US1546459A - Mixing device to produce a combustible mixture - Google Patents

Description

lll

Patented `luly 21, 1925.

FRANKLIN H. WOLEVER, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MIXING DEVICE TO PBGDUCE A COMBUSTIBLE t/IXTRE.

Application filed March 6, 1920.

To all 10.710771. it may concern.'

it known that I, FRANKLIN H. lVoL- avec, a citizen of the United States, and

a resident of Chicago, in` the county of' Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain neu' and useful Improvements in Mixing Devices to Produce a Combustible iziixture; and l do hereby declare that the following is aV full, clear, and exact descrip-Y tion thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forni a part of this specification.

rillus invention relates to a novel automatic mixing` device adapted for use for automatically controlling the admixture of the constituents of burning mixture, as thev mixture of air and a natural or artilicial or vaporized oil, such mixture to be burned for heating to a high temperature muliiers, furnace, boilers, and the like. The' device is so arranged that it can be used vvith a fan blower as a means for propelling through the mixing device free air and air mixed with gas,- the gas being automaticontrolled by an automatically opc valve, which, in turn, is controlled by partial vacuum and impact pressure ac.- tion of air flow against the opposite sides of a variable surface perforated element that is arranged in the path of the moving air and surrounded by an orifice 19 between it and tue Wall of the conduit through which the air flows, said parts being so arranged as to afford and maintain variable impact surfaces on the said -element to correctly oper'- ate the gas valve to mix the proper proportion of the hydrocarbon element of the fuel with the air.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an vimproved mixing device Yfor the purpose set forth, in which the constituents of the mixture` air and gas,` may be regulably controlled andl in which the proportions of tue constituents may be maintained' constant for any given regulation of the device to control volume of the mixture.

further objec nro-ride novel means wherein and whereby valve is arranged to be under the co ol of the moving body of the air con# ti t of the fuel as it enters the mixing the air actingby impact and vacuum st an impact element that controls the of the invention is to" Serial No. 363,682.

gas valve, so that the moving body of air or fuel constituent, which isultimately mixed with the gas serves prior to said mixture to control the supply of the Vgas constitnent of the fuel.

A further object' of the invention is to provide a novel impact element in a device of this character that is so arranged as to vary the opening pull on the gas valve by varying its surface against which the air impacts.

another object of the invention is to provide a` novelmeans of varying the effective force of the pressureV of the moving" column of air on the impact element, which consists in forming the said element With a series of apertures and resultant solid areas, and providing means for varying the area of said apertures and thereby the areas of the solidportions of said elements.

Another object of the invention, in respect of the impact control ofy the gas valve `just described, is to provide means for varying the action of force to variably' control the opening and closing movement o-.f the gas valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanism of this character, means to positively pull the constituent elements into the device and discharge them therefrom, embracing a fan'bloiver at the exit end of the device.v

@their objects of the invention are to further improve and simplify mixingV devices for the general purpose set forth and to adapt the same for the specific purpose of use 'in high temperatureV mulflers, furnaces, ooilers, and the like, and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the' parts shown in the drawings and described in the specification, and is pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings;

Figure l is a partial plan and partial horizontal section of furnace equipped with a mixing apparatus embodying m.T7 invention.V

Figure 2 is anv axial section of the mixing apparatus.

Figures S and i are details lof the variable surface impact element for controlling the supply of the gas constituent of the fuel to the mixing chamber.

The apparatus shown inthe drawings ilwhich surround a space in the furnace to receive articles to be heated, and where there is provided between said walls and the outer heavier walls 12 of the furnace a combustion chamber or chambers 13 in which the fuel is burned; said furnace .having an exit 14 fory the products of combustion and a door opening 15, closed by any suitable form of door.

16 designates as a whole the improved mixing device embodying my invention. lt is best shown in Figure 2 in respect of its general construction and as shown in Figure 1 is adapted to the furnace.Y lt is made as follows:

17 designates as a whole a tubular body or casing in which is formed a mixing chamber 18 for the fuel constituent-s, a controller chamber 19, and an air inlet chamber 2O provided with inlet ports 21 to receive air at normal pressure. Said parts are herein shown as made up of a number of separately formed elements and fixed together as a unitary structure but may, if desired, be made of a single casting.

