US3334820A

US3334820A - Gas burner of selective flame distribution type

Info

Publication number: US3334820A
Application number: US339692A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Flynn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-01-23
Filing date: 1964-01-23
Publication date: 1967-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-08
Also published as: GB1010504A

Description

J. H. FLYNN GAS BURNER OF SELECTIVE FLAME DISTRIBUTIONl TYPE Filed Jan. 23, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENToR. BY L/YHFg/m @fvg/ J. H. FLYNN GAS BURNER 0F SELECTIVE FLAME: DISTRIBUTION TYPE Filed Jan. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JO/J/y/f/ f7 United States Patent O 3,334,820 GAS BURNER F SELECTIVE FLAME DISTRIBUTON TYPE John H. Flynn, 234 Elk Ave., New Rochelle, N.Y. 10804 Filed Jan. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 339,692 9 Claims. (Cl. 239-556) This invention relates to gas burners in general, and to gas burners with selective ame distribution in particular.

Band-oven and similar space-heating installations frequently require selective heat distribution to obtain as uniform heat conditions in the space being heated as possible. To this end, it is customary to arrange among the usual burners in such installations special gas burners off selective ame distribution Where needed for the purpose. These special burners commonly have the gas chambers in their longitudinal casings divided into successive compartments to serve successive llame lengths of the burners, with the several compartments being supplied with gas from one end of the burners through an internal valve mechanism which extends over the length of the burners and is selectively operable from the outside to admit gas to any one or any combination of these compartments.

