US1983043A - Circulating system - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1934. c L, MARTIN 1,983,043

CIRCULATING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 11, 1934 Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in circulating systems, and while particularly adapted for oil supplied to oil burners, is equally applicable to heating water or other liquids, the object being to provide a system whereby the liquid not used will return for reheating, and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a broken side View illustrating my improved circulating system;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a. sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the housing, detached.

In illustrating the invention as applied to a circulating system for oil burners, I employ a tank 10 of suitable size, and in this tank and extending transversely across it is a housing 11 provided near one end with a flooring 12, and above this is located an electric heater 13 provided with a thermostat 14 of usual construction.

Opening out of the tank, opposite the heater and from within the housing, is a pipe 15 ex tending to the burner of an oil heater (not shown). The amount of oil passing through the pipe 15 is greater than the amount consumed by the burner, and the remaining portion of the oil passes through a return pipe 16 and is discharged through a nipple 17 into the housing around the electric heater 13.

Oil is fed from a reservoir (not shown) through a pipe 18, through a filter 19, and thence to a pump 20 which discharges the contents through a delivery pipe 21 opening near the bottom of the tank 10.

In the tank is a float 22 connected with a chain 23 which passes over a sprocket-wheel 24 and is provided at its opposite end with a counterweight 25, this sprocket-wheel operating a switch in a switchbox 26 which controls the wires 27 and 28 to an electric motor 29 which operates the pump 20.

Preferably, the tank will be provided at its top with a hand-hole 30 and in the bottom of the tank will be a draining-opening 31 closed by a screw-plug 32.

In operation, the oil being fed from the reservoir is filtered and drawn by the pump 20 and discharged through the pipe 21 into the bottom of the tank. The oil surrounding the heater in the housing is thereby heated, and when required at the burner, is drawn oil through the pipe 15, the unburned portion returning through the pipe 16 back into the housing 11 around the electric heater 13, and this circulation will continue even if oil is not being used at the burner, as a portion of it will return for reheating so as to maintain the oil at the desired temperature which may be regulated by the thermostat 14.

As oil is used, the float drops, operating the switch to start the motor, to operate the pump 20, and thus replace the amount of oil withdrawn. As the float rises, the counterweight will cause the switch to move in the opposite direction so as to shut ofi the power of the motor. While the filter, switchbox, motor and pump are shown arranged directly above the tank 10, they may be arranged at any convenient point.

Having thus described the operation in the use of oil, it is evident that the result will be the same in the use of water or other material. In other words, as water is drawn off from the heater, a certain amount of the water supplied toreplace the amount drawn on will return to be heated, and when water is not being drawn, a circulation will take place so as to maintain the temperature of water in the housing without materially changing the temperature of the remaining liquid in the tank, although the water in the tank is heated to a certain extent by radiation from the housing.

For use with oil at gravity, the tank will be provided with the usual vent-pipe to the atmosphere.

I claim:

1. A circulating system comprising a tank, a transversely-arranged housing located in the tank, an electric heater in the housing, an outlet from the housing and a return to the housing around the heater, and means for maintaining a predetermined level of fluid in the tank.

2. A circulating system comprising a tank, a transversely-arranged housing in the tank, the bottom of the housing at one end closed, a heater in the housing above said closed bottom, an outlet from the housing, a return pipe connected therewith and discharging into the housing around the heater, and means for maintaining a predetermined level of fluid in the tank.

3. A circulating system comprising a tank, a transversely-arranged housing in the tank, the bottom of the housing at one end closed, a heater in the housing above said closed bottom, an outlet from the housing opposite the heater, a return pipe connected therewith and discharging into the housing around the heater, and means for maintaining a predetermined level of fluid in the tank, including a float, a switch operated thereby, an electric motor connected with said switch, and a pump operated by said motor.

CALVIN L. MARTIN.

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