Improvements in Furnaces and Water-heating Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces and Water-heating Apparatus.
I, JOHN FLETCHER PEASE, of Syracuse, in the County of Onondaga, and State
of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for Improvements in furnaces, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved heater, and has for its object the production
of a simple and effective construction whereby the heat is generated quickly and is
utilized to the greatest extent; and to this end it consists, essentially, in a suitably-
constructed combustion chamber or box, an outer shell above said box, a series of
shallow disk-shaped chambers within said outer shell and superimposed one above
the other with a space between them; water-passages connecting the central part
of each pair of said chambers; water-passages connecting the adjacent chambers
of each separate pair near their outer side, whereby the water passes from the
centre to the outer side in one chamber and rice versa in another, thus rising
in a zig-zag course through the several heating-chambers; air-passages at the
outer side of part of and preferably every other one of said chambers and
through the central part of the remaining or alternate chambers for passing the
products of combustion over the separate chambers in a zig-zag course, whereby the
heat is utilized to the greatest extent.
The invention also consists in the detail construction and arrangement of the
parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.
In describing my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings,
forming a part of this Specification, in which like letters and figures indicate
corresponding parts in all the views.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of my improved furnace with the outer case
removed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one of the water-heating chambers or disks,
and Fig. 3 a top plan view of another of said chambers.
A represents the combustion box or chamber, which may be of any suitable
form, size, and construction, and is here shown as formed or provided with a water-
leg a.
As illustrated, this water-leg extends from the top to the bottom of the
combustion-chamber and entirely surrounds the same; but the size of the same is
immaterial, since, if desired, it may surround only a portion of the chamber or,
indeed, may be dispensed with entirely.
The combustion-chamber A is mounted above any suitable construction of
ash-box B, provided with a suitably-constructed grate b.
Mounted above the combustion-chamber is a shell C, within which are secured
by suitable lugs or other support c the hollow disk-shaped chambers for receiving
and heating the water. These heating-chambers are of greater diameter or
area in their horizontal than their vertical plane for presenting a great surface to
the passing products of combustion, and as preferably constructed are composed
of a series D and D¹ of a horizontal diameter or area, but slightly less than that of

page_text: The
the outer shell C, and a second series d d and 2 of less diameter.
chambers D and Di, as shown, are of substantially the same form as the combustion
box or chamber, and only sufficiently smaller to allow of their ready entrance
therein, in order to prevent the upward passage of the products of combustion
between said chamber and shell, and, as best seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, are
provided at their central part with passages or apertures d, through which the
products of combustion pass to their upper surface. The chambers d, d', and d² are
of substantially the same form, and, as previously stated, of less diameter or area
than the chambers D and D¹, and it will thus be seen upon reference to the
drawings that a passage is formed at the outside thereof for permitting the
products of combustion when passed to the top of the chambers D or D' to
thence circulate outward between said chambers and the one next above, and
then return toward the centre of the furnace and pass upward above the
superimposed chamber and escape through the smoke-pipe (not illustrated) leading
from the heater and mounted on the nipple c¹. This construction of the parts
compels the products of combustion to pass in a zig-zag course between the
separate chambers and prevents a premature discharge or excessive rapid
passage of the same and a consequent loss of heat. Morcover, the said chambers
present a very large surface to the passing current, and thereby cause the water
within the heating-chambers to be quickly heated with a minimum amount of fuel.
Connecting the centre of each pair d and D, D and D¹ of the heating-chambers
is a water pipe or passage E, and connecting the outer side of the adjacent
chambers of each pair are water-passages G. It will thus be understood that the
water within the heating-chambers also passes from the centre to the outer side
of one chamber and vice versa in another, and that this is a further feature of
advantage in my improved heater, whereby great efficiency is produced.
is
Connected to the upper part of the highest chamber d² is the hot-water pipe a,
which by means of branch pipes a¹ distributes the heated water to the desired
locality. The water, having been passed to the radiators in the usual manner,
returned by means of a pipe or pipes and discharged into the water-leg a, whence by
the pipe or passage ¹ it is conducted to the heating-chambers, thus forming a con-
tinuous circuit for raising the temperature of the water to the desired degree to
produce the required heat.
