US3165092A - Midget boiler - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12, 1965 A. B. CHADWICK ETAL 3,165,092

MIDGET BOILER Filed March 50, 1962 T H I /20 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FZM (QM ATTORNEY 5 A. B. CHADWICK ETAL 3,165,092

MIDGET BOILER Filed March 30. 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. B. CHADWICK ETAL Jan. 12, 1965 MIDGET BOILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 50.- 1962.

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Jan. 12, 1965 A. B. CHADWICK ETAL 3,155,092

MIDGET BOILER Filed March 30, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 \d az A .I I

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 12, 1965 A. B. CHADWICK ETAL MIDGET BOILER Filed March 30. 1962 United States Patent 3,165,092 MIDGET BUTLER Abraham B. Chadwick, Jeiiersontown, Arthur 0. joden, Louisville, and Wilson .I. Witten, .Irz, Houston Acres, Ky, assignors to American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 183,863 14 Claims. (Cl. 122214) This invention relates to heating boilers and more par ticularly to midget size boilers for heating small homes, buildings and other similar heating requirements.

Various efforts have been made to reduce both the size and the weight of home heating boilers and to increase its heat absorbing efiiciency. The attempts to do this have encountered various problems. For example, when the size was reduced the operating efficiency and maintenance of 'the boiler was impaired.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a midget size boiler which will be lighter in weight and have the equivalent heating capacity of heavier and larger size boilers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a boiler wherein the boiler and heat transfer sections are supported independently on legs so that the combustion chamber may be a separate component which can be readily attached and removed without disturbing the connections made to the heating section.

Another object of this invention is to provide a boiler made up of two separate and detachable components, namely boiler sections and a detachable suspended combustion chamber section.

A further object of this invention is to provide a selfcontained detachable combustion chamber in which the pressure is relieved to reduce the possibility of pulsations therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide standardized top, bottom, and intermediate boiler sections to decrease the number of boiler sections to three that have to be stacked to make up different capacity boilers.

A further object of this invention is to provide an arrangement and construction of the heat elements wherein all the heat absorbing tube passage ways are accessible from the top to clean all sides of the elements.

A further object of this invention is to provide heat absorbing elements having tubes with fins which extend upwardly and downwardly from the tubes and wherein the tubes are arranged in staggered formation so that a cleaning brush can be inserted at an angle between the staggered arrangement of heat absorbing tubes, to clean all sides of the tubes.

Another object of this invention is to provide an assembly of flat heat exchange cast iron sections laid one on top of the other, which are all inter-connected by nipples on opposite sides and ends of the cast iron sections.

A further object of this invention is to provide cast iron heat absorbing sections of a simple design and arrangement wherein the capacity of a boiler can be readily varied by changing the number of elements employed and wherein the staggered tube arrangement can be achieved by merely reversing the heating sections.

A further object of this invention is to provide superimposed cast iron sections of a novel and simplified design which will effectively separate air bubbles from the circulating water.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like characters of reference have been applied to 3,165fi92 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation, partly in section of the midget boiler.

FIGURE 2 is a partial side elevation taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1, showing the upper cast iron heating section.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view taken on line 44 of FIG- URE 1, showing the lowermost heating section.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view taken on line 55 of FIG- URE 1, showing the construction of the intermediate heating sections.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional elevation taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5, showing a cross-section of the assembled heating elements.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional side elevation taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 5, showing the construction of the heating tubes.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional elevation taken on line 88 of FIGURE 9, showing the manner in which the legs and outer shell are fastened.

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional top elevation taken on line -9 of FIGURE 8, showing the construction of the outer shell and the legs, to which the outer shell is attached.

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional side elevation taken on line 10-10 of FIGURE 1, showing the adjustable secondary air vent.

