US2880793A - Torch burner - Google Patents

Description

April 1959 c. GOLDEN 2,880,793

' TORCH BURNER Filed Sept. 4, 1956 INVENTOR. CARL ET GOLDEN "ZWr 442% A T TORNE VS United States Patent.

My invention relates to means for burning "fuel, "for example, liquid petroleum"ga's-*snch as propanein "a burner which is designed to be held int'h'eha'nd or the user as a wand 'and is especially adapted for burning weeds or applying heat to a surface at some distance from the user.

In connection with burners of this sort it is desirable to provide "a "burning mechanism which quickly and readily controlled "by "the user to vary the "size of the flame between a minimum pilot flame and 'a maximum torch flame or any intermediate value =therebetween. it is also desirable to "have a mechanism which is relatively simple, light and uncomplicated for this purpose.

it is therefore an object of my invention *to provide atorch burner which isre'adily regulated between apilot "or minimum flame and a maximumfiame with gradations itherebetween under the control of an -'opera'tor.

Another object of the invention is *to provide a torch burner readily held in the hand of the operator and conveniently' manipulated and adjusted.

Anoth'er object of the invention is to proviidea "relative'lysimple, light,'uncluttered 'torch burner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burn'er readily adapted to "consume liquid petroleum gas.

Another :object of the invention is to provide a bnrner which can be disassembled into components readily itransported or shipped.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in the embodiments of the invention described in the accompanying description and.illustrated .in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure '1, for the most part, is -'a side elevation of one form of torch burner constructed in accordance'with my invention, portions of the structure being shown in cross-section on -a longitudinal median plane and other portions being broken away to reduce fthe size of the figure.

Figure 2 is a view comparable to Figure 1 but showing a modified form of torch burner with portions broken away and with parts in section on a longitudinal median plane.

Figure 3 is a detail of part of the main burner of the Figure 2 modification, parts being broken away to reduce the figures size.

While the torch burner of the invention has successfully been incorporated in a number of different ways, it is well exemplified by the two versions shown herein. In the first version, there is provided a hollow handle 6 usually of metal having grip ribs 7 on its exterior and connected by fittings 8 and a hose or flexible pipe 9 to a source of fuel, usually liquid petroleum gas. Mounted on and connected to the hollow handle 6 is a main valve body 11. This conveniently has a main valve poppet 12 therein normally spring and pressure closed and provided with a stem 13 projecting through a packing gland 14 to the exterior.

On an extension 16 of the main fuel valve body is pivotally mounted a handle 17 readily operated by the ice 111861 ,grasping the handle "6. This serves to open the "main'fnel -valve ,p'o'ppet 12 a maximum amount or any intermediate amount. When the valve poppet 12 is -'los'e2i there .is "no flow therethrough, but when "the valve is opened flow continues through the main valve body 11 into 'a main fuel pipe :18; This 'pipe is con- 'ne'c'te'd "to the main "fuel valve body "by "a 'T 19 "and "a nipple 21.

' Y'In'mos't instances ithe main fuel pipe 18 is quite long. Ifflesired, it can be made in one single fl'ength 'butusnally "is provided with one "or more couplings 22 "so "that the main lfuel'pipe .18 'may include "as many's'eetions as de- Adjacent the 'end of the main fulpipe '18 opposite that -connected to "and 'carrying the "main "fuel "valve "body "11, is a 'cross23 havingplugs "24 and '26 extending from the opposite sides thereof. 'Th'ese plugs are specially made in that they are provided 'with interior :drilledpassages '27 opening forwardly "through nozzle apertures 28 directed generally along the axis "o'fthe'mainfuel1pipe 18. Fuel therefore can issue from tlte nozzles 28 for ignition. Combined with the main fuel valve "body 11 is "a pilot fuel-valve body 31. This is directly "mounted on the main fuel valve body and is provided with .a needle wheel '32 controlling the position of a valve pilot needle '53. The wheel 32 is located adjacent the handle '16 so that '-a user grasping the handle either "by utilizing his thumb and forefinger-or his other hand can readily hahge the position of the needle 33 which usually is {left open a selected amount. Flow "from the hollow handle 6 is therefore in parallel through the main valve poppet 12 and also through the pilot valve needle 33. "From the pilot fuel valve *body Sl flow takes place "through a'p'ilo't fuel pipe 34 extending toward the "T 19 and passing through appropriate fittings 36 into the interior of the pipe 18. Conveniently, the'pil'ot fuel pipe '34 is a copper tube and is readily bent to occupy the illustrated position. The pilot *fuel pipe '34 -for the 'most part (if its length "is within the-confines'o f' the main fuel vapipe 1 8 an-cl is disposed eoaxially therewith for what- =everlength-thernain fuel p'ip'e il8-iextends.

Adjacent the opposite, outboard {end of 'themain fuel pipe, the pilot fuel pipe 3' 1 passes through the cross 23 and into a combined 'conneetor and packing block This is effective to serve as a mounting for ap'ilo't burner shell 37. fi pil'ot nozzl'e B8sw'ith'in the-pilot burner shell 37 is connected to the pilot fuel pipe 34"butis isolated byun'eans of the solid packing bl'o'k '36 from the interior of the main fuel pipe although it is physically supported thereon through the rne'diurn of the -'cr'oss 23. There is thus no gas flow from the main fuel pipe 18 to the nozzle 38. The shell 37 is preferably provided with auxiliary air openings 39 and has an appropriate diameter and length to afford a pilot burner mechanism.

