Baths and other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1887
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
Baths and other Purposes.
We GERARD BREY and EDOUARD WILLAME of 86 Rue Royale, Brussels in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanics 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide mechanism or apparatus so constructed
and arranged that the water intended for the supply of baths for example, can be
heated without the necessity of continuous attention to the distribution of the water
and heating gas. This distribution is accomplished automatically.
As will be seen by reference to the drawings the invention consists of a system or
arrangement of tubes and taps for the passage of the water intended to be heated and
the supply of an apparatus for heating same by burning gas under a surface to be
heated and over which the water passes.
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism; Figure 2 is a back view.
Figure 3 is a front view; Figure 4 is a top view; Figure 5 is a general sectional
elevation and plan view of the apparatus on a smaller scale than the previous figures.
Figures 6 and 7 shew a modified arrangement of the apparatus shewing the
counterweights all placed in the interior of the apparatus and raised by a key passed
into an orifice formed for that purpose. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are respectively enlarged
detail views in side, back elevation and plan shewing the main gas tap and parts
connected therewith and operating thereby as is shewn at Figures 1 to 6.
A is a lever with a counter or balance weight a fixed to a horizontal shaft B
forming the key of a gas inlet tap C for the supply of the burner D. In the inactive
position the apparatus carries the counterweight rod raised, that is, when the
admission taps are closed; this rod A when it as hereafter described is caused to fall
so as to describe the arc of a circle, it opens the admission tap. The counterweight
rod is allowed to fall by the action of an automatic unlatching device consisting of a
disc 6 carried by the shaft B and having a notch on the periphery in which notch the
tail end of a latch E Figure 3 enters and is held by means of a spring e and the said
latch is provided with a contact head or pin el bearing against a metal plate F which

page_text: is caused to change its volume by the influence of heat produced by a movable
burner G which is supplied by turning a key K opening a gas supply H branched on
the principal pipe of the large burner D.
When it is desired to heat the water necessary for the supply of a bath (the
apparatus being in the normal position Figure 1) all that is necessary is to turn the
key K which allows gas to flow into the small burner G placed under the plate F
and when this small burner is lighted by hand there is nothing else to do but to wait
for the gas and water passages to open automatically by the simple effect of the
change of volume of the metal plate F and by means of the mechanism hereafter
described.
It should be remarked that the rod forming the key K carries a lever L best seen
at Figure 3 provided with a counterweight which is raised when a turn is given to
the said key K to admit gas to the small burner.
We have before stated that the balance lever A is maintained in the raised position
by the shaft B on which it is fixed carrying a disc b provided with a notch the said
disc being held by the tail of a pawl or latch E maintained in the said notch by the
pressure of a spring e (Fig. 3); when the plate of metal F is heated to a certain
degree it will on account of its consequent change of volume press on the contact
head of the said latch E and will overcome the resistance of the spring e and thus
force the latch to turn on its axis so that the tail becoming disengaged from the
notch of the disc b releases balance lever A which on being no longer held in position
will fall acting as a turn key in relation to the horizontal shaft B terminating in the
gas distribution tap to the large burner D. This movement of the lever A will thus
turn on the gas at the same time as the water, the latter by the means hereafter to be
described.
The shaft B is connected to the gas burner G by having fixed to the end of the
plug protruding from the cock C a cam N which when the shaft B revolves, acts in
one end of a fork ended lever O fulcrummed about its centre.
The shaft B is caused to revolve by the counterpoise A falling, by which the cam N
is also revolved acting on the lower arm of the fork O and causing it to rock its
fulcrum shaft P" which is thus slightly turned. This fulcrum shaft P" has a
projecting bent arm M' fixed thereto, and which acts on an arm N' which is fixed
to the hollow plug of the cock M from which plug the gas branch tube G proceeds.
When the cam M presses against the fork either in an upward direction when the
counterpoise A is raised, or downwards when the counterpoise falls, the joint motion
of the fulcrum shaft P with that of the fork O will cause the bent arm M¹ to act on
the rod N' in such manner that the plug of the cock M by revolving will bring the
small burner towards the plate F¹ or remove it therefrom all according to the direction.
of motion.
Supposing that the small burner G has been brought by the movement of the
lever A under the large burner D that is to say it has left its position under the metal
plate F and is brought under the large burner D which at the same time receives its.
supply of gas, the movement of the small burner G being produced as hereinbefore
described. The small burner G then lights the large burner D which is composed of
small tubes provided with small passage apertures.
