US2981320A - Air register for fuel burner - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1961 REED 2,981,320

AIR REGISTER FOR FUEL BURNER Filed Sept. 23, 1957 IN VENTOR ROBERT D. REED Q JL ATTORNEY for a. fuel burner.

United States PatentQ i AIR REGISTER FGR FUEL BURNER Robert D. Reed, Tulsa, Okla, assignor to John Zink Company, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 635,468

3 Claims. (Cl. 158-15) The present invention relates to means for controlling the volume of air admitted to the presence of a fuel burner and more particularly relates to a shutter type air register including means associated therewith for directing the air downstream of the burner to insure stable operation thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for simultaneously controlling the volume of air that may pass through the device in a direction axially of the burner and in a direction radially of the burner so that adjustment of the volume of the radially moving air and the axially moving air may be obtained by a unitary control member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shutter type of air register which includes a disc-shaped member having sector-shaped openings therethrough together with a cylindrical flange carried by the disc member having circumferentially spaced openings therein in staggered relationship with the sector-shaped openings and to provide an adjustable air door which includes a disc having sectorshaped openings therein lying adjacent the first disc member together with a cylindrical flange arranged inside the first flange and having openings therein whereby rotation of the second disc member and its flange will bring about adjustment in the areas of registration of the respective openings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shutter type of air register having openings for the radial entry of air therethrough and openings for the movement of air therethrough in directions axially of the burner together with a baflle so mounted in relation to the burner and the air register so as to intercept portions of the radially entering air and to direct it in a general axial direction as it moves into the presence of the fuel issued by the burner head thereby avoiding disruption of the combustion as the burning fuel enters the air stream.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description wherein an exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view of a burner showing an air register and baffle assembly exhibiting the invention in association with the burner.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the pilot and associated parts omitted.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 devoid of the pilot attachments.

The invention pertains to an air control mechanism The burner shown in the drawing is for the combustion of gaseous fuel but it will be appreciated that burners for other fuels may likewise be employed in association with the air register. The burner assembly-is adapted to be mounted in an opening A 2,981,326 Patented Apr, 25,1961

extend Within an annular recess formed in the tile member 11. The thimble 14 is so designed that the inner cylindrical surface thereof is desirably flush with the inner annular surface of the tile member 11. A flange 16 on the thimble 14 overlies the sheet metal covering 12 and may be secured to the furnace wall structure in any suitable manner so that the thimble 14 is maintained in rigid assembled relationship with the tile member 11 and the floor or wall 17.

The air register includes a disc-shaped element 18 which is mounted in rigid relationship with respect to the other portions of the burner structure. The disc 18 carries a cylindrical shaped flange 19 which may be formed integral with the periphery of the disc-shaped element 18. A plurality of cap screws 21 extend through ears 22 and are threaded into openings in the flange 16 of the thimble 14. The ears 22 are desirably formed integral with the disc-shaped element 18 and arranged in spaced relationship around the periphery of the air control mechanism. The cap screws when threaded cause the downstream end of the flange 19 to firmly engage the upstream end of the thimble 14. Thus the disc-shaped.

element 18 and the flange 19 are rigidly connected to stationary parts of the assembly.

The disc-shaped element 18 is provided with generally sector-shaped openings 23 (Fig. 3) which are circumferentially spaced from each other and thus provide apertures through the element 18 for passage of air in directions axially through the open area within the thimble 14 and the open central area within the tile member 11. The flange 19 is provided with rectangular shaped openings 24 (Fig. 2) which are equally spaced from each other in proceeding circumferentially of the air control mechanism. The openings 24 are arranged in staggered relationship with respect to the sector-shaped openings 23. The openings 24 provide for the entry of air at a plurality of circumferentially spaced areas so that air entering through these openings moves radially with respect to the axis of the thimble 14.

The air control means includes a second disc-shaped member 26 which is arranged in face-to-face relationship and inside the disc-shaped element 18. The disc-shaped member 26 is mounted for rotation about the axis of the thimble 14. The disc-shaped member 26 is provided with a plurality of generally sector-shaped openings 28 which are of substantially the same size and shape as the openings 23 in the disc-shaped element 18.so that when the disc member 26 is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2 the openings 28 are in registration with the openings 23. An annular rib 27 is provided on the disc-shaped member 26 near the axis thereof as shown in Fig. 2.

The disc-shaped member 26 carries a cylindrically disposed flange 29 which lies along the inner surface of the flange 19 as will be apparent from a consideration of-Fig. l. The flange 29 is desirably formed integral with the disc-shaped member 26 to provide a rotatable air control door. The free edge of the flange 29 terminates adjacent but spaced from the upstream end of the thimble 14. A plurality of openings 31 of rectangular form are provided in the flange 29. The openings 31 are circumferentially spaced from each other so that when the rotatable air door structure as formed by the disc-shaped member 26 and the flange 29 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the openings 31 are in registration with the openings 24. This position of the air control door provides for entry of the air in directions radially towards the axis of the thimble 14 through the registering openings 24 and 31.- Air may also move through the sector-shaped openings 23 in the disc element 18 and through the sectorshaped openings 28 in the disc member 26 and such air moves generally axially of the thimble 14.

A pair of handles 32 are secured to the disc member 26 in spaced relation and extend outwardly through associated openings 23 in the disc-shaped element 18 for actuating the air door structure and rotating it about the axis of the burner assembly and thereby control the volume of the air passing through the register. Notches 33 are provided in the disc-shaped element 18 for accommodating the handles 32 in the full closed position of the register. Similar notches 34 accommodate the handles 32 in the full open position of the rotatable air door structure.

