Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Heating and Circulating Water for Domestic and other Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar.. 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
Applicatio11, 2010. Tou
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar.. 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Heating and
Circulating Water for Domestic and other Purposes.
1, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON, of Hyde Villa, New North Road, Huddersfield,
in the County. of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
--
My invention relates to water-heating apparatus and has for its object to provide
apparatus that will fulfil all the requirements of a kitchen boiler for heating and
circulating water but in which it is not possible to generate steam above atmo-
spheric pressure. My said improved apparatus does not require a safety valve.or
other mechanical device to prevent the accumulation of pressure within the boiler
and hence is not liable to become dangerous to life and property in winter time
should the pipes be frozen up. With my system there is no risk of causing undue
or dangerous pressure in the boiler even when the whole of the pipes of, the
circulating system are frozen up. The said invention is applicable to existing
water circulating systems.
According to my invention I protect the circulating boiler from. the direct action
of the fire by placing it in an open vessel or tank that contains water. This vessel
I term the fire boiler. The said vessel or tank is exposed to the action of the fire,
and the water therein on becoming heated serves to heat the water in the inner
boiler and therefore in the circulating system but without mingling therewith.. It
will be observed however that the water in the circulating system cannot become
beated above the boiling point and therefore no steam can be generated therein;
hence there will be no possible danger of explosion however much the fire is pushed.
It should be remarked that the circulating boiler or heater may be a cylindrical or
other suitably formed vessel or a coil of pipes.
To maintain a constant level of water in the aforesaid outer vessel or fire, boiler
I place it in communication with a feed regulation cistern standing at the same
level in a convenient part of the house or building and furnished with a ball tap or
equivalent device to keep up the supply as the water evaporates. By this arrange-
ment the water is maintained at one and the same level in the feed cistern and fire
boiler. I make the communication between these two vessels by means of a
U-shaped or inverted syphon pipe so that the water will tend to flow in one
direction only viz. from the supply cistern to the fire, boiler. I preferably also
provide another communication between these two vessels at points above the water
level to carry back to the cistern any vapour given off by the water in the fire
boiler and thereby prevent undue waste of water. I provide the heating vessel
with a suitable lid or cover which may or may not be furnished with a vent pipe.
I also provide a tap for drawing off hot water from the fire boiler for domestic use
when the ordinary circulating system is stopped by frost, or otherwise.
The fire draught may be arranged to travel underneath the fire boiler and
behind the same as with an ordinary boiler, or up the sides or front as. may be
thought desirable.
In some instances I use a displacer of any suitable form to diminish the quantity
of water in the fire boiler.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Heating and
Circulating Water for Domestic and other Purposes.
I, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON, of Hyde Villa, New North Road, Huddersfield,
in the County of York, Engineer, 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 :-
My invention has for its object to provide apparatus that will fulfil all the
requirements of a boiler for heating and circulating water but in which it is not
possible to generate steam above atmospheric pressure. My improved apparatus
does not require a safety-valve or other mechanical device to prevent the accumu-
lation of pressure within the boiler and hence is not liable to become dangerous to
life and property even if the water in the whole of the pipes of the circulating
system should be frozen. The said invention is applicable to existing water
circulating systems for domestic or similar purposes.
According to my invention I provide the apparatus with a vessel which forms
part of the circulating system and which is termed a circulator and I protect this
circulator from the direct action of the fire by placing it in a boiler or tank not
included in the circulating system. This boiler or tank is open to atmospheric
pressure and is termed the fire-boiler. The said fire-boiler is exposed to the action
of the fire, and the heated water therein serves to heat the water in the circulator
and throughout the circulating system but without mingling therewith. The water
in the circulating system cannot therefore become heated above the boiling point
and no steam can be generated therein; hence there will be no possible danger of
explosion however much the fire may be pushed. The circulator may consist of a
cylindrical or other suitably formed vessel or a coil of pipes.
To maintain a constant level of water in the aforesaid outer vessel or fire-boiler
I place it in communication with a feed regulation cistern the water in which
stands at the same level as that in the fire-boiler. This cistern is situated in any
convenient part of the house or building and is furnished with a ball tap or
equivalent device to keep up the supply as the water evaporates. By this
arrangement the water is maintained at one and the same level in the feed cistern
and fire-boiler. I make the communication between these two vessels by means of
a U-shaped or inverted syphon pipe so that the water will tend to flow in one
direction only, riz. from the supply cistern to the fire-boiler. I preferably also
provide another communication between these two vessels at points above the
water level to carry back to the cistern any vapour given off by the water in the
fire-boiler and thereby prevent undue waste of water by evaporation.
The fire draught may be caused to travel underneath the fire boiler and behind
the same as with an ordinary boiler, or up the sides or front as may be thought
desirable.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will now proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure is a longitudinal section showing the general arrangement of the
fire-boiler, the self regulating feed cistern, and the circulator.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the lower portion of the arrangement
illustrated in the preceding figure and shewing a modified manner of connecting
the self regulating feed cistern with the fire-boiler.
Figures 3 to 11 are sectional views of the fire boiler illustrating various forms
that may be given to the circulator located within it.
