US1512270A - Orchard heater - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

o TED ST PAUL G. B LKLEY; or AzUsA, CALIFORNIA.

ORCHARD HEATER.

I '0 allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL G. BULKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Azusa, in the county of Los Angeles and' State of California, have invented a new and useful Orchard Heater, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to orchard heaters adapted to be distributed in groves or adjacent/trees to prevent injury to the fruit or trees from frost and freezing.

The orchard heaters now commonly employed for this purpose are formed with a fuel reservoir'which is filled prior to lighting with -all of the fuel that can be consumed in the heater at one lighting. In these heaters combustion takes place at the surface of this body. of fuel and in operation the body of fuel is distilled with the consequent combustion of the lower boiling point fractions of the fuel and the formation of a considerable residuum. There results an inefficient combustion of the fuel and the inconvenience of repeatedly'removing. the residuum from the heater.

' The object of this invention isto provide an orchard heater with a burner enabling.

' the heater to be continuously supplied with fuel .as the same is consumed and to provide an efficient and efiective combustion of the fuel.

Another object of this. invention is to provide for such a heater 2. burner by which only the fuel in the process of'combu'stion is heated whereby distillation and formation of wasteful and objectionable residuums is eliminated. p

A further object of this invention is to provide acheater having the above characteristics and so designed that the same will.

be durable and reliable in operation'and simple and economical in manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a heater of the character described with an adjustable outlet or cover adapted to radiate the heat at different levels when the heater is in use and adapted to cover and protect the heater from rain and the like.

during periods of non-use. I

Other objectsand advantages will appear from the following description of one form of device in which my inventionhas been successfully embodied.

I11 the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the aforesaid device embodying my invention.

Application filed June 21, 1922. Serial No. 569,930.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section illustrating in detail a portion of burner arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the orchard heater proper is indicated at 1 and is connected by a pipe 2 with a fuel reservoir 3.

The orchard heater 1 is formed with athe periphery of the base 4 and leaving in the base 4 a plurality of apertures or-air inlets 10. Tlie sleeve 7 of the burner 5 is closed at its top and is providedwith outwardly opening perforations or apertures 11 immediately over'the annular fuel receptacle or trough 8.

The stack 6 fits over and is supported on the base 4 by means of an annular shoulder 12 and encloses the burner 5. A cone shaped cover 14 is provided with'a plurality of depending.- spring arms 15 adapted to frictionally engage the inner wall of the stack 6 and support the cover in adjusted position on the stack;

The pipe 2 projects through the heater 1 and communicates wth the fuel receptacle or trough 8. The reservoir 3 carries a controlling lever 16 operating a valve 17 in the pipe 2. A

In use. the valve 17 in the pipe2 is kept closed except when it is desired to ignite the heater. During the periodof likelihood of frost or freezing the reservoir 3 may be maintained filled with fuel oil. To ignite the heaterthe valve 17 may be opened by the controlling lever 16 thereby permitting fuel to flow into the fuel trough where the same may be ignited. Combustion will be maintained by air entering the ports 10 in the base 4.. A portion of the air will rise of fuel is held in the reservoir 3 and only the relatively small amount of fuel in the immediate process of combustion is subject to the temperature of the heater that objectionable distillation of fuel is avoided. I have found that in use the heater illustrated and described herein will operate with practically complete combustion of the fuel content and without the formation of any substantial residue. This heater, therefore, produces a hotter flame and is more economical inthe consumption of fuel than the types now in common use.

The device may be continued in operation until the reservoiril has become emptied and if desired the pipe 2 may be of such length as to permit refilling the reservoir 3 without danger during operation of the heater. It will be appreciated that a plurality of heaters may be supplied with'fuel from a single reservoir by suitable pipe connections. The valve 17 may be adjusted to control the rate of combustion in the heater by regulating the flow of fuel thereto. This is a decided ad vantage over the heaters now in common use above described, because as those heaters burn atthe surface of the fuel in the heater reservoir itis not possible to practically adjust the rate of combustion.

During non-use of the heater the cover 14 may be positioned bearing against the top of the stack 6 and will serve to protect the heater from rain or the like. In operation of the heater the cover 1 L may be positioned at the desired level and maintained at such level by the spring" arms 15. The cover 14 may thus serve to radiate the heat from the-stack 6 or spread the flame therefrom (depending on the rate of combustion) at any desired level, and further functions as a damper for the heater.

While I have described the foregoing as an embodiment of my invention, it is to bey fuel receiving receptacle, the sleeve being closed at the top and apertured to direct air immediately over the fuel receptacle and a stackmounted on the base and surrounding the burner, of a fuel reservoir, means for conducting fuel from the reservoir tothe fuel receptacle and'means to regulate the quantity of fuel passing from the reservoir to the fuel receptacle.

3. An orchard heater comprising an upright cylindrical base having a plurality of air admitting apertures, a one piece member having an upright cylindrical section forming a draft sleeve of less diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical base, said sleeve being closed at the top and having its lower end turned up and outward to provide an annular fuel receiving receptacle, said sleeve having a plurality of horizontally disposed apertures, said fuel receiving receptacle being adjacent the apertures of said draft sleeve section so that said draft sleeve section directs air directly over the top of the fuel receiving section, and means for supporting said one piece member within the base and raised above the bottom end thereof.

4. An orchard heater including a one piece member having an upright cylindrical draft sleeve section closed at the top and provided with horizontally disposed apertures the lower end of said sleeve being turned up and outwardly to provide an annular fuel receiving receptacle, the upper end of which is adjacent said apertures so that air is directed directly over said fuel receiving trough.

5. An orchard heater including a one piece member having an upright cylindrical draft sleeve section closed at the top and provided with horizontally disposed apertures, the lower end of said sleeve being turned up and outwardly to provide an annular fuel-receiving receptacle, the upper end of which is adjacent said apertures so that air'is directed directly over said fuel receiving trough, an upright cylindrical base of greater diameter than the diameter of said annular fuel receptacle and positioned concentric therewith and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures, means supporting said one piece member upon the base and raised above the lower end thereof and a stack supported upon the base and extending vertically upward therefrom.

6. An orchard heater comprising an upright cylindrical base having a plurality of air admitting apertures, and a draft sleeve supporting concentrically within the base and above the lower end thereof, said draft sleeve being of a relatively smaller diameter than the diameter of said base and of a relatively less height than its diameter, the draft sleeve being closed at the top and turned up wardly and outwardly at its lower end to provide an annular fuel receiving trough, said sleeve being provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed and circumferentially spaced apertures positioned to direct air directly over the top of the fuel receiving trough.

Signed at Azusa, California, this 9th day of June, 1922.

' PAUL G. BULKLEY.

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