US1756485A - Furnace - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1930.

A. F. HALL FURNACE Filed Sept. ,15, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l 2/ W77 5 a F /7 5 3 Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED STATES ARTHUR F. HALL, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PEN sYL'V IA, AssIsNon T HALL ARCH ooMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNsYLvANIA,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE EUnNAoE Application filed September 15, 1927. Serial No. 219,647.

My invention relates to improvements in furnaces, furnace walls and the like and it has for its object to provide an improved. furnace and an improved furnace wall construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved furnace wall built up from molded block units and comprising inner and outer wad sections that are interlocked in in spaced apart relationship so that they mutually support each other and provide an air space between them through which air is forced and then delivered in a pre-heated state to the furnace as in my co-pending application Serial Number 108,969, filed April The invention resides in certain features of construction and mode of operation set forth in the following description, the several novel features thereof being particularly pointed out and defined in the claims at the close of the description.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a furnace wall constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. V

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are details of one of the two kinds of blocks constituting the outer wall section of my improved construction.

Figure 7 is a detail of the locking pin hereinafter described.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan View of a portion of a furnace wall constructed in accordance with my invention, but differing in some respects-from the wall shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating a feature of the wall shown in Fig. 8 and is hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view on the line 10 of Fig. 8, including also a portion of the floor of the furnace.

Figure 11 is a plan view of one of the floor blocks hereinafter described.

Figures 12, 13 and 1a are details hereinafter described.

My present invention is herein shown as embodied in an oil burning furnace, like that shown and described in my prior application referred to but it will be obvious to those skilled in this art that. it is not limited in this respect and may be embodied in furnaces of other kinds. It may be constructed, as in that application, with side, front and rear walls and in the case of an oil burning fur-- nace, said front wall may be provided with a burner port and cone or register, as usual.

The present construction is characterized by the provision of an air space 8 within, and

throughout the extent of, the wall of the furnace. This air space is provided'by building the wall in two sections comprising an outer wall section 13 and an inner wall section 12, and it is an important feature of the invention that the inner wall section 12 is made from molded blocks of carborundumorany other suitable material having high thermal conductivity, the necessary tensile strength and a high resistance to fusion, while the outer wall section 13 is built up from blocks of molded diatomaceous earth (kieselguhr) or any other suitable refractory material having low thermal conductivity and high heat insulating property. The two materials mentioned,.however, viz, carborunduni for the inner wall section and diatomaceous earth for the outer wall section, I regard as prefer able as theygive to said two sections the desired characteristics to a high degree.

As explained in my prior application, above referred to, air is forced through the air space 8 of the wall under pressure from an inlet at one end of that air space and, after traversing the latter is delivered into the furnaceto support combustion from the opposite end thereof. It will, therefore, be clear that as the air passes through the wall it is heated by the inner carborundum wall section 12 which is exposed to the flames of the furnace, and 1s therefore delivered into the furnace in a pre heated state thereby increasing the efficiency of the furnace beyond that obtained when the furnace is supplied with air that is not preheated.

The inner wall section 12 is constructed from blocks 14L of carborundum or the like, laid on edge in tiers but staggered so as to break the vertical joints between them, each vertical joint of each course being positioned midway of the block immediately above it and midway of the block immediately below it. At each corner of the furnace the two adjacent inner wall sections are constituted in part, and connected, by a single tier of L- shaped block units 15, of carborundum, which are common to both of said inner sections. Alternate blocks of this corner tier occupy positions that are the reverse of the other blocks of the tier thus interlocking the two inner wall sections.

The outer wall section 13is constructed from block units 16 of diatomaceous earth or the like laid on edge in tiers, but staggered so as to break the vertical joints, each vertical joint of each course being positioned midway of the block intermediately above it and midway of the block immediately below it. At each corner of the furnace the two adjacent outer wall sections are constituted in part and connected by a single tier of L-shaped block units 17 which are common to both sections, alternate ones of which occupy reversed positions relatively to the others.

