Improvements in Radiators for Warming Buildings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Radiators for Warming Buildings.
I, MICHAEL MARY BROPHY, of the Firm of James Slater & Co., 251, High
Holborn, in the County of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to heat radiators for warming buildings and to that
class of such radiators provided with hinged leaves or sections for permitting of
the thorough cleansing of the same at all parts, the object of my present invention
being to simplify the construction of such radiators and reduce their cost.
According to my invention each leaf of a radiator is formed of a hollow plate,
provided with cylindrical hollow bosses or sockets at the two ends, or of a series
of such plates placed one upon another so that the sockets at the ends are in
alignment, the several leaves being preferably connected together by nipples
having right and left hand screw threads. This leaf is supported at one end
upon, and connected to; a hollow foot piece to which the flow and return pipes of
the circulating system are adapted to be attached, the connection between the
said foot piece and the lower end of the adjacent socket being effected through
the medium of a connector ring screwed or otherwise fixed at one end to the
adjacent end of the socket and at the other end provided with a flange designed
to rotate upon a bearing surface formed near the upper end of the foot piece, the
said ring being held in proper position in the foot by means of a kind of gland
adapted internally to fit the exterior of the ring and externally to be screwed
into the upper end of the foot piece. The flange of the connector ring is grooved
on the underside to receive a packing ring and the bearing surface upon which the
ring rotates is in the form of a rib which projects into the said groove so as to
form a tight joint to prevent leakage. Between the gland and the upper side
of the said flange I preferably insert a corrugated washer of spring steel whereby
the connector ring is pressed towards its bearing surface with a spring pressure.
The aperture in the foot io which the flow pipe is connected has formed in
connection with it, inside the foot an elbow into the open end of which an
extension pipe can be inserted which passes through the connector ring and
through the sockets at one end of the leaf nearly to the top of the same.
this arrangement the hot water which comes in through the foot passes to the top
of the leaf and after flowing through the sections of the same gravitates down.
through a space between the extension pipe and the inner surface of the con-
nector ring to the return pipe.
With
At the lower part of the free end of the leaf is a bearing wheel capable of
rising and falling relatively with the leaf in order to pass over inequalities in the
floor. In order that whilst allowing for the up and down movement of this

page_text: wheel relatively with the leaf the 'same amount of support shall practically be
afforded to the leaf when the roller is passing over, say, a hollow in the floor and
that no additional strain shall be put upon the hinge joint of the leaf when the
roller is passing over, say a projection upon the floor, as would be the case if
the roller was simply acted upon by a spiral spring, I provide the following
arrangement:-
The roller is mounted in bearings in a box capable of sliding in an outer box
which is fixed into the lower end of the socket at the free end of the leaf, a screw
or other pin being inserted through the outer box and projecting into a slot in the
inner box in order to hold the said inner box within the outer and at the same
time permit of its vertical movement therein. Within the inner box is placed a
spiral spring the lower end of which rests upon a shelf in the said box and the
upper end of which carries a bearing plate upon which are pivoted two levers
each of which levers is connected at one end by a link to a bridge piece mounted
upon the roller spindle and passing over the latter whilst the other end is in
contact with a rib or flange on the inside of the outer box.
It will be understood that the spring is normally under a certain amount of
compression suitable to the weight to be supported, the weight being actually
carried by the levers and transmitted through them and the bearing plate to the
spring. The position of the pivotal point of the link and of the fulcrum of each
lever relatively with one another is such that, when, as the leaf is moved and,
say, the rollers enters a depression in the floor, so that the spring expands, each
lever will be moved so as to practically increase the distance between its fulcrum
and the point of connection with the link, whereby the weaker spring will act
upon the lever with an increased leverage and so compensate for the reduced
supporting power of the spring, whilst, on the other hand. when say, the roller
rises over a projection upon the floor the distance between the fulcrum and the
pivotal point of the link will be decreased so that the increased pressure of the
spring is reduced owing to the shorter leverage through which it acts
In cases where floors are considerably out of level, as for instance in inclined
passages or corridors connecting separate blocks of hospitals having the floors at
different levels, I prefer instead of using the support herein before described to
form a pivotal support at the upper part of the hinged end of a leaf. In this case
a pin or trunnion is inserted into the upper end of the socket of the leaf at the
hinged end and is supported in a bearing formed in a bracket adapted to be fixed
into the adjacent wall or masonry: this bracket has the front and side portions
removable from the rear portion so as to allow of removing the said bracket to
such an extent that it will not obstruct the removal of the leaf when it is desired
to lift it out of the bearing at the foot.
