Improvements in Heat-storage Radiators for Steam Heating.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
Improvements in Heat-storage Radiators for Steam Heating.
I, EDWARD ETHEL GOLD, of No. 76 West 82nd Street in the City, County
and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 heat storage radiators adapted to be heated by admitting
steam, and to become charged with heat which is gradually radiated after the supply
of steam is cut off. Such heaters are generally used for heating railway cars, but
are also adapted for house heating.
Heretofore such storage-heaters have usually been constructed with an outer
casing enclosing an inner sealed vessel containing brine or other liquid, which
serves as the heat-absorbing medium. On admitting steam between the outer and
inner vessel it acts both to radiate heat outwardly through the casing to warm the
apartment, and to conduct heat inwardly to charge the body of liquid with heat to
be subsequently radiated after the supply of steam is cut off.
My present invention aims to provide a suitable construction which shall avoid
the use of an enclosed liquid. Such liquid is liable to leak out and corrode the
casing or pipes. The construction of a sealed inner vessel is also expensive, and
my invention seeks to substitute a cheaper construction.
Accordingly, my new storage heater is made with an outer casing to which steam is
admitted, and an enclosed solid block or body of brick, terra-cotta, or other material
suitable to absorb and store a considerable quantity of heat. This enclosed block
or body is made to fit the casing, so that it nearly fills the casing, and is supported
directly by the casing. It is grooved or otherwise constructed to form steam
passages between it and the casing, being partly in contact with it to conduct heat
thereto, and partly out of contact to admit the steam around it.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical longitudinal section through
my improved heat storage radiator;
Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof on a larger scale;
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one of the sections of the heat storing body;
Fig. 4 is a plan of two sections thereof;
Figs. 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 are transverse sections illustrating modified constructions;
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the construction shown in Fig. 6;
Fig. 11 is a detail view of a spring removed;
Fig. 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing a modification.
Referring to the several figures of the drawings, let A designate the outer
conducting casing, and B the enclosed heat storage body or heat absorbent. The
casing A is constructed preferably as a tube of wrought iron, with heads aa¹
screwed to its opposite ends, and with steam pipes 66 entering and leaving the
opposite ends of the casing. The enclosed heat storage body B may be made of
any suitable solid material having the capacity of absorbing and giving off heat.
It may be made of soap-stone or of other kinds of stone, but I prefer to make it
of some ceramic material such as terra-cotta, brick, or unglazed earthenware, such
materials being preferable because of the greater ease and economy of manufacture.
As the casing A is preferably of considerable length, it is best to subdivide the
heat storage body B into sections of suitable length, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.
The casing A and storage body B are so formed or constructed relatively to each
other that they are partially in contact and partially out of contact, their contacting
surfaces serving to facilitate the outward conduction of heat from the body B through
the casing and its radiation therefrom, while the portions that are out of contact
serve to form between them steam spaces or passages c c for permitting the circulation
Price Rd

page_text: of steam through the radiator. Preferably the outer casing is made of a cylindrical
tube, and the body B is moulded or shaped upon its exterior so as to deviate from a
cylindrical form, to make the steam passages cc. It may be formed with longitudinal
grooves d d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, where three grooves are shown, one at the
bottom and two at the sides. Fig. 6 shows a preferable construction wherein the
grooves, bere lettered d¹, are formed at intervals around the entire circumference
of the body B. In the construction shown in Fig. 5, the body B is formed of
polygonal cross-section having flattened faces d³ d², the corners of the body alone
coming in contact with the casing, and the spaces between the casing and flattened
surfaces forming the steam passages c. In Fig. 8 is shown a further modification
wherein the casing A and body B are both made cylindrical, but the body is made
slightly smaller than the casing and is forced against one side thereof by a wedge or
block e so as to assume an eccentric position and thereby form the steam spaces c.
Instead of employing a separate wedge e, an inward corrugation or bead may be
formed in the casing A extending longitudinally thereof and coming in contact
with the enclosed heat storage body B, as shown in Fig. 9, where e¹ indicates the
corrugation or bead. Fig. 10 shows a construction in which the body is made
cylindrical and a tight fit with the casing A', the latter being formed with outward
corrugations ff at intervals, so that the spaces within these corrugations and
between them and the surfaces of the body B, constitute the steam spaces c c.
