US893503A - Regulator for water-heating systems. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

B. HUMPHREY.

REGULATOR FOR WATER HEATING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28.1908.

Z 314mm 42/; fikwmy -15 wn" cum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERT HUMPHREY, OF COAL RUN, OHIO.

REGULATOR FOR WATER-HEATING SYSTEMS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERT HUMPHREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coal Run, in the county of Washington and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Regulator for l/Vater-Heating Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to Water heating systems and has a special reference to regulators for the same.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved mercury seal regulator for water heating systems wherein the expanding water will be forced through the mercury seal but the contracting water allowed free passage and not to be required to pass through said seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for maintaining the water level at substantially uniform height so that the pressure throughout the system is maintained substantially uniform.

The invention consists primarily in a trap having a mercury seal and an automatic valve arranged to close when the water is expanded and open when the water is contracted, together with a means for automatically supplying water to the system to maintain a substantially uniform level.

The invention further consists in such novel arrangement of details and combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a vertical section through a regulator con-- structed in accordance with this invention.

The invention consists of an outer casing 10 wherein is mounted an inner chamber 11, the same being held in spaced relation to the walls of the outer casing. Communication is afforded between the inner chamber and the outer casing at the bottom and preferably by means of a plurality of openings 12 in the bottom of the chamber 11. An inlet pipe 13 is connected to the heating system and extends through the outer casing and into the inner chamber. An outlet passage 14 is formed at the upper end of the chamber 11 and is a secondmeans of communication between the inner chamber and the chamber formed by the outer casing. A valve seat 15 is formed within the chamber 11 at the inner end of the pipe 1 1. A hollow ball 16 is held within the casing 11 and is adapted to rise and close the passage 14 when the casing 11 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 28, 1908. Serial No. 429,642.

Patented July 14, 1908.

becomes filled with water. Mercury is held at the lower portion of the device as indicated at 17 to form a seal between the inner chamber and the chamber formed by the outer casing.

The upper end of the casing 10 is provided with an outlet pipe 18 which leads to an expansion chamber 19. A cold water supply pipe 20 is connected to any suitable source of cold water supply and is provided With a ball valve 21 arranged to open when the water level lowers beyond a certain point and close when it rises above that point. An overfiow connection 22'is formed at the upper end of the expansion chamber and may be connected to a waste pipe not deemed necessary here to be shown.

At the upper end of the inlet pipe 13 is formed a screen 23 which not only prevents refuse of any sort finding its way into the hot water heating system, but also prevents the ball 16 from sealing the end of the pipe 13 under conditions in which the water level is sufficiently low to permit the ball to rest thereon.

In the operation of the device let it be assumed that the system is cold and the water level is that indicated in the drawing. As the water is heated the expansion will force the water into the chamber 11 and will thus displace the mercury in that chamber. As the water continues to expand it passes out of the openings 12 and bubbles up through the mercury into the chamber formed by the outer casing. This will, of course, raise the Water level in the expansion chamber 19 but inasmuch as this device occupies a relatively small portion of the height of any system to which it is intended to be attached, the change in level in the system will not be sufficiently great to substantially affect the pressure in the system. If the water expands suffi ciently it will flow out of the pipe 22 and into the waste pipe. Suppose now that the water is cooling off and contracting. The first effect that this will have will be to restore the mercury seal to a common level both in and out of the chamber 11. Next, the mercury seal outside of the chamber will be depressed somewhat until such a time as the ball 16 is slightly freed from the seat 15. The water will then pass down through the passage 14 and chamber 11 into the pipe 13. Meanwhile the water level in the expansion chamber 19 will be lowered and if the contraction is continued sufficiently long, the valve 21 to prevent the shutting off of the contracting water from the pipe 18, as is indicated with a dotted line position of the ball l6. It will thus be seen that the contracting water has free passage through the opening 14 and pipe 13'while expanding water is forced through the mercury seal.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is z 1, In a regulator for water heating systems, an outer casing, an inner chamber supported in spaced relation to said outer casing and freely communicating at the bottom therewith, and provided with a valved outlet opening, a mercury seal between the bottom of said casing and chamber, an inlet pipe communicating with said inner chamber, and an outlet ipe leading from said chamber, saicll pipe emg disposed above said liquid sea 2. In a regulator for water heating systems, an outer casing, an inner chamber supported in spaced relation to said outer casing and freely communicating at the bottom therewith, and provided with an outlet opening, a valve arranged to close said outlet opening during expansion of water held in said regulator and open said outlet opening during contraction of said water, a mercury seal between the bottoms of said casings and chamber, an inlet pipe communicating with said inner chamber, and an outlet pipe leading from said casing, said pipe being disposed above said mercury seal.

3. In a regulator for water heating sys-, tems, an outer casing, an inner chamber sup ported in spaced relation to said outer casing and freely communicating at the bottom therewith, and provided with an outlet opening, a ball valve seat formed at the inner end of said outlet 0 ening, a ball valve floatably mounted in said chamber and arranged to close said outlet opening during the expansion of water contained in said system and to open the same during the contraction of said water, a mercury seal between the bottoms of said casing and chamber, an inlet pipe com- .municating with said inner chamber, and an outlet pipe leading from said casing, said pipe being disposed above said liquid seal.

4. In a regulator for water heating systems, an outer casing, an inner chamber supported in spaced relation to said outer casing and freely communicating at the bottom therewith, and provided with a valved outlet opening, a liquid seal between the bottoms of and freely communicating at. the bottom therewith, and provided with a valved outlet opening, a mercury seal between the bottoms of said casing andchamber, an inlet pipe communicating with said inner chamber. provided with an end extending above said mercury seal, an outlet pipe leading from said casin above said mercury seal, an expansion c amber connected to said outlet pipe, a cold Water supply pipe leading to said expansion chamber, and a ball valve held in said expansion chamber arranged to open said ipe when the water level is loweredbeyon a predetermined point and close the same when the water level is'above said point.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BERT HUMPHREY.

Witnesses: RALPH STARLING, MINNIE H. STARLING.

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