Improvements in and relating to Heaters for Dry Closets.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Heaters for Dry Closets.
A communication from abroad by ISAAC DAVID SMEAD, of Toledo, Lucas County,
State of Ohio, United States of America, Heating and Ventilating Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors of 6, Lord Street Liverpool and 6, Bank Street Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer 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 :-
The present invention relates to heaters for use in connection with the desiccating
or dry closets for which a patent has heretofore been granted to my correspondent
No. 1990089, and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of
the heater by which it is specially adapted for use in connection with the vaults of
said closets, as hereinafter more fully described.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through one of the dry closets, with the
heater shown in position, ready for use.
Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical section of the heater on the line x-x, of
Figure 3, and
Figure 3 is a front view of the heater, in position.
The object of the present invention is to produce a cheap, simple and effective
heater that can be readily adjusted to, and used in connection with these desiccating
or dry closets, and which, when applied as shown, will greatly increase the desiccating
operation of the closet, and also increase the draught of air through the vault, and,
consequently, cause a more thorough ventilation of the rooms from which the air is
drawn to the vault, and ensure a positive draught or current of the air in the direction
desired, and prevent any tendency to a reversal of the current. In order to arrive at
complete understanding of the mode of operation of the invention, reference is made
to Figure 1, in which D and DI represent the vault of a dry closet made on my corre-
spondent's plan, there being a transverse partition or floor extending the whole
length of the vault, thus dividing it into an upper duct D and a lower duct D', as
more fully described in the aforementioned patent, to which reference is hereby made
for particulars. As shown by the arrows in Figure 1, the air is drawn from the
rooms above down into an air gathering room A from whence it passes through the
vault into a vent flue or shaft E which extends above the roof of the building.
a
Heretofore it has been customary to locate a small heater in the bottom of the vent
shaft E to create a draught.
The heater for these closets is now constructed as shown more clearly in Figures 1
and 2, it being made in the form of an open grate. The back H with about one-half
of the bottom and the ends are made solid, and preferably cast in a single piece. The
front part G consists of a plate cast in the form of the ordinary grate bars, which
extend down the front and about half way backward across the bottom, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2. It has a top plate F, which extends from end to end across the top,
and which is provided with a projection or flange b to fit against the partition C
which is usually made of brickwork supported on metal bars. The back plate H
extends up to near the top plate F, and is curved backward at its upper edge, thereby
forming a narrow throat T which extends entirely across the top, as shown in
Figures and 3, the object being to cause the sinoke and heat to pass from the grate
in a sheet as wide as the vault, or practically so; thus spreading it out laterally the
full width of the partition, so as to beat and dry all parts of it as uniformly.as
possible.
The grate body as a whole is made with its ends slightly inclining inward from the

page_text: top downward, the object being, when it is set in position, to leave a narrow space
between its ends and the side walls for the entrance of air into the duct D', said
spaces being indicated by the letters J J in Figure 3.
The grate or heater is provided with a hood I, constructed as shown in Figure 2
to prevent the radiation of the heat into the air room or, inlet. A. It. consists of a
frame provided with an inner wall a, and an outer wall a of sheet metal, these walls
being separated by an open space several inches in depth or thickness, this space being
closed at its ends but open at front and rear, thereby forming a channel through which
the air can pass freely, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. As there shown, the
outer wall a of this hood is considerably shorter than the inner one at its lower end,
thereby leaving an opening for the free entrance of the air when the blower or hood
is entirely down.. This hood thus constructed is binged to the top plate F, so it
can be raised or lowered at will to regulate the draught, put on fuel, etcetera; as
indicated in Figure 2, and it is provided with means for adjusting and holding it in
any desired position, as shown in Figure 3, in which a notched bar c is shown pivoted
to one end and arranged to engage with a pin e set in the side wall. Its ordinary
position, when the heater is in use, is with its lower edge raised about an inch from
the floor to admit sufficient air to keep the fire burning. It will readily be seen that
the current of air passing through this hood will absorb and carry along with it the
heat radiated from its inner wall a, thus keeping its outer wall a comparatively cool,
and that, by this means, the radiation of heat from the heater backward into. the air
room A is effectually prevented. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the
heated air passing through the hood is delivered into the upper duct 1); thus
increasing the desiccating operation therein.
с
By the use of this heater, and locating it at the mouth of the vault. as shown, the
loss of the use of any portion of the closet is avoided, and, what is far more important,
all the heat is delivered directly into the vauit, the main portion of it being delivered
into the lower duct D where it heats the partition or floor C upon which the deposits
rest, and which, with any fluid matter there may be, are therefore much more rapidly
dried up. This heat in this way also secures a strong draught through the vault, and
also prevents any tendency to a reversal of the current. In some cases, the lower
duct D is connected with a separate smoke flue, but.in this case it is shown as con-
nected with the ventilating flue A, so that the smoke and gases from the heater pass
out of the vent flue with the foul air from the building, and this also increases to some
extent the draught of the flue and the ventilation of the rooms from which the air is
drawn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my, foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A vault heater for dry closets, consisting of the oblong body H, grate G and top
plate with the elongated throat T at the top of the rear side and having the double
walled hood at its front, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with the vault of a dry closet, having two air ducts one above the
other, a vault heater substantially suchtas described; said heater being so located as to
deliver the heat generated therein, directly into the lower duct, substantially as shown
and described.
3. The combination; in a dry closet, of a vault composed of two horizontal. ducts
one above the other, a heater/substantially such as:described, located at the mouth of
the lower duct, and a hood interposed between said heater and the foul air room or
inlet,' the combination and-arrangement being substantially such as herein. shown. and
described'
4: In combination with the vault of a dry closet having two. horizontal- ducts one
over the other, a heater arranged to deliver its heat and smoke into the lower duct,
and a double walled hood located in front of said heater, and arranged to convey, a
current of air from the foul air rooms or inlet.into the duct, substantially, as and for the
purpose set forth.
:

page_text: 5. The combination of a vault for a dry closet adapted to have a current of air
passed through it from end to end, a heater located at the end at which the air enters
said vault, and a hood or screen arranged in front of said heater or between it and the
inflowing current of air, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 28th day of April 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.