Each block unit 14, is of rectangular or oblong shape except that at its middle, and upon its inner or air space side, it ismade with a perpendicular lug 14 extending from top to bottom of the block. Thus each block unit 14 is of symmetrical T-shape in plan, the body of the block constituting the head of the T and the lug the stem thereof. The body of the block may conveniently be made one or two inches thick, for example, l inches wide and 9 inches long. The body portion of each block 16 will have the same width and length as the body of block 14 and its thickness may be as desire-d, or the same as that of the block 14, viz, 2 inches, for examples Each block unit 16 is of symmetrical U-shape in plan being provided at its opposite ends, and upon its inner or air space side, with perpendicular lugs 17 extending from the top to the bottom of the block as indicated in Fig. 4. It follows that when the two sections of the wall are built up from these-T-shaped and U-shaped block units, the lugs of one section.

register vertically and interlock with the lugs of the other, the several vertical series of registering lugs providing a multiplicity of Vertical and parallel air channels. The lugs 14 and 16 are preferably all of one length and in setting up the two wall sections the latter side. From the above description. it will beapparent that the air passing through the wall on its way to the interior of the furnace will nnpinge upon and pass around the lugs 14 and 16 thereby being caused to travel a'sinuous course which not only thoroughly agitates the air, but brings it into very intimate contact with the heated carborundum blocks 14, the provision of the lugs 14 onthe air space sides of the latter giving to each block a surface areafor contact with the air much greater than would be the case with a flat sided carborundum block. I

A feature of my present invention consists in providing an intermediate layerof cushioning and heat insulating material such as asbestos mill board 20", or the like, between the outer steel casing 20-and the Wall.

The blocks 16 and 17 of the outer Wall section, orsome of them, are secured, or fastened, near their middle by bolts 21 to the outer casing. The head of each bolt 21 is outermost and its shank extends through the steel casing 20, the intermediate cushioning layer 20, and block 16, to approximately the inner side of the latter where its threaded innerend is provided with a nut 21 The nut 21 is hexagonal and occupies a hexagonal pocket 21 upon the inner side of the block and fits the latter sufficiently to be held thereby against rotation so that the bolt is tightened up by application of a wrench to itsouter end. V r

The outer steel casing 20 with the intermediate cushioning layer 2O serves to protect the outer wall and to reinforce the furnace struc ture against the injurious effects of vibration. Also the intermediate layer 20" serves to insulate the wall structure from the outer steel casing against the transmission of heat and vibrations from one to the other.

The blocks 16 of the outer wall section are 'molded from diatomaceous earth but any other suitable mat ial of low heat conductivity may be employed if, desired, and a novel feature of the construction of these blocks con-.

sists in providing each with a suitable reinforcing and strengthening core or skeleton'22 of suitable material such as manganese steel. This skeleton 22, Figs. 4, 5 and 6, is shown as made with transverse end bars 22"" extending into the end lugs 16* and the block 18 provided with semi-circular grooves 22, one at each side of each luq and near the extremit there-- m m J, I of. 1 he lu 14 or each carborundum block 14 all) is molded near its extremity, and at opposite sides thereof, with semi-circular grooves 14;- which register with the grooves 22 of the lugs 16 immediately above and below it, thereby (o-operating with the latter to provide passages for pins 23 which positively lock the lugs together. These lockin pins are flanged at their opposite ends, said flanges serving to hold the pins against accidental displacement. Preferably the pins 23 are molded from carborundum but they may be made from manganese steel or any other suitable material. In Figs. 8 and 10 the end terminals 22 of the skeleton frames 22 are disposed upon the ends of the lugs of the block and extend transversely from the top to the bottom thereof. Thus when two blocks 16 are placed end to end the end terminal sockets 22 register and provide a round hole between the blocks for the reception of an articulated locking rod made up of short sections 24 pivotally connected together by pintles 24. The lugs 1% of the carborundum blocks 14: constituting the inner wall section of the structure illustrated in Figs. 8 and 10, are molded with round vertical holes 14 through them that register with the holes provided by the socket terminals 22 and receive the articulated rod made up of sections 24E. Thus the articulated rod serves as a key to lock the lugs of the two wall sectionstogether. The articulated rod loosely iits its holes and sockets and by raising it upwardly any one or more of the carborundum blocks-normally held by it may be removed when it is necessary to substitute a new one. The rod 24 is preferably, though not essentially, made sectional as described for the reason that in some cases the space above the furnace is so limited that a one-piece locking rod could not be lifted far enough. By making the rod in sections pivotally connected together as described itis flexible laterally and its sections can be folded sidewise as they are raised out of thewall thus permitting removal of the rod in situations where the overhead space is very limited.