As previously described, and as illustrated in the drawings, the chambers d d¹ d²
are connected to the superimposed chambers D and D' at their central part by a
pipe E, which, being a water-passage in a hot-air chamber, must necessarily be
sufficiently tight to prevent leakage of the water, and it will readily be understood
that as the weight of either the lower or the higher chamber must rest upon the
said pipe it would necessarily become cramped, and the weight would greatly tend
to loosen the joint. To obviate this difficulty, I provide on one of said chambers,
and as illustrated on the chambers d and d¹, bearings l, in which are guided the
movable supports 2. After the separate chambers are operatively assembled these
movable supports are screwed outward and forced to bear against the under side of
the superimposed chambers for supporting the same and preventing all undue
straining of the pipe E. It will readily be understood that when the water-leg a
is dispensed with the return-pipes i discharge into the lowest section d without
further change in the construction of my improved furnace.
In order to clean the disks, I provide openings s, of suitable number and size,
closed by suitable doors s', and as preferably constructed the opening or openings s
are arranged opposite to the chambers d' and d², for preventing any deflection in
the described path of the products of combustion, as would be the case if said
opening were arranged opposite to the chambers D and D'.
The operation of this heater will be readily perceived from the foregoing, and it
will be understood that the same presents features of advantage and novelty which
are desirable, useful, and practical; that the said heating-chambers can be very
readily and cheaply constructed of cast metal when so desired; that any desired
height thereof may be produced by adding to the number of water-containing

page_text: chambers, and that a maximum amount of heat is effected with a minimum degree
of fuel. It will be understood, however, that I do not limit my invention to the
precise detail construction and arrangement of the parts, since the same may be
somewhat varied from that described without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a heater, the combination of a combustion-chamber, an outer shell above
said chamber, a shallow disk-shaped chamber within the outer shell and of substan-
tially the same diameter as the same, flues passing through the said chamber, and a
second disk-shaped chamber directly above the combustion-box and beneath the
first chamber, said latter chamber being of less diameter than the outer shell,
whereby the products of combustion surround the latter and pass through the flues
in the former chamber, substantially as set forth.
2. In a heater, the combination of a combustion-chamber, an outer shell above
said chamber, a shallow disk-shaped chamber within the outer shell and of substan-
tially the same diameter as the same, flues passing through the said chamber, a
second disk-shaped chamber between the first chamber and the combustion-box and
formed of less diameter than the outer shell whereby the products of combustion
surround the latter and pass through the former chamber, a third disk-shaped
chamber above said first chamber, and water-passages opening into the centre of
said first chamber from the chamber on one side thereof and opening into the outer
side of said first chamber from the chamber on the opposite side thereof, substantially
as described.
3. In a heater, the combination of a combustion-chamber, an outer shell mounted
above said chamber, a series of disk-shaped chambers superimposed one above the
other at intervals within said outer shell and of substantially the same diameter as
said shell, flues passing through said chambers, a second series of shallow disk-
shaped chambers of less diameter than the former series and alternately interposed
between said former series of chambers, whereby the products of combustion pass in
zig-zag course and surround the chambers of less diameter, water-passages opening
from the centre of the second series of chambers into the centre of the chamber on
one side thereof, and water-passages opening from the outer side of said second
series of chambers into the chamber on the opposite side thereof, whereby the water
passes in zig-zag course, substantially as specified.
4. In a heater, the combination of an outer shell having a combustion-chamber, a
pair of shallow disk-shaped heating-chambers suspended above said combustion-
chamber within said outer shell, a support on said outer shell for one of said
chambers, a water-connection at the central part of said chambers for connecting
them together, sockets on one of said chambers on the outside of said central con-
nection, and supports movably mounted in said sockets and adapted to be moved
into contact with the adjacent surfaces of the other of said chambers for supporting
the same and preventing strain on said central connection, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1890.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.