When with this arrangement it is desired that the circulating pipe should be
connected to the leaf at the top the said trunnion is made hollow so as to allow of a
connecting elbow being passed through it, a gland ring and packing being placed
around the said pipe and screwed into the upper end of the trunnion to prevent
leakage.
In cases where the circulating pipes are connected one at the foot of the
radiator and the other at the top, as least described, the connector ring which
works in the foot may be extended to the bottom of the foot in order to afford a
larger bearing surface than in the arrangement first described.
Doted the 25th day of November 1800
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Radiators for Warming Buildings.
I, MICHAEL MARY BROPHY, of the Firm of James Slater & Co., 251, High
Holborn, in the County of London, Engineers, 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 heat radiators for warming buildings and to that
class of such radiators provided with hinged leaves or sections for permitting of
the thorough cleansing of the same at all parts and of the wall surfaces adjacent
thereto, the object of my present invention being to simplify the construction of
such radiators and reduce their cost.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a radiator constructed according to my present
invention:
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section through one of the leaf sections:
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the foot piece upon which the hinged leaf of the
radiator turns; and
Figure is a plan view of the same;
Figure 6 is a vertical section of a bearing wheel for supporting the free end
of the leaf:
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a sectional elevation and a sectional plan of
a pivotal support which is sometimes arranged at the top of the pivoted end of
the leaf; and
Figures 9 and 10 are vertical sections of a modified form of a pivotal head and
foot respectively.
Figures 4 to 10 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 to 3.
a is the leaf of a radiator, which, as shewn in Figure 1, is composed of two
parts or sections b, b, each of which is in the form of a hollow plate with corrugated
surfaces and having bosses or sockets c, c at the ends as shewn clearly in Figure 3.
It is to be understood, however, that a leaf may be composed of a single plate b or
of more than two of such plates. These plates b, b which are placed one upon
another so that their boss portions are in alignment, are preferably connected
together by nipples such as (indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1) having right
and left hand screw-threads in a well known manner, the said nipples having
internal lugs or ribs to permit of the engagement of a tommy" or wrench
therewith.
*
Instead of using a leaf of the kind hereinbefore described I sometimes use a
leaf having pipes or tubes of wrought or cast iron.
The leaf a is supported at its pivotal end upon a hollow foot e Figures 1 and 4
to which the flow and return pipes f, g of the circulating system are attached,
the aperture in the foot to which the flow pipe f is connected having in connection
with it inside the foot an elbow into the open end of which an extension pipe j
can be inserted to pass up through the socket c to nearly the top of the leaf whereby
the hot water which enters through the pipe f passes to the top of the leaf and
after flowing through the sections gravitates down through the space k in the foot
to the return pipe g.
The connection between the foot piece and the lower end of the adjacent
socket is effected through the medium of a connector ring screwed or other-
wise fixed to the adjacent end of the said socket and provided with a flange l
designed to
in
a bearing surface 12 the foot, the said
rotate upon

page_text: ring being held in position in the foot
means of a
kind
connector
by
of gland m adapted internally to fit the exterior of the
ring and externally to screw into the upper end of the foot C.
The flange of the connector ring is formed with a groove on the underside to
receive a packing ring and the bearing surface 72 upon which the said packing
ring rests is in the form of a rib which projects into the said groove to form a
tight joint to prevent leakage. Between the gland and the upper side of the
said flange preferably insert a corrugated washer of spring steel which
tends to keep the packing ring n in close contact with the bearing surface
notwithstanding any wear which may take place between the said ring and this
surface.
At the lower end of the lowermost socket c¹ is a bearing wheel or roller p,
Figures 1 and 6, capable of rising and falling relatively with the leaf in order
to pass over inequalities in the floor.
