US1726921A - Duplex heater - Google Patents

Description

W. R. RAY

DUPLEX HEATER Sept. 3, 1929.

Filed Feb. 25, 1926 INVENTOR.

BY I 4 WILLIAM RUTH RAY, or SAN MATEO, oAnrromvm, AssIeNoaro w. s. RAY MANU- FACTURING co, A conroaa'rron or CALIFORNIA.

Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES DUPLEX Application filed Februa y This invention relates to a duplex heater such as a combination hot air furnace and a water heater, and it relates particularly to a heater of this character which is operated from a single burner or source ofheat and which is adapted to be operated by a single burner, such as an oil burner or the like,and

further, to provide a thermostat-controlled electric-actuating device, whereby the heat from the burner. is automatically directed either through the furnace, or the water heater, or through both in unison, as conditions may demand. One formwhich the invention may assume is illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a furnace and a water heater showing the application of the thermostat-controlled electricactuating mechanism. a i

Figure 2 shows a wiring diagramof the motor switch.

Practically all modern hotels, apartment houses, and dwellings are equipped with heating systems of one form or another such as steam or hot water, which is circulated through radiators and in the case of private homes a hot air furnace of one make or another is usually employed. Similarly, hot water heating systems are used in practically all instances so that hot water may be on tap both in the kitchen and the bathroom at all times. The room heating system Whether steam, hot water, or air,-is generally independent ofthe water heating system, and as such necessitates the installation of two separate systems which is not only costly, but also wasteful when thermal efliciency is considered. The invention forming the sub ject matter of the present application illustrates an air and a'water heating system which is operated from a common source of heat such as the oil burner generally indicated at A. The flame from the nozzle 2 entering the fire box 3 is directed either through a hot air furnace B orthrough a 'PATVENTOF'FICE.

HEATER.

23, 1926. Serial lid-89,948.

water heater such as illustrated at C, or through both in unison as willbe later described, that is, there may be a demand for hot water in which case the products of combustion from theburner will be directed through the water heater only, or it may be a fairly cold day, when the furnace will be ingreater demand, and-the products of combustion are then directed through the fur- 'nace. Again, it may happen that both the furnace and the water heater are required, in which case productsof combustion will be directed through both. f

The invention is primarily directed to a combination furnace and water heater which may be operated from a single or common source of heat, but it also includes an actuating mechanism whereby the burner is controlled and the products of combustion automatically directed as required. This is accomplished as follows.

By referring to'Fig. 1 it will be noted that a damper 'iis interposed between the furnace and the fire box 3 and similarly that a damper5 is located at the [upper end of the water heater C. If it is desired to direct the products of combustion from the burner A through the furnace, damper 4 is opened. Ifitis desired to direct the products of combustion'through the water heater,damper 5 is opened. If it is desired to direct prodnets of combustion through both the furnace and the water heater both dampers are :opened, and if'neither heat nor hot water is required, both dampersare closed. By referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted thatthe furnace and the water heater are enclosed by" means of a housing generally indicated at D. Cool air is admitted to the bottom of thehousing in any suitablemanner, and as it rises upwardly aroundthe furnace B and the water heater C, it is heated and finally discharges through a pipe E, which communicates with the rooms to be heated.

