Improvements in Heating Dwelling Houses, Halls, Churches, and other Interiors by Means of Hot Water.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 31st May, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1895
Improvements in Heating Dwelling Houses, Halls, Churches, and
other Interiors by Means of Hot Water.
I, ARCHIBALD BRUCE of 67 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, Plumber, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
This invention relates to hot water heating systems for dwelling houses, halls,
churches etc.
In carrying out my invention, say, for dwelling houses, I lead pipes from the
kitchen boiler round the different rooms or parts to be heated and I connect the
boiler by means of pipes to a circulating pump operated by water pressure from
the main or from a cistern.
"
This pump consists of a cylinder below which is located a second cylinder, a
piston rod passes fluid tight through both cylinders and is connected to a piston in
each. The upper cylinder, which is the circulating one is preferably larger than
the lower one, which is the working cylinder. The circulating cylinder has a port
at top and one at bottom each of which communicates with a double "snifting
valve device. These devices are so constructed and coupled together that at, say,
the upstroke of the piston water is sucked in from the hot water pipes to its
underside and at the same time water is forced from its upper side into the boiler;
at the downstroke an opposite action takes place the water sucked in during the
previous stroke being forced out from the underside of piston to the boiler and
water drawn at the upper side from the pipes. By this means a constant circulation
is maintained.
The valve for supplying water, under pressure from the main or cistern to the
working cylinder may be a spindle with four valves thereon which work in a small
cylinder secured to the working cylinder and are so arranged that at each stroke
of the spindle, pressure water is admitted to the top of the working cylinder and
spent water discharged from the bottom or vice versa. The spindle may be actuated
by a tumbling lever and screw or the like. Or the valve may be a slide, plug,
screw or other suitable valve.
If desired the pump may be only single acting.
The boiler for heating the water may be the usual range boiler, or a coil pipe
inserted in the fire, or the like.
The whole arrangement is such that when the boiler is once filled the action of
the pump maintains the circulation. The system is automatic in its action.
Where there is a good pressure of water available for driving the pump the hot
water from the boiler can be made to circulate, from one boiler, through rooms on
different floors.
Dated this 30th day of August 1901
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Heating Dwelling Houses, Halls, Churches, and
other Interiors by Means of Hot Water.
I, ARCHIBALD BRUCE of 67 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, 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 hot water heating systems for dwelling houses, halls,
trains, churches, etc.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a view showing the system of heating the interior of a dwelling house.
Fig. 2 is a side view, with part in section, of a locomotive and corridor carriage
having a hot water heating apparatus.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the locomotive and a sectional plan of the carriage.
Fig. 4 is a front view, Fig. 5 a vertical section and Fig. 6 a side view of the
water circulating pumping engine.
Fig. 7 shows a radiator of the hot water system of Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the valve arrangement or the pumping engine.
Fig. 9 is a view in dotted lines of a coil pipe heater for a kitchen range or
open fire.
In Fig. 1, X indicates the division wall of a dwelling house, Y the kitchen, and
2, 1, 22, 23 some of the rooms. X is the flooring.
In carrying out my invention, say for dwelling houses, as shown at Fig. 1, 1 lead
a pipe al from the kitchen boiler b, which is indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 1,
round the different rooms either above or below the level of the boiler.
One or
more radiators such as c (Fig. 7) or c¹ of any suitable and well known construction
may be placed in the rooms and included in the pipe circuit. The boiler b is also
connected by means of a pipe a to a circulating pump d operated by water pressure
from the main or from a cistern suitably placed to give the necessary water
pressure. The past of the pipe a' marked a² also connects the radiator c with the
pump. The pipe a' is shown as carried through the room ¹ to the basement Z, Z³
and up again to the pump; the bottom part of the pipe is broken off. A branch
pipe a with radiator c is shown as included in the circuit. The pipes may be
arranged in any suitable manner.