In the operation of this device, the pilot valve wheel 32 is opened to a predetermined small amount so that some of the fuel issues from the orifice 38 after having passed through the pilot fuel pipe 34 traversing the interior of and being disposed largely within the confines of the main fuel pipe 18. Ignition takes place downstream of the nozzle 38 and the shell 37 is filled with pilot flame which also issues therefrom. Whenever desired, the operator by manipulating the handle 17 opens the main fuel valve poppet 12 more or less and therefore sends supplies of fuel through the main fuel pipe 18 to the plugs 24 and 26 so that the main supply of fuel is discharged from the nozzles 28. This ignites from the pilot flame adjacent the pilot shell 37 and so the maximum flame or any intermediate flame is thereby readily pstablished.

In some instances, there is a need not only for all the attributes of a structure substantially as shown in Figure 1, but further for the requirement that the device be readily disassembled for shipment or for storage. In that instance there is preferably provided an arrangement substantially as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Therein a supply of fuel such as liquid petroleum gas is conducted to the structure through a hollow handle 41 leading into a hand valve 42. This valve is provided with a poppet 43 controllable by a handle 44 as before, but in addition the main valve is also combined with a pilot needle valve 46 having a thumb wheel 47 in position for convenient manipulation.

Flow of fuel through the hollow handle 41 is bent through the valves 43 and 46 in parallel. The main valve 42 is joined to a main fuel pipe 49. This is conveniently threaded into position and can as readily be detached. The pipe 49 is of any selected length and can have extensions if desired. At its end opposite the main valve 42, the main fuel pipe 49 is connected to a T 51; In axial alignment with the T and thereby supported on 'the outward end of the main fuel pipe 49 is a reducing connection 52 supporting a pilot burner shell 53 within which a pilot burner nozzle 54 is disposed. Also connected with the reducer 52 is a block 56 having a restricted orifice therein so that only a selected amount of fuel can issue from the pilot nozzle 54 to the interior of the pilot burner shell 53.

Also mounted on the outboard end of the main fuel pipe 49 by connection with the T 51 is a valve housing 57 within which a valve 58 loaded by a spring 59 is disposed. The housing 57 serves also as a support for a nipple 61 mounting a T 62 included in a main fuel burner 63. This burner is conveniently fabricated of a couple lengths of pipe having caps 64 at their outer ends and along their lengths provided with a series of orifices 67 directed generally in the direction of the pilot fuel shell 53. t

In the operation of this device, the pilot valve needle 46 is opened to any desired extent for a minimum flow of fuel. This fuel travels through the main fuel pipe 49, passes through the restricted orifice 56, and issues from the nozzle 54 whereat it is ignited. It burns not only within the pilot burner shell 53 but also as it emerges therefrom. The pilot gas or fuel is precluded from passinginto the main burner since the pressure of the spring 59 on the valve 58 is too great for that to occur. Even though the nozzle 46 is open its maximum amount, the size of the restricted orifice 56 is such that the pressure rise within the main fuel pipe 49 is too small to unseat the valve 58.

When the operator opens the main fuel valve 43 by depressing the handle 44, the quantity of fuel which passes into the main fuel pipe 49 is increased so greatly that it cannot escape through the restricted orifice in the block 56 and so causes an increase in pressure within the T 51. This increase is sufficient to unseat the valve 58 against the urgency of the spring 59. The major flow of fuel is then through the T 62 into the main burner branches 64 and thence fr'g'm the orifices 67. The fuel issuing from these orifices is ignited by passing adjacent to the pilot flame in the vicinity of the shell 53. By the valve means 43 the operator can regulate the presence or size of the maximum or main flame whereas the regulation of the pilot nozzle 46 controls the issuance of the minimum or pilot flame.

An advantage of this structure is that by simply unscrewing the various pipe connections the mechanism can be partly or entirely disassembled for storage or shipment or for cleaning. While it does entail the utilization of a mechanism impressing a pressure drop on the fuel it is in general comparable in performance to the modification of Figure 1.

What is claimed is:

l. A torch burner comprising a main fuel pipe, a main fuel valve on one end of said main fuel pipe, a pilot fuel valve combined with said main fuel valve, means for supplying said main fuel valve and said pilot fuel valve with fuel for parallel flow therethrough into said main fuel pipe, a pilot fuel burner connected to and supported on the other end of said main fuel pipe, means including a restricted orifice interposed between said pilot fuel burner and said main fuel pipe, a main fuel burner connected to and supported on said other end of said main fuel pipe, and means including a spring loaded valve interposed between said main fuel burner and said main fuel pipe.

2. A torch burner comprising a fuel pipe, a main fuel valve on said fuel pipe and controlling main fuel flow thereto, a pilot fuel valve on said fuel pipe and controlling pilot fuel flow thereto, means for supplying said main fuel valve and said pilot fuel valve with fuel for parallel flow therethrough into said fuel pipe, a pilot fuel burner on and opening into said fuel pipe downstream of said fuel valves,'means including a restricted orifice interposed between said pilot fuel burner and said fuel pipe, a main fuel burner on and opening into said fuel pipe downstream of said fuel valves, and means including a valve responsive to pressure in said fuel pipe interposed in the fuel flow path between said main fuel burner and said fuel pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Emerton Jan. 6, 1880

Images