While these special burners are being used rather extensively in operations in which fairly uniform heat conditions in the spaces involved is a prime requisite, they are used very sparingly, if at all, in many other operations in which uniform heat conditions are not absolutely-necessary but would be highly desirable and beneficial for the operation. The reason therefor lies primarily in the relatively high cost of these special burners, owing to the large size of their valve mechanisms both in length and cross-sectional dimensions, and the need for fairly precise machining and fitting of the operating parts thereof in order that these valve mechanisms may freely respond to outside manipulation with no more than reasonable elfort. Moreover, these special burners do not afford as accurate and exible control over the intensity and uniformity of the llames as would be desirable. This is due to the fact that these valve mechanisms take up so much of the cross-sectional areas of the several compartments in the burners that the delivered gas in these compartments is given little opportunity to distribute over the associated flame ports as evenly as desired, and the gas pressures in the various compartments of the burners vary quite widely with diiferent settings of the valve mechanisms.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas burner of selective ame distribution type which not only affords closer control over the ames served from the several burner compartments thereof, but is also considerably lower in cost, than prior burners of this type, thereby to make available a burner which not only may be used in band-oven and similar space-heating installations to achieve yet greater uniformity of the heat conditions therein, but which is a-lso commercially attractive for many other operations in which burners of this type are highly desirable but omitted owing to their hitherto high cost.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a gas burner of this type in Which the valve mechanism for selectively supplying the several burner compartments with gas is arranged, not within, but rather outside, these compartments, with nothing more than conduits extending into the interior of the burner casing that connect the outlet ports of the external valve mechanism with the respective compartments. In thus arranging the valve mechanism and connecting it with the several burner compartments through conduits, the valve mechanism may advantageously be in the form of a smallsize and low-cost unit of ready operability and accurate performance which is, moreover, readily accessible at the outside of the burner casing for easy maintenance, repair or replacement of parts, while the conduits may -be of rather small individual cross-sectional dimensions It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gas burner of this type in which the aforementioned conduits that connect the external valve mechanism with the respective burner compartments vare coextensive to the compartment most 4remote from the valve mechanism, with the individual conduits being of complemental sectorial section and placed side-by-side to form a cylindrical unit centrally of the compartments, and the individual conduits having outlet ports to the respective compartments with which they communicate and being closed to the other compartments. With this arrangement of the conduits in a cylindrical unit centrally of the burner compartments through which they extend, the uniform ring-like spaces left in these compartments for the ydelivered gas are not only identical but also conducive to fairly uniform distribution throughout of the delivered gas and, hence, even `distribution of the same to the ame ports thereat, wherefore the flames served -by any one burner compartment will be most uniform in their intensity and pattern.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas burner of this type of which the aforementioned cylindrical conduit unit is, for least reduction by the same of the cross-sectional area of the burner compartments through which it extends, kept at minimum crosssectional dimensions, yet the cross-sectional dimensions of the individual conduits are kept suliciently large to supply the respective compartments with gas for ame performance of maximum capacity. This is achieved by arranging the valve mechanism so that the outlet port thereof serving the nearest burner compartment is in direct communication therewith, while only the remaining burner compartments require internal conduit connections with the valve mechanism, thus requiring a number of conduits of one less than the number of burner compartments.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a gas burner of this type in which the valve mechanism comprises structurally exceedingly simple members of which a body member has individual valve ports for the various burner compartments and another, operating, member is turnable and has a single opening registerable with any one or more of the valve ports for admitting gas to the respective burner compartment or compartments, with the valve ports also having gas leakage or bleed passages between each other so that in any setting of the operating member for llame performance of one or more burner compartments the remaining' compartment or compartments will be supplied with gas which is adequate to keep the flames thereat at pilot level.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas burner of this type in which, in the case of a threecompartment burner casing, the aforementioned valve mechanism with the single opening in the operating member is arranged so that this mechanism will, in one certain setting of the operating member, supply gas to the three burner compartments for maintaining thereat flame at substantially the same level and of substantially the same drive.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a gas burner of this type of which the chamber in the burner casing is partitioned into successive burner compartments by simply slotting the casing transversely at the contemplated partitions to a depth from which the remaining non-slotted peripheral wall of the chamber converges inwardly toward the burner slot, and inserting through these slots partition plates which it not only the slots but also the remaining non-slotted wall of the chamber thereat, with the parts of the partition plates fitted in the slots being welded or otherwise secured and sealed to the casing on the outside thereof, In thus partitioning the chamber in the casing, a `conventional burner casing with a non-partitioned gas chamber may readily be converted into one with separate compartments for selective flame distribution, whereby the compartments will be well sealed from each other and from the outside, except at their burner slots, with the partition plates being easily ttable with the confronting part of the inner peripheral wall of the gas chamber, especially if the latter is cylindrical in section. Further, the partition plates may, prior to their assembly with the burner casing, be bored for their subsequent itted reception of the aforementioned cylindrical conduit unit on mere axial sliding of the latter into position in the casing through the assembled partition plates therein.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for ready conversion of a burner of non-selective llame distribution into a burner of selective flame distribution, by arranging the partition plates for their substantially tted reception in the interior of the burner casing on sliding them axially thereinto, and outside the burner casing permanently assembling these plates with the aforementioned conduit unit into a new unit for its subsequent installation in the burner casing on merely sliding it axially thereinto, with the valve mechanism being then readily assembled with the installed new unit to complete the conversion of the burner. With this arrangement, it is entirely feasible for a customer to convert an available, and particularly installed,A burner then and there by simply assembling this purchased new unit and valve mechanism with the existing, but gas-disconnected, burner in the described simple manner.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

FIG. l is a partial side elevation of, and partial section through, a gas burner embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is arsection through the burner taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section through the burner as taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the burner as taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a part-elevational, part-sectional, view of a gas burner embodying the present invention in a modied manner; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates a gas burner of selective flame distribution type, having a longitudinal burner casing 12 with an axis x provided with successive longitudinal gas compartments 14 about this axis and a longitudinal burner slot 16 coextensive with and open to the compartments 14, a valve mechanism 18 for controlling gas distribution to the compartments 14, and conduit means 20 connecting the valve mechanism 18 with the several compartments 14.

The burner casing 12, which in this instance is a casting, has besides the burner slot 16 two burner grooves 22 which flank and are coextensive with the latter (FIG. 3).

4 The burner slot 16 and grooves 22 are preferably machined and hold

conventional ribbon assemblies

24 and 26 which in well-known manner form main-llame and pilot-flame ports, respectively. With the burner slot 16 being in direct communication with the compartments 14 (FIG. 3) it receives from the latter gas at adequate volumetric flow rate to maintain the flames thereat at the desired utility level and drive, while longitudinally spaced, constricted communication ducts 28 between the compartments 14 and burner grooves 22 admit suicient gas to the latter to keep the flames thereat at adequate pilot level to sustain the main ames at the slot 16.

