IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORCING AND EXHAUSTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Irlam Ellis, of Murray Street, Higher
Broughton, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORCING AND
EXHAUSTING AIR OR OTHER GASES."
Sealed the 26th March 1872, and dated the 4th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Irlam Ellis
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th October 1871.
I, WILLIAM İRLAM ELLIS, of Murray Street, Higher Broughton,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engincer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
FORCING AND EXHAUSTING AIR OR OTHER GASES," to be as follows:―
Firstly. It consists in the construction of machines for forcing air or
other gases with a bed plate on which two stands are cast or fixed
to carry the shaft, on which the fan blades or vanes and smaller cylinder
revolve. This shaft is made in one piece, being cranked or bent so that the

page_text: middle part will be concentric with the outer cylinder or casing. The shaft
has oil grooves cut on its surface or is partly bored hollow to lubricato
inside the bosses of the fan blades and the smaller cylinder ends, and
is provided with "needle" or other lubricators. The ends of the outer
cylinder or cylindrical case are fastened down to the bed plate; they
each have a hole for the smaller cylinder to pass through. The outer
cylinder is open for about a fourth of its circumference; one-half is mado
of sheet iron and the remainder is made up by a cast-iron segment (the
outlet for the air or gas delivered being cast in one piece with this
segment), and a wood packing piece and upper retaining segment of cast
iron. The smaller or inner cylinder is cast in one length with the
driving pulleys on it at each end, the arms and boss at one or both ends
being cast loose and fitted and fastened in afterwards; this cylinder
is formed with or without an opening or openings in the cylindrical
part to give access to the inside, any such opening being closed by
a cover.
Secondly. In the construction of apparatus for the exhaustion or
exhaustion and forcing simultaneously or alternately of air or other
gases, in which one cylinder is used revolving inside a larger fixed
'eccentrically with the smaller one, with two or more fan blades or vanes,
which whilst revolving round a shaft concentric with the outer cylinder
are driven by the inner one.
"
Thirdly. In the construction of any of the machines above described
or of any modification thereof, with a straight instead of a cranked
shaft, the fan blades being moved inwards or outwards as required, to
or from the centre by their outer ends or corners being attached to the
rim of a wheel (or other similar arrangement) at one or both ends, which
revolves concentrically with the outer cylinder.
Fourthly. In the construction of any of the machines above described
or any modification thereof, with openings in the circumference of
the inner cylinder, which are opened to admit air or gas from the inside
during a part of each revolution of the cylinder and closed during the
remainder.
Fifthly. In the construction of any of the above described machines
or any modification thereof, with a steam engine, turbine, or other 3
separate motive power for driving them through the intervention of
spur, bevil, mitre, skew, or worm gear, frictional gear, cranks, belts or

page_text: ropes, or other similar mechanical appliances for transmitting power, or
directly attached.
· Sixthly. In the construction of any of the above described machines
or any modification thereof, with an outlet or outlets arranged with
one or more nozzles and surrounding pipes, so as to obtain an increased
delivery of air or other gas by the method known as that of induced
currents.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Irlam Ellis in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
IRLAM ELLIS, of Murray Street, Higher Broughton, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Irlam Ellis;
Her special licence that I, the said William Irlam Ellis, 'my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Irlam Ellis, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORCING AND EXHAUSTING
AIR OR OTHER GASES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Irlam Ellis, 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.
.

