IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilds, of Hertford, in the County of
Hertford, Architect and Surveyor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING."
Sealed the 31st January 1862, and dated the 14th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilds at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
August 1861.
I, WILLIAM WILDS, of Hertford, in the County of. Hertford, Architect and
Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING," to be as follows:-
My apparatus consists of a box or case, the bottom of which is formed of
woven wire, perforated metal, or like reticulated or perforated material, and
at top are fitted flaps or lids connected to and opened and closed by a sus-
pended balance weight; and in the arrangement preferred by me, I perform
this thus-Over the top are fitted two flaps or lids, which are hinged or jointed
to a rail, bar, or style fixed across the box, and have fastened to them chains
or cords passing over pulleys, preferably supported in standards fixed upon the
rail, bar, or style, such chains or cords being likewise connected to a chain or

page_text: cord by which a balance weight is suspended. This apparatus is fixed at the
ceiling, roof, or top of the room or place to be ventilated, so that air may pass
through it (when open) to such room or place, communication being provided
between it and the atmosphere; this may be conveniently done, for example,
when it opens under another floor, by providing a grating, air brick, or opening
at one or both ends of the air trunk formed between the joists; or it may be
donc otherwise to suit the construction of the building. By means of the
balance weight the flaps or lids may be completely closed, or may be opened
more or less to admit and regulate the supply of air through the bottom of the
box to the room or place to be ventilated. The bottom of the box may be
left plain, as described, or it may be ornamented, which may be done by
covering it with an ornamental, reticulated, perforated, or openwork sheet or
panel, or an ornamental design of papier mâché, or other material may be
attached below it, with a space between. Instead of a balance weight to open
and close the flaps, a wire, chain, or cord may be used, attached to the flap
chains or cords, and led over pulleys along the ceiling or wall. I sometimes
fix plates to the under side of the flaps, so shaped and arranged that they may
shut into the box when the flaps are closed, and rise with them when they are
opened, tho outer edges following or keeping close to the inside of the edge of
the box ends, and so divide the current of air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Wilds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILDS, of Hertford, in the County of Hertford, Architect and Surveyor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Wilds, Her special licence that I, the said William
Wilds, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Wilds, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Wilds, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wilds, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My apparatus for ventilating, constructed according to this Invention,
consists of a box or case, the bottom of which is formed of woven wire,
perforated metal, or like reticulated or perforated material, and at top are fitted
flaps or lids, by which it is opened and closed, and which are connected by cords,
chains, or like agents passing over pulleys to a suspended balance weight. I
prefer when I use two flaps or lids to hinge or joint them to a rail, bar, or style
fixed across the box, and to support the pulleys over which pass the chains or
cords (which are fastened to the flaps) in standards fixed upon the rail, bar, or
style, and to connect these chains or cords to a chain or cord by which the
balance weight is suspended. My apparatus is fixed at the ceiling or the roof
of the room or place to be ventilated, in such manner that air may pass through
it when open to or from such room or place, communication being provided
between it and the atmosphere, which may be conveniently done; for example,
when the ventilator opens under another floor, by providing a grating, air
brick, or opening at one or both ends of the air trunk formed between the
joists; or it may be effected otherwise to suit the construction of the building.
By means of the balance weight the flaps or lids may be completely closed, or
may be opened more or less to admit and regulate the passage of air through
the bottom of the box to or from the room or place to be ventilated. The
bottom of the box may be left plain, as described, or it may be ornamented,
which may be done by covering it with a reticulated, perforated, or openwork
ornamental sheet or panel, or an ornamental design of papier mâché or other
material may be attached below it with a space between. Instead of com-
bining the balance weight with two flaps, I sometimes modify the apparatus
by using one flap, and in that case a wire, chain, or cord is used, which is
connected to the flap, or to a chain or cord fastened to the flap, the chain or

page_text: cord being. led over pulleys along the ceiling or wall. I sometimes fix to the
under side of the flaps, when two flaps are used, plates so shaped and arranged
that they may shut into the box when the flaps are closed, and rise with them
when they are opened, the outer edges of the plates following or keeping close
to the inside of the edge of the box ends, so that they divide the current
of air.
I now proceed to describe the best means known to me for carrying my
Invention into practical effect.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a ventilator constructed according to
my Invention, and shewn as open; Figure 2 is a plan of same, shewn as
closed. (Figure 1 is a section on the line A, B, of Figure 2).
a, a, is a rectangular box or case, having four sides, that is, two sides and
two ends, which I prefer to construct of wood or metal; the top is open, and
the bottom is formed of wirework or perforated metal. This box is securely
fixed at the ceiling c, which is cut away, as shewn, so that the bottom b may
communicate with the room to be ventilated. d is a rail, bar, or "hanging
style," fixed across the box; it is firmly secured to two opposite top edges.
thereof. e, e, are two flaps hinged at f, f, to the bar d. g is an iron standard,
or rather pair of standards, shewn apart in Figure 3; 'they are fixed at bottom
to the bar d, and meet at top, where they receive two grooved pulleys h, h.
i, i, are chains passing over the pulleys h, h, one over each pulley; one end of
each chain is fixed to a flap e, and at their other ends these chains pass down
between the standards, and are united to a cord or chain j, which passes down
through the bar d and through the box a, and has suspended to it at its other
end a balance weight k. The chains & may be connected to the chain j by
an intermediate wire, as more convenient for working through the bar and
box. is a partition fixed within the box, about midwise thereof, and extending
across it at right angles to the bar d. The object of this partition is to divide
the current of air, and separate the escaping or ascending vitiated air from
the entering or fresh air. Instead of or in addition to this partition 7, metal
plates m may be used, as shewn in Figure 6. These plates are fixed to the
under side of the flaps, one to each; when the flaps are closed the plates m
shut down into the box, and when the flaps are opened the plates of course
open with them, and serve to divide the entering current of air; their contour
is such, that their outer edges in their travel follow or keep close to the inner
edge of the box ends. When the partitions m and are both used they are
so fixed that when the flaps are closed the plates m may clear or pass on one
or other side of the partition l. n, n, are the ordinary joists. To afford a
communication between the box and the outer air, air-bricks or gratings may