The burner casing 12 in its preferred cast form is in this instance for a burner without selective llame distribution, and to this end is cast with a single gas chamber over its entire length, and the same is converted into a casing for selective flame distribution by partitioning the gas chamber into the separate compartments 14. This is achieved by separate partition plates 30 which, in accordance with `one aspect of the present invention, are inserted and assembled with the casing 12 from the outside. To this end, the peripheral wall 32 of the casing 12 is provided with transverse slots 34 (FIG. 3) which are machined at least to a depth from which the opposite inner surface parts 36 of the remaining non-slotted wall that lead to the burner slot 16 converge on each other. Inserted into these slots 34 are the pre-shaped partition plates 30 which over the extent of the slots follow the contour of the outer casing periphery and are there firmly secured in place and sealed, preferably by welding, while the remainder of these plates is contoured to tit the peripheral wall surface parts 36 in the casing. Preshaping of the partition plates 30 and their accurate assembly with the casing 12 is particularly simple if the inner peripheral wall of the casing chamber is largely cylindrical as shown in FIG. 3, with the slots 34 being preferably machined to a minimum depth at whichthey extend over a semi-cylindrical part of this wall.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the valve mechanism 18 is arranged outside the burner casing 12 and near one end thereof, but is carried by the burner casing through intermediation of the conduit means 20 (FIGS. l and 2). The valve mechanism 18 comprises a valve Abody or housing 38 with an axis x' having an interior chamber 40 about this axis which through a partition member 4,2 is divided into front and rear sections 44 and 46, and an operating valve element 48 (see also FIGS. 4 and 5). The chamber section 44 has an inlet 50 which through a conduit 52 is connected with a source of combustible gas, and the partition member 42 is in this instance a separate valve plug which is ttedly received in a machined annular recess 54 in' the valve body 38. The valve plug 42 is provided with as many ports 56 as there are compartments 14 in the burner casing 12, in this instance three. Of these outlet ports 56 the one denoted 56a is open to the chamber section 46 in the valve body, but the remaining ports are sealed from this chamber section 46 by conduits which connect them with certain compartments 14 in the burner casing.

The valve element 48 is operable to provide communication between the front or admission chamber section 44 in the valve body and any one, or certain combinations, of the ports 56. To this end, the ports 56 in the valve plug 42 are provided in a machined face 58 thereof, while the valve element 48, which in this instance is a disc turnable in the annular recess 54, has a machined face 60 in covering engagement with the face 58 of the valve plug 42 and is provided with an opening 62 through which to provide selective communication between the chamber section 44 and the several ports 56. The valve element 48 is provided with a stem 64 which extends through a packing 66 in a removable end cover 68 on the valve body 38 to the Voutside and there carries a handle 70 for manipulating the valve element 48. A spring 72 exerts suicient pressure on the valve element 48 to keep its face 60 in engagement with the face 58 of the valve plug 42 and to keep the latter seated in the annular recess 54 in the valve body, while a key 74 serves to locate and lock the valve plug in correct angular position in the valve body (FIG. 5).

The conduit means 20, which connect the valve mechanism 18 with the several compartments 14 in the burner casing, comprise as many separate conduits as there are compartments 14, with each conduit providing communication between one of the valve ports 56 and an associated compartment 14. 'Ihe foremost compartment 14a in the burner casing nearest the valve mechanism is served from the exemplary valve port 56a by a conduit 76 through intermediation of the chamber section 46 in the valve body (FIGS. 2 and 4) while the remaining compartments 14 are served from the remaining valve ports 56 directly through conduits 78. Conduit 76, which is firmly secured to the adjacent ends of the burner casing 12 and valve body 38 and supports the latter lon the former, provides communication between the casing compartment 14a and the valve chamber section 46 which is open to the valve port 56a.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the remaining conduits 78 that serve ,all burner compartments 14 save the foremost compartment 14a are arranged so that over their coextension from the valve mechanism into and in the burner casing they form a conduit unit 80 of polygonal, and preferably cylindrical, outer periphery, and the valve mechanism is arranged for proper connection of these conduits with the respective valve ports 56. To this end, the conduits 78 are of complemental sectorial section and placed side-by-side to form the conduit unit 80 of cylindrical outer periphery (FIG. 3).