A fitting or hub structure is secured to the disc-shaped element 18. This hub structure includes a plate 36 which is attached to the element 18 by means of cap screws 37. A ferrule 38 carried by the plate 36 is provided with set screws for holding a guide tube 41 therein. The ferrule 38 extends through an opening in the disc-shaped element 18 and into a central opening in the disc-shaped member 26. Radially disposed lugs within the annular rib 27 provide bearing means about which the door structure rotates. The fuel burner for gaseous fuel is indicated diagrammatically at 42 and is supplied with the gaseous fuel mixture through a supply pipe 43 which extends through the guide tube 41. A shielding cone 44 is carried by the inner end of the guide tube 41 and surrounds the burner. A pilot 46 may be provided for the gas burner and a supply pipe 47 therefore may extend through a pilot boss 48 carried by the disc element 18. An adaptor fitting 49 may be provided for accommodation within the boss 48 so as to support the conduit 47 supplying fuel to the pilot burner 46.

An element of the combination includes a baifle member 51 of substantially cylindrical formation. The baffle member is of smaller diameter than the thimble 14 and is supported in position partly within the air register structure and partly Within the thimble 14 by means of brackets 52 which are attached to the inner face of the rotatable disc-shaped member 26. Thus while the baffle 51 rotates during rotation of the air door structure it nevertheless remains in a fixed spaced relation from the disc-shaped member 26 making up a part of the air register. The downstream end 53 of the baflie member is spaced upstream from the end 54 of the thimble 14. The upstream end 56 of the baffle 51 is spaced from the disc member 26. It will be observed that the end 56 of the baffle extends in overlapping relationship with a portion of the flange 19 and the flange 29. The upstream end portion of the baflie is thus in a position to obstruct some of the air entering through the openings 24 and 31 to divert corresponding portions of the radially inward moving air in a direction axially of the burner head and in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1. Such deflection of the radially moving air takes place when the openings 24 and 31 are in complete registration shown in Fig. 2 or when the flange 29 of the air door structure is rotated so as to partly obstruct the openings 24. The air entering through the registering or partly registering openings 23 and 28 moves axially relative to the burner without deflection by the baflie 51.

The air entering radially through the openings 24 and 31 and those portions thereof upstream of the end 56 of the baffle will continue to move radially inward without deflection by the baflie 51. The radial components of these air currents will nevertheless be turned axially downstream of the burner assembly by the air entering axially of the burner assembly through the openings 23 and 28. The interception and deflection of portions of the radially entering air causes the total volume of air to flow evenly past the point where the fuel discharged by the burner tip 42 enters the air stream. The burning of the fuel is accordingly not disturbed through the action of air which would move radially of the burner head.

While the invention has been described with reference to particular structural features and with regard to an air register mechanism in association with one type of fuel burner it will be appreciated that changes may be made in the details and the structural elements together with the overall assembly. Such modifications and others may be made and the air register may be employed with other types of fuel burners without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air register assembly for a fuel burner comprising, an annular thimble adapted to be secured in fixed relationship to a structure to be fired, a disc-shaped element'spaced from an upstream end of said thimble, a first cylindrical flange between said element and the upstream end of said thimble, said disc element having a plurality of openings therethrough, said first flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therethrough staggered with respect to the openings in said element, a disc-shaped member mounted inside said element in face-to-face relationship, a second cylindrical flange carried by said member arranged within the first cylindrical flange, said member having openings therethrough, said second cylindrical flange having circumferentially spacedopenings therethrough staggered with respect to the openings in said member, said member and said second cylindrical flange being rotatable as a unit so that the openings therein may register with openings in said element and the openings in said first cylindrical flange, a generally cylindrical shaped baflle of smaller diameter than the thimble supported on said member with an upstream end of the battle spaced from said member, and a downstream portion of said battle extending into said thimble.

2. An air register assembly for a fuel burner comprising, a wall having an opening therethrough, an annular thimble extending into said opening and secured to said wall, a disc-shaped element spaced from an outer end of said thimble, a first cylindrical flange between said element and the outer end of said thimble, said element having a plurality of generally sector-shaped openings there through, said first flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therethrough staggered with re spect to the openings in said element, a disc-shaped member mountedinside said element in face-to-face relationship therewith, a second cylindrical flange carried by said member arranged within the first cylindrical flange, said member having substantially sector-shaped openings therethrough, said second cylindrical flange having circumferentially spaced openings therethrough staggered with respect to the openings in said member, a burner head arranged at the axis of said thimble, a pipe extending through said element and said member supporting the burner head, said member and said second cylindrical flange being rotatable as a unit about said pipe so that the openings therein may register with openings in said element and the openings in said first cylindrical flange. a generally cylindrical shaped baflie of smaller diameter than the thimble supported onsaid member with the upstream end of the battle spaced from said member, and said baflie extending into said thimble and terminating upstream of said burner head.

3. An air register assembly for a fuel burner comprising, an annular thimble adapted to be secured in fixed relationship to a structure to be fired, a disc-shaped element spaced from an upstream end of said thimble, a first cylindrical flange between said element and the upstream end of said thimble, said disc element having a plurality of openings therethrough, said first flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therethrough staggered with respect to the openings in said element, a disc-shaped member mounted inside said element in face-to-face relationship, a second cylindrical flange carried by said member arranged within the first 5 cylindrical flange, said member having openings therethrough, said second cylindrical flange having circumferentially spaced openings therethrough staggered with respect to the openings in said member, said member and said second cylindrical flange being rotatable as a unit 10 6 so that the openings therein may register with openings in said element and the openings in said first cylindrical flange.

Forster Nov. 28, 1922 Peabody Mar. 16, 1926

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