IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1882

page_text: . F
LETTERS PATENT to Augustus George Vernon Harcourt of Oxford in the
County of Oxford for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
HEATING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
33
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus George Vernon
Harcourt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th December
1882.
AUGUSTUS GEORGE VERNON HARCOURT of Oxford in the County of Oxford
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
This invention is intended more particularly to apply to heating water for bath
purposes, but it is equally applicable to heating water and other liquids for various
purposes where quick action is required.
In carrying my invention into effect I prefer to construct the apparatus of
cylindrical form as being most convenient for many reasons, and the apparatus
will be described as of that form, but I do not intend to confine myself to the use
of such cylindrical form or to the materials hereinafter mentioned of which the
apparatus is made. The heating medium which it is intended to use with this
apparatus is gas, whether coal gas, air gas or other suitable and convenient gas..
The apparatus consists of a zinc cylinder provided at one end with feet on which.
it stands. Inside this cylinder is placed a second cylinder which is so arranged as
to form an annular water space of about 1/8th of an inch in width and of a length
equal to about $/ths of the main cylinder.
To the bottom of the main cylinder and projecting upwards is secured the base.
of a truncated cone of copper. This cone and the main cylinder form a trough or
reservoir extending partly over the burner, and into this reservoir the water as it
is heated runs and is further heated, and from which it is drawn off by a cock.
The length of the truncated cone should be such as to cause a good pressure of the
heated gases in the apparatus.
Above the cone is secured in any convenient manner a conical or dome-shaped
deflector which will deflect the heated gases as they ascend and will also serve to
10
358

page_text: prevent the water falling through the top of the truncated cone onto the burner
beneath..
A short distance above the deflector and secured to the inner cylinder are three
or more brackets or supports to carry a perforated tray of the same diameter as
the cylinder, and having a central opening. Above this tray and resting on three
legs upon it is another perforated tray of somewhat smaller diameter than the
cylinder. This tray is placed concentrically of the cylinder to ensure which it is
provided around its periphery with lugs and thus an annular space is left through
which the heated gases may pass upwards.
Above this tray a series of trays of alternately large and small diameters is
arranged to the height desired. I found by experiment that five of these trays
gives the best results. The uppermost tray of the series must be of the same form
as the lowest, and the area of both forms of tray, and consequently of the air passage
left around or through them, is nearly the same. The air way between the top of
the central opening and the bottom of the trays above is also nearly the same as
the air way round and through the trays. The sides of these trays are 3/4 of an
inch high such a depth being required to give a head of water necessary to cause
each little hole to deliver its stream separately.
Above the uppermost tray an opening is made into the annular chamber.
The heated gases from the burner have thus to pass upwards in a serpentine
course and, after giving up to the descending streams of water as will be more
fully explained, nearly all their heat, will pass out through perforations made near
the upper end of the cylinder, which perforations should also be of nearly the same
area as the air ways above mentioned.
Above these perforations is placed a deep tray in the wall of which is an opening
communicating with a pipe which descends outside the cylinder and is connected
to the bottom of the annular chamber.
A watertight joint is made between the opening and the pipe in any convenient
manner. This tray is perforated at its central parts with fine holes like the trays
beneath, and it is provided with a fine sieve, or other suitable filtering medium, to
catch any extraneous matter which may be contained in the water supplied to the
.apparatus.
The reasons for perforating the central part of this tray are two.-first that the
heated" gases may be finally exposed to quite cold water, and secondly that the
fall of water may be uniform. Each tray of the series has about; the same number
of holes of the same size and will therefore discharge water at the same rate, but
each tray will only receive 3/4ths of the water which falls from the tray immediately
above it, the remaining 1/4th being from the tray next but one above it.
The working of the apparatus is as follows. The water to be beated is supplied
at a regulated flow to the top tray. From this tray about four-fifths of the water
passes by the pipe to the bottom of the annular chamber in which it is partially
heated, and then escapes by the opening in the top of the chamber and falls onto
the top, tray of the series of perforated trays. From this tray it passes, together
with the remaining fifth, which falls from the top tray, through the series of trays
in fine streams, and finds its way eventually into the reservoir at the bottom from
which it flows, through the cock before mentioned into the bath or other
receptacle.
The heated gases from the burner ascend the apparatus, and in their course heat
the inner walls of the reservoir and, of the annular chamber and the bottoms and
sides of the trays and come in contact with the thin slowly falling streams of
water and the water standing in the trays which absorb the heat.
The object of the water jacket and of bringing cold water into it.is four fold';
first that the surface of the cylinder may be utilized, for conveying heat to the
water; secondly that the outside of the cylinder may be kept cool, thus avoiding
loss of heat by radiation; thirdly that by filling the outer structure with water
the danger of destroying the apparatus should the gas be lighted before the water
La sor

