Heating apparatus

Claim 2

Heating apparatus comprising in combination, (a) a combustion chamber in which fuel is burned, (b) a primary air supply including a first adjustable damper for regulating the volume of primary air transmitted to said combustion chamber for direct combustion of fuel therein, said primary air supply further including stop means engageable by said first damper to cause said first damper to remain partially open when in a first damper maximum closed position, (c) a flue for venting combustion products generated in said combustion chamber, (d) a catalytic combustor having an inlet and an outlet and interposing said combustion chamber and said flue, said inlet communicating with said combustion chamber and said outlet communicating with said flue, so that the combustion products normally pass through said catalytic combustor in order to be vented through said flue, (e) secondary air supply means for supplying secondary combustion air from outside of the heating apparatus directly to said catalytic combustor inlet, said secondary air supply including a second adjustable damper for regulating the volume of air transmitted to said catalytic combustor, whereby the combustion products from said combustion chamber are mixed with said secondary combustion air just before passing into said catalytic combustor, and said second damper including means to maintain a minimum volume of secondary air to said catalytic combustor when said second damper is in a second damper maximum closed position, (f) control means coupled to both of said first and second dampers for simultaneously adjusting them to regulate the volume of air transmitted to each of said combustion chamber and said catalytic combustor, said control maximize the air volume transmitted to said combustion chamber while simultaneously acting on said second damper to reduce to a lower volume the air transmitted to said catalytic combustor, and said control means when in a second control state acting on said first damper to reduce to a lower volume the air transmitted to said combustion chamber while simultaneously acting on said second damper to maximize the air volume transmitted to said catalytic combustor, said first and second dampers being fixedly interconnected by rigid means such that each of said first and second dampers in their maximum closed positions remains partially open to deliver a predetermined minimum volume of primary and secondary air respectively to said combustion chamber and said catalytic combustor.

Claim 3

Heating apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said second damper is arranged to provide a ratio of maximum to minimum secondary air supply to said catalytic combustor in a range of four to one.

Claim 4

Heating apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first damper is arranged to provide a ratio of maximum to minimum primary air supply to said combustion chamber in a range of eight to three.

Claim 5

Heating apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second dampers are arranged so that a ratio of primary air supply to secondary air supply g when the primary air supply is maximized g is in a range of forty three to one, while when the secondary air supply is maximized a ratio is in the range of four to one.

Claim 6

Heating apparatus comprising in combination, (a) a combustion chamber in which fuel is burned, (b) a primary air supply for supplying combustion air to the fuel in said combustion chamber, said primary air supply including first airflow regulating means for regulating the volume of air transmitted to said combustion chamber for direct combustion of fuel therein, (c) a flue for venting combustion products generated in said combustion chamber, (d) a catalytic combustor having an inlet and an outlet and interposing said combustion chamber and said flue, said inlet communicating with said combustion chamber and said outlet communicating with said flue, so that the combustion products normally pass through said catalytic combustor in order to be vented through said flue, (e) secondary air supply means for supplying secondary combustion air from outside of the heating apparatus directly to said catalytic combustor inlet, said secondary air supply including second airflow regulating means for regulating the volume of air transmitted to said catalytic combustor, whereby the combustion products from said combustion chamber are mixed with said secondary combustion air just before passing into said catalytic combustor, (f) a heat exchange chamber immediately adjacent to said combustion chamber, the said catalytic combustor outlet exiting into said heat exchanger chamber at a first location, and the entrance to said flue being at a second location in said heat exchanger chamber, whereby, the combustion products and heat which emerge from said catalytic combustor outlet pass through said heat exchanger chamber before exiting into said flue, (g) a by-pass opening between said combustion chamber and said heat exchanger chamber, said by-pass opening into said heat exchanger chamber being located closed to the entrance to said flue, and by-pass opening sealing means effective when actuated to open and closed said by-pass opening, (h) by-pass sealing means control means coupled to said sealing means and extending through said heating apparatus to the exterior thereof, said sealing means control means being effective when actuated in a first way to close and seal said by-pass opening and being effective when actuated in a second way to open said by-pass opening to permit at least most of the combustion products from said combustion chamber to flow directly to said flue without having to pass through said catalytic combustor, (i) an openable and closeably fuel loading door openable from the exterior into said combustion chamber for loading fuel into said chamber, and door latching means effective when latchingly engaged to hold said fuel door in its fully closed position, and (j) interlock means coupled to and actuatable with said by-pass sealing means control means, said interlock means including first and second locking means, said first locking means being effective when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said first way to lock said fuel loading door latching means to prevent operation thereof and thereby prevent said fuel loading door from being opened, and being effective when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said second way to unlock said fuel loading door latching means to permit operation thereof and thereby allow said fuel loading door to be opened, said interlock means second locking means being couplable to and locking said first and second airflow regulating means to maximize primary air transmission and reduce secondary air transmission when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said second way, said second locking means being decoupled from said first and second airflow regulating means when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said first way.