T he end bars 22 of the metal skeleton rein forcing frames 22 are made at their outer ends, that is, the ends thereof adjacent the outer face of the block, with corner. terminal bars 22 extending from the top side of the block to its bottom side, the corner bars 22 of. each block 16 fitting against the adjacent corner bars 22 of the two blocks at the opposite ends thereof as shown in Figs. 2 and 8.

At the middle of each metal reinforcing skeleton 22 there is provided an anchor bolt socket 22 providing a hole through the block 16 extending from its inner to its'outer face. This hole is equipped with a lining or bush ing 22 made from the same material as the asbestos mill board lining 20 for the casing 20, or any other suitable material of low heat conductivity. The pocket 21, Fig. 5, for the nut 21', Fig. 7 being the enlarged inner end of this hole. As will be observed from Figs.

flanged to provide 2, 5 and 7 the inner end of lining 22 is bolt 21. In this way the nut and shank of the bolt 21 are well insulated from the metal skeleton frame 22 so that comparatively little heat is transmitted from the latter to the bolt. Upon the top and under sides of the outer ends of'the sockets 22 of each metal skeleton reinforcement 22 are provided lugs 22 Figs. 1, 2, a and 6, whose outer faces, together with the outer end of socket 22, are flush with the outer face of the block, and these lugs 22 which are twice as wide as the corner reinforcing bars or terminals 22, each register, as shown in Fig. 1, with the two end corner bars 22- that are above or below it, as the case may be. It will thus be observed that when the wall is constructed the weight of the upper blocks 16 is supported or sustained by the metal reinforcement thus relieving the frail body of diatomaceous earth of each block of injurious strains and stresses. It will also be observed that the end corner bars 22 protect and reinforce said body adjacent said corners and the ends.

If desired provision may be had for positive interlocking engagement between the metal reinforcing frames of the blocks 16,-and this may be effected, as illustrated in Figs. 12, 13 and 14:, by providing the upper ends of the corner bars 22 and of the upper lug 22 with studs 33 and 36, respectively, and the lower ends of said corner bars and of the lower lug 22, with sockets 3e and 35, respectively. Thus, when the blocks 16 are assembled in a wall the two lugs 33 at the opposite ends of each block 16 will be paired with the lugs 33 at the abutting ends of'the two adjacent blocks and each pair of lugs 33 will occupy the socket 35 of the block immediately above them as indicated in Fig. 12. Also, at each pair of abutting ends of'the blocks 16 two of the socketsB i will be registered side by side and provide a recess or notch for the reception of the lug 36 of the block 16 immediately below said abutting ends.

Figure 13 illustrates a modified form of reinforcing metal frame wherein the ends of the bar 20, instead of being provided with the sockets 22 of Figs. 2, 3 and 6, are formed with exposed terminal lugs 37 to occupy the semi-circular grooves 1 1 of the carborundum blocks immediately above and below the bar 22'.

The longer side of each corner blocks 17, Fig. 2, measures the same in length and width (or height) as the outer side of the block 16 while the shorter side of said corner block is half the length of the longer side. The metal reinforcing skeleton 22 of each corner block 17 is constructed substantially the same as the frames 22 of the blocks 16 except that it is of angular shape as shown in Fig. 2 and a seat for the nut 21 of forcing and protecting bars 22 and the anchorobolt socket 22 thereof is located at the middle of the longer side of the frame;

With the construction shown in Fig. '2 the two relatively perpendicular parts of the outer wall section are connected at the corner of the structureonly by the tier-of corner blocks 17 which intermesh with the blocks 16 of said two parts. In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated a construction wherein the end lugs of the two .vertical rows of main blocks 16 of the two parts of the wall which inter mesh with the opposite sides of the tier of corner blocks 17, are directly intermeshed and positively interlocked by means of crossshaped pins 26, Fig. 9. With this construction, the blocks 16 which are interlocked by the cross-pins'26 are each provided with a skeleton frame 22 provided at one end with a cross-bar 22 'made at its ends with socket terminals 22 like the socket terminals 22 of Fig. 2 and it will be clear that in the assembled wall of Fig; 8 the socket members 22 of each block lug so constructed will be disposed at right angles to the socket members of the two block lugs above and below it so that the cross locking pins 26 that are placed in the sockets of each lug and its two neighbors, serve to positively lock said lugs together.

