US2450744A - Gas supply manifold assembly for gas ranges - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 5, 1948. a. F. WHITEHEAD GAS SUPPLY MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY FOR GAS RANGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1942 m v S an a. 3 a 1 I w w m Gm. QM .8 u I I l II u IKM I l i In RN I M w N l Q Q RQ a a i kw N 4: uhM \& \Nm N Q m I. 0 m I 1 O .n w 3 NM an *m MN i an. 2. 3w 7 EN u w m b n I, 0 Q a a .t v on NM Q a Q on i Q 3 mm I mm on G R I? Oct. 5, 1948. a. F. WHITEHEAD 2,450,744

GAS SUPlfLY IANIFQLD ASSEMBLY FOR GAS RANGE:

Z Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1942 57 J -60 1 O O Fry's 59 Patented Oct. 5, 1948 GAS SUPPLY MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY FOR GAS RANGES Grover F. Whitehead, Rockford, Ill., assignmto Geo. D. Roper Corporation, Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 10, 1942, Serial No. 446,488

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved gas supply manifold assembly for gas ranges.

Heretofore, before the shortage of aluminum and brass, it was the practice to provide separate and independent cast iron manifolds in the right and left halves of the burner box compartment and to interconnect these manifolds by a piece of flexible aluminum tubing. and it has also been the practice in many instances to mount the oven heat regulator separate from the two manifolds and to connect it with one of the manifolds by another piece of flexible aluminum tubing. The main reason for having the manifolds separate but flexibly connected in the manner stated was to permit individual adjustment thereof in centering and lining up the burners attached thereto with respect to the cooking top. These aluminum tubing connections each required brass fittings at both ends. The inability to obtain aluminum tubing and brass fittings at first prompted the substitution of steel tubing and fittings but that is not a satisfactory substitute for several reasons which it is not necessary to outline in detail. It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide a reorganized manifold assembly in which the necessity for any flexible tubing connections is eliminated and the construction is otherwise greatly simplified and reduced in cost. while obtaining the desired adjustability and better performance by reason of the reduction in the number of joints to be made gas-tight.

A salient feature of the manifold assembly of my invention lies in the provision of right and left hand cast iron manifolds for mounting in the front portion of the burner box compartment constructed for interconnection at adjoining ends with a universally adjustable ball and socket joint, so that the manifolds are free to assume different positions with respect to one another in the assembling of a range and the ball and socket Joint can be tightened as a final operation, the manifolds being thereby interconnected without the need for any flexible tubing therebetween and there being only a single joint to make gas-tight as compared with two joints in the old construction. The universal adjustability of the joint permits up and down as well as front and rear adjustment of the manifolds as required in the truing-up of the burners without complicating in any way the matter of effectively sealing the joint.

Another important object of the invention consists in the mounting of the oven heat regulator body directly on one end of one of the two manifolds at the ball and socket joint in gas-tight rela- 2 tion to said manifold, so that gas is delivered from the manifold to the regulator without any need for an intermediate length of tubing and there is only a single joint to make gas-tight as compared with two in the old construction.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view partly in plan elevation and partly in horizontal section through the burner box compartment of a gas range equipped with a gas supply manifold assembly made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional detail through the call and socket joint on a larger scale, taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the joint on the line H of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 3 with the oven heat regulator removed.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring first mainly to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 6 designates the cooking top frame of the range in which are supported two cooking top panels I. one for each half of the cooking top. These panels I have openings In therein in register with the burners 8 in the usual way. At 9 is indicated a foldable lift cover adapted to be placed over the cooking top when the burners 8 are not in use. box compartment under the cooking top, H the bottom thereof, and i2 the front closure panel. Gas is supplied to all of the burners 8 through a supply pipe l3 connected by an elbow it and pipe IS with a cast manifold pipe it. There is a duplicate cast manifold pipe Ilia in the other half of the burner box compartment Ii similarly situated with respect to the two burners in that half, and each of these pipes has a combination lighter and burner support spider I! mounted thereon for supporting the burners on the pipe in addition to lighting the burners from the central pilot light housing I! forming a part of the spider. The housing Iii, as disclosed in Hobson patent 2,189,796, has the pilot burner i9 therein continuously supplied with gas from the pipe It, or i621, and the pilot flame may be regulated by adjustment of the metering valve 20..