22 designates the casing of a fan blower, the inlet opening 23 of which coincides with the opening of the chamber 18, the casing being bolted to the blower casing. In the fan blower is located a fan 24 of any suitable form that is fixed to rotate on a shaft 25 that is mounted in an overhanging bearing 26 formed on one wall of the casing. The outlet opening 22 of said fan blower casing communicates with an outlet branch 26a by which the fuel mixture is conducted to the furnace, as through and by the medium of manifolds`27, 27. ln the present instance, the fuel mixture is directed to opposing combustion chambers 13, and two of such manifolds are provided, having outlets 28 that discharge through openings 29 of the enclosing walls 12 of the furnace, suitable tuyers or air mixing devices being, in practice, associated with the outlet ends of the branches 28 and the openings 29 to supply the desired mixture of air to the fuel at the burning points. Valves 30 separately control the flow of the fuel'mixture from the manifolds to the combustion chamber. TWhen arranged as described, the manifolds are connected to the outlet 26a of the blower 22 by means of branches 32, 32.

At the end of the mixing casing remote from the fan blower is a casing 35 in which is formed a gas chamber 36. Exterior to said casing 35is another casing 37 to form a receiving chamber 38 for gas that is delivered from a suitable source of supplyl through an automatic regulating valve designated as a whole by 39, with a valve 40 between itv and the receiving chamber 38. The construction and operation of the automatic valve 39 is such'that gas under constant pressure can be supplied to the charnber 38, the valve 40 being designed to more or less throttle the flow of gas to the receiving chamber 38.

Between said chambers 38 and 36 is a port 40a which is controlled by a valve 41, in the nature of a poppet valve, the valve having an annular tapered face to engage a tapered seat around .said port. Said valve is provided with a stem 42 which extends through Ouide 43 of thecarburizer casing and into the controller chamber 19. Fitted to said valve stem in said controller chamber are a pair of discs 45, axially pierced by said stem and confined thereon by nuts 46, the end of the stem being threaded to receive said nuts. Said threaded end of the stem is also guided by a guide bar 48. The said controller chamber 19 is' herein shown as cylin- .dric and the discs 45 are also cylindric and are made of such diameter as to less than lill the cross section of the controller chamber 19, thus providing the annular orifice 19 of constant area for air flow. Said discs are provided with a. plurality of openings 50 (Figure 4) which are adapted, by relative rotation of the discs, to be brought into and out of register, as indicated in Figure 4, so that the discs when thus associated and fastened to the stem 42 by the nuts 46 constitute a variable surface impact element for a purpose herein described. It may be said at this point, however, that when the openings 50 are fully in register, the discs present a minimum impact surface facing the air inlet ports 21, the air passing through said openings and through the orifice 19 on its way to the mixing chamber, and when the discs are relatively angularly displaced about their common axis, the impact surface is increased, the maximum impact surface being obtained when the openings are wholly out of register. The ported discs are held inv fixed adjusted positions by the nuts 46. f

52 designates a gas chamber which surrounds the mixing chamber 18, and is shown as concentric therewith, between the controller chamber 19 and the mixing chamber 18.. and its inner rwall is provided with a plurali-ty of ports 53, through which communication isI had between the gas chamber 52 andY the mixing chamber 18, Said gas chamber 52 is connected to the chamber 36 byV one or more passages 55 formed in the wall ol the casing, or otherwise, said passage being such that entering 'from the chamber 38 through the chamber 36 is :tree to pass to the chamber 52 when the valve 41 is open and is also tree to pass to the mixing chamber.

Fixed or connected to the end ot the stem 42 remote from the impact element, as by means ci a pivot pin 58 is an adjusting lever 57 Athat is fulcrunied at 58 to a fixed member 59 ot the casing. The said adjusting lever 58 is provided on its outer edge with-a series ot notches GO which are adapted to bc engaged by a hook Gl that is fixed to one end ot a controller spring 62, the other end ot which controller spring is conn nected to a threadeflL stud G3, that is threaded in an adjusting plug G4 whereby 'thc tension ot' spring GQ may be varied. T he plug tits with a gas tight joint between it and the wall ot casing 3i'. A cap 65 threaded on a tubular flange or boss 6", coaxial with the stud 68, serves to further seal up the stud 63 against leakage and also to enclose the stud. Furthermore, the force by which the valve 41 is held against the seat may be 'further varied by changing the hook 61 of spring 62 from one to another ot the notches 60 in the lever 57.

