Improvements in Water Heaters and Valve Attachments therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Heaters and Valve Attachments therefor.
JOSEPH WINTERFLOOD, 173, Kings Road, Camden Town, London, N.W.,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to certain improvements in, or applicable to, the con-
struction of water-heating apparatus and automatic valve attachments therefor.
The improvements constituting the invention, are more especially applicable to
water-heating apparatus of the kind used for obtaining hot water under pressure.
In carrying out the improvement in the water-heater, I use a double cylindrical
shaped casing, packed with any suitable non-conducting material; within this
casing, I place a drum shaped vessel with small tubes running through it, (similar
to a locomotive boiler) in order to present a large amount of heating surface to
the quantity of water passing through the water, issuing into the apparatus
at the lower part, passing upwards and circulating round the tubes, is drawn
off from the top of the apparatus through a valve or cock. The casing and vessel
with its tubes are placed over a burner or burners, the heated products of combus-
tion passing upwards through the series of small tubes and round the outside of
the drum shaped vessel, and through an outlet, placed at the top of the apparatus.
The improvement in the automatic gas valve, consists in an arrangement
whereby a valve closing or controlling the gas supply is opened or closed as a
consequence of the opening or closing of the valve or cock controlling the hot
water outlet.
For the purpose of the improvement of the automatic gas valve, I construct a
double chamber, the two cavities of which are separated by a metallic dia-
phragm, and through the diaphragm, I pass a spindle.
In one of the chambers there is formed a gas inlet and outlet, and in the other
a water inlet and outlet, the gas and water inlets are closed or controlled by
valves, the stems of which are within the respective chambers; the stems of
the valves are connected to the opposite ends of the spindle, therefore it follows,
that, when the water valve is opened the gas valve will be simultaneously opened.
The action of the apparatus may be thus briefly described:-The water outlet
and the gas outlet of the double chambers, are connected respectively, to the
water heater and to the gas burners. When a supply of hot water is desired the
valve or cock controlling the hot water outlet is turned on, and the gas is at
the same time turned on to the burner by the automatic action of the valves.
When the valve or cock controlling the hot water outlet is turned off the pressure
of the water is then exerted on the lower part of the valve to close it.
Dated this 19th day of October 1897.

page_text: Improvements in Water Heaters and Valve Attachments therefor.
I, JOSEPH WINTERFLOOD, Engineer, of 173, Kings Road, Camden Town, County
of Middlesex, 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 certain improvements in or applicable to the construc-
tion of water heating apparatus and automatic valve attachments therefor.
The improvements constituting this invention are more especially applicable
to water heaters of the kind subject to heating water under pressure.
In carrying out my improvements in water heaters I employ a double cylin-
drical shaped casing packed with any suitable nonconducting material within
which I place a drum shaped vessel with tubes running through it (similar to a
locomotive boiler).
At the ends of the drum shaped vessel I attach short tubular stays, connected
to hollow disc shaped vessels. A hot water outlet is connected to the top hollow
disc and a cold water inlet is connected to the bottom hollow disc. The water
inlet is in connection with a primary automatic valve attachment, which consists
of a double chamber the two cavities of which are separated by a metallic dia-
phragm.
In the lower chamber there is formed a gas inlet and outlet and in the upper
chamber there is formed a water inlet and outlet. The gas and water inlets are
closed or controlled by valves, the stems of which are within the respective cham-
bers and connected to the opposite ends of a spindle which passes through the
centre of the metallic diaphragm. In the upper part of the upper chamber there
is a valve hereafter referred to as the check valve.
The gas outlet of the primary automatic valve attachment leads to a gas reser-
voir containing a series of Bunsen or Brays burners, situated in the lower part
of the apparatus.
For the purpose of safety I employ a spring safety valve, the inlet of which
is connected to the top hollow disc shaped vessel and the outlet of which is con-
nected to the inlet of a supplementary automatic valve attachment.
The supplementary automatic valve attachment consists of a double chamber
the two cavities of which are separated by a rubber diaphragm.
