Abstract: A portable forced air heater includes a one-piece unichassis structure which forms the base and the outer housing of the heater. The outer housing defines an elongated passage having a front end and a back end and which receives a burner assembly. The burner assembly is spaced from the outer housing such that cooling air flows between the combustion chamber of the burner assembly and the outer housing. The burner assembly itself includes the elongated combustion chamber which is shorter than the air passage defined by the outer shell and includes a rear head member which is snapped into place in the inlet end of the combustion chamber. Self-aligning mounting tabs and brackets are formed in both the unichassis and the combustion chamber to significantly reduce the number of parts and to simplify construction.

Abstract: A gas-fired burner apparatus includes a porous combustion surface disposed in a combustion chamber substantially sealed to prevent entry of secondary air. A subatmospheric pressure is maintained in the combustion chamber by a natural or aspirated draft. The subatmospheric pressure cooperates with an aspirating flow of fuel to the burner apparatus to provide an increased flow of primary combustion air which reduces the combustion temperature and the emission of pollutants. Alternatively, the subatmospheric pressure may be used to achieve a given flow of primary combustion air with a reduced combustion surface area. Water heater and room heater applications of the burner apparatus are illustrated.

Abstract: A furnace having improved heat exchanger, which is particularly suitable for use in a positive pressure, direct-vented hot air furnace. The heat exchanger has a split housing construction allowing the heat exchanger to be partible into halves. Parting the heat exchanger housing of the present invention permits access to the ceramic combustion chamber disposed therein, facilitating periodic repair and replacement. The partible portions of the present heat exchanger housing are connectable using one of several available connection means, including bolted mating flanges, encircling clamps, and twisting quick-locking means. The connection between the partible portions is gasketed to provide a positive pressure seal of the connection, impeding leakage of pressurized combustion gases from within the heat exchanger to the occupied air.

Abstract: A fluid spray burner for a heater having a nozzle block which supports a spray nozzle and to which fuel can be fed from a fuel line via a fuel pump. A fuel pump is integrated in the burner housing, and in particular to a radial carrier plate thereof.

Abstract: A portable space heater in which a fuel discharge nozzle discharges fuel into a combustion chamber from a fuel tank. A rigid non-flexible metal tube extends between the nozzle and tank. The tank includes an opening with a closure member in the opening. The closure member includes an opening into which a tube compression fitting can be secured for securely affixing one end of the tubing. In the preferred embodiment, the tank is plastic and the closure member is an insert which is insert molded into the top of the tank. In another embodiment, the tank can be metal with the closure member welded to the top wall thereof. In still another embodiment, the closure member is a cap threaded on a threaded opening. In all embodiments, the fuel filter is located inside the tank and is accessible by withdrawing it from the tank through an opening in the insert.

Abstract: A kerosene heater (1) having a pump assembly (106) which includes a piston (113) having a hollow bore (121) through which fuel (98) is routed to the hollow shaft of a fuel atomizer (27). The piston (113) is operated by a cam (117) machined into the shaft (114) of the heater motor (22). Mounted on the motor shaft (114) between the atomizer (27) and the pump assembly (106) is a novel fan (26) combining both low pitched outer blade portions (143) and high pitched vanes (146) near the hub (136) of the fan (26). The air flow near the periphery of the fan tends to be axial while the flow near the hub (136) tends to be turbulent and of lower velocity. A series of rear heads (32,33) downstream of the atomizer (27) tends to separate cooling and combustion air while preheating a portion of the air in the region of the atomizer (27).

Abstract: A gas radiant tube heater and method of operating the heater. The heater has a housing and a radiant tube mounted within the housing. The heater further has a modular control box mounted within the housing in which serviceable parts can be easily removed as a unit and replaced. The housing and control box are sealed against the elements for outdoor as well as indoor use. The control box is divided into two chambers, with the inlet air flowing from a first chamber into a second chamber. The first chamber is subjected to a vacuum pressure, in which the heat sensitive equipment is mounted, and the second chamber is subjected to a positive pressure, in which the combustible gas and air mix prior to combustion. The heater further has a pressure switch to shut off the gas supply if the air flow through the heater is blocked, and a flame sensor to shut off the gas supply if the ignition element fails to ignite the air/gas mixture.

