IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MEANS OF UTILISING WASTE HEAT OF KITCHEN RANGES, AND OF WATER-HEATING, Annin
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Jackson, of the City and County of Edinburgh,
North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MEANS OF
UTILISING WASTE HEAT OF KITCHEN RANGES, AND OF WATER-HEATING,
Annin"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Jackson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1881.
0
THOMAS JACKSON, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MEANS OF UTILISING WASTE HEAT OF KITCHEN
RANGES, AND OF WATER HEATING, CIRCULATING, AND SUPPLYING APPARATUS."
This Invention has reference to a novel arrangement of the hot and cold water
pipes of dwelling houses within a shaft or shafts leading up to the water supply
cistern or cisterns, and through which waste hot gases from the kitchen range or
air heated thereby are directed to prevent freezing of such pipes or cisterns, and to
the construction or arrangement of hot and cold water supply cisterns with close
covers and movable divisions or partitions to be opened during cold weather to
allow the steam or hot vapour rising from the hot water cistern to act on the
surface of the cold water and on the ball cock or other similar fittings to prevent
the action of frost thereon.
In connection with the improvements referred to as designed for utilising waste
heat to prevent the action of frost on the water supply pipes and fittings, I place
all water cisterns used for domestic or culinary purposes where practicable upon or
close to the floor of the flats above where they are required, or in such a manner
as to give ready and immediate means of access for cleansing or other purposes, and
so as to prevent dust or other disagreeable or poisonous vapours from getting
access to the water in them.
The hot and cold water pipes or soil pipes, whether perpendicular or angled, are
by these improvements placed within a wooden or other shaft of suitable shape and.
size, mainly terminating at its upper extremity beneath the hot or cold water
cisterns and other piping.
The upper cold and hot water cisterns are placed next to each other, so that the
warm air generated in the said shaft from the hot water pipes and circulating
cylinder shall partially heat the cold water pipes and fittings, and prevent their
being injured by frost. The circulating cylinder is placed at a lower and inter-
mediate level, preferably next the dining room flat cistern, and is fitted with a
safety valve, discharging either into the said dining-room flat cistern or other

page_text: intermediate cistern, or into the over-flow pipe leading from the same. The upper
end of the warm air shafting is made to terminate in a compartment immediately
beneath the hot and cold water cistern, within which compartment the pipe
junctions to these cisterns are placed, and the warm air within the shaft may be
permitted to rise into a specially enclosed compartment enclosing the hot and cold
water cisterns, and may thence escape by means of a pipe or shaft fitted with a
movable valve or other outlet.
When this mode of keeping up the temperature of the water in these enclosed
cisterns is adopted it will be advisable to enclose the soil pipes in another com-
partment of the hot air shaft than that in which the clean water pipes are
enclosed.
The bottom end of the main shafting referred to may either be made to draw
warm air from a suitably formed and safe. inlet entering from any part of the
kitchen range or fire place, but preferably from a hot air flue running either
parallel or close to the fire place, or along the back of it, the inlet to which would
be fitted to open and close at pleasure, or from a warm air flue or compartment
formed round any part of the kitchen or other chimney vent.
The inlet to the said compartment or hot air flue could be made to act as a
ventilator for the kitchen, and the hot air shaft might also serve for ventilating
purposes during summer.
In winter or in cold weather the checking or shutting of the outlet rising from
the compartment beneath the hot and cold cisterns would control or close off the
escape of hot air from it altogether.
A further improvement of this Invention consists in having the hot and cold
water cisterns or tanks or compartments fitted with a carefully fitted lid with a
movable division so placed as to permit the steam and heated air generated above
the water in the upper hot tank to act on the surface of the water in the cold
cistern next it, and upon the ball cock or fittings connected therewith in such a
manner as to prevent the cold water within the cistern and water fittings from
freezing during winter.
The said movable division, which may either be a slide, a folding or a revolving
sash, or the like, may be fitted so as to be instantaneously opened or shut during
different states of the weather, and it may be made to fold off, and thereby open
the orifice in the hot water cistern lid conducting into the ascending shaft to the
roof. Any of the other supply cisterns and apparatus in the other flats may be
kept warm enough to prevent freezing by similar communications with the
ascending hot air shafting. The cistern in the dining room flat next which the
intermediate hot water cylinder or tank is placed as aforesaid might be. specially
or separately enclosed along with it. The warmth generated round the said
intermediate tank could therefore when required be admitted to the surface of the
water in the cold cistern next it by means of the movable opening, in a similar
manner to that previously described in connection with the upper hot and cold
water cistern.
