Stoves and furnaces – Stoves – Heating
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-02-06
Yeung, James C. (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Stoves
Heating
C047S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182652
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a heating system for a tower mounted wind machine and more particularly to an apparatus for delivering a combustible fuel to a burner, the burner rotatably mounted on the tower, in the air stream of the wind machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wind machines are widely used in agricultural applications, often to prevent springtime frost damage to a crop by circulating the air near the crop. To supplement the circulation of air with a direct heating of the air, the wind machines have been fitted with heaters.
Prior wind machine devices with heating features include U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,541, to Smith, which includes heater fuel combustion along the trailing edges of the wind machine's propeller blades. To deliver the fuel into the rotating propeller, a concentric set of tubing is employed within a rotaryjoint. The tubing set includes a stationary pipe received within a rotating pipe. O-ring seals are positioned within the overlapping flared and butted portions of the pipes, within the rotary joint, as detailed in
FIG. 6
, therein. A significant problem with this central rotary joint is that it cannot be applied to a conventional wind machine. The Smith '541 apparatus does not require a drive shaft and so the central, rotary joint can occupy this axial position. However, the drive shaft for the conventional wind machine's propeller is typically positioned in the rotational center of the wind machine's connection to the tower.
Another heating wind machine is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,296,739 to Wiegel, which discloses a burner mounted near the hub of the propeller. A rotary connection supplies fuel through the rotating, upper section of the fan. The rotary connection of Wiegel '739 is detailed in
FIG. 4
, therein. The connection includes a hollow sleeve that couples to a fuel supply pipe. The hollow sleeve conducts the fuel into the upper section where it communicates with a lateral passage. An O-ring between the hollow sleeve and an upper joint section establishes a fluid tight seal. The wind machine rotates on the tower or support about a vertical axis. The Wiegel rotary connection is a simple pipe connection and so must be positioned at the bulls-eye center of the wind machine's vertical axis of rotation. Weigel provides a source of mechanical power for the wind machine on the rotating, upper portion of the wind machine and so avoids the need for a drive shaft that extends upward, along the rotational axis of the support. A rotatable connection for delivering liquids and fuels for a tower mounted wind machine is needed that does not require location at the center of the wind machine's vertical axis of rotation.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention provides a heater apparatus for a wind machine and particularly for heating a wind stream generated by the wind machine. The wind machine is rotatably mounted upon a central tower and generates the wind stream by the rotation of a propeller. The wind stream can be directed toward a target such as an orchard, vineyard or crop.
The heater apparatus includes a central tower that also receives the wind machine. The wind machine is set on the top of and rotes on the central tower. The rotation is accomplished by a pinion attached to the wind machine. The pinion rotates within a housing, and the housing is immovably mounted to the central tower. The housing includes a pinion cavity, which receives the pinion. The pinion is rotatable within the housing, and the pinion is co-rotatable with the wind machine about a common axis of rotation upon the central tower.
According to an aspect of the invention, the heater apparatus also includes a manifold formed in the pinion cavity. Specifically, the manifold is formed within the pinion cavity, between the pinion and the housing. The manifold is further bounded by an upper seal and a lower seal. A fuel is received into the manifold. The fuel is conducted into the manifold through a housing port. The housing port penetrates through the housing. The housing port has a housing port outlet at the pinion cavity. The housing port outlet is open to the manifold The housing port also has a housing port inlet at an exterior surface of the housing. The housing port inlet receives the fuel into the housing port. A pinion port passes through the pinion. The pinion port has a pinion port inlet at the pinion cavity, and a pinion port outlet at an exterior surface of the pinion. The pinion port inlet receives the fuel from the manifold and conducts the fuel to the pinion port outlet. A burner mounts proximate the wind machine. The burner combusts the fuel, received from the pinion port outlet. The fuel is combusted to heat the wind stream.
The present invention has the advantage of providing a heater apparatus for a wind machine that includes a fully rotational and substantially leak proof manifold, which conducts a steady flow of fuel to a burner. Still further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following figures and description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2848816 (1958-08-01), Maloof
patent: 2895259 (1959-07-01), Beckett
patent: 3067541 (1962-12-01), Smith
patent: 3296738 (1967-01-01), Wiegel
patent: 3377743 (1968-04-01), Thompson et al.
patent: 5244346 (1993-09-01), Fergusson
Orchard-Rite Ltd., Inc.
Stratton Ballew PLLC
Yeung James C.
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