Apparatus for Rapidly Purifying and Heating Water.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Rapidly Purifying and Heating Water.
I, JOHN EDWARD PRUNTY of 212 West Fayette Street, Baltimore City, State of
Maryland, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
ature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
articularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for rapidly purifying and heating water.
A chief object of the invention is to provide especially for domestic use, portable,
economical and efficient means for effecting filtration of the water and its rapid
heating by means of Bunsen gas burners having their flames and hot products of
combustion directed on shallow water passages presenting extended heating surface
enclosing the water in thin films. By means of suitable pipes and cocks portions
of the filtered, heated and purified water may be distributed for use wherever
required, as in a bath, tub, or may be caused to rise to elevated tanks, or may be
artificially cooled or refrigerated.
I shall describe the invention referring to the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of apparatus according to my invention..
Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section of the heater taken on a plane at right-
angles to that of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front view of one of the Bunsen burners.
In the drawings, 1 is the water supply pipe provided with a reducing valve 2
and connecting to the service pipes in a building through a filter 3 of any suitable
construction, such as that shewn, consisting of a casing fitted with perforated
plates 4 and layers 5 of suitable filtering material. The pipe 1 is, preferably,
connected, as shewn, with a lower compartment of the filter, so that the water is
filtered upwards after depositing its grosser impurities. From the upper compart-
water heater 7 consisting
ment of the filter a pipe 6 leads to the lower part of
of a series of wide but shallow zigzag passages 8 along which the water ascends
and similar passages 9 along which it descends exposed in thin films to the
extended heating surfaces afforded by the walls of said passages.
The lower end of the pipe 6 is connected, preferably, by a bend 10 to the lowest
of the passages 8 which are arranged at intervals apart one above another to any
required height. These alternate passages 8 are connected at their ends by
bends 11 which are of the same width as the passages. Parallel with the series
of passages 8, and separated therefrom by a central Blue 12, is the other series of
passages 9 having their alternate ends connected by bends 13. The walls of the
passages 8 and 9 and bends 11 and 13 are preferably made of thin sheet copper
or other good conducting metal.
The uppermost of the passages 8 is connected to the uppermost of the passages 9,.
by a bent pipe 14. The lowest of the passages 9, is connected by a three-way
valve 15 with pipes 25 and 30.
Two oppositely placed Bunsen gas burners face the outer ends of horizontal flues 17,
between the passages 8 and 9, communicating with the central flue 12.
The
Each Bunsen burner is supplied with gas by a pipe 18 having branches 19,
leading to a space from which the gas issues by multiple nipples or jets 20.
pipes 18 are supplied from a gas service pipe 21 and each Bunsen burner bas
5 passages 22 for admitting air to mingle with the gas.
Owing to the strong draught up the central Blue 12, the flames from the Bunsen
burners are thrown effectively onto the water passages 8 and 9 and into the flues 17,
so that the water is rapidly heated even to boiling.

page_text: The heater 7 is enclosed in a casing 23 the top of which may be constructed to
act as a reflector 24 of heat down on to the body of the heater.
A pipe 25 may lead to a tank 26 having a pipe 27 which may convey the
filtered purified and heated water to the upper parts of a building. There may
also be an inlet pipe 28, with cock or valve 29, for conducting cold water from
the pipe 6 to the tank 26.
Hot water may be taken from the three-way valve 15 through a pipe 30 which
may have a branch pipe 31 with a cock 32 leading to a cooler or refrigerating
device, consisting of a worm or coiled pipe 33 enclosed in a vessel 34 containing
ice or other cooling medium. By a cock 35 filtered, purified and cooled water may
be drawn off.
By the filtration of the water and its immediate heating, to a high temperature,
impurities are removed or destroyed and the water, is thus better fitted for use
especially for culinary or drinking purposes. The preliminary filtration of the
water renders it less liable to form a scale within, or otherwise injure, the passages
of the heater..
The apparatus described is portable and can be readily fitted in position and
connected where required.
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 casing containing two sets of wide shallow
horizontal superposed and connected passages arranged with flue spaces between
the passage of each set, and with a vertical flue between the two sets, and a
pair of oppositely placed Bunsen burners the flames of which are directed against
the ends of the horizontal passages and into the flue spaces between them so as to
heat water ascending in a zigzag course through the one set of passages and
descending through the other set, substantially as described.
2. In combination with a water heater such as referred to in the preceding claim,
a filter a three-way valve and branch pipes from the heater, a distributing tank and
a water cooler, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of February 1896.
ADEL & IMRAT,
Agents for the Applicant.