IMPROVEMENTS IN, AND IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER BY GAS FOR BATHS AND OTHER PURPOSES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO WARMING AIR."
Year: 1881

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to George William Wigner and Robert Henry Harland,
both of Great Tower Street, in the City of London, Analytical and Consulting
Chemists, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN, AND IN APPARATUS
FOR HEATING WATER BY GAS FOR BATHS AND OTHER PURPOSES, PARTLY
APPLICABLE TO WARMING AIR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George William Wigner
& Robert Henry Harland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 28th September 1881.
GEORGE WILLIAM WIGNER and ROBERT HENRY HARLAND, both of Great
Tower Street, in the City of London, Analytical and Consulting Chemists.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN, AND IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER BY GAS FOR BATHS
AND OTHER PURPOSES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO WARMING AIR."
Our Invention relates to the heating of water in circulating pipes for supplying
baths and for other domestic purposes, or for heating houses, apartments, or con-
servatories.
Our Invention relates principally to applying or directing the flame of a burning
mixture of gas and air against the outside of a portion of the circulating pipe itself,
this portion of the pipe being of the same or of a larger or smaller diameter than
the rest of the pipe, as circumstances may require. To this end we construct a
new form of atmospheric gas burner through which the circulating pipe or a portion
thereof is passed.
We construct the burner as follows:-
The tube in which the gas and air mix surrounds the rising pipe of the hot
water circulating system, and is provided with a top preferably so constructed that
the mixture of gas and air burns partly through or from an annular orifice
immediately surrounding the said pipe and partly from a series of holes or burners
so formed or arranged as to direct the flames against the water pipe at the same or

page_text: different heights. To avoid loss of heat by diffusion or radiation we surround the
water pipe for a certain distance above the burner with a suitable casing, leaving
an annular space between the pipe and casing through which the flame and
products of combustion ascend and envelop the water pipe. This casing or the
lower part thereof should be made of non conducting material, and may if so 5
desired be enclosed in a sheet metal sheathing pipe.
When we desire to utilize the surplus heat of the products of combustion for
heating air for warming purposes the upper part of this casing would be made of
two concentric tubes so as to form an annular air heating chamber through which
a current of air is allowed to pass by means of suitable inlet and outlet pipes so 1
that the air will be warmed by the surplus heat given off by the products of
combustion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George William Wigner and Robert Henry Harland in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th March 1882.
ⱭEORGE WILLIAM WIGNER and ROBERT HENRY HARLAND, both of Great Tower
Street, in the City of London, Analytical and Consulting Chemists. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN, AND IN APPARATUS FOR, HEATING WATER BY GAS FOR BATHS AND
OTHER PURPOSES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO WARMING AIR."
Our Invention relates to the heating of water in circulating pipes for supplying
baths and for other domestic purposes, or for heating houses, apartments, or
conservatories.
Our Invention relates principally to applying or directing the flame of a burning
mixture of gas and air against the outside of a portion of the circulating pipo
itself, this portion of the pipe being of the same, or of a larger or smaller diameter
than the rest of the pipe, as circumstances may require. To this end we construit
a new form of atmospheric gas burner through which the circulating pipe or a
portion thereof is passed. The mixing chamber for the gas and air surrounds the
rising pipe of the hot water circulating system, and is provided with a burner so
constructed that the mixture of gas and air burns in contact with the rising pipo,
preferably partly at an annular orifice immediately surrounding the said pipe, and
partly from a series of holes or nozzles so formed or arranged as to direct the Blames
against the water pipe at the same or different heights. To avoid loss of heat by
diffusion or radiation we surround the water pipe from a point just above the burner
with a suitable casing, leaving an annular space between the pipe and casing through
which the flame and products of combustion ascend and envelop the water pipe.
This casing (which extends as high as convenient) or the lower part thereof should
bo made of nonconducting material and may if desired be enclosed in a sheet metal
sheathing or pipe. When we desire to utilise the surplus heat of the products of
combustion for heating air for warming purposes, the upper part of this casing would
be made of two concentric tubes so as to form an annular air heating chamber
through which a current of air is allowed to pass by means of suitable inlet and
outlet pipes, so that the air will be warmed by the surplus heat given off by the
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the water heating apparatus, and Figuro 2 is a
top view of the burner on a larger scale.
a is the rising pipe of the circulating system, and b is the descending pipe, both
connected with a hot water cistern c in the ordinary way, that portion of the pipe a
which is acted on by the heat of the flame being preferably made of copper; dis
the mixing chamber of the atmospheric burner which surrounds a portion of the
pipe a, as shown; e is the burner, consisting of a metal disc forming the top of the
mixing chamber, and provided with a central aperture through which the pipe a
passes, leaving an annular orifice e immediately surrounding the pipe. The disc e
is also drilled with one or more concentric series of holes e, e³, inclined inwards so
as to direct the flames against the pipe a, preferably at different heights; f is the
gas supply pipe which preferably passes into a lateral tube f', leading into the
mixing chamber d, said tube being of larger diameter than the gas pipe to allow of
the admission around it of a proper proportion of atmospheric air to mix with the
gas; is a nonconducting tubular casing surrounding the ascending pipe a at such
a distance therefrom as to leave room for the flames and the products of combustion

page_text: to pass up in the annular space between the tube and the casing. This casing is
situated immediately above the burner, there being a small space between the two
for the admission of some atmospheric air, the space varying according to the draught
in the chimney, the object being to admit sufficient air to ensure perfect combustion.
This casing extends as high as it can be conveniently carried around the
ascending pipe in a straight line. It is preferably constructed in short lengths or
sections made of porous nonconducting clay cemented at the joints and protected
by an external sheathing of stove pipe g' closed at top by a cap g² provided with
an aperture through which the pipe a passes, and with an escape pipe ½ to conduct
away the products of combustion.
Having described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing tho
same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. In a hot water circulating system, the method of heating the water by
applying a gas flame or flames directly against and around a portion of the
circulating pipe itself, as specified.
2nd. An atmospheric gas burner surrounding a water circulating pipe and having
orifices or burners constructed in such a way as to direct the flame or flames against
the said pipe, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.
Brd. In a hot water circulating system, the employment in combination with tho
rising pipe of an atmospheric gas burner surrounding the same, and of a non-
conducting (or nonconducting and air heating) casing also surrounding the pipe
immediately above the burner with an annular passage between the said casing
and pipe for the products of combustion, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof T the said George William Winner for myself and on