IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS AND FANS
Year: 1876

page_text: €
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Reynolds, of Mona House, Westbourne Road,
Sheffield, in the County of York, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS AND FANS."
Sealed the 6th April 1877, and dated the 18th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Reynolds at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1870.
EDWARD REYNOLDS, of Mona House, Westbourne Road, Sheffield, in the County
of York. IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS AND FANS."
"
My Invention relates to pumps and fans acting by centrifugal force, that is to
say, wherein a series of blades or vanes being made to revolve round an axis draw
fluid in at the central part of the apparatus, and eject it at the circumference, thus
producing a stream in the channel to which the central orifice of the apparatus is
applied. For this purpose I construct the apparatus somewhat in the form of that
kind of turbine, known as the Fournigron turbine, providing an inner series of
fixed curved blades which act as guides to direct the fluid towards another series
of blades that revolve outside and around the former. The fluid being thus drawn
in through a circular aperture on one side of the apparatus, and being ejected at
the circumference I make the channel containing the fixed guides of a conoidal
form, having a curvature such that the change of direction in the movement of the
fluid is rendered easy. The fixed guides within this conoidal channel have such a
curvature that as they recede from the axis they are directed more and more
forward, that is to say, in the direction in which the outer vanes revolve, thus
guiding the fluid from a radial towards a tangential direction before it reaches the
latter. This arrangement renders the construction of apparatus of this kind
comparatively simple and cheap, especially when it is made on a large scale, as for
example, for the ventilation of mines, and apparatus thus constructed can be readily
taken apart for examination and repair.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Reynolds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th April
1877.
EDWARD REYNOLDS, of Mona House, Westbourne Road, Sheffield, in the County
of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS AND FANS."
My Invention relates to pumps and fans acting by centrifugal force, that is to
say, wherein a series of blades or vanes being made to revolve round an axis, draw
fluid in at the central part of the apparatus, and eject it at the circumference, thus
producing a stream in the channel to which the central orifice of the apparatus is
applied. For this purpose I construct the apparatus somewhat in the form of that
kind of turbine known as the Fournigron turbine, providing an inner series of fixed
curved blades which act as guides to direct the fluid towards another series of blades
that revolve outside and around the former. The fluid being thus drawn in
through a circular aperture on one side of the apparatus and being ejected at the
circumference, I make the channel containing the fixed guides of a conoidal form,
having a curvature such that the change of direction in the movement of the fluid
is rendered easy. The fixed guides within this conoidal channel have such a
curvature that as they recede from the axis they are directed more and more
forward, that is to say, in the direction in which the outer vanes revolve, thus
guiding the fluid from a radial towards a tangential direction before it reaches the
latter. This arrangement renders the construction of apparatus of this kind com-
paratively simple and cheap, especially when it is made on a large scale, as for
example, for the ventilation of mines, and apparatus thus constructed can be readily
taken apart for examination and repair.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 to 3 shew my before-described improved apparatus applied as a fan or
ventilator for mines and other purposes. Fig. 1 shews on the left hand side a half
front elevation of the fan, and on the right hand side a half vertical cross section.
Fig 2 shews a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 shews to a smaller scale the general
arrangement of the ventilator and engine for driving it.
a is the revolving impeller fixed on the driving shaft c, and having curved
blades or vanes which receive the air from the casing b. In this casing are fixed
guide vanes & curved forward in the direction in which the impeller rotates, so
that the air drawn into the fan through the culvert g, by the centrifugal action of
the impeller will, on its motion towards the vanes of the latter, have a certain
amount of motion round the axis of the fan in the direction of rotation imparted to
it by the action of the guide vanes before it enters the impeller, and in thus causing
the air to enter the impeller with a certain velocity in the direction of rotation, the
efficiency of the fan will be considerably increased. The channel for the passage of
the air formed between the fixed casing b and the revolving shell a of tho impeller
curves gradually from a direction parallel with the axis of the fan at the inlet and
to a direction at or about right angles thereto at the outlet end, so that the change
of direction of the air passing through is rendered easy. The guide vanes d are
fixed or cast upon the casing at their inner edges and extend with their outer
edges as closely as practicable to the inner surface of the revolving shell a of the
impeller, the blades e of which in like manner fit as closely as practicable against
the surface of that part of the casing extending beyond the extremities of the
guide vanes.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew respectively a vertical section and a plan partly in section of
the before-described apparatus applied as a pump for propelling water or other
liquids. The general construction and action of the impeller a, with its blades or
vanes e, and of the casing b, with its guide vanes d is the same as described with
reference to Figs. 1 to 3. In this arrangement the pump is placed vertically, and
the curved channels through which the water is directed into the impeller are
enclosed entirely by the casing 6 instead of one side thereof being enclosed by the

page_text: shell of the impeller as in the previous arrangement. The shaft c of the impeller is
supported in a step bearing on the casing a. g is the culvert, from which the water
is drawn.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim constructing centrifugal pumps and fans of the
kind herein referred to with fixed guide blades or vanes in the pump casing curved
in such manner as to cause the fluid to enter the inpeller with a certain velocity in
the direction of rotation, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Reynolds, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
EDWARD REYNOLDS. (L.S.)