In the lower chamber there is formed a gas inlet and outlet and in the upper
chamber there is formed a water inlet. A spindle runs through the centre of
the arrangement, the upper end being fixed to the rubber diaphragm by two
plates and to the lower end there is attached a gas valve which is fixed above
its seating in the outlet of the lower chamber and controls this outlet.
A spring is fixed, in the lower chamber to the lower plate of the diaphragm
and is wound round the spindle terminating at the closed end of a tube fixed
within and to the lower chamber, above the gas valve.
The gas supply from the main is made to pass through the inlet of the sup-
plementary automatic valve attachment and through the outlet of same to the
inlet of the primary automatic valve attachment.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure 1 is
an outside elevation of my improved water heater and automatic valve attach-
ments. Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of same shewing the heating devices,
safety valve and primary automatic valve attachment. Figure 3 is a half plan
and half sectional plan of same. Figures 4 and 5 are detailed sectional elevations
of my improved primary automatic valve attachment when closed and opened

page_text: respectively. Figures 6 and 7 are two sectional plans of same, Figure 6 shewing
the plan of the check valve in the upper part of the upper chamber. Figure 8
is a sectional elevation of my supplementary automatic valve attachment.
As shewn in. Figure 2, the double cylindrical jacket 1 stands upon a base 2
with a top 3 containing a flue pipe 4, which carries away the superfluous products
of combustion from the burners 5 which stand upon the reservoir G.
Within the cylindrical jacket 1 there is a drum shaped vessel 7 with tubes 8
running through it. These tubes are fixed to the faces of the drum shaped
vessel 7 with back nuts.
Above and below the drum shaped vessel 7, are hollow disc shaped vessels 9
and 10, connected to the drum shaped vessel by tubular stays 11.
A hot water outlet 12 is connected to the top hollow disc 9 and a cold water
inlet 13 is. connected to the bottom hollow disc 10. The cold water inlet 13
leads from the primary automatic valve attachment which consists of a double
chamber the two cavities of which are separated by a metallic diaphragm 14.
In the upper chamber which consists of parts 23, 24 and 25, there is formed
a water inlet 15 and outlet 16 and in the lower chamber 26 there is formed a
gas inlet 17 and outlet 18. The gas and water inlets 17 and 15 are closed or con-
trolled by valves 19 and 20 which are connected to the opposite ends of a
spindle 21, see Figures 4 and 5. Below the water inlet 13 there is arranged a
valve 22 dividing the parts 23 and 24 of the upper chamber. The sectional area
of this valve 22 is less than the sectional area of the valve 20, the purpose being
as hereinafter described. The lower part 23 of the upper chamber contains a
small tube 27, provided to carry away the water which leaks through the valve 22
when the arrangement is in action. There is however practically no leakage
when the arrangement is not in action for I provide a washer upon the seating
on which the valve 22 rests and the valve is thereby made sound.
Within the said part 23 of the upper chamber there is a projection 28 fixed
to the spindle 21 in such a position that when the valves are closed as in Figure 4
there is sufficient space left between the projection 28 and the metallic dia-
phragm 14 to admit of the application of a rubber bellows 29 which is fixed to
the projection 28 and a flange piece 30, this flange piece being fixed to the metal-
lic diaphragm 14. The purpose of this rubber bellows 29 is to prevent, firstly,
the gas escaping into the upper chamber and contaminating the water, and
secondly, the water leaking through the diaphragm joint into the gas chamber.
In the cavity of the lower chamber a spring 31 is fixed over the spindle 21 to
the flange piece 30 and to the gas valve 19, and with the application of a rubber
washer complete safety is insured against leakage of gas through the gas valve 19
when not in action for the valve 19 is not fixed to the spindle but is kept in place
by a small nut and the spring 31.
I employ a check valve 32 in the upper part 25 of the upper chamber which
rests upon its seating 33 the purpose of which is hereinafter described.