page_text: is turned on is avoided and fourthly that by giving the water only partial heating
in the annular chamber the deposition of fur in an inaccessible part is obviated.
The removable trays will also allow of the apparatus being readily cleaned which
is an advantage of considerable importance.
As before mentioned the heating medium which I intend should be used with
my water heating apparatus is gas, which should be burnt within the apparatus as
far as is consistent with convenient lighting. The most convenient form of
apparatus is a ring, or series of rings, provided with a number of flat flame burners.
The separate burners must be so placed that a match applied to one, lights all,
and yet the separate flames must not so impinge one upon another as to cause
tongues of flame to rise above the general level and touch the truncated cono. A
large quantity of gas has to be burnt in a small space, and the heat must be
distributed as evenly as possible over the surface of the truncated cone and the
deflector.
'
The burner should not form a fixed part of the apparatus for convenience in
occasional cleaning, but there should be slightly sunk sockets in the stand on which
the apparatus is placed to fix the position, so that the centre of the burner is in the
axis of the cylinder. A regulator must be used to prevent more gas being burned
under high pressure than can be thoroughly burned in the volume of air to which
the interior of the apparatus allows passage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Augustus George Vernon Harcourt in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th June 1883.
AUGUSTUS GEORGE VERNON HARCOURT of Oxford in the County of Oxford
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
This Invention is intended more particularly to apply to heating water for bath
purposes, but it is equally applicable to heating water and other liquids for various
purposes where quick action is required.
In carrying my invention into effect I prefer to construct the apparatus of
cylindrical form as being most convenient for many reasons, and the apparatus will
be described as of that form, but I do not intend to confine myself to the use of such'
cylindrical form or to the materials hereinafter mentioned of which the apparatus
is made. The heating medium which it is intended to use with this apparatus is
coal gas but other suitable gas or other material may also be used as the heating
medium.
In the accompanying drawing Fig: 1 is an elevation of iny improved water
heating apparatus Fig: 2 is a sectional elevation of the same Fig: 3 is a sectional
plan on the line x, y Fig: 2 and Fig: 4 shews in plan view one of the perforated
trays.
The apparatus consists of a copper cylinder A provided at one end with feet A¹
on which it stands in a vertical position. Placed concentrically inside this cylinder
so as to leave an annular water space of about one eighth of an inch in width is a
second cylinder B the length of which is about three fourths that of the main
cylinder A.
Near to the bottom of the main cylinder is secured the base of a hollow truncated
cone C of copper. This cone and the main cylinder form a circular trough or
reservoir extending partly over the burner. Into this reservoir the water as it is
heated runs and is further heated and from thence it is drawn off by a cock D so
placed as always to leave a small quantity of water below it to prevent the
burning of the cone C when the apparatus is first heated. The depth of the truncated
cone may vary according to the size of the apparatus but with a cylinder say
twenty seven inches long the depth of the cone will be from nine to nine and a
half inches the opening at top being five inches.
Above the cone and supported in any convenient manner is a conical or domo
shaped deflector C¹ which will deflect the heated gases as they ascend and will also
serve to prevent the descending water falling through the top of the truncated cone
upon the burner beneath. The base of this dome shaped deflector is turned up and
provided with a row of holes which cause the water to fall in separate streams onto
the cone C.
A short distance above the deflector and attached to the inner cylinder are three
or more brackets or supports a, to carry a perforated tray E of the same diameter
as the cylinder and having a central opening E¹.
Above this tray E and resting on three legs upon it is another perforated tray F
of smaller diameter than the cylinder. This tray is placed concentrically of the
cylinder and to maintain it in this position it is provided around its periphery
with three or more lugs and thus an aunular space is left through which the heated
gases may pass upwards and water may descend.
Above this tray F a series of perforated trays of alternately large and small
diameter such as E and F is arranged to the height desired. I find by experiment
that five trays give the best results. The uppermost tray of the series must be of
the same form as the lowest and the superficial area of both forms of tray must be
practically the same.