Located in the mixing chamber 18 is a damper valve 70, having the form oit a buttertly valve. Said valve is adapted to control the volume ot the fuel mixture from the chamber into the casing 22 of the tan blower, and it may be operated by an exterior hand lever 71, shown in Figure 2, or by means ot a thermostatic control associated with the turnace.

ln operation the blower provides the motive power by which the air is drawn through the mixing device and said blower is operated at a constant speed, and the volume oit air mixed vvith the correct amount ot gas for perfect combustion is varied by partially closing the butterfly valve 70.

The discs act as a controlling means 'for the gas that enters through the regular valve S9 thence into chamber 38 within which the is kept at a constant pressure through the controlling action ot the pressure control valve 39.

The discs 45 are provided with a series out closable openings 50 which are used to regulate the amount ot air that is passing through these openings, and in conibination with the fixed annular oiilice 19 limits the flow ot air to less than will pass through the outlet ot the fan at 22.

rlhe sum total of the combined areas of openings 21 will be equal or he greater than the area ot the blower opening 2:72. 'lheretore, air that is discharging through the outlet Q2 will not be retarded by reason ot any restriction of areas, whilst the air that is passing through the series of openings 50 within discs 45 together with the lixed orilice 19- around the disc will retard-the flow of air to the extent that a slight partial vacuum will exist on the blower. side of discs 45, and this will cause the discs 45 to move slightly in the direction of the blower intake, thus opening the valve 41 against the spring tension 62 and allowingthe gas at constant pressure to flow around valve 4l' and through seat 40a, thence into chamber' 36 to chamber 52 and through holes-53, joining the body of air within chamber 18.-l

rlhe valve 41 is held against thel gas pressure inA chamber 38 through the act-ion' otjthe s ring (32, and its adjusting screw 631nay be screwed in or out to lessen or strengthengthe spring resistance in 62. Further adjustn'ient may be iii-ade byL changing the springy action, to the varied positions of notches 60, lesseni ing the leverage or increasing the action on fulcrum 58, causing greater or lesser pressure of valve 41 against seat 40a. Thisk adjustment, together with the aperturecontrol in discs45, will admit alarger range ofV va'- riation to suit the fuel value of gas Vand its relation to the flow of air through the mixing chamber 18 and out through theblower at 22. y Therefore, it is evident that with a tree flowing current ot air through the-openings 21 and a restricted flow through thediscs 45 and through the fixedl oriii'ce 19 and into the channelv 18, with the position of the buttertly valve full open, there will exist a partial vacuum on the blower side'oi discs 45 which will hold the valve 41 away from the seat 40L and cause enough gas to mix with trie air 'flowingthrough openings 21 to give a proper mixture at the maximum capacity of the apparatus. Should now the butter'ly valve be partially closed, the air current in chamber 18 is partially throttled, causing less air to flow through the openings 21 and lessening the partial vacuum on blower side ot discs 45, causing it to move backward under the influence off spring tension 62, thus correspondingly throttling the gas supplyv and keeping the mix constant under a lesser-flow through the mixing device and through blower orifice 22 into the furnace.

ln addition to the unbalanced atmospheric power-acting against the disc 45 there is also an impinging power of airy due to velocity oi" air travelling in a changed direction while passing through the orifice 19 and through openings 50 orP the discs 45, vhich also is an. aid to the gas regulating formation. y The regulating valve 39 furnishes gas at a constant pressure to the chamber 88, and in starting, this pressure will be low. AThe fan 24 is now operated, either by a motor on the l'an shaft or by a belt drive and the damper valve 70 is full open, or in the position shown in Figure 2. The gas valve 41 is now opened and an ignition test is made at the blower outlet or in the furnace. If the resultant mixture of gas is lean, the cap 65 is removed and the plug 64 is adjusted so that the tension of the spring 62 is relieved to permit the valve 41 to be opened with a lesser impact pressure. lf this adjustment be not sufficient, the hook 61 of spring 62 may be moved towards the fulcrum 58. l/Vhen the parts are so adjusted the operation of the fan 24 has the effect of f drawing the air through the chambers 20,