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view showing one of the two legs employed for supporting the assembled boiler sect1on.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the boiler heating sections 10, 12, 1 .4, and 16 are bolted together by a pair of diagonally positioned bolts 18, one ofwhich is shown in FIGURE 1. Each of the bolts 18 extends through cast iron flanges 2t) and 24 formed on opposite ends of the upper and lower heat absorbing sections 10 and 16. The opposite ends of the bolts 18 are threaded and suitable nuts 26 and 28 are threaded on the bolts 18 to draw the sections 10, 12, 14, and 16, tightly together.

Nipples 3t), 32, 33, 34, 36 and 38 provide water-tight connections between each of the heat absorbing sections when the sections are drawn tightly together as shown in FIGURE 6. It will be noted that the blind nipple 34 has no passage therethrough to cause the desired circulation of water in the boiler as will be explained more fully. The assembled cast iron elements 19, 12, 14, and 16 are supported on a pair of spaced sheet metal legs 40 shown in FIGURE 1 and FIG- URE 11.

The upper end of the sheet metal legs has a pair of brackets 42 and 44, which are adapted to be bolted fast to the lowermost flange 24 of the lower heating section 10. The lower heating section 10 has flange 24, extending outwardly from opposite sides of the flanges 104, 106. This structural arrangement permits the combustion chamber 54 to be attached and detached without having to disconnect any other connections to the boiler.

The combustion chamber comprises a sheet metal housing 50, and a cast combustion chamber 54 suspended from the upper end thereof by a lip 56 which rests on the sheet metal covering 58 as shown in FIGURE 2. The combustion chamber is made of light weight refractory material. A lining of vermiculite 52 is interposed between the cast combustion chamber 54 and the housing 50.

The sheet metal covering 58, to which the outer shell is attached, is drawn upwardly by means of a pair of diagonally and oppositely arranged bolts 60 and 62,

3 extending through diagonally opposite flanges 64 formed on the lower section 10. A suitable nut or other threaded device 68 is secured to the underside of the sheet metal covering 58. In addition, a nut 70 or other suitable stop is formed on the bolts 69 and 62.

When the bolts 60 and 62 are rotated the nut or stop 7% rotates on top of the diagonally opposite flanges 64 on which they rest, thereby causing the threaded device 68 to ride upwardly on the threaded bolts hi) and 62. The shell Stl is thus pulled upwardly against the lower heatabsorbing section Hi. It will be noted that there is a space 48 between the lower shell 5% and the floor 52 which facilitates the removal of the combustion cham her when the bolts 60 and 62 are loosened.

An outer sheet metal covering, 72, encloses the legs 40 and the combustion chamber 59. The outer housing 72 is held in place by suitable screws 74 which extend through suitable corresponding slots formed in the outer shell 72. The screws 74 are threaded into suitable fianges 76, formed along the length of the legs 40.

A sleeve 73 extends through the cast combustion chamber 54 and through the vermiculite liner 52 and the outer shell 59. A similar sized opening is formed in the outer shell housing 80. The head 82 of an oil burner extends through the shell 78 and causes the burner flame to be projected inside the combustion chamber 54.

Referring to FIGURE 10, the oil burner head is formed with a secondary air-adjusting sleeve 86 which serves as an adjustable vent or relief opening to minimize pulsations within the boiler. Also, since the secondary air opening extends around the burner tube, any air that enters the boiler at this point will cool the burner tube. Such air will enter the combustion zone at the optimum point to aid in the combustion process. If air were permitted to enter the boiler at other points, it would have a degrading influence on the combustion process.

The secondary air-adjusting sleeve 86 has a series of holes 88 formed therein which are in alignment with a similar set of holes, 90, formed in the burner head so that when the inner sleeve 86 is rotated the web portion of the sleeve 86 will control the amount of secondary opening, thus regulating the size of the vent or relief opening. A sheet of insulating material 92 is secured to the rotatable sleeve 86 so as to provide a tight fireproof shield between the removable burner and the secondary air-adjusting sleeve 86.

