US1578046A - Safety valve for hot-water heaters - Google Patents

Description

1 1,578,046 H. H. LOGAN SAFETY VALVE FOR HOT WATER HEATERS March 23 1926 Filed Feb. 16. 1924 ATTORNEYS Patented Mai. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES HENRY -HAVELOCK LOGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY VALVE FOR HOT-WATER HEATERS.

Application 'filed February 16, 1924. Serial- No. 693,322.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. LOGAN, acitizen of Great Britain (who has declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States), and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety Valves for Hot-W'ater Heaters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in safety valves for hot water heaters, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed. I

An object of my invention is to provide a safety valve of the type described by means of which abnormal pressure in the water system of a hot water heater may be relieved, and thereby prevent damage to adjacent property. My invention is particularly well adapted for use in cold climates, with the ordinary type of range having a water chamber for heating water passed from the chamber through. a system of pipes. It is well known that in systems of this kind that the pipes in the system often become frozen, thereby stopping circulation of water and causing the overheating of water in the heater to such an extent as to raise the amount of steamsufiicient to burst the pipes in the system, as well as the heating chamber itself, and cause damage. I am aware that certain devices have been constructed with the end in view of eliminating this danger, and which use fusible elements which are intended to fuse when the heat within the water chamber reaches a predetermined degree, or otherwise be relieved through a delicately controlled valve placed therein.

'However, this type of device necessitates very critical adjustment and will fail in its operation if the temperature within the water system fails to reach that temperature .required to fuse the element or in case of incrustation about the movable parts of the apparatus.

A. further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is capable of adjustment so as to permit the exhaust of steam from the system as in the case of freezing, at various pressures which may be determined upon an inspection of the strength of pipes and tubes used in the hot water system, and the normal pressure carried.

A further object of my invention is to provide a safety valve for hot water heaters in which a drain is employed for carrying off the hot water when the safety valve is operated, so that the water will not be discharged either in the range or on the floor about the range. This drain I deem of great importance, and is of such construction as to permit the hot water discharged from the safety valve to flow over the open end of the drain if by any chance the drain itself should be stopped, as by the lodgement of frozen water therein.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is compact in form, which is not likely to get out of order easily, and which is thoroughly efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed-out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of my invention, 7

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1, partly in section,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 38 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 4l of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is asectional view along the line 55 of Figure 8.

Incarrying out my invention I make use of the ordinary type of range 1 having a water chamber 2. An inletpipe 4 and an outlet pipe 3 are connected with the water chamber 2, for the purpose of admitting and conveying water to and from the chamber from the ordinary type of hot water system, including such devices as faucets and the like disposed at various places in the building in which the range is used. This type of range is well known to rural districts and the water chamber 2 is'the sole means for obtaining hot water.

My improved safety valve for hot water heater is disposed in the inlet line, comprising a pipe 1 and consists in a valve chamber 5 having an inlet port and an outlet port which are connected with adjacent ends of the severed inlet pipe 4, preferably in the vicinity of the range. V

The valve chamber 5 is provided with an opening 7 in the top-wall thereof having a valve seat 8. A valve member 9, (see Figure 5) having radially extending ribs 10 on the peripheral wall thereof, is arranged to lie in the openings 7 in such a manner as to permit the ribs 10 to engage with the walls of the opening 7 and permitting the valve stem 9 and a valve 11 supported upon the valve stem 9 to sea upon the valve seat 8. The stem 9 is provided with a reduced portion 12 extending upwardly from the valve 11. The reduced port-ion 12 of the valve stem is disposed within a housing 13 forming a part of the casting of which the chamber 5 is constructed. The chamber 13 has a threaded aperture 14 at the top thereof in which an adjustment plug 15 is threaded. V

This adjustment plug 15 has a longitudinally extending opening 16 therethrough arranged to partially receive the reduced portion 12 of the valve stem so that the valve stem may rise therein. A slot 17 is provided in the top wall of the plug 15 so as to receive a tool for the purpose of turning the plug 15 for adjustment.