19, and 18, producing a low pressure in chamber 18 in rear of impact element 45, and, by reason of the fact that the impact element is in the path of the moving air, the kinetic energy of the moving body of air plus the pressure due to the partial vacuum in the chamber 18 acts on the face lof Jthe impact element and serves to open the valve 41, a portion of the air passing through the openings 50 of the impact element and a portion thereof through the space 19. around said impact element. The air thus set in motion by the fan is in the chamber 18 mixed with the gas constituent of the fuel which is supplied to the chamber 52 through the chambers 3G and 52 and the ports 53. If it should be found that a sufiicient volume of gas is not thus drawn into the mixing chamber andmixed with the air to produce the desired mixture, or more air is being pulled through the device than desirable to produce a good burning imixture,l

the discs of the impact element 45 will be released and angularly adJusted so as to 1ncrease or decrease the active surface of said impact element and thereby increase or de-V crease the effective pull, due to the kinetic venergy acting on said impact element and the partial vacuum chamber 18 to open the valve 41.

By reason of the fact that the pressure within chamber 38 is a constant pressure Vand by reason of the fact that the valve 41 is under the delicate control of the elements 62, 57, and 45, it will be observed that said elements may be adjusted for an accurate proportioning of theV gas to they air to produce a good burning mixture, notwithstanding the total volume of the mixture which is drawn from the carburizer through or by the fan or blower, this total volume being varied by the opening and closing of the valve. damper 70.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mixing device provided with an air and a controllable constant pressure gas inlet, a valve to control the latter inlet and a variable surface impact element acted upon by the kinetic energy ofair flow to control said valve.

2. A mixing device having separate inlets for air and gas, a valve to control the gas inlet and a variable surface element acted upon by the Vkinetic energy of the flow of air through said air inlet opening to control said valve. Y

3. A carburizer provided with an air and a controllable, constant pressure, gas inlet, a valve to control the latter inlet and an apertured, variable surface impact element acted upon by the kinetic energy of'air flow to control said valve.

4. A mixing device having separate inlets for air and gas, a valve to control the gas inlet, a variable surface element acted upon by the kinetic energy of the flow of air through said air inlet opening to control said, valve and having means to increase and decrease its area against which the airacts and provided with means to fixedly maintain said element in vadjusted positions.

5. A mixing device having separate inlets for air and gas, a valve to control the gas inlet, a variable surface element acted upon by the kinetic energy of the flow of air through said air inlet opening to control said valve and comprising perforated flatwise engaging discs adapted by relative angular displacement to vary the registration of the perforations of the discs. Y

G. A mixing device having separate inlets for air and gas, a valve to control the gas inlet, stein, connected to the valve and axially guided and a variable surface impact element connected to said stem in the path of the air flow to said mixing device.

7. A mixing' device having separate inlets .for air and gas, a valve to control the gas inlet, a stem connected to the valve and axially guided, two iatwise engaging perforated discs mounted on said stem in the path of the air fiow to said carburizer and angularly displaceable to vary the registration of the perforations therein and means on the stem to clamp said discs together.

8. A mixing device comprising a mixing chamber provided with an air `inlet and therebetween with a controller chamber, a gas inlet for delivering` gas to said mixing chamber and provided with a controlling' valve, and a variable surface impact element in the controller chamber and connected to said rvalve to control the open position of the valve.

9. A carburizer comprising a mixing chamber provided with an air inlet and therebetween with a controller chamber, a gas inlet for delivering gas to said mixing chamber and provided with a controlling valve, and an apertured, variable surface impact element in the controller chamber and connected to said valve to control the open position of the valve.

10. A mixing device comprising a mixing chamber provided with an air inlet and therebetween with a controller chamber, a

gas inlet for delivering gas to said mixing chamber and provided with a controlling valve, a 'ariable surface impact clement in the` controller chamber Vand connected to said valve to control the open position of the valve, and means to induce flow of air and gas to the mixing chamber.

11. A mixing` device comprising al mixing chamber provided with an air inlet and therebetween with a controller chamber, a gas inlet for delivering gas to said mixing chamber and provided with a` controlling valve, a variable. surface impact element in the controller chamber and connected to said valve to control. the` open position of the valve, and a. volume control valve in said mixing chamber.

12. A. mixingdevice comprising a mixing chamber provided with an air inlet and therebetween. with a cont-roller chamber, a gas inlet for delivering gas to said mixing chamber and provided with a controlling valve, ay variable surfaceI impact element in the controller chamber and connected to said valve to control the open posit-ion of the valve and a fan blower connected to the outlet of said mixing chamber and having a discharge outlet leading to a place of use of the fuel mixture.

