Hot-water-pressure combined domestic and heating system.

A. H. THOMPSON.

HOT WATER PRESSURE COMBINED DOMESTIC AND HEATING SYSTEM, APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1912. RENEWED OCT. 25, 1913.

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LD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Be it known that I, Alfred H. Thomp^a citizen of the United States, residing cl ^VemS^e’4ⁿ -^{Fe c}?^unty °i Los Angeles and 5 State of California, have invented a new ana userul Hot-Water-Pressure Combined Domestic and Heating System, of which the following is a specification.

, a ^is invention relates to a novel appa10 ratus whereby the hot water in a water system for domestic supply mav be practically applied for heating radiators placed at or below the level of the heater which supplies the heat.to said hot water system.

Io . An object of the invention is to make provision whereby the heating system can all be placed on one floor as in one-story cottages, and bungalows and one-floor apartments and flats, and yet allow the radiators to be installed at any level desired. It is usually considered desirable to place the radiators on or close to the floor and such a location of the radiator brings the bottom thereof to or below the level of the heater by which heat 25 is applied to such one-story system.

It. is found, however, that in hot water heating systems heretofore known the heat irom the heater will not descend to a level lower than the heater and this condition 30 prevents the required heat from reaching the radiator thus located.

So far as I am aware hot water heating systems employing a heater and a radiator with water, connections between the heater 35 and the radiator have been constructed upon the theory that the heat is conducted from the heater to the radiator by a circulation of the water in the system; but I have discovered that if provision is made whereby the 40 water circuit can be maintained in the heating system the heated water will rapidly pass through the system to not only the level at which the heat is applied, but also to a certain point below such level; and that the 4 a lowest point below such level to which the heated water can thus be driven is determined by. natural physical forces; and that it is possible, to. construct a hot water heating and I°^mesIi^c supply system in which the so radiator is placed, at or below the level of the heater, and it is possible to so construct the system that there will be an unbroken w a ter circuit leading upward from the heater to a predetermined point, and thence 55 downward and to the radiator and thence through and from the radiator to the lower

ALFRED H. THOMPSON, OF VENICE, CALIFORNIA.

HOT-WATER-PRESSURE combined domestic and heating system. ^1,W&lt;· Sp=_tIM.7U«_eisP._teHt. Patented Sept. 11, Ml 7 ^Λ’^ΡΙ1“““ i« _Oclob„ _M12. _{SerIU Bo isia Bo M7 a53}_{of Uw heatep}

- heater to complete the circuit, fod at the same , time die hot water of the system may be drawn from for domestic use without breaking the circuit.

A feature of this invention resides in the ¹ provision of means whereby I insure the maintenance of such unbroken circuit, and this I effect by providing _at the highest point of the circuit a distributer forming a part of such circuit and having a sufficient capacity to keep the circuit from being broken by accumulations of air or steam that may occur under tho forces operatino· in the system during the practical thereof.

That is to say said distributer is constructed of a considerable size sufficient to accommodate the air. and steam accumula- 75 ions that may occur in practical operation; and to hold the same out of the radiator circuit so that such circuit, will not be broken thereby and the domestic hot water service jiipe .leading to the faucet is connected to the 80 diSuiibuter above the level of the hot water circuit.

It. is practical to supply the hot water heating system through a supply pipe from the water mains of a pressure supply system and to depend upon the yielding pressure of said supply system to regulate the pressure within the hot water system and the expansion of steam from the heat of the heater may result m forcing water from the heating system out toward the main, thus forming a steam space at the top of the system.

lhere is always a certain amount of occluded air contained in the water supply flowing to such systems from the main and such air will gradually accumulate at the highest point of the system, and when the accumulation of air or the accumulation of steam as above set forth is sufficient to break the hot water circuit, the conduction of heat through the hot water system is arrested A feature of this invention, therefore, consists in applying._a hot water distributer to the heating circuit between the top thereof and the connection of the domestic service pipe, so that in case there is any steam or air in the hot water circuit, it will rise out of said circuit and be stored without breaking such circuit, and will be drawn off through .a cock of the domestic water pipe 110 when said cock is open,

I have discovered, howevefj that it i.s nee60 use

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1,240,101 be quickly heated when the heater is in operation, the water rising from the heater through the riser 2 to the distributer and displacing colder water in the distributer and in the descending pipe 4· It is thus 7C seen that the water in the distributer becomes heated almost directly from the heater. If the valve 11 is open, the cold water displaced from the distributer will be short-circuited through the domestic tank 75 12, the extension 9', the heater pipe.branch 10 and the heater 1, eventually filling the domestic tank with hot water which is first passed through the distributer tank 3.