As before stated the water passage also opens (Figure 2) by the fall of the balance
lever A acting on the plug of the gas tap (which forms the prolongation of the
shaft B) carrying the eccentric N working in the fork 0 pivotted at P" and its
extending arm forming with the downward arm P an extension of the movement.
The downward arm P is connected by a pin in slot with a lever Q terminating in a
piston or valve placed in a chamber R to open or close the water inlet according as
the eccentric N makes the mechanism O P to rise or fall. The play of the piston or
valve placed in the chamber R opens and closes the passage for water into the
conduit. The eccentric N receiving rotary motion from the shaft B is placed in such
manner as to push on the fork O at the same time that it opens the gas passage to
the large burner in such manner that the admission and cutting off of the gas and.
water is effected at one and the same time.

page_text: When the water tap is open, the liquid arrives by the tube S and it is conducted by
the tube T terminating if desired by a watering rose (Fig. 5) placed above the
heating surface Z on which the water passes before entering the bath. The gas
arrives by the pipe U and passes, when the small burner alone is supplied, through
the bent piece whilst when the two burners are open the gas passes also by the
passage W (on which the tap worked by the shaft B or balance lever A is placed) to
be delivered and distributed into the tubes forming (by their combination) the large
burner.
When it is desired to close the apparatus after it has been in operation it is only
necessary to raise the lever A to cause it to assume the position shewn at Fig. 1 and
in dotted lines at Figs. 2 and 3 this movement causing the disc b to turn and the said
disc 6 carrying a pin 6' will push or strike against a pivotted catch or paul I
Figure 1 on the rod L carrying the counterweight of the key K. The pressure of
the pin 6 will cause the counterweight to fall thus closing the small admission tap
for the burner. The catch or paul I is loose in one direction and fast in the other so
that it can only act upon the lever L when the disc 6 turns in the opposite direction
to that in which it rotates when the large counterweight A falls.
The fall of the lever is deadened by a bearing X placed on an inclined plane x
Figures 2, 3 and 4.
The advantages of this system of heating are that it is only necessary to turn a
single key (the key K) for the admission of gas and water in a heating apparatus for
baths or other purposes the admission taking place simultaneously or nearly so. It
results from this that there is no fear from deterioration of the apparatus from the
fact that by negligence or other reasons the different taps are not opened or closed
when necessary or for other reasons common in these kind of machines.
We should add that when the metal plate which forms the.agent for disengagement
has produced its effect it is or may be cooled by the passage of cold water passing
through it, by a passage being formed therein to which there is a small tube
branched onto the water passage. This water after having passed over or through
the plate is conveyed by a tube y¹ into the bath for example or where desired.
The complete mechanism is enclosed in a suitable envelope with the counterweight A
and key K projecting, the whole being surmounted by a receiver intended for the
passage of the water to be heated Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a heating apparatus for heating water for baths and other purposes, the
employment and combination of a metal plate the change of volume of which
(produced by variations of heat) works or releases a system of levers with counter-
weights operating keys for opening and closing the supply passages and sub-
stantially as described and shewn with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for heating in combination with a metal plate F hereinbefore
described the employment of a latch acted on by the said metal plate such action
being produced by variations of temperature and the said latch being employed to
govern the opening or closing of valves or taps for the admission of supply sub-
stantially as described and shewn with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for heating water for baths and other purposes, the employment
and combination of one or several balance levers for opening or closing the gas
admission or other combustible and liquid to be heated and combined with rods
forming plugs of the taps substantially as described and illustrated with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
'
4. In apparatus for heating water for baths and other purposes the employment
and combination of a small burner placed against or in proximity to a metal plate for
heating and capable of being withdrawn automatically when its action has produced
its required effect substantially as shewn and described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. The arrangement of apparatus for heating, acting by a metal plate acting by
reason of change in its volume according to the degree of heat applied thereto,
combined with a system of balance levers, eccentrics transmitting the movements of
shafts or of the shaft carrying it or the balance levers on a fork or other analogous
arrangement with the object of opening the water admission or other liquid to be
heated substantially as shewn and described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
6. The arrangement of mechanism forming an apparatus for the supply and heating
of water for baths and other purposes whether the different movements be produced
by unlatching or latching by balance weights or spring all substantially as described
and shewn with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th dow of Anomat 1007