Heater

Claim 2

HEATER APPARATUS COMPRISING FIRE POT MEANS IN WHICH A CONTINUOUS SELF-SUSTAINING FIRE IS ADAPTED TO BE MAINTAINED, FUEL SUPPLY MEANS FOR DELIVERING FUEL TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS FOR VAPORIZATION THEREIN TO SUSTAIN THE FIRE, FORCED AIR SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS, CHIMNEY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS, PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID FORCED AIR SUPPLY MEANS TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS AND SAID CHIMNEY MEANS TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS AND PROVIDING A PASSAGE FROM SAID FORCED AIR SUPPLY MEANS TO SAID CHIMNEY MEANS THROUGH SAID FIRE POT, PRESSURE EQUALIZATION MEANS CONNECTING SAID FORCED AIR SUPPLY MEANS TO SAID FUEL SUPPLY MEANS, SAID FIRE POT MEANS IS ADAPTED TO BURN GASOLINE OR THE LIKE AND COMPRISES A CENTRAL CYLINDRICAL CAVITY, CYLINDRICAL AIR DIFFUSER MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID CAVITY AND DEFINING AN ANNULAR AIR INLET CHAMBER WITH SAID CENTRAL CAVITY, A PORTION OF SAID AIR DIFFUSER MEANS OPPOSITE THE PORTION OF SAID PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID FORCED AIR SUPPLY MEANS TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS FORMING AN IMPERFORATE SHIELD DIVIDING AIR FLOW INTO A PLURALITY OF FLOW PATHS AND THE OTHER PORTIONS OF SAID DIFFUSER MEANS BEING PERFORATE TO PERMIT FLOW OF AIR RADIALLY INWARDLY THERETHROUGH, A FUEL RESERVOIR PROVIDED IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID FIRE POT MEANS, CYLINDRICAL WICK MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID FUEL RESERVOIR AND DEFINING A CENTRAL ANNULAR PASSAGE FOR VAPORIZED FUEL AND BEING SPACED FROM SAID AIR DIFFUSER MEANS AND DEFINING AN ANNULAR UPWARDLY EXTENDING AIR PASSAGE THEREWITH, AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER MEANS PROVIDED ABOVE SAID WICK MEANS AND INTERCONNECTING THE ANNULAR AIR PASSAGE AND THE ANNULAR VAPORIZED FUEL PASSAGE.

Claim 3

IN HEATER APPARATUS, FOR HEATING COOLANT IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND FOR BURNING FUEL PROVIDED FOR THE ENGINE, COMPRISING FIRE POT MEANS HAVING A COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND A FUEL CHAMBER, ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE HEATING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID FUEL CHAMBER TO HEAT AND VAPORIZE FUEL DURING INITIATION OF HEATER OPERATION, SPARK DISCHARGE IGNITION MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER TO IGNITE THE FUEL VAPOR DURING INITIATION OF HEATER OPERATION, FUEL DELIVERY MEANS FOR DELIVERING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL TO SAID FUEL CHAMBER DURING IGNITION AND FOR MAINTAINING A PREDETERMINED FUEL LEVEL IN SAID FUEL CHAMBER DURING SELF-SUSTAINING OPERATION, EXHAUST GAS OPERATED HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS, COOLANT PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS TO THE COOLING SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE, FORCED AIR CIRCULATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS TO DELIVER COMBUSTION AIR TO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND FORCE EXHAUST GASES THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS, FIRST THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS ASOCIATED WITH SAID ENGINE AND HAVING AN ON CIRCUIT CONDITION DURING PREDETERMINED LOW ENGINE CONDITIONS AND AN OFF CIRCUIT CONDITION DURING PREDETERMINED HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS, A SECOND THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID POT MEANS AND HAVING AN ON CIRCUIT CONDITION DEPENDENT ON POT TEMPERATURE BEING BELOW A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE AND AN OFF CONDITION ABOVE SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, A THIRD THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID POT MEANS AND HAVING AN ON CONDITION DEPENDENT ON POT TEMPERATURE BEING ABOVE A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE AND AN OFF CONDITION BELOW SAID TEMPERATURE, CIRCUIT MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID HEATER APPARATUS INCLUDING SAID FIRST AND SECOND AND THIRD THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS AND AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE SUCH AS A BATTERY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ENGINE, AN ON-OFF SWITCH CONNECTED IN SAID CIRCUITRY, SAID FORCED AIR CIRCULATION MEANS INCLUDING MOTOR MEANS CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID ELECTRICAL SOURCE IN SERIES WITH SAID THIRD THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS, SAID RESISTANCE HEATING MEANS AND SAID IGNITION MEANS BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT IN PARALLEL THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS AND SAID SWITCH MEANS TO SAID SOURCE, AND SAID FUEL DELIVERY MEANS INCLUDING A SOLENOID OPERATED CONTROL VALVE CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE SOURCE THROUGH SAID SWITCH AND SAID FIRST THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS.

Claim 4

IN HEATER APPARATUS, FOR HEATING COOLANT IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND FOR BURNING FUEL PROVIDED FOR THE ENGINE, COMPRISING FIRE POT MEANS HAVING A COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND A FUEL CHAMBER, ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE HEATING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID FUEL CHAMBER TO HEAT AND VAPORIZE FUEL DURING INITIATION OF HEATER OPERATION, SPARK DISCHARGE IGNITION MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER TO IGNITE THE FUEL VAPOR DURING INITIATION OF HEATER OPERATION, FUEL DELIVERY MEANS FOR DELIVERING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL TO SAID FUEL CHAMBER DURING IGNITION AND FOR MAINTAINING A PREDETERMINED FUEL LEVEL IN SAID FUEL CHAMBER DURING SELF-SUSTAINING OPERATION, EXHAUST GAS OPERATED HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS, COOLANT PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS TO THE COOLING SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE, FORCED AIR CIRCULATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRE POT MEANS TO DELIVER COMBUSTION AIR TO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND FORCE EXHAUST GASES THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS, FIRST THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS ASOCIATED WITH SAID ENGINE AND HAVING AN ON CIRCUIT CONDITION DURING PREDETERMINED LOW ENGINE CONDITIONS AND AN OFF CIRCUIT CONDITION DURING PREDETERMINED HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS, A SECOND THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID POT MEANS AND HAVING AN ON CIRCUIT CONDITION DEPENDENT ON POT TEMPERATURE BEING BELOW A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE AND AN OFF CONDITION ABOVE SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, A THIRD THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID POT MEANS AND HAVING AN ON CONDITION DEPENDENT ON POT TEMPERATURE BEING ABOVE A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE AND AN OFF CONDITION BELOW SAID TEMPERATURE, CIRCUIT MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID HEATER APPARATUS INCLUDING SAID FIRST AND SECOND AND THIRD THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS AND AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE SUCH AS A BATTERY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ENGINE, AN ON-OFF SWITCH CONNECTED IN SAID CIRCUITRY, SAID FORCED AIR CIRCULATION MEANS INCLUDING MOTOR MEANS CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID ELECTRICAL SOURCE IN SERIES WITH SAID THIRD THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS, SAID RESISTANCE HEATING MEANS AND SAID IGNITION MEANS BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT IN PARALLEL THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS AND SAID SWITCH MEANS TO SAID SOURCE, AND SAID FUEL DELIVERY MEANS INCLUDING A SOLENOID OPERATED CONTROL VALVE CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE SOURCE THROUGH SAID SWITCH AND SAID FIRST THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS.