Solar-heating plant.

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY L. LITTLE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SOLAR-HEATING PLANT.

965,39. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 26, 1910. Application filed December 30, 1908. Serial No. 470,104.

To Beall whom it may concern: sun's rays from a wide area and to direct it known that I, MARY L. LITTLE, a such rays to said bodies 6.

citizen of the United States, residing at Los The apparatus may be arranged with a Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and southern inclination in northern latitudes 60 State of California, have invented a new for the purpose of most advantageously and useful Solar-Heating Plant, of which receiving the rays and directing them upon the following is a specification. the heat-absorbing bodies. The object of this invention is to pro In cloudy weather at night and whenever vide means for warming apartments by the

O heat of the sun at night and during cloudy it is deemed advisable to close the apparatus,

the doors 2 and 3 will be shut down thus weather, such warming to be as convenient closing the insulating receptacle and retain and effective as by artificial means heretofore ing the heat within the device. inThe use, and also being thoroughly accompanying drawings sanitary. 11 designates a valved air inlet and 12 a. 70 illustrate 5 valve therefor. Said inlet opens into the theFigure invention. bottom of the case to supply cold air thereto. 1 is a perspective view of appa 13 represents a valved air outlet leading ratus constructedir accordance with this in from the top of the case to the apartments, vention and set aslant. Fig. 2 is a longi not shown, that are to be heated. 14 desig tudinal sectional elevation of an analogous nates a valve for the hot air outlet. 20 apparatus set level. Line ac, Fig. 1 desig

The heat-absorbing bodies 6 may be stones nates the plane of section. In this view of such form that when the stones are placed the floor of the receptacle is level. Fig. 3 together, open air-spages or interstices will is a fragmental sectional view on linea', occur between them as indicated at 7. The

25 1 represents an insulating receptacle in stones may be boulders and should be 80 thoroughly washed and dried before they the form of a box, the walls of which may are placed in the case.

be of concrete or other material and of any 15 designates a corrugated iron Support suitable construction for retaining the heat. for said stones, the purpose being to allow 85 A cover formed of two hinged doors 2 and 3 air to flow freely underneath the stones from 30 extends over the same. 4 represents a case the cold-air inlet 11 when the valves 12 and having translucent walls 5 through which 14 are open.

the sun's rays may penetrate to heat loosely A transparent glass top or inner cover 16 arranged heat-absorbing bodies 6 between may be provided over the orifice of the cavity 90

which are communicating air-spaces 7. In 17 around the case 4 so as to prevent the the form shown, the case 4 is a rectangular heat from being carried away by air prism, and all of the walls thereof above currents. . a . the base are transparent, and the top 8 is The cover may be provided with a dead also open to the Sun's rays and may be pro air space 18, and a dead air space.19 may 95 40 vided with lenses 9 as shown, in order to be provided between the cover and the glass concentrate said rays upon the heat-absorb top or inner cover 16, Another dead air ing bodies 6 inside the case. space 20 may be provided between the case I do not limit the construction to the use 4 and the glass top 16 and reflectors. 10. of lenses for the top, but such lenses are Another dead air space 21 may be provided 10 45 deemed advisable in some instances. between the reflectors and the Walls 22 and In case the lenses 9 are used, care is taken floor 23 of the insulating receptacle 1: . that the bodies 6 be so arranged as to receive In practical use, when the sun is shining, the concentrated rays of the sun when the the doors 2 and 3 may be opened so that the apparatus is subjected to the sun's rays. sun will heat the contents of the case. When Around the case 4 is provided a series of the heat of the sun is no longer, effective 105 50 reflectors 10 arranged to direct to the case upon the apparatus.the doors. Will be closed, the sun's rays that fall upon th reflectors. thus to instilate the interior of the apparatus The purpose is to heat the heat-absorbing and retain the heat until it is desired to be bodies 6 as fully as possible during the time used in the building, not shown, with which O 55 that the sun's rays fall upon the apparatus. theWhenhot-air outlet 13 is connected. . . The reflectors should be constructed and ar the valvesit is desired to heat such building 12 and 14 will be opened, thus ranged in such manner as to receive the f

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to allow the air to pass into the case 4 and seated in the heat-insulated outer inclosing 20 thence up through the outlet 13 to the casing having reflecting sides; Said inner building. receptacle having a channeled base consti By constructing large plants of this char tuting a support for the heat-absorbing acter and arranging to concentrate a large bodies and toward which said reflecting sides amount of sun's rays upon the heat-absorb are downwardly and inwardly inclined, said ing bodies, the same may be brought to a outer casing being provided with a hinged 25 high heat and such heat may be largely re lid to allow exposure to the sun's rays, and tained until the time of use, and great with a hot-air passage leading from the top 10 economy of fuel result. and a cold-air passage leading into the bot I claim:- tom of the inner receptacle. A solar heater comprising an outer in In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 30 sulating receptacle, an inner incased air my hand at Los Angeles, California, this tight receptacle having transparent sides and 16th day of December, 1908. 5 a top composed of one or more condensing MARY L. LTTLE. lenses and containing a plurality of loosely packed heat-absorbing bodies with air spaces

In presence of -

JAMEs R. TowNSEND, between them; said inner receptacle being M. BEULAH TowNSEND.