US2230085A - Water heater - Google Patents

Description

1941- CD. ORTGIESEN 2,230,035

WATER HEATER Filed Feb. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 6/ /1464 5.5 D. 07C/E6EN ATTORNEY 1941- c. D. ORTGIESEN 2,230,085

WATER HEATER Filed Feb. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 40 42 43 4/ wlmmw INVENTOR CA /7P4 55 7. 0276/6 JEN ATTORNEYS,

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE 13 Claims.

My invention relates generally to water heaters, and more particularly it relates to an improved stock watering tank heater of the electric type and normally adapted to draw electric current only during off peak or low-rate daily seasonal periods.

Objects of my invention are to provide:

A water tank heater unit in which loss of heat by conduction, convection, and radiation, will be reduced to a minimum;

An improved electric heater which is adapted to be completely immersed below the water level of a stock-watering tank which it is adapted to heat;

A completely immersible heater having means for supporting it in spaced relation to the floor or base of the watering tank in which it is disposed;

An improved heater including a sealed container in which a non-freezing solution having heat retaining properties is in direct contact with means for heating such solution to provide means within the container for the storage of heat over extended periods of time;

Improved means for electrically connecting heating elements which are disposed within a sealed and submerged container to a convenient source of electric power;

Automatic means for disconnecting the energizing current when the heater has obtained a predetermined temperature and means for protecting the device from undue pressure build up or expansion of the heat retaining material.

ther objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the drawings, description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a conventional stock-watering tank or trough showing my improved Water heater supported on the bottom thereof.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of my improved water heater.

Figure 3 is an end view of the heater shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows in fragmentary section the heating element employed in the tank as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of my invention showing the electrical hookup between the heating elements and the source of power.

Figure 6 shows in fragmentary section an alternate embodiment of the invention.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

An embodiment of the invention as exemplified in the heat storing unit shown in Figure 1 includes a closed receptacle l0, which may be supported by a pair of brackets II at a position below the Water level l3 of tank l2, and preferably at a position near the bottom of the tank. Receptacle Ii! contains a quantity of heat storing material, as hereinafter described, and at least one heating element 14 provided with means whereby to electrically insulate it from the heat storing material.

Element 14 has a continuous casing xtending through a water-proof housing IE to a junction box IE located above the water level of tank l2. A source of electrical energy I8, which may be controlled by a time switch 19 or the like, is connected through a conductor IT to a heating element at a point within junction box IS.

The heat retaining material with which container l0 may be substantially filed is preferably a liquid, such as oil, but a non-liquid material such as soapstone may be employed, if desired. The function of this material is to retain heat within the peak-load or high-rate current periods, during which periods a switch [9 shuts off the current, and to store heat therein during off-peak load or low-rate during which the current is connected to element I4.

Specifically the device is constructed as follows.

Receptacle ID, as best shown in Figure 2, includes a cylindrical portion 2| which has at least one reduced end portion 22 flanged at 23 to receive a complementary flanged portion 24 of a fitting 26, gasket 25 being interposed therebetween to provide a fluid seal. Fitting 26 has a generally cylindrical body portion and is provided at the opposite end with a diagonally disposed flange 21 which has secured thereto a companion flange 28 of a second fitting 29, gasket 30 being interposed between the flanges to provide fluid sealing relation therebetween. Fitting 29 is provided with an aperture 3| in right angular relation to the cylindrical portion of the fitting 25, said aperture being threaded at 32 to receive the lower threaded end of the tubular conduit 15 which is supported thereby.

