Improvements in Hot Water Heating Apparatus, and in Means for Regulating the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application. 14th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[Communicated from abroad by ANDREW MERCER, of Brooklyn, County of
Kings, State of New York, U.S.A.]
Improvements in Hot Water Heating Apparatus, and in Means for
Regulating the same.
HERMANN MUNZING of 199, Upper Thaines Street in the City and County of
London American Merchant 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 means for heating buildings by hot water circulation and
the object of said invention is, first: to attain a high temperature consistently with
low pressure and to attain a higher temperature than could heretofore be attained
with safety in hot water heating apparatus, thereby obtaining the advantages of
steam heating systems together with economy of construction and secondly to
automatically regulate the temperature of the water at any desired range from
say, 140° to 225°.
My invention consists of controlling, by means of a hydrostatic pressure, the
temperature of a hot water circulating system. My invention also consists in
controlling the supply of an element of combustion, for instance; the air draft of
the furnace, by means of the variations in pressure of a hydrostatic column,
determined by the volume of a body of liquid subjected to the temperature of the
fire; and my said invention further consists in certain improved apparatus, herein-
after described and pointed out in the appended claims. The invention may be
found useful in various applications; I herewith illustrate the same in its application
to heating buildings. The advantage of the invention in this particular application
herein described, consists in that the high temperature attained in low pressure
steam heating systems, may be also attained in the use of hot water heating
systems, at much less cost of apparatus and with greater accuracy and safety, on
account of the comparatively low pressure, on which my improved water heating
system can be worked, at a given high temperature. In order to enable others
skilled in the art, to which my invention appertains, to understand and use the
same, I will proceed to describe suitable details for carrying it into practice,
explain its operation and subsequently point out, in the appended claims, its novel
characteristics. I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate a systein of circulation
or radiating pipes, as they may be of the ordinary construction and connected with
the heating apparatus in any well known manner.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1, is a sectional elevation of a building, showing in elevation a regulating
apparatus embodying my improvement.
Referring by reference characters to the drawing, 2, designates the furnace and
water circulating apparatus. This furnace and water circulating apparatus may be
of any improved construction. It comprises, an ash pit having a door 4; the bot
water drum 8, having suitable connections with the circulating chambers, and the
return water drum 10, communicating with the lower portion of the circulating
chambers.
A check draft damper 12, is connected to the smoke flue and opens to the
atmosphere. The ash pit door 4, also serves as a damper and both dampers are
alternately opened and closed, to regulate or control the supply of an element of
combustion to the furnace, by means now to be described.
14 and 16 designate water circulating pipes, communicating with the hot water
The pipe 14, is an uptake
drum 8, and one or both of the return water drums 10.

page_text: and leads from the hot water drum 8, and the pipe 16 is a downtake, leading into
the return water drum 10.
At the upper ends the pipes, 14 and 16, communicate with an expansion tank 18,
so that the pipe 14, the expansion tank 18 and the pipe 16, constitute in effect, a
single or continuous conduit from the drum 8, to the drum 10.
The space between the water surface and the top wall of the closed expansion
tank 18, provides an air chamber and the air stored therein forms an air cushion for
the water pressure.
A valve controlled vent, tube 20, extends from the top of the expansion tank.
22 is a hydrostatic pressure pipe, here shown as connected to the pipe 16, below
the expansion tank 18, and extended up through the roof of the building A.
The pipe has an unobstructed passage throughout its length, and, in addition to
its service for hydrostatic pressure, it may serve as a relief outlet, should the water,
under undue expansion, reach the outlet thereof.
This undue expansion, however, could never occur when all the parts are
unobstructed or in a working condition.
It will be readily understood by those acquainted with hydraulics that by
extending the vertical height of an open or low pressure water heating apparatus
an additional pressure is exerted by the weight of water on the lower portions of
the apparatus which pressure is proportionate to the height or weight of the column
of water over it and is said to be equal to 1 lbs. per square inch for every 2 feet 4 in.
of vertical height.
If, therefore, the pipe 22 be made long enough to have the level of the water
column say 30 feet above the highest circulating coil or radiator an additional
pressure of 13 lbs. over and above the ordinary atmospheric pressure can be carried
in the lower heating system enabling the water in the circulating pipes to be
heated up to 225° Fahrenheit before it could reach boiling point or generate
steam.
•
This would result in as high a temperature being attained in a hot water
apparatus as is generally attained in a low pressure steam heating system without
any undue or dangerous pressure being created as would be the case in a closed
apparatus.