The thermostatic valve 17 may be set so 80 that when the water which passes through the heater branch 10 reaches a certain temperature, the gas supplied through pipe 16 will be shut off, leaving only a small flame as a pilot light, not shown, at the burner 85 15, to maintain the fire; so that when the temperature of the water becomes lower the gas may again be turned on to maintain the requisite temperature.

While the valve 11 is thus open, hot water 90 may be drawn from the faucets, or domestic service cocks 19 and will flow directly from the distributer which will be supplied with hot water from the domestic tank 12 under the pressure from service pipe 14 until the 95 hot water has been drawn whereupon the circulation upward through pipe 2 will continue and will supply hot water to the distributer, so that whenever there is any hot water in the system it can be drawn off at .100 the domestic cocks.

When the valve 11 and the service cocks 19 are opened the system is supplied with cold water flowing from service pipe .14 into . the bottom of the domestic tank and. hot 105 water will he drawn from the top of the . domestic tank and from the distributer until tlie domestic tank has been filled with cold, water from the main.

When the service cocks 19 and. the valve 110 11 are closed and the burner 15 is lighted, the hot water from the heater 1 displaces the cold water, if any, in the distributer and a circulation is established downward through the drop pipe 4, then horizontally H 5 through tlie floor pipe 4', radiator 6, return pipe 8, heater pipes .9 and 10, heater 1 and riser 2.

I have discovered that it is important that the distributer 3 be elevated above the 120 beater level at 1 of the system by a distance equal to or greater than twice the distance from the heater burner 1 level at 15, Fig. 1, to the lowest water level at 4' because of the difference between the density of the mass 125 of water and air extending from the distributer 3 at the highest water level of the: circuits to the heater level at 15 and the density of the mass of water extending from said heater level to the lowest water level 130 essary to preserve certain relations with regard’ to the levels of the distributer, the heater and the bottom of the radiator circuit, and that it is necessary that the con55 nection of the hot water circuit with the distributer shall be at least twice as high above the heater as the heater is above the bottom of the. radiator circuit, and that the reason for this is the necessity of gaining 10 sufficient weight of liquid in the heating system between the heater and the distributer to force the heat down below the heater to the bottom of the radiator circuit.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the 15 invention. .

Figure 1 is an elevation showing partly in section portions of a structure in which is installed in accordance with this invention a hot water pressure combined domestic and 20 heating system sectioned in part.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail from line ar, Fig. 1 to show the thermostat.

The heater 1 communicates through the riser 2 with a closed, upright, single-cham25 bered combined storage reservoir and distributer 3 of which the height is greater than the width and from which the. drop pipe 4 leads to the horizontal floor pipe 4 and through the valve 5, radiator 6, hori30 zontal return pipe 8 to the rising heater pipe 9 which communicates through the branch 10 with the heater 1. The distributer is of greater diameter and capacity than the pipes communicating with it.

The heater pipe 9 communicates. through an upward extension 9' including the valve 11 with the bottom of the service tank 12 which is connected at its top by pipe 13 with the drop pipe 4.

The pressure service pipe 14 enters the heater pipe in its extension or branch 9' between the valve 11 and the branch 10; and when the cocks 19 are open, water from the supply pipe 14 may enter the system 45 to supply service pressure thereto.

The burner 15 is arranged below the coiled heater pipe 1 in the usual manner to heat the contents of such pipe and when the valves 5 and 11 are opened, the burner.in 50 operation and the service cocks 19 closed, water will circulate through the pipe 10, heater 1, riser 2, distributer 3, drop pipe 4, tank pipe 13 and the upper extension or branch 9' of the pipe 9 to pipe 10, and so 55 on. Gas is supplied to the burner 15 by the pipe 16 controlled by a thermostatic valve 17 of well-known construction.

A domestic service pipe 18, separated from the other pipes, in the system, leads θθ from the distributer 3 above the level of the riser 2 and is connected with the domestic service cocks 19. A gas valve 20 is provided to cut.off the gas supply, not shown. ' .