Since the boiler is of a small size the combustion chamber 54 will be operated under higher temperatures than usual. This presented a problem with res ect to overheating the nozzle and electrodes which was solved by providing a turbulator having a ceramic ring 54 to effect a turbulation and swirling of the air surrounding the burner nozzle.

The purpose of using ceramic for the turbulator is to keep the peak nozzle temperatures to a minimum. This is accomplished by using a material with a high insulating value and a low specific heat. The turbulator absorbs heat during the firing of the boiler and gives it up after shut down to its surroundings. During the firing cycle, the nozzle is kept cool by the oil flowing through it and the air flowing around it. Peak nozzle temperatures are, therefore, experienced shortly after burner shut down as the combustion chamber and turbulator give up their stored heat. By using a ceramic ring, which has a high insulating value and a low specific heat, the peak nozzle temperature will be considerably reduced.

FIGURES 1 to 8 show the manner in which our heating elements are constructed and assembled together.

The intermediate sections 12 and 14 are of the same construction and design and have the interior tubes 96, @8 and 106 equally spaced from each other. The side or terminal tube 161 of each section is of the same dimension as the inner tubes 96, 98, and 1th) While the opposite fig. side or terminal tube is approximately 1V2 times the dimension of the inner tubes as, 93 and 1%.

\Vhen this type of section is turned 18% degrees on a vertical axis with respect to the next adjoining section on which it is superimposed, the tubes of adjoining sections will be staggered with respect to each other as shown in FIGURE 7. This facilitates heat absorption, cleaning of the lines and the circulation of the heating fluid in the boiler.

Nipples 3t 32, 33 3-2, 36 and 38 provide watertight interconnections between the circumferential terminal tubes of the superimposed cast iron sections at opposite sides. The cast iron sections are drawn together tightly by vertical clamp rods diagonally arranged with respect to each other. The tie rods 13 extends through the flanges 20 and 24 formed in upper section to and the lower section til respectively, as shown in FIGURES l, 3, and 4, and suitable nuts are threaded onto the ends of the tie rods 1% to draw the sections together.

Tubes 96, til have an oval configuration with fins Hi2 extending upwardly and downwardly from the tubes. An inspection of FIGURE 7 indicates how the heating element may be easily cleaned on all sides by inserting a wire brush or suitable member downwardly at an angle between the tubes. It will be evident that cleaning brushes inserted in this manner are not only able to clean the sides of the tube but they also clean the upper and lower fins as they are passed in and out in this manner. it additional sections are added, such cleaning procedure is still possible in other words, one section at a time can be added to the section assembly without interfering with the cleaning process because the bottom section it} is sym- 'cal and, therefore, reversible. The top section remains in the same position and the sections below it are alternately reversed. With this arrangement, the tubes of adjacent sections will always be staggered as shown in FIGURE 7.

Each heating section is surrounded by a peripheral duct fill-N3 having tapered nipple openings of opposite ends and sides for interconnecting the superimposed ducts to each other. The lowermost heating element it) is also provided with two flanges 84 and The flange 194 has a conventional circulator pump 1% connected thereto while flange 1% has a corresponding flange lllltl con nected thereto for receiving a conventional drain 112.

The upper section 15 is provided with a tapped opening ii- 5 to which the boiler discharge pipe lid is connected as shown in FIGURE 6. This opening is positioned on the lower side of the heating element in. The upper side of the heating element 16 has second tapped opening 113 formed therein into which is aded a 12% as U415 shown in FIGURES l and 6. A T 124 is connected to the nipple 123i and a relief valve 126 is screwec. into the E 124. A pipe 123 is connected to the T 124 at one end and at the other end is connected to a suitable expansion tank, not shown.

Since the bottom section 1% is provided with flanged openings til-i, 1-596 at two sides, a circular can be attached to either side of the boiler. in FIGURE 1, the circuiator 1&8 is shown on the right hand side of the boiler with the drain M2 at the left hand side. The position of the circulator 1G8 and drain 122 may be reversed so that the circuiator 198 is on the left hand side and the drain 112 on the right hand side as viewed in FIGURE 1.