Claim 7

Heating apparatus comprising in combination, (a) a combustion chamber in which fuel is burned, (b) a primary air supply for supplying combustion air to the fuel in said combustion chamber, said primary air supply including first airflow regulating means for regulating the volume of air transmitted to said combustion chamber for direct combustion of fuel therein, (c) a flue for venting combustion products generated in said combustion chamber, (d) a catalytic combustor having an inlet and an outlet and interposing said combustion chamber and said flue, said inlet communicating with said combustion chamber and said outlet communicating with said flue, so that the combustion products normally pass through said catalytic combustor in order to be vented through said flue, (e) secondary air supply means for supplying secondary combustion air from outside of the heating apparatus directly to said catalytic combustor inlet, said secondary air supply including second airflow regulating means for regulating the volume of air transmitted to said catalytic combustor, whereby the combustion products from said combustion chamber are mixed with said secondary combustion air just before passing into said catalytic combustor, (f) a heat exchange chamber immediately adjacent to said combustion chamber, the said catalytic combustor outlet exiting into said heat exchanger chamber at a first location, and the entrance to said flue being at a second location in said heat exchanger chamber, whereby, the combustion products and heat which emerge from said catalytic combustor outlet pass through said heat exchanger chamber before exiting into said flue, (g) a by-pass opening between said combustion chamber and said heat exchanger chamber, said by-pass opening into said heat exchanger chamber being located closed to the entrance to said flue, and by-pass opening sealing means effective when actuated to open and closed said by-pass opening, (h) by-pass sealing means control means coupled to said sealing means and extending through said heating apparatus to the exterior thereof, said sealing means control means being effective when actuated in a first way to close and seal said by-pass opening and being effective when actuated in a second way to open said by-pass opening to permit at least most of the combustion products from said combustion chamber to flow directly to said flue without having to pass through said catalytic combustor, (i) an openable and closeably fuel loading door openable from the exterior into said combustion chamber for loading fuel into said chamber, and door latching means effective when latchingly engaged to hold said fuel door in its fully closed position, and (j) interlock means coupled to and actuatable with said by-pass sealing means control means, said interlock means including first and second locking means, said first locking means being effective when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said first way to lock said fuel loading door latching means to prevent operation thereof and thereby prevent said fuel loading door from being opened, and being effective when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said second way to unlock said fuel loading door latching means to permit operation thereof and thereby allow said fuel loading door to be opened, said interlock means second locking means being couplable to and locking said first and second airflow regulating means to maximize primary air transmission and reduce secondary air transmission when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said second way, said second locking means being decoupled from said first and second airflow regulating means when said by-pass sealing means control means is actuated in said first way.

Claim 8

Heating apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein both of said first and second airflow regulating means are adjustable, and further including control means coupled to both of said first and second airflow regulating means for simultaneously adjusting them to simultaneously regulate the volume of air transmitted to each of said combustion chamber and said catalytic combustor.

Claim 9

Heating apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein both of said first and second airflow regulating means are adjustable, and further including control means coupled to both of said first and second airflow regulating means for simultaneously adjusting them to simultaneously regulate the volume of air transmitted to each of said combustion chamber and said catalytic combustor, said control means when in a first control state acting on said first airflow regulating means to maximize the air volume transmitted to said combustion chamber while simultaneously acting on said second airflow regulating means to reduce the air volume transmitted to said catalytic combustor.

Claim 10

Heating apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein both of said first and second airflow regulating means are adjustable, and further including control means coupled to both of said first and second airflow regulating means for simultaneously adjusting them to simultaneously regulate the volume of air transmitted to each of said combustion chamber and said catalytic combustor, said control means when in a first control state acting on said first airflow regulating means to maximize the air volume transmitted to said combustion chamber while simultaneously acting on said second airflow regulating means to reduce the air volume transmitted to said catalytic combustor, and said control means when in a second control state acting on said first airflow regulating means to reduce the air volume transmitted to said combustion chamber while simultaneously acting on said second airflow regulating means to maximize the air volume transmitted to said catalytic combustor.