Improvements in Water-heaters.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 17th Feb.,
1894
Improvements in Water-heaters.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HANNAM, of Queen's Place, Sydney, New South Wales.
Gas and Sanitary Engineer, 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 consists of apparatus for heating water for baths and for other
purposes for which the temperature is not required to attain the boiling point, and
belongs to that class of such apparatus wherein the combustion products of a gas
flame are made to circulate through sprays of water and in contact with conducting
surfaces over and about which the water flows.
Referring to the annexed sheet of drawings explanatory of the invention,
Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional elevation of the apparatus ;
Figure 2 a vertical sectional elevation of the interior upper part of the apparatus
modified in construction;
Figure 3 detail of an alternative arrangement of the water and gas valves;
and
Figure 4 a central vertical section through the water nozzle.
Referring to Figure 1, 1 is an exterior metallic casing lined in its upper part
with asbestos 2; at the bottom of this casing the gas burners 3 which are provided
with Bunsen attachments are set close beside one another in a gas box 4 to which
gas is supplied through a pipe 5 which is fitted with a valve 6. A by-pass 7 from the
pipe 5 supplies the pilot burner 8, which is external to the case and the jet of gas
spouts through a hole 9 in the case and lights up one or more of the burners 3
from which flame is communicated to the others; there is thus no necessity for the
insertion of a taper or match into the case, and if the pilot light is lit before. the
main valve is turned, there will be no escape or waste of gas. 10 is the water
supply pipe provided with a valve 11 whose spindle 12 is connected by a collar 13
to the spindle of the valve 6 so that both valves are operated together by one
movement of the handle 14. The water passes up through the pipe 15 to the
sprayer 16 which is shewn in detail in Figure 4, whence it showers up against the
baffle tray 17 which is hung from the lid or cover 18, and falls onto the conical
tray 19, passing through the holes 20 around the edge thereof into the pan or
hollow tray 21 whence it passes through the perforations 22 into the pan 23; it
then passes through the neck 24 into the pipes 25 which spring radially therefrom
and deliver it around the outer edge of the plate 26 over which it passes, finally
entering the chamber 27 through the holes 28 in the same plate. The hot water is
delivered by the spout or nozzle 29. The direction of flow of the hot gases is
indicated by arrows.
30 is a funnel in the cover plate 18 for discharging the waste
gases; 31 are air inlet holes which are only of sufficient capacity to allow entrance
of the quantity of air required by the gas flames and no more, so that heat will
not be wasted in raising the temperature of waste volumes of air. The metal
around the edges of the gas vents is burred or splayed up so as to prevent water
from passing through them.
I do not restrict myself to the means illustrated for conveying the water to the
sprayer 16.
Referring to Figure 3 the valves are preferably of the plug type, (though they
may be of the screw-down type), and both plugs are formed on a single piece of
metal which passes through both seatings, which seatings may be formed in one
piece as shewn in Figure 3 or separately; in the latter case they are screwed home
Pindl

page_text: before the plug is inserted, in the former case they are secured by back nuts or in
any equivalent manner.
Referring to Figure 4 the sprayer consists of a sleeve 33 and a hollow stopper 34
constructed on the principle indicated, that is to say, it is a tube screwed
exteriorly, stopped at the top end and slotted or perforated at the side so as to
allow water to escape into the annular space 37 in the top end of the part 33,
whence it spouts in a circular shower. The area of the orifice and consequently
the quantity of water it is capable of passing is regulated at will by screwing the
stopper up or down in the sleeve.
The alternative construction shewn in Figure 2 has been devised to prevent any
water passing from the apparatus without being heated. In the construction shewn
in Figure the water which first enters the apparatus leaves it again by the
spout 29 before the plates have been warmed. In the present design a syphon is
introduced, the only other change being in the pan 23 which is made with sides
carried up to the plate 21. Water passes from the pan 23 into the neck 24 through
a syphon formed of a throat piece 35 and a bell 36 the dimensions of which are so
proportioned that it will pass only the quantity of water entering by the pipe 15.
When the water valve is opened, the first water entering passes into the pan 23
but does not escape from it until the pan becomes overful, when it commences to
pour over the throat piece 35 and thence as previously explained. When the
water is turned off, the parts 35 and 36 act as a syphon and the pan 23 is emptied
of water to the level of the mouth of the part 36. The chamber 27 presents in
itself no feature of novelty; and I am aware that the employment of a pilot light
is not broadly new.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In a water heater, the employment of water and gas valves whose spindles
are connected, and which act in unison, substantially as described and for the
. purposes set forth.
'
2. The combination with connected water and gas valves substantially as
described, of a pilot burner external to the case of the heater and throwing its
jet into such case to light the gas issuing from the burners therein, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement with the chamber 27, of the parts
marked 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 constructed substantially as described.
4. The general combination and arrangement of plates, trays, pan, and pipes,
arranged in a vertical case and adapted to cause intimate contact between the same
and the showers of water issuing therefrom and the hot gases passing from the
gas burners, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
5. The combination with apparatus substantially as herein described, of the deep
pan 23 and the parts 35 and 36 connecting with the neck 24, substantially as
described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, for the
purposes set forth.
6. The employment in combination with apparatus as herein described, of an
adjustable water sprayer, substantially as shewn in Figure 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 21st day of August 1893
WM1. H. HANNAHI.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.