Untitled record

Application filed September 10, 1927.

This invention relates to a burner for a combustible fluid, more particularly to an improved means dependent on the burning or non-burning of a pilot jet or flame to control the fluid supply to the burner.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved valve operating mechanism and a control means therefor associated with the burner or a pilot therefor, whereby the combustible medium is cut off in the event the flame serving as a pilot goes out accidentally or otherwise.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved valve mechanism under control of a pilot flame and capable of operating positively and quickly, whereby the inaction of the valve and its mechanism for a long period of time does not affect its action when the pilot flame goes out.

. Another object of the invention is to associate with a fluid burner and the combustible fluid supply therefor, an improved thermostatically operated valve mechanism arranged to positively cut off the fluid supply in the event the pilot flame becomes extinguished.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which our invention relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a fluid heater having a burner and a pilot and our improved mechanism associated with the latter for controlling the supply of combustible medium to the burner.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 1, enlarged.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of the thermostat, valve operating mechanism and valve, the parts shown being similar to those shown in Fig. 2, but disposed in the position they occupy after the pilot is extinguished and the valve is closed.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3, looking toward the left.

Serial No. 218,724.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5—5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6—6 of Fig. 3. Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are perspective views of details.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing a dif- 50 ferent embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 11.

Figs. 13 and 14 are fragmentary sectional views shoiving further slightly modified 55 forms of construction.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a burner for a suitable combustible medium such as oil or gas for illuminating or heating purposes. In the illustrated adaptation of our invention, go the burner 1 is constructed to burn natural or artificial gas supplied by conduit or pipe 2, preferably -formed integrally with the walls of the burner 1. The burner 1 may be of any desired construction, that shown in the draw- 65 ings having a plurality of jets on its upper face. The outer end of the conduit 2 is shaped to form a suitable mixing chamber 3 into which the gas is supplied. The chamber wall is provided with a bridge 3α on which 70 a plate 5 is adjustably mounted to regulate the air supply in a well known manner. The bridge 3α is provided centrally with a hollow boss 3α' through which extends the nozzle 6 leading from the casing of a valve 7. 75

In the application of our invention herein chosen for illustration, the burner 1 is shown associated with a water heater 8 of the storage type wherein the water is heated to and maintained therein at approximately a pre- ⁸⁰determined temperature for heating or service purposes. In this form of construction the supply of gas is controlled by the temperature of the water in the heater through a. ₈₅suitable thermostat 9, so that when the water in the container cools by radiation or by the use of the heated water and its replacement with cold water, the burner is supplied with gas and serves to heat the water to the desired 00

1,856,502 temperature, whereupon the gas supply is cut off.

While our invention may be used in connection with any kind or type of fluid burner, ⁵ whether it is used for lighting or heating purposes, it may be used most advantogeously where the combustible fluid for the burner is automatically supplied and cut off from time to time, by the operation of a suitable conW trol, such as a thermostat.

In some forms of construction, a by-pass around the thermostat and the valve actuated thereby is provided, so that a relatively low flame will burn from the burner to serve as ¹⁵ a pilot therefor ,;when the full gas supply is admitted thereto by the thermostat, and in other forms the by-pass leads to a separate pilot jet close to the burner. In the event the burner in the first mentioned form of con²⁰ struction or the pilot in the second mentioned -form of construction is extinguished, the thermostat upon the lowering of temperature 'of the fluid in the container, will open the valve controlled or actuated by it and allow ²⁵ the full supply of gas to flow to the burner, and as the pilot flame of the burner or pilot, as the case may be, is out, this gas will escape and be wasted and such escaping gas would probably be fatal to persons in the room or ³⁰ house Or an explosion might possibly result therefrom. Our invention has for its purpose of providing a means for cutting off the 'entire gas supply to the burner, in the event the pilot flame, in either of the forms of con³⁵ struction referred to, is extinguished. In the illustrated arrangement, a separate pilot gas supply pipe 4 is associated with the burner 1, its jet 4« being arranged adjacent and slightly above one edge of the latter, to ignite the ⁴⁰ gas when admitted to the burner.