The flow path of water through the boiler is indicated in FIGURE 6. It will be noted in the four section boiler of FIGURE 6, that there are three alternate flow paths. If a three section boiler were used, then there would be two alternate flow paths. In either case, the alternate flow paths are equal in length and, therefore, the boiler has a balanced hydraulic circuit and an equal amount of water will flow through each of the alternate paths.

If the circulator I03 is mounted on the left hand side of the boiler instead of the right hand side as shown in FIGURE 1, there will still be three possible flow paths and they will be similar to those shown in FIGURE 6 since the circulator will force a large portion of water across the bottom section. Any air bubbles that should rise through nipples 38 and 36 would encounter blind nipple 34 and thus be directed over to nipple 3t) where the air would rise upwardly into pipe 120.

By positioning a blind nipple 34 immediately in front of the discharge opening 114 it prevents any water from being drawn or pushed from the heating boiler by the circulating pump 1% before it has passed through the heating tubes and been adequately heated. Also, any air bubbles that should rise through nipples 38 and 36 would encounter blind nipple 34 and thus be directed over to nipple 30 where the air would rise upwardly into pipe 120.

In order to determine the condition of the flame inside of the combustion chamber 54, a suitable inspection tube 122 is mounted through the combustion chamber 54 of the vermiculite 52 and the outer shell 50. A suitable cover 125 is provided for covering the inspection tube 122 when it is not in use. A suitable support bracket 127 is provided for supporting the burner 82 by means of a hooked flange 129 extending irom the burner 82 as shown in FIGURE 2.

A temperature control device 130, a high temperature limit control 132, and a temperature gauge 134 may be provided as required. A canopy 136 is provided over the top section 16 for conducting the flue gases from the boiler to a flue pipe (not shown).

The invention hereinabove described may, therefore, be varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. A boiler comprising top, bottom, and intermediate horizontally arranged and superimposed heating sections, said heating sections having a water passage around the periphery thereof, at least some of said intermediate heating sections, having means defining two generally diametrically opposed upper openings and two generally diametrically opposed lower openings communicating with said peripheral passages, a pair of first conduit means communicating corresponding upper and lower openings of the last said superimposed intermediate heating sections to provide parallel flow paths between the latter, said top heating section having an air outlet connection, a water outlet connection remote from said air outlet connection, and means defining a bottom opening, and second conduit means communicating the last said opening with a top opening of an underlying intermediate heating section, said air outlet connection overlying said second conduit means such that any air and gaseous fluids carried in the water entering said top heating section through said second conduit means will be expelled through said overlying air outlet connection while the water passes through said top heating section to said remote water outlet connection.

2. A boiler comprising top, bottom, and intermediate horizontally arranged and superimposed heating sections, said heating sections having a water passage around the periphery thereof, said peripheral water passage having a first side portion larger in cross section than a second opposite side portion such that when superimposed heating sections are rotated 180 on a vertical axis relative to one another, the said first side portion will be opposite the said second side portion, said heating sections having a plurality of substantially equally spaced transverse Water passages communicating with said peripheral passage and extending generally parallel to said first and second side portions of said peripheral passageway such that the transverse passages of alternate heating sections are arranged in staggered array, a pair of generally diametrically opposed conduit means communicating the peripheral passages of adjacently arranged heating sections to provide parallel flow paths therebetween, sealing means sealing one of said pair of conduit means between the top heating section and an underlying intermediate heating section, said top heating section having an air outlet connection and a water outlet connection, said other of said pair of conduit means between said top heating section and the underlying intermediate heating section being located remote from said sealing means such that air and gaseous fluids carried in the water entering said top heating section through the last said other conduit means will be expelled through said air outlet connection while the water passes through said top heating section to said water outlet connection.