As will
The pump consists (see Figs. 4, 5, and 6) of a cylinder e below which is located
a second cylinder f and a piston rod g passes fluid tight through both cylinders and
is connected respectively to the pistons and 1. j, k, are stuffing boxes for
rendering the piston rod fluid tight. The upper cylinder e which is the circulating
one is preferably larger than the lower one, which is the working cylinder. The
circulating cylinder has a port at top and a port m at bottom and these ports
communicate respectively with the double "snitting" valve devices n, o.
be seen the valves 9 q¹ communicate by the pipes r, r', with the pipe a whilst the
valves p, p, communicate by the pipes s, s', with the return part of the pipe a¹
marked a. These devices are so constructed and coupled together, as shown,
that, at the upstroke of the piston h, water is sucked in from the hot water
circulating pipes or the radiators by the pipe a² to its underside, the snifting
valve closing and the valve p opening, whilst, at the same time, water is forced
from the upper side of the piston into the boiler, by the pipe a, the valve g¹
opening and the valve p' closing. At the downstroke of the piston an opposite
action takes place the water sucked in during the previous stroke being forced out
from the underside of the piston to the boiler, the valve q opening and the valve p
9.

page_text: closing and water drawn in at the upper side from the pipe a², the valve pl opening
and the valve q¹ closing. By this means a constant circulation is maintained.
The valve for supplying water under pressure from the cistern or main to work
the piston of the cylinder / consists of a cylindrical casing u (Fig. 8) made in three
pieces in which works a reciprocating spindle t, having four disc valves t1, t2, t³, t
on it. These valves are preferably ground metal ones with rubber faces.
u, u, us, u. are the valve seats having each a knife edge rim against which the
rubber face of each valve closes tightly. vis the fluid pressure inlet to the casing
and v, 2, the exhaust outlets. is a port leading from the casing to a box or
chamber from which the pipe leads to the bottom of the cylinder f. v is a
port leading from the casing to a box or chamber from which a passage way vs
cored out of the web f¹ at the side of the cylinder fleads to the top of said
cylinder. The boxes u, v, and web f¹ are preferably cast in one piece with the
side of the cylinder f, see Fig. 6.
Fitted to the piston rod 9, at w³, is a rod to having two stops w¹, w², on it. This
rod w moves up and down along with the piston rod sufficient space being left
between the cylinders e, f, to permit such movement. e are pillar studs for
supporting the upper cylinder e.
Pinned or otherwise secured to the end of the spindle (see Fig. 8), is a hollow
box having a quick screw thread cut in its interior. This box has guides a on
its exterior which slide on feathers a on the interior surface of the cover piece y
which is fitted on the end of the casing. The feathers and guides a¹ prevent the
box and spindle turning round. 3 is an internal stop collar on the cover
piece y.
is a short spindle having a screw 21 at its inner end which works in the
screw thread of the box x. This spindle which passes out through a stuffing
box in the cap y' has, on its outer end, a semicircular plate provided with
two projecting pins or stops 3, 4 (see Fig. 4).
Fitted at the top of a small pedestal z is a stud on which turns a collar =
having a tumbling lever z with a weight 2 at its end. This collar has also a bent
aim or striker 10 and a short arm z. The arm 210 is struck by the pins or stops w¹, w³,
whilst the arm strikes against the pins ³, . The pipe leading from the water
supply would have a cut-off valve on it.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
2
U
10
The upward and downward movements of the piston i and the piston rod g and
rod w causes the stops w¹, w², on said rod w to strike alternately against the arm y 1º
and thereby give a reciprocating motion, through an arc of a circle, to the collar
and weighted lever. The weight is so arranged, relatively to the movements
of the piston, that, when the latter nearly reaches the top or bottom of its stroke,
it (the weight) is at these times tilted over so much as to over-balance and cause
the arm to strike one or other of the pins 3, 4, according as the piston is on the
upward or downward stroke. This striking of the pins 3, 2, causes the plate 22 to
move to one side or other and thereby partially turn the spindle and screw ¹.