13. A mixing device pro-vided with an air and a gas inlet, a valve to control the latter inlet, a variable surface impact element acted upon by the kine-tic energy of air flow to control said valve and adjusting means acting on the valve in opposition to the impact element to vary the force required to hold said valve open.

1li. A mixing device provided with an air and a gas inlet, a valve to control the latter inlet, a variable surface impact element acted upon by the kinetic energy of air flow to cont-rol said valve, a controller member pivotally connected to al fixed part and loosely connected at one end to the valve, and an adjustable yielding element con nected to the other end of said pivoted member.

15. A mixing device provided with an air and a gas inlet, a valve to control the latter inlet, a. variable surface impact element acted upon by the] kinetic energy of air flow to control said valve, a lever pivoted to a fixed support and connected at one end to said valve, a spring connected to the other end of said lever and acting to hold the valve seated and means to adjust the seating force of said spring.

16. A mixing device provided with an air and a gas inlet, a valve to control the latter inlet, a variable surface impact element acted upon by the kinetic energy of air flow to control said valve, a lever pivotecl to al fixed support and connected at one end to said valve and provided near its other end with longitudinally spaced. notches and a a burning` mixture,

spring anchored to ay fixed part and having a hook element to separately engage said notches.

17. A mixing device provided with an air and a. gas inlet, a` valve to control the latter inlet, a variable surface impact elementi acted upon by the kinetic energy of air flow to control said valve, a lever pivoted to a fixed support and connected at one end v"to said valve and provided near its other end with longitudinally spaced vnotches and means to vary the seating force of said spring.

18.711 mixing device comprising a mixing chamber provided with an air inlet, a gas chamber in which gas is maintained at a constant pressure, ay gas distributing chamber surrounding said mixing chamber and communicating therewith, a valve between said. receiving and said distributing chambers to control the flow of gas to the latter chamber, and a variable surface impact element between said mixing chamber and its air inlet andconnected to and controlling said gas valve.

19. A mixing device comprising amixing chamber, a fan blower connected to the outlet end thereof, an air inlet chamber in communication with said mixing chamber having ports in communication with air at constant pressure, a gas receiving chamber having means to supply gas thereto at constant pressure, a gas distributing chamber surrounding and communicating with said mixing chamber, a conduit connecting the distributing chamber with the gas receiving chamber, a valve to control flow of gas through said conduit, and a variable surface impact element in the path of the airt flow from the air inlet to the mixing chamber and connected to and controlling said valve.

20. A mixing device comprising a mixing chamber provided with an air inlet, a gas chamber in which gas is maintained at a constant pressure, a gas distributing chamber surroundingsaid mixing chamber and communicating therewith, a valve between said receiving and said distributing chambers to control the flow of gas tothe latter chamber, a variable surface impact element between said mixing chamber and its air inlet and connected to and controlling said gas valve, and a volume control valve in said mixing chamber.

21. In al mixing device for mixing air with a hydrocarbon constituent to produce a. burning mixture, a va-lved gas inlet, and a variable surface impact device in the path of the flow of air to the point of mixture thereof with the hydrocarbon constituent to control said valved gas inlet.

22. 1n a mixing device for mixing air with a. hydrocarbon constituent to produce an air inlet conduit,

Vrear-Ward air HOW and at its other side to a partial vacuum to control said valv-ed gas inlet.

23. In a mixing device for mixing air With a hydrocarbon constituent to produce a burning mixture, a valved gas inlet, a

. variable surface impact device in the path.

of the loW of' air to the point of mixture thereof with the hydrocarbon constituent to control said valved Vgas inlet, and means acting` in opposition to said impact element tending to hold the gas inlet valve closed.

24. In a mixing device, an air conduit, and a blower connected to the outlet end thereof, of a gas pressure control, a valve having means to automatically control it by the kinetic pressure of air acting against an impact element in said conduit connected to said valve, and a. damper control in said air conduit to reduce the volume of air and to automatically reduce the kinetic power on the impact element which in turn operates said valve inY the proper position to produce the` properv mixture of the fuel constituents.

In Witness whereof l cla-im the foregoing as my invention, l h'eeunto append my signature this 26th day oit February', 1920.

FRANKLIN H. VOLEVER.

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