High-capacity liquified fuel gas burner

Claim 2

In a burner for liquid fuel of the type comprising a housing having at least one hollow fuel supply chamber therein; means for admitting liquid fuel into the chamber; and atomizer means comprising a plurality of orifices for discharging atomized fuel from the fuel supply chamber into a zone of combustion, the improvement comprising: at least two series of orifices provided in the atomizer means, each series comprising at least one orifice; at a plurality of shut-off valve means, at least one shut-off valve means for each series of orifices, positioned in the housing to control flow through the atomizer; and control means for opening and closing said shut-off valve means independently in response to changes in fluid pressure in said fuel supply chamber.

Claim 3

The burner of claim 1 wherein the control means comprises: a flexible membrane positioned in the housing to form at least a portion of a wall of said fuel supply chamber, in operation, said membrane being displaced inwardly and outwardly with respect to the fuel supply chamber in response to fluid pressure change within the fuel supply chamber; and a connecting rod for opening and closing said shut-off valve means in response to displacement of said flexible membrane operatively connecting said flexible membrane to said shut-off valve means.

Claim 4

The burner of claim 2 wherein said control means further comprises a spring position in the housing and operatively associated with said flexible membrane to bias said flexible membrane toward an inwardly flexed position with respect to the fuel supply chamber.

Claim 5

The burner of claim 3 wherein said connecting rod has a longitudinal axis and is slideably positioned in the housing for axial movement with respect to that longitudinal axis; and wherein at least a first of said shut-off valve means is fixedly connected to said connecting rod.

Claim 6

The burner of claim 4 wherein a second of said shut-off valve means is slideably connected to said connecting rod and further including: means for limiting sliding motion of said connecting rod with respect to said second shut-off valve means to a selected limited distance; and means for exerting a closing force on said second valve means to bias said second shut-off valve means to a closed position, whereby said connecting rod is free to move a selected limited distance in response to outward displacement of said membrane without moving said second shut-off valve means from said closed position and whereby further movement of said connecting rod in response to outward displacement of said membrane causes said connecting rod to exert an opening force on said second shut-off valve means in opposition to said biasing means which opening force is proportional to the force exerted on the flexible membrane by fluid pressure within the chamber, said second shut-off valve means opening when the opening force exceeds the force exerted by the biasing means.

Claim 7

The burner of claim 5 wherein the burner has a central axis of symmetry; wherein each series of orifices comprises a plurality of orifices positioned equidistant from the central axis of symmetry so as to define a circular ring of orifices, each series of orifices defining a circular ring of different diameter, the circular rings of different diameter defined by the series of orifices being concentric; wherein the longitudinal axis of the connecting rod is co-linear with the central axis of symmetry; and wherein the shut-off valves are telescopically connected to the connecting rod, the first and second shut-off valve means controlling fuel flow through orifices in different rings of said concentric rings of orifices, the first shut-off valve means controlling fluid flow through orifices in a ring of orifices of diameter less than the diameter of the ring of orifices in which the second shut-off valve means controls fuel flow.

Claim 8

The burner of claim 6 wherein said means for exerting a force to the second shut-off valve means to a normally closed position is adjustable.

Claim 9

The burner of claim 2 wherein the fuel supply chamber is subdivided into three chamber portions by two perforate partitions disposed in the housing; and wherein said partitions slideably support said connecting rod within the housing.

Claim 10

The burner of claim 8 wherein the fuel supply chamber comprises: a cylindrical front chamber between said atomizer means and a first of the two partitions; a second cylindrical chamber between the two partitions, said means for admitting liquid fuel into the fuel supply chamber being operatiavely connected to said second cylindrical chamber; and a flared rear chamber between the second of said two partitions and an end wall of said fuel supply chamber opposite said atomizer means, at least a portion of said end wall being formed by said flexible membrane.