Tn the illustrated construction, the heater 8 comprises a suitable container 8a having a suitable insulation jacket 8b and a skirt 10 forming a fire chamber 10« in which the burn⁴⁵ 'er 1 is mounted. 11 indicates a suitable spreader mounted in the bottom of the container-and in operative relation to the burner 1 and connected through the container bottom with the interior thereof. Ila is a suitable ⁵⁰ drain pipe. 12 indicates the water supply pipe and 13 indicates the discharge pipe leading to various points in a service or heatingsystem. 14 indicates a flue preferably leading from the fire chamber 10® through the ⁵⁵ bottom and top walls of the container 8a.

The pipe 4 is connected to the gas supply pipe 15 above the main thermostat 9. The construction of the thermostat 9 is not illustrated, nor will it be necessary to describe it, ⁶⁰ as. it may be of any desired construction, but it is preferably similar to and operates like ’the thermostat mechanism shown in Letters Patent No. 1,581,712 granted to Carl M. Yoder, so that when the temperature of the ⁶⁵ water in the container 8a of the heater 8 rises to or above the temperature at which the thermostat is set to operate, the valve (not shown) in the casing of the thermostat 9 will cut off the supply of gas to the burner 1; likewise, upon the fall in temperature of the ⁷⁰water in the container 8« the thermostat 9 will open the valve and admit gas to the burner 1.

From the casing of the thermostat 9 the supply pipe .15 leads to and is connected with ⁷⁵an inlet nipple or tubular portion 16 of a casing 17. The opposite Avail of the casing 17 is provided with an outlet nipple 18 connected with the valve 7, preferably directly to its inlet branch 7«. As will be understood ⁸⁰the thermostat casing, pipe 15, casing 17 and valve 7 constitute the gas supply means to the mixing chamber 3 and burner 1. At the bottom of the tubular portion 16 the casing 17 is formed with an annular web 18', the ⁸⁵opening through which forms a passage for tbe gas. The'upper surface of this web, surrounding the opening carries a collar or rib 19 which forms the seat for a valve element 19« such as a ball. I preferably use ⁰⁰a ball for this purpose for the reason that in operating it to open the valve it is slightly shifted and the same points or portions of its 'surface do not engage the seat with the result that the seat is maintained free of in- ⁰⁵gradients that would prevent complete closing of the valve. By arranging the valve seat on the upper surface of the web 18', the valve element is acted upon by gravity and pressure of the gas to effect its closing. 20 indicates a mechanism mounted within the casing 17 and operatively connected with the valve 19« to control its seating and unseating under the influence of a thermostat indicated as an entirety at.21. Referring to ³⁰⁵Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 22, 22. indicate a pair of spaced rods having their inner ends threaded into the inner encl wall of the casing 17. The outer ends of the rods 22 are.reduced and threaded and extend through ¹¹⁰openings formed in a cross head 23. 24 indicates a sleeve surrounding each rod 22 and engaging the wall, of the casing 17 and cross head 23, nuts 25 being threaded on the rod ends and tightened to clamp the cross ¹¹⁵head against the ends of the sleeves and thus secure the parts in'rigid relation. The rods 22 and sleeves 24 are preferably formed from a material which has a relatively low coefficient of expansion, such as invar metal, ¹²⁰so as to serve as one element of the thermostat. The expansible element of the thermostat consists in the present form of construction of a rod 26, preferably formed from copper. The outer end of this rod is pro- ¹²⁵vided with screw threads and is threaded through a threaded opening 27 formed in the cross head 23, and rigidly secured to the latter, by a nut 28: this construction providing for the ready adjustment of the rod 26. J-

1,856,502

The opposite end of the rod 26 extends through a hollow boss 29 provided on the casing 17 for actuating the operating mechanism 20, the boss carrying a gland 30 to 5 prevent the escape of the gas. As shown in

