THE TANK MODE OF HEATING. 



207 



under the gutters had not been disturbed, 

 they are set on a floor of concrete, and 

 elevated the thickness of a brick, two 

 bricks being placed at every 15 inches 

 immediately under the joints. This is 

 intended to obtain heat by radiation from 

 the bottoms, as well as from the top and 

 sides, giving a radiating surface of 40 

 inches to every lineal foot of gutter. 

 This, when the gutters are placed so near 

 the ground, we think of small impor- 

 tance, as the radiating power from the 

 under surface must be nearly all absorbed 

 by the floor. The gutters are covered 

 with tiles 1^ inches in thickness ; and over 

 them, level with the top of the front para- 

 pet wall, are laid slate tables, as seen in 

 the section g g, fig. 271; — these are sup- 

 ported upon iron rods and the top of 

 the front wall, and are about 1 foot apart, 

 and are intended for setting plants on. 

 The hot water is conveyed from the 

 boiler to the tanks, by a pipe from its top 

 extending to both hothouse and pits, hav- 

 ing a brass union-joint on each side at the 

 bottom, to receive the return-pipes. The 

 flow-pipes are regulated by cocks, so that 

 the water may be made to flow to both 

 house and pits at the same time, or to 

 either separately. The pits are heated 

 by a tank laid on a concrete and cemented 

 floor, and covered with tiles as above. 

 An aperture is left between the front wall 

 and the bed — 

 Fig. 272. vide section, fig. 



272 ; the latter 

 is formed of 

 slates set on 

 edge, which 

 take up much 

 less room than 

 brick walls, 

 however nar- 

 §j§§ row they might 

 be made. The 

 chief peculiarity in the tanks in the pits 

 is their being divided into three corn- 

 Fig. 273. partments, which may be heated 

 either together or separately. 

 This is effected by sluices hav- 

 ing a handle, fig. 273, long enough 

 to pass up through the bed of 

 mould, so that they can be opened 

 or shut without trouble. Circu- 

 lar earthenware tubes, i i, are 

 set on the top of the tile covers, 

 and pass up through the bed 



of mould to admit dry heat into the at- 

 mosphere of the pit, while at the same 

 time similar tubes, k k, are placed with 

 one end through the tile covering, 

 and also up through the bed, to admit 

 moist heat — and these are opened or 

 shut at pleasure by wooden plugs. The 

 owner of these tanks concludes his de- 

 scription of them by saying," I see nothing 

 to prevent these gutters and tanks last- 

 ing sound for ever, and they undoubtedly 

 heat a considerable area at a very small 

 first cost." 



Tinker's method of tank-heating. — The 

 annexed woodcuts, figs. 274, 275, exhibit 

 _. „. a very ex- 



F «' 274 - eel lent 



mode of 

 heating 

 by this 

 means, 

 and one 

 well ad- 

 apted for 

 the culti- 

 vation of 

 cucum- 

 bers and 



pines. The gutters or tanks are formed of 

 Yorkshire pavement, in long lengths 2| 

 inches thick. They are grooved and j oined 



Fig. 275. 







^3 

























































together with white lead, with a coat of 

 Roman cement over the joint. The 

 gutters are 2 feet 3 inches broad, and 5 

 inches in depth ; the bottom is laid on 

 brick piers, and the sides and middle 

 division are of brick set in cement, and 

 are carried up 2 inches above the level 

 of the sides, to support the iron bearers 

 which are laid across them for sustaining 

 the slate covering. The water is 4 inches 

 deep, the flow-pipe entering near the top, 

 while the return one is placed close to the 

 bottom of the gutters, by which means 

 Mr Tinker thinks every drop of the water 

 is made to circulate, and which he con- 

 siders of great importance, as it keeps the 