'More particularly, since there are two conduits 78b and 78e to serve the intermediate and rearmost compartments 14b and 14C, respectively, in the exemplary three-compartment burner casing 12, these two conduits are of semicylindrical section and placed back-to-back (FIGS. 2 and 3). Furthermore, the conduits 78 must in their aggregate be of smaller cross-sectional area, i.e., the conduit unit 80 must be of smaller outside diameter, than the conduit 76 so as to extend with clearance through the latter and also through the valve chamber section 46, as will be readily understood.V Preferably also, the burner casing L2 and valve mechanism 18 are arranged so that their axes are coincident, and the conduit 76 and conduit unit 80 are arranged concentric with each other about the coincident burner and valve axes x and x'.

For proper connection of the individual conduits 78 of the -unit 80 with the respective valve ports 56, the valve ports other than the port 56a, this being in the exemplary burner arrangement the valve ports 56b and 56C, are from the front face 58 of the valve plug 42 inwardly to a cylindrical rear socket formation 82 in the latter in which the back-to-back conduits 56h and 56e are ttingly received in sealing fashion and locked by a set screw 84 (FIGS. 2 and 4), with these valve ports 56h and Stic` being over their axial extent separated from each other by a rib 86 in the valve plug against which the conduits butt and, hence, seal these valve ports from each other thereat (see particularly FIG. 2). The other valve port 56a is, like the ports 56b and 56e, arcuate in extent about the valve axis x (FIG. 5), but is unlike the latter ports nonflared axially (FIG. 4) and, as already mentioned, opens directly into the valve chamber section 46, with this port 56a being separated from the adjacent ports 56b and 56C by ribs 88 and 9B in the valve plug (FIG. 5).

To serve the burner compartments 14 other than the foremost compartment 14a, the conduits 78 extend, with clearance through those compartments 14, and with a sealing t through those partitions 30, that are located between the valve mechanism 18 and the respective compartments with which these conduits communicate. However, preferably and more particularly, the conduits 78 are coextensive with each other over their entire lengths in order to keep the cross-sectional area left for delivered gas in the compartments in which they extend of the uniform ring shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 which is well suited for uniform gas distribution to the associated flame ports for uniform characteristics of the flames thereat. Accordingly, the entire conduit unit of cylindrical outer periphery extends to and into the rearmost burner compartment 14a` and through all preceding compartments .14, with this conduit unit 80 extending with a sealing fit through apertures 92 in the partitions 30, and the individual conduits of this unit being open only to those compartments with which they are to communicate. Thus, conduit 78b, which is to serve the compartment 14b, has outlets 94 which open into the latter compartment, while its end in the rearmost compartment 14C is plugged at 96 (FIG. 2). On the other hand, conduit 78C, which is to serve the rearmost compartment 14C, is open at its end within the latter compartment.

With the conduit unit 80 of cylindrical outer periphery extending into the rearmost burner compartment, the apertures 92 in the partitions 30 through which this conduit unit extends are circular and, hence, may advantageously be provided in the partition plates 30 by simple central boring prior to their explained insertion'in and assembly with the burner casing 12.

As already mentioned, the valve element 48 may be ymanipulated at the handle 70 so that its single opening 62 provides communication between the valve chamber section 44 and any one, or certain combinations, of the valve ports 56. More particularly, the single opening 62 in the valve element is so arranged that it may provide communication between chamber section 44 and any one, or parts of any two adjacent ones, of the valve ports 56, wherefore there is always at least oneV burner compartment which lacks gas for ames from the flame ports thereat. However, for enhanced utility and versatility in operation of the present burner, provisions are made whereby any burner compartment -14 not receiving gas according to the setting of the valve element 48 will, nevertheless, be supplied with gas adequate for maintaining ame at the associated ame ports at least at pilot level. To this end, there are provided bleed passages 98 between the valve ports 56 which are in this instance in the form of grooves in the face 58 of the valve plug 42 (FIGS. 4 and 5). Thus, with the bleed passages 96 arranged between the valve ports 56, one-time ignition of the gas discharging from the llame ports of any burner compartment 14 will result in ame propagation to the llame ports of the remaining burner compartments, and flames will issue from the ports of all burner compartments during continued gas delivery to the valve mechanism, with the burners response to different settings of the valve element 48 for dilerent llame patterns at the ports of the burner compartments being, moreover, instantaneous.