I will now explain the automatic action of my improved primary valve attach-
ment:
-
When the operator opens the hot water supply cock 48, the water commences
to flow and the cold water enters the primary automatic valve attachment at the
inlet 15 and flows into the part 24 of the upper chamber. There are now two
pressures acting within this chamber, one on the valve 20 tending to lift it up,
and the other upon the valve 22 tending to force it down, but the effectual area
of the surface of the valve 20 is greater than that of the valve 22, therefore there
will be a greater pressure on the valve 20, while the water is flowing, than on
the valve 22, and the valves will accordingly rise and open the way for the water
to pass through the valve 20 and lifting up the check valve 32 flow into the
heater. The cross strip 50 preventing the check valve 32 from being carried
away by the water.
+
It is apparent that the gas valve 19 being connected to the spindle will simul-

page_text: taneously rise with the water valves and open the way for the gas to pass through
the outlet 18 into the gas reservoir 6 and the burners 5.
Now when the operator turns off the hot water supply cock 48, the water ceases
flowing and we see that the pressures become neutral upon the valve 20, but
there is still the pressure down upon the valve 22, which forces the valves down
closing the water way, the gas valve 19 simultaneously dropping upon its seat-
ing and closing the gas way, this gas valve being made sound as aforesaid by the
action of the spring 31.
The water-course through the heater is as follows:-
When the operator opens the hot water supply cock 48, the water flows through
the valve 20, lifts up the valve 32 and flows through the outlet 16 into the lower
hollow disc 10. It then rises into the drum shaped vessel 7 and through the
upper tubular stay 11 into the upper hollow disc 9, and then through the outlet
pipe 12 to the hot water supply cock 48.
The burners 5 are located in the lower part of the apparatus such that the
greatest amount of heat is utilized, the products of combustion from which rise
through the lower part of the cylindrical jacket 1, round the outside of the lower
disc 10, through the tubes 8, and round the outside of, the drum shaped vessel 7,
round the upper hollow disc 9, and into the flue pipe 4 which carries away the
superfluous products of combustion.
The purpose of the check valve 32 is described and ascertained in the follow-
ing When the water in the heater has been raised to a very high temperature,
a certain amount of it is converted into steam, and the pressure of this steam
becomes greater than that of the water supply; this steam pressure would there-
fore tend to force the water back down the main but the application of the check
valve prevents this taking place, for the back pressure acts upon the check
valve 32 forcing it upon its seating and so closing the way from the heater to the
main. This will consequently cause the gas way to be closed as hereinbefore
described but should the valves in any way whatever become out of order, and
the gas valve not be closed, the pressure is likely to become great enough to burst
the apparatus although it is purposely constructed to resist a great pressure; I
therefore provide a spring safety valve 34 the inlet of which is connected to the
top hollow disc shaped vessel 9 and the outlet of which is connected to a sup-
plementary valve attachment.
The said supplementary valve attachment consists of a double chamber 35
and 36, the two cavities of which are separated by a rubber diaphragm 37 see
Figure 8. In the lower chamber 35, there is formed a gas inlet 38 and outlet 39
and connected to the upper chamber 36 is a pipe 40 which leads from the outlet
of the safety valve 34. A spindle 45 runs through the centre of the supplemen-
tary valve, the upper end being connected to the rubber diaphragm 37 by two
plates 41 and to the lower end there is attached a gas valve 42 which, when not
in action rests above the seating 43 prepared in the lower chamber 35. Above
the gas valve 42, within the lower chamber 35 and connected to it, there is a
tube 44 closed at the lower end with the exception of a hole for the spindle 45
to work through. Within this tube 44 is a spring 46 wound round the spindle 45,
the ends of which terminate at the closed end of the tube 44, and the plate 41
of the diaphragm 37.
The gas from the main is made to pass through the gas inlet 38 and outlet 39
and then through the pipe 47 to the inlet 17 of the primary automatic valve
attachment.
Now when the pressure inside the heater overcomes the safety valve 34, the
steam and water rush through the pipe 40 into the inlet 36 of the supplementary
automatic valve attachment, and the pressure is exerted upon the rubber dia-
phragm 37, which being pliable is forced down, consequently the gas valve 42
is simultaneously forced upon its seating and the gas way is closed. On closing
the gas way, gas is no longer carried to the burners, and therefore the heat ceases.
