Apparatus for Automatic Regulation of Gas Furnaces.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EDMUND RICHARDSON WARE, of the City of
Chicago, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, United States of America,
Manufacturer.]
Apparatus for Automatic Regulation of Gas Furnaces.
I, OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County
of London Fellow of the Instituto of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows
This invention relates to apparatus, applicable to gas furnaces, having for its
principal object an automatic regulation of the supply of the fuel according to the
amount of heat which it is desired to produce.
The apparatus for this purpose consists of a combination of a furnace or combustion
chamber, a supply of gaseous fuel and a regulator thereof controlled electromagnetically
by a thermostat affected by the amount of heat produced in such manner that an
undue rise of temperature acting through the thermostat and its connections
diminishes the supply of fuel, whilst an undue reduction in the temperature increases
the supply of fuel.
Dated this 24th day of September 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatic Regulation of Gas Furnaces.
I, OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to ho performed to bo ‘particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to an apparatus for burning fluids for the generation of heat,
and has for its principal object an automatic regulation of the supply of fuel according
to the amount of heat which it is desired to produce.
And to this end one part of the improvement relates to the combination of a furnace
or combustion chamber, a fuel supply, and a fuel regulator controlled by a thermostat
so located with reference to the point at which combustion is affected by the amount
of heat produced in such manner that an undue rise of temperature will through
the medium of the thermostat and its connections diminish the supply of fuel while
an undue reduction in the temperature will through the medium of the thermostat
and its connections increase the supply of fuel, as will be hereinafter fully
explained.
Other parts of my invention relate to details of construction and combinations
of parts.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a furnace with parts broken away to show its interior
structure. Fig. 2 is a front elevation enlarged and partly broken away of the fuel
regulator and its immediate connections. Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2. looking
in the direction of the arrow 1.
Figs. 4 to 9 are details enlarged.
Like reference letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
A, B is a furnace of which A is the enclosing brick work and B, the combustion
ohamber.
Aid to ha used for final such

page_text: for instance, as illuminating gas from street mains, the so-called "natural gas," or
other fluid adapted for the production of heat by combustion.
As I do not herein seek to protect the particular construction of the combustion
chamber, or the devices to which the fluid is delivered for burning, they need not be
described, it being apparent that my invention is adapted for use with many of the
well known devices of that sort.
In addition to the feed pipe I propose to use a pilot pipe d for the purpose of
furnishing a continuous supply of fuel to maintain a practically permanent fire or light
to ignite the fuel which is delivered through the feed pipe but which fuel may be
interrupted and cut off as occasion shall require.
E represents generally a fuel regulator which in this instance is a stop cock or gate
of some usual or approved construction arranged in the feed pipe to regulate the flow
of fuel through it.
In the drawings, the plug of the stop cock is indicated by F with an arm G
projecting therefrom and connected at its upper end to a swinging armature H
preferably by means of a stud g on the arm entering a slot or recess in the
armature.
is another short arm or pin projecting from the plug and adapted to engage with
stopsee which project from the body of the valve.
The armature is preferably pivoted at ito a base plate I supported upon the feed
pipe or otherwise, with an opening to receive the shank of the plug F.
JK are electromagnets mounted on the base plate upon opposite sides of the
armature H.
ikare binding posts on the base plate.
I is a switch-plate mounted on the base plate with a central opening through which
projects the shank of the plug.
M N are contact plates insulated from each other but electrically connected with
binding posts of the switch plate.
O. P is a switch, preferably in the form of yoke or bent arm, mounted centrally
upon the shank of the plug and turning therewith. A convenient mode of connecting
the switch with the plug is shown as consisting of a washer or button with a
set screw passing through the washer and the switch into the outer end of
the plug.
The form of this switch is such that its ends may be made to engage alternately
with the contact plates M, N as will be explained.
Q.7, represent generally a thermostat which may be of any usual or approved
construction, although in this instance I have represented it as consisting of metallic
plate or strip with a bar of platinum and rubber so connected together that although
at its normal temperature it will be practically straight, yet a rise in temperature will
cause it to curl or bend in the direction indicated in full lines in Fig. 1 while a fall
of the temperaturo below its normal will cause it to curl or bend in the opposite
direction, as indicated in dotted lines same Figure,
R.S. are terminals or binding posts of the thermostat with contact points
are adjustable toward and from the bar y.
which
T is a wire connecting the binding post F with the binding post i of the base
plate 5.
U is a wire connecting the binding post with the binding post & of the base
plate.
V is a wire connecting the battery with a plate of the thermostat.
W is a wire connecting the battery with the feed pipe, the battery being represented
at X. Suppose the temperature of a room he about that which is desired so that
the lower end of the bar y of the thermostat is suspended about midway between
the terminals R. S. and the temperature of the room falls to such a degree that the bar
is curled as indicated in Fig. 1 so as to make contact with the adjustable contact
point, a circuit will at once be established through wire T, the electro-magnet J,
the binding post n, the contact plate N; the end P of the switch, the valve plug, the
valve, the feed pipe, the battery and the wire V, whereupon the armature will be

