Vehicle heating method and apparatus

Claim 1

IN A GAS HEATER ADAPTED TO BE CARRIED BY AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE TO JOINTLY (1) HEAT THE VEHICLE ENGINE TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE WHILE THE ENGINE IS INACTIVE AND (2) WARM THE VEHICLE PASSENGER INTERIOR: A BURNER INCLUDING A PRESSURE NOZZLE, HYDROCARBON FUEL BEING SUPPLIED TO THE NOZZLE FROM A RESERVOIR, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL COMBUSTION CHAMBER OPEN AT THE BOTTOM TO ACCOMMODATE (A) FREE DRAFT INGRESS OF AIR FROM COMBUSTION AND (B) RELEASABLE PLACEMENT OF THE BURNER WITHIN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER COMMUNICATING AT THE TOP WITH AN EXHAUST CHIMNEY TERMINATING IN AN EXHAUST CAP INHIBITING BACKDRAFT AND ENTRANCE OF PRECIPITATION, A BURNER PROTECTOR PARTIALLY ENCLOSING SAID BURNER HAVING BOTH MEANS TO ACCOMMODATE FREE DRAFT INGRESS OF AIR FOR COMBUSTION AND MEANS SHIELDING THE BURNER TO PREVENT EXTINGUISHMENT OF THE FLAME BY THE WIND, A RETAINER INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE BURNER PROTECTOR AND THE INTERIOR OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER TO ACCOMMODATE (A) READY REMOVAL OF THE BURNER PROTECTOR AND THE BURNER FROM THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER TO FACILITATE (1) EASE OF INITIATING OF COMBUSTION AND (2) USE OF THE BURNER INDEPENDENT OF THE HEATER, AND (B) SECURED RETENTION OF THE BURNER PROTECTOR WITHIN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER WHEN THERE-POSITIONED, AN ENGINE COOLANT HEATING RESERVOIR DISPOSED WITHIN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND CONSTITUTING PART OF A CLOSED CIRCULATION SYSTEM HAVING RESERVOIR INLET AND OUTLET PORTS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION WITH THE ENGINE BLOCK, AND A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTER SHELL CIRCUMSCRIBING THE EXTERIOR OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER IN SPACED RELATION TO FORM AN AIR HEATING CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN SEGREGATED FROM SAID EXHAUST, SAID OUTER SHELL BEING OPEN AT THE BOTTOM TO ACCOMMODATE FREE DRAFT INGRESS OF AIR TO BE HEATED AND COMMUNICATING THE HEATED AIR OUT THE TOP OF THE OUTER SHELL VIA CONVECTIONAL CURRENTS THROUGH A CONDUIT INTO THE VEHICLE INTERIOR, SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND SAID OUTER SHELL COMPRISING CONCENTRIC TUBULAR SHELLS EXTENDING VERTICALLY AND SPACED RADIALLY FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A STRAIGHTTHROUGH PASSAGE FOR HEATED AIR TO FLOW UPWARDLY BETWEEN SAID SHELLS AND ALSO A STRAIGHT-THROUGH PASSAGE FOR PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION TO FLOW WHOLLY UPWARDLY WITHIN SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER FROM SAID OPEN BOTTOM THEREOF IN A STRAIGHT-LINE PATH UPWARDS TO SAID EXHAUST CHIMNEY, WHEREBY SAID HEATER HAS NO MOVING PARTS AND RELIES WHOLLY UPON NATURAL UPWARD CONVECTION OF AIR FOR CIRCULATION OF AIR THROUGH THE SAME.