The use of these latter cisterns can when desired be wholly dispensed with, the.
whole apparatus and pipes connected with them be emptied, and the high pressure
boiler can then be fed from the cistern in dining room or any other intermediate
flat when that is considered desirable.
When the dining room flat cistern is used for that purpose, if it is deemed
desirable the safety valve attached to the hot water cylinder next it may be
opened into the dining room. flat cistern or waste pipe, if required for an escape
steam or safety pipe, or the ascending pipes (to the upper hot water cistern from.
the intermediate tank) will form an excellent escape for steam, and the warmth
thus conveyed upwards through these pipes to the upper cisterns will be very
useful in keeping up the temperature there..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
-
the said Thomas Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd November
1881.
THOMAS JACKSON, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MEANS OF UTILISING WASTE HEAT OF KITCHEN
RANGES, AND OF WATER HEATING, CIRCULATING, AND SUPPLYING APPARATUS."
My said Invention has reference to a novel arrangement of the hot and cold
water pipes of dwelling houses within a shaft or shafts leading up to the water
supply cistern or cistern or other apparatus, and through which waste hot gases
from the kitchen range, or air heated thereby, are directed to prevent freezing of
such pipes or cisterns, and to the construction or arrangement of hot and cold
water supply cisterns with close covers and movable divisions or partitions to be
opened during cold weather to allow the steam or hot vapour rising from the hot
water cistern to act on the surface of the cold water, and on the ball cocks or other
similar fittings to prevent the action of frost thereon.
In connection with the improvements referred to, as designed for utilizing waste
heat to prevent the action of frost on the water supply pipes and fittings, I place
all water cisterns used for domestic or culinary purposes where practicable upon
or close to the floor of the flats above where they are required, or in such a
manner as to give ready and immediate means of access for cleansing or other
purposes, and so as to prevent dust or other disagreeable or poisonous vapours from
getting access to the water in them.
The hot and cold water pipes or soil pipes, whether perpendicular or angled, are
by these improvements placed within a wooden or other shaft of suitable shape
and size, mainly terminating at its upper extremity beneath the hot or cold water
cisterns and other piping. The upper cold and hot water. cisterns are placed next
to each other, so that the warm air generated in the said shaft from the hot water
pipes and circulating cylinder shall partially heat the cold water pipes and fittings,
and prevent their being injured by frost. The circulating cylinder is placed at a
lower and intermediate level, preferably next the dining-room flat cistern, and is
fitted with a safety valve discharging either into the said dining-room flat cistern
or other intermediate cistern, or into the overflow pipe leading from the same. The
upper end of the warm air shafting is made to terminate in a compartment imme-
diately beneath the hot and cold water cisterns, within which compartment the pipe
junctions to these cisterns are placed; and the warm air within the shaft may be
permitted to rise into a specially enclosed compartment enclosing the hot and cold
water cisterns, and may thence escape by means of a pipe or shaft fitted with a
movable valve or other outlet. When this mode of keeping up the temperature
of the water in these enclosed cisterns is adopted, it will be advisable to enclose
the soil pipes in another compartiment of the hot air shaft than that in which the
clean water pipes are enclosed. The bottom end of the main shafting referred to
may either be made to draw warm air from a suitably formed and safe inlet
entering from any part of the kitchen range or fire-place, but preferably from a
hot air flue running either parallel or close to the fire place, or along the back of
it, the inlet of which would be fitted to open and close at pleasure, or from a
warm air flue or compartment formed round any part of the kitchen or other
chimney vent. The inlet to the said compartment or hot air flue or shafting could
also be made to admit the air from the outside of the house during summer, or
cool air might be admitted direct into the wood shafting when the said hot air
inlet and hot air flue are closed.
In winter or in cold weather the checking or shutting of the outlet rising from

page_text: the compartment beneath the hot and cold cistern would control or close off the
escape of hot air from it altogether.
A further improvement of this Invention consists in having the hot and cold
water cisterns or tanks or compartments fitted with a carefully fitted lid with. a
movable division, so placed as to permit the steam and heated air generated above
the water in the upper hot tank to act on the surface of the water in the cold
cistern next it, and upon the ball-cock or fittings connected therewith, in such a
manner as to prevent the cold water within the cistern or cisterns and water
fittings from freezing during winter.
