Patent GB-651777-A (GB)
Title: An improved air heater
IPC: F24H3/06
Filed: 1947-02-06
Abstract: 651,777. Air heaters; plate heat-exchangers. HERBSTER, G. B. Feb. 6, 1947, No. 3600. Convention date, April 19, 1946. [Classes 64(i) and 64(iii)] [Also in Groups X and XXII] An air heater, comprises a plurality of upright, annular heads 16 arranged in a row in coaxial and spaced face to face relation to each other and defining a central passage and generally annular, radially extending air passages 17 leading from the central passage, each head having a combustion chamber 45 opening downwardly and an exhaust stack 46 opening upwardly and hollow portions 60 extending around the central passage and communicating with the combustion chamber and with the exhaust stack, a blower 19 being provided at or communicating with the central passage to cause air to be drawn into the central passage and to be blown outwardly through the radial passages and over the outer walls of the combustion chamber and stack portion of each head, and fluid fuel burner means being provided in the combustion chamber of each head. Figs. 3 and 4 show the invention embodied in an oscillating suspended type space heater, the heads 16 being mounted within an outer casing formed by front and rear covers 1, 2, which are joined by a peripheral wall 3. Each head 16 comprises a pair of corrugated plates and the corrugations abut to form a plurality of arcuate tubular passages 60 which are radially aligned and which adjoin at their peripheries, the radially extending passages 17 formed between the heads 16 being repeatedly convergent and divergent from their inner to their outer peripheries. The combustion chambers 45 have a common gas burner 48 which is provided with a plurality of burner heads 49 each of which projects into the combustion chamber of an associated head 16, and the exhaust stacks 46 lead to a common outlet 54. Air is induced by the blower 19 mounted coaxially with the heads 16 through openings 7 in the outer covers, through axial openings in baffle walls, 12, 13 which define the air heating chamber, is forced through the passages 17 between the heads 16 and is discharged through openings 10 in the peripheral wall 3. The heater unit is supported from a hanger 35 which carries a stationary bevel gear 37 which is engaged by a pinion 38 mounted in the casing and driven from the blower motor shaft through a reduction gear unit 30. Since the gear 37 is fixed the pinion planetates about the gear 37 thus rotating the heater unit. In another arrangement Figs. 6 and 7 (not shown), air inlet passages are formed in the front cover only the blower motor being mounted in an opening in the baffle wall adjacent the front cover. In a further arrangement for a basement-type heating unit, Figs. 8, 9 and 10 (not shown), the air heater is enclosed in a cabinet and the baffle walls terminate in a plenum chamber from which the heated air is distributed through suitable ducts to the points of application, incoming air being drawn through a plurality of replaceable filters before passing through the blower. The air may flow through the heater in either direction and heating media other than gas may be used.