In the operation of the burner, the valve element 48 is set for whatever flame pattern is desired at the time. Thus, with the valve element 48 set in the exemplary fullline position shown in FIG. 5 in which the same provides communication between the valve chamber section 44 and equal parts of the adjacent valve ports 56b and 56C, utility flames at the intermediate and rearmost burner compartments 14b and 14C will be at substantially the same level, while the flames at the frontmost burner compartment 14a are kept at lower, pilot level, with the latter compartment being supplied with gas admitted through the bleed passages 98 that lead directly to the valve port 56a. Should different heat requirements now indicate optimum flame heat from the intermediate burner compartment 14b, for example, the valve element 48 is set into the dotted-line position in FIG. 5 in which its opening 62 is in full register with only the valve port 5619. This will immediately bring the flames at the intermediate compartment 14b to their maximum level and drive, while the ames at the other burner compartments will be at mere pilot level owing to their maintenance by .gas supplied solely through the bleed passages 98 that lead from 'the valve port 56h into the adjacent valve ports 56a and 56C. Still another exemplary setting of the valve element 48 is indicated in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 5 in which the same provides communication between the valve chamber section 44 and equal parts of the valve ports 56a and 56e, resulting in utility flames at the burner compartments 14a and 14C at substantially the same, but less than maximum, level, and in flames at the burner compartment 14b at mere pilot level, as will be readily understood by now. The valve element 48 is, of course, settable into innite positions in which the overall ame pattern at the several burner compartments undergoes innite changes which are now apparent and require no further explanation, except to point at the innite differences in level and drive of utility llames at any two burner compartments on setting the valve element for communication between the valve chamber -section 44 and different parts of the corresponding valve ports 56.

In accordance with still another important aspect of the present invention, the present burner may, despite its valve arrangement to supply at most yonly two burner compartments `directly with gas, be used like a conventional burner with the ames over the entire burner slot being of the same level and drive. This is achieved by proper dimensioning of the burner compartments 14 and the gas -passages leading thereto from the valve mechanism. In this conne-ction, it is preferred for other lreasons that the burner compartments 14 as Well as the conduits 78 of the unit 80 are of identical cross-sectional area throughout, and that the valve ports 56 are at least at the face 58 of the valve plug 42 of identical cross-sectional area for their individual full registerability with the opening 62 in the valve element 42 in corresponding settings of the latter such as its dotted-line setting in FIG. 5. Moreover, with the intermediate and rear burner compartments 14b and 14e being connected with their respective valve ports through the relatively long and constricted conduits 78 of the unit 80, and with the front burner compartment 14a being connected with its valve port 56a through the much shorter and wider passage afforded by the valve chamber section 46 and conduit 76, there is every indication that for the achievement of identical flame level and drive at all burner compartments the valve element 48 be best set in its full-line position in FIG. 5 in which its opening is in register with equal parts of the valve ports 56h and 56C. Following this precept, and keeping in mind that the valve ports S6b and 56e are of preferred identical cross-sectional area (FIGS. 2 and 5) and the conduits 78 are also of preferred identical cross-sectional area throughout, gas will in this full-line position of the valve element 48 (FIG. 5) be delivered to the intermediate and rear burner compartments 14b and 14C at substantially the same volumetric ow rate, so that the ilames at these Icompartments will be at substantially the same level and of substantially the same drive if the volumes of these compartments 14b and 14e for gas delivered therein are substantially the same. Keeping in mind the preferred identical cross-sectional areas of the burner compartments, the volumes of the compartments 14b and 14C available for gas delivered therein are made substantially equal by making the intermediate compartment 14b longer than the rear compartment 14e` to an extent sufcient to compensate substantially for the space in the intermediate compartment 14b occupied by the conduit unit 80 therein. Furthermore, optimum ame capacity of the burner at substantially equal level and drive of all flames over the length of the burner slot in the casing is achieved if in the full-line position lof the valve element 48 (FIG. 5) its opening 62 is in register with exact halves of the valve ports 56b and 56e, as shown. Such half register of the valve opening 62 with the valve 8 ports 56b and 56C in the full line position of the valve element 48 is achieved in this instance by making the valve opening 62 of an arcuate extent in excess of that of either valve port 56b or 56C by the thickness of the rib formation 86 in the valve plug 42. To dimension the front burner compartment 14a and gas passage thereto for equal level and drive of the ames at all burner compartments in the full-line position of the valve element 48 (FIG. 5), several obvious courses may be pursued which primarily involve selecting the volume of the front compartment 14a for gas delivered therein as against the cross-sectional areas of the two bleed passages 98 that lead to the valve port 56a. In dimensioning in the exemplary burner arrangement shown the front compartment 14a and the bleed passages 98 leading to the valve port 56a to this end, it was kept in rnind to have the ame length over the front burner compartment 14a substantially equal `to the flame length of the rear burner compartment 14C for lengthwise Well-balanced flame patterns over the extent of the burner. Thus, the longitudinal extent of the llame ports at, and the coextensive part 100 of, the front burner compartment 14a are substantially equal to the longitudinal extent of the rear burner compartment 14e and llame po-rts thereat (FIG. l), and the bleed passages 98 to the valve port 56a are dimensioned to pass in the full-line position of the valve element 48 sufficient gas to this valve port 56a so that all ames over the extent of the burner are at substantially the same level and of substantially the same drive. It is, of course, impossible to set up any range of dimensions of the bleed passages 98 leading to the valve port 56a that will achieve the desired end under the circumstances, for there are too many variables involved in achieving this end, such as the speciiic dimensions of the'burner compartments 14,

conduits

76, 78 and passages in the valve mechanism, for example. To give some indication, however, of correctly dimensioned burner compartments and gas passages through the valve mechanism and to the several burner compartments in at least one instance, it should be noted that a burner arrangement of larger size, but of exactly the same relative dimensions in every detail, as shown in the drawings, performed entirely satisfactorily, including the issuance of flame at the same level and of the same drive over the entire burner length in the full-line setting of the valve element 48 in FIG. 5, with the burner responding to all other settings -of the valve element in the general fashion described hereinbefore.

The present burner arrangement, besides having the described unique functional features, is also exceedingly simple in its construction and, hence, of accordingly low cost. Thus, the provision of the valve mechanism 18 outside the burner casing permits a small-size and low-cost valve construction which, moreover, affords very close control over the volumetric ow rate of gas selectively delivered to the several burner compartments. Furthermore, access to the interior of the valve mechanism. 18 for maintenance or repair or replacement of parts is readily had on simply removing the end cover 68, The mounting of the 'valve mechanism 18 .on the burner casing 12 through intermediation of the conduit 76, which serves the foremost burner compartment, not only makes for simple and rm assembly of the valve mechanism with the rest of the burner, but also keeps the number of conduits 78 in the unit 80 at a minimum, thereby permitting these conduits 78 to be individually of suiciently large cross-sectional area to supply their respective burner cornpartments with adequate gas for Idesired high ame capacity thereat, and on the other hand keep the crosssectional size of the conduit unit suflciently small to take up minimum space in the burner compartments through which it extends for least interference with uniform distribuition of the delivered gas in these compartments to the llame ports thereat, Further, the featured conversion of a conventional burner casing With a single gas chamber into one for selective flame distribution, by merely transversely slotting the casing and inserting into and assembling with the slotted casing separate partition plates from the outside,lmakes for further cost reduction of the burner. Partitioning a single gas chamber in a casing into successive compartments in this fashion also permits boring in the separte partition plates prior to their assembly with the burner casing the central apertures through which the conduit unit is to extend. Also, the unique arrangement of the conduits 78 in the cylindrical unit 80 and the mounting of the latter in the valve plug 42 permits their ready preassembly outside the burner casing and valve body, and their insertion and removal as such preassembly into and from the burner casing and valve body.

