US1717308A - Electric water heater - Google Patents

Description

Filed Dec. 14, 1927 INVENTOR VincenzofioSd/Ed? WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINOENZO BOSCHETTI, OF WEST NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC WATER H ATER.

Application filed December 14, 1927, .Scria1 No. 240,014, and in Italy March 5,'19 27.

The present inventionrelates to an electric; water heater of the-type in which the water itself serves as a conductor and rcsistance for the current which heats it, the water flowing in a relatively restricted space between two large surfaced electric terminals.

An object of the invention is to provide a heater of this character in the nature of a small compact unit which may be conveniently attached to any pipe line or faucet, and

. which will serve to highly heat cold water flowing from the faucet through a pipe line.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an electric'water' heater of simple, practical construction, which will be rugged, durable and eflicient in use, and well suited to the requirements of economical manufacture and convenient installation.

With the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangementsof'parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention maybe more fully or cold water passing understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein I Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a water heater embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a slight modification.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to designate a generally cylindrical block of conductive material which constitutes one terminal of the heater and which is arranged in a cylindrical shell 11 constituting the other terminal. The shell is spaced from all walls of the block 10 and cooperates therewith to define an annular waterheatin g chamber 12 in which a thin film of water is always maintained and heated by the alternating current flowing through the water between the terminals 10 and 11.

The block 10 is provided at one end with an upstanding neck portion 13 having a water passage 14 therein, which passage deli vcrs into the annular chamber 12 through a plurality of relatively small radially disposed passagewa s 15.

n order that the block 10 may be conven iently mounted within the shell 11, one end of the shell is formed as a removable cap 16 having threaded connection with the shell 11, and having a central opening 17 therein through which the neck 13 passes. The opening is of considerably larger diameter than the neck 13 in order that the neck may be insulated from the cap. An insulating ring 18 encircles the neck and is secured to the top of the cap 16. The terminal of an electric wire 19 is clamped between the ring 18 and a washer 20 screwed on to the threaded upper end of the neck 13 the washer being held firmly in position by a nut or couplingmember 21 screwed on to the top of the neck and having a threaded socket 22 therein for attachment to the end of a pipe (not shown) which may deliver way 14.

The lead'wire 23 to the shell may be con-- veniently secured by a binding post or similar attachment 24 screwed directly into the interior of the shell at any desired point. The lower end of the shell is provided with a restricted outlet orifice 25 through which the heated Water escapes.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a slight modification of the device entirely similar to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the restricted orifice 25 is surrounded by a nipple 26 to' which is connected a coupling member 27 similar to'the member 21. This form of the invention is designed for use where the heater is to be employed in a pipe line while the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is more suitable for direct attachment to a faucet or the like.

It is understood that the lead wires 19 and 23 are connected to opposite sides of any suitable source of alternating current.

When no water is present in the shell 11, the air in the shell will serve to insulate it from the block 10 and prevent any current flow. When water is permitted to enter the shell however, through the passageways 14 and 15, the water is sufficiently conductive to permit current flow between the members 10 and 11, and sufficiently electrically resistant to become highly heated in its passage through the shell.

Obviously, various changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall water into the passageshell cooperatively defining an annular water heating chamber between them closed at the end opposite the outlet of the shell, and means for introducing water directly into the chamher.

2. An electrical hot water heater including a cylindrical shell having a water outlet at its lower end, a cylindrical block housed within the shell and insulated therefrom, said block extending from said shell to provide a coupling means for said heater, said block and shell cooperatively defining an annular water heating chamber bet-ween them closed at its upper end, and means for introducing water directly into the upper end of the chamber, said means comprising passageways in the block.

3. An electrical hot water heater including a cylindrical shell having a water outlet at its lower end, a cylindrical block housed within the shell and insulated therefrom, said block extending from said shell to provide acoupling means for said heater, said block and shell cooperatively defining an annular water heating chamber between them closed at its upper end, and means for introducing water into the chamber, said means comprising radial passageways in the block, said block having a neck projecting through an opening in the shell and bored to define a water inlet passageway leading to the radial passageways.

4. An electrical hot water heater including a cylindrical shell having a water outlet at its upper end, a cylindrical solid block housed within the shell and insulated therefrom, said block extending from said shell to provide a coupling means for said heater, said block and shell cooperatively defining an annular water heating chamber between them closed at its upper end, and means for introduclng water into the chamber, said means jecting through an opening in the shell and bored to define a water inlet passageway leading to the radial passageways, which head to the annular chamber.

5. An electrical hot water heater including a cylindrical shell having a water outlet at one end, a cylindrical block housed within ,the shell and insulated therefrom, said block and shell cooperatively defining an annular water heatmg chamber between them, means for introducing water into the chamber,

means for connecting said block and shell to opposite sides of a source of alternating current, said means including an exterior binding post on the shell, and a threaded neck on the block projecting through an opening in the shell and serving as a binding post, the last mentioned shell opening being formed in a1 removable cap constituting one end of the s iell.

7 An electrical hot water heater, comprising a shell having an outlet in its bottom, an apertured cap on the upper end of the'shell, a block in the shell and spaced therefrom to form a water chamber, said block having radial passages in its upper end and provided with a neck projecting through the cap and having a passageway leading to the radial passages, means for securing the terminal of an electrical wire on the neck of the block, and means for securing a second electrical wire to the outer face of the shell.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 12th day of December, A. D. 1927.

VINCENZO BOSCHETTI.

' comprising radial passageways in the upper I end of the block, said block having a neck pro-"

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