Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Water.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Water.
I, JOHN SEELY COE of No. 241 Market Street, Paterson, in the County of
Passaic and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Machinist, 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:-
This invention relates to heating apparatus for heating water for domestic or other
purposes, such apparatus consisting of a boiler or water tank, in the lower part of
which is a heating chamber containing a pipe which constitutes the principal, or a
considerable portion, of the water heating surface, and through which an active
circulation of water from the lower to the upper part of the boiler or tank is
induced by the heat applied within said chamber, at all times, except while water
is being drawn off.
The improvement consists in the combination with the boiler or tank and its
heating pipe, of an automatic circulation valve, which at all times, except while
water is being drawn from the boiler, permits the free circulation of the water from
the lower to the upper part of the boiler through the said heating pipe, but which,
while the water is being drawn off from the boiler for use, shuts off the water in the
lower part of the boiler from said pipe, and causes the downward circulation of the
water from the upper part of the boiler through said pipe, to the outlet whence
the water is drawn, thus causing the water to be always drawn from the upper part
of the boiler downward through the heating pipe, which is the hottest part of the
apparatus. The improvement further consists in certain details hereinafter
described and claimed.
Fig. 1 represents a central vertical section of a heating apparatus embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 a horizontal section, taken in the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a central vertical section of the lower part of an apparatus, illustrating a
modification of the invention.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
I will first describe the example of the invention shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. A is
a tank constituting the body of the boiler. This is represented as substantially
like an ordinary kitchen boiler, except that it has, in its lower part, a heating
chamber B, represented as of cylindrical form, which is open at the bottom, and
from the top of which a chimney or vent pipe C passes out through the top of the
tank. Within the heating chamber is a heating pipe D, represented as consisting
of an upright coil, the convolutions of which are alternately contracted and enlarged,
o as to present an axial profile, consisting of a series of alternately reversed
Trustrums of cones. The lower end of this heating pipe D is connected with a
water box E, provided in the bottom of the tank, and from the upper end of the
oil the said pipe is prolonged upwards through the chimney C, and connected with
he top of the tank. The chamber B and the pipe D are to be heated by any
uitable means, as by gas burners 1, situated in the open bottom of the said
hamber. A coil of this form, heated from below, has the lower half of
very portion of the length of the coil exposed directly to the radiant
eat from the burner, and to contact with the upwardly circulating hot
ases of combustion, without any interception from portions of the coil
elow. The water box E bas, in its upper part, a lateral offset E', in which is

page_text: an inlet a from the lower part of the interior of the tank, and it has connected with
it, through the bottom of the tank, n pipe F, through which the heated water is
supplied from the boiler through a building, or to any place where heated water is
required. Around the inlet a is a seat for the automatic circulation valve c
represented as a ball valve, which closes upwards against the said sent, for the
purpose of shutting off the water in the lower part of the tank from the heating
coil or pipe D.
The pipe d, through which the water enters to supply the boiler, is represented
in Fig. 1as situnted directly under the valve sent b, and the upper end of the said
pipe is represented as furnished, directly opposite the said valve seat b, with a sente,
which serves as n resting place for the valve e, so long as no water is being drawn
from the boiler through the delivery pipe F. This valve is represented in Fig. 1
as resting on the said seat e, and closing the supply piped. Although it is preferable
that the supply pipe d should be so arranged under the valve seat b, and provided
with the opposite valve seat e, that arrangement and provision are not absolutely
necessary, as will be understood after the description of the modification shown in
Fig. 3.
