US2604880A - Water-heating means - Google Patents

Description

29, 1952 G. STANLEY 2,604,880

WATER-HEATING MEANS Filed Dec. 3, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l FIG I lrlVl?/Ol" Gordon 6km July 29, 1952 G. STANLEY WATER-HEATING MEANS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Dec. 3, 1949 have/21W:

Gordon Stanley Patented July 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- V 2,604,880- g V WAT ER -HEATING' MEANS Gordon Stanley,-Brandon, Manitoba, Canada Q Application December 3, 1949, Serial No. 131,020

1 My invention relates to new anduseful improvements in water heating means, an object of my invention being to provide a device of the character herewithin described whereby the heat from. the flue gases of a conventional furnace may be utilized to heat the water contained- Within a conventional water heating tank;

' A further object of my inventionis to provide a device of the character herewithin described device of the character herewithin described whereby the source of thermal energy from the firebox gives a concentrated heat to the water within the tank, and is particularlyuseful under conditions of relatively heavy hot water usage such as on washdays or the like. v

A still further object of my invention is to pro:- vide a device of the character herewithindescribed-which is completely self-contained,- and in which the flue connections from the firebox pass through thewater contained within the tank to the main flue-pipe section.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is economical in manufacture, simple in construction, and otherwise Well suited for the purpose for which'it is designed. v v With the foregoing" objects in View, andisuch other'objects and. advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional water heating tank with one embodiment of my device in situ.

Figure 2 is a view at right angles to Figure 1 sectioned in part along the lines 2-2 to show the interior thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a conventional water heating tank with an alternative embodi ment of my device in situ.

1 Claim. (Cl. 122130) longitudinal axis of the pipe section 6:

' Figurel is a view at right angles to Figure 3 sectioned in part to show the interior thereof.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. The combustion gases from a conventional furnace or heating unit normally discharge a relatively high degree of heat into the atmosphere. This represents a considerable waste of fuel, consequently, I have utilized the heat contained within these gases to assist or replace the conventional electric immersion heater normally found in a water heating tank.

Proceeding therefore to describe my invention in detail, it will be seen upon reference to the accompanying drawings that I have illustrated a conventional vertical cylindrical Water heating tank I containing an electric immersion heater 2 towards the base 3 thereof and showing the inlet and outlet connections 4 on the top 5 of the tank. A horizontally disposed v cylindrical flue-pipe section 6 extends transversely through the tank I "being sealably connected to the walls thereof by-means of welding-or the like. Theflue-pipe section 6 extends beyond the walls of the tank I to form the attaching portions 1, one of which is connected to the flue-pipe extending from the furnace (not illustrated), the other being connected via a suitable length of flue-pipe to the smoke stacks (not illustrated).

I have provided a pair of open-ended water passes 8 in right angular relationship to the These passes extend diametrically through the pipe section 6 and permit free circulation of water withinvthe tank I.

In operation the heated combustion gases pass through the flue-pipe section 6 which is surrounded by water within the tank I. The aforementioned water passes 8 provide a smoke bafliing configuration to the interior surface 9 of the pipe section 6 which increases the British thermal unit transfer from the smoke and gases within the pipe section B to the Water immediately surrounding same and flowing through the passes 8. ing the heat transmitting surface of the pipe section 6, thus giving it a transmitting surface of greater area per linear foot than a conventional flue-pipe of similar dimensions.

The heat extracted from the combustion gases and smoke passing through the pipe section 6 is transferred to the water immediately surrounding the pipe section and passing through the water passes 8, which sets up a norma1 circulation thus bringing cooler water into contact with These passes have the effect of increassection I5 extends transversely through the tank In being sealably connected to the walls thereof as hereinbefore described in the previous embodiment of my device. The section I5 also extends beyond the walls of the tank II] to form the attaching portions I6 for connection to a conventional stack I6 extending from the furnace and to the smoke stack (both of which are not illustrated) In this embodiment I have shown four open ended water passes I! in right angular relationship to the longitudinal axis of the pipe section I5 and it will be noted that in this embodiment, the passes I! extend diametrically throu h the section I5 being horizontal with the base I2 of the tank and communicating with the interior thereof thus permitting free circulation of water therethrough.

A source of thermal energy is provided in the form of a relatively small firebox I8 enclosed by a cylindrical casing 59 and containing grate bars 20, a fire door 2| and a source of draft 22, all of which are conventional in design.

The upper surface 23 of the firebox I8 is apertur-ed to receive the base not the tank lfl, an annular flange 24 being welded orotherwise secured adjacent the base I2 and adapted to rest upon the upper surface 23 of the firebox I8, thus sealably enclosing the downwardly projecting base I2 therewithin. v r

I- have provided four vertical fire-tubes 25 situated within the tank In and communicating with the firebox I8 at the lower end 26 thereof and with the interior surface 21 of the aforementioned flue-pipe section I5 at the opposite ends thereof. In this connection it will be noted that the aforementioned passes I1 are situated substantially in alignment with the connection between the fire-tubes 25 and the section I5 in order to assist in the heat transference rom the combustion gases.

Inoperation, combustion gases passing from the conventional furnace flow through the section I5 which is surrounded by water within the tank I0, the water passes II providing smoke bafiiing configurations to the interior surface 21 of the section I5 and acting in a similar manner to the passes 8 hereinbefore described.

If it is desired to augment the heating capacity of the combustion gases or if it is desired to heat 4 the water in the tank without recourse to the conventional furnace, then the firebox l8 may be fired in the conventional manner, the combustion gases passing upwardly through the aforementioned fire-tubes 25 to the aforementioned pipe section I5, heat being transferred to the water within the tank from the base I2 of the tank, from the heated fire-tubes 25 as well as from thefiue-pipe sectionI5.

In this connection I have provided a safety valve 28 within the tube end [4 of the tank in I order to relieve excess pressure in case the intensity of the heat is greater than a predeter- -mined figure.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claim without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

vWhat I claim as my invention is:

In combination, a vertical cylindrical water heating tank and a horizontally disposed cylindrical water-immersed flue-pipe section adjacently connectedto a conventional stack, said pipe section completely traversing said tank and having at least one open-ended water pass extending through said section at right angles to the axis of said pipe section for increasing the heat transferring area thereof, said water pass also acting as smoke battling means within said section to increase the British thermal unit transfer from smoke within said section to water surrounding the same, and at least one vertical, water-immersed, fire-tube extending between said pipe section and a source of thermal energy therebelow, said fire-tube communicating with the interior of said pipe section.

GORDON STANLEY.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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