Improvements in Apparatus for Ventilating and Cooling Purposes on Board Ships.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 10th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th June, 1887
Improvements in Apparatus for Ventilating and Cooling Purposes
on Board Ships.'
We JOHN STEPHENS and ALEXANDER SMITH both of Cuba Street Millwall
London, E. in the County of Middlesex Engineers and Boiler Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING
AND COOLING PURPOSES ON BOARD SHIPS to be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object the better and more effective ventilation and
cooling of the air on board ships, and for which purpose we make use of electricity
as the generating power as hereinafter described.
The systems of ventilation hitherto adopted in sea going vessels have been of a
very primitive nature, consisting mainly of metal air shafts for the engine rooms,
stoke holes and the like; and wind sails for the holds and saloons; also sometimes
when in the tropics, punkahs worked by hand or steam power are fitted in the saloons;
the cabins however have hitherto only obtained such an amount of air as is possible
by means of open doors and ports, but when the air is still and this is frequently
the case such ventilation so obtained is of the most meagre description. The ordinary
Punkah in its motion certainly serves to cool the air in its immediate vicinity, but
without creating ventilation, and having no effect whatever upon the air in the
adjoining cabins. Now the principal object of ventilation is to ensure a constant
change of air by the uninterrupted withdrawal of the vitiated air, which latter being
much lighter than atmospheric air, then rises to the ceiling and said vitiated air is
replaced by pure atmospheric air.
In accordance therefore with our Invention, we adopt the following as a convenient
means of obtaining the desired result last mentioned. We fix fan blowers of special
form and construction, designed to distribute, diffuse, and circulate either constant or
intermittent currents of air as may be desired. The constructive details of said fans
will be given in our Complete Specification, the distinguishing feature however of
same comprises the employment of curved vanes or plates arranged and mounted at a
suitable pitch upon a central horizontal spindle similarly as in the case of an ordinary
marine screw propeller, and without any enclosing casing. Said fans being actuated

page_text: by an electro motor or by electro-motors, the motion given to the latter being obtained
from primary batteries if on a sailing vessel, or from the dynamo used for lighting
purposes if on a steam vessel. Thus, as will be seen from the foregoing, the action
of the fans above mentioned, is to draw out from every part of the vessel, either by
constant or intermittent action the vitiated air from the cabins, and gases from the
engine room, stoke holes, and holds; and force or inject, especially into the cabins,
fresh atmospheric air creating a current and a disturbance in the air which has all the
refreshing effects of a Punkab, and at the same time is produced in a much more
efficient and economical manner than is obtainable by the employment of the last
named or other devices, and thus making the enclosed rooms and spaces refreshingly
cool and pure.
Dated this Seventh day of August 1886
JAMES
STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Ventilating and Cooling Purposes
on Board Ships.
We, JOHN STEPHENS and ALEXANDER SMITH, both of Cuba Street, Millwall,
London, E., in the County of Middlesex, Engineers and Boiler makers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
and accompanying drawings
Our Invention has for its object, the better and more effective ventilation and
cooling of the air on board ships, and for which purpose we make use of electricity as
the generating power as hereinafter described.
The systems of ventilation hitherto adopted in sea going vessels have been of a very
primitive nature, consisting mainly of metal air shafts for the engine rooms, stoke
holes and the like; and wind sails for the holds and saloons; also sometimes when in
the tropics punkahs worked, by hand or steam power are fitted in the saloons; the
cabins however have hitherto only obtained such an amount of air as is possible by
means of open doors and ports, but when the air is still-and this is frequently the
case such ventilation so obtained is of the most meagro description. The ordinary
Punkah in its motion certainly serves to cool the air in its immediate vicinity, but
without creating ventilation, and having no effect whatever upon the air in the
adjoining cabins. Now the principal object of ventilation is to ensure a constant
change of air by the uninterrupted withdrawal of the vitiated air, which latter being
much lighter than atmospheric air, then rises to the ceiling and said vitiated air is
replaced by pure atmospheric air.
In accordance with our Invention we adopt the following as a convenient means of
obtaining the desired result last mentioned. We fix air propellers designed to distribute,
diffuse and circulate cither constant or intermittent currents of air as may be desired.
Said air propellers consist of curved vanes or plates-of such a pitch as to give or
diffuse a maximum current of air-arranged and mounted upon a central horizontal
spindle similarly as in the case of an ordinary marine screw propeller. Any number
of said air propeller vanes may be mounted upon the same central shaft at suitable
distances apart according to the requirements. Or, they may be arranged upon two
separate shafts similarly as in the case of a marine twin screw propeller. The before
mentioned air propeller vanes whether mounted upon one or more shafts are actuated
by an electro-motor or electro motors, as shewn in the accompanying drawing, in
which Figure 1 is a plan view and Figure 2 an end view. A being the electro motor
(that which we have shewn being one of the well known Reckenzaun type of such
motors), B the motor shaft, and C the propeller which is as will be seen entirely devoid
of any enclosing casing.
When the above or other electro motor is employed the motion imparted to such
may be obtained from primary batteries, if on a sailing vessel, or froin the dynamo
used for lighting purposes if on a steam vessel.

page_text: Thus as will be seen from the foregoing, the action of the fans above mentioned is
to draw out from every part of the vessel, either by constant or intermittent action,
the vitiated air from the cabins, and gases from the engine room, stoke holes, and
holds, and force or inject, especially into the cabins, fresh atmospheric air creating a
current and a disturbance in the air which has all the refreshing effects of a Punkab,
and at the same time is produced in a much more efficient and economical manner
than is obtainable by the employment of the last named or other devices, and thus
making the enclosed rooms and spaces refreshingly cool and pure.
The device according to our Invention will be found of special advantage for use on
board Passenger Ships of superior class for keeping the saloons, cabins and sleeping
berths cool and well ventilated. It further commends itself by the very small space
which it occupies and the convenience with which the ventilating and cooling device
according to our Invention may be adapted and applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
we declare that what we claim is:
First. The apparatus for ventilating and cooling purposes on board ships,
substantially as herein set forth.
Second. For ventilating and cooling purposes on board ships the use of unenclosed
air propellors actuated by an electro-motor or by electro motors, substantially as herein
set forth.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,"
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicants.