US2598279A - Panel-type heater - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1952 G. N. MGKIBBIN PANEL TYPE HEATER Filed Aug. 24, 1949 o 0 0 o 0 Q 0 D o O ff 1 l r i l vvl Nff) f I Bnnentor l )l Geo/ye MMC/@'56 t/z/ Gttornegs Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PANEL-TYPE HEATER George N. McKibbin, Baton Rouge, La.

Application August 24, 1949, Serial No. 112,103

4 claims. 1

This invention relates to space heaters for buildings and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved panel-type space heater which is very eiective as a heat exchanger for heating the interior of buildings, while at the same time being extremely economical to produce or fabricate.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved panel-type heating unit as above characterized, which may be used in place of wall boards, ceiling boards and the like to function as a structural component of the building.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved heating panel or unit as set forth above, which is adapted to be used with other similar units in abutting relation whereby an entire wall or ceiling surface may be made up of said units.

A feature of the invention is the provision of efficient and economically produceable paneltype heater units in standard sizes whereby they may be readily incorporated in a building structure without requiring excessive cutting, fitting and the like.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of improved panel-type heating units as characterized above, which are rigid and sturdy in construction and reliable in operation over an extended period of use.

O-ther features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of two paneltype heating units made according to the invention, said units being secured Atogether .in abutting relation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, enlarged, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top view of adjacent, abutting portions of the panel units of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the improved, panel-type structural heating unit of this invention comprises a sheet or plate I which is formed of metal and preferably of aluminum having a suitable thickness to impart the necessary strength and rigidity to it, the plate being made in standard sizes such as 4 by 8 whereby it may constitute a surfacing unit to replace the usual wall board or ceiling board.

Each plate IIJ is provided with a plurality of depressions II so arranged that the points of nails may be positioned by the depressions and the nails driven through the plates to secure the latter to the joists or beams of a building structure.

On the rear of each plate ID a heating coil I2 is disposed, the said coil being preferably formed of a plurality of lU-shaped tubes or pipes I3 which may be advantageously made of copper. The U sections I3 have elbows I4 at their eX- tremities, joined together by short nipples I5 which are preferably of attened or oval crosssection except at the ends where they enter the elbows I4.

As shown in Fig. 3, the attening of the nipples I5 requires that the joists I8 of a building be notched only to a relatively shallow depth to provide clearance for the nipples; a much deeper notching of these joists would be necessary if the nipples were not flattened in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. y

The elbows I4 may be secured to the U sections of the pipes I3 in any suitable manner, as by soldering, brazing, etc.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a U-shaped connector Il may be provided between the two panel units I0 and may be sweated into the elbows I4, the latter being preferably turned at right angles to the plates I0 for this purpose.

In accordance with this invention, novel and improved means are provided for securing the heating coils I2 to the rear surfaces of the plates I0 to insure good heat conduction to said plates, and to provide adequate heat insulation at the rear of the plates. This means comprises a metal lath I8 which is also preferably of aluminum, the said lath being bent and made to closely overlie the heating coils and the rear of the plate, and being secured to the plates IQ at a plurality of points as by spot-welding indicated at I9, Fig. 2. After the lath I8 has been secured to the plate I0, a heat insulating plaster I8a is applied to the lath, and such plaster may for example be composed of asbestos fiber with a suitable plaster binder, or may be any of the various Vcommercial preparations well known to the trade, as for example Ehrets Magnesia.

The plaster may be troweled on the lath or worked into it in any desired manner, and is preferably applied so that air spaces 20, Fig. 2, exist on both sides of the pipes I3, enabling heat to be radiated directly from the pipe sections to the plates I0 so as to further increase the efficiency of heat exchange between the pipes and the plate.

I prefer to Acompletely fabricate each panel heating unit at one pointof manufacture, as-

sembling the heating coils I 2, lath I8 and plaster coating Ia to the plate I0 to produce a structural wall surfacing unit which is complete in and of itself and of a standard size enabling it to be readily installed in ordinary buildings. The spacing between the nipples I5 is preferably equivalent to the space between the joists IB as found in standard practice.

The heating coil I2 may carry any suitable heating medium, such as water, water vapor, etc.

I have thus provided, by this invention, a wall and ceiling panel-type heater unit which is very efficient in heating the rooms of buildings and the like due to the large heating area exposed, and which is adapted to be used as a structural building unit to replace conventional wall and ceiling boards. Moreover, the heating unit which I have provided may be very economically fabricated of materials which are easily worked and assembled, and which are commercially available in abundant supply. The cost of the materials and the assembly cost of the units are relatively low, whereby the units may be economically fabricated and sold at an attractive gure to warrant large volume. Each unit, being complete in and of itself, may be assembled with other similar units and quickly erected on the job in the various arrangements which may be specified by the heating engineer.

By the provision of the present improved heating unit there is obviated the necessity for the heavy and cumbersome steam and hot water radiators previously used in building construction, or the later type thin-finned recessed radiators which are undesirable because of their dust-catching characteristics. With the present improved panel-type unit heaters no recesses or projecting members are involved, thus making for the utmost cleanliness. By virtue of the large exposed area, effective heating of the room interior by radiation is attained.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A unitary building panel heating unit coinprising a sheet-metal wall or ceiling plate having front and rear sides; a tubular metal heating coil arranged in a flat formation commensurate with the size of the plate, said coil having adjacent portions disposed atwise in heat transferring engagement with the rear surface of the plate; a metal lath section contacting and secured to the rear side of the plate at a plurality of points and having portions of relatively large area in substantial engagement with the plate, said lath also having formed channel-shaped portions overlying said heating coil portions and maintaining the same in place against the plate; and heat-insulating plaster permeating and closely conforming to the rear surface of said lath and covering the said heating coil, said plaster having large areas of intimate contact with said plate between the said adjacent portions of the coil.

2. The invention as dened in claim 1, in which the lath and plaster are arranged to provide air spaces on opposite sides of the coil adjacent the rear surface of the plate, thereby to enable heat to be radiated from the coil to the plate over a substantial area.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the heating coil has relatively short transverse connector portions at locations corresponding to the spacing of building studs, said connector portions joining together relatively long main portions of the coil and being flattened to reduce the front-to-back thickness of the unit, and in which the lath where it overlies the connector portions of the coil is left exposed and free of plaster at the rear of the unit to provide maximum clearance for said studs.

4. The invention as dened in claim 1, in which the heating coil has relatively short transverse connector portions at locations corresponding to the spacing of building studs, said connector portions joining together relatively long main portions of the coil and comprising elbows joined together by flattened nipples to reduce the front-to-back thickness of the unit at said connector portions and thereby provide maximum clearance for said studs.

GEORGE N. MCKIBBIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,086,898 Crone Feb. 10, 1914 1,718,533 Crittal et al. June 25, 1929 1,740,336 Crittal et al. Dec. 17, 1929 1,910,105 Herring May 23, 1933 2,338,090 Bradfield Jan. 4, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 260,414 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1926 307,219 Great Britain Mar. '7, 1929 321,450 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1929 OTHER REFERENCES Radiant Heating by Adlam, 1st edition, 1947, published by the Industrial Press.

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