As shown inFig. 10 the outside casing is carried under thefloor of the furnace and forms part of the latter. This floor also includes a bottom or lower layer of blocks 27 which may be madefrom fire clay, diatoma ceous earth, or other suitable material. Pref-' erably diatornaceous earth is used for these blocks and in this case each is provided with a reinforcingand metal skeleton 28, preferably made from the same material as the frames 22 and 22. The skeleton frame 28 isimade at each. corner of the block 27 with a prop to rest upon the casing 20-. These props 30 are embedded in legs formed upon the block 27, one ateach corner thereof, and these legs serve to provide an air space between the casing 20 and the blocks 27 through which some of the air that is forced through the walls passes from the air spaceof one wall to the air space of the opposite wall. The blocks 27 support a layer of blocks 31 arranged on edge, said blocks being made from any suitable heat insulating material such as diatomaceous earth, fire clay or the like. Upon the top of the blocks 32 of earborundum, or other suitable material having high resistance to fusion. I i

' A furnace constructed in either of the above described manners has great endurance or life and strength, it hasgreat resistance to injury through vibration, the loss of heat units through radiation is very small if. not, practically whollyreliminated and the efficiency of the furnace is relatively greatbecause of the fact that, as in my application above noted, the air that is supplied to the I furnace is first pre-heated by travelling incorporated in a wall.

through the air space of the furnace wall. It

. will also be clear that while the air istravelling through the vertical wall or walls of the furnace it repeatedly impinges upon and passes around the lugs of the inner carborundum blocks and, therefore, is thoroughly agitated and heated by the latter. Furthermore,

there are no dead air spaces or pockets Within the wall to trap and hold bodies of air.

The blocks of both the inner and outer wall sections are set up with cement between them and as in my application referred to the abutting sides and ends of the blocks may be grooved or channeled to provide pockets to hold bodies of cement'which serve as keys to lock the blocks against relative horizontal movement laterally.

After each block 16, or 16", is placed'inposition and fastened there by means of its anchor bolt 21, the pocket2l, Fig. 5, is filled in around and over the nut 21*, Figs. 2 and 3, with body 50 of plastic diatomaceous earth or other suitable material having low thermal conductivity of heat.

What I claim is a 1. A block unit forwalls consisting of. a molded body of refractory heat insulating material and a reinforcing metal skeleton embedded in said body, said skeleton being made with bars disposed atthe surface of said body and constituting corners'of the block.

2. A block unit for walls consisting of a molded body of refractory heat insulating material and a reinforcing metal skeleton embedded in said body made at its opposite ends with vertical bars disposed at the surface of said body and constituting theouter end corners of the block. Y 1 g 3. A block unit for walls consisting of a molded body of refractory heat insulating,

material and a reinforcin metal skeleton embedded in said body made at its opposite ends and at its middle with portions thereof that extend to the top and bottom side surfaces of the block toregister with the corresponding parts of the frames of other blocks when incorporated in a wall whereby the load borne by the block is sustained by ners of the block, said vertical bars being provided at their opposite ends with studs and sockets, respectively, to interlock with the studs and sockets of other blocks in courses above and below the same when the block is 5. A block unit for walls consisting of a molded body of refractory heat insulating material and a reinforcing metal skeleton embedded in said body made at its opposite ends with vertical bars disposed at the surface of said body and constituting the outer end corners thereof, and made near its middle with an anchor bolt socket.

6. A block unit constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein said anchor bolt socket is tubular, and including also a tubular-lining for said tubular socket made from a nonmetallic material of low heat conductivity.

