37 75 Imperial Rear seat heaters

[John Tozer #7946]

Not that I am even close to needing a final answer but simply not knowing keeps me awake at night!

I need to know how the rear seat (floor mounted - see photo) heater worked in the 1937 75 (probably also 85) series Imperials. One suggestion is that it is not connected to the hot water system or the front seat heater but operates off some sort of "hot box" built around the exhaust pipe or muffler/s. The air in the "hot box" is heated by the exhaust and the floor vent in the photo is no more than that - a vent opening for that hot air into the rear compartment.

Sounds very dodgy given the potential for leaky exhausts and the transmission of exhaust gases into the rear compartment but I have no other leads.

Anybody got one of these and can provide the answer and, maybe, some measured drawings/photos of the arrangement under the floor?

Regards,



John Tozer
#7946

[Warren Rauch]

Your pretty close to how they worked.The heater is called the Hot Air Heater in the 30's, it started out as the Kelch Heater about 1924.The air intake varied from year to year ,but was in the front of the car to take advantage of air that was as clean as possible.About 1930 a fan was added to the intake for more air flow.
The unit looks like a muffler ,but the exhaust pipe goes striaght thru. Several tubes run parallel and in contact with the pipe, to act as cooling fins. The outer shell has an inlet,which is connected to the front of the car by flexible exhaust pipe. Then it may have one or two more flexible arms that go to registers in the floor of front and/or  rear conpartments.
  By 1937  ( starting 1929?) front conpartment heaters were avalible that used hot water. Cadillac  was not real happy with them because they took a long time to heat up. In 1934-35 the Steam Heater  was tried .It worked on a very small amount of water, if it leaked at all ,it didn't work. That is why the top of line still used the Hot Air Heater at least in the rear. I have pictures of older models , but no luck on the 36-37 model. Warren

[John Tozer #7946]

Warren,

Thanks a bunch for the lead. I found the attached patent details and, after standing on my head in front of a mirror I think I worked out how it works but..... not sure I would want to be in MY back seat after, say, 20,000 miles over your salty roads!

Still, Cadillac wouldn't have installed them unless there was more to them and, presumably, unless they were safe and so I would love any photos of any period. The patent is dated 1930.

Regards,


John Tozer

[tozerco]

Just moving this one back up with an update.

I have located a supplier for the attached Hot Air/Exhaust heater for late 30's/40's Ford and Lincolns. They look very similar to what would fit with the floor outlet I have for my '37 cadillac but I am lost as to where it goes and how it would be connected.

The supplier has undertaken to make one if I can supply patterns/dimensions/photos. Anyone help?

Regards,


John Tozer
#7946