page_text: be fitted at the end of the trunk or space which is formed between the joists
and the flooring of the room above and the ceiling of that below; or other
arrangements may be adopted for the purpose. The ventilator is opened by
drawing down the cord j, which action raises the flaps e, e, and opens the box,
and the vitiated air passes from the room through the perforated bottom b
up through the box into the outer air, and fresh air enters through the
bottom b, b, into the room below. The weight k is properly weighted to keep
the flaps e, e, in their raised or open position. The ventilator is closed by
pushing the weight ke upward, whereupon the flaps e, e, fall on to the top of
the box a, and close it, thereby shutting off the passage of air through the
box. Instead of the chain j, a rod may be used, attached at one end to the
chains i, and having the weight attached to its other end. Instead of
hinging the flaps to a transverse bar & they may be hinged or jointed directly.
to the top edges of the box, and in that case it is better to connect them
thereto by hinges of leather or other flexible material; or they should have a
strip of such flexible material attached over their contiguous edges, to keep
out dust. The pulleys (instead of being supported on a standard fixed to a
transverse bar) may be supported in brackets or standards springing directly
from the top edge of the box. Cords or straps of leather or like material
may be used instead of the chains i, i.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 5 a plan, of a single flap
arrangement. Figure 4 is on the line C, D, of Figure 5. The parts a, b,
c, n, refer to similar parts to those respectively indicated by the same letters
in Figures 1 and 2.
In this modification the box is closed by a single flap o, pivotted at p, p, to
the sides of the box a, and weighted at one end by a metal or other tongue q.
let into its edge, or it may be weighted by a bar or piece of metal fastened
upon or under the edge, or otherwise. r is a cord attached to the flap o, and
passing under a pulley s, on a bracket fixed to the box, or to a neighbouring
joist, and over a pulley t on a bracket fixed to the wall of the room. The:
cord then passes (or is attached to a wire, cord, or like agent which passes)
through the ceiling into the room, descending within convenient reach of the
hand, but lying close against the wall to be out of the way. A weight k is.
attached to the end of the cord r; of course, the precise details of the
position and arrangement of the pulleys may be varied.
u is a fillet or flange
on the edge of one end of the box (namely, that next to which the weighted
end of the flap comes), and extending to the pivots p, p, or, say, about half
way along the two top edges of the box, over which it slightly projects
inwards; its object is afterwards explained. When the ventilator is to be

page_text: opened, the cord is pushed up, thereby allowing the flap o to turn or swing
on its axes p, p, and bringing it into the vertical position, shewn in Figure 4,
the weighted end q downward. The box is thus opened, and supposing
arrangements made, as before mentioned, to provide a communication with
the atmospheric air, the air passes through the bottom of the box from or
into the room, the flap dividing the current. The fillet u acts as a stop to
the flap when opened, preventing it from swinging too far round. When the
ventilator is to be closed, the cord r is drawn down, whereupon the flap o
returns to a horizontal position, as in Figure 5, or, as shewn in dotted lines,
Figure 4, and closes the box; it is retained in that position by the weight k;
the fillet u also serves to "break joint," and prevent the entry of dust. The
flap o is cut away on a portion of two of its sides, as shewn, so that it may
drop into the box. A crank may be substituted as a mechanical equivalent
for the second pulley, though I do not recommend it.
Ornamental designs may be painted on the bottom 6 of my ventilator, care
being taken not to block up the apertures with the paint; or a papier maché
or other ornament may be fixed at such a distance below the bottom of the
box as to conceal it from the persons in the room, but yet allow the air from
the room to have free access to it.
When my ventilator is applied to a room situated under another room it
is fixed in the space between the ceiling of the former and the flooring of the
latter room, and when applied to a room next under the roof it is placed
in the space between the ceiling and roof (in either case a portion of the
ceiling being, of course, removed for the bottom of the box to communicate
with the room, as described,) and arrangements may be easily adopted for
effecting communication between the ventilator and the outer air. When
applied to halls, churches, and structures where there are no ceilings, I place
it on the roof; but I prefer to protect it by enclosing it in a box on the roof,
having one or more apertures therein for letting off the vitiated air, or for
admitting the fresh atmospheric air.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, declare that I do not claim any of
the mechanical parts herein-before described considered separately and apart
from the arrangement and combination thereof, as herein-described; but
what I claim is, the arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved construction of ventilator herein-before described, in which a box or
case with perforated, reticulated, or wirework bottom is fixed in or at the
ceiling, or the roof of the room or place to be ventilated, and is opened and
closed by a flap or flaps connected to a balance weight by a cord or cords,

page_text: chain or chains, or such like agents passing over a pulley or pulleys, the
whole being arranged and combined substantially in the manner herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilds, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. H. WILDS.
WM. WILDS. (L.S.)