VIDIONAL OUTCATIO
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
VIDIONAL OUTCATIO
Improvements in or connected with Means for Ventilating Apart-
ments and Controlling the Temperature and Sanitary Conditions
of the Air therein.
I, WILLIAM ROBINSON MACDONALD, of Allegheny, in the County of Allegheny,
and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Air Heater, Mantel, Grate
and Tile Setter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to supply an apparatus or means applicable to
hotels, private residences, prisons, hospitals, and other places or buildings for
ventilating and controlling the temperature and sanitary condition of the air in
apartments within the building, each independently of the other.
My invention comprises an air-tight cabinet or structure having a suitable air-
inlet and provided with means for warming, cooling or refrigerating and purifying
or charging the incoming air with antiseptics and medicaments for any particular
ailments, in an apartment to which the cabinet or structure is applied, suitable
provisions being made for drawing off the vitiated air from the apartment.
These cabinets or structures are designed to be separately applied to a series of
apartments in a building so that each apartment may be isolated from the other
although all the apartments may have a general outlet and means for drawing off
the vitiated air.
Said apartments, by means of their independent cabinets may have the incoming
air, which passes into them, separately treated as required, to suit the particular
condition, comfort or requirements of the occupants of the different apartments
without risk of contagion or interference with the comfort of the other, so that
applied to hotels, the invention may be used for separately warming or cooling
adjacent apartments, and applied to hospitals the sick person may have the air
regulated or medicated in his room as required, and a convalescent person in an
adjacent room may have the temperature or condition of the air regulated to suit
his requirements, without any liability of contagion from adjacent sick rooms.
A conspicuous advantage and feature of this invention is that by the use of these
independent cabinets, occupying only a small space and each fitted with means for
independently changing the temperature and quality or medicated condition of the
air, in the different apartments as necessities may require. There will be a great
economy and convenience over, as compared with a single apparatus for varying
the temperature or qualifying the condition of air in a series of apartments; and
room and working expenses will be largely economised, inasmuch, as much smaller
apartments, having all the necessary requirements for inhalation and exhalation,
will suffice, so that an apartment measuring only six feet, by seven feet, and eight
fect in the remaining direction, containing but three-hundred and thirty-six cubic
feet, may be well ventilated, and would be of ample capacity for the necessary
requirements of an ordinary person.
A series of separate apartments are arranged on the one side or half of a corridor
having independent doors whose upper portions are preferably framed with glass, so
that inspection of the interior and view of the occupants may be had without.
opening the doors.
These apartments and their doors should be of any suitable construction that will
make them air-tight and protect the apartments from contagion, and each
apartment is fitted with a cabinet, which should be made double-walled and is
provided with a door, as nearly air-tight as possible. These cabinets are arranged
to project into or enter the apartments from the outside, and are accessible by.

page_text: their doors from the corridor, or they might be otherwise placed to connect with
their respective apartments.
Each cabinet is provided with an air-inlet, into and through which the air to be
treated and supplied to the apartment is to be drawn, and, after being suitably
heated, cooled or medicated in the cabinet is distributed within the apartment as by
an outlet pipe, which may be located over a bed in the apartment for special cases,
as for instance, where an anæsthetic is to be conveyed, or be elsewhere distributed
within the apartment according to the treatment, or as merely warmed or cooled
air is to be conveyed thereto, the vitiated air is drawn from the apartment as by
suction of an exhaust duct having suitable branches connecting with the different
apartments and terminating in a main exhaust, to which may be applied a fan or
any suitable ventilating device. A supplementary or emergency exhaust duct may
also be arranged to connect with the upper portions of the apartments and terminate
in the same main exhaust duct.
Each cabinet is suitably fitted with means for warming, cooling or medicating
with various medicaments, the air entering and circulating through the cabinet and
to be afterwards passed therefrom into the apartment to which the cabinet pertains.
Thus, each cabinet is represented as constructed with circulating passages, formed
in part by upright and horizontal partitions with suitable openings, but the
circulating passages may be variously arranged. The air, entering the cabinet by
its inlet, first passes downward on one side of an upright partition, then underneath
the same by an opening up on the other side of said partition under another
horizontal partition, through an opening and up to the underside of an upper
horizontal partition, and out through the opening into the upper space of the
cabinets and out by a distributing outlet to the apartment.
The air in thus making its detour through the cabinets, is exposed to any
suitable devices, or means used to warm, cool or medicate it as required, each
cabinet being provided with special means within itself for thus variously treating
or qualifying the air entering and circulating through the cabinet, according to the
necessities of the patient or occupant of the particular apartment without regard to
or connection with the adjacent apartments. The several apartments being isolated
one from the other, and by means of their independent cabinets, having the air in
them separately and it may be very differently treated or medicated to suit the
requirements of their respective occupants. Thus the air as it enters through the
inlet of each cabinet may first pass down through one or more reticulated drawers
or receptacles adapted to carry sponges saturated with antiseptics, anaesthetics or
other medicaments, and thereby qualify or change the air to be conveyed to the
apartment as required, and as the air passes through the opening it may be warmed
if necessary by circulating up and about a steam radiator, or, if not required to be
heated, be exposed after its passage through the opening to a refrigerating coil to
cool it when required, and, if necessary, after its passage through the opening be
further exposed to contact with a tank containing ice or a freezing mixture, before
its final discharge from the cabinet into the apartment as for instance by the outlet
pipe. A drip pan is provided in the bottom of the cabinet to receive moisture.
It is not necessary that the air should be exposed to all of these devices for
controlling the temperature or condition of the air, at the same time, or rather that
all of said devices should be in operation simultaneously, as only one, or certain of
them might be used to temper or medicate the air to the apartment as required,
and any other well-known or suitable heating and cooling devices may be used in
the cabinets other than those described, but each cabinet should be provided with
means for medicating the incoming air, and for heating and cooling it to be used
as needed.
The invention is particularly more desirable for small, otherwise air-tight
compartments, for the reason that the temperature and quality of the entering air
may be made to suit the requirements of each individual occupant.
For instance, if the occupant of an apartment be ill, he is at once easily isolated,
the temperature arranged to suit his particular case; antiseptics placed in one or