Fig. 5, the gas supply pipe 4 leads downwardly and inwardly below the rod 26 and then extends longitudinally thereof, its free end being supported by an arm 31 depend’ i'o iⁿS preferably off-set inwardly from the cross head. The arm 31 is somewhat wider than the pilot pipe jet 4α. It is made wider and off-set so that it may form a guard to prevent the flame from impinging on the rod 15 26 to avoid danger of the heat affecting the tensile strength thereof. No claim is made herein to the guard as that forms in part the subject-matter of a copending application filed May 28, 1927, Ser. No. 194.987. As 20 shown, a portion of the rod 26 is disposed in the zone of heat from the pilot jet 4α. Under normal conditions, that is, with the pilot lighted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rod 26 is expanded and transmits its movement 2 > through the mechanism 20 to hold the valve element 19α away from its seat, so that flow of gas to the burner 1 will not be obstructed and permit such flow to be controlled by the main thermostat 9. In the event the pilot 30 flame becomes extinguished, by accident or otherwise, the rod 26 will contract and allow the valve element to seat itself and cut-off flow of the gas. The connection between tbe inner end of the thermo-rod 26 and link of 85 the mechanism 20 is preferably of the ball and socket type, that is, the rod end is rounded and the adjacent link is formed with a spherical socket 32 into which the rounded rod end fits, this construction serving to 4o connect these parts together and to support the inner end of the rod in concentric relation to the boss 29. No claim is made herein to this form of connection as it forms the subject matter of a copending application 45 Serial No. 78,886 filed jointly by Simon J.

Lonergan and Harold D. Eaton?

indicates a device for supplying air to the gas which is burned from the jet 4α. This device serves to mix air with the gas to no support combustion and is so constructed that (1) the air is heated prior to mixing and (2) danger of back firing at the air inlet ports is eliminated. Of the device 33, 34 indicates a plug or body member formed with open55 ings in its opposite ends in aligned relation to receive the adjoining ends of the pipe sections 4', 4a?. Between these pipe ends the body member is formed with an opening 35. 3o indicates a plurality of air inlet ports formed co in the pipe section 4a? adjacent the injector opening 35. 37 indicates a wall surrounding the pipe section 4a? and in spaced relation thereto and connected with the body member 34 at one end. The wall 37 extends Ion65 gitudinally of the pipe section 4a? and in con centric relation thereto to a point remote from the air inlet ports so that the air entering its open end will travel a relatively long distance before mixing with the gas. In the preferred construction, the wall and plug 34 ₇₀close the annular space around the pipe section on that side of the air inlet ports 36 remote from the pilot jet 4α and the, wall extends to the other side of these ports or toward the pilot jet a relatively long distance. ₇₈

The mechanism 20 shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, is of the type capable of effecting snap action of the valve element 19α. Of this mechanism, 38 indicates a lever fulcrumed on a pin or shaft 39. The short arm go 38α of this lever has fulcrumed on it a second lever 40. The short arm 40α of the lever is arranged to engage an abutment 41. 42, 43, comprise a pair of links, the former being pivotally connected to the free ends of the lever 85 40 and link 43 and the latter being pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the free end of the lever 38. In the arrangement shown, the thermostat element 26 engages the lever 38 between its fulcrum 39 and the abut- go ment 41, so that upon pressure of the element 26 toward the left in Fig. 3, the outer or free ends of the levers wi 11 swing away from each other and through the links 42, 43, move the free end of the latter upwardly. 44 indi- 85 cates a stem pivotally connected at its lower end to the free end of the link 43. The stem carries an annular seat for a coiled spring 45 which extends upwardly through the opening 18' to engage and unseat the valve 19α. loo In the upward movement of the spring 45, it is compressed by the weight of the valve element 19α and pressure of the gas thereon, but as this movement continues, the ten sion of the spring overcomes these opposing 105 forces, and unseats the valve element with a snap action. In the contraction of the thermostat element 26 and movement of the levers, links and stem in the opposite direction, the tension of the spring 45 resists the no forces due to the weight of the valve element and pressure of gas until, in the lowering movement of the spring these forces overcome its resistance and cause the valve to engage its seat with a snap action. The valve 115 element 19α is guided axially of its seat by ribs 46 on the inner wall of the tubular member 16. The spring 45 is preferably shaped at its upper end to carry the valve element 19α when in its unseated position. 120

The abutment 41 may be adjustably mounted in the casing 17.

