Improvements in Instantaneous Water Heaters.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Instantaneous Water Heaters.
I, WILLIAM JOHN RIGHTON, of 376 Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex,
"Zine Worker," do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an apparatus for the purpose of instantaneously heating
water, by the operation of the heat produced from the combustion of gas; from one
or more burners situated at the base of the apparatus. The heating products passing
upwards between a number of corrugated cylinders, each of these cylinders being
connected together with a spiral piece of metal, to permit the heating products to
travel in a spiral direction; before it exhaust itself in its action at the top of the
said apparatus. Fine sprays of cold water flow from several circular pipes at the
top of the said apparatus connected to a supply pipe; these sprays of cold water
flowing down the corrugations of the cylinders, and thereby become heated to a
high temperature by the time the water falls into the main cistern at the base.
The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus by the combustion of gas
to give a continuous supply of water at a high temperature of heat, for the purpose
of supplying hot water to baths, and the like.
My invention is constructed with a cylindrical corrugated metal frame, with two
or more corrugated cylinders inside the same, and connected together by pieces of
metal between each cylinder formed into a spiral shape. At the base I form an
open flanged cistern with a circular opening in the centre to permit the combustion
to rise upwards between the corrugated cylinders; the gas burners being connected
beneath the aforesaid flanged cistern.
The outlet for the heated water is fixed on the outside of the cistern, and may be
of any desired shape.
Above
At the top of the apparatus in the inner cylinder, I fix a cone shaped piece of
sheet iron, with the edges of the circumference butting against the corrugations ;
cone and down through the
for the purpose of the cold water to run off the
openings made by the channels of the corrugations at the edge of the cone.
the cone and the top of the inside cylinders I place rings of tube with perforations,
these rings being connected with the cold water supply; the rings are placed in such
a position to throw the cold water in small sprays out of each perforation on to the
corrugated cylinders, and running down the same into the cistern below.
At or near the base of the apparatus I construct an additional water cistern about
the level of the water line of the outlet spout; and inside this cistern, I place a
float attached to one or more valves, which regulates the supply of gas, in a gas
box beneath the aforesaid valves. The gas may be connected to any other mechanism
for the purpose of governing the supply of the same to the burner.
The water line is placed at the same level in each cistern as the cisterns are
connected together to allow the rise and fall of water to occur in each cistern at the
same time.
As the water line in the main cistern rises, so does the float in the other cistern
rise and thereby open the valves for the full supply of gas; but when the water
fails the valve closes thereby shutting off the gas, to prevent the bottom of the
cistern from being destroyed by carbonizing.
The burner may be either on a swivel or any other joint.
Any quantity of water may be arranged to pass through the apparatus as may be
required.
Inside the inner cylinder if preferable I construct a series of zig zag corrugated
ulates for the nurnose of the action of the cold water to flow down the channels of

page_text: the same, whilst the heat ascends between the aforesaid corrugated plates; and thereby
give great facilities for heating the water in its descent.
Any of the inside cylinders may be constructed with a bottom to hold water, or
open as herein before described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1888.
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, W., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Instantaneous Water Heaters.
I, WILLIAM JOHN RIGHTON, of 376 Euston Road, in the County of London, "Zinc
Worker," 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 :-
My invention relates to an apparatus for the purpose of instantaneously heating
water, by the operation of the heat produced from the combustion of gas, from one
or more burners situated at the base of the apparatus. The heating products passing
upwards, between a number of corrugated cylinders; each of these cylinders being
connected together with a spiral piece of metal, to permit the heating products to travel
in a spiral direction or otherwise, before it exhausts itself in its action at the top of the
said apparatus.
Fine sprays of cold water flow from several circular pipes at the top of the said
apparatus, connected to a supply pipe; these sprays of cold water flowing down the
corrugations of the cylinders, or zig zag plates, and thereby become heated to a high
temperature by the time the water falls into the main cistern at the base.
The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus by the combustion of gas to
give a continuous supply of water at a high temperature of heat, for the purpose of
supplying hot water to baths and the like.
Inside the inner cylinder if preferable I construct a series of zig zag corrugated
plates for the purpose of the action of the cold water to flow down the channels of the
same, whilst the heat ascends between the aforesaid corrugated plates, and thereby
give great facilities for heating the water in its descent.
And in order that my invention may be throughly understood, I now proceed to
describe the accompanying drawings thereof, reference being had to letters and figures
marked thereon.
Figure 1 represents half of the apparatus in elevation, and half in section, the outer
. case marked A, with the cold water supply B at the top, and the spray pipes C jutting
out on each side. The corrugated zig zag plates D are placed inside for the water
to flow down into the troughs E and flow out at ends of troughs or pass between the
divisions R into the cistern H', with a conical chimney H. The arrows indicate the
ascent of the heat.
is
At the side I fix a gas box M with a supply pipe L regulated by a stop cock F.
In the gas box I construct a division plate S with a swing flap S which is hung on
a bolt passed through the gas box, so as to regulate the supply when the pressure
great by reducing the gas way beneath the division plate; above the gas box I construct
a valve K attached to the float J in the cistern I so that the amount of water in the
cistern regulates the opening or closing of the valve K. The travel of the gas is
indicated by arrows.
The burner P with the jets Q revolve on a taper plug O, in the boss N. An
outlet V is placed near the base with an overflow U above the same.
Figure 2 is a plan of the inside top describing the spray pipes jutting out from the
supply pipe.
Figure 3. is a plan of the top of the conical chimney H, with the troughs E running
across the top of the main cistern.