The expansion tank 18, is designed to be placed in any convenient part of the
building, provided it is located at a point above the highest radiator or coil in the
heating system. For convenience in ascertaining the temperature and height of
water in the expansion tank 18, I may attach a watergauge, 24, thereto, and a
thermometer 26, to the pipe 14, or at any other convenient place. 28. designates a
casing within which is arranged a movable part, here shown as a flexible
diaphragm 30, dividing the interior of the casing into chambers, the lower one of
which communicates, in this example of my improvement with the hydrostatic
pressure pipe 22, through a pipe 32. A stem 34, extends from the diaphragm 30,
through the wall of the casing 28 and has a connection with the lever 36,
fulcrummed to a fixed part, which may be a bracket 38, extending from the
casing 28.
An adjustable counterbalance 40, is arranged on the lever 36, and by adjusting
this counterbalance the pressure required to deflect the diaphragm may be regulated
to any required standard.
•
From one end of the lever 36, a connection 42, extends to the fulcrummed
damper 3, having a connection 3, at one end with the check draft damper 12, and
from the outer end of the damper 3, a connection 47, to extend to the draft
damper or ash pit doors 4.
The expansion tank is of sufficient size to allow for the increase in volume of
the water, during a rising temperature prior to the operation of a hydrostatic
column. By the combination of air and water in the tank, the rising of the water
pressure will increase the volume in the tank and initially compress the air cushion.
A further rise in temperature will force the water up in the hydrostatic pressure
pipe, which is preferably of smaller internal diameter than the pipes 14 and 16

page_text: and this hydrostatic pressure operating to deflect the diaphragm 30, will raise the
lever 36, and consequently rock the lever 3, to close the ash pit door 4 and open
the check draft 12. Conversely a diminished combustion and a lowering of the
water temperature will cause the water to fall in the pipe 22, and reduce the
pressure on the diaphragm and allow the weight 40, to operate the lever 36 and
through it, rock the lever 3, to close the check draft damper 12 and open the ash
pit door 4.
If a higher degree of heat or temperature is desired the weight 40, may be moved
outwards on the lever 36, which will cause the water in the tank, to still further
compress the air cushion before the water rises in the pipe 22. This result may be
accomplished by allowing a portion of the air to escape from the tank 18.
An important advantage of the invention consists in that the rapidity of the
circulation of water through the heating pipes, is promoted, owing to the high
temperature acquired consistently with the low pressure. The working pressure
of the apparatus as regulated herein, is only sufficient to prevent the water boiling,
at the temperature chosen to be employed.
By locating the regulator in a part of the building readily accessible to the
occupant, he may pre-determine the temperature at pleasure by the adjustment of
the weight, 40. The regulator may be obviously placed in the basement near or
upon the heating apparatus 2.
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. The method which consists in controlling the supply of an element of com-
bustion, by the variations in pressure of a hydrostatic column determined by a body
of liquid, subjected to the temperature of the fire.
2. The method of regulating a draft, consisting in applying a hydrostatic pressure
to a movable part having connection with a draft mechanism.
3. The combination of a hot water system, with a hydrostatic column, for
controlling the temperature of the same, substantially as specified.
4. The combination with a draft mechanism, of a movable part, having connection
with the draft mechanism, and a hydrostatic column, for causing a movement of
said movable part, substantially as specified.
.5. The combination with draft mechanism of a furnace and a water circulating
means, of an uptake leading from said water circulating means, a downtake
extending to said water circulating means, an expansion tank with which said uptake
and downtake communicate and having air stored therein, the hydrostatic pressure
pipe and a movable part operated by variations of pressure in said pipe, and having
connection with draft mechanism, substantially as specified.
6. The combination with a furnace and water circulating means connected there-
with, of a circulating conduit. comprising of an uptake, an expansion chamber and
a dowutake, a hydrostatic pressure pipe, having an uninterrupted opening,
throughout its length and a movable part, adapted to be operated by a pressure in
said pipe to regulate an element of combustion in the furnace, substantially as
specified.
7. The combination with a furnace and water drums, of a circulating pipe
connecting to the expansion tank, having an air cushion above the water level
therein, a valve for regulating said air cushion, a hydrostatic pressure pipe,
connecting with said circulating pipe, a movable part operated by a pressure in
said hydrostatic pressure pipe, and a connection between said movable part and a
damper or dampers on the furnace, substantially as specified.
Dated this 14th do
1000
HERMANN MUNZING.