Means are provided for automatically regulating the burner and the dampers, that is, the oilto the burner is shut off when no heat is required and it is automatically turned'on and ignited when either the furnace or the water heater is in use. The furnace or main heating compartment is regulated through means of a room thermostat. 6 and a motor switch 7 while the water heater is actuated through means of a thermostat 8. and a motor switch 9. The motor switch 7 serves several functions; first, that of closing or breaking the circuit through the oil burner A; secondly, that of regulating, the oil fiow to the burner; third, that of regulating the air to the burner; and fourth, that of opening or closing the damper 4. The motor switch 9 also serves several functions. First, that of making or breakin the circuit through the motor driven oil burner and secondly, that of opening or closing the damper 5. The room thermostat and the thermostat 8-; are substantially identical in operation, although the individual structures may vary. Standard forms of thermostat 6 and thermostat 8 are employed and a detailed description of either is: accordingly thought unnecessary. Suiiice it to say that the room thermostat 6-is provided with three terminals such as shown at 10,11 and 12: and so is the thermostat 8,. the three terminals being indicated at 14, 15 and 1 6.. The functions of the room thermostat 6 and the thermostat 8 are the same, to wit, that of making a circuit through the motor switches 7 and 9' to which they are connected. The room thermostat 6 is so constructed that itwill automatically maintain a predetermined temperature within a room or a number of connected rooms. For instance,. if it is desired to maintain the room temperature normally at Fl, a circuit will be closed by the thermostat when this temperature is reached. This: circuit starts the motor switch 7 in operation and the switch operated thereby turns a half revolution, and closes the'damper 4. If the temperature drops a few: degrees, for instance to 68, another circuit is closed by the room thermostat, the motor switch is again actuated and it turns another revolution and then opens: the damper; The thermostat 8 functions in the same manner. For instance, if it is desiredto maintain the water in the heating system at a temperature of 150, a circuit will be closed by the thermostat the moment this temperature is reached, the motor switch. 9 is actuated thereby, and the motor switch turns a half revolution, and during this revolution it: closes the damper 5, thus preventing the products of combustion from the burners from passing through the water heater. If the temperature of the water dropsv for instance by-one or more faucets being opened, the second circuit is closed through the thermostat, the motor switch 9 is again actuated and the damper 5 is opened. The type of oil'burner employed or illustratedin the present instance is a rotary type of atomizer burner. It consists eta cup. or nozzle such'as shown at 2 which is rotated at a high speed by means of an electric motor such as indicated at 18.- The motor does not only rotate theatomizing; cup 2, but it also rotates a fan enclosed within the casing, 19. Air from the fan is discharged through. a, nozzle. 21, thus supplying the air required to. atomize the oil and a substantial portion of the air required for combustion of the oil. The oil is delivered from a suitable source by means of a pipe 22 and its how is regulated by a valve 23. The oil passes from the valve through a hollow motor shaft which supports the atomizing cup 2 and as such is delivered directly into the cup where it is projected or discharged by centrifugal action into the fire box 3. An oil burner of this character isdescribed: and illustrated in detail in my Patent No. 1,253,422 entitled Oil burner and issued J an. 15, 1918.

To start a burner of this character it is essential to close the circuit through the motor 18 and it is also essential to turn on the. oil. It is furthermore necessary to ignite the oil when it is atomized and discharged by the. burner and a gas burner 25 is employed for this purpose. This burner normally burns with a small pilot flame but the supply of gas to the burner is increased momentarily when the motor 18 is startedso that a sufficiently large flame is produced to insure ignition of the oil when the-burner is started.

The valve controlling the flow of gas through the burner 25' is opened and closed by means of a solenoid magnet diagrammatically illustrated at 26in Fig. 2.

The flue for thepassage of the products of combustion is represented in the drawings at 56),. 51, 52, 53,. 54. These products of com bustion pass. through the open damper 4 and enter the flue through the opening 55. From thence they pass. downwardly back and forth through the passages50, 51, and 52. They enter the passage 53: through the opening 56 and pass upwardly to the passage 54. When the water heater is in use the gases pass through the damper 5 directly into the passage 54.

A detail description of the operation will be as follows: Supposing that the entire i11- stal-lation is in. operation, the room temperature being 7 0 and the water temperature 150. If this is the case, both dampers 4 and 5 will be closed and the oil burner will not operate, as no heat is required. If the room temperature for one reason or another drops to- 68, a: circuit will beciosed by the room thermostat 6 through the wires 30 and 31. Current from a suitable source flows through the wire 30,. the motor Z,th'e contacts of the room thermostat and returns through the wire 31. A second wire 81 forms'a common connection between the two motors 7 and 9 and the solenoid 26 is connected. therewith. A wire-32 is connected with the opposite end of-thesolenoid and forms the return wire of the main circuit. In other words, when the contacts are closed by the room thermostat 6 acircuitis closed: through the motor 7 and the solenoid 26. A switch is operated by the motor 7 and this. closes the circuit through the Wires 30 and 33.; The wire 33 also; forms a common connection between the two motors 7 and 9 and the motor 18 is connected with this common connection and the wire 32 through wires 34 and 35. The moment the circuit is closed through the motor 18 by the motor switch the circuit previously established by the contacts of the room thermostat is broken and the motor 7 comes to rest, leavthe circuit through the motor 18 closed.

During the brief operation of the motor 7 a lever or crank arm 36 actuated thereby is turned from the full line position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted line positionindicated at 36. This crank arm is connected through a. link 37 with a second crank arm 38,'this crank arm being secured on the shaft 39 which supports the damper 1. In other words, the damper 1 is moved from a partially closed to an open position and during this opening period the valve 23 and damper 20 is opened wide, thus insuring operation of the burner asthe motor'has already been started and similarly the gas flame whereby the oil is ignited when delivered through means of a valve 23 and valve 23, the valve and damper 20 being opened througha linkage connection from shaft 39 as indicated at 4:0. The burner is operating and as damper 4 is open the heat will pass through the furnace and warm air will be supplied to the room. If the temperature reaches 70 a contact is again made through the room thermostat 6 through wire 30". This closes the circuit through the motor 7 and the switch actuated thereby is turned to a position where the circuit through the motor 18, valve 23 and solenoid 26, is broken. The crank arm 36 actuated by the motor 37 is turned from the dotted line position to the full line position shown at 36', the damper 4 is closed, and the oil valve 23 and the air damper are also practically closed, thus waste of heat or unnecessary operation of the oil burner, is avoided. If the water temperature is 150 and the temperature suddenly drops by use of water, contact is made through wire 16 and the circuit is closed through the motor 9. A switch in this motor isturned to a position where it closes the circuit through wires 31 and 33 and the circuit is accordingly closed through the solenoid magnet 26,,

