US1744124A - Hot-water heater - Google Patents

Description

IEVEN'I'ORS 2 Sheets-Sheet J. H. KOLTS ET AL HOT WATER HEATER Filed Aug. 20, 1926 Jan. 21, 1930.

ATTOR NEY Jan. 21, 1930. KoL s ET AL 1,744,124

HOT WATER HEATER Filed Aug. 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE JOHN H. KOLTS, 0F GRAFTON, AND EDWARD A. KBAH, JR-., OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO PITTSBUBG WATER HEATER COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION (3F NEW JERSEY HOT-WATER HEATER Application filed. August 20, 1926.

This invention relates to water storage heaters in general and more particularly to automatic storage heaters for hard water.

In the ordinary type of storage heater for water, there is usually employed a copper coil through which the water to be heated is circulated. This coil is normally located in the lower portion of the main water tank Where it is subjected directly to the heat of the burner. In storage heaters of this type con siderable difliculty and inconvenience have been encountered where the water supply is hard by reason of the fact that the intense heat soon causes a precipitation of lime on the inside of the coil which tends gradually to close up the coil or at least materially retard the circulation as well as to increase markedly the consumption of fuel because of the greater amount of time necessary to heat the water through the coating of lime.

To remove the precipitated lime from the coil is an exceedingly difficult proposition necessitating bodily removal of the entire coil unit. Inasmuch as the coil requires both inlet and outlet connections for the return cold water and the delivered hot water, respectively, both connections must be broken before the coil can be removed.

It is the general object of this invention to overcome the aforesaid objectionable features by the provision of a heating unit which is devoid of coils and in which the tendency for the lime precipitate to retard the circulation of the water and interfere with its heating is reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a heating unit of such design that it permits the continuous circulation therethrough of a large body of water, the unit being provided with inlet and outlet ports of such large dimensions that the circulation of the water may be free and unimpeded.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a heating unit comprising a sectional casing so arranged that whatever lime is precipitated is deposited only in one section of the casing and which section may be readily detached without removing the entire heating unit so that the lime deposit may be readily and quickly removed therefrom.

Serial No. 130,458.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a heating unit of such design that only one tapping is required in the main Water tank for both the return cold water and the delivered hot water thus substantially reducing the cost of installation of the heater.

A still further object is the provision of a heating unit so designed that the parts thereof may be cast without the use of any complicated cores and which parts may be readily and quickly assembled to provide an inexpensive but at the same time a very efficient heating unit.

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of construction and operation will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, the objects of the invention are accomplished by the device and means set forth in the following specification. A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an elevation of a storage water heater, the lower portion of which is broken away to show the relative position of the heating unit therewith;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through A the heating unit proper;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the lower section of the heating unit as taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the water spreader which is nested within the upper section of the heating unit.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the main water tank 10 of the storage water-heater is divided into upper and lower compartments 11 and 12, respectively, by a diaphragm or bafile plate 13. The upper compartment 11 forms the main tank for storing the water to be'heated while the lower compartment 12 forms the chamber in which the heating unit and the associated burner mechanisms are located. These mechanisms are of the usual type and comprise essentially a gas burner 1a which is supplied with gas through a snap valve 15. Gas is supplied to this snap valve 15 through the gas line 16. A snap action thermostatic control mechanism of the usual type designated generally by the numeral 17 is operatively associated with the snap valve 15 to effectively regulate and control the suppl of gas so as to insure a uniform heating ame. A draft pipe 18 has one end thereof communicating with the heating chamber 12 and the other end thereof with a draft hood 19 whereby to provide a suitable draft for the heating chamber.

Located in the top of the main water tank are the spuds 20 and 21, the spud 20 providing the cold water inlet connection to the water tank and the spud 21, the hot water outlet connection. Suspended from the spud 20 is a dip pipe 22 of such length that the cold water is forced directly to the bottom of the main water compartment 11, while the spud 21 is provided with a short nipple 23 through which the heated water may be drawn from the tank. The diaphragm or baflle plate 13 forming the bottom of the water storage compartment proper is provided with a centrally located aperture 24 in which is adapted to be inserted the upper end of the heating unit designated generally by the numeral 25.

