Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 24th Aug:, 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
I, WILLIAM PATON BUCHAN of 21 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, Ventilating and Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:—
This Invention which relates to improvements in ventilators applicable to schools,
balls churches, factories, private houses and the individual apartments thereof ships
or any enclosure requiring to be ventilated is a further development of the ventilating
valve boxes described in the Specification filed under my Letters Patent Number 1502
of 1883, and again referred to and illustrated in the specification and drawings filed
under my Letters Patent 3062 of 1885. The present improvements have for their
object to better adapt the said valve boxes for purposes of exhaust ventilation without
the use or aid of external exhaust induced current ventilators in conjunction with them
and as constructed in accordance with the present invention the box or the automatic
valve portion of it is provided with silk or other hanging or automatic flap valves at both
ends an inlet pipe leading to the space to be ventilated being connected either to the
bottom, or to one or both sides of the box, or both to the sides and bottom.
The inlet opening is or may be furnished with a metal or other valve hinged so as
to open up against the side of the box or the valve may be arranged to open and close
vertically like a spindle valve. The automatic valves on the ends of the box which
are hung to close against perforated or ribbed frames, may be arranged to open either
outwards or inwards and the ends of the box against which they close are preferably
inclined so that when at rest the valves remain partially open.
In adapting the improved valve box to the ventilation of apartments in buildings of
several flats or stories the box may be placed between two joists below the floor of one
flat and seated on a board or sill secured above the ceiling of the flat beneath a hole
being made in the said board or sill to permit of the passage of the pipe or duct
communicating between the apartment or apartments to be ventilated and the
valve box.
The valves are arranged at right angles to the length of the space between the joists
and in cross section the box is made preferably narrower and shallower than the cross

page_text: section of the said space in order to allow air currents to pass over the top and along
the sides of it and the box may be narrower at the centre than at its ends. At each
end of the space a grating is inserted in the wall so as to permit of the entrance and
exit of wind currents and the said currents in passing along close the valves at the
windward side and tend to open those at the leeward side of the box creating an
induced current through the box from the space or apartment to be ventilated.
In order to prevent the air current from diffusing or escaping near the ends of the
joists as for example between the lath and plaster and the walls a short pipe or its
equivalent may be employed to bridge the space from within the ends of the joists to
near the grating.
In cases where the valve box is to be used in an open channel made under the ridge
of the roof of a building the box is placed in the centre of the channel and so as
nearly to fill it, space only for wind currents being left as before set forth and in
cases where it is necessary a pipe or duct is led upwards from the hall or apartment
to the bottom of the valve box a valve worked by a cord or otherwise being placed
in the pipe so as to close the communication when required.
When it is desired that the valve box should be placed below the open channel a
pipe connected to the top of the box leads to an opening preferably larger than
the pipe in the bottom of the channel the said opening being raised above the
bottom of the channel and covered with a perforated plate, wire frame or equivalent.
With this arrangement the automatic valves open inwards towards the outlet pipe
in which a valve is or may be placed to enable the ventilation to be shut off when
desired or the valves for shutting off the ventilation may in this and in the arrange
ments before referred to be made to close against the automatic valves in the ends
of the valve box.
The improved valve boxes may have access and inspection openings on the top or
sides as may be desired.

page_text: Improvements in ventilators.
I, WILLIAM PATON BUCHAN of 21 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, Ventilating and Sanitary Engineer, 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 :-
This invention which relates to improvements in ventilators applicable to schools,
halls, churches, factories, private houses and the individual apartments thereof, ships,
or any enclosure requiring to be ventilated is a further development of the ventilating
valve boxes described in the Specification filed under my Letters Patent Number 1502
of 1883, and again referred to and illustrated in the Specification and drawings filed
under my Letters Patent 3062 of 1885, and the present improvements have for their
object to better adapt the said valve boxes for purposes of exhaust ventilation without
the use or aid of external or exposed exhaust induced current ventilators in conjunction
with them.
As represented in detail in end elevation and longitudinal vertical section at figs. 1
and 2 respectively and in various practical applications at figs. 3 and 4 and 7 to 10 of
the accompanying drawings the box A, or the automatic valve portion of it as
constructed in accordance with the present invention is provided with silk or other
hanging or automatic flap valves a at hoth ends, an inlet pipe B, leading to the space
to be ventilated being connected either to the bottom as shown in full lines, or to the
end, or to one or both sides or ends of the box as indicated by the dotted lines, or both
to the sides or end and bottom. The inlet opening is or may be furnished with a
metal or other valve b, hinged so as to open up against the side of the box as indicated
in full lines at fig. 8, or to close up against the bottom as indicated by the dotted
lines, or the valve may be arranged to open and close like a vertical spindle valve as
shown at figure 7, or a horizontal spindle may be used, or it may take the form of a
sliding or rotating regulating grating or "hit and miss" valve as indicated in figs. 3,
5 and 6. The automatic valves a on the ends of the box which are hung to close
against perforated or ribbed frames, may be arranged to open either outwards or
inwards and the ends A¹, of the box against which they close are preferably inclined
so that when at rest the valves remain partially open as shown at fig. 2.
In adapting the improved valve box to the ventilation of apartments in buildings
of several flats or stories the box may be placed as shown at figs. 3 and 4, between
two joists C, C, below the floor D, of one flat and seated either on the ceiling or on a
board, support or sill E, secured above the ceiling F of the flat beneath, a hole being
made in the said board or sill to permit of the passage of the pipe or duct B, com-
municating between the apartment or apartments to be ventilated and the valve
boxes A.
The valves a, are arranged at right angles to the length of the space between the
joists and at each end of this space a grating H is or may be inserted in the wall so as
to permit of the exit of foul air.

