Improvements in Water Heaters and Automatic Valve Attachments therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Heaters and Automatic Valve Attachments
therefor.
I, JOSEPH WINTERFLOOD, Gas Engineer, of 173, King's Road, Camden Town,
N.W., 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 heaters and automatic valve attachments therefor, whereby
the application of heat takes place by the opening of the water supply cock.
The improvements constituting this invention are more especially applicable
to water heaters of the kind subject to raising water to a high temperature for
domestic and other purposes where a plentiful supply is required.
The essential parts are, a tubular boiler, a dise shaped vessel attached to the
tubular boiler by a short tubular stay in which is a water inlet, an automatic
valve attachment the water inlet of which is in connection with the inlet of the
boiler, and an atmospheric burner the inlet of which is in connection with the
gas outlet of the automatic valve attachment.
The said tubular boiler is constructed of a cylindrical casing forming the
Jacket or wall of the heater at the ends of which are attached conical rings bossed
in a little from the flat, the smaller diameters bearing the faces of the boiler
to which the extremities of the vertical tubes are fixed.
The automatic valve attachment consists of a double chamber the two cavities
of which are separated by a rubber diaphragm. In the upper chamber there is
a water inlet and outlet and in the lower chamber there is a gas inlet and outlet.
The gas inlet is closed or controlled by a valve attached to the lower end of a
spindle which runs vertically through the lower chamber terminating at the
upper end in a plate resting under the rubber diaphragm. The said gas valve
in the lower chamber is kept closed by a spring whose extremities are in the
plate under the diaphragm and at the closed end of a tube fixed within and to
the lower chamber round the spindle. In the cavity of the upper chamber there
is a gravity valve above the water inlet and below the water outlet.
The atmospheric burner consists of two reservoirs in connection with one
another by a number of tubular stays. In the lower end of the tubes are plugs
each of which has a fine hole drilled through its centre to allow the gas to pass
Each tube has a portion cut away from its side at the point where the gas leaves
the plug, to allow the air to mix with the gas. The upper reservoir is in the
form of a hollow ring, the upper surface being perforated.

page_text: Improvements in Water Heaters and Automatic Valve Attachments
therefor...
I, JOSEPH WINTER FLOOD, Gas Engineer, of 173, King's Road, Camden Town,
London, N.W., 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 con-
struction of water heaters and automatic valve attachments therefor whereby
the application of heat takes place by the opening of the water supply cock.
The improvements constituting this invention are more, especially applicable
to water heaters of the kind subject to raising water to a high temperature for
domestic and other purposes where a plentiful supply is required.
For the purpose of this invention I employ a tubular boiler having an outlet
at the top and an inlet in the side, and a tubular stay in the bottom face connected
to a disc shaped vessel.
The said inlet in the side of the boiler leads from an automatic valve attach-
ment wherein the gas way is opened and closed in consequence of the opening
and closing of the water way. The gas outlet of the said automatic valve attach-
ment is in connection by a branch to an atmospheric gas burner.
As shewn in the annexed sectional elevations the tubular boiler 1, which
stands upon the base 2 with a top 3 containing a flue pipe 32 consists of an outer
cylinder or cylindrical casing 4 having at its upper end a flat face 5 and at its
lower end there is attached a conical ring 6 bossed slightly from the flat, the
smaller diameter of which bears the lower face 7 of the boiler to which the lower
extremities of the tubes 8 running vertically through the boiler are fixed, the
upper ends of the tubes terminating in the top face 5 of the boiler. The water
outlet 9 is fixed in the centre of the top face of the boiler and the water inlet 10
is made in the cylindrical casing 5.
A tubular stay 11 is fixed in the centre of the lower face 7 of the boiler and
this stay supports the disc shaped vessel 12 so that the water can circulate
between the disc shaped vessel and the. tubular boiler.
The said inlet 10 in the cylindrical casing is in connection with the automatic
valve attachment which consists of a double chamber the two cavities of which
are separated by a rubber diaphragm 14.
In the upper chamber there is a water inlet 15 and outlet 16 and in the lower
chamber there is a gas inlet 17 and outlet 18. The gas inlet 17 is closed or
controlled by a valve 19 attached to the lower end of the spindle 30 passing
through the centre of the arrangement terminating at the upper end in a plate 20
resting under the rubber diaphragm 14. A soring 31 is fixed to the plate 20
and wound round the spindle, the lower end terminating at the closed end of
a tube 21 fixed round the spindle and to the lower chamber.
In the cavity of the upper chamber there is a gravity valve formed of a
weight 22, to the under surface of which is attached a small tube 23. The said
tube 23 works in another tube 24 which is fixed to the seating on which the
weight rests and forms a guide for the valve.
The gas outlet 18 of the automatic valve attachment leads to an atmospheric
burner which consists of two reservoirs 26 and 27 in connection with one another
by a number of tubular stays 8. In the lower end of each tubular stay there
is a plug 29, which has a fine hole drilled through its centre to allow the gas
to pass through, each tubular stay has a portion cut away from its side at the

page_text: point where the gas leaves the plug 29, thus allowing the air to mix with the
gas and ascend through the tubular stays to the upper reservoir. The upper
reservoir is in the form of a hollow ring the upper face being perforated by a
number of small holes.
The action of the automatic valve attachment is as follows:-
When the operator opens the water way to the heater by means of a cock
or valve in the inlet 15, the water enters the upper chamber, and flowing up
the tube 23 lifts up the weight 22; the water then passes through the series of
small holes in the tube 23 and flows through the outlet 16 into the boiler. It
then circulates between the boiler and the disc shaped vessel and on filling the
boiler flows out of the outlet 9.
Now the water on passing through the upper chamber and lifting up the
weight, exerts a certain pressure upon the rubber diaphragm 14 thereupon
forcing the rubber diaphragm and consequently the plate 20 under the diaphragm
down. Accordingly the gas valve 19 is simultaneously forced down thereby
opening the way for the gas to pass to the burner.
When the operator closes the water way the pressure is released from the
rubber diaphragm and consequently the rubber diaphragm attains its normal
position and by the action of the spring, the plate rises and consequently the
gas valve simultaneously closes.
The products of combustion from the burner pass upwards and on striking
the disc shaped vessel 12 are deflected round the same, and then pass upwards
through the tubular stays 8 to the flue pipe 32.
My improved water heater is greatly advantageous for a plentiful supply can
be raised to a high temperature.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1
1. The improvements in automatic valve attachments as applied to water
heaters, consisting of a double chamber the two cavities of which are separated
by a rubber diaphragm, the upper or water chamber containing a gravity valve
and the lower chamber a gas valve connected to a spindle the upper end of the
spindle having a plate and being surrounded by a spring and tube substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth described and illustrated.
2. The improments in water heaters consisting of a tubular boiler and a disc
shaped vessel substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth described
and illustrated.
3. The improvements in water heaters consisting of a tubular boiler, in connec-
tion with a disc shaped vessel and resting upon a base, with a top containing "
a flue pipe, and with an outlet in the top face and an inlet in the side and under
the lower part of which is an atmospheric gas burner substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth described and illustrated.
4. The improvements in water heaters and automatic valve attachments con-
sisting of the combination of a tubular boiler, disc shaped vessel, and atmo-
spheric burner with a double chamber the two cavities of which are separated
by a rubber diaphragm, with a gravity valve in the upper or water chamber and
a gas valve in the lower chamber, and a spindle with a plate on its upper end
and surrounded by a spring and tube all substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth described and illustrated.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1899.