New IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE VENTILATION OF MINES, BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Theodore Lemielle at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th April.
1867.
I, THEODORE LEMIELLE, of Valenciennes, in the Empire of France, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A New
IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE VENTILATION OF MINES, BUILDINGS, AND
OTHER PLACES," to be as follows:-
As was shewn in my first Patent No. 1031, in the year 1854, the ventilator
consists of a cylinder (A, A, A, A,) receiving a rotary movement round its
axles (D). This cylinder is provided with doors of the same height (doing
duty for pistons), and of rectangular form (B, B°), of which one side
(B. Fig. 1) is in the surface of the cylinder, and parallel with its axis (B, B),
which serves for oscillating centre. The opposite side (C) describes a
circular movement, which engenders another cylinder (E, E, E, E,) outside
the other, but with a different centre (F). The surface engendered by this
last-mentioned movement is fixed, and constitutes the casing of the ventilator,
its axis (F, F), is iron beam (arbre libre) of the ventilator, from which branch
out the arms (Fe), which conduct the generating of the second cylinder; these
doors pistons which are called the wings of the ventilator there describe a
movement, which refolds them by reclining by different degrees on the cylin-
drical surface, and which opens them by enlarging this inclination. When

page_text: we have found the largest section comprised between two wings we fix on the
other side of each of these limits apertures (G, G), in the casing for the exit
and entrance of the maximum of air that the machine will supply.
The requirements of collieries at this moment necessitate machines of much
greater power than formerly. The present Invention is to simplify the
mechanism, and to give such improvements as shall supply such wants.
The axis of the cylinder is fitted in a vertical position. The curved portions
of the beam which supports the weight of the apparatus are either wholly or
greatly superceded by straight parts. If the engine makes the same number
of revolutions as the ventilator, and in direct communication with it, the low
elbowed part (H, H, K, K, Fig. 1), is superceded by a straight one (K, L,
Fig. 1), and the ventilator is unequally supported on pivots at the top of the
cylinder. Whereas the lower portion is kept in its rotary movement by means
of a strong excentric (N, N, N, N), or by rollers in combination with these
executrixs. When the speed of the steam engine is increased by making it
revolve quicker than the ventilator it is then that it is in in direct communication
by wheel gear conducted by a spring wheel. But the most perfect way, and
which in itself constitutes a new Invention, consists in superceding the upper
curves (H, K, Fig. 1,) and lower curves (H, K,) in the beam, and
replacing them with a straight one (L, L), and making it take the place of
the axis of the casing. In this case the upper pivot is done away with, and
the cylinder of the ventilator is supported on the circumference of its lower
base. By these means the lower base of the cylinder is provided in its circum-
ference by a circular rail resting on the fellies (0, 0, 0, 0), of the rollers,
rubbing round the moving wheels by the force of the adhesion of the rail on
these wheels. These receive their rotatory motion from the steam engine to
communicate it to the cylinder by the adhesion of this rail. All slipping is
prevented by a rack analogous to that on the Blenkisop's system at the Leeds
railway. The curved beam become rectilinear forms a pillar in the centre
of the casing; this beam is fixed or moveable at will. It is susceptible by its
rotation to receive the action of a crank P, transmitting gear to the arm q
by the intermediary of the wing C, B, and giving the rotary motion to the
cylinder A, A, or driving belt at its two extremities, and to enlarge the action
of the ventilator by means of a direct action combined with an indirect one
of the motive power. Fixed straight like a pillar in the centre of the casing
it is less subject to derangement than a curved one without falsely bearing
(sain porter a faux). It sustains the upper partition of the ventilator, which
can be of much larger dimensions without fear of damage to the organism, and
will give a greater force although with less material. The mechanism of the

page_text: apparatus gains on the points by this simplification, and by a design more in
accordance with the requisite security for the working of mines. When the
beam of the ventillator is rectilinear, as it is said, above the pivot which bear the
ventilator on its lower part is suppressed. A turntable analogous to those of
the railways will serve as a substitute in all the cases in supporting the cylinder
by its lower base in its rotary movement.
One of the principal objects of my Invention consists in obviating the
re-entrance of air into the mines by the application of an hydraulic fastening in
the circular extremities of the cylinder by plonghing the circumference into a
tank of water. At this end the upper partition of the ventilator carries a
circular tank in the form of a U, and the upper extremety of the revolving
cylinder is edged with a circular mounting in the shape of an reversed, of
which one of the branches plunge in the water in the tank, whereas the other
branch is fixed circularly on the upper edge of the revolving cylinder. This
thin metal blade slides into the water according to its depth, and does not
require any other friction to cause a separation as air-tight as can be wished.
A similar tank is fixed in the ground of the ventilator circularly below the
lower edge of the cylinder and receives a thin blade plunged in its water by the
same means. The edge of the cylinder is provided with a circle working in
the form of a shutter (couvercle d'étrix) and turning with it a band of leather
bolted simultaneously on the opposite edge of the cylinder, and constituting a
fastening the more perfect as the pieces are polished. A slight friction is
given to the circumference of the other parts of the wings by the band of
leather serving for valves. These bands incline more or less toward the edge
of the wings in order to press over the roughness or fill up the hollows of the
parts of the upper and lower partition of the casing or of the cylindrical part
forming the wall of it. When the lining has been inclined it serves as spring
and lining at the same time. The folding or revolving of the wings is ren-
dered equally air-tight by a band of leather pressed on the wing as well as on
the revolving cylinder. The iron arms which abut from the centre of the
casing at the extremities of the wings necessitate openings in the wall of the
revolving cylinder in order to allow the air to pass unless care is taken to
close them. One air-tight fastening is obtained also by the assistance of two
valves fixed in the form of a V; on the borders of these wings the bottom
valve is lifted by springs, and the upper valve edged with leather leans on the
iron arm by its own weight; this arm is also pinched between the edges of
the two valves which continually press it very strongly in forming a lever;
this same end is also obtained by the slides recovering the openings in the
ribs. At this end the to-and-fro motion is given to theso slides by means

page_text: of an eye which crosses them and serves for a passage for the iron bars of
the wings.
Note. When the shell of the ventilator, instead of being cylindrical, is a
polygon the faces are flat and each rib is closed with the greatest simplicity
by two valves in wood, forming hinges the whole length of its edges by the
binding of a band of leather which unite at the surface in shape of braces.
The sides of these valves which are opposite the hinges regain at an acute
angle on the bars which cross the shell. Springs leading from one to another
of these valves at their extremities cause them to press the bar which slides
between them. The edge of the upper valve which rubs against the bar cor-
responds to the lower valve, which for this reason is a little lower than the
other. The pressure on the leather (lame de cuir) blade joins it and fixes it
in some way on the surplus width left for this purpose on the lower valve,
which form here with the upper one a perfect air-tight closing. The bar of
iron circulates between the wooden valve and blade of leather without leaving
a passage for the air; this blade of leather by its flexibility reapplies itself on
to the valve. When the shell of the ventilator is cylindrical things are easily
brought out in the same way by applying to the borders of the ribs the same
hinges. The upper valve operating by its weight falls naturally from high to
low to lean on the bar; the lower valve, on the contrary, in falling from the
same cause clears from the bar, and its effect would be useless if it was not
pushed back again to press the bar in an inverse sense to the former; hence
the necessity for a spring which pushes it up and presses it against the bar.