Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 26th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1887.
BECED1/
I, WILLIAM THOMAS SUGG of Vincent Street in the city of Westminster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to that class of apparatus in which the water or other liquid is
heated as it runs through the apparatus, and which are known to the public under such
names as The Therma, The Califont, The Geyser.
In most of the apparatus of this class, as hitherto constructed, the liquid to be
heated is practically caused to flow in at the top, and is drawn off at the bottom of the
apparatus, becoming heated as it descends.
The liquid, say water, cannot, under such circumstances, be brought to boiling
point, but can only be made sufficiently hot for say ordinary bath purposes, for the
water only comes into contact with the hottest part of the apparatus, or the hottest.
gases, as it is about to leave the apparatus, and does not remain a sufficient time to
boil or become more than fairly hot.
If the cold water be introduced at the bottom, it is still drawn off at the bottom,
having been first made to circulate upwards and downwards one or more times
through annular or other passages arranged in the heating space, and with the walls of
which, the hot gases of combustion come into contact.
In this arrangement the water becomes more or less heated in the passages, and
consequently carthy deposits are formed therein, which from the construction of the
apparatus it is extremely difficult if not altogether impossible to remove without
destroying the apparatus, the result of the deposits being, that in a very short time,
the passages become stopped up, and the apparatus is useless.
In my view, the reason why these apparatus have not produced the best results is,
that they are not constructed according to scientific principles.
For example, it is well known that the heated molecules of water always rise to the
top, but these apparatus are carefully arranged to cool and beat down these heated
molecules, by puring down upon them cold water.
Now the object of the present invention is to so construct an apparatus for, heating
water and other Jiquids, that the liquid shall be drawn from the top, or the hottest

page_text: part that the apparatus shall be readily taken apart for removal of deposits and
otherwise cleaning, or for repair and that a sufficient quantity of water shall always
be left in the apparatus to prevent destruction, should the gas be left on after the cold
water is turned off.
In carrying out my invention, I prefer to let in the water so that it will pass at
once to the top, and I thereby take advantage of the rising products of combustion, to
partially heat the water before it passes to what I term the boiler proper. The water
may, however, be admitted at the bottom, but in all cases I draw off from the top.
The apparatus consists of a metal cylinder, at the lower part of which I form an
annular reservoir, the inner wall of which is preferably curved outward, like a bell
mouth. At the upper part of this cylinder, I form a second annular chamber or
water-jacket, into which the water is conveyed by a pipe from the cistern. At the top
of the jacket I provide a spout, which will conduct the water to a specially shaped
circular tray perforated round its edges. From this tray the water runs, in fine
streams, on to an annular perforated trough, from which it drops into another tray,
and thence to an annular funnel, or falls at once into the annular funnel which
conveys it to the boiler proper.
The boiler consists of a cylindrical vessel with a semi-spherical bottom, and provided
with a tube of any desired and suitable length. The body of the vessel is of such
diameter as to nearly fill the cylinder, and it is placed on the cylinder at a suitable
distance from the gas or other burners. The cold water is conducted by a pipe from
the annular funnel to the boiler where it is becomes highly heated. The heated water
rises to the upper part of the tube, from which it may run, by an arrangement of short
pipes, into the annular reservoir at the lower part of the cylinder. The hot water in
this reservoir also rises to the top, and meets that from the boiler, and both run off
together by a suitably placed overflow pipe.
The trays and troughs above mentioned are readily removable, and the boiler with
the annular funnel and short pipes are formed in one, so that they can also be readily
taken out for cleaning or repairing. The object of the trays & troughs is to allow the
hot gases to act on the fine streams of water which run therefrom, so that the water
may take up as much caloric as possible. The trays and troughs, which are also filled
with comparatively cold water, also serve to condense any steam that may pass off
from the boiling water.
The gas burner I prefer should be of the ring type, with flat flame jets, and may be
so arranged that one or more of the jets may be lighted while the rest are unlighted.
If oil be used as the heating medium, suitable burners will be provided. I prefer that
the gas and water taps should be so arranged that they may be turned off at the same
time, but this is not essential to the proper working of the apparatus, or some of the
jets may be turned out when the water is turned off, leaving other jets alight to
maintain the water remaining in the apparatus hot.
In some cases, I may dispense with the trays and troughs, and allow the water to
run into a closed, annular chamber secured inside the cylinder, and near the upper
part. From this chamber the water passes by two short pipes and a flexible junction,
to an annular funnel or trough, carried by the vertical pipe of the boiler proper, and
connected with the lower part thereof by a pipe.
The heated water rises to the top of the boiler column, and overflows into a tray or
trough carried by the column and provided with a spout. By removing the flexible
junction, the apparatus can be taken apart for cleaning and repairing. When it is
desirable to produce a heating apparatus in which the water does not come into contact
with the products of combustion, I supply the water at the top to a tray, from which
it passes by a pipe, external of the cylinder, to a hollow bottom, where it will be
partially heated by downward radiation from the gas burner. From this hollow
bottom, the water passes by a short tube into the bottom of the boiler proper, where it
becomes highly heated. The hot water rises and flows through spouts at the top of
the column into an annular reservoir placed inside the cylinder. In this reservoir
the water also becomes heated, and the hot water rising to the top, overflows with that

