IMPROVEMENTS IN FANS FOR THE VENTILATION OF MINES OR FOR PROPELLING AIR INTO FURNACES OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Theodore Lemielle at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd October
1867.
I, THEODORE LEMIELLE, of Valenciennes, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FANS FOR
THE VENTILATION OF MINES OR FOR PROPELLING AIR INTO FURNACES OR FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the improved ventilating machine for which
Letters Pattent were granted to me in Great Britain dated the 8th of May
1854, No. 1031. The said improved ventilating machine described in the
Specification of the said Patent consists in a circular outer case within which
case, and situated excentrically to the axis thereof, a cylindrical or hexagonal
case, capable of rotary motion is provided with rectangular vanes called doors
hinged to the outer surface of the said cylinder or to the angular points of the
hexagonal case. Within the rotary cylinder or hexagonal case, and in the
centre of the outer casing, a stationary shaft or standard has jointed to it arms
or connecting rods extending through apertures in the surface of the rotary
cylinder or hexagonal case to the outer ends of the vanes or doors, and the
action of the said rotary inner cylinder or hexagonal case combined with that
of the connecting rods jointed. to the central shaft causes the outer ends of the

page_text: said vanes or doors in their rotary movement to be always in close contact
with the inner surface of the outer case and the inner ends of the said vanes
or doors to follow the motion of the excentric cylindrical or hexagonal case,
which on one side draws them close to the surface of the outer case, and
gradually revolving causes them to open out from the side of the cylinder or
hexagon and to drive before them the air from the inlet pipe or channel to the
delivery channel. The ventilator is closed at each end by a suitable air-tight
covering within which the inner excentric cylinder or hexagonal case revolves.
The object of this Invention is to prevent the entrance of air into the
excentric cylinder above described and thence its return into the mine or other
place either between the covering of the ventilator and the upper and lower
ends of the said excentric cylinder or through the slots or apertures in the
said excentric cylinder through which the connecting rods pass to the vanes or
doors. When the ventilator is set in a vertical position I render the ends of
the revolving cylinder air-tight in the following manner :-To the upper covering
o the ventilator I attach a circular trough in section resembling the letter U
one leg thereof being rather shorter than the other leg. This said trough I
fill partially with water, and round the upper end of the excentric cylinder I
fix a circular rim also in section like the letter U but inverted, so that one leg
is affixed to the cylinder and the other leg thereof dips into the trough affixed
to the covering of the ventilator; the water in the said trough prevents the
passage of air. I make the lower end of the excentric cylinder air-tight by
causing it to dip into a circular trough of a section and filled with water;
the water prevents any air from entering the cylinder. When the ventilator
cannot be set in a vertical position I render the ends of the excentric rotary
cylinder air-tight by means of a ring or cylinder of wood within each end of
the rotary cylinder, and connected thereto at its inner end by a band or ring
of leather or other elastic and air-tight material. Suitable springs force the
wooden rings against the cover and bottom of the ventilator and prevent the
passage of air, and the leather or elastic material, whilst it prevents the passage
of air between the wooden ring and the rotary cylinder allows the said ring
sufficient play to insure its close contact with the covering. The connecting
rods from the central shaft of the ventilator to the outside ends of the vanes or
doors pass through slots or apertures in the rovolving cylinder: I render the
said slots or apertures air-tight by means of rectangular valves constructed of
wood. The upper wooden valve being shorter than the lower one is covered
with leather overlapping to the size of the lower valve. The said valves are
binged above and below the said slots. Springs attached to each side of the
lower valve draw it upwards and cause it to press against the connecting rod,

page_text: and the upper valve by its weight presses upon the upper side of the connecting
rod, and the two valves close upon the connecting rod like lips and prevent
the passage of air; or the said slots through which the connecting rods pass
may be made air-tight by means of a suitable slide valve covering each of the
said slots and sliding to and fro with the said connecting rods which pass
through them. When the revolving excentric case of the ventilator is of a
polygonal shape each face thereof is regular, and the slots for the passage of the
connecting rods may be hermetically closed by wooden rectangular valves
hinged to the top and bottom of the said slots and covered with leather if
required, the lower valve is made to press upwards against the connecting rod
by means of suitable springs, and the upper valve is by its own weight and
the pressure of the air caused to shut tightly upon the said rod. The vanes or
doors at the points, where they are hinged to the outer surface of the excentric
rotary cylinder or polygon, are provided with a band of leather attached on one
side to the surface of the cylinder or polygon and on the other side to the said
doors or vanes to prevent the passage of air through the hinge joint; and air
is prevented from passing the said vanes or doors at their outer ends next the
outer casing of the ventilator by having attached to their said outer ends bands
of leather, which by means of india-rubber supporting pieces are caused to press
gently against the casing of the ventilator and prevent the passage of air.
The leather bands herein-before alluded to may be replaced by any other
suitable air-tight material.