This heating unit 25 comprises essentially a hollow casing formed of upper and lower sections 26 and 27, respectively. As most clearly appears in Fig. 2, the sections are each substantially of conical form, the diverging ends of which are secured together to form a casing having oppositely converging ends.

Each of these sections are provided at their meeting edges with annular flanges 28 and 29, respectively, which flanges are rigidly bolted together by means of the bolts 30. If desired a gasket 31 may be interposed between the meeting faces of these flanges to insure a tighter casing. The oppositely c011- verging ends of the upper and lower sections 26 and 27 are respectively provided with oppositely extending stems 31 and 32. The stem 31 is externally threaded as at 33 such that it may be readily threaded into the aperture 24 in the diaphragm or baffle plate 13, while the stem 32 is provided in one side thereof with an internally threaded opening 34 into which may be threaded the drain pipe 35.

Spaced circumferentially about the upper edge of the lower section 27 of the casing are a series of lugs or integral projections 36, the top edges of which lie substantiallyv in the plane of the top face of the lower section 27. These lugs or projections 36 are arranged to support a conically shaped water baffle or spreader 37 which is nested within the upper section 26 of the casing. This water spreader 37 is so designed that the tapering wall thereof is uniformly spaced from the internal tapering wall of the section in which it 1s nested and is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced lugs or projections 38 at the bottom edge thereof which serve as spacing elements between the spreader 37 and the section in which it is nested. As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom edge of the spreader 37 rests upon and is supported by the inwardly projecting lugs 36 of the lower section 27.

At the convergent end of the water spreader 37 is provided an opening 39 which is in registry with but is of lesser diameter than the opening 10 in the stem 31 at the top of the upper section 26. A water circulating pipe 41-1 has its bottom end inserted in the opening 39 of the water spreader 37 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner. In this particular instance, the lower end of this pipe is shown flanged as at 12 around the bottom edge of the opening. Inasmuch as the water circulation pipe 41 is of no greater diameter than that of the opening in the top of the spreader 37, it may be projected upwardly through the opening 10 in the upper section 26 of the casing without sealing the same such that the water to be heated may pass between the internal wall of the opening 40 and the pipe 41 and through the passage defined by the diverging walls of the section 26 and the spreader 37 into the body of the heating unit proper from whence it is forced upwardly through the circulating pipe 41 From the foregoing description, it will be seen that there has been provided a heating unit for disposition within the heating chamber of the main tank 10 of such design that a large body of water may be continuously circulated therethrough. Because of this large body of circulating water, the tendency for precipitation of lime when the hard water is heated is substantially reduced. No lime whatever will be deposited on the upper section because the cold water which returns over this section will not get hot enough at this point to precipitate lime. If any lime is precipitated at all, it will be deposited on the lower section. However in view of the fact that this lower section is readily detachable from the upper section such a precipitation would prove to be of no inconvenience. Further to remove any of the lime precipitate, it is not necessary to employ an acid, the removable section being of such design that the deposit may be removed by the use of a cold chisel and hammer, which tools are always available. Still a further advantage of this heating unit is that only one tapping is required in the tank for both the return cold water and the delivered hot water, thus eliminating at least one tapping in the tank as well as the extra pipe fittings which are required. Further, due to the fact that the casing is provided with oppositely converging ends and due further to the provision of the particular type of water spreader employed, there is provided in the upper portion of the casing a constantly expanding water inlet passage, the lower converging section of the casing serving to direct the water to a. point of convergency so that it may be the more readily heated to the required temperature and thence forced upwardly through the circulating pipe to the top of the main water compartment.

It is to be understood that the particular embodiments of this invention, which have here been shown and described, are susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit thereof.

We claim In a water storage heater, a heating unit comprising a casing having oppositely converging ends, lugs projecting from the interior wall of the lower portion of said casing, and a flaring bafiie member disposed in the upper portion of said casing and supported by said lugs, said baflle member being provided with means for maintaining the same spaced from the wall of said casing whereby to provide a constantly expanding water passage in the upper portion of the heater.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

JOHN H. KOLTS. EDWARD A. KRAH, JR.

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