The arms 2| radiating from the housing it are tubular. as also disclosed in said patent, and serve not only to support the burners on the outer ends thereof but also to conduct gas from the burners to the housing I! for ignition so III is the burner that the burners can be lighted by flashback. The spiders l! in the present construction are both two-legged for the cooperation of each with two burners in a range having a total of four cooking top burners, but it will be understood that four-legged spiders are also used, as disclosed in the Hobson patent, for the support and lighting of four burners on each spider so that a range can be provided having a total of eight cooking top burners. The pipes l6 and lid are attached, as indicated at 22, to the middle portions of the cast iron manifolds 23 and 24 in the front portion of the burner box compartment for supplying gas to said manifolds. These manifolds are fitted with cocks 23 arranged to discharge into the mixers 26 of the cooking top burners, the cooks being controlled by knobs 21 on the outer ends of the stems of said cocks which project through holes in the front panel l2. Now, as stated before, it was heretofore the practice to have the manifolds 23 and 24 mounted independently but to have the pipes I8 and IM interconnected by a piece of flexible aluminum tubing, so that both sets of cooking top burners were supplied with gas from the same single source I3. The tubing connection was made between the cross-head portions 23 on the inner ends of the pipes i3 and Na. A plug 29 is shown closing the open side of the head 23 on the pipe lBa where the intermediate tube was heretofore connected. The cross-head 28 on the pipe I3 is closed, as indicated at 33, on. the side toward the pipe 130., whereas it heretofore had a threaded opening for connection with the intermediate tube. The pipe Ilia. likewise has its cross-head 28 closed on the right side, so that the pipes l3 and lid are interchangeable.

According to the present invention, the manifolds 23 and 24 have their adjoining ends 3| and 32 in overlapping relation, the end 3! being formed with a ball head portion 33 and the end 32 being formed with a complementary socket portion 34 to receive the head, with a gasket ring 35 interposed therebetween, to form a universally adjustable ball and socket joint through which gas is delivered from the manifold 23 to the manifold 24 through the registering openings 36 and 31 in the ball and socket portions. Lugs 38 project from diametrically opposite sides of the end portion 3| and are slotted, as indicated at 39, to receive bolts 40 entered freely through holes II in lugs 42 that project from diametrically opposite sides of the end portion 32 to permit the clamping of the end portions 3| and 32 tightly in adjusted relation with the gasket 35 compressed therebetween to form a gas-tight joint. Nuts 33 threaded on the ends of the bolts 40 are held against turning by engagement in grooves 44 provided therefor in the bottom of the lugs 33, thereby greatly simplifying assembling and adjustment. The present construction, it should be clear, eliminates the intermediate tubing with a substantial saving in cost, and is of advantage furthermore from the standpoint that there is only a single joint to be made gas-tight as compared with two in the old construction. Furthermore, due to the fact that the joint 33-34 is a universally adjustable ball and socket joint, the manifolds 23 and 2! can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly at the joint and also forwardly and rearwardly as required in the centering and truing-up of the burners 3 with respect to their openings la in the cooking top panels I. The bolts 40 are purposely left loose enough during the assembling of the bu ners so that the manifolds can be jogged in one direction or the other to adjust the burners to the proper positions, after which the tightening of the bolts 40 will maintain the adjusted relationship. The end portion 3! of the manifold 23 is shown as supported with its flat bottom surface 45 resting directly on the bottom H of the burner box, a screw 46 being entered through an opening 43 in the lug 41 to fasten the end portion 3| in place. However. a shim or shims may be provided between the bottom H and the end portion 3i if higher elevation of the manifold is necessary, and, of course, the opening 43 in the lug 41 is provided large enough to accommodate the usual amount of lateral adjustment of the manifold. Each of the manifolds has its end remote from the screw 48 supported on a single bolt 43a entered freely horizontally through an opening provided therefor in the manifold, so that any up and down or fore and aft adjustment of the overlapped inner ends of the manifolds to the extent therein contemplated is permitted by the pivotal mounting of these remote end of the manifolds. A lug 43 provided on the cross-head portion 28 of each of the pipes l3 and I30 has a stand screw 50 extending upwardly therethrough from a bracket 3| on the bottom ll of the burner box compartment, and an up and down adjustment of the burners can be made by suitable adjustment of the nuts 52 and 53 on the screws 53.