While the burner 10 has the described conversion feature of readily adapting a burner casing with a single gas chamber into one suited for selective flame distribution, the modied burner 10 of FIG. 6 has an even more pronounced conversion feature in that a burner casing with a single gas chamber may be converted into one for selective ame distribution without requiring any changes whatever in the casing itself. Thus, the burner casing 12' is in this instance a simple cylindrical tube having a closed end 110. and being open at its other end 112. The tubular burner casing 12 is over the greater part of its longitudinal expanse provided with a burner slot 114 receiving a burner-ribbon assembly 116 which by spaced crosspins 118 is secured to the burner casing 12. The burner casing 12 is at its open end 112 connected, through a union 120, for instance, with the conduit 76 on which the body 38 of the valve mechanism 18 is mounted, The valve me-chanism 18 may in all essential respects be like the described valve mechanism 18 (FIGS. 4 and 5), with the value plug 42 having releasably secured thereto the conduits 78 of the unit 80', of which conduit 76b has the orifices 94', and the conduit 78e' is open at its end 122.

The interior of the tubular burner casing 12 is divided into the successive compartments 14a', 14b and 14e by partitions 30 which, in contrast to the previously described partitions 30 (FIGS. 1 and 3), are not permanently connected with the burner casing 12 but are, instead, re-ceived therein with a sliding t (FIG. 7) and permanently connected, as by tack-welding 124, with the conduit unit 80'. The partitions 30, which thus lit the interior of the burner casing 12' except where they are cut away at 126 to clear the ribbon assembly 116, form with the conduit unit 80 a new unit or burner component 128 which is readily assembled outside the burner casing and installed therein simply by axially sliding the same thereinto through the open end 112 thereof, with this burner component 128 being held in place in the burner casing through intermediation of the valve mechanism 18' which by the conduit 76' is mounted on the valve casing. The provision of the separate burner component 128 is thus particularly advantageous for ready conversion of existing, and particularly installed, burners of nonselective llame dist-ribution into burners of selective ame distribution, as will be readily understood.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gas burner, the combination with a longitudinal burner casing having a number of more than two successive longitudinal gas compartments separated from each other by apertured transverse partitions, and a longitudinal burner slot coextensive with and open to said compartments for ame maintenance over the corresponding slot lengths, of valve mechanism at one end of said casing outside said compartments, said mechanism having an inlet, a chamber, outlet ports equal to said number and open to said chamber, and a valve element operable to provide communication between said inlet and any one, or certain combinations, of said ports; and conduits equal to said number, of which a first conduit provides communication between one of said ports and the one compartment nearest said valve mechanism by providing communication and extending between said chamber and said one compartment, with said rst conduit also mounting said valve mechanism on said casing, and the other conduits provide communication between the other ports and other compartments, respectively, and extend from said other ports with clearance through said chamber and iirst conduit, and further extend, with clearance through those compartments, and with a sealing t through said apertures in those partitions, that are located between said valve mechanism and the respective compartments with which said other -conduits communicate, with said second conduits sealing said other ports from said chamber,

2. The combination in a gas burner as set forth in claim 1, in which said other conduits are coextensive and in side-by-side engagement with each other from said valve mechanism into the end compartment most remote from'said one compartment, and are open only to the respective compartments with which they communicate, and said other conduits are of complemental section jointly to form a conduit unit of Iuninterrupted polygonal outer periphery.

3. The combination in a gas burner as set forth in claim 2, in which said other conduits are of complemental sectorial section jointly to form a conduit unit of uninterrupted cylindrical outer periphery.