Referring to Fig. 1, the operation is as follows:-The boiler being filled with
water through the supply pipe d, and heat being applied at the bottom of the
heating chamber B, s long as there is no water drawn through the delivery
pipe F, the automatic circulating valve will be caused, by its own weight, to leave
open the inlet a from the tank to the heating pipe D, and there will be an active
circulation of water from the lower part of the tank upwards through the heating
pipe D, into the upper part of the tank, and a downward circulation through the
tank to the lower opening of the heating pipe. The water so circulating will be
heated, in part, through the walls of the heating chamber, but mainly in the
heating pipe D, but when water is drawn off from the pipe F, the draught will
cause the circulating valve to close the inlet a, and shut off communication
hetween the lower part of the coil and the lower part of the tank, and the circula-
tion of water through the heating coil D will then be reversed, that is to say, the
water will pass from the upper part of the tank downward through the heating
pipe D into the box E, and thence through the delivery pipe F, the water so drawn
from the tank being replaced by the fresh water entering through the pipe to
the lower part of the tank. In this circulation, the water is taken from the upper
part of the tank, where it is warmest, and, in its passage thence to the outlet
through the heating pipe D, will be exposed to the greatest heat; hence, in a very
short time after lighting the burners or other supply of heat to the boiler, a
copious supply of hut water may be obtained. On the shutting off of the delivery
pipe F, the automatic valve c will fall from its sent b, and the normal circulation
from the lower part of the tank, through the heating pipe D, to the upper part of
the tank, will be resumed. Throughout the whole operation, whether the circula-
tion valve c is open or closed, there is always free conununication between the
heating pipe D and the delivery pipe F.
In the above described operation, the closing of the inlet a to the water box E
and coil, and the reversal of the normal circulation through the coil, will be
rendered more prompt by the arrangement of this supply pipe d and valve sent e
opposite the said inlet, as shewn in Figure 1, as the valve will be directly operated
upon by the pressure of the water in the supply pipe.
The example of my invention illustrated in Fig. 3 only differs from that
illustrated in Fig. 1, and herein above described, in that the inlet pipe d, and the
circulation valve e, are separated, the said inlet pipe d being on the opposite side
of the tank, and the inlet a to the hox E and heating pipe D being at the end of a
bent. pipe g, which is attached to the upper part of the box. The valve c is, in this
case, formed within a cage 4, which retains the valve near the seat b, when it is
open.
In order to prevent the running back on the surface of the heating pipe D, of
any water that may be condensed around the interior of the chimney or vent C

page_text: from the products of combustion, before the water in the tank becomes thoroughly
heated, I provide around the base of the said pipe in the heating chamber, an
annular drip channel i, in which such water may be collected, and whence, as the
heat increases, the said water may be evaporated by the heat of the chamber. For
the purpose of further preventing any condensation on the interior of the chimney
or vent, I surround the latter with a tube G, which forms an air jacket in which
the contained air forns a non-conductor to prevent the chilling of the chimney or
vent, as the boiler is filled with cold water.
From the lower part of this air jacket, I have represented a pipe j as extending
downward through the bottom of the tank, for the escape of any water that may
condense within said jacket.
The form of the heating pipe D contributes greatly to the success of my inven-
tion. Its coils, being arranged in alternately reversed frustrums of cones, are so
presented to the ascending heating products of combustion, that every part of the
pipe is effectively exposed to the heat.
It may be observed that in both examples of my invention represented and
described, the automatic circulation valve c is at the bottom of the coil, or the
end where the water enters to be heated, and that consequently when the delivery
pipe F is operated, the cold water is shut off entirely froin the heating coil, which
is then supplied only with the hotter water from the upper part of the boiler, while
the boiler is supplied with cold water at the bottom.
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. The combination with a boiler tank, a heating chamber within said tank, a
heating pipe within said chamber, in communication with the upper and lower parts.
of the tank respectively, and a delivery pipe for heated water at the bottom of
said tank, in constant communication with the lower end of the heating pipe, of a
valve arranged at the communication between the heating pipe and the lower
portion of the tank, for automatically closing said communication by the draught
of water through the delivery pipe, substantially as herein described.
2. The combination of a boiler tank, a heating chamber within said tank, a.
heating pipe within said chamber, in communication, at one end, with the tank, a
delivery pipe for heated water, a water box through which the other end of the
heating pipe is in constant communication with the delivery pipe, and in which.
there is an opening to the tank, a valve seat at said opening, a supply pipe com-
municating with the tank through a valve seat arranged opposite the first mentioned
valve seat, and a valve which works automatically between the two valve seats, to.
change the direction of the flow of water through the heating pipe, according as
the delivery pipe is open or closed, substantially as herein described.
3. The combination with the boiler tank and the heating chamber therein, of a.
heating pipe arranged within said chamber, and consisting of an upright coil, the
convolutions of which are alternately contracted and enlarged, in the form
of a series of alternately reversed frustrums of cones, substantially as herein.
described.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1896.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.