3. A boiler comprising top, bottom, and intermediate horizontally arranged and superimposed heating sections, said heating sections having a water passage around the periphery thereof, said heating sections having a plurality of substantially equally spaced transverse water passages communicating with said peripheral passage, said peripheral water passage having a first side portion larger in cross section than a second side portion such that when superimposed heating sections are rotated on a vertical axis relative to one another, the said first side portion will be opposite the said second side portion and said transverse passages of alternate heating sections will be arranged in staggered array, a pair of generally diametrically opposed conduit means communicating the peripheral passages of each set of adjacently arranged heating sections to provide parallel flow paths therebetween, sealing means sealing one of said pair of conduit means between the top heating section and an underlying intermediate heating section, said top heating section having a water outlet connection, remote from the other of the last said pair of conduit means, said bottom heating section having a water inlet connection whereby water entering said bottom heating section may flow through said conduit means to any one of said intermediate heat ing sections in parallel to provide a plurality of alternate paths of Water flow through the heating sections.

4. A boiler as set forth in claim 3 wherein said transverse heating passages have a generally oval cross-sectional configuration with the major axis thereof vertically disposed.

5. A boiler as set forth in claim 4 wherein said transverse passages of said intermediate heating sections are provided with top and bottom generally flat elongated fins in line with said major axes.

6. A boiler as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said pair of conduit means are axially aligned with one another.

7. A boiler as set forth in claim 3 wherein said water inlet connection leads from the side walls of said bottom heating section such that water introduced therethrough has a horizontally directed component tending to cause the water to flow through the water passages of said bottom heating section.

8. A boiler comprising top, bottom, and intermediate horizontally arranged and superimposed heating sections, said heating sections having a water passage around the periphery thereof, said intermediate section having means defining upper and lower openings communicating with said peripheral passages, a pair of generally diametrically opposed first conduit means communicating corresponding upper and lower openings of superimposed intermediate heating sections to provide parallel flow paths therebetween, said bottom heating section having means defining upper openings, a pair of second conduit means comrnunicating the last said openings with the bottom openings of a superimposed intermediate heating section, said bottom heating section having a pair of inlet connections communicating with its peripheral passage such that inlet water may be selectively introduced into either one of said inlet connections, said top heating section having an air outlet connection, a water outlet connection, and

means defining a bottom opening, and third conduit means communicating the last said opening with a top opening of an underlying intermediate heating section, said air outlet connection underlying said third conduit means to receive rising air and gaseous fluids carried in the Water entering said top heating section through said third conduit means.

9. A boiler as set forth in claim 8 wherein said pair of inlet connections are horizontally opposed from one another to thereby provide selectively a right hand or left hand water inlet connection.

10, A boiler as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of said pair of inlet connections is provided with means adapted to receive selectively a water circulating pump or a drain connection.

11. A boiler comprising top, bottom, and intermediate horifzontally' arranged and superimposed heating sections, said heating sections having a water passage around the periphery thereof, said peripheral Water passage having a first side portion larger in cross section than a second opposite side portion such that when superimposed heating sections are rotated 180 on a vertical axis relative to one another, the said first side portion will be opposite the said second side portion, said intermediate heating section having means defining upper and lower openings communicating with said peripheral passage, a pair of generally diametrically opposed first conduit means cornmunicatingcorresponding upper and lower openings of superimposed intermediate heating sections to provide parallel fiow paths therebetween, said bottom heating section having a pair of opposed inlet connections communicating with said perpheral passage such that inlet water may be selectively introduced into either of said inlet connections, said bottom heating section having means defining upper openings, a pair of second conduit means connecting the last said openings with the bottom openings of a superimposed intermediate heating section, said top heating section having an air outlet connection, a Water outlet connection, and means defining a bottom opening, and third conduit means connecting the last said opening with a top opening of an underlying intermediate heating section, said air outlet connection being arranged closer to said third conduit means than said water outlet connection such that any air and gaseous fluid carried in the Water entering said top heating section through said such third conduit means may be expelled through such air outlet connection while the Water passes through said top heating section to said water outlet connection.

