Improvements in Water Heaters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
Improvements in Water Heaters.
I, JAMES THADDEUS HANRAHAN, of 707 Broadway, City of Albany, State of
New York, United States of America, House Furnisher, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved water heater,
especially for baths.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1, shows a vertical sectional view of my
apparatus set in a bath tub in operative construction, and Figure 2, a plan view of
the bottom thereof.
The body or casing of my apparatus is preferably made of copper, and is
pressed into shape preferably, by means of dies to avoid all seaming and
soldering as far as possible. The casing 1 has a cover 10 with an escape pipe 11,
the cover 10 being pitched or couical as shown, preferably, and it is preferably
The conical cover 10
riveted to the flange on the upper edge of casing 1.
is so formed in order that the water of condensation that may form on its
under surface may run down and off at the edges instead of falling directly down
upon the burner 3. On the right will be seen an open tube 4 which serves as a
passage for a down draft of air with which to supply the burner 3, and on the left
will be seen another tube 5 which encloses tube 6, said tube 6 being a gas pipe
As the gas
connected to a gas supply with which the burner is fed with gas.
passes down pipe 6 it enters the mixer 7 and draws into the mixer a quantity of air
and mixes it with the gas so as to produce blue or atmospheric flames at the
burner. The mixer 7 is the ordinary form of mixer used with gas stoves and,
therefore, does not need extended description. Under the burner is a perforated
plate 2, preferably a gauze wire sheet, its object being to compel the air coming
down the pipe 4 to pass through the gauze 2 and thus be spread evenly and thus
supplied to the burner. At 8 will be seen a deflector which compels the heat as it
rises and strikes against it, to be deflected and pass over its lower surface and thus
detain it longer in the heater than it would be if it was allowed to pass directly up
the flue 11. 9 shows the bottom of a vessel holding water, as a bath tub, in which
the heater is seen submerged. The operation is as follows:-The apparatus is
water tight, and being placed in a bath tub having water in it, it sinks to the
bottom and rests on the bottom of the tub. It may have its burner lighted
before or after putting it in the water, and if after, the deflector 8 may be pushed
aside and a lighted taper passed down through flue 11 and thus the burner will
As the gas
be lighted, the pipe 6 having been connected with a gas supply.
passes down pipe 6, it enters the mixer 7 and draws into it a supply of air, which
is supplied to the mixer by a down draft in pipe 5, and the mixed gas and
As the heat rises from the
air then pass to the burner 3 and is consumed.
flames, it strikes the sides of the casing 1 and when first lighted, the condensation
of the water on its sides will be considerable and especially on the under surface
of the cover, but, the cover being concave or having a sloping interior surface,
the condensed water formed on it is discharged by running down the concave
surface and off on the sides of the casing 1, whereas, otherwise, it would fall on
the burner and interfere with the burning of the gas. A part of the heat rising
from the burners will strike against deflector 8 and be deflected or caused to take
a more circuitous course inside the heater than it would if allowed to pass
directly up the flue 11, thus utilizing more of the heat than would otherwise be
done. While the burners are operating, the draft caused by the heat passing

page_text: out of the flue 11, makes a down draft in pipe 4 which discharges under the gauze
partition 2, and the air finds its way up through the gauze and is evenly supplied
to the burner. The heated sides of the casing 1 soon heat the water to any desired
degree. When the water is sufficiently heated, the apparatus is lifted out, turned
upside down and all water of condensation allowed to run out of flue 11, its
slanting sides being designed for that purpose.
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 :-
1. A water heater consisting of a chamber arranged to be submerged in the
liquid to be heated, and having an escape outlet with its exit end above the surface
of the liquid, and an induction pipe for air arranged to admit an air supply at a
point below a perforated partition in said chamber, and a burner located above said
partition, and having a fuel pipe arranged to feed the burner with a combustible,
said fuel pipe entering said chamber through a second air induction pipe, and
having a mixing apparatus for mixing the combustible with air located in the exit
of said second induction pipe that the burner may be caused to produce an
atmospheric flame, as and for the purposes described.
2. A water heater consisting of a chamber arranged to be submerged in the
liquid to be heated, and having an escape pipe for the escape of the products of
combustion and a source of heat in said chamber located above a perforated false
floor in said chamber, and an air induction pipe discharging below said false floor,
that the air may be uniformly supplied to the source of beat, and having a feed
pipe to supply fuel and an air mixer located outside of said chamber and below
the surface of the liquid to be heated, and arranged to mix air with the fuel before
it enters the chamber, as and for the purposes described.
3. A water heater consisting of a chamber arranged to be submerged in the
liquid to be heated, and having an escape pipe for the escape of the products
of combustion, and a source of heat in said chamber, and having a perforated false
bottom located below the source of heat, and a supply pipe arranged to supply fuel
to the source of heat, and an air mixer located below the surface of the water,
arranged to mix air with the fuel supply before it reaches the source of heat, and
having an induction pipe to supply air to the interior of the chamber at a point
below the perforated false bottom for the purposes described.
4. A water heater consisting of a chamber arranged to be submerged in the
liquid to be heated, its top or cover sloping toward its side walls, and having a gas
burner therein and a perforated plate located below the burner and an air supply
discharging below said perforated plate, and having a deflector located above the
burner and a gas supply pipe arranged to feed the burner through a gas and air
mixer that a non-illuminating flame may be produced at the burner, and having an
escape pipe for the escape of the products of combustion as described.
Dated the Second day of January 1894.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.