US3182707A

US3182707A - Burner-positioning and mounting assembly for fuel burning appliances

Info

Publication number: US3182707A
Application number: US199297A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank E Batson
Original assignee: Borg Warner Corp
Current assignee: Borg Warner Corp
Priority date: 1962-06-01
Filing date: 1962-06-01
Publication date: 1965-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-11

Description

May '11, 1965 F. E. IBATSON 3,182,707

BURNER-POSITIONING AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY FOR FUEL BURNING APPLIANCES Fiied June 1, 1962 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Illinois Filed June 1, 1962, Ser. No. 199,297 4 Claims. (Cl. 158-2) This invention relates to a burner-positioning and mounting assembly for fuel burning appliances.

Fuel burning appliances, utilizing a fluid medium, such as gas, are provided with a flue or combustion tube for directing the flame, from a burner, along a predetermined path. The burner and the flue are positioned with respect to each other in the appliance to insure the flame does not impinge upon the wall of the flue to provide incomplete combustion and possible harmful carbon monoxide, particularly in such an appliance as a gas refrigerator having a self-contained flue unvented in that the flue is not connected to a chimney leading to the atmosphere outside of a building. Accordingly, it is important that the burner and flue be properly aligned and positioned in fuel burning appliances. In such appliances, the flue is fixed and the burner is usually detachably mounted for servicing and repair. Heretofore, the assembly, detachment, and reassembly of the burner relative to the appliance, has presented tedious manufacturing and service problems.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved burner positioning and mounting assembly for a fuel burning appliance.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved burner positioning and mounting assembly for a fuel burning appliance and permitting the burner to be readily and easily associated with and detachable from the appliance.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved burner positioning and mounting assembly for a fuel burning appliance and in which the burner is accurately and simply positioned in the appliance in a manner insuring the correct alignment of the burner with the flue of the appliance during the assembly of the burner with the appliance in the manufacturing and servicing process.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a burner positioning and mounting assembly for a fuel burning appliance characterized by the burner being slidably mounted on a guide plate cooperative with a guide and positioning member to insure the accurate vertical and lateral disposition of the fuel burner relative to a flue of the appliance for proper alignment of the burner flame with the flue and to locate the burner flame substantially within the flue.

The invention together with the above and other objects and advantages will be more clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gas refrigerator appliance illustrating the relative locations of the improved burner positioning and mounting assembly and a generator flue.

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view of the appliance including the improved burner positioning and mounting assembly in its operative relation to the flue of the appliance, said section being taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the assembly partially inserted into the appliance;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, showing the assembly partially inserted into the appliance; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

ice

Referring to the drawings, the gas refrigerator appliance, shown in FIG. 1 is designated by the reference character 10. A fuel burner device in the form of a gas burner 11 is positioned in the bottom of the appliance and a vertical generator flue 12 is disposed above the burner. The flue system includes the generator flue 12, a dilution flue extending from the generator flue to the top of the refrigerator, and a generator flue baffle which distributes heat in the generator flue. As this flue system is conventional, no further description thereof will be made.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, the burner 11 is provided with a plurality of tubes, collectively identified at 14, for supplying gas to the burner and to a pilot lighter associated with the burner, and also controls generally indicated at 15 and including a pressure regulator, thermostat, and supply and shutoff valves, the burner, tubes, and controls being mounted on a carrier in the form of an enlongated plate 16, and constituting therewith a unitary assembly. The plate 16 is provided at opposite sides thereof with upwardly turned

flanges

17 and 18 and an end flange 19. In the position of this assembly shown in FIG. 2, the gas burner mixing tube 20 is located in vertical alignment with the flue 12 so that the gas and air mixture flows from the top openings of the burner cap C to project the flame into the bottom of the flue.

The flue 12 is supported in the container or cabinet 21 of the refrigerator appliance by a horizontal Wall 22 extending between and connected to a vertical spaced rear Wall 23 and an inner wall 24 of the refrigerator cabinet. The

walls

23 and 24 merging with a bottom wall 25 of the cabinet. The inner wall 24 is provided with an opening 26 and the front wall 27 is also provided with an opening 28 permitting the insertion and removal of the assembled burner components and mounting plate 16 relative to the flue 12.

The cabinet bottom Wall 25 is provided with parallel ribs 29, 3t), and 31- spaced from each other between the front wall 27 to the rear wall 23 of the cabinet. During insertion and removal of the assembled plate 16 and the burner components, the plate 16 slidingly engages the

ribs

30 and 31 on the cabinet bottom wall.

Supported on and fixed to the rib 29 is a guide member or bracket 32 having upwardly extending

side flanges

33 and 34. As shown in FIG. 5, these flanges converge toward the cabinet rear wall 23 and also adjacent ends of the flanges are outwardly turned, to guide the plate 16 between the

flanges

33 and 34, the flange 33 being used to guidingly engage the flange 17 of the plate 16 during movement of the plate toward the flue to position the cap C beneath the flue. To further assist this guiding movement, the bracket 32 is provided with a downwardly turned flange 35 engageable with the bottom of the plate 16. As the top surfaces of the

ribs

29, 30, and 31 of the cabinet bottom wall are substantially in a common horizontal plane, and the flange 35 of bracket 32 extends below this plane, it will be apparent that the flange 35 will slidingly engage the plate 16 to position the plate 16 on the bracket 32.

