve should not function properly.

It will be noted that the disposition of the U-shaped pipe 82 beneath the water chamber 80 and the evaporation tank 62 from flowing to re-enter the water chamber 80. Thus, the separation of the water chamber 80 from the evaporation tank 62, the U-shaped connection line disposed beneath and between the chamber and tank, and the shield 81 maintain the water supply to the tank 62 at relatively cool temperatures.

In operation, as the exhaust stack 14 of the heating plant reaches a predetermined temperature, the control unit 12 is operated to supply gas through the line 24 to the burner 26. The pilot flame lights the burner 26, and the water in the tank 62 is heated and evaporated through the pipe 46 into the space to be humidified. As the water in the tank 62 is diminished, it is replaced from the float chamber 80. The gases resulting from combustion pass out the vents 48 in the cap 40 and the hous ing 36 and cap 40 are protected by the asbestos liners 38 and 42. If the pilot flame of the burner 26 should accidently go out, the valve 32 will cut oif the supply of gas to the burner 26 through the line 24.

The method of mounting the humidifier 10 to a floor construction and three different conntructions for diffusing vapor throughout the space to be humidified are demonstrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In mounting the humidifier, a plate 84 is afiixed to adjacent joists 86 and 88 by any suitable means such as the screws 90. The plate 84 has holes therein to accommodate the screws 90, the rods 50 and 52 and the stack 46. The humidifier is suspended from the plate 84 by the rods 50 and 52 which are afiixed to the plates by the nuts 54 and 58. The stack 46 projects upwardly through a hole in the floor 92.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the upwardly extending stack 46 is covered with a register 94 having the holes 96 and 97 therein. Room air enters at the bottom of the mixing chamber, formed by the register 94, through the holes 97. The room air is heated within the mixing chamber and moves upward to mix with the vapor from the pipe 46. The mixture is then dispelled through the holes. 96 into the space being humidified. In the Fig. 2A embodiment, a fan 98 is disposed within the register 94a. The fan introduces a large volume of room air through the holes 97a. This air mixes with the vapor rising from the pipe 46a to greatly dilute the vapor. This renders the vapor invisible and accelerates diifusion of the vapor, and the mixture passes out the holes 96a into the space being humidified. In the Fig. 2B embodiment a blower 100 is disposed in the side of the register 94b and communicates with the interior of the register to force the vapor out through the holes 96b.

The humidifier 10 may also be mounted to the heat duct of a heating plant as indicated in Fig. 3. In this construction, the rods 50 and 52 are aflixed to the plate 104 by the nuts 54 and 58 as explained in connection with Fig. 2. The plate 104 is then inserted into an opening in the bottom of the heat duct 106 and vapor is dispelled out the stack 46 into the heat duct 106 and carried through the usual register into the space to be heated and humidified.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a gas heated humidifier which is fully automatic, adapted for use in any size building, and arranged to operate in connection with any type of heating plant. The humidifier functions automatically to supply a controlled amount of moisture to the space to be humidified, varying the vapor output from day to day without attention and providing proper moisture over the entire heat- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 411,293 Morian Sept. 17, 1889 1,016,873 Dibble Feb. 6, 1912 1,206,081 Becker Nov. 28, 1916 1,542,696 Hardie June 16, 1925 1,618,726 Ramsburg Feb. 22, 1927 1,674,337 Klees June 19, 1928 1,674,469 Hardie June 19, 1928 1,692,816 Chamberlin Nov. 27, 1928 1,865,563 Greenwald July 5, 1932 1,867,921 Mayers July 19, 1932 1,925,601 Pfening Sept. 5, 1933 1,966,399 Te Pas July 10, 1934 1,982,323 Roberts Nov. 27, 1934 2,002,294 McMath May 21, 1935 2,171,691 Geisler Sept. 5, 1939 2,217,375 Miller Oct. 8, 1940 2,238,108 Gates Apr. 15, 1941 2,244,126 Smith et al. June 3, 1941 2,287,376 Furlong June 23, 1942 2,328,538 Furlong Sept. 7, 1943 2,354,773 Ray Aug. 1, 1944 2,526,027 Huck Oct. 17, 1950 2,576,719 Koser Nov. 27, 1951 UNITEB OFFICE I CERTIFICATE oT coaaEcTIo Patent N00 2, 853,996

September 30, 958 Milton A1 Powers It is-herebjr certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 55, after "tank 62" insert prevents the hot water from the evaporating tank 62 Signed and sealed this 6th day of January 1959 (SEAL) Attest:

KARL mama ROBERT c. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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