page_text: In order to prevent the air current from diffusing or escaping near the ends of the
joists as for example between the lath and plaster and the walls a short pipe I or its
equivalent may be employed to bridge the space from within the ends of the joists to
near the grating. At fig. 5 this connecting pipe I is carried into the wall space in
which the grating H is fitted but as shown on the left hand side of fig. 3 the
connecting or outlet pipe or pipes I, may be carried along between the joists and
through the wall to the inner side of the grating. The exit of foul air is at the
leeward side of the building the valves of the ventilator on the windward side being
closed by the wind pressure and when so closed the space or the tube I on the wind-
ward side may be utilized as a fresh air inlet by connecting to it a tube J, leading
downwards or in any suitable direction from it into the apartment being ventilated,
the said tube having its lower end preferably turned upwards a valve such as K, fig. 4
or its equivalent being provided for closing the inlet tube J, more or less. Air, water
or spray jets may be directed through the inlet or outlet pipes as indicated at S in
figure 3 to facilitate ventilation, provision being made for removal of water. The
automatic valve portion of one of the valve boxes described in the Specification of my
former Patents No. 1502 of 1883 and No. 3062 of 1885 may be fitted in proximity
to each wall as shown at A' figure 5 or those portions of two such valve boxes may be
placed close to each other end to end at or near the mid length of the channel, or at
any desired distance apart, and in conjunction with fresh air inlets leading from the
channel into the apartment to be ventilated so that when the wind closes the automatic
valves on the windward sido fresh air is blown in through the pipe J. As shown at
figure 6, the valve box A' instead of being placed over the ceiling and having an
inlet through the bottom may be placed into an opening carried through a vertical
wall and have an inlet from its end, the opening in the wall being covered by a
grating with which the outlet for foul air communicates; and a fresh air inlet J may
be carried from the opening down through the wall and into the apartment to be
ventilated.
In cases where the valve box is to be used in an open channel made under the
ridge of the roof of a building the box A, is or may be placed as shown at figs. 7
and 8 in the centre of the channel L, and so as to fill it, and in cases where it is
necessary a pipe or duct. B, is led upwards from the hall or apartment to the bottom
of the valve box, a valve b worked by a cord or otherwise being placed in the pipe so
as to close the communication when required. When as indicated at figure 8 the
valve box is in direct communication with the apartment to be ventilated the valve
may be hinged or fitted on or at the bottom of the box and arranged to close from
the inside or outside against the inlet orifice. An air inlet tube J, may be fitted as
indicated to lead fresh air from each end of the channel L, down into the apartment to
be ventilated.
When it is desired that the valve box should be placed below the open channel a
pipe M connected to the top of the box A, leads to an opening N, preferably larger
than the pipe, in the bottom of the channel L, the said opening being raised above the
bottom of the channel and covered with a perforated plate O, wire frame or equivalent
as indicated in fig. 9. Or as shown at figs. 10 and 11 the pipe M may be connected
to an induced current ventilator G placed in an enlargement of the channel L the
said ventilator having its sides perforated or ribbed on the principle shown in the
Specification of my Patent Number 3062 of 1885 for the exit of the foul air. As
shown at fig. 12 a valve box may be placed intermediate between the ceiling of the
apartment to be ventilated and the channel L in the ridge of the roof a pipe B, having
at its lower end a grating H, being provided to lead the foul air from the apartment
through the flap valves a, a, in the valve box which communicates by the pipe M with
the ventilator or opening in the channel L. With the arrangements shown in
figures 8 to 12, the automatic valves open toward the outlet pipe in which a hand or
mechanically operated valve is or may be placed to enable the ventilation to be shut
off when desired, or the valves for shutting off the ventilation may in this and in the
arrangements before referred to be made to close down upon or against the automatic
valves of the valve box.

page_text: The improved valve boxes may have access and inspection openings on the top or
sides as may be desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The valve box A constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein
described with reference to figures 1 to 4 and 7 to 10 of the drawings annexed.
2. The several arrangements and applications of valve boxes for the ventilation of
the apartments of buildings and the like substantially as herein described with
reference to the appended drawings.
3. As means for ventilating buildings and the apartments thereof or other
enclosures a self acting valve box provided with an inlet pipe or opening communi-
cating with the apartment and an outlet channel leading without the building in
conjunction with a fresh air inlet pipe leading from said channel into the apartment
or enclosure to be ventilated substantially as herein described with reference to
figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the annexed drawings.
4. As means for ventilating buildings or the apartments thereof or other enclosures
a valve box situated in an open channel carried through or under the ridge of the
roof and communicating with the apartment or enclosure to be ventilated in
conjunction with fresh air inlets from the channel to the apartment substantially as
described with reference to figures 7 and 8 of the annexed drawings.
5. As means for ventilating buildings or the apartments thereof a self acting valve
box situated in or under the roof and communicating on the inlet side with the
interior of the building and connected at the outlet side to a ventilator fitted within
an open channel in or under the ridge of the roof substantially as described with
reference to figures 9 to 12 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this Twentythird day of August 1887.