12. A boiler as set forth in claim 11 wherein said air outlet connection is in the top wall of said top heating section and said Water outlet connection is in a side wall of said top heating section.

13. A boiler comprising top, bottom, and intermediate horizontally arranged and superimposed heating sections, each of said heating sections having a water passage around the periphery thereof and a plurality of spaced transverse water passages, said peripheral water passages having one side portion larger in cross section than an opposite side portion such that each heating section may be stacked in respect to the next higher and lower heating section by being reversed by rotation of 180 on a vertical axis so that said heating sections will be staggered Withrespect to each other, at least some of said intermediate heating sections having means defining two generally diametrically opposed upper openings and two underlying generally diametrically opposed lower openings, conduit means communicating said upper and lower openings to provide parallel flow paths between said inter mediate heating sections, said bottom heating section having an inlet on the opposite sides thereof adapted to interchangeably receive a circulating pump on one side and a drain on the opposite side, said top heating section having a Water outlet connection in a sidewall thereof, said top heating section having an air outlet connection in the top wall thereof on the side or" the top heating section opposite from said Water outlet connection, such that any air and gaseous fluids carried in the Water entering said top heating section will be expelled through said air outlet connection while the water passes through said top heating section to said water outlet connection.

14. A boiler comprising top, bottom, and intermediate horizontally arranged and superimposed heating sections, each of said sections having a water passage around the periphery thereof, a plurality of spaced transverse water passages connected at either end to said peripheral water passage, said peripheral water passage having a first side portion larger in cross section than a second opposite side portion such that when superimposed sections are rotated on a vertical axis relative to one another, the said first side portion will be opposite the said second side portion, said peripheral Water passage also having the opposite side portions of substantially equal cross section, at least some of saic intermediate heating sections having means defining two generally diameti sally opposed upper openings and two underlying generally diametrically opposed lower openings in each of said other opposite side portions of said peripheral passage, a pair of first conduit means in said upper and lower openings interconnecting adjacen -iv arranged intermediate heating sections to provide parallel flow paths between the latter, said bottom heating section having an inlet connection in each of said other opposite side portions of said peripheral passage, said bottom heating section having upper openings adapted to receive second conduit means for fluid connection to a superimposed intermediate heating section, said top heating section having an air outlet connection in the top wall of one of said side portions of its peripheral passageway and a water outlet connection in an opposite side portion of its peripheral passageway, said top heating section having bottom openings, third conduit means connecting one of said bottom openi is of the top heating section with an underlying intermediate heating section, and means preventing fluid d W between another of said bottom openings of the top heating section with an underlying intermediate heating section such that wate' entering the top heath: section will pass through said third conduit means ad acent tie air outlet connection in the top heating section before passing through the top heating section and exiting through said Water outlet connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. A BOILER COMPRISING TOP, BOTTOM AND INTERMEDIATE HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED AND SUPERIMPOSED HEATING SECTIONS, SAID HEATING SECTIONS HAVING A WATER PASSAGE AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, AT LEAST SOME OF SAID INTERMEDIATE HEATING SECTIONS, HAVING MEANS DEFINING TWO GENERALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED UPPER OPENINGS AND TWO GENERALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED LOWER OPENINGS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PERIPHERAL PASSAGES, A PAIR OF FIRST CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING CORRESPONDING UPPER AND LOWER OPENINGS OF THE LAST SAID SUPERIMPOSED INTERMEDIATE HEATING SECTIONS TO PROVIDE PARALLEL FLOW PATHS BETWEEN THE LATTER, SAID TOP HEATING HAVING AN AIR OUTLET CONNECTION, A WATER OUTLET CONNECTION REMOTE FROM SAID AIR OUTLET CONNECTION, AND MEANS DEFINING A BOTTOM OPENING, AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING THE LAST SAID OPENING WITH A TOP OPENING OF AN UNDERLYING INTERMEDIATE HEATING SECTION, SAID AIR OUTLET CONNECTION OVERLYING SAID

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