Improvements in and relating to Domestic Hot Water Supply Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Jec., 1894
Improvements in and relating to Domestic Hot Water Supply
Apparatus.
I, HENRY DOWNING MATHIAS, of 15 Great Crosshall Street Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to domestic hot water supply apparatus and the object is to
prevent freezing and the consequent stoppage of water in such apparatus in frosty
weather.
I will describe my invention as applied to the arrangement most generally in use
for supplying hot water, which consists of a boiler having inlet and outlet pipes
connecting it to a hot water cylinder which acts as a reservoir for the hot water.
In addition to the pipes connecting the cylinder to the boiler, the former is
connected to the supply cistern by a supply pipe and it is also provided with an
expansion pipe carried to the top of the dwelling and, opening at its top end to the
atmosphere; this last mentioned pipe acts as an escape pipe for the steam, and the
It is found in the arrangement
hot water supply pipes usually branch off from it.
described that the freezing of the water usually occurs at the end of the expansion
pipe or in the main supply pipe where it enters the cistern, and I accordingly
arrange my apparatus so that heat may, when desired, be conveniently and
continuously supplied to these parts or of course to any other parts at which
experience may have shown, the freezing is likely to occur.
I provide a small boiler of copper or other suitable material, adapted to be
heated by oil or gas which I place in any convenient position.
The boiler is supplied with water from the supply cistern preferably by means of
a syphon which passes over the side of the cistern; near the bottom of the cistern
the end of the syphon pipe may be turned up and fitted with a non-return valve so
that in event of the cistern running dry, the syphon will not lose its water, nor will
the water from the boiler syphon back to the cistern.
I also lead a pipe from this boiler somewhat analogous to the expansion pipe of
the hot water cylinder, which I will term the boiler expansion pipe; this latter
pipe opens into the ordinary expansion pipe at or near the water level therein and
it is in some cases coiled round the expansion pipe adjacent to those parts at which
the freezing takes place.
The syphon pipe may be carried over the cistern side close to the main inlet so
that the heat from the former prevents the water in the latter from freezing. In
some cases I may use more than one boiler expansion pipe, or may lead branches
from the latter, the various expansion pipes or branches being led to those places
which it is desired to keep warm.
The boiler may be placed as already stated in any convenient position but
I prefer to place it in the same room as, and at or about the same level as the
bottom of the supply cistern, as this construction admits of the apparatus being self
contained and easily applied.
The action is as follows;-The boiler being initially filled and the lamp or gas
applied, the water in the boiler as it becomes heated ascends to the highest parts

page_text: of the expansion and syphon pipes and gives up its heat to the parts which require
to be kept warm, the cooler water taking its place in the boiler. I find that when
the heat applied to the boiler is moderate the hot water does not pass the top bend
of the syphon, being cooled by the supply water and this prevents steam being
formed at the bend.
When the heat applied to the boiler is greater, I find the hot water may pass
back over the bend of the syphon when ebullition occurs if no non-return valve be
fitted to the syphon, but the vapour which may follow is immediately condensed by
the supply water, and the boiler is immediately resupplied.
It will be seen that my invention is applicable to other forms of hot water
apparatus than that described, and that the heat may be supplied to such portions
of the apparatus as may be desired.
Dated this 19th day of February 1894
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Domestic Hot Water Supply
Apparatus.
I, HENRY DOWNING MATHIAS, formerly of 15 Great Crosshall Street, but now
of 140 Smithdown Road, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Plumber, 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 domestic hot water supply apparatus and the object is to
prevent freezing and the consequent stoppage of water in such apparatus in frosty
weather.
I will describe my invention as applied to the arrangement most generally in use
for supplying hot water, which consists of a boiler having inlet and outlet pipes
connecting it to a hot water cylinder which acts as a reservoir for the hot water.
In addition to the pipes connecting the cylinder to the boiler, the former is
connected to the supply cistern by a supply pipe and it is also provided with
an expansion pipe carried to the top of the dwelling and opening at its top end to
the atmosphere; this last mentioned pipe acts as an escape pipe for the steam, and
the hot water supply pipes usually branch off from it. It is found in the
arrangement described that the freezing of the water usually occurs at the end of
the expansion pipe or in the main supply pipe where it enters the cistern or in the
cistern, and I accordingly arrange my apparatus so that heat may, when desired, be
conveniently and continuously supplied to these parts or of course to any other parts
at which experience may have shown the freezing is likely to occur.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, Fig. I is an
elevation of the general arrangement of the apparatus, and Figs. II and III are
detail views of suitable forms of boilers.
I provide a small boiler 1 of copper or other suitable material adapted to be
heated by oil or gas; the boiler may be of the ordinary type as shown in Fig. II
or of the tubular type as shown in Fig. III and is preferably of the shape shown in
these figures. The boiler, which is suitably supported over the gas jet or oil lamp,
is placed in any convenient position, usually near the cistern 2 but at a somewhat
lower level, and is fed by means of a syphon pipe 3 which passes over the side of
the cistern; the end of the syphon pipe may be turned up and provided with
a non-return valve, but I find it more convenient to provide a small reservoir 4 into

