AN AUTOMATIC VENTILATOR, ALARM, AND PUMP FOR VESSELS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of 35, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for
the Invention of "AN AUTOMATIC VENTILATOR, ALARM, AND PUMP FOR
VESSELS."—A communication from abroad by William Fitz James
Thiers, of the City of New York, in the United States of America,
Doctor of Medicine, P. D. Roddey, Merchant, and Edward Parkman,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 28th November 1870, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.

page_text: Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declara-
tion that it has been communicated to me from abroad by William Fitz
James Thiers, of the City of New York, in the United States of America,
Docter of Medicine, P. D. Roddey, Merchant, and Edward Parkman,
Gentleman, also of said City of New York.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand
and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :—
In carrying out the Invention a pair of air-tight chambers or cylinders
are applied at or near opposite sides or ends of a vessel, and connected
at their lower parts by a pipe or pipes so that water, quicksilver, or
other heavy fluid which may fill the connecting pipe and partially fill
the chambers, will, by reason of its own gravity and the motion of the
vessel, be caused to pass from one chamber to the other, thereby expelling
air or water through suitable discharge ports from the chamber, which is
for the time being lower, and causing a partial vacuum in the upper one,
so that air or water may be forced into this by atmospheric pressure to
be again expelled at the next motion of the vessel. For pumping water
the chambers are supplied with quicksilver. An induction pipe leads
from the bilge of the vessel to each of the air-tight chambers and
eduction pipes discharge over the side. For pumping air for ventilating,
or for an alarm, water may be used in the chambers, the induction pipe
connecting from the hold or other part below decks from which mephitic
air is to be taken, and discharged either through a horn or not according
to whether an alarm is or is not required to be sounded.
In practice it is preferable to use for pumping air a water chamber
near the bow, communicating with one near the stern, and at the
opposite side of the vessel, and for pumping water a similar diagonal
arrangement of the necessary apparatus, so that both systems may be
operated by either a rolling or pitching motion of the vessel.
In order to prevent corrosion from the contact of salt water or moist
air the valves and the delicate parts of the alarm horns may be made or
coated with platinum or other metal which will not readily become
oxidized.
Automatic valves in the several cylinders prevent the discharge of the
numning Auide.

page_text: And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a ship provided with the apparatus ;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; Figure 3 is a longitudinal elevation
of the apparatus on one side of the vessel, on a larger scale; Figure 4 is
a transverse section of a vessel and of a modification of the apparatus in
the same, illustrating the operation. In the several Figures like letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, A, represent water-tight chambers or cylinders adapted to contain
quicksilver arranged respectively at the bow and stern of a vessel and on
opposite sides, and connected at their lower parts by a pipe B; C, C,
represent the chambers or cylinders, and D the connecting pipe of a
similar apparatus adapted to contain water, the cylinders C, C, being
arranged opposite to the mercury cylinders A, A, respectively. The two
chambers or cylinders of each apparatus or system are thus arranged
diagonally with relation to each other, their connecting pipes crossing.
The latter may be laid in any convenient lines. E, E, represent suction
pipes, and F, F, branches connecting the said suction pipes with the
cylinders A, C, at their upper parts; G, G, represent discharge pipes
leading from the pipes F; e, g, represent check valves in the suction
pipes E and discharge pipes G. The suction pipes connecting with the
mercury cylinders A extend to the “dead wèll” or extreme bottom of
the vessel, so as to take in any bilge water which may be there, and
terminate in strainers 8 to prevent any obstruction entering. The
suction pipes connecting with the water cylinders O may be likewise
extended and furnished, but are designed chiefly for extension by branches
to the various parts of the vessel which it may be desirable to ventilate,
being adapted to take in the impure air. G, G', represent branches of
the discharge pipes G of the water cylinders O leading to horns H.
t, f, t¹¹, are stop-cocks for controlling the operation of the apparatus.
The apparatuses A, B, A, and C, D, C, are supplied with sufficient
quicksilver and water respectively to fill the pipes B, D, and partially
fill the several cylinders A, C, when the vessel is at rest. This being
done the apparatuses operate automatically at all times, the slightest
roll or pitch in either direction serving to fill one pair of the cylinders,
forcing out the water or air previously contained and exhausting the

page_text: other, and thereby drawing from the hold or other part of the ship water
or air to fill them. The discharge pipes may be carried upward from the
pumping cylinders so that water will be forced up through them to any
required height in cases where it is required to be raised to a greater
height than it can be by atmospheric pressure. The operation is con-
tinuous unless it is checked by closing the cocks t in the pipes F leading
from the upper parts of the cylinders. Through the pipes leading to and
from the mercury cylinders water if present, and if not air is ejected,
while through the other set of pipes foul air is drawn from the several
compartments of the vessel, leaving its place to be supplied by pure air.
On closing the cocks in the discharge pipes of the air cylinders C and
opening in the branches G³ the air as it is forced out is made to pass
through the horns H, and an alarm is thus continuously sounded when
and as long as it may be necessary. The surfaces of the several valves
and valve seats, the sensitive parts of the horns H and such other parts
of the apparatus as it may be deemed advisable may be coated with
platinum or some similar metal or other substance which will resist the
corroding effects of sea water, moist air, and acid; or such parts or any
of them may be made of such material. Besides, in this respect, the
several parts of the apparatus may be of any suitable material and their
particular form varied.
In Figure 4 the apparatus represented is of modified form, a single
transverse system being employed.
r, r, (Figure 4) represent buoyant valves adapted to float on the
pumping fluids (mercury or water) to prevent the discharge of the same
from the pumping cylinders by closing the mouths of the pipes F. q, q,
(Figure 4) represent levers for guiding the valves r.
9,
Although there is above described one apparatus or set of appliances
supplied with mercury and another with water for the respective purposes
of pumping water and air, and the cylinders A and C are shown of the
relative size which would result, the Invention is not limited in these
particulars.
It is evident that either mercury or water would perform either or both
operations, and it is proposed to so arrange the apparatus when for any
reason it
may be desirable.
The following may be named as advantages of the Invention,-
First. The principles or laws of hydrostatics and hydraulics are
mechanically applied in an efficient manner to the ventilation of naval,

page_text: packet, and merchant vessels, thereby preserving health and preventing
the pernicious effects of zymotic, infectious, and malignant diseases on
shipboard.
Second. Perishable cargoes are secured against deterioration or decay
from mephitic vapor or foul or confined air arising from bilge water
and other causes, as is frequently experienced in the shipment of cargoes
of grain, tropical fruits, teas, coffee, and many other commercial articles of
valve which are subject to decay or injury from causes and consequences
before mentioned. The process also averts or removes the usual causes
of spontaneous combustion and prevents ignition of inflammable gases by
preventing any accumulation thereof.
Third. It constitutes a labor saving expedient whereby all bilge water
and water from ordinary leakage is constantly removed as fast as it
accumulates, and an alarm sounded when and as long as desired, the
same being accomplished without friction of solids or material expense.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode
in which the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim is,―
First. The chambers A or C, connecting pipe or pipes B or D, induction
port or ports F, and eduction port or ports G, arranged to operate in
combination, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The diagonal arrangement of the connected chambers or
cylinders of the respective systems to adapt them to be operated by
either the pitching or rolling motion of the vessel, as set forth.
Third. The platinum or equivalent non-corrosive surfaces of the alarm
horn Hand valves.
Fourth. The mode or system of ventilating and pumping vessels by
means of appliances, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.