4. In a gas burner, the combination with a longitudinal burner casing having a number of more than two successive longitudinal gas compartments about a common axis separated from each other by transverse partitions with circular apertures about said axis, and a longitudinal burner slot coextensive with and open to said compartments for llame maintenance over the corresponding slot lengths, of valve mechanism at one end of said casing outside said compartments, said mechanism having a valve body with a chamber about said axis and an intermediate transverse Wall in said chamber dividing the latter into front and rear sections, an inlet to said front section and outlet ports in said wall equal to said number and open to said rear section, and a valve element in said front section turnable to provide communication between the latter and any one, or certain combinations, of said ports; a rst conduit about said axis providing communication between one of said ports and the one compartment nearest said valve mechanism by providing communication and extending between said rear chamber section and said one compartment, with said iirst conduit also mounting said valve body on said casing; and other conduits providing communication between the other ports and the other compartments, respectively, and being from said wall coextensive in length, with said other conduits being in side-by-side engagement and of complemental sectorial section jointly to form a conduit unit of uninterrupted cylindrical outer periphery extending axially and with clearance through said rear chamber section, lirst conduit and all compartments except said end compartment, and extending with a sealing lit through said apertures in said partitions, and said other conduits sealing said other ports from said rear chamber section and being open only to the respective compartments with which they communicate.

5. The combination in a gas burner as set forth in claim 4, in which said valve chamber has an open front end normally closed by `a removable cover, said Wall is a separate part having a sliding fit in said chamber, and said valve element and wall part are axially removable from and insertable into said chamber through the open front end thereof.

6. The combination in a gas burner as set forth in claim 5, in which said conduit unit extends with a sliding lit through said apertures in said partitions and is secured 1 1 to said wall part to form therewith an assembly Which is removable from and insertable into said valve chamber and burner casing.

7. In a gas burner, the combination of a longitudinal burner casing having a burner slot and successive longitudinal gas compartments laterally open to said slot and separated from each other by a transverse partition; and means for selectively supplying either or both of said compartments with gas for selective ame distribution at said slot, with said compartments being of identical tubular section and having an inner peripheral Wall surface of which opposite parts leading to said slot converge on each other, said casing having intermediate said compartments a transverse slot in its peripheral wall substantially over the remaining part of said inner wall surface thereof, and said partition is a plate ittedly received and secured in said slot throughout and extending into the interior of v said casing to divide it into said compartments, with said plate having its edge in the casing interior contoured to be in substantial form-tit with said opposite wall surface 2 parts.

8. The ccombination in a gas burner as set forth in claim 7, in which said inner peripheral wall surface is 12 substantially cylindrical, and said slot extends across a substantially semi-cylindrical part of said wall surface. 9. The combination in a gas burner as set forth in claim 7, in which said gas supplying means includes con- 5 duit means in, and crossing from one lto the other of,

said compartments, and said plate has an aperture through which the cross `conduit means extends substantially ittingly.

References Cited lO UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,642,153 9/1927 Kemp 158-105 1,664,508 4/ 1928 Harper 158-105 2,025,276 12/ 1935 Drezdon.

2,339,965 1/1944 Turner 137-625.46 2,807,320 9/1957 Wildermann 239-562 2,869,630 l/1959 Flynn 158--105 3,111,268 11/1963 Butler 239-563 0 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

7. IN A GAS BURNER, THE COMBINATION OF A LONGITUDINAL BURNER CASING HAVING A BURNER SLOT AND SUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL GAS COMPARTMENTS LATERALLY OPEN TO SAID SLOT AND SEPATATED FROM EACH OTHER BY A TRANSVERSE PARTITION; AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SUPPLYING EITHER OR BOTH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS WITH GAS FOR SELECTIVE FLAME DISTRIBUTION AT SAID SLOT, WITH SAID COMPARTMENTS BEING OF IDENTICAL TUBULAR SECTION AND HAVING AN INNER PERIPHERAL WALL SURFACE OF WHICH OPPOSITE PARTS LEADING TO SAID SLOTS CONVERGE ON EACH OTHER, SAID CASING HAVING INTERMEDIATE SAID COMPARTMENTS A TRANSVERSE SLOT IN ITS PERIPHERAL WALL SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE REMAINING PART OF SAID INNER WALL SURFACE THEREOF, AND SAID PARTITION IS A PLATE FITTEDLY RECEIVED AND SECURED IN SAID SLOT THROUGHOUT AND EXTENDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING TO DIVIDE IT INTO SAID COMPARTMENTS, WITH SAID PLATE HAVING ITS EDGE IN THE CASING INTERIOR CONTOURED TO BE IN SUBSTANTIAL FORM-FIT WITH SAID OPPOSITE WALL SURFACE PARTS.