page_text: both of the receptacles of the cabinet for the purpose, or, in the case of lung or
bronchial trouble, the pulmonic inhalants may be employed; and, if the occupant
of the next room or apartment be in the enjoyment of good health, he is isolated
and can remain without fear of contagion and may order the temperature so that
he may even be able to sleep under a blanket in hot weather, while the occupant of
still another adjacent room or apartment may at the same time order the temperature
to be raised in his room, to a high degree of summer heat or even higher. Occupant
of another or fourth apartment, too, may be suffering from a contagious disease,
but if the exhaust from all the apartments be properly arranged, infection is
improbable.
1000
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Means for Ventilating Apart-
ments and Controlling the Temperature and Sanitary Conditions
of the Air therein.
I, WILLIAM ROBINSON MACDONALD, of 6 South Diamond Street, Allegheny
City, in the County of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Gentleman; 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 :-
The object of this invention is to supply an apparatus or means applicable to
hotels, private residences, prisons, hospitals, and other places or buildings for
ventilating and controlling the temperature and sanitary conditions of the air in
apartments within the building, each independently of the other.
My invention comprises an air-tight cabinet or structure having a suitable air-
inlet and provided with means for warming, cooling, or refrigerating and purifying
or charging the incoming air with antiseptics or medicaments for any particular
ailment in an apartment to which the cabinet or structure is applied, suitable
provision being made for drawing off the vitiated air from the apartment. These
cabinets or structures are designed to be separately applied to a series of apartments
in a building, so that each apartment may be isolated from the other, although all
the apartments may have a general outlet and means for drawing off the vitiated
air. Said apartments by means of their independent cabinets may have the
incoming air which passes into them separately treated, as required, to suit the
particular condition, comfort, or requirements of the occupants of the different
apartments without risk of contagion or interference with the comfort of the other
so that applied to hotels the invention may be used for separately warming or
cooling adjacent apartments, and applied to hospitals a sick person may have the
air regulated or medicated in his room, as required, and a convalescent person in an
adjacent room may have the temperature or condition of the air regulated to suit
his requirements without any liability of contagion from adjacent sick-rooms.
A conspicuous advantage and feature of this invention is that by the use of these
independent cabinets, occupying only a small space and each fitted with means for
independently changing the temperature and quality or medicated condition of the
air in the different apartments as necessities may require, there will be great
economy and convenience over as compared with a single apparatus for varying the
temperature or qualifying the condition of the air in a series of apartments, and
room and working expenses will be largely economized, inasmuch as much smaller
apartments having all the necessary requirements for inhalation and exhalation will
suffice, so that an apartment measuring only six feet by seven feet and eight feet in
the remaining direction, containing but three hundred and thirty-six cubic feet, may