The said movable division which may either be a slide, a folding, or a revolving
sash or the like, may be fitted so as to be instantaneously opened or shut during
different states of the weather, and it may be made to fold off and thereby open
the orifice in the hot water cistern lid conducting into the ascending shaft to the
roof. Any of the other supply cisterns and apparatus in the other flats may be
kept warm enough to prevent freezing by similar communications with the
ascending hot air shafting.
The cistern in the dining-room flat next which the intermediate hot water
cylinder or tank is placed as aforesaid might be specially or separately enclosed
along with it. The warmth generated round the said intermediate tank could
therefore when required be admitted to the surface of the water in the cold
cistern next it by means of a movable opening in a similar manner to that
previously described in connection with the upper hot and cold water cisterns.
The use of these latter cisterns can when desired be wholly dispensed with, the
whole apparatus and pipes connected with them be emptied, and the high pressure
boiler can then be fed from the cistern in dining-room or any other intermediate
flat, or from a cistern on its own level or otherwise, when that is considered
desirable, as set forth in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and
dated February 2nd, 1881 (No. 440). When the dining-room flat cistern is used
for that purpose, if it is deemed desirable, the safety valve attached to the hot-
water cylinder next it may be opened into the dining-room flat cistern or waste
pipe if required for an escape steam or safety valve pipe, or the ascending pipes
(to the upper hot water cistern from the intermediate tank) will form an excellent
escape for steam; and the warmth thus conveyed upwards through these pipes to
the upper cistern will be very useful in keeping up the temperature there.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be fully understood, I have hereunto appended for that purpose an explanatory
Drawing which I shall now describe, and showing an arrangement or modification
of my improved hot air shafting and fittings for utilizing the waste heat of kitchen
ranges, and of water heating cisterns and pipes.
This Drawing represents a vertical section of a dwelling house, of which A is
the kitchen flat; B, the dining room flat; C, the drawing room flat; C, the bed
room flat; and D, the attics or top flat where the main water supply and hot water
cisterns are usually fitted. An ordinary fire range E is shown in the kitchen
provided with a pressure hot-water boiler E', to and from which the ordinary
water supply pipe e, hot ascension pipe el, and circulating hot-water pipe e are
led along the walls of the kitchen, and up to and through the various flats above
to the supply cisterns F, F', for supplying hot and cold water throughout the
house.
.seen.
By one improvement of my Invention these hot and cold water pipes are encased
or covered in by wooden or other boarding G which forms a hollow tube or shaft,
the back of which may rest against the wall if desired, and the front being à
board, which is partly removed in the Drawing, to admit of the pipes e, e¹, e², being
This hollow shafting G is fitted in connection with or forms a continuation
of a hot flue or shaft G' fitted in the fire-place, and carried alongside the fire-grate
or other convenient part, such as is shown in the Drawing, where the flue GL is
fitted close to the pressure boiler E¹, and admits air from the kitchen by means of
an opening g, by preference in the jamb of the fire-place, or it may be in the front

page_text: of the grate, fitted with a sliding or other opening and closing door gl to admit or
shut off the admission of air as desired. The air entering through the opening g
and passing through the flue. G¹ is heated by radiation from the fire, and by the
proximity of the boiler E', and ascends in a warm state through the shafting G
containing the hot and cold, water pipes circulating and supplying the water
throughout the house. In addition to this admission of hot air from the region of
the fire-place, the air within the shafting is heated by radiation from the hot water
ascension and circulating pipes e', e, and from the hot tank H, which in many
cases, and when the outside temperature is not extremely low, may suffice to
prevent freezing of the cold water supply or other pipes placed within the
shafting G; but the circulation within the shafting G of air heated by the fire
or boiler will prevent freezing of the adjacent cold pipes within the shafting in
any condition of atmospheric temperature.
To prevent heating of the cold supply pipe e or other cold water pipes during
summer or warm weather, the door g¹, by which the air from the kitchen is
admitted to the shaft G, may be closed and a sliding or other closing door g³
opening to the shaft Gabove the fire-place E may be opened to admit the cool air,
and the kitchen may also be partially ventilated by this means.
The shaft G may
however be connected by a branch leading in from the outside of the house to the
opening door g² or other convenient part, which may be closed off during winter
and opened during summer to admit fresh air for ventilating or other purposes;
the door gl of the shaft G¹ being then closed to prevent the ascent of heated air,
and instead of the hot flue G being open to admit air from the kitchen, fresh air
from the outside may be admitted to this heating flue to supply the hot air shaft G
with pure hot air by means of a separate inlet, not shown in the Drawings.