page_text: hich the end of the syphon pipe dips, and which serves to keep it charged in event
the cistern being temporarily emptied.
I also lead a pipe 5 from the boiler 1 which I will term the boiler expansion pipe;
this latter pipe may be coiled round the main expansion pipe 6 adjacent to those
parts at which the freezing takes place. In some cases I may use more than one
boiler expansion pipe but I prefer, as shown in the drawings, to lead a branch 5¹ of
the boiler expansion pipe to those positions which it is desired to keep warm,
the pipe 5 being preferably coiled round the pipe to be kept warm as shown
in Fig. I.
The pipe 5 may, as stated, be coiled round the pipe to be kept warm; but
I prefer to so coil the branch pipe 5' and to lead the pipe 5 as shown in Fig. I, its
upper end being bent over the cistern in which position it helps to keep the water
in the main inlet pipe 7 from freezing, and at the same time keeps the water in the
cistern warm in consequence of the hot water and steam which it ejects from time
to time, as explained hereinafter.
The syphon pipe 3 is also led near the supply main 7 so that the heat from the
former prevents the water in the latter freezing.
The action is as follows;-The boiler being initially filled and the lamp or gas
applied, the water in the boiler as it becomes heated ascends to the highest parts of
the expansion and syphon pipes and gives up its heat to the parts which require to
be kept warm, the cooler water taking its place in the boiler. I find that when the
heat applied to the boiler is moderate the hot water does not pass the top
bend of the syphon, being cooled by the supply water and this prevents steam being
formed at the bend.
When the heat applied to the boiler is greater, I find the hot water may pass
back over the bend of the syphon when ebullition occurs if no non-return valve be
fitted to the syphon, but any vapour which may follow is immediately condensed.
I have found however that if the highest point of the pipe 5 be not at too high a
level above the water in the cistern, the hot water and steam will, when ebullition
takes place, be forced out through the pipe 5 instead of through the syphon pipe
and the cooler water from the cistern will pass into the boiler through the syphon
pipe and lower the temperature and so stop the ebullition. Ebullition thus takes
place periodically, and water and steam is periodically ejected from the apparatus
through the pipe 5.
When a brauch pipe 51 is fitted I arrange it so that it connects the expansion.
pipe 5 to the lower portion of the boiler 1, the point where it branches from the
pipe 5 being below the level of the water in the cistern. I find that between the
times of ebullition the water in the branch pipe circulates from its highest point
down to the boiler; this circulation being due to the cooling of the water in the
branch pipe 5 at those points where it is in contact with the pipe to be kept warm.
In order to promote this circulation I connect the pipe 5 to the highest point of the
boiler and in some cases, as shown in Figs. I and II, I fit a closed pipe 8 opening
into the top portion of the boiler and from which the pipe
branches.
In this way the water in the expansion pipe 6, the main supply pipe 7 and the
cistern 2 is kept sufficiently warm to prevent freezing.
It will be seen that my invention is applicable to other forms of hot water supply
apparatus than that described, and that it is susceptibie of modification; although
the form illustrated in the drawings, in which a branch pipe 5¹ is fitted, is the most
reliable. It will also be seen that heat may be supplied to those parts at which
experience shows freezing is most likely to take place.
It will also be seen that the service of pipes connected with the auxiliary boiler 1
is quite distinct from the main hot water supply service, and I attach considerable
importance to this fact, for, inasmuch as there is no connection between the interiors
of the two sets of pipes, (except of course that they both obtain their supply from
the cistern initially), the action of my apparatus is not affected, so long as
there is water in the cistern 2, by any derangement of the hot water supply
service.

page_text: 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. In combination with a domestic hot water supply apparatus; an auxiliary
boiler fed with water from the supply cistern by means of a syphon pipe and
provided with an open-ended branched expansion pipe through which the heated
water from the boiler is caused to flow, the said pipes being so arranged that the
heat from the auxiliary boiler is transferred to those portions of the hot water
supply apparatus where freezing is likely to take place; substantially as described
and illustrated.
2. The improvement in domestic hot water supply apparatus, substantially as
described and illustrated in reference to Fig. I of the drawings.
Dated this 19th day of November 1894.
]
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.