Improvements in Electric Heating Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: ate of Application, 1st Dec., 1891-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Heating Apparatus.
I, MARK WESLEY DEWEY, of Kirk Block, Corner of South Salina and West
Fayette Streets Syracuse, in the County of Onondaga, in the State of New York,
United States of America, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my
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 the production of heat by passing a current of electricity
through one or more conductors of more or less resistance; and is similar to the
invention set forth in my Patent No. 5247 of 1891.
The objects of my invention are, to provide an electric heater that will produce
a great amount of heat, expose a large radiating surface and yet not occupy much
floor-space.
The objects of my invention also are to provide a heater having its resistance
divided into sections, and so arranged that if any one of the sections becomes injured
it may be repaired without cutting off the current from the entire heater, or the
other sections of resistance.
The object of my invention further is to provide the heater with an adjustable
switch or current controller so that the heat may be regulated as desired.
The switch may be provided with an indicator to show the amount of current
flowing through the heater or the number of sections of the resistance in circuit.
To this end my invention consists in the combination of a plurality of cases, an
electric heat-developing conductor within each of said cases, and a frame to hold
or support said cases.
My invention consists also in the combination of supply conductors, a plurality
of cases, an electric heat-developing conductor within each of said cases and con-
nected with the supply conductors in parallel, suitable means to hold said cases
apart, and a switch to cut out of circuit one or more of the heat developing
conductors.
My invention consists further and collectively in the combination of a plurality
of metallic corrugated roughened cases, an electric heat-developing conductor or
resistance within each of said cases and provided with a heat retaining medium, a
frame to hold or support said cases parallel with cach other and separated to allow
air spaces between, a supply circuit connected with the heat developing conductors,
and a switch or current controller mounted on the frame to control the current
flowing through the resistances, or to include any number of resistances in circuit.
And my invention consists still further in certain other combinations of parts
hereinafter described and specifically set forth in the claims.
Referring briefly to the drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan view of one of the cases, containing a section of the resistance,
with the top or fid removed,
Figure 2 is a side elevation of my complete heater or radiator,
Figure 3 shows a modification of one of the boxes or cases,
Figure 4 is a side elevation of another form of electric radiator,
Figures 5 and 6 are end views of cases that may be used, and
Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagram views of the resistances in connection with
the supply conductors and different forms of switches or current controllers to be
used therewith.
In the drawings A represents the electric-heat-developing conductors or resistances
preferably formed of platinum or iron wire and arranged in a serpentine or sinuous
form within metallic or earthenware boxes or cases B. Said heat-developing
conductor is supported by pins or hooks b of porcelain or other suitable material
гр

page_text: on each side of a case, and is covered or enveloped by a suitable heat retaining
medium C such as powdered or granulated fire clay or other refractory material
or a loose fibrous refractory material as asbestos, described in my Patent above
referred to. The bed for the resistance, however, may be formed partly or wholly
of a slab of slate or fire-brick or other solid material if desired. The cases B
are preferably ribbed on their exterior surfaces to aid in radiating the heat
therefrom as shown in Figures 3 and 5, but may be corrugated as in Figure 6,
or roughened in any suitable manner for the same purpose.
Any suitable source of electricity may be employed for the heater.
a and a¹
are the supply-conductors to which the resistances A of the heaters are connected,
D is the frame or support to hold the cases B, and F is a switch or current
controller mounted upon one end of the said frame to control the current flowing
through the resistances or to include any number of the resistances in circuit.
The frame D shown in Figures 2 and 4 may be of any suitable construction to
hold or support the cases B side by side, parallel with each other and separated
to allow air spaces between, but is preferably square or of a rectangular shape
with grooves or brackets c on two sides of its interior in or upon which the cases B
are held or supported firmly. Any suitable means may be employed to hold them
in place or from being unintentionally displaced. By this arrangement if one of
the resistances A becomes injured or fused the case containing it may be removed
and the resistance repaired easily and without disturbing the other cases, which
may remain in circuit."
In Figure 2 the cases B are supported in a horizontal position by the frame, but
in Fig. 4 they are supported in a vertical position, which is preferred, as then there
is less surface on the heater for dust to collect on.
There are many forms of switches or heat regulating devices that may be used
with my heater, several of which are shown in the drawings.
The form of switch or regulating device will depend, of course, upon the
manner in which the heat-developing conductors or resistances are to be connected
with the supply circuit or conductors a and a¹. If said resistances are to be
connected in parallel, such regulators as are shown in Figures 7 and 8 may be
employed, if in series, a regulator as shown in Fig. 9, and if the resistances are to
be connected in both series and parallel a regulator as shown in Fig. 10 can be
used. As the general principles of these switches or regulators are well known it
will be unnecessary to describe them minutely, and it will be sufficient to describe
or point out only the differentiating features and the manner of connecting them
with the heaters.
The switch F, shown fixed to the frame D in Fig. 2, is shown in Fig. 7 enlarged
with the casing or cylinder partly broken away to show the interior parts. The
resistances A are of equal resistance and may be the same as the resistance of
lamps if they are placed in connection with the supply-conductors. In Fig. 7 one
terminal of each of the resistances A are connected to the supply conductor a and
the other terminals are arranged in a row as indicated by e and extend horizontally
and form contact-bearings for metallic projections which are secured to a
longitudinally movable bar g which in turn has suitable bearings so that it can be
reciprocated up and down to bring one or more of the projections e¹ into contact
with the terminals of the resistances, and thus cut out or in the resistances A.
The bar g is provided with a screw working through the upper end of the casing
by which it may be manipulated and is electrically connected with the supply-
conductor a¹. is a pointer fixed upon the bar g and projecting through a slot in
the casing to indicate, with the scale on the exterior of said casing, the number of
resistances in circuit.
In Figure 8 the resistances are shown as connected with the supply conductor a¹
by means of a pivoted quadrant-shaped switch-arm having an insulated handle 1
and arranged to bridge one or all of the terminals of the resistances A. The
switch arm is connected with the supply-conductor a' and is adapted to produce the
same result as the switch in Figure 7.