page_text: The, air passage around and through the trays and also between the top of the
central openings of the trays E and the bottom of the trays F above, must also be
practically the same. The sides of these perforated trays E and F are about three
quarters of an inch high such a depth being required to give a head of water
necessary to cause each perforation to delive its stream separately.
Above the uppermost tray a connection is made. with the annular chamber. In
making this connection the top of the cylinder B is cut away for a depth of about
one quarter of an inch with a width of about an inch and a lip or spout b, (see
fig: 2) is provided
Above the topmost tray E perforations G are made in the cylinder A to allow
for the escape of the heated gases. The area of these perforations should be nearly
the same as that of the air passages round through and between the trays...
Above these perforations G is placed a deep tray H in the wall of which is an
opening H. When this tray is in proper position this opening H' should be opposite
an opening H2 in the cylinder A and which communicates with a pipe I which
descends outside of the cylinder and is connected at bottom to the annular
chamber.
A watertight joint is made at J between the tray H and the cylinder A in any
convenient manner. The tray H is perforated at its central portion with fine holes
like the trays E and F beneath and it is provided with a sieve K of fine brass wire
gauze or other suitable filtering medium to catch any extraneous matter which
may be contained in the water supplied to the apparatus.
The reasons for perforating the central portion of the tray H are two fold. First
that the heated gases may be finally exposed to quite cold water; and secondly, that
the fall of water may be uniform. Each tray of the series has about the same
number of holes of the same size and will therefore discharge water at the same
rate, but each tray will only receive three fourths of the water which falls from the
tray immediately above it, the remaining one fourth being from the tray next but one
above it. Thus the whole body of the cylinder is filled with falling water of which
four fifths will be arrested about every one and a quarter inch (according to the
level of the water in the tray) while one fifth will fall through about three and a
quarter inches and it is necessary for this purpose that the tray H should deliver
about one fifth of the water through the central opening in the top tray E onto the
centre of the tray F below it.
The working of the apparatus is as follows. The water to be heated is supplied
at a regulated flow to the top tray H. From this tray about four fifths of the
water passes by the pipe I to the bottom of the annular chamber in which it is
partially heated and then escapes by the lip or spout b at the top of the chamber
and falls on to the top tray E the first of the series of perforated trays. From this
tray it passes together with the remaining fifth which falls from the tray H through
the series of trays in fine streams and finds its way eventually into the reservoir
beneath from which it flows through the cock D into the bath or other receptacle.
The heated gases from the burner ascend the apparatus in a serpentine course
and on their way heat the inner walls of the reservoir and of the annular chainber
and come in contact with the slowly falling streams of water, the bottom of the
trays and the water standing in them.
The object of the water jacket and of bringing cold water into it is fourfold.
First the surface of the cylinder is thus utilized for conveying heat to the water;
secondly the outside of the cylinder is kept cool thus avoiding loss of heat
by radiation; thirdly by filling the outer structure with water the danger of
destroying the apparatus, should the gas be lighted before the water is turned on
is diminished; and fourthly by supplying cold to the annular chamber the
deposition of fur in an inancessible part is obviated.
The removeable trays will allow of the apparatus being readily cleaned which is
an advantage of considerable importance.
As before mentioned the heating medium which I intend should be used with
my water heating apparatus is coal gas which should be burnt within the apparatus

page_text: t
as far as is consistent with convenient lighting. The most convenient form of
apparatus is a ring or series of rings provided with a number of flat flame burners.
Such an apparatus as shewn at L Figures 1. 2 and 3.
The separate burners must be so placed that a match applied to one will light all
and yet the separate flames must not so impinge one upon another as to cause
tongues of flame to rise above the general level and touch the truncated cone.
A large quantity of gas has to be burnt in a small space and the heat must be
distributed as evenly as possible over the surface of the truncated cone and the
deflector. The burner should not form a fixed part of the apparatus for conveni-
ence in occasional cleaning, but means should be provided to fix its position so that
the centre of the burner is in the axis of cylinder. A regulator must be used to
prevent more gas being supplied under high pressure than can be thoroughly
burned in the volume of air to which the interior of the apparatus allows passage.
If too much gas is supplied smoke will result and the water will come out dirty.
In making the perforations in the trays I find it advantageous to leave the
burr underneath which gives the hole à funnel shape and serves to keep the small
streams or jets of water separate.
In constructing the improved apparatus I make the air passages as small as will
serve to give passage to a sufficient draught of air to consume the required quantity
of gas without smoking.
The scale of the apparatus may be varied according to the rate at which it is
desired to supply hot water. A convenient size is a cylinder of ten inches in
diameter passing a gallon of water per minute with a burner consuming fifty cubic
feet of gas per hour. The small holes should be in number at the rate of one hole
in every square inch of surface of each tray; they should be at as nearly as possible
equal intervals apart, and the most convenient diameter of each hole is 0.05 inch.
Having now described the nature of my Invention for "Improvements in apparatus
for heating water and other liquids" and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim:-
The apparatus for heating water or other liquids constructed substantially as
herein shown and described
In witness whereof I the said Augustus George Vernon Harcourt have hereunto
set my hand and seal the third day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
A. G. VERNON HARCOURT. (LD.)