The steam passages ce should be continuous from end to end of the casing A, in
order that the steam admitted at one end may pass uninterruptedly through to the
opposite end of the casing, and in order that water of condensation which may form
within the radiator may be drained off. When the body is subdivided into separate
sections, and the steam passages are formed by longitudinal grooves or equivalent
formations upon the exterior of the body, it is important that these sections shall
be so constructed that in fitting them together the longitudinal grooves on the
respective sections shall communicate with one another. Their communication may
be effected by forming a circumferential groove at the adjoining ends of the two
sections in the manner shown at k in Fig. 7. The communication between the
grooves d' d' of the successive sections is completed through this groove k whenever
the grooves d' do not happen to be in alignment. Another construction is to
provide means for ensuring the alignment of the grooves, as shown in Figs. 1, 3
and 4. The sections are here provided with interfitting projections and recesses
adapted to prevent their relative rotative displacement, and ensuring that they
shall be fitted together in only one angular position. Each section is formed with a
projection or tongue g at one end, and with a recess or groove at the opposite end,
the tongue of each section being adapted to enter the groove in any other section,
so that in fitting the sections together, the tongues and grooves are interlocked as
they are slid into the casing. Preferably the projections and recesses g h should be
arranged at the top, and one of the grooves d at the bottom of the casing, as shown
in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The central groove in Fig. 2 constitutes a channel or passage
into which water of condensation will drain, and through which it may flow out.
In order to prevent any possibility of the sections rattling in the casing, I provide
a tightening screw i screwing through one of the heads a', while the other head
may be similarly constructed or may have simply a lug j cast in it to bear against
the end section and hold it out of contact with the head to form a steam passage
between for enabling steam to enter the side grooves d d. After sliding in all
the sections and screwing on the head a the screw is screwed in tight against
the sections thereby forcing them into firm contact with one another and preventing
rattling. To make the joint steam-tight where the screw i passes through the
head a', I screw on a set-nut i¹ with a packing washer beneath it.
To provide for the expansion and contraction of the metal casing A as it is heatd
and cooled, which expansion and contraction will be considerably in excess of that
of the heat storing body B, I prefer to interpose springs between the opposite ends
or end sections of the body and the ends of the casing. In the construction shown
in Fig. 1, a spring or spring-washer m, shown separately in Fig. 11, is interposed

page_text: between the end section of the body B and the lug ; of the casing, and a similar
spring or spring-washer is interposed at the opposite end between the end section
and the screw i. The screwing in of the screw compresses these two springs and
holds the several sections firmly together between them, while the elasticity of the
springs is sufficient to allow for the expansion and contraction of the shell. Another
construction of springs is that shown in Fig. 12, where a spiral spring m¹ is inserted
at each end bearing against the end section of the body B, and held in place by a
central projection from the cap or screw-head of the casing. As the head is
screwed on, this spring is compressed and thereby serves to steady the sections of
the body B and prevent rattling, while at the same time allowing for the expansion
and contraction of the shell.
As
My improved heat storage radiator is a very simple and cheap construction.
compared with the prior attempts to make a storage radiator with a solid heat-
absorbent (instead of liquid) it has the advantage that the solid core or body is
supported directly by the casing, which is itself a pipe or cylinder, thus dispensing
with all extraneous means for supporting the absorbent body. The parts are easily
and cheaply made, and are easy to put together. The steam by entering through
longitudinal spaces between the absorbent body and casing heats the latter
immediately for the direct radiation of heat, while at the same time storing heat in
the absorbent body. By this body being partly or mainly in contact with the
casing its stored heat is efficiently conducted to the latter after the steam is
turned off.
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 steam radiator consisting of an elongated outer casing A and an enclosed
block or body B of solid heat-absorbent material, conforming in general to and
nearly filling the casing, and supported thereby, constructed to form longitudinally-
extended steam-passages c extending from end to end of the casing, so that the
entering steam is thus in immediate contact with the casing on the one side to
radiate heat outwardly and with the body B on the other side to simultaneously
store up heat therein, and the body is in partial direct contact with the casing to
conduct away its stored-up heat, substantially as described.
2. In a steam radiator having an extended outer casing A and an enclosed solid
heat-absorbent body B, nearly filling said casing and supported thereby, but leaving
steam-passages c between, the construction of said body B in sections fitting
together end to end, substantially as described.
3. The special construction of the heat-absorbent body B in sections fitting
together and conforming to the casing A, with longitudinal grooves d¹ d¹ to form
steam-passages, and with circumferential grooves k at the junction of the sections to
connect the passages, substantially as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
4. The special construction of the heat-absorbent body B in sections fitting
together and conforming to the casing A, with longitudinal grooves d d, and with
interfitting tongues and grooves gh, to keep the sections from turning, substantially
as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.
5. The combination of the casing A and enclosed solid heat-storage body B,
and springs m for keeping the latter in place, and yielding to the expansion and
contraction of the casing, as described.
6. The combination of the casing A and solid heat-storage body B, made in
sections fitting together end to end, and a screw i for forcing the sections tightly
together to prevent their rattling in the casing, as described.
Dated the 18th day of April 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.