The heating unit [4 is preferably axially disposed within tank 2|, being positioned therein by means of a heat insulating member 31 which is in turn secured within fitting 26 by means of screws or rivets 38. Heating element l 4, as shown in the detail view, Figure 4, comprises a tubular casing 40 which houses a low resistance current conducting wire M, a high resistance heating wire 42, and an electrical insulating substance 43 which is unafiected by the heat to which the element is subjected. Wire 42 is preferably brazed to wire II as shown at 44. Housing 4i] may be continuous from a point adjacent a connector block 561 within the junction box I6 throughout a loop which extends through conduit I and ttings 29 and 26 and thence into receptacle I0 and back through said fittings and conduit to the block 50. Wire 42 is, however, only provided in the portion which is disposed within receptacle II], and it preferably extends only from points 52 to points 53 within said receptacle, the remainder of the housing having disposed therein only conductor 4| and insulation 43. This construction provides the heating element with a fluid-proof casing which extends from a point above the water level of tank I2 down through the heating unit and back to a point above said water level.

It is desirable to provide within container It a heat-storing material which has properties of low freezing point, and as heretofore mentioned, I prefer to use oil, although other liquids having the desired properties may be used. I have found that under certain conditions the device will give satisfactory results with the container filled with water. An advantage gained by the use of water resides in the elimination of the necessity for tightly sealing the housing parts against leakage of liquid from the heat storage tank 2| into the water in which the tank is submerged. When water is used, it may be introduced therein from the stock tank by the provision of a small aperture or port through each of the plugs 33 shown in Figure 1, the right hand plug being illustrated in section in Figure 2. By employing one or more of these ported plugs a slow circulation is permitted between the water in the chamber Ill and that in the stock watering tank I2, to allow for expansion and contraction of the water in the chamber ID. The parts in the plugs 33 must, obviously, be closed when oil or a material other than water is used as the heat storing medium within the tank 2!. When container I0 and its associated conduit housings are made of current conducting material, provision is made for grounding the unit through conduit I1 and plug I I0, which carry an extra conductor for this purpose, thereby eliminating the danger of subjecting animals to an electric shock in the event of a short circuit in the device.

While only one heating element has been described, as disclosed in detail in Figure 2, I prefer to provide one at each end, as shown in Figure 1, the element being connected by a conduit which is encased in housing I50.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 6 wherein a heating unit IBII includes a receptacle 2 II], which is adapted to be filled with water from the stock tank through at least one aperture 330, and has projected therein at least one smaller container GI) which contains oil or the like. Container 60 may be removably secured within receptacle 2H1 by having a flanged portion BI bolted or otherwise secured to a reduced annular shoulder 220 which is provided at the end of the receptacle adjacent an aperture adapted to receive container 66. A supporting and closure wall 310 and an elbowed type housing 290 are also secured to the ends of tank ZIIJ. Wall 310 provides support for a heating element I40 which is similar in construction to element I4 heretofore described, and it also provides means for retaining the heat retaining material within the container. Housing 29% is provided with a threaded aperture ZSI which is adapted to receive and to provide support for a vertically positioned tubular conduit IEI which has a junction box I60 attached to the upper end thereof. Portions of heating element Mil extend through conduit iii and into junction box Itll as heretofore described with reference to Figure 2.

Flange portion SI of container 6E has an upper portion thereof provided with a bore 63 which leads from the interior of the housing through said flange. Bore 63 may have an outer portion interiorly threaded to receive a pipe 64 which is supported by the flange portion. Pipe (it is positioned vertically to communicate with an enlarged chamber which is provided within a housing I35. A pipe 66 which may be considered a continuation of pipe 64 leads from an upper portion of housing 65 into junction box Ifili. A pressure actuated switch Bl is positioned within junction box I60 and has an apertured plug-like portion 68 disposed within the mouth of pipe 65 to provide a closure therefor. Switch til is provided to control electric energy from line It to heating element I40. Housing 65 is provided with a filler plug 69 and a safety valve Ill.

The operation of the embodiment shown in Figure 6 and above described is as follows. The lower portion of unit IilIJ including tank 2I0 is submerged in a stock watering tank or the like, with upper portions of the unit including housing 65 and junction box I60 being positioned substantially above the Water level in said tank. When the current is turned on, heating element I50 heats the surrounding oil or other material with which tank Gil is substantially filled. Some of the heat from said oil is conducted outwardly through the walls of container 60 to heat the water within tank 2 I 0 which has entered through aperture 330. With the resulting rise in temperature of the water within the tank 2I0, heat flows through the walls thereof by conduction to raise the temperature of the water in the stock-watering tank.