a valve 23 and the motor 18. The burner is thus started and as the motor switch 9 is also provided with a crank arm such as shown at 36, damper 5 is opened and the flame discharging from the burner will pass upwardly through the fine 40 and the water heater, and will then pass by the damper 5 and into the stack. When the temperature of the water reaches 150, a circuit is made through the opposite contact, and wires 14 and 15. The motor circuit 9 is again closed and the switch actuated thereby is turned to an oppositeposition. The damper 5 is closed during this movement, and the circuit through the motor 18, is opened, thus permitting the motor to come to a stop and the oil to be shut off. It will benoted that the motor switches k7wand 9 are independently operated as they are actuated by the respective thermostats 6 and 8. It is, therefore,

possible that both dampers may be opened if.

heat andwater are required at the same time. It will be noted that the specification describes a hot air furnace. It should, however, be understoodthat a steam or water heating furnace system might be operated if so desired, and that the presentsystem is by notmeans limited to a hot air furnace, as it is justas applicable'whether hot air, hot Water or steam is desired. One feature which should be, considered is ,as follows: By referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that when the motor switch 7. is operated, crank arm 36 serves four main functions,-first, that of opening the damper 4, secondly, that of opening the air controlling damper20, and third, that of opening'the oilvalve .23, and fourth, that of closing the circuit through the motor ,18, and the solenoid 26, which con-v trols the flow of gas throughthe pilot-light or burner 25. It might here be stated that the oil is controlled by two valves indicated at 23and secondly by a valve shown at 23 7 The valve 23 beingopened and closed in motor circuit 18. Valve 23 is never completely closed, it is completely opened when the hot air furnace is used, but it only assumes a partially open position when the water heater alone is used. In other words, if the water heater alone is used a comparatively small amount of oily flows through the pipe 22 as valve 23 is only partially opened. Valve. 23* is full open when the motor circuit is on, and is completely closed when the motor circuit is off. Valve 23 is, therefore, merely a safety control valve. A comparatively small amount of heat is required when the water heater alone is being operated. It is for this reason that it is not necessary to completely open valve 23 and air damper 20 when motor switch 9 is actuated. It is only necessary to open valve 23 and the air damper 20 to complete open position when the furnace is being used as a greater volume of heat is required and also for the reason that the water heater might also be required at the same time;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a housing having a combustion chamber formed therein, a burner for said chamber, a heating chamber and a water heater in communication with said combustion chamber, a damper interposed between the combustion chamber and the heating chamber and means for opening and closing the damper to direct the products of combustion either through the furnace or through the water heater to the exclusion of the other.

2. In a device of the character described, a housing having a combustion chamber formed therein, a burner for said chamber, a heating; chamber and a water heater in communication with said combustion chamber, a damper interposed between the combustion chamber and the heating chamber, a second damper controlling the flow of prodnets of combustion through the water heater and means for automatically opening both dampers either in unison or independently of each other, said means adapted to close both dampers either in unison or independently of each'other.

3. In a device of the character described, a housing having a combustion chamber formed therein, a burner for said chamber, a heating chamber disposed directly above the housing and in communication with the combustion chamber, a Water heater also disposed above the housing and in communication with the combustion chamber, a horizontally disposed damper" interposed between the combustion chamber and the bottom of the heating chamber, a damper disposed" at the upper end of the Water heater and means for automatically opening and closing said dampers in unison or independently of eachxother.

4:. In a device of the character described, a housing having a combustion chamber formed therein, a burner for said combustion chamber, a. heating chamber and water heater in communication with said combustion chamber, and means whereby all the products of combustion may .be directed either through the heating chamber or the water heater or divided and directed through both, said means operating to close completely the communication between the combustion chamber and the heating chamber when the products of combustion are being directed solely through the water heater.

5. In a device of the character described, a housing having a combustion chamber formed therein, a burner for said chamber,

a main heating compartment and a water i heater in communication with the combustion chamber and adapted to be heated thereby, and means whereby all of the prodnets of combustion may be directed either through the main heating compartment or WILLIAM RUTH RAY.

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