page_text: coming from the boiler proper. The top of the column is closed by a cover, as is also
the annular reservoir.
The arrangements of apparatus above described permit of the apparatus being placed
on the ground near the bath, instead of on a stand above the bath, as heretofore. I
may, if desired, place in the body portion of the boiler, a tray to catch any dirt or
deposit that may be brought in by the water, and which becomes separated as the
boiling proceeds.
In some cases, the trays described in the first modification may be dispensed with,
and a reservoir for containing cold water take their place. A pipe from the reservoir
fo supply the boiler will be provided with a tap so arranged that water will be allowed
to flow into the boiler only when water is being drawn off for use. In this way the
overflowing of the water will be rendered impossible.
In the apparatus as above described, a large quantity of water will always remain in
the apparatus, so that, should the gas be left on by accident for a time, the chances aro
that no harm will be done.

page_text: do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to that class of apparatus in which the water or other liquid
is made hot as it runs through the apparatus, and which are known to the public
under the names of the Therma, The Califont, The Geyser, and so on, such apparatus
being usually heated by gas.
In most of these apparatus, it is impossible to obtain boiling water, for the water
only comes into contact with the hottest part of the apparatus, or the hottest gases;
as it is about to leave the apparatus, and cannot remain a sufficient time in contact
therewith to be made to boil or become more than fairly warm.
In some apparatus of this kind, although boiling water can be obtained, the con-
struction is so complicated that it is impossible to remove, without destroying the
apparatus, the deposits of earthy and other extraneous matters contained in the
water, and consequently the apparatus soon becomes stopped up and useless.
Now the object of the present invention is to so construct an apparatus for heating
water and other liquids, that the liquid shall, when required, be raised to boiling point ;
that the apparatus may be readily taken apart for removal of deposits and otherwise
cleaning or for repair; and that a sufficient quantity of water shall always be left in
the apparatus to prevent destruction should the gas be left on after the cold water is
turned off.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved water heating apparatus, and .
Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line Fig. 1.
A is a main cylinder or casing, which is provided at one end with feet A¹. B is a
second cylinder arranged inside cylinder A, and forming therewith an annular
chamber B, open at top, to which cold water is supplied by the pipe A². At-the top
of the cylinder B is formed a spout or lip B, by which the water in the chamber B
overflows into the top tray of a series of trays C, C. These trays C, C', are of
different diameters, as shown in the drawings, and are supported in any convenient
manner from the cylinder B. The trays Care of a diameter equal to the cylinder B,
and have a central opening; thus, in combination with the smaller trays C, which
are arranged over the openings, a circuitous path is formed for the ascending hot
gases of the heating medium. The trays are formed of the sections shown in the
drawing, or of similar sections, that is to say, they each contain a reservoir a, from
which the water overflows into a shallow trough b, the bottom of which is perforated
with a number of fine holes to permit of the water falling in fine streams into the
tray beneath. The fine streams of water thus produced take up heat from the