At 54 is indicated an oven heat regulator having a gas delivery pipe 55 extending therefrom for communication with the mixer of the oven burner (not shown). Where a single oven heat regulator is provided, it is preferred to have it disposed at the middle of the burner box compartment with its control knob 53 projecting from the middle of the front panel. Heretofore, however, that location of the regulator necessitated the provision of a separate piece of flexible aluminum tubing to connect the regulator with one of the pipes I 6 or I3a. In accordance with my invention, I provide an opening 51 in the top of the end portion 32 of the manifold 24 and provide a flat pad portion 33 on top of said end portion to permit mounting of the body of the regulator 54 directly on the end portion 32 for direct communication with the manifold 24 through the opening 51, bolts 53 being threaded into holes 60 in the end portion 32 to clamp the regulator in place and compress a gasket 6| between the body of the regulator and the pad portion 53 to make a gas-tight joint. In that way it is apparent that I have provided for the support of the regulator in the desirable mid-position with a saving in cost by reason of the elimination of the tubing, and have at the same time provided a better construction from the standpoint that there is only a single joint to be made gas-tight as compared with two joints in the old construction.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. A gas stove comprising in combination with a cooking top and burners therefor having mixing tubes, two T-shaped manifolds for supplying gas to said burners suitably supported under the cooking top in a substantially horizontal plane. the cross-portions of the-T's being disposed in longitudinal alignment and with their end por- $10 .15 over pp g and adjustably connected for assavu free passage of gas from one manifold to the other, gas discharge cocks on said cross-portions detachably connected with the mixing tubes of said cooking top burners, and a combination lighter and burner support of spider form and having a central body portion mounted by said central body portion on the leg portion of each of said manifolds, each including a pilot burner in the central body portion supplied with gas from the associated leg portion, each lighter and burner support having arms extending from the central body portion serving to support the bumers associated therewith at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top.

2. A gas stove structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cross-portion of each of the T's has the end remote from the overlapped ends pivotally supported at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top, whereby the adjustably connected overlapped ends are vertically adjustable for vertical adjustment of the burners with respect to the cooking top.

3. A gas stove structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cross-portion of each of the Ts has the end remote from the overlapped ends pivotally supported at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top, whereby the adjustably connected overlapped ends are vertically adjustable for vertical adjustment of the burners with respect to the cooking top, the structure including means for adjustably supporting the leg portions of the T's for vertical adjustment thereof independently of the manifold so as to adjust the burners vertically with reference to the cooking top.

4. A gas stove structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the overlapped ends of the cross-portions of the Ts are universally pivotally adjustably connected and their ends remote from said connection are loosely pivotally supported at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top, whereby said overlapped ends are vertically and laterally adjustable as a unit for vertical and lateral adjustmentpf the burners with respect to the cooking top.

5. A'gas stove structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the overlapped ends of the cross-portions of the T's are universally pivotally adjustably connected and their ends remote from said connection are loosely pivotally supported at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top, whereby said overlapped ends are vertically and laterally adjustable as a unit for vertical and lateral adjustment of the burners with respect to the cooking top, the structure including means for adjustably supporting the leg portions of the T's for vertical adjustment thereof independently of the manifolds so as to adjust the burners vertically with reference to the cooking top.