page_text: declare the nature of my said 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 also had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for forcing and
exhausting air or other gases, and consists,― .
.
Firstly. In the construction of machines for forcing air or other gases,
with a bed plate, on which two stands are cast or fixed to carry the shaft
on which the fan blades or vanes and smaller cylinder revolve. This
shaft is made in one piece, being cranked or bent so that the middle part
will be concentric with the outer cylinder or casing. The shaft has oil
grooves cut on its surface, or is partly bored hollow to lubricato inside
the bosses of the fan blades and the smaller cylinder ends, and is
provided with needle or other lubricators. The ends of the outer
cylinder or cylindrical case are fastened down to the bed plate; they
each have a hole for the smaller cylinder to pass through. The outer
cylinder is open for about a fourth of its circumference; one-half is made
of sheet iron, and the remainder is made up by a cast-iron segment (the
outlet for the air or gas delivered being cast in one piece with this
segment), and a wood packing piece and upper retaining segment of cast
iron. The smaller or inner cylinder is cast in one length, with the
driving pulleys on it at each end, the arms and boss at one or both ends
being cast loose and fitted and fastened in afterwards; this cylinder is
formed with or without an opening or openings in the cylindrical part to
give access to the inside, any such opening being closed by a cover.
Secondly. In the construction of apparatus for the exhaustion or
exhaustion and forcing simultaneously or alternately of air or other gases,
in which one cylinder is used revolving inside a larger fixed eccentrically
with the smaller one, with two or more fan blades or vanes, which whilst
revolving round a shaft concentric with the outer cylinder are driven by
the inner one.
Thirdly. In the construction of any of the machines herein-before
described, or of any modification thereof, with a straight instead of a
cranked shaft, the fan blades being moved inwards or outwards as
required, to or from the centre, by their outer ends or corners being

page_text: attached to the rim of a wheel (or other similar arrangement), at one or
both ends, which revolves concentrically with the outer cylinder.
Fourthly. In the construction of any of the machines. herein-before
described, or any modification thereof, with openings in the circum-
ference of the inner cylinder, which are opened to admit air or gas from
the inside during a part of each revolution of the cylinder, and closed
during the remainder.
Fifthly. In the construction of any of the herein-before described
machines, or any modification thereof, with a steam engine, turbine, or
other separate motive power for driving them through the intervention
of spur, bevil, mitre, skew, or worm gear, frictional gear, cranks, belts,
or ropes, or other similar mechanical appliances for transmitting power,
or directly attached.
Sixthly. In the construction of any of the herein-before described
machines, or any modification thereof, with an outlet or outlets arranged
with one or more nozzles and surrounding pipes, so as to obtain an
increased delivery of air or other gas, by the method known as that of
induced currents.
In the accompanying Sheet No. 1 of Drawings, Figure 1 is a cross
section, Figure 2 a horizontal section, and Figure 3 a longitudinal
section through centre of inner-cylinder, and a section of casing of my
improved forcing machine for air or other gases.
stands b, b, are
On this shaft
In these Figures a is the bed plate on which the two
cast or fixed to carry the stationary cranked shaft c.
where its axis is concentric with that of the casing, the vanes d, d, d,
revolve with their outer edges as close to the inner surface of the outer
casing e, e, and outlet casting f. as may be without rubbing, the ends of
the vanes are similarly close to the inner faces of the casing ends g, g.
The inner cylinder h, h, passes through these casing ends and projects
outwardly at one or both ends (I prefer it should be at both), far enough
to form a pulley or pulleys for the driving belt or belts to work on. The
inner cylinder has longitudinal slots in its circumference for the vanes to
work through as the cylinder revolves, and each vane passes through a
cylindrical roller m, m, m, divided longitudinally in halves for the
purpose, the parts of the rollers, cach being a little less than a semicircle
in section, revolving in concave recesses in the cylinder. The outer
ends of the shaft c rest in the stands b, b, and carry the inner cylinder

page_text: h, h, which revolves round the axis of the ends of the shaft with its
periphery as close as possible to the wood packing piece i, which is for
the purpose of forming an air-tight joint against the cylinder. It will
thus be seen that the inner cylinder acts as a driver for the vanes,
carrying them round with it, during which the air or gas enters by the
opening k in the casing, and is then carried round by the vanes to the
outlet and there discharged.
In Sheet 2, Figure 4 is a cross section, and Figure 5 a longitudinal
section of one arrangement of my improved apparatus for the exhaustion
or exhaustion and forcing simultaneously or alternately of air or other
gases. a is the bed plate on which are cast or