The distributer is preferably of limited 65 dimensions, s‘o that the water therein may

1,240,101 a» ϊ>

r’iipni'V⁰'^{1 CU}'u ^S°- ^{!lS to obta}^ⁿ maximum. . ciicui_;iti°m for Instance, if (he distance horn the heater .level at 15 to the lowest - watei level at 4 is assumed to be four feet, ⁵ ?Γ? ^dir^ance from said heater level at 15 to die distributer 3 should not be less than eight feet but is preferably macle as much greater than eight feet as is com ίο ^Vp^{lll613t ln}. ^order.^to afford maximum speed 10 Of^water circulation through the heater.

a. is also advisable to extend the distribter tank 3 above the level of the pipe 2 so that the circulation of water is not broken in i κ ^Ca®3 ^sfr^am is generated in the system. The 15 said Steam may gather in the upper portion of die iiistributer and by connecting the fXuθ ^PF F ί° ^{the u}PP^er P^{art of the} distributer the latter may be relieved of said on ^ac?^u-^mulaie^¹ steam through the faucets or sei vice cocks x9. By this provision the water also is delivered from the highest point oi the distributer which is the hottest part . of the system. ' ^J vnSX¹? ^{11 aHd} the radiator

2o iahe 5 be left closed and the heater started inadvertently, the circulation through the

.. same will be blocked and the coils of same damaged by overheating. To avoid this a •m ^cV^cutatl0n, 1³¹Ρθ ²¹> connecting pipe 4 with

PJf® ⁹ pending below pipe. 4' is supplied, wnl afford a path that is always open lor xree circulation through the heatin o· coils, ns the passage through said circulm tion pipe is uninterrupted by valves or other 35 obstructions.

Viewing, the domestic heating svstem . broadly m is seen to .comprise a water circuit including a distnouter 3, pipes 4 and 13 π domestic.tank 12, pipe 9', valve 11, a por40 tion of pipe. 9, pipe 10, heater 1 and pipe 2; the distributer being situated substantially above the level of the domestic tank and the domestic tank being situated substantially above the level of the heater. A portion of pipe i below pipe 13 obviously communicates with the water circuit above the domestic tank and in connection with pipe 4' and valve o leads the hot water to radiator 6 sn XT ,^ext®^{nds b},^el.^ow level of the bottom 50 of the heater; while the pipe 8 leading from ' said radiator communicates through a part of pipe 9 to the lower portion of the aforesaid water circuit. Also the faucets or cocks 19 are connected with a pipe 18 lead55 mg the hot water from the distributer or upper portion of said water circuit.

When either or both' of the faucets or cocks 19 are opened and the valve 11 i_sclosed hot water may be drawn off continu60 ously from the distributer 3 through the domestic service pipe 18 and the active parts of the system would operate just as though the domestic tank 12 were not present. Also when the faucets 19 and the valve 11 are 6o closed and the valve 5 is opened, hot water may be continuously conveyed through the radiator 6 and the circuit completed fust as though the domestic tank 12 were not present. furthermore, when faucets 19 and ya ves 11 and 5 are closed, the emergency 70 circuit will be completed by way of the pipe 21 effecting a continuous communication from pipe 4 to pipe 9 without regard to tank 12. In these instances, the tank is not required; the distributer constituting a suf- 75 hcient reservoir for the reserve hot water.

lhe heater 1 has an inlet from the pipe 10 as indicated by the arrow' below the character 10 and an outlet at a higher level into 'ie pipe _ as indicated by the arrow below 80 he character 2. The conduit formed by the pipe affords direct communication from the outlet of the heater to the distributer 3. J, conduit is provided by the pipes 4 and 4' attordmg direct communication from the 85 distributer to the radiator and a conduit is afforded by the pipes 8, 9 arid 10 connecting the radiator 6 to the inlet of the heater. A y-pass circuit affording direct communicaion from the distributer to the inlet at the 90 bottom of the heater is formed by a portion or pipe 4 together with pipe 13. domestic tank 12 and the pipes 9', 10. A supply pi_peI.» leads into the pipe ϋ' and discharges water under pressure through.pipe 9' and the 95 pipe 10 into the heater. Said supply pipe serves to supply water under pressure to the system. The hot water service cock 19 may be located at any level usual therefor, but the commit formed by the pipe 18 which 100 is connected to the code 19 must be connoted to the distributer above the lei'el of the inlet to said distributer in order that any accumulation of air or steam mav be drawn oil- from the combined reservoir and dis- 105 cod’¹⁴⁶¹*' ^{Wlt 1 tlle 110fc wate1}' ^at the service