In all these figures A is the fire boiler; B the circulator; C the self regulating
feed cistern; D the pipe or conduit through which the water from said cistern

page_text: flows into the fire boiler; E another pipe or conduit through which vapour arising
in the fire boiler may be conducted to the cistern C.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 the fire-boiler A consists of a
cylindrical or other shaped vessel covered by a loose fitting lid or cover a, that is
to say a lid or cover which while serving to close the mouth of the vessel will still
allow the interior thereof to be open to atmospheric pressure. This cover may be
formed in halves to enable it to be conveniently applied to the fire-boiler, and when
said cover is adapted to be bolted to the boiler it may be provided with an opening
or vent to ensure that the free communication with the atmosphere shall not be
impeded. The fire-boiler is situated within a kitchen range or other fire-place so
that the fire shall be in actual contact with the fire-boiler for the purpose of heating
and boiling the water therein, but without raising the temperature beyond the
boiling point and without generating any pressure therein. On the same level with.
the fire-boiler is the self regulating feed-cistern C which is connected to said fire-
boiler by the U pipe D. This pipe may be arranged in either of the manners
shown in Figures 1 and 2 or in any other manner that may be found equally
advantageous. c is a ball cock with which the cistern C is provided for supplying
water thereto. The said cistern is so arranged that it regulates the height or
working level of the water in both the feed cistern and the fire-boiler. Any vapour
arising in the fire-boiler is conducted by the pipe E to the cistern C where it meets.
with the cold water therein and is thus condensed and becomes liquefied again...
Without this provision the vapour would escape into the atmosphere and a
certain amount of waste of water be thereby entailed which might be considered
objectionable, but by condensing the vapour as above explained any such objection.
is obviated.
Within the fire-boiler I place the circulator B, which contains the water for
intended circulation and consists of a pressure and fluid tight vessel which need have
no other openings in it save those for the reception of the uptake band downtake b¹
of the ordinary circulating pipes. The lower portion of the circulator B may b
provided with legs 62 62 for supporting it within the fire-boiler. The exte
surface of the circulator is thus in direct contact with the surrounding liquid in t..
fire-boiler which liquid is at a higher temperature than the water contained in the
said circulator. Consequently the convection or transfer of heat from the heated
water in the fire boiler to the circulator, takes place through the metal of the
circulator without in any wise mingling with the contents of the circulator, and
circulation of the water within the system is thus promoted owing to the differential
gravity of the uptake and downtake columns of water in the pipes bb as is well.
understood. The circulated water may be impounded in suitable cisterns or vessels
in the usual manner ready for household distribution and use.
I prefer that the fire-boiler should not be fully charged with water, and the only
water-way that need be provided between the fire-boiler and the self regulating
feed cistern C is that through the pipe or conduit D for ensuring a common water-
level in both these vessels. This arrangement avoids any fluid pressure beyond.
that due to the boiling temperature.
By my invention the formation of ice, or the thawing of the same in the
circulation pipes cannot act to produce explosive pressure owing to the fact that,
as already stated, the maximum temperature of the water in the fire-boiler or in
the circulator can never exceed 212° F.
F is an ordinary tap with which the fire boiler may be provided for enabling hot
water to be drawn from the boiler when desired.
It will be seen that by arranging the self regulating feed cistern C so that the.
water therein is on the same level as the water in the fire-boiler A, as above
described, only a comparatively small quantity of water need be provided for in
the fire-boiler as the said cistern C will serve as a reservoir for keeping up the
supply of water in the fire-boiler for some considerable time, notwithstanding that
the supply of water to such cistern may become stopped.
The circulator B may as already stated be of any suitable shape or form provided.

page_text: an adequate surface is presented. for the absorption of heat from the water in the
fire-boiler so as to obtain and maintain the highest available temperature
immediately around the said circulator. In the. drawings I have shewn examples
of various forms of circulators.
In Figure 1 the circulator consists of a vertically arranged cylindrical chamber
having concave sides.
In Figures 3 and 4 the circulator consists of a horizontally arranged cylindrical
chamber having inwardly projecting conical ends, which in Figure 3 meet together
and open one into the other so as to produce a longitudinal passage whose ends are
of greater diameter than the middle portion thereof.
In Figures 5 and 6 the circulator consists of a vertically arranged annular
chamber the internal surface of which is in Figure 5 plain and in Figure 6
corrugated.
In Figures 7 and 8 the circulator consists of an ordinary cylindrical chamber
which is in Figure 7 plain and in Figure 8 corrugated.
In Figure 9 the circulator consists of a coil of piping.
In Figure 10 the circulator consists of a series of horizontally arranged and
superposed tubes of elliptical. cross section which are connected together so as to
enable the said tubes to be in free communication with each other.
In Figure 11 the circulator consists of a horizontally arranged cylindrical vessel
having a series of depending.tubes.
Should the form and capacity of the circulator permit I prefer to employ a
hollow vessel or solid body placed therein which will act as a displacer to diminish
the internal space within the circulator aud minimize the quantity of water that it
will contain. A similar displacement can under some circumstances be effected in
the fire-boiler.
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. A hot water supply apparatus heated by means of an open boiler not forming
part of the circulatory system for the purposes specified.
2. In apparatus for heating and circulating water for domestic or other purposes
the combination of a circulator and a fire-heated boiler which is open to atmo-
spheric pressure, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
3. The triple apparatus for heating and circulating water for domestic and other
purposes comprising a fire heated boiler which is open to atinospheric pressure; a
circulator located within said fire heated boiler; and a self-regulating feed-cistern,
so arranged that the level of the water in the cistern and that of the fire heated
boiler are kept the same, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus for heating and circulating
water substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 26th day of March 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.