An Improved System of Heating Buildings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
An Improved System of Heating Buildings.
I CHARLES ERNEST ALGER Laughton House Palmyra Place Newport,
Monmouthshire, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This system is designed with the intention of warming the fresh air brought into
a building by means of the pipes which are actually fixed inside the building, for
heating the same in the ordinary way, before the air is allowed to enter the building
thro' the inlets.
I propose to do this by utilizing the heat which is radiated by the pipes on to
the wall or partition against which they are fixed, & which is conducted away &
lost. I in this way obviate the discomfort arising from the cold draughts introduced
into the building by means of the fresh air inlets.
To do this I form a channel against the inside wall of the building by means of
a metal plate or plates fixed to the wall; this channel is divided into sections
The
according to the number of fresh air inlets & quantity of air to be warmed.
air passing through this channel, is heated by contact with the metal plates, & these
are heated by proximity or contact with hot water or steam pipes, fixed outside the
channel but particularly, with that hot water system originally known as Perkins',
in which system the pressure of the water inside the pipes is raised by stopping all
the outlets by means of caps, there being a special expansion pipe fixed by which
the pressure is regulated, or in place of this expansion pipe, a valve in a cistern,
which may be regulated to let the water escape at any pressure determined upon,
& also to suck it back when cooling. (The pressure on this apparatus. when cold is
merely due to the head of water in the pipes, the pressure being raised by the
expansion due to the heating of the water in the boiler.) In this apparatus the
pipes are commonly " or internal diameter, but I propose to apply the channel
arrangement to this system in any form, or size of pipes. The length & size of
the channels being arranged in proportion to the quantity of air to be heated, &
also when this is excessive, 1 propose that in addition to the metal plates being
warmed by contact with the pipes outside, one pipe or more should be fixed in the
channel, so as to heat the air to a sufficiently high temperature. I propose also
that if necessary the channels shall contain the whole of the pipes, none ehewing
outside.
Dated this Eleventh day of
1894.
...
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved System of Heating Buildings.
CHARLES ERNEST ALGER Engineer (in Firm of R. Alger & Sons) Laughton
House Palmyra Place Newport Monmouthshire 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 system, is to warm the fresh air brought into a building by

page_text: meaus of the pipes which are actually fixed in it (for heating it in the ordinary
way) before the air is allowed to circulate freely in the building or apartment.
The air usually enters the building or apartment by means of apertures in the
walls over which inside the building are usually fixed tubes or brackets they are
generally 5 or.6 ft. from the floor; the interior is so formed that it deflects the
current of air upward which would otherwise, owing to its being colder than
the heated air in the building & consequently heavier immediately descend when
those people sitting or standing near would feel its coldness, there being usually no
attempt made to heat it.
In spite of this precaution, to give the air an upward direction, it is found, &
especially when the building is highly, heated, that the cold heavy air as soon
as it leaves the inlet, commences to descend to the great discomfort of those sitting
or standing near. It is then usually found that some one who is inconvenienced by
it shuts off the valve in the bracket this stops the fresh air from entering the
building altogether, to the disadvantage and discomfort of all, owing to their having
to breath. vitiated air. Thus the henting becomes a source of danger, by
intensifying and increasing the cold draughts, and also, the ventilation is stopped
more or less by those who are most affected by the draughts. The means of
heating the incoming fresh air, in use at present are all open to very strong
objection, owing to, overheating the air, and that it is usually delivered at one
or two points, it thus being impossible to keep the building evenly heated in all
parts also owing to, the great loss of heat between the place where the air is
heated, and the point where it is delivered into the building.
Where ventilating radiators are used the sickening and overpowering sense of
heat to those very near to them, makes their use objectionable. My invention
is open to none of these objectious, and combines the advantages of all namely,-
it is impossible to overheat the air, no loss. of heat in distribution,--prevention
of cold draughts, warmth of incoming air, and perfect distribution of heat
throughout the building; & also the heat I obtain with which to increase the
temperature of the incoming air, is generally wasted, which causes the efficiency
of my apparatus to be much increased.