page_text: drawn over into contact with the electro-magnets J and the fuel will be discharged
into the furnace where it will be ignited by the pilot light.
As will be readily understood from an examination of Figs. 2 and 4, the end P of
the switch will be moved off from the contact plate M just before the arinature ceases
its movement from the position shewn in full line Fig. 2 to that shewn in dotted lines
same Fig, so that the circuit is broken and needless expenditure of battery power
prevented.
However, the end 0 of the switch will now be engaged with contact plate M, so that
when the temperature of the room has risen to such a point that the bar q of the
thermostat is curved in the direction indicated by dotted line Fig. 1, a circuit will be
established through the thermostat, wire U, electro-magnets K, contact plate H, the
end of the switch, the valve plug, the feed pipe, the battery and wire V, and
the armature will be moved back to its position shown in full lines Figs. 1 and 2, aud
the supply of fuel cut off until the temperature has fallen so far that the first
described operations is repeated; whereby the temperature of the room may he
maintained within reasonable limits in either direction from a pre-determined tem-
perature.
I am aware that it is common to attach strips of metal to the ends of a centrally
pivotted armature under such relation of parts that either of such strips is alternately
moved into contact with a binding post so as to form part of a circuit which passes
through the thermostat. But my device differs from such early ones in that, among
other things, I combine my two ended switch with the valve of my feed regulator
whereby the valve serves not only as a pivot for the switch but also as a part of the
electrical circuit through each of the reversely operating magnets, a feature of
construction and mode of operation which is impossible with such earlier construction.
I prefer to call the switch a two ended switch because of its ends engaging
alternately with the contact plates, thus bringing those plates alternately into one of
two circuits both of which include the pivot of the switch, that is to say the plug of
the valve. It will be seen that such construction in which the two ended switch
moves alternately in opposite directions to make and break circuit operates radially
differently from those heretofore used. I am aware that devices have been heretofore
used for automatically cutting off, in whole or in part, the supply of gas to a heater
by means of a weighted arm, having its swinging end supported by a moveable catch
so connected with the armature of a magnet, and a thermostat located in the flame of
the heater, the arrangement of parts being such that a change of temperature of the
thermostat in either direction beyond certain pre-determined limits would release the
catch and permit the weighted lover to move the valve in such direction as to cut off
the draft supply of gas in whole or in part. But such device I understand to be
entirely different in its construction and mode of operation from mine in which the
change produced in the thermostat by an increase of temperature establishes a circuit
through an electromagnet, the armature of which is so connected to the fluid
regulator that it operates the regulator positively to reduce the supply of fuel while
the movement produced in the thermostat by a decrease of the temperature below the
normal establishes a circuit through an electro-magnet and operates through its
armature to positively increase the supply of fuel.
Hence the electro-imagnets in my invention are reversely operating and serve to
alternately reduce or increase the beat produced as any change in the temperature
of the apartment may require.
While I have described the best construction now known to me for carrying out
my invention I do not wish to be limited thereby because many modifications will
readily suggest themselves to any-one skilled in the art without departing from the
spirit of my improvement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a combustion chamber, a fuel supply, a feed regulator, the

page_text: reversely operating electro-magnets, the thermostat, and the electric circuits connecting
the thermostat with the reversely operating magnet for actuating the fuel regulator
to alternately increase and diminish the heat substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a combustion chamber, a fuel supply, a fuel regulator for
increasing and diminishing alternately the amount of fuel, a supplemental continuous
supply of fuel, the electro-magnet the thermostat, and the electric circuits connecting
the electro-magnets for operating the fuel regulator, substantially as set forthi..
3. The combination of the furnace, fuel, supply pipe, the valve in the feed pipe,
electro-magnets connected with the valve and the thermostat, substantially as set
forth.
4. The combination of the combustion chamber, the fuel supply the pilot pipe, the
fuel regulator, the electro magnets, the thermostat and the electric circuits connecting
the thermostat with the electro-magnets, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of the feed pipe, the electro-magnets the valve in the feed pipe,
the contact plates, a switch mounted on the plug of the valve, and the electric circuit
whereby the plug of the valve serves to move the switch and is utilised as part of the
circuits, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with the valve in the fuel supply pipe, of a pivotted two ended
switch, and the contact plates with each of which the switch is made to engage
alternately, whereby the contact plates, the switch and the valve constitute parts of the
electrical circuits, substantially as set forth.
7. In a device for controlling the supply fluids, the combination of an electro-
magnet, an armature pivotted near the same, a valve controlled by such armature,
a yoke attached to said valve, an insulating contact plate upon which one end of
said yoke rests, the yoke and plate so related that when the electro-magnet current
is sent through such plate and yoke and electro-magnet, the latter will be energised,
the armature drawn to open or close the valve as the case may be and the end of the
yoke is moved off of the plate so as to immediately break the circuit and thus to
prevent the latter from wasting.
8. In a device for controlling the supply of fluid to a furnace, the combination'
of an electro-magnet with a circuit embracing said magnet, a thermostat, a battery
a contact plate and a moveable yoke adapted to engage, said contact plate in one
position, a valve to the plug of which such yoke is secured, and an armature pivotted
in front of the electro-magnet and connected with and controlling the plug, the parts
arranged that when the thermostat closes the circuit a current is instantly sent
through to energise the magnet and draw the armature and by so doing immediately
turns the plug to open or close the valve and breaks the circuit by moving the yoke
from the contact plate.
9. In a device for controlling supply of fluid to a furnace the combination of
two oppositely placed electro-magnets within armature pivotted between then, a valve
controlled by said armature, a yoke on the plug of said valve, two contact plates one
of which is always in contact with one end of the yoke, a thermostat having
contact points on opposite sides, and two electric circuits each of which includes
the yoke, battery and thermostat while one includes also one contact point, one electro
magnet and one contact plate, so that when the thermostat is inclined to either side
sufficiently to reach the contact point a a circuit is established through one of the
electro-magnets the armature is immediately drawn to open or close the valve and
simultaneously the circuit is broken by the movement of the yoke which carried its
point off the contact plate..
Dated this 1st day of October 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.