The pipes e, e¹, e, from the boiler E lead up to intermediate hot tank H and cistern
H' in the dining-room flat B and to the hot and cold water supply cisterns F, FL, at
the top flat D, also supplying baths I or water closets and other accessories in the
intermediate flats, as set forth in the Specification of my former Patent referred to,
No. 440, February 2, 1881; and the branch pipes leading from the pipes in the
shafting G to the baths, closets, or other accessories, such as ex, are enclosed within
shafting, boarding, or cleading G2, forming branches or part of the shaft G. The
main water supply pipe e³ and overflow pipe e leading to and from the cold
water cistern Fi in the top flat of the house are also enclosed within the shafting G
to prevent freezing of these pipes in winter; and all branch water pipes, whether
hot or cold, leading from the main shaft G. to any part of the house, whether
horizontal, vertical, or inclined, are enclosed within shafting forming continuations
or branches of the shaft G.
The hot water tank H in the dining-room flat is enclosed within a chamber G³
connected to or forming an enlargement of the shaft G, and is covered with a lid h
which also covers the cold cistern. Between the tank H and cistern H¹ is fitted a
sliding division h³, which is indicated in the Drawing, can be withdrawn horizon-
tally, but which may be fitted so as to be, withdrawn or opened by swivelling or
by sliding up or down, or in any other convenient manner to open communication
between the compartment by which the tank H is enclosed and the top of the
cistern. This sliding or movable division is withdrawn or opened in cold
weather or during frost to allow the heat of the hot water tank H and heated air
from the shaft to impinge on the surface of the water in the cold water cistern H,
and on the ball-cock or other fittings (such as the safety valve h³) to prevent
freezing.
The hot and cold water cisterns F, F, at the top flap are also similarly fitted in
connection with the hot air shafting G, the hot cistern F being enclosed within a
compartment communicating direct with the shaft G, and the cold cistern F¹ being
also thus enclosed if desired, both cisterns being covered with a close fitting lid f
which may be hinged. The hot air from the air shafting G thus passes up round the
hot cistern, enters over the hot cistern through an opening, such as f*, and escapes
by the escape steam pipe f¹ or other opening to the roof or otherwise in ordinary

page_text: circumstances; but during frost, when there would be a liability of the water in
the cold cistern freezing, or of the cock f2.or other fittings becoming inoperative
by reason of frost, a hinged or other movable door or flap F2 fitted between the
cisterns F, F, is opened to admit the hot vapour from the hot cistern, and also the
hot air from the air shaft G. This flap or door F is, by preference, fitted as
shown, so that it can be operated by means of a cord or.wire f³ passing over
pulleys or through levers from any of the flats below, and so that also when
opening the communication between the cisterns F, F¹, it may close up against the
escape steam pipe f', and by preventing the escape of the steam ensure the desired
action of heating the cold cistern and its fittings.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement or construction and combination of appliances
for preventing the action of frost on water pipes, and cisterns, and their adjuncts,
in which such pipes, tanks, and cisterns are enclosed within shafting through which
air heated by the waste heat of the kitchen range and of the hot pipes and tanks
is circulated, and in which the hot and cold water cisterns or tanks are enclosed in
compartments fitted with movable divisions to admit heated air from such shafting
or the hot vapour from the hot to the cold cisterns, all substantially as described in
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. As means for utilizing waste heat of kitchen ranges, and of water
heating, circulating, and supplying apparatus, the enclosing within a hollow shaft
or shafting of the cold and hot-water pipes distributing water throughout the
apartments of houses, such shafting being supplied. with air heated by the fire
range to prevent the action of frost on the water pipes during winter, means being
provided for closing off the hot air supply and for admitting cool air to the shafting
in warm weather, all substantially as herein described in reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
Third. The enclosing of the hot and cold water cisterns or tanks of water
heating, circulating, and supplying apparatus within compartments fitted with
divisions which may be removed or opened to admit hot vapours from the hot
cistern, or the air heated by waste heat from the hot tank or cistern, or piping, or
from a hot air shaft heated by waste heat, of the fire range, such division being
made to slide, or being hinged or fitted, so that if required it may when opened to
form a free communication between the cisterns be made to close the exit or escape
steam pipe at the same time, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Jackson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THOMAS JACKSON. (L.S.)