Improvements in Air Heating Apparatus for Warming Rooms and other Uses.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Heating Apparatus for Warming Rooms and
other Uses.
A communication from abroad by MORTON F. BEAL, of Wellesley Hills, in the
County of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of
America.
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent do hereby déclare 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 has for its object the production of a novel and simple heating
apparatus for effectively heating a room by the flame of an oil, gas, or like lamp
or heating means, the heat of the flame being utilized to raise the temperature of a
large metallic surface over which the cool air passes.
A most efficient and compact heater is thereby attained and free from odour,
and the heat of the flame, instead of coming directly in contact with the air to
produce a comparatively small heating effect, is utilized to heat the greatest
possible quantity of air in an indirect manner.
The invention consists in the use, in an air heating apparatus, of an enclosing
casing or shell through which the air to be heated passes, a series of parallel aud
separated sheet metal heating surfaces within the casing and unconnected there-
with, said heating surfaces being provided with air circulatory openings, a metallic
support for said surfaces, and means, as a flame, enclosed by said support, to heat
the same.
Also in the use, in an air heating apparatus, of an enclosing casing or shell
open at its lower end, a series of slightly separated substantially parallel sheet
metal heating plates within the casing and unconnected therewith, to divide the
air into thin layers, a metallic flue or hollow support to which the said plates
are directly connected, to be heated thereby by conduction, and means to heat the
support.
Also in the use, in an air heating apparatus, of an enclosing casing, through
which the air to be heated passes, a hollow metallic flue or chimney within the
casing, a series of conical slightly separated sheet metal heating plates secured to
said flue, to be heated thereby by conduction, and a burner adapted to be inserted
in the base of and to heat the flue.
Also the use, in an air heating apparatus, of an enclosing casing open at its lower
end, a drum mounted on the casing and having escape passages therethrough
communicating with the upper end of the casing, a central metallic flue within the
casing and opening into the drum, a series of sheet metal cones secured concen-
trically to said flue, to be heated by conduction thereby, and means to heat the flue,
the products of combustion passing into the drum.
Also the use, in an air heating apparatus, of a metallic chimney, a burner
adapted to be inserted in the lower end of and to support the chimney, a series of
inserted slightly separated sheet metal cones secured to the chimney concentrically,
and provided with circulation openings, a surrounding casing through which the air
to be heated passes, said casing being open at its lower end, and having escape
passages at its upper end for the heated air.
And also the use, in an air heating apparatus, of a casing, a hollow metallic flue
and a series of concentrically attached slightly separated sheet metal heating cones,

page_text: all within and disconnected from the casing, a burner to heat said flue, a drum
located on the casing aud through which the heated air passes from the casing, said
drum having a sight opening in its top above the flue, by which the condition of the
burner frame may be observed.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, taken on the line x-x, Fig. 2, of a heating apparatus
embodying the invention adapted for use with an oil flame, the central heating flue
being shown in elevation.
Fig. 1 shows a detail, to be described.
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the heater shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of heater, adapted for use
with a gas flame.
Fig. 4 is a detail side view of the stack of radiating surfaces, shown in Fig. 3,
and broken off to save space, and
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the manner in which the radiating surfaces
are maintained in position.
In Fig. 1 is shown the bulb or oil chamber a of a lamp, surmounted by a burner
of any desired construction, the base a thereof being shown, said oil chamber
having an external flange a¹ upon which rest standards b attached to a cylinder B
of thin sheet metal, such as iron, and open at its bottom, surmounting the
oil lamp.
Upon the burner base a is mounted a flue c, preferably of sheet copper, and
shaped substantially like an ordinary glass lamp, and taking its place, said flue
having an opening in its lower end, closed by a cover c', whereby access may be
had to the lamp flame.
Rigidly secured to the flue c exteriorly, by fastening in any suitable manner,
are a series of inverted cones c³, also preferably made of sheet copper, separated
from each other by an air space, and extending up within the cylindrical
casing B.
A top is secured to the upper end of the said casing, having a central
opening surrounded at the underside of the top by an inverted cone 62, its
open lower end being somewhat larger than and located over the top of the
flue c.
A cylindrical heating drum d, which may be made ornamental in shape, is
mounted on the casing B, and a series of open ended pipes or conduits d', four
being shown in Fig. 2, pass from the top of the casing to the top of the drum,
establishing communication between the upper part of the casing B and the outer
air at the top d* of the drum.
In the centre of said top d* is an aperture covered with mica or other suitable
transparent material d', through which the flame may be observed, and regulated
as may be necessary.
Openings d³ in the lower part of the side walls of the drum permit the
passage therethrough of the heated products, in the direction of arrows 5,
Fig. 1.
In each cone e apertures are made, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 14, two such
apertures or holes are made diametrically opposite, the apertures being so located
in the series of cones that they make passages up through the stack, as clearly
shown.
The flame heats the metal flue c, which in turn conveys its heat to the series of
heating surfaces e, and the cold air passing in at the bottom of the casing B in the
direction of arrows 10, is heated in passing over and between the heating cones c²,
rising in the casing and passing through the pipes or flues d' of the drum d to the
room, thoroughly heated."
The products of combustion pass from the flue c through the cone 6 into the
drum, serving to thoroughly heat it and to still further heat the air as it passes
through the escape flues d', while the volatile products can escape by the
apertures d³.
It will thus be seen that a very large aggregate of heating surface is obtained