The burner may be enclosed by an air shutter member comprising two

semi-cylindrical parts

36 and 37 surrounding the burner tube and having their lower ends enclosed by a collar 38 snugly engaging and holding the

parts

36 and 37 together, the collar 38 having a flange fixed to the burner base by screws, as shown. The burner base is fixed to plate 16 by a screw S (FIG. 2).

Means are provided to accurately position the burner beneath the flue in correct vertical alignment with the flue passage and also to raise the burner so that the flame is within the flue. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the

parts

36 and 37 have engaged

side flanges

40 and 41 and the upper portion of the part 36 is formed to provide an inverted U-shaped guide and positioning frame having and positioned relative to the flue.

a horizontal top wall 43 and depending

side walls

44, 44 merging with the flanges 41, the top wall having an arcuate opening 45 centrally located with respect to the burner tube. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, a guide and positioning member or bracket 46 is connected to the cabinet wall 22. The bracket 46 is substantially U-shaped having a flat mounting portion 47 and downwardly depending spring portions or

fingers

48, 48 defining an arcuate opening 50 partially surrounding the flue tube. The

fingers

48, 48 are downwardly inclined toward the burner so that upon movement of the plate 16 and burner toward the flue, the fingers will engage the top wall 43 of the guide frame of the air shutter member and cam the burner with the plate 16 upwardly to thereby raise the one end of plate 16 and thereby the burner to the position shown in FIG. 2. Each of the

fingers

48, 48 are formed to provide the

inclined portions

48a, 48a disposed at an angle to the horizontal top Wall 43 of the frame to engage the same and to elevate the burner device and carrier during inward movement thereof, the fingers 48,

48 also having the generally horizontal portions 48b, 4812 which engage the top Wall 43 of the frame and serves to dispose the burner in the position shown in FIG. 2 with the burner cap C located to project the flame substantially within the flue. The portions 43b of the fingers cooperate with the cabinet wall 22 to clamp the wall 43 of the frame between the fingers and the wall 43 so that the burner will be firmly held in position. It will be apparent the outer side edges of

fingers

48, 48 of bracket 46 cooperate with the

side Walls

44, 44 of the burner guide frame to simply and accurately position the burner and flue in proper relationship, While the pick-up

fingers

43, 48 of bracket 46 raise the plate 16 and thereby the burner with the burner flame-projecting tip closely adjacent to the flue to insure the burner flame is correctly centered Thus, the burner is located accurately both vertically and laterally with re spect to the flue 12 and with the burner flame substantially within the flue.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fuel burning appliance having a container provided with a vertical stationary flue, and a fuel burner device having a vertical mixing tube with an upper flameprojecting cap, the improvement residing in means for supporting said device in said container for generally horizontal movement; means for guiding said movement of said device to position said tube beneath and in vertical alignment with said flue; and means for elevating said device, during horizontal movement of said device, to

position said cap so that the flame is substantially within the lower end of said flue, said elevating means including a member on said device and disposed in a horizontal plane above said tube thereof, and a support secured to said container adjacent said flue and inclined downwardly toward said device to engage and raise said member during said movement of said device.

2. In a fuel burning appliance having a container provided with a vertical stationary flue, and a fuel burner device having a vertical mixing tube with an upper flameprojecting cap, the improvement residing in means for supporting said device in said container for generally horizontal movement; means for guiding movement of said device on said supporting means to position said tube beneath and in vertical alignment with said flue; and means for elevating said burner device, during horizontal movement of said device, to position said cap so that the flame is substantially within the lower end of said flue, said elevating means including a frame connected to said device and having a horizontal portion disposed above said cap thereof, and a support member connected to said container and having fingers inclined downwardly toward said device and engageable with the horizontal portion of said frame to engage and elevate said device during said movement of said device.

3. In a fuel burning appliance as defined in claim 2 wherein the frame horizontal portion is provided with an arcuate opening and the fingers define an arcuate opening with said flue projecting Within said arcuate openings.

4. In a fuel burning appliance as defined in claim 2 wherein the frame includes side walls merging at their upper ends with said horizontal portion of said frame and cooperating with the sides of said fingers to locate said cap centrally of said flue.

References Cited by the Examiner- UNITED STATES PATENTS 405,291 6/89 Zimmerling 1582 X 1,793,326 2/31 Knupifer 158-2 X 1,826,995 10/31 Davis 158-2 X 2,247,859 7/41 -Purtell 158-2 2,777,510 1/57 Berger 15828 2,822,867 2/58 Sassmanhausen 1587 X 3,033,272 5/62 Stierlin 1584 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

PERCY L. PATRICK, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A FUEL BURNING APPLIANCE HAVING A CONTAINER PROVIDED WITH A VERTICAL STATIONARY FLUE, AND A FUEL BURNER DEVICE HAVING A VERTICAL MIXING TUBE WITH AN UPPER FLAMEPROJECTING THE IMPROVEMENT RESIDING IN MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID DEVICE IN SAID CONTAINER FOR GENERALLY HORIZONTAL MOMENT; MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID DEVICE TO POSITION SAID TUBE BENEATH AND IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FLUE; AND MEANS FOR ELEVATING SAID DEVICE, DURING HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID DEVICE, TO POSITION SAID CAP SO THAT THE FLAME IS SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE LOWER END OF SAID FLUE, SAID ELEVATING MEANS INCLUDING A MEMBER ON SAID DEVICE AND DISPOSED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOVE SAID TUBE THEREOF, AND A SUPPORT SECURED TO SAID CONTAINER ADJACENT SAID FLUE AND INCLINED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID DEVICE TO ENGAGE AND RAISE SAID MEMBER DURING SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID DEVICE.