The water and steam in the boiler now cools down and the overpressure is

page_text: released, but the pressure of the column of water in the chamber 36 and pipe 40,
on the diaphragm keeps the gas valve closed, thereby drawing the attention of
the operator to the fact that the primary automatic valve attachment has become
out of order.
The operator must now empty out the contents of the chamber 36 and pipe 40;
this may be done by the detachment of the parts 36 and 40 or by a water cock
which I place in the pipe 40 not shewn in the annexed drawings.
After the withdrawal of the water there is no pressure upon the rubber dia-
phragm 37 of the supplementary automatic valve attachment and with the
action of the spring 46 the gas valve 42 rises to its normal position.
The way is now open for the gas to continue on its course to the inlet of the
primary automatic valve attachment.
For safety and convenience I provide a small pilot light by means of the gas
tube 49.
My improved water heater is characteristic of the form of construction whereby.
the water acquires a large amount of heating surface and is therefore raised in
large quantities to a high temperatue.
My improved water heater is greatly advantageous, for it is constructed in
such a manner as to resist an exceedly great constant pressure and no danger
is presented in the shape of bursting as has been the case in former heaters and
boilers.
My improved automatic valve attachment is significant in construction whereby
the gas is regulated by the supply of water which opens and closes the water
way and thereby the gas way by pressures alone and not by the action of gravity
or a spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The improvements in automatic valve attachments as applied to water
heaters shewn in Figures 4 and 5 on sheets 3 and 4 of the annexed drawings
consisting of, a double chamber, the two cavities of which are separated by a
metallic diaphragm, one chamber containing a water inlet and outlet the other
chamber containing a gas inlet and outlet, and valves which close or control the
gas and water ways, being opened and closed by the pressures of the water supply
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth, described, and illustrated.
2. The improvements in automatic valve attachments shewn in Figures 4 and 5
consisting of the application of a rubber bellows, a projection, a spring, a flange
piece, and a small outlet tube, substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth described and illustrated.
3. The improvements in automatic valve attachments consisting of a check
valve within a chamber and resting upon a seating in that chamber substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth, described and illustrated.
4. The improvements in automatic valve attachments consisting of the com-
bination of a double chamber the two cavities of which are separated by a
metallic diaphragm, the gas and water ways being controlled by valves, con-
nected to their respective parts of a spindle, with a rubber bellows, flange piece,
small outlet tube, projection, spring, and check valve all substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth described and illustrated.
5. The arrangement in a supplementary valve shewn in Figure 8 on Sheet 5
of the annexed drawings, consisting of a double chamber the two cavities being
separated by a rubber diaphragm with a tube, spring and gas valve in the lower
chamber wherein the closing of the gas valve and thereby the gas supply, takes
place by the pressure of steam and water on the rubber diaphragm substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth described and illustrated.
6. The improvements in water heaters shewn in Figure 2 on Sheet 2 of the
annexed drawings consisting of a drum shaped vessel through which runs a

page_text: number of tubes substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth described
and illustrated.
7. The improvements in water heaters shewn in Figure 2 on Sheet 2 of the
annexed drawings consisting of two hollow disc shaped vessels placed one above
and one below the drum shaped vessel and connected thereto substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth described and illustrated.
8. The improvements in water heaters shewn in Figure 2 on Sheet 2 consisting
of the combination of a double cylindrical casing packed with any suitable non-
conducting material, a drum shaped vessel and two hollow disc shaped vessels
attached one above and one below the said drum shaped vessel by tubular stays,
with an inlet in the lower disc shaped vessel and an outlet in the upper disc
shaped vessel all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth described
and illustrated.
66
water
9. The improvements in water heaters and automatic valve attachments con-
sisting of a primary automatic valve attachment in combination with a
heater" as herein before described, a gas reservoir containing a series of burners,
a pilot light and a safety valve in connection with a supplementary automatic
valve attachment all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth, des-
cribed, and illustrated.
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