page_text: ascending gases of combustion, and the water becomes partially heated before it
passes to the boiler proper, as will be hereafter explained.
From the last tray of the series, the water runs into a circular vessel D, through
the bottom of which project, to a suitable height, a series of pipes E. The lower
ends of these pipes E fit into a semispherical or other suitably shaped vessel F, which
I term a boiler, from the centre of which projects upwardly an ascension pipe or
tube F. As the pipes E project some distance above the bottom of the vessel D,
water will always he retained therein.
The pipe F is connected at top with a spout or spouts, or with a shallow tray G,
which is provided with one or a number of spouts G¹, as shown at Fig. 2.
From
this tray G, the water falls into a chamber formed by the main cylinder A and an
internal conical lining H, and from this chamber it is drawn off by the pipe or
spout H¹.
I is a gas burner, which may be of any suitable construction. Projecting both
inwardly and outwardly at the bottom of the boiler, is a double pointed peg F, the
object of which is two-fold. The outer portion forms a dripping point for the water
of condensation, which is produced by the products of combustion (when the gas is
first lighted) coming into contact with the cold surface of the apparatus and the
streams of cold water. The water collects on the surface of the apparatus, and runs
down to the point F, from which it drips clear of the gas burner.
The inner point serves to break up the opposing currents of hot water in the interior
of the boiler and direct them up the tube F.
1
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
Water flows from the supply A2 into the chamber B', and from this chamber over-
flows, by the spout B, into the top tray C. When the reservoir a of this tray is full,
the water overflows into the trough 6, and from this rough runs through the per-
forations into the reservoir a of the tray C. From the reservoir a of this tray it.
overflows into trough, and runs into No. 2 O tray; thence into No. 2 C', and finally
into No. 8 C. I may here remark that the number of trays will vary according to
fancy and the size of the apparatus. These trays become more or less heated by the
rising products of combustion coming into contact therewith, and as the water runs
from the trays in fine streams, it also takes up a portion of the heat of the ascending
products of combustion, thereby becoming partially heated, and condensing the pro-
ducts of combustion, thus preventing the disagreeable smell usually arising from
this class of apparatus, and caused by the escape of noxious fumes into the room.
The water runs from the lowermost tray into the vessel D, from which it passes,
by the overflow pipes E, into the boiler proper F.
Here the water comes for the first
time into contact with a surface actually heated by the flame, and the heated mole-
cules of the water, in obedience to the natural law, immediately rise up the pipe II
into the tray G, and run over into the chamber H. The heated molecules of the
water in this chamber, which is likewise in more or less direct contact with the flame,
also rise to the top, and meeting those from the tray G, run off by the discharge
pipe H'.
The temperature of the water discharged will depend upon the speed at which it
runs through the apparatus for example, in a full sized apparatus (the drawing is
quarter scale) 120 gallons per hour may be heated to 105° Fahr. in 15 minutes,
whereas it will take one hour to heat 30 gallons to boiling point.
The water and gas supply pipes will be provided with suitable cocks, and if desired
the water and gas cocks may be connected together, so that they shall always be
turned on and off at the same time, but in any case a quantity of water will remain
in all parts of the apparatus, so that, by leaving one or two jets burning, the water
can be always maintained at a high temperature, and a supply of hot water can be
always obtained by turning on the cold water and the full supply of gas.
The trays CC are removable, as also the combined parts D, E, F, F, G, and the
pipes and tube E F¹ being straight, can readily be cleaned out, if and when necessary.
The fixed parts of the apparatus are so arranged that they also can be readily cleaned

page_text: out, as will be seen by a glance at the drawing, and all parts which are likely to
deteriorate can be easily got at for repair.
In my improved apparatus, the natural law which causes heated molecules of liquid
to rise, is never reversed, as in most other apparatus of this class, and the hottest
water from the boiler is never reduced in temperature by coming into contact with the
descending streams of coll. The hottest water is in fact driven out by the cooler
water without mixing with it, and thus no waste of energy is caused by heating more
water than is required at one time.
For very small apparatus I may dispense with all the trays C, C', but in general
I prefer to use one or more, as the fine descending streams of cool water, and the
cooler surfaces of the trays, serve to condense the steam rising from the boiling
water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
1. An apparatus for heating water and other liquids, constructed substantially as
herein shown and described, whereby the parts may be readily removed for cleaning
or repairs.
2. In apparatus for heating water and other liquids, the combination with a chamber
suitably supplied with cold water and perforated trays, of a reservoir fitted with over-
flow pipes communicating with a boiler provided with an upcast tube having a spout
or spouts arranged to discharge into a second reservoir or heating chamber provided
with a discharge pipe, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for heating water and other liquids, the combination of a chamber,
as B', suitably supplied with cold water, with a reservoir, as D, fitted with overflow
pipes communicating with a boiler, as F, provided with an upcast tube having a
discharge spout, and with or without a second reservoir or heating chamber, as H, all
substantially as described.
4. In apparatus, for heating water and other liquids, the combination of a series of
perforated trays with a reservoir, as D, overflow pipes E, boiler F, upcast tube F¹.
having a discharge spout or spouts, and with or without a second heating chamber H
substantially as described.
5. In an apparatus for heating water and other liquids, the combination of a
boiler F, suitably supplied with water, upeast tube F, spouts or tray, as G, and with
or without a second heating chamber H, provided with discharge spout or pipe,
substantially as set forth.
6. In an apparatus for heating water and other liquids, the combination with a
supply pipe, of a boiler F and tube F, provided with a delivery spout for discharging
the hot water, substantially as set forth.
7. In an apparatus for heating water and other liquids, the use of trays, as CC, of
the section shown, or a similar section, that is to say, having a reservoir, as a, and a
perforated trough b, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 25th day of February 1887.