While my invention resides in the provision of a stock watering tank heater which is primarily adapted to draw current during the off-peak or low rate seasonal daily periods, it is not however necessary or desirable to allow the current to remain on after the liquid in the heat storage tank has reached a predetermined temperature. As the temperature of the oil in container Gil rises, pressure is built up in the vertical column leading to switch 61. This pressure may result from the air within the column being compressed by expansion of the heat retaining material, or it may be due to gas which results from a partial vaporization thereof, especially where material other than oil is employed. To protect the device against injury in the event that switch 6] fails to turn the current off in response to the proper pressure build-up, a safety valve "I0 is provided. The filler plug 69 permits replenishment of liquid into the housing 60.

While switch I9 may be a conventional time switch as heretofore mentioned, it may also incorporate switch selecting means as shown diagrammatically in Figure 5. The heating elements may be connected as shown, whereby to provide means for connecting either one or two elements, as conditions warrant. Hence further economies in the operation of the device may be effected by manually governing the amount of heat introduced within the tank in accordance with atmospheric temperature changes.

Time switch IE will ordinarily be set to turn the current on at night during the low rate period, whereby to accumulate heat in the storage tank for gradual dissipation to the Water in the stock tank during the daytime or high rate period during which the current will be turned oil.

It will be observed that my improved heater and heat distributing chamber is entirely submerged in the water of the stock watering tank 12, out of contact with the walls thereof, and that it provides for heat storage in chamber 10 and a slow distribution of the stored heat through the walls of that chamber into the drinking water in the tank l2, regardless of whether circulation is permitted between water contained in chamber In and the surrounding water, or whether heat distribution is obtained wholly by conduction through the chamber walls. The liquid contained in that chamber may have a considerable variation in temperature between the time the heater is deenergimd to the time when further heat is required to keep the water in the stock watering tank at the desired temperature, usually a little above the freezing point. Because of this stepdown transmission of heat from the heater to the drinking water in the tank I 2, lossof heat by vaporization of the latter is at all times kept at a minimum. Chamber I0 is preferably cylindrical in form and its axis is substantially horizontal, whereby its heat may be distributed longitudinally to the tank I2, near the bottom thereof. As shown in Figure 1, the walls of the tank 12 may be heat insulated, material loss of heat occurring only at the surface of the drinking water.

I claim:

1. A portable heater for use in an open stock watering tank and comprising a heat distributing chamber provided with base means adapted to rest on the bottom of the tank, said chamber having a diameter smaller than the normal depth of water in said tank, whereby said chamber is adapted to be wholly submerged in the water of the tank, a heat distributing liquid in the chamber, an electrical heater immersed in said liquid within the chamber and adapted When energized to deliver heat to the distributing liquid of the chamber at a rate in excess of the rate at which said heat will be delivered off from said chamber to the Water of the tank in which the chamber is immersed, and an electrical connection to said heater provided with a housing extension from said chamber to a point above water level in said tank.

2. A portable heater for use in an open stock watering tank, comprising the combination of a horizontally elongated chamber of such dimensions as to provide adequate capacity for heat storage while being adapted to be wholly submerged in the water of said tank, said chamber being provided withmeansfor removably supporting it in a submerged position in a tank in which it is adapted to be used, a heat distributing and heat storing liquid in the chamber, an electrical heating element immersed in said liquid in the interior of the chamber, a conduit extending from said chamber to a point above the water level of the tank in which the chamber is used, and electrical connections extending through said conduit to said element, said connections including time controlled means for periodically energizing said element.

3. A portable heater for use in an open stock watering tank, comprising a heat distributing chamber having uninsulated heat conducting walls and provided with means for removably supporting it in a position wholly surrounded by the water in said tank, a heat distributing liquid in said chamber, and a time controlled electrical heater enclosed in said chamber.