page_text: Figure 4. represents half elevation, with the dotted lines to indicate the interior
formation of the apparatus, the remainder of this figure is in section, giving the
cylinders G and H³, with the spiral plates E¹ and F1 between the cylinders and
the outer case A, and the hot water K' situated in the cistern J¹ at the bottom of the
apparatus, and connected to the gas box and float cistern as in figure 6, at 0¹. The
cylinders are bolted together at B¹.
Figure 5 denotes a plan of the top of figure 4, with the cold water supply pipe 11
and the rings of small tubes C with small perforations to discharge fine sprays of
cold water on the cone D¹ and down the spiral divisions E¹ and F.
The arrows indicate the downward direction of the spiral plates and up which
the heat travels.
Figure 6. represents a section of an apparatus for regulating the supply of gas to
the burner in the same manner as the former regulater, viz.-by a float which rises
and falls according to the water line. The supply of gas being regulated by the
fall and rise of the hot water K¹ in the cistern.
Inside the gas box X' is placed a division C with an oblong opening, for the block b
at the back of the flap, which flap is hung on centres to press in as indicated by
dotted lines, to stop the bulk of the supply of gas passing into the burner when the
force of gas is excessive.
The gas travels from the supply pipe Y¹, in the direction indicated by arrows down
into the burner.
The small cistern L₁ and cover M¹ being connected with the hot water cistern J'
by a tube O' and an air-tight float N¹, with a tube inside S³, to slide over the fixed
tube P¹. On the top of the float is hung loosely a pendulum Q1 with a circular
pointed weight R¹ hung loosely at the bottom of the pendulum to drop in or close
the opening or gas way at U', when the water fails. At the base of the cistern inside
the tube P¹ is a perforated plate V₁, and down these perforations the gas travels, and
thence down the division a to the burner.
The gas box is screwed on to the male thread WI attached to the cistern.
My invention is constructed with a cylindrical corrugated metal frame A, with one,
two, or more corrugated cylinders inside the same, and connected together by
pieces of metal between each cylinder formed into a spiral E' or F', or any other
shape.
At the base I form an open flanged cistern J' with a circular opening in the centre
to permit the combustion to rise upwards between the corrugated cylinders; the
gas burners being connected beneath the aforesaid flanged cistern as in figure 1.
The outlet V for the heated water is fixed on the outside of the cistern, and may
be of any desired shape.
At the top of the apparatus in the inner cylinder I fix a cone shaped piece of
sheet iron D with the edges of the circumference butting against the corrugations
for the purpose of the cold water to run off the cone and down through the openings
made by the channels of the corrugations at the edge of the cone. Above the cone
and the top of the inside cylinders place rings of tube with perforations, these
rings being connected with the cold water supply 1'; the rings are placed in such
a position to throw the cold water in small sprays out of each perforation on to the
corrugated cylinders and running down the same into the cistern below.
At or near the base of the apparatus I construct an additional water cistern about
the level of the water line of the outlet spout; and inside this cistern, I place a float,
attached to one or more valves which regulate the supply of gas in a gas box beneath
the aforesaid valves. The gas may be connected to any other mechanism for the
purpose of governing the supply of the same to the burner.
The water line is placed at the same level in each cistern, as the cisterns are
connected together to allow the rise and fall of water to occur in each cistern at the
same time.
As the water line in the main cistern rises, so does the float in the other cistern
rise and thereby open the valves for the full supply of gas, but when the water

page_text: fails the valve closes thereby shutting off the gas, to prevent the bottom of the cistern
"froin being destroyed by carbonizing.
The burner may be either on a swivel or any other joint.
Any quantity of water may be arranged to pass through the apparatus as may be
required.
Either of the inside cylinders may be constructed with a bottom to hold water,
perforated, closed at any point, or open as herein described.
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-
First The combination of the apparatus for the purpose of instantaneously heating
water by the operation of the heat produced from the combustion of gas from one or
more burners, and the gas regulator as in figures 1, 2, and 3, with the zig zag plates
for the water to flow down the corrugations in the zig zag plates, and the heat to
ascend between such corrugated plates substantially as herein described and according
to the accompanying drawings.
Secondly: The combination of the apparatus, with one or more inner cylinders as
in figures 4 and 5, with spiral or any other shaped pieces of metal between each
cylinder, for the cold water to flow down, and for the heat to rise upwards from the
gas flames, between the corrugated cylinders in a spiral or any other form, for the
purpose of instantaneously heating cold water, substantially as herein described and
according to the accompanying drawings.
:
Thirdly The combination of the float and cistern, and other portions described in
figure 6, of the gas regulator, to regulate the supply, and to prevent the bottom
of the main cistern from being destroyed by carbonizing, should the cold water
supply fail, substantially as herein described and according to the accompanying
drawings.
Fourthly Any combination of the various parts of either of the figures herein
contained, to be formed into an apparatus for the purpose herein described.
Fifthly The apparatus constructed of corrugated metallic substance substantially
as described.
Dated this 21st day of September 1200
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, W., Agent for the Applicant.