IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING MINES AND OTHER LIKE PLACES."
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Heppell, of Uttoxeter, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING
MINES AND OTHER LIKE PLACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Heppell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
October 1856.
I, GEORGE HEPPELL, of Uttoxeter, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VENTILATING MINES AND OTHER LIKE PLACES," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to means for forcing air down the shaft of the
mine, thence to be distributed to the various passages, as also for withdrawing
the impure air or gases from such places; and consist in forming such shaft
with parallel sides in such manner that the cage for the lift of the mineral or
other matter may by fitting tightly serve as a bucket. Such cage or bucket
being provided with a suitable valve or valves, which acting with a valve or
valves in the headway become means in the ascending motion of the cage
of accumulating air in the shaft to be forced into the various passages of the
mine. By the descent of the cage, or by reversing the positions of the valves,
the cage or bucket may be used as means for withdrawing the impure air or
gases. I prefer that the valves be placed in the upper part or roof of the cage
or bucket, and that the lower part or floor simply have a hole or holes in it;
but this may be varied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Heppell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HEPPELL, of Uttoxeter, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Heppell, Her special licence that -I, the said George Heppell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Heppell, 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, usc, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VENTILATING MINES AND OTHER LIKE PLACES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Heppell, 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 Invention,
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 George Heppell, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate to means.. for forcing air down the shaft of the.
mine, thence to be distributed to the various passages, as also for withdrawing
the impure air or gases from such places; and consist in forming such shaft
with parallel sides in such manner that the cage for the lift of the mineral or
other matter may by fitting tightly serve as a bucket. Such cage or bucket
being provided with a suitable valve or valves, which acting with a valve or
valves in the headway, become means in the ascending motion of the cage of
accumulating air in the shaft to be forced into the various passages of the
mine. By the descent of the cage, or by reversing. the positions of the valves,
the cage or bucket may be used as means for withdrawing the impure air

page_text: Figure 1 shows a sectional view of part of a shaft to a mine or other such
place, as also of one of the headways or passages, with a bucket in the act of
descending the shaft to force the air to the various passages or headways of
the mine.
The shaft a, it will be seen, is formel with parallel sides, and guides a¹ to
guide the motion of the bucket or cage in its ascending or descending
motion. The bucket or cage is supported by chains c from the rope or band d,
which passes over a pulley e, and is operate. by a steam engine or other power,
as is well understood. ' is the valve for the admission of the air. It is.
attached to the stem 63, and supported by one end of the lever b, which turns
upon the centre of motion b', and has attached to it the counterbalance
weight 6. The lower part of this bucket or cage b is formed into a stage to
receive the waggon f, for the transit of minerals or other matters.
In each of the passages or headways g, communicating with the shaft a,
there is affixed a valve h, which as the bucket or cage descends is opened;
but so soon as the bucket or cage commences its upward motion (in which it
is represented by Figure 2), the valve therein is opened, and cachi valve h is
When employing this arrangement, I sometimes take advantage of
the vacuum created by the use of a furnace to rarify the air at the upper part
of the dunb or upcast air shaft i.
closed.
Figure 3 shows another arrangement in which the air is drawn into the
headways or passages of the mine through the dunb or downcast air. shaft
during the ascent of the bucket or cage b, the valves in this case being
reversed.
In Figure 4 the parts are shown in the position they assume when the
bucket or cage is descending. In these Figures 3 and 4 the same letters are
used to indicate similar parts to those employed in respect of Figures 1 and 2.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the best
means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into operation, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown

page_text: and described; but what I do claim is, the supplying air to mines and
such like places by adapting a system of valves thereto, acting substantially
as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Heppell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 4th day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
THOMAS FRADGLEY,
Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.
GEORGE HEPPELL. (L.S.)