Abstract: In a direct gas-fire heater assembly having a generally box-like housing with a grate-like floor with a conventional gas regulator, a gas port mounted within a box-like shroud, the shroud having one side with a predetermined number, shape and size of primary combustion air inflow orifices to direct primary combustion air toward the gas port. A burner is mounted on the shroud over the gas port. The area above the burner and adjacent to it contains an ignition device and flame sense rod as well as a pair of opposed and particularly oriented flame shields on each side of the flame orifice. One each of a pair of opposed baffle-type deflectors is arranged on each side and just above the flame shield so as to form a combustion chamber as well as a path for secondary air flow to a downstream chamber. An additional flame deflector is formed on one baffle-type deflector to deflect the flame toward the blower area.

Abstract: A space heater for a motor vehicle contains a burner with a combustion air fan. A series resistor (24) is provided for partial load operation. This resistor (24) is arranged in a housing (2, 6) which surrounds the electric motor (4) driving the fan wheel (14) of the combustion air fan (1) and through which combustion air is passed for cooling the electric motor and the resistor (24). The resistor (24) is soldered to a printed circuit board (20) located radially on the housing, downstream of a combustion air passage opening (22) designed as a cutout in the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board preferably carries a sound-absorbing plate (34) with a cutout (36) in the area of the resistor.

Abstract: The room heating arrangement is provided with a radiation tube, connected to a pressure and mixing chamber casing 1, a pipe line system arranged above the room to be heated, the radiation tube being connected, on the one hand, to a return flow chamber 19 with fan 10 and, on the other hand, to a mixing chamber 20 with a flame tube 14 surrounding a burner 2. The pressure and mixing chamber casing 1 is constructed in double-worm form, two cylindrical parts 26, 27 forming the casing and a front and back plate 3, 4 presenting the double-worm form, while the connecting tubes 18, 21 for the radiation tube are connected to the back plate 4. The burner 2 and the drive unit 5 for the fan 10 are arranged on the front plate 3.

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the invention, a combustion heater has an ECU for controlling operations of a glow plug, a battery, a fuel pump, and a blower for supplying air to a combustor. The ECU is responsive to an instruction signal instructing starting ignition of the combustor for starting to cause the battery to apply a first predetermined voltage to the glow plug, and at the same time starting to cause both of the fuel pump and the blower to operate for a predetermined time period, and when ignition of the combustor is detected, the ECU starts to cause both of the fuel pump and the blower to operate, and at the same time starts to cause the battery to apply a second predetermined voltage lower than the first predetermined voltage to the glow plug.

Abstract: Substantially all available heat from a combustion gas stream is extracted by passing it through a cool, porous heat sink, which is thereby heated, and then releasing that heat into a cool air stream blown through the same porous heat sink in a second step (preferably in the opposite flow direction). The heat sink absorbs substantially all the available heat of combustion rather than merely scavenging what would otherwise be stack losses. The invention provides an improved means of recovering virtually all the available heat produced by combustion of a fuel gas. It permits recovery of the heat lost in a conventional single-zone furnace. The improved heat recovery is achieved without contamination of the ambient air with exhaust gas residues as occurs in direct-fired systems, and without incurring the problems of corrosion and waste disposal inherent in two-zone indirectly-fired systems.

Abstract: A jet blower having a housing, a cylindrical chamber, a blower wheel in the chamber, four tangential passageways from said chamber, the passageways terminating in axially-directed nozzles and a Venturi foil surrounding each nozzle.