Having generally described the nature and advantages of my invention, I now
proceed to explain particularly the manner in which my objects are accomplished.
In buildings which are heated by hot water or steam, the pipes are usually
fixed on the outside wall in tiers, one over the other. I propose to fix between the
wall & the pipes, metal plates jointed together & fixed to the floor and the wall,
which shall form a continuous airtight channel about 2 inches in width from the
wall, having the form, of a skirting, the pipes being fixed tightly against the said
metal plates which will thus be heated by contact with the hot water pipes. As
shewn in the sectional drawing of the channel, accompanying this Specification,
Fig. 1 where A1 A2 A3 A4 are hot pipes shewn 14 inch, diameter, B the metal
plate, E the wall line, H the channel between the wall & plates, F an iron
moulding forming the top of the channel (this may be wood if thought advisable)
screwed into the wood plug G in the wall, D is the floor line, C is an angle iron to
which are fastened; the metal plates and which is screwed to the floor.
Having préviously decided the number of fresh air inlets it is necessary to
provide in the wall against which the channel is formed, in order to allow sufficient
air to enter the building for the purposes of ventilation, the channel is divided up
into a number of lengths, corresponding to the number of fresh air inlets by means
of stops, of any material fixed from the metal plate to the wall, at one end of each
length of the channel; a communication.is made with the outside of the building,
for the ingress of fresh air; at the other end an outlet is made from the higher
part of the channel into the building, & this outlet is connected by a rectangular,
tube, which is carried up the wall to a height of about 5 or 6 feet from the floor
through which the air enters the building, having passed through the channel iu
contact with the hot metal plates, and become warin before entering the building.
The height of the channel, and also the number: & size of the pipes. fixed to the

page_text: metal plates, are so proportioned that the air shall enter the building, at a
temperature within 3 or 4 degrees of that of the inside of the building itself.
I propose to apply this system of channels, composed as just described to any
form of heating, whether it be bot water pipes, steam pipes, or otherwise. It is
specially adapted to give best results when applied to that form of hot water
apparatus in which the pipes are composed of wrought iron, of any suitable size,
and are so arranged & sealed by means of plugs or suitable valves, that the
expansion of the water or liquid through the heating of the boiler by the fire,
raises the pressure of the liquid to any desired point, there being either a valve to
blow off at the pressure determined upon, or else an air or expansion tube, the air in
which is compressed by the pressure due to the expansion of the liquid, this being
regulated by the amount of space allowed for the expansion of the liquid-the
pressure being thus raised allows the temperature of the liquid in the pipes &
consequently the pipes themselves, to be raised to a very high degree, which will
proportionately increase the heat of the metal plates forming the channel, & causing
the air passing through to be heated to a much higher temperature. In cases
where it will be found difficult to get sufficient heat from the pipes being fixed on
the metal plates as described, & shewn in the drawing, I propose to fix as many as
necessary or all within the metal channel so as to raise the air to a sufficiently
high temperature or to increase the velocity of incoming air to obtain a greater
supply.
also propose if necessary to fix water troughs in the bottom of the channel, in
order that the evaporation of the water may prevent the air from becoming too dry.
The system may also be so arranged that when the building does not require to be
heated in warm weather, a pipe fixed inside the channel may be heated independently
of the other portion of the apparatus, in order to increase the velocity of the
incoming fresh air which is required for ventilation, and also to warm it to the
temperature of the air inside the building, the outside atmosphere always being
below that of the inside even in the mildest weather and especially when the building
is filled with people at which time the cold draught is most keenly felt.
The channels of course allow the passage of air through them, when not heated,
as readily as through the ordinary inlets.
Having now particularly described & 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 :-
I. That arrangement, by which an airtight channel is formed by means of metal
plates fixed to the walls and floor which are heated by proximity to, or contact with,
hot surfaces through which fresh air is made to pass; its temperature being raised
by contact with the heated metal surfaces as heretofore described, and shewn in
drawing and also :-
II. This same arrangement in combination with one or more pipes within the
channel.
Dated this 8th day of March 1895
CHARLES ERNEST ALGER.