In order that the same amount of support shall practically be afforded to the
leaf at all times, notwithstanding the up and down movement of the bearing
wheel and no additional strain put upon the hinged point of the said leaf when
the said wheel is passing over, say a projection on the floor, as would be the case if
the wheel were simply acted upon by a spiral spring, I provide the following
arrangement: The bearing wheel is mounted in bearings in a box 21 capable
of sliding in an outer box 72 which is fixed in the lower end of a socket c', a screw
or other pin 23 being inserted through the outer box p² and projecting into a
slot in the inner box in order to hold the said inner box within the outer
box and at the same time permit of its vertical movement therein. Within the
inner box is placed a spiral spring the lower end of which rests upon a
shelf and the upper end of which carries a bearing plate 2 upon which are
pivoted two levers r, each of which levers is connected at one end by a link to
a bridge piece mounted upon the spindle of the roller and passing over the
latter whilst their other ends are in contact with a rib or flanges on the inside of
the box 72.
are
It will be understood that the spring q is normally under á certain amount of
compression suitable to the weight to be supported, the weight being actually
carried by the levers r, r and transmitted through them and the bearing plate g²
to the spring 9. The position of the point where each link 1 and lever
connected and of the fulcrum of such lever relatively with one another is such
that, when the leaf is moved and, say the wheel or roller enters a depression
in the floor, so that the spring 7 expands, each lever will be moved so as to
practically increase the distance between its fulcrum and the point of connection
with the link, whereby the expanded spring will act upon the levers with an
increased leverage and so compensate for the reduced supporting power of the
sprin, whilst on the other hand, when say, the wheel or roller prises over a
projection upon the floor the distance between the fulcrum of each lever r and
the point of connection with its link will be decreased so that the increased pressure
of the spring is reduced owing to the shorter leverage through which it acts.
In cases where floors are considerably out of level, as for instance in inclined
passages or corridors connecting separate blocks of hospitals having the floors at
different levels, I prefer, instead of using the support herein before described, to
form a pivotal support at the upper part of the hinged end of a leaf, as shewn in
Figures 7 and 8. In this case a pin or trunnion is inserted into the upper
socket c of the leaf and is inserted into a bearing formed in an arm or bracket t'
fixed into the adjacent wall or masonry, a cap or set screw 2 being screwed into
the upper end of the trunnion t to form an upper collar on the trunnion.
In order to permit of the removal of the trunnion from the bracket when it is
desired to lift the leaf out of the bearing of the foot I make the bearing portion u
of the bracket #detachable from the fixed portion of the bracket, as clearly shewn
in Figure 8, set screws u¹, ¹ normally holding the two parts together.
When it is desired that the flow and return pipes instead of both being con-

page_text: nected to the foot should be connected one to the foot and the other to the head
of the radiator, the circulating pipe in connection with the head of the radiator is
provided with an elbow pipe &, Figure 9, which extends down into the socket c
through a ring & screwed into the said socket a gland ring screwed into the said
ring and a packing ring being employed to prevent leakage
In cases where the circulating pipes are arranged one at the foot of the radiator
and the other at the head of the radiator as last described, the connector ring l
which works in the foot e may, as shewn in Figure 10, be extended to the bottom
of the said foot in order to afford a larger bearing surface than in the arrangement
shewn in Figure 4.
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 a heat radiator having a hinged leaf or section, a foot upon which the
said leaf is pivotally carried, apertures in the said foot to which the flow and
return pipes are connected and a pipe in connection with the flow aperture for
conveying the water to the top of the radiator, substantially as described.
2. in a heat radiator having a hinged leaf or section, the combination with a
foot upon which the pivotal end of the said leaf is carried of a bearing wheel at
the free end of the leaf, the weight being supported upon the said bearing wheel
through the intermediary of a spring and pivoted levers whereby the spring acts
uniformly under variations in the vertical position of the wheel, substantially as
described.
3. In a heat radiator the combination of plate-shaped leaves or sections, bosses
or sockets at the ends of the said sections and a foot at one end of the leaf upon
which the sections can turn, the said foot having flow and return pipes connected
to it, substantially as described.
4. in a heat radiator wherein a leaf or section is pivotally mounted upon a foot,
the combination with the said leaf and foot, of a connector ring having a flange
jointing on the said foot aird a gland ring fitting around the said connecting ring
and screwed into the foot, substantially as described.
5. In a heat radiator the combination with a hinged leaf or section mounted
pivotally upon a foot adapted for the connection of flow, and return pipes to it, of
a trunnion on the upper end of the said leaf and a bearing in which the said
trunnion can rotate, the said bearing being detachable from the bracket supporting
it, substantially as described.
6. In a heat radiator the combination with a hinged leaf or section mounted
pivotally upon the foot, of a hollow bearing at the upper end adapted for the
connection of one of the circulating pipes substantially as described.
Dated the 22nd day of August 1900
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.