An Improved Water Heater, principally adapted for Heating Feed Water for Steam Boilers and Baths.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
An Improved Water Heater, principally adapted for Heating Feed
Water for Steam Boilers and Baths.
I THOMAS HENDERSON of No. 17 Powlett Street East Melbourne in the
Colony of Victoria Iron Ship Builder do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has been devised principally for the purpose of enabling the waste
heat of furnaces to be utilised for heating water, and also for heating water for
baths.
It consists of two, three, or more cylinders, or vessels which may be arranged
either one above the other, or alongside each other, and which are each constructed
with a large flue or central cylinder extending completely through it, whilst said
flue: is in its turn crossed by a number of small tubes, around which the heat from
the furnace or other source is free to pass, said tubes being in open communication,
at either end with the water spaces in said cylinder, so that they will be kept full
of water, which will thus become heated by said waste or other heat as the latter.
is escaping from the furnace or other source into the smoke stack or chimney.
Circulating pipes are fitted so as to conduct the water from one cylinder or vessel
to the next, whilst the central flues are so arranged as that the waste heat from the
furnace will pass through each of them in turn, thereby ensuring that the water
which passes from one chamber or cylinder to the next will gradually become
heated until it arrives at that end of the series which is nearest the source of heat
where it can be withdrawn in any convenient manner, and can be utilised for any.
desired purpose. For instance, it can be forced into a boiler by means of an
injector, or it can be drawn off into a bath, or be used in other ways as found
convenient.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my improved water heater, whilst
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.
Fig. 3 is a vertical central section on line 3, 3, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a similar section on line 4, 4, Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5, 5, Fig. 3.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the arrangement shewn, A, B and C represent the three vessels or cylinders,
through which in turn the water to be heated is allowed or caused to flow, whilst
D represents the vertical central flue extending through all three of said chambers
or cylinders, and having a series of comparatively small horizontal tubes E E! E'
extending across it at intervals in such a manner as that the waste or other heat
entering the lower part of the flue D, and passing up same, will be caused to travel
around said tubes the water in which will thus be heated to a considerable extent
according to the amount of heat to which they are exposed.
FF represent two circulating tubes or pipes, the former extending between the
upper part of the first chamber A, and the upper part of the second chamber,
whilst the other extends between the upper part of the second chamber B, and the
upper part of the third chamber C, so that the feed water will be free to pass, as
clearly indicated by the arrows, through the whole series of chambers or cylinders,
and can then be withdrawn from the lowermost one, when it will be more or less
heated according to the amount of heat that can be utilised.
It will be obvious that the water can be fed to and afterwards removed
from my improved water heater in various ways, according to different require-
ments, and that the water heater itself can be fitted in any way most suited to the
Price 6d.

page_text: circumstances of the case. For instance, it might be set alongside the smoke stack
of the boiler, a flue being constructed from one side of said smoke stack through
the central flue of my heater and. back again, either into the chimney or into the
upper part of said smoke stack.
Under some circumstances the central flue D of my water heater might constitute
part of the chimney itself, the only essential being that the waste heat from the
furnace should be conducted through it before being discharged into the
atmosphere.
The two, three, or more water heaters might be made separately and be con-
nected together in any convenient manner either side by side or one above the
other, or they can be made in one as shown in my drawings, and have divisions
inserted between them.
When intended to be used for heating water for a bath the gas or other burners
are placed beneath the bottom of the flue D, as will be well understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein-described water heater, principally adapted for heating feed water
for steam boilers and baths, consisting of two or more cylinders or vessels (such
as A, B, C), each having a flue (such as D) extending through it, said flue being
fitted with tubes (such as E) extending across from side to side, said cylinders or
vessels being arranged either alongside or one above the other, the heat being led
in turn through each of the flues in each of the cylinders or chambers of my
improved water heater, and the water to be heated being fed into the top of the
first cylinder and afterwards led from thence into the top of the second cylinder
and so on to the end of the series,, tlie whole being constructed and arranged
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twentieth day of July One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-one.