page_text: The switch in Figure 9 consists of an ordinary switch lever connected with the
supply conductor and arranged to include any number of the resistances in series.
The switch illustrated in Figure 10 is one adapted to include the resistances A
in circuit both in series and parallel or in any other manner, and may consist of a
roller or drum g' of insulating material adapted to turn in suitable bearings and
having upon its peripheral surface metallic projections at suitable intervals.
Upon these projections are adapted to bear contact-fingers e forming the terminals
of the resistances A. The supply conductors a and a are connected to the said
metallic projections by means of contact fingers which bear upon metallic rings on
both ends of the drum. By rotating the drum y' by means of a handle at one end
more or less, different rows of the said metallic projections may be brought in
contact with the terminals of the resistances to vary their connection with the
supply conductors as desired.
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. In an electric-heating apparatus, a plurality of loose independently movable
cases, an electric heat-developing conductor within each of said cases, and a frame
to hold or support said cases.
2. In an electric heating apparatus, a plurality of independently movable cases,
an electric heat-developing conductor within each of said cases and covered with a
powdered or fibrous refractory material, and a frame to hold or support said cases.
3. In an electric heating apparatus, a plurality of cases, an electric metallic
heat-developing conductor covered with a powdered refractory material within
each of said cases, suitable means to hold said cases apart to allow air spaces
between the cases, and a switch to connect two or more of said heat developing
conductors in parallel with the supply conductors.
4. In an electric heating apparatus, supply conductors, a plurality of cases, a
metallic electric heat-developing conductor within each of said cases and each of
said conductors connected with the supply conductors in parallel, and suitable
means to hold said cases apart to allow air spaces between them.
5. In an electric heating apparatus, supply conductors, a plurality of cases, a
metallic electric heat-developing conductor within each of said cases and each of
said conductors connected with the supply conductors in parallel, suitable means to
hold said cases apart, and a switch to cut out of circuit one or more of the heat-
developing conductors.
6. In an electric heating apparatus, supply conductors, a plurality of metallic
electric heat-developing conductors or resistances of equal resistance, and a
switch to connect a plurality and all of the resistances in parallel with the supply
conductors.
7. In an electric heating apparatus, supply conductors, a plurality of metallic
electric heat-developing conductors or resistances provided with a heat retaining
medium, and a switch to connect a plurality and all of the resistances in the heater
in parallel with the supply conductors.
8. In an electric heating apparatus, a plurality of metallic corrugated or
roughened cases, an electric heat-developing conductor or resistance within each of
said cases and provided with a heat retaining medium, a frame to hold or support
said cases parallel with each other and separated to allow air spaces between, a
supply circuit, and a switch or current controller mounted on the frame to connect
any number of the heat developing conductors in parallel in the supply circuit.
9. In an-
- electric heating apparatus having heating conductors or sections
adapted to be connected in different ways with the supply conductors, a switch for
controlling said connections, and an indicator operated by the movement of the
switch to indicate how the connections stand.
10. In an electric heating apparatus having a plurality of heating conductors

page_text: or sections adapted to be connected one or more in parallel with the supply con-
ductors, a switch for controlling said connections, and an indicator operated by the
movement of the switch to indicate the number of sections connected in parallel.
Dated this. 10th day of November 1891.
MARK WESLEY DEWEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.