Abstract: A compact forced air heater comprises a combustion chamber mounted in a housing, a burner module mounted across a back open end of the combustion chamber adjacent a back wall of the housing for producing heated air in the combustion chamber, an air intake in a front wall of the housing, and a high speed (3000 rpm) forced air blower mounted between the combustion chamber and the housing front end wall. The burner module includes a flameholder plate having a central primary air hole and circular rows of staggered secondary air holes surrounding the primary air hole. A flamespreader plate is mounted on the flameholder plate opposite the primary air hole, and an elongated right-angle burner tube, having a flattened locating-and-orienting end and at least one burner orifice in a sidewall of the tube, is located on an opposite side of the flameholder plate with the burner orifice aligned with the primary air hole and the flamespreader plate. An ignitor and a thermocouple are also mounted on the flameholder plate.

Abstract: A fuel-operated vehicle heater especially of the type intended as an auxiliary or additional vehicle heater and which has a nozzle sitting on a nozzle holder to which fuel is fed from a fuel line by a filter, a fuel pump and an interposed solenoid valve. In a preferred embodiment heater, the nozzle holder, fuel pump, filter and solenoid valve form a subassembly that can be handled as a single unit. Advantageously, this subassembly can be fastened by screws to a flange within a housing part of the heater. On this flange can also be fastened an ignition spark emitter an a central connecting device, such as a burner motor. Advantageously, the feed line and/or the return line for the fuel supply are formed in the flange.

Abstract: A forced air heater (10) includes a removable burner module (26) in which all of the burner components are mounted on a common support plate (42) to facilitate mounting of the burner module in the heater and removal of the burner module from the heater for servicing. An elongated burner tube (46) has a closed flattened end (50) receivable in a location-and-orienting bracket (76) to locate a single burner orifice (52) in a sidewall of the tube in proper position with respect to a pancake flame-spreader plate (78). A gas valve (44) and ignition device (58) also form part of the burner module 26. A combustion chamber (24) is of essentially box-shaped construction, with one open end (36), and includes an inclined baffle plate (40) which enhances mixing of combustion products and intake air in the chamber. A forced air blower (28) is mounted adjacent a heated air discharge opening (36b) of the combustion chamber (24).

Abstract: An apparatus for heating a fluid, as air, having a housing surrounding a heat transfer chamber. A casing having a combustion chamber is located in the heat transfer chamber. A motor driven fan mounted on the housing operates to supply air to the combustion chamber and move air through the heat transfer chamber. Fuel, as waste oil, is metered to the combustion chamber and burned. The air supplied to the combustion chamber moves the burning fuel in a circular pattern to promote combustion of the fuel adjacent the casing thereby heating the casing. The air moved through the heat transfer chamber picks up heat from the hot casing. The heated air is discharged through an open grill into the environment surrounding the apparatus.

Abstract: A heat circulation device is provided which is portable to be usable placed upon conventional space heaters and particularly upon kerosene fueled heaters which includes a plenum housing adapted to be placed upon the heater which defines a plenum chamber therein for gathering heated air. The upper surface of the plenum chamber defines a generally convex heated surface and the sidewalls of the plenum chamber include apertures therein. A main housing is located immediately above the plenum housing which is adapted to provide a flow of cool air via a blower assembly wherein this cool air is guided to travel across the convection surface to be warmed thereby and then to travel past the hot air apertures to create a suction thereagainst similar to the Venturi principle and hence draw warm air outward therefrom. In this manner the heated air being supplied into the plenum chamber from the kerosene or other heater will be re-circulated in an outwardly directed manner 360.degree.

Abstract: An apparatus for ductlessly distributing and circulating heated air from a gas-fired heater to heat large volumes of air in industrial facilities and the like includes an upstanding structure which defines a vertically extending chamber. Openings are provided in lower and upper portions of the structure and communicate the chamber with lower and upper strata of ambient air. A blower assembly is housed within the structure intermediate the lower and upper openings. A gas-fired heater is carried by the structure externally of the chamber. Heated air from the gas-fired heater unit discharges into the chamber at a location between the lower and upper openings and combines with air being circulated by the blower in an upwardly directed flow through the chamber. The lower and upper openings are arranged such that air from the lower strata is drawn toward the lower openings, and such that air discharging from the upper openings into the upper strata moves outwardly toward the walls of the room.