page_text: in a comparatively small space, and that a large volume of air is compelled to pass
thereover in passing from the bottom of the casing B to the escape flues, giving a
very much greater heating effect than would be possible were the air to be heated
by direct contact with the flame.
The openings 3 in the heating surfaces permit the air to circulate between
them, so that a layer of air is heated on both sides between each pair of cones.
The uppermost conical heating plate, in conjunction with the inverted cone b²
act to deflect or turn the heated air out towards the side wall of the casing B, to
better distribute it before it passes through the escape flues d'.
In adapting the heater for use with a gas flame, some modifications in the
structure are necessary aud desirable and such construction is shown in Figs. 3
to 5 inclusive.
Referring to Fig. 3, a casing B¹, preferably rectangular in cross-section, is
mounted on suitable supports f, said casing being open at the bottom and having
an ornamental open work top or cover B2.
A sheet metal chamber f, having an open top and a bottom fa provided with
a flame receiving aperture 3 supports the heating surface, shown as a series of
thin, preferably sheet copper plates g, arranged vertically and in parallelism and
punctured near their lower ends as at g', Figs. 3 and 4, for the circulation of the
air to be heated.
The lower edges of all the plates but one of the outside plates are bent at right
angles, at g², clearly shown in Fig. 5, and between each pair of plates is placed a
steel bar h, rectangular in cross section, resting in the angle of one plate and
against the back of the next.
Retaining plates or castings, located at the outer sides of the heating stack,
and embracing the sides of the flame containing chamber f¹, are held together by
rods extending from one to the other and clamped by nuts * screwed onto the
threaded projecting ends of said rods.
These rods are shown located just outside of the vertical edges of the heating
plates in Fig. 4, and serve to draw them tightly together against the interposed
bars h, so that the stack is rigidly held in place in a simple yet efficient
manner.
The bars separate the adjacent heating surfaces the proper distance to admit
layers of air between, and they also, becoming heated by the flame, increase the
heating effect.
As shown in Fig. 3, the bent edges 92 of the plates 9 form an almost continuous
cover for the flame chamber f¹ and the direct contact of the flame therewith heats
the remaining portion of each plate by conduction.
Openings 20 in the side walls of the casing B' at the level of the openings g¹ in
the stack, admit the air to be heated, which circulates around and between the
plates g, the latter dividing the air into a series of comparatively thin layers or
strata, and when thoroughly heated the air passes in large volume through the open
top of the casing into the room.
Any well known form of "Bunsen" burner is preferably used to produce
the flame, the burner being located below the heater so that its flame will be
substantially enclosed with the chamber f¹.
The invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein
shown, as the essential feature of the invention consists in dividing the air into a
series of thin layers by extended heating surfaces, the latter being heated directly
from the frame of a suitable burner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The construction and use of an air heating apparatus wherein is combined an
enclosing casing, or shell, through which the air to be heated passes, a series of
parallel and separated sheet metal surfaces within the casing and unconnected

page_text: therewith, said heating surfaces being provided with air circulatory openings, a
metallic support for said surfaces, and nieans, as a flame, enclosed by said support,
to heat the same, substantially as set forth and shewn by the drawings.
2. In an air heating apparatus, the construction, or arrangement, and use of an
enclosing casing, or shell, open at its lower end, a series of slightly separated
substantially parallel sheet metal heating plates within the casing and unconnected
therewith, to divide the air into thin layers, a metallic flue or hollow support to
which the said plates are directly connected, to be heated thereby by conduction,
and means to heat the support, substantially as set forth.
3. In an air heating apparatus the construction, or arrangement and use of an
enclosing casing, through which the air to be heated passes, a hollow metallic flue
or chimney within the casing, a series of conical slightly separated sheet metal
heating plates secured to said fine, to be heated thereby by conduction, and a
burner adapted to be inserted in the base of and to heat the flue, substantially as
set forth.
4. The construction or arrangement and use of parts of air heating apparatus
so that the air is divided into a series of thin layers by extended heating surfaces,
the latter being heated directly from the flame of a suitable burner, or
equivalent source of heating energy, substantially as set forth and shewn by the
drawings.
5. In an air heating apparatus, the construction or arrangement and use of an
enclosing casing open at its lower end, a drum mounted on the casing and having
escape passages therethrough communicating with the upper end of the casing, a
central metallic flue within the casing and opening into the drum, a series of sheet
metal cones secured concentrically to said flue, to be heated by conduction thereby,
and means to heat the flue, the products of combustion passing into the drum,
substantially as set forth.
6. In an air heating apparatus, the construction or arrangement and use of a
metallic chimney, a burner adapted to be inserted in the lower end of and to
support the chimney, a series of inserted slightly separated sheet metal cones
secured to the chimney concentrically, and provided with circulation openings, a
surrounding casing through which the air to be heated passes, said casing being
open at its lower end, and having escape passages at its upper end for the heated
air, substantially as set forth.
7. In an air heating apparatus, the construction or arrangement and use of a
casing, a hollow metallic flue and a series of concentrically attached slightly
separated sheet metal heating cones, all within and disconnected from the casing,
a burner to heat said flue, a drum located on the casing and through which the
heated air passes from the casing, said drum having a sight opening in its top
above the Hue, by which the condition of the burner frame may be observed,
substantially as set forth.
D
a
1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.