Referring to Figs 11 and 12, 17' indicates the casing having a gas intake connection , 16' and an outlet connection 16α. The cas- 125 ing 17' is provided with an opening 18', the upper edge of which forms a seat 19' for a valve element 19α'. 22' indicates a pair of rods supported at their inner ends in lateral lugs 22α carried by the casing 17', these rods 130 < 1,856,502 preferably being formed of invar metal and constituting one of the thermostat elements. The outer ends of the rods are threaded to take nuts 25', which support between them ,. a cross head 23'. 26' indicates the other ^J thermostat element preferably comprising a copper rod. The outer end of the rod 26' is preferably connected to the cross head 23' by means similar to that· used for connecting j λ the rods 22' thereto. This form of connecting means permits the cross head to be adjusted relative to the casing 17' and the rod 26' to be adjusted relative to the rods 22'. The inner end of the rod 26' extends through a hollow boss 29' on the casing 17' for engagement with an operating mechanism 20' housed therein. The operating mechanism comprises a lever 38' pivotally mounted between the side walls of the casing, its long 20 arm being curved upwardly for engagement with the valve element 19α'. The short arm of the lever 38' has fulcrumed on it a lever 40' the lower or free end of which engages an abutment 41', adjustably supported by ?5 one wall of the casing 17'. The inner end of the rod 26' engages one of the levers, for example, the lever 40', between the pivot for the level- 38' and the abutment 41', so that the endwise movement of the rod is multi30 plied to effect unseating of the valve element.

Gas is supplied to the pilot jet 4α' through ports 17& formed in the wall of the casing 17' having an intake opening leading from the chamber therein. Air is supplied for 35 mixture with the gas by the device 33', which is similar in construction to the device already described.

In Fig. 13, the thermostat elements comprise an outer tube 22α formed of invar 40 metal and an inner tube 26α formed of copper, these tubes being suitably connected at their outer ends and the latter tube extending axially of the former. The inner end of the tube 26α is provided with a thrust 45 member 26α' which engages and operates the operating mechanism, such as shown at 20 in Fig. 3 or 20' in Fig. 11. In this form of construction the lower portion of the tube 22α, near its outer end, is cut away to en&9 able the heat from the pilot jet 4α' to affect the tube 26α. In this form of construction, the escape of gas from the chamber of the casing 17α' is prevented by a flexible diaphragm 47 (preferably formed from leather) secured in a gas tight manner to the walls of the boss 17α' and to the thrust member 26α'. As shown the boss is interiorly threaded to removably receive a collar 48 and its bottom is inclined outwardly, and forms a seat for the marginal edge portion of the diaphragm 47, such edge portion being clamped against the seat by the inner end of the collar 48. The diaphragm is formed with an opening through which the thrust •W member 26α' extends. The thrust member is provided with screw threads to take nuts 49 which are disposed on opposite sides of the diaphragm and tightened thereagainst to secure the diaphragm to the thrust member and insure a gas tight joint between them. The inner wall of the collar 48 is threaded and provides a means for adjustably securing the inner end of the tube 22α therein.

In Fig. 14, the thermostat elements comprise a tube 22α' formed from invar metal 75 and a rod 26a? formed of copper or other suitable metal, the inner end of the rod being arranged to engage with and operate an operating mechanism, such as shown at 20 in Fig. 3 or 20' in Figs. .11and 12. 50 is a 80 member which serves to adjustably connect the outer ends of the tubs 22α' and rod 26a? together and to close, in a gas tight manner, the outer end of the tube. The member 50 is formed of a material which is a good con- 85 ductor of heat so that the heat from the pilot jet 4a? will be readily transmitted to the rod 26a?. The member 50 may comprise a cap the side walls of which are threaded on the tube 22α' and provided with a boss 50α in 90 which is formed a recess. The side wall of the recess is threaded and the outer end of the rod 26a? is. likewise threaded and screwed into the recess. In the forms of construction shown in Figs. ?5 13 and 14, the outer thermostat element is secured in a hollow boss provided on the casing, being either threaded therein (see Fig. 13) or sweated therein (see Fig. 14).

It will be noted that in our construction the ¹⁰⁰valve element is above its seat, so that the weight of the valve- element and the pressure of the gas tends to force it downwardly against its seat to shut off the gas. In the event the levers should stick upon contrac- ¹⁰⁸tion of the thermostat element, the weight of the valve element supplemented by the pressure of the gas would overcome the resistance to movement of the levers and insures closing of the valve. ¹¹⁰

To those skilled in the art to which our invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit ¹¹⁸and scope thereof. Our disclosures ancl the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.