Claims
- 1. An improved apparatus for illuminating a water fountain, said water fountain comprising at least one water nozzle capable of emitting a stream of water, said apparatus comprising:
- a main burner assembly disposed adjacent to said water nozzle and disposed partially beneath a surface of water in said fountain;
- a colorant manifold assembly connected to said main burner assembly by a plurality of colorant lines; and
- a control unit connected to said main burner assembly and said colorant manifold assembly by a plurality of electrical control wires;
- said main burner assembly comprising;
- a main burner cup, said main burner cup fitted with a drain for eliminating any water that enters said main burner cup;
- a main burner nozzle disposed generally in the center of said main burner cup;
- a pilot burner nozzle disposed adjacent to said main burner nozzle;
- a main fuel line connecting said main burner nozzle to a fuel supply, said main fuel line fitted with a main fuel flow control means for controlling the amount of fuel flowing through said main fuel line;
- a pilot fuel line connecting said pilot burner nozzle with said fuel supply, said pilot fuel line fitted with a pilot fuel flow control means for controlling the amount of fuel flowing through said pilot fuel line;
- an ignition means disposed adjacent to said pilot burner nozzle;
- a predetermined number of colorant nozzles disposed adjacent to said main burner nozzle;
- a flame sensor disposed adjacent to said main and pilot burner nozzles and connected by a flame sensor control line to said control unit, said flame sensor sending a signal to said control unit whenever at least one of said pilot or main burner flame is lit;
- said colorant manifold assembly comprising:
- a predetermined number of colorant reservoirs, each of said colorant reservoirs being connected to one of said colorant nozzles by a colorant line; and
- a colorant flow control means for each of said colorant line for controlling the amount of colorant flowing through said colorant lines;
- said control unit comprising:
- electrical control lines connected to each of said main fuel flow control means, said pilot fuel flow control means, said colorant flow control means, and said ignition means; and
- a plurality of switching means whereby each of the said flow control and ignition means can be selectively activated and controlled, such that:
- fuel emitted from said pilot burner nozzle can be ignited by said ignition means, creating a pilot burner flame; and
- fuel emitted from said main burner nozzle can be ignited by said pilot burner flame creating a main burner flame; and
- colorant emitted from said colorant nozzles can impinge on said main burner flame causing the color of said main burner flame to change according to which of such colorants, singly or in combination, is emitted from said colorant nozzles;
- said control unit comprising a microprocessor, said control unit controlling said main fuel flow control means such that fuel is emitted from said main burner nozzle only when said flame sensor senses that said pilot burner flame is lit;
- said control unit controlling said pilot fuel flow control means such that fuel is prevented from emitting from said pilot burner nozzle whenever said flame sensor has not detected a pilot flame for a predetermined period of time; and
- said control unit controlling said colorant flow control means such that colorant is emitted from said colorant nozzles only when said flame sensor senses that at least one of said pilot or main burner flames are lit.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said main burner assembly comprises, in addition, a flame sensor disposed adjacent to said main and pilot burner nozzles and connected by a flame sensor control line to said control unit, said flame sensor sending a signal to said control unit whenever at least one of said pilot or main burner flame is lit.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said control unit comprises a microprocessor.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said colorant comprise liquid solutions of metallic salts.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said colorant flow control means comprise pneumatically operated pinch valves.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said main burner assembly comprises a colorant nozzle mounting block disposed adjacent to said main burner cup, said colorant nozzles being mounted in said colorant mounting block.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said number of said colorants is four.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said ignition means is a glow plug.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said fuel is a gas.
- 10. An improved apparatus for illuminating a water fountain, said water fountain comprising at least one water nozzle capable of emitting a stream of water, said apparatus comprising:
- a main burner disposed adjacent to said water nozzle and disposed partially beneath a surface of water in said fountain;
- a flame sensor disposed to adjacent to said main and pilot burner nozzles and connected by a flame sensor control line to said control means, said flame sensor sending a signal to control means when ever said main burner flame is lit;
- a control means for regulating the flow of said fuel to said main burner, the flow of said control to said main burner flame, and for controlling the operation of said ignition means;
- said control means controlling said fuel flow such that fuel is emitted from said main burner nozzle only when said flame sensor senses that said ignition means is operating;
- said control means controlling said colorant flow control means such that colorant is emitted from said colorant nozzle means only when said flame sensor senses that said main burner flame is lit;
- whereby a colored flame is created for the improved illumination of a water fountain.
- 11. An improved apparatus for illuminating a water fountain, said water fountain comprising at least one water nozzle capable of emitting a stream of water, said apparatus comprising:
- a main burner assembly disposed adjacent to said water nozzle and disposed partially beneath a surface of water in said fountain;
- a colorant manifold assembly connected to said main burner assembly by a plurality of colorant lines; and
- a control unit connected to said main burner assembly and said control manifold assembly by a plurality of electrical control wires;
- said main burner cup fitted with a drain for eliminating any water that enters said main burner cup;
- a pilot burner nozzle disposed adjacent to said main burner nozzle;
- a main fuel line connecting said main burner nozzle to a fuel supply, said main fuel line fitted with a main fuel flow control means for controlling the amount of fuel flowing through said main fuel line;
- a pilot fuel line connecting said pilot burner nozzle with said fuel supply, said pilot fuel line fitted with a pilot fuel flow control means for controlling the amount of fuel flowing through said pilot fuel line;
- an ignition means disposed adjacent to said pilot burner nozzle;
- a predetermined number of colorant nozzles disposed adjacent to said main burner nozzle;
- said colorant manifold assembly comprising;
- a predetermined number of colorant reservoirs, each of said colorant reservoirs being connected to one of said colorant nozzles by a colorant line; and
- a colorant flow control line means for each of said colorant lines for controlling the amount of colorant flowing through said colorant lines;
- said colorant unit comprising:
- electrical control lines connected to each of said main fuel flow control means, said pilot fuel flow control means, said colorant flow control means, and said ignition means; and
- a plurality of switching means whereby each of the said flow control and ignition means can be selectively activated and controlled, such that:
- fuel emitted from said pilot burner nozzle can be ignited by said ignition means, creating a pilot burner flame;
- fuel emitted from said main burner nozzle an be ignited by said pilot burner flame creating a main burner flame; and
- colorant emitted from said colorant nozzles can impinge on said main burner flame causing the color of said main burner flame to change according to which of such colorants, singly or in combination, is emitted from said colorant nozzles;
- a flame sensor disposed to adjacent to said main and pilot burner nozzles and connected by a flame sensor control line to said control unit, said flame sensor sending a signal to control unit when ever at least one of said pilot or main burner flame is lit;
- said control unit controlling said fuel flow such that fuel is emitted from said main burner nozzle only when said flame sensor senses that said pilot burner flame is lit;
- said control unit controlling said pilot fuel flow control means such that fuel is prevented from emitting from said pilot burner nozzle whenever said flame sensor has not detected a pilot flame for a predetermined period of time; and
- said control unit controlling said colorant flow control means such that colorant is emitted from said colorant nozzle means only when said flame sensor senses that at least one of said pilot or main burner flames are lit.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/048,566 filed 5-11-87, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
19351 |
Jul 1970 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
48566 |
May 1987 |
|