A Novel System of Ventilation for Sewers, Drains, Mines, Hospitals, Workshops, and other Structures or Places.
Year: 1886

page_text: A Novel System of Ventilation for Sewers, Drains, Mines,
Hospitals, Workshops, and other Structures or Places.
I, ROBERT SLADE ASH, of Villa de la Riva, in the principality of Monaco, Dentist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a novel system of ventilation for sewers, drains, mines,
hospitals, workshops, and other structures or places, by means of the explosion of
gas brought about at determined points or situations.
All systems of ventilation at present in use, such as fans or blowers, suction
pumps, fires, etc., produce a regular and continuous draught of air. The air is
renewed chiefly in the drain, galleries, or rooms, near the fan or blower. But if
there be openings (shafts, chimneys, windows, etc.) which allow the entry of the
exterior air, this air will replace the air exhausted by the fan, blower, or fire. It
follows that the gases and air contained in the localities farthest away will remain
stagnant and will not be set in movement, and the gases will become concentrated
and dangerous.
Such is not the case with my system. The explosion of an explosive mixture
brought about in a ventilating shaft, pit, or any other suitable place, produces a
sudden vacuum, and sets in brisk movement the whole strata of air and gases, even
those distant from the point where the explosion is produced. Even in the case
of openings placed in proximity to the ventilating shaft it would be impossible
that air could enter quickly enough to replace that suddenly exhausted by the
explosion, and the shock would thus take effect in all the sewers, drains, galleries,
etc. in communication with the ventilating shaft.
I proceed to describe my invention as applied to a sewer.
The sewer is provided with a shaft made of brickwork, sheet iron, cast iron, or
other material. This shaft communicates with the sewer by means of an opening
contrived in the crown or other part thereof. In this shaft, and opposite a man
hole therein, I place a vertical cylinder provided at top and at bottom with valves
opening upwards. Into the lower part of this cylinder, lighting gas, or any other
suitable gas, or vapour, is admitted through a pipe. Opposite an orifice or port in
the cylinder burns a jet of gas, protected from the force of the explosion by any
suitable means, such as doors or flaps. The gas entering from the pipe rises in
the cylinder and forms, with the air contained in this latter, an explosive mixture

page_text: which becomes ignited when it reaches the height of the orifice or port opposite
the gas jet. The explosion thus produced raises the valve at the top. of the
cylinder and drives out suddenly, with great force, the whole column of air, in the
shaft, contained above the cylinder. The vacuum which is thus created produces
a brisk draft of air which sets in movement the whole of the strata of air, or of
mephitic gas, in the sewer. At the expiration of a certain time a fresh explosion
takes place and the same effect is produced. The interval of time between the
explosions can be regulated at will by causing the gas to enter more
quickly from the pipe.
or less
This system is very economical as the quantity of gas consumed is very small.
It does not require any supervision..
"
In mines the gases there, such as fire damp, may even be utilized, to produce
partial explosions in the ventilating shafts, and thus establish ventilation.
Dated this 17th don of June 1986
ERNEST. DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: onciation for powers, Drains, mines,
Hospitals, Workshops, and other Structures or Places.
I; RÓBERT SLADE ASH, óf Villa de la Riva, in the principality of Monaco, Dentist,
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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to a novel system of ventilation for sewers, drains, mines,
hospitals, workshops, and other structures or places, by means of the ignition and
explosion of gas, or any explosivé substances and compounds, brought about at
determined points or situations.
All systems of ventilation at present in use, such as fans or blowers, suction
pumps, fires, etc. produce a regular and continuous draught of air. The air is
renewed chiefly in the drain galleries, or rooms, near the fan or blower. But if
there be openings (shafts, chimneys, windows, etc.) which allow the entry of the
exterior air, this air will replace the air exhausted by the fan, blower, or fire. It
follows that the gases and air contained in the localities farthest away, will remain
stagnant and will not be set in movement, and the gases will become concentrated
and dangerous.
Such is not the case with my system. The explosion of an explosive mixture
brought about in a ventilating shaft, pit, or any other suitable place, produces a
sudden vacuum,
and sets in brisk movement the whole strata of air and gas, even
those distant from the point where the explosion is produced. Even in the case of
ventilators or openings in the sewers for the purpose of ventilation, and placed in
proximity to the ventilating shaft, it would be impossible that air could enter
quickly enough to replace that suddenly exhausted by the explosion, and the shock
would thus take effect in all the sewers, drains, galleries, etc. in communication
with the ventilating shaft.
I proceed, with reference to the accompanying drawings, to describe my Invention
as applied to a sewer.
A, is the sewer which is provided with a shaft B, made of brickwork, sheet iron,
cast iron, or other material. This shaft B, communicates with the sewer A, by
means of an opening C, contrived in the crown or other part thereof. In this
shaft, and opposite a man hole D, therein, I place in a vertical position a cylinder
or chamber a, provided at top and at bottom with valves b, c, opening upwards.
These valves are weighted so as to close instantly at the desired moment. Into
the lower part of the cylinder, lighting gas, or any other suitable gas or explosive
vapour is admitted through the pipe.d, which is brought from the main, or other
suitable supply. This pipe is provided with a tap d*. Opposite an orifice or port e
in the cylinder, burns a jet of gas f, the burner of which is provided with a tap,
and the gas is supplied to this burner by the service pipe d, which is a branch
of the main pipe d. This jet is protected from the force of the explosion by
any suitable means, such as doors or flaps g. The gas entering from the pipe d,
rises in the cylinder or chamber, and forms, with the air contained in this latter, an

page_text: explosive mixture, which, on filling the upper part of the cylinder or chamber,
explodes on reaching the orifice or port e, opposite the gas jet. The explosion thus
produced raises the valve b, at the top of the cylinder and drives out suddenly,
with great force, the whole column of air, in the shaft, contained above the
cylinder, the valve c, instantly closes on the explosion taking place and prevents.
the flame igniting the gas in the main. The vacuum which is thus created
produces a brisk draft of air, which sets in movement the whole of the strata of
air, or of mephitic gas, in the sewer. The vacuum created above the shaft by the
explosion, also produces a suction which continues for a limited time, according to
the force of the explosion. At the expiration of a certain time a fresh explosion
takes place and the same effect is produced. The interval of time between the
explosions can be regulated at will by causing the gas to enter, more or less
quickly, from. the. pipe d. h is a pipe provided with a stop cock for the purpose of
allowing the escape of any water which may accumulate in the pipe d.
This system is very economical as, the quantity of gas consumed is very small.
It does not require any supervision.
In place, however, of gas I may use gunpowder, dynamite, or other explosivé
substance or compound, and effect the explosion of same by electricity, by a time
fuse, or by other suitable means."
In mines the gases there, such as fire damp, may even be utilized to produce
partial explosions in the ventilating shafts, and thus establish ventilation.
Having now described the invention, and in what manner the same is to
performed, I declare that I claim :-
J
1. The method or system herein described of ventilating by means of the
ignition and explosion of gas, or other suitable explosive substance or compound,
at certain intervals, and at determined points or situations in the structures to be
ventilated, substantially as specified.
2. The construction of apparatus, substantially as herein described, for bringing
about the explosions, and as shewn by way of example in the drawings, as applied
to a sewer.