4. A stock watering tank heater including a casing adapted to be submerged in a water tank out of contact with the walls thereof, said casing having ports permitting limited circulation of water between the interior thereof and the tank water, an electrical heater located in said casing, and time controlled electrical means for periodically energizing the heater.

5. In a stock tank heater, the combination with a substantially closed casing adapted for mounting removably in the tank below normal water level and provided with independent supports whereby it is spaced from the tank walls, said casing being provided with an aperture to allow restricted communication between the tank water and the casing interior, of a second and smaller casing having its major portion disposed within the first mentioned casing in sealing relation to the walls thereof, and an electrical heater located within the smaller casing and surrounded by heat storing material adapted for heat transfer through the casing walls and the liquid contained in the enclosing casing to the water in the stock tank.

6. The combination with a stock watering tank of a cylindrical chamber supported in the lower portion of said tank out of contact with its bottom and ported for slow communication between the tank water and the interior of said chamber, a tubular connection leading downwardly through the tank water and through one end of said chamber, an electrical heater within the chamber, insulated conductors leading through the tubular connection to the electrical heater, and a time controlled switch regulating delivery of electrical current to said heater.

'7. A heater for open stock watering tanks including in combination a heat storing chamber adapted to be submerged in the tank water, means for supporting said chamber out ofi contact with the walls of the tank, a casing enclosed in said heat storing chamber, a tubular passage extending downwardly from above the tank to said casing, an electrical heater located within the casing and having energizing connections leading thereto through said tubular passage, and heat storing material within the casing and in which the electrical heater is embedded,

8. A heater as set forth in claim '7, having switch means disposed above the level of the tank water and connected by conduit means to the interior of said heat storing chamber for actuation by expansion and contraction of the heated material to control delivery of electrical current to the heater.

9. The combination with a stock watering tank having submerged concentric receptacles filled with heat transferring material, an electrical heater embedded in the material contained in the inner receptacle, a tubular passage leading downwardly to the inner receptacle from a point above the tank, and electrical connections leading through said passage to the heater, said electrical connections including a pressure actuated switch exposed to variations in pressure due to changes in temperature of the material contained within said casings, and timing devices cooperatively controlling delivery of electrical energy to said heater.

10. In a submersible water tank heater, the combination with .a casing provided with an aperture to allow a restricted communication between the tank water and the interior of the casing, of an electrically energizable heating element disposed within the casing in electrically insulated relation to the water, and means for periodically energizing said element.

11. A stock Watering tank heater including a sealedreceptacle adaptedfor disposition below the water level of a stock watering tank, said receptacle being substantially filled with a liquid having properties of high heat retentivity, a heating element within the receptacle adapted to be excited by an electric current and of such characteristics as to deliver heat to said liquid at a rate exceeding the rate of radiation therefrom to the water of said tank, and time switch means connected with the heating element whereby the element may be excited during periods of low current cost and disconnected therefrom during periods of high current cost, and said receptacle and the liquid therein will continue to give oiT heat during the disconnected period.

12. A heating device including the combination with a substantially closed casing having dimensions adapting it to be substantially surrounded by water in the stock-watering tank, said casing being provided with an aperture to allow restricted communication without substantial circulation between the water and the casing interior, of a second and smaller casing at least partially disposed within said first mentioned casing in sealing relation thereto and provided interiorly thereof with an electric heater, heat storing means disposed within said second casing, electric means for periodically heating said material, a pressure actuated switch disposed above the water in the watering tank, and conduit means between said switch and the interior of said second casing, whereby pneumatic pressure from within the casing may actuate the switch, said switch being in operative association with said electric heating means, whereby said heating means is responsive to certain pressure changes in the second casing.

13. A device as described in claim 12, provided with a spring biased safety valve positioned above the water, tank level in a position to be contacted by said gas pressure intermediate said switch and said second casing, whereby to relieve abnormal gaseous pressures Within said casing and conduit.

CHARLES D. OR'IGIESEN.

Images