6. A gas stove comprising in combination with a cooking top and burners therefor having mixing tubes, 9, T-shaped manifold structure for supplying gas to said burners suitably supported under the cooking top in a substantially horizontal plane, a gas supply pipe connected with said manifold for supplying gas thereto, gas discharge cocks on the cross-portion of the T detachably connected with the mixing tubes of said cooking top burners, and a combination lighter and burner support of spider form having a central body portion and being mounted by said central body portion on the leg portion of said manifold and including a pilot burner in the central body portion supplied with gas from the leg portion, said lighter and burner support having arms extending from the central body portion serving to support the burners at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top.

7. A gas stove structure as set forth in claim 6, including means for adjustably supporting the leg portion of the T for vertical adjustment thereof independently of the manifold so as to adjust the burners vertically with reference to the cooking top. 4

8. A gas stove comprising in combination with a cooking top and burners therefor having mixing tubes. two elongated manifolds for supplying gas to said burners disposed substantially horizontally in longitudinal alignment under the cooking top, with their end portions overlapping and adjustably connected for free passage of gas from one manifold to the other, a gas supply pipe connected with one of said manifolds for supplying gas to the two manifolds, gas discharge cocks on said manifolds detachably connected with the mixing tubes of said cooking top burners for support and adjustment thereof with the manifolds relative to the cooking top, and supplementary means adjustable vertically independently of the manifolds for supporting said burners at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top, each of the manifolds having the end remote from the overlapped ends pivotally supported at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top, whereby the adjustably connected overlapped ends are vertically adjustable for vertical adjustment of the burners with respect to the cooking top.

9. A gas stove comprising in combination with a cooking top and burners therefor having mixing tubes, two elongated manifolds for supplying gas to said burners disposed substantially horizontally in longitudinal alignment under the cooking top, with their end portions overlapping and adjustably connected for free passage of gas from one manifold to the other, a gas supply pipe connected with one of said manifolds for supplying gas to the two manifolds, gas discharge cocks on said manifolds detachably connected with the mixing tubes of said cooking top burners for support and adjustment thereof with the manifolds relative to the cooking top, and supplementary means adjustable vertically independently of the manifolds for supporting said burners at a predetermined elevation with reference to the cooking top, the overlapped ends of the manifolds being universally pivotally adjustably connected and their ends remote from said connection being loosely pivotally supported at a predetermined elevation with respect to the cooking top, whereby said overlapped ends are vertically and laterally adjustable as a unit for vertical and lateral adjustment of the burners with respect to the cooking top.

10. A gas range comprising in combination with a cooking top and burners therefor having mixing tubes, two elongated manifolds for supplying gas to said burners having end portions overlapping and adjustably connected one to the other and provided at said connection for free passage of gas from one manifold to the other, means for supplying gas to one of said manifolds whereby to supply gas to both manifolds, and means detachably connected with the mixing tubes for discharging gas from said manifolds to the several burners, a gasket ring interposed between the overlapping end portions, and means for adjustably securing the overlapping and portions together compressing the gasket between said overlapping end portions for a gas-tight Joint. one of said overlapping end portions having another gas passage provided therein for discharge of gas from the manifold, said range including an oven heat regulator detachably mounted on said overlapping end portion in direct communication with said passage.

11. A gas supply manifold assembly for the cooking top portion of a gas range, comprising two elongated manifolds having means thereon for supplying gas to cooking top burners, said manifolds being disposed with their end portions overlapp ng and adjustably connected one to the other and provided at said connection for free passage of gas from one manifold to the other. a gas supply pipe connected with one of said manifolds for supplying gas to the two manifolds, means on the free ends of the manifolds for detachabiy securing and supporting the same in the cooking top portion of a gas range, and means on the underlying end of one of said manifolds adiacent the point of connection with the other manifold for supporting the connected ends of said manifolds in the cooking top portion of said range, the over-lying end of the last GROVER F. WHITE'HEAD.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,077,890 Methudy Apr. 20, 1937 2,141,742 Ehret Dec. 27, 1938 2,189,796 Hobson Feb. 13, 1940 2,304,140 Bergholm Dec. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,665 Great Britain July 10, 1898 24,307 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1894

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