Improvements in and relating to Electric Heaters.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 8th Apr.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Heaters.
I, EDWIN FORSYTHE PORTER, residing at 109, Bower Street, in the Town of
Roxbury, County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman, 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 relates to improvements in electric heating apparatus and is in the
nature of an improvement on the electric heating apparatus shown in Patent to
Mark W. Dewey, No. 5595, dated March 31st, 1891.
The object of my invention is to rapidly generate and diffuse heat from heat
developing electric conductors or resistances, the main object, however, being to
supply a combination of parts which will insure absolute safety to the apparatus
by means of the unity of its construction, which is the placing of the motor which
runs the fan and the heat developing electric resistance in series in the same
circuit, thereby rendering it impossible to run either the heater or the motor
independently; if the circuit be broken at any point the entire apparatus both
motor and heater becomes inoperative.
In actual practice with fan heaters one requirement and advantage is that the
heating wires are kept down to a low temperature by the rapid flow of the air from
the fan, and it has been necessary to caution those who use fan heaters to turn off
the heat before stopping the fan, or in cases of accident the motor circuit may
become disconnected leaving the heater in operation, and too high a temperature
would be produced endangering the heater and sacrificing one of the great
advantages of circulating the air freely over the heating surfaces which is realized
in a fan heater over the ordinary stationary electric heater.
By the arrangement disclosed it will be seen that it is impossible to run the
heater without running the fan at the same time, therefore rendering it impossible
to raise the temperature of the wires to too high a degree with the danger of
burning out the same, and when it is necessary to start the apparatus but one switch
is used for the purpose, and the heater and fan by the throw of this one switch are
started and stopped simultaneously.
In this apparatus the heating resistance takes the place of the ohmic resistance
obtained in the usual motor by numerous ampere windings of the armature and
field, as the current passing through the heater is cut down to the proper amperage
for the requisite heat and is passed through a few windings in the motor just
sufficient to give the proper magnetic force for running the fan. By this arrange-
ment it will be seen that the motor may be made much smaller and lighter and
at a much reduced cost from the commercial motors on the market
The motors used commercially
running on a high voltage, for instance, 110 volts.
on this voltage weigh about 20 or 25 pounds this weight seems to be a necessary
feature of these motors in order to get a sufficient amount of wire in the windings,
which amount as has been above stated, is greatly reduced by including the

page_text: necessary ohmic resistance in the heater itself. By this construction it is found in
practice that the motor may be made of one quarter the size and weight and
proportionally less in cost than the motors now in commercial use on 110 volts
circuit or thereabouts.
My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described and
particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my
invention--
Figure 1 is a plan view of an electrically heated fan and motor in series.
Figures 2 and 3 represent respectively a front and perspective view of the
same.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.
A represents an electric motor of any desired construction provided with a base B
by which it is secured in place. The shaft C operated by said motor carries on
its end the fan D fast thereon so as to revolve therewith and said fan consists
of a series of blades D¹. E represents an electric conductor through which the
current passes from a suitable source of electricity to the brush F and from said
brush F to the colector ring G fast on the shaft C and insulated therefrom. The
current then passes from said ring G through the wire H which is wrapped
around each of the blades of the fan to form on each of the blades the resistance J
for heating, and the end of said wire which is marked K passes through in-
sulation on the collector ring G and terminates in electric contact with the collector
ring L which is insulated from the shaft C and fast thereon. The current
then passes by the brush M to the wire N and from said wire to the binding post O
and from said binding post to the motor A to operate the same, and then to the
binding post P and then the current passes off by means of the conductor Q. secured
to said binding post.
By this arrangement it will be seen that the heating resistance takes the place
of the usual rheostat included in all motors and in which a great deal of heat is
generated. This heat, which is wasted in the ordinary construction, is utilized in
this arrangement in the heating part of the apparatus. By utilizing the current
in this way but a small percentage of energy is consumed in running the motor, as
the wire for the windings of the armature and field may be so large that nothing
is wasted in the motor in the form of heat. As shown and described, all the
heater is in series with the motor, but if desired, a part may be included in series
with the motor and one or more additional parts placed in parallel to admit of
varying the heat without varying the speed.
This arrangement of the heater and motor in series has been found very
advantageous in actual practice in the construction of small heaters for barbers and
hair-dresser's use, making the device extremely portable; also for use on a car
heater, where a high voltage would be used.
I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as the same
may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In an apparatus of the character specified, an electric heater, a fan for
removing or displacing the heat from said heater, and a motor in series in the same
circuit with said heater for operating said fan.
2. In an apparatus of the character specified, a fan, an electric heater mounted
on said fan. and a motor in series in the same circuit with said heater for
operating said fan to remove or displace the heated air from said heater.
3. In an apparatus of the character specified, an electric heater, a fan mounted
on the same support for removing or displacing the heated air from said heater.
and a motor in series in the same circuit with said heater for operating said fan.
4. In an apparatus of the character specified, a movable electric heater, and a

page_text: motor in series in the same circuit therewith to move the same for removing or
displacing the heated air therefrom.
5. In an apparatus of the character specified, a fan, an electric heat conductor
mounted upon the blades of said fan, and a motor in series in the same circuit
with said conductor for operating said fau to remove or displace the heated air
from said conductor.
Dated this 16th day of Lunam 1800
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.