The movement of the plate in one direction causes the screw to turn in the
screw thread of the sliding and non-revolving box & and pull the spindle t cutwards
thereby opening the valves t³, t, also, at the same time, closing the valves t', t³; the
movement of the plate in the opposite direction reverses the turning movement of
the screw and pushes the box and spindle inwards thereby closing the
valves t, t, and opening the valves t¹, t³.
and
When the piston is on the down stroke the water or other fluid passes from
inlet v, through the valve t³, which is open at this time, and thence through the
passages,, to the upper side of the piston. At the same time the exhaust fluid
from the underside of the piston passes away by the pipe v, passage way
through the valve t¹ to the exhaust v¹. The valves t² and remain closed.
the piston reaches the end of its stroke, the tumbling lever is thrown over, as before
described, and the spindle z is turned so as to pull the spindle t thereby closing the
valves, t, and opening the valves t², t. The live fluid will now pass from
When

page_text: the inlet v through the valve t' to the passages and pipe v to the underside of
the piston whilst the spent fluid exhausts away by the passages 18, 18, through the
valve t' and exhaust pipe v³.
The movement of the piston i as hereinbefore explained causes the piston h
to reciprocate and cause the water to circulate through the pipe system and the
boiler.
In offices and such like interiors where kitchen or other boilers are not available
a coil pipe, as indicated in Fig. 9, fitted in the fire place and connected to the pipe
system can be used to heat the water.
Any other suitable heating device may be used however.
In this case a
A safety valve can be fitted on the boiler or pipe system if so desired.
The hot water heating system can be applied to railway trains.
small water tank is located on the tender or at other suitable part of the train and
is heated by means of a jet of live or exhaust steam from the locomotive. A water
forcing engine such as that shown at Figs. 4, 5, and 6 but with the lower piston
driven by steam instead of water can be fitted at the back of the tender or other
place and connected with a system of water pipes running throughout the carriages.
The pump causes the heated water to circulate throughout the train and to and from
the tank.
Figs. 2 and 3 show, by way of example, such a system. A is the water tank.
Ba casing enclosing the circulating pump, C the hot water pipes shown in dotted
lines. D is a branch steam heating pipe from the locomotive to the tank A and
D' a steam pipe leading to the pump and supplying live steam to drive the pump
piston (see Fig. 5). E is a pipe connection from the circulating pipes to the
tank A. F is a pipe connection from the circulating pipes to the upper cylinder of
the pump.
G is a pipe from the tank A to the upper water cylinder of the pump.
H are three way valves communicating with the coupling pipes of the carriages,
the pipes C leading to the front of the engine and the pipes E and F. By
means of these three way valves which may be of any ordinary and suitable
construction the water can be caused to circulate direct to the carriages, as shown
on the figures, or, if the engine is turned round, along the engine first and then to
the carriages. The train coupling pipes may be of a construction similar to that
of the Westinghouse brake. J are cut off valves.
In cases as above where steam is used to actuate the piston, 1, the valves t¹, t, t³, t*
would be used without rubber faces.
As will be seen the whole arrangement is such that when the hot water tank or
boiler is once filled the action of the pump maintains the circulation. The system
is automatic in its action.
Where there is a good pressure of water available for driving the pump the hot
water from the boiler can be made to circulate from one boiler in the kitchen
of a building through rooms on different floors and to the basement also if
desired.
A special feature of the invention is that the water can be caused to circulate
either at the same level as or below the level of the boiler or water heater, as
desired.
The forcing engine can be altered or modified in its details of construction.
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 consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. Heating dwelling houses, halls, churches, trains, and other interiors by means
of hot water pipes, or their equivalent, the water in which is caused to circulate
either above or below the level of the boiler or other water heater by means of
a forcing engine, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
drawings annexed.
2. In a hot water heating system for dwelling houses, halls, and other interiors

page_text: wherein the water is circulated the application and use of a water forcing engine
constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the
drawings annexed.
3. The construction of valve and valve mechanism substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown at Fig. 8 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 30th day of May 1895.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.