page_text: be well ventilated and would be of ample capacity for the necessary requirements
of an ordinary person.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the one side or half of a corridor
in part with my invention applied to a supposed number or series of separate
apartments.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through one of the apartments, and
Fig. 3 a perspective elevation of the same as seen from its interior.
Fig. 4 is an outside front elevation of one of the cabinets;
Fig. 5, a front elevation of said cabinet open;
Fig. 6, a horizontal section on the line in Fig. 5, and.
Fig. 7 a further horizontal section on the line y y in Fig. 5.
A indicates a series of separate apartments arranged on the one side or half of a
corridor, and B the independent doors thereof, having their upper portions preferably
framed with glass, so that inspection of the interior and view of the occupants may
be had without opening the doors. These apartments and their doors should be of
any suitable construction that will make them air-tight and protect the apartments
from contagion, and each apartment is fitted with a cabinet S, which should be
made double-walled and is provided with a door C as nearly air-tight as possible.
These cabinets are arranged to project into or enter the apartments from the outside
and are accessible by their doors C from the corridor, or they might be otherwise
placed to connect with their respective apartments.
Each cabinet is provided with an air-inlet b, into or through which the air to be
treated and supplied to the apartment is to be drawn and, after being suitably
heated, cooled, or medicated in the cabinet, is distributed within the apartment, as
by an outlet-pipe c, which may be located over the cot D in the apartment in
special cases as, for instance, where an anesthetic is to be conveyed-or be else-
where distributed within the apartment, according to the treatment, or as merely
warmed or cooled air is to be conveyed thereto. The vitiated air is drawn from
the apartments as by a suction or exhaust duct E, having suitable branches
connecting with the different apartments and terminating in a main exhaust F, to
which may be applied a fan or any suitable ventilating device. A supplementary
or emergency exhaust-duct G may also be arranged to connect with the upper
portions of the apartments and terminate in the same main exhaust-duct F.
Each cabinet is suitably fitted with means for warming, cooling, or medicating
with various medicaments, the air entering and circulating through the cabinet
and to be afterward passed therefrom into the apartment to which the cabinet
pertains. Thus cach cabinet S is represented as constructed with circulating-
passages formed in part by upright and horizontal partitions d, e, f, and g, leaving
openings h, i, and ;; but the circulating-passages may be variously arranged. The
air entering the cabinet by its inlet b first passes downward on one side of the
upright partition d, then underneath the same by the opening h, up on the other
side of said partition d, under the horizontal partition f, through the opening i, and
up to the under side of the upper horizontal partition g, out through the opening j
into the upper space of the cabinet, and out by the distributing-outlet c to the
apartment. The air in thus making its detour through the cabinets is exposed to
any suitable devices or means used to warm, cool, purify, or medicate it, as required,
each cabinet being provided with special means within itself for thus variously
treating or qualifying the air entering and circulating through the cabinet, according
to the necessities of the patient or occupant of the particular apartment without
regard to or connection with the adjacent apartments, the several apartments being
isolated one from the other and by means of their independent cabinets S having
the air in them separately, and it may be very differently treated or medicated to
suit the different requirements of their respective occupants. Thus the air as it

page_text: enters through the inlet of each cabinet may first pass down through one or more
reticulated drawers or receptacles H, adapted to carry sponges saturated with
antiseptics, anesthetics, or other medicaments, and thereby qualify or change the
air to be conveyed to the apartment as required, and as the air passes through the
opening it may be warmed, if necessary, by circulating up and about a steam-
radiator I, or, if not required to be heated, be exposed, after its passage through
the opening i, to a refrigerating-coil J to cool it when required, and, if necessary,
after its passage through the opening j, be further exposed to contact with a tank K,
containing ice or a freezing-mixture, before its final discharge from the cabinet into
the apartment-as, for instance, by the outlet-pipe c.
L is a drip-pan in the bottom of the cabinet to receive moisture.
It is not necessary that the air should be exposed to all of these devices for
controlling the temperature or condition of the air at the same time, or, rather, that
all of said devices should be in operation simultaneously, as only one or certain of
them might be used to temper or medicate the air to the apartment as required,
and any other equally well-known or suitable heating and cooling devices may be
used in the cabinet other than those described; but each cabinet should be provided
with means for medicating the incoming air and for heating and cooling it-to be
used as needed.
The invention is particularly more desirable for small otherwise air-tight compart-
ments for the reason that the temperature and quality of the entering air may be made
to suit the requirements of each individual occupant. For instance, if the occupant
of apartment No. 1 be ill he is at once easily isolated, the temperature arranged to
suit his particular case, antiseptics placed in one or both of the receptacles in the
cabinet for the purpose, or in case of lung or bronchial trouble the pulmonic inhalents
may be employed and if the occupant of the next room or apartment No. 2 be in
the enjoyment of good health he is isolated and can remain without fear of contagion
and may order the temperature so that he may even be able to sleep under a blanket
in hot weather, while the occupant of still another adjacent room or apartment No. 3
may at the same time order the temperature to be raised in his room to a high degree
of summer heat or even higher. Occupant of another or fourth apartment, too, may
be suffering from a contagious disease; but if the exhaust from all the apartments
be properly arranged infection is improbable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:
1. The combination, with a compartment, of an apparatus for ventilating and
controlling the temperature and quality of the air therein, located in a wall of said
compartment and provided with warming, cooling, and medicating devices, and a
door for said apparatus exterior to the compartment, whereby the various devices
of said apparatus may be regulated without the necessity of the attendant entering
the compartment, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with a compartment, of a cabinet or casing located in one
wall of the compartment and provided with a door exterior thereto, a passage
through the cabinet or casing provided at one end with an outer air-inlet and
discharging into the compartment at the other, and heating, warming, and
medicating devices within the passage in the cabinet or casing, substantially as
set forth.
3. An apparatus for the purpose set forth, consisting in the cabinet or casing
provided with a passage leading through it from its inlet to its outlet, a medicament
receptacle or holder in the passage, and a valved steam-heater and a refrigerating-
coil within the passage between said receptacle and the outlet end of the passage,
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, with the cabinet S, having air-circulating passages within
it, an air-inlet b, and separate air-outlet c, of one or more receptacles H for

page_text: medicaments, a steam-radiator I, and a refrigerating-coil J, arranged successively
within said circulating-passages, essentially as shown and described.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1891.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.