7. A U-shaped block unit for walls consisting of a molded body of refractory heat insulating material and a reinforcing metal skeleton embedded in said body made at its opposite ends with exposed socket terminals constituting parts of the lugs of the block and adapted to be occupied by locking elements whereby said lugs are connected with the lugs of other blocks.

8. A wall constituted by molded block units and comprising inner and outer wall sections occupying spaced apart relationship to provide an air space between them; vertical rows of lugs upon the inner sides of both wall sections integral with the blocks thereof, the lugs of each vertical row of the outer wall section being intermeshed with the lugs of one of the vertical rows of the inner wall section with the end of each lug of each wall section spaced away from the opposite wall section to provide a capacious air passage between the two, and a vertically disposed rod locking the lugs of each vertical row to the lugs with which they intermesh.

9. A wall constructed in accordance with claim 8 wherein said rod is made up of pivotally connected sections and is removable by endwise movement thereof.

10. A wall built up from molded block units and comprising inner and outer wall sections'spaced apart relatively to provide an air space between them, the blocks of said outer wall section being made from diatomaceous earth and the blocks of the inner wall section being made from carborundum or the like; metallic reinforcing means incorporated in the outer wall section, and vertical rows of lugs upon the inner sides of both wall sections integral with the blocks thereof, the lugs of each vertical row of the outer wall section being intermeshed with the lugs of one of the vertical rows of the inner wall section with the end of each lug of each wall section spaced away from the opposite wall section to provide a capacious air passage between the two.

11. A wall built up from molded block units and comprising inner and outer wall sections spaced apart relatively to provide an air space between them, the blocks of said outer wall section being made from diatomaceous earth and the blocks of the inner wall section being made from carborundum or the like; metallic reinforcing means incorporated in the outer wall section; vertical rows of vertical rows of the inner wall section with the end of each lug of each well sectlonspaced I j away from the opposite wall section to provide a capacious a1r passage between the two,

and means positively interlocking the inter:

meshed lugs. I y l 12. A wall built up from molded block units and comprising inner and outer wall sections spaced apart relatively to provide an air space between them, the blocks of said outer wall section each comprisin a body of refractory heat insulating material and a reinforcing metal skeleton embedded in said body and the blocks of the inner wall section being made from carborundum or the like, and vertical rows of lugs upon the air spaced sides of both wall sections integral with the blocks thereof, the lugs of each vertical row of the outer wall section being alined and intermeshed with the lugs of one of the vertical rows of the inner wall section with the end of each lug of each wall section spaced away from the opposite wall section to provide a capacious air passage between the two.

13. A wall built up from molded block units comprising inner and outer wall sec-1 tions spaced apart relatively to provide an air space between them, the blocks of said outer wall section each comprising a body of refractory heat insulating material and a reinforc-.

ing metal skeleton embedded therein and the blocks of the inner wall section being made from carborunclum or the like; a sheet metal casing outside of said wall; a layer of heat insulating and cushioning material between said sheet metal casing and said wall; anchor bolts extendingthrough said sheet metal casing and engaging the reinforcing metal skeleton, and vertical rows of lugs upon the inner sides of both wall sections integral with the blocks,

thereof, the lugs of each vertical row of the outer wall section being intermeshed with the lugs of one of the vertical rows of the inner wall section with the end of each lug of each wall section spaced away from the op posite wall section to provide a capacious air passage between the two.

14. A refractory structure for a furnace comprising a sectlon of refractory block units assembled with aligned longitudinally eX- tending holes, a spaced section of refractory block units also assembled with a aligned longitudinally extending holes, and rods of refractory material removably inserted in said aligned holes and serving to lock the individual block units in place in their respective sections, and by withdrawal to permit replacement of any desired block unit.

15. A refractory structure for a furnace comprising a section of refractory block units.

assembled with aligned longitudinally extending holes, a spaced section of refractory heat insulating block units, and locking rods removably inserted in the aligned holes of the refractory block units and serving to lock the individual units in place in its section, and

7 by withdrawal to permit replacement of any desired block unit. Signed by me at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, this 8rd day of September, 1927.

v ARTHUR F. HALL.

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