A compression spring 18 is disposed concentric with the reduced portion 12 of the valve stem between the plug 15 and the valve 11 in such a manner as to cause the valve 11 to be yieldably seated upon the valve seat 8 by a force directly proportional to the degree to which the spring 18 is compressed, as by adjustment of the plug 15.

A locknut 20. is disposed upon the threaded portion of the plug 15.adjacent to the mouth of the aperture 14, and is for the pur pose of locking the plug 15 against unintentional rotation which would change the degree to which the spring 17 will be compressed.

A cap 21 is provided with a threaded portion 22 arranged to engage with the threads upon the exterior wall of the plug 15, and is for the purpose of preventing the escape of steam through the opening 16 into the atmosphere adj aeent to the safety valve. A further object in providing the cap' 21 is to protect the'threads upon the plug 15 and the locknut and to keep dust and extraneous substances out of'the open" ing 16 so that the valve stem may move freely therein.

An exhaust port 21 is provided in the compartment 13 and is connected with a clownwardly extending faucet-like conducting tube 22. This tube 22 is disposed immediately over the drain pi 9e 23 provided with a funnel-like head 24 which has inward and radially extending guide members 25 for the purpose of maintaining the discharge end of the tube 22 in axial registration with the drain pipe 23. The purpose of the openings 26 between the adjacent guide members is to permit the exhaust of hot water and steam from the exhaust port 21 into the atmosphere if for any reason the drain pipe 23 should be frozen. Ordinarily there is no occasion for the freezing of this pipe, since it should be kept empty at all times, and should communicate preferably with a special reservoir and not with the regular drainage pipes ordinarily provided for sinks and the like.

From the foregoing description of the va= rious parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Let us as sume that the inlet pipe 4 below the safety valve is frozen tight and that there is fire in the range sufficient to heat the water in the chamber 2 to a boiling point, and produce steam if circulation is not had in the sys tem. Obviously there can be no circulation in the hot water system if the inlet pipe 4 is frozen or otherwise stopped. in the chamber 2 will therefore gradually assume a head sufficient to burst the pipes 3 or the hot water chamber itself if some such means as I have provided in my safety valve were not employed for the purpose of relieving this pressure. As the pressure within the water chamber 2 rises to that point at which the spring 18 can no longer hold The steam the valve 11 upon the seat 8, the valve 11 will rise against the action of the spring and steam accompanied by quantities or hot water from the water chamber will be expelled through the exhaust port 21, into the funnel 24 of the drain 23, where it will pass through the drain to the reservoir or any other suitable receptacle provided, thus causing no damage to property adjacent to the range.

Let us assume that for some unforeseen reason the drain pipe 23 is stopped so that the hot water may not pass therethrough. This condition will not negative the operation of my improved safety valve, and an explosion will be prevented by the exhaust of steam and hot water through the exhaust port 21 where it will pass through the openings 26 into the atmosphere. noted here that under these extraordinary circumstances the water will fall directly upon the floor or adjacent property, but the actual danger caused by an explosion which might injure persons and property in the immediate vicinity will have been completely overcome.

My improved safety valve is constructed in such a manner as to permit the accurate adjustment of the spring 18 by rotation of the plug 15, and subsequently locking the plug against movement by the locknut 20, so that the device may be suitably adjusted for all types of systems, and to suit any of the various pressures prevailing in the water systems of different localities.

I claim:

A safety valve of the character described It will be comprising a valve chamber arranged for connection with a hot Water system said valve chamber having an outlet port for delivering Water, a valve disposed in the upper Wall of said chamber, and adjustable spring means for holding said Valve closed against the normal pressure in said Water system, a drain pipe having the upper end thereof open and disposed adjacent to said Valve 10 chamber, and a conducting tube communicating with the exhaust port of said Valve at one end and having its opposite end tapered inwardly and disposed over the upper open end of said drain pipe, whereby liquid and steam exhausted from said Valve 1 When opened may be deposited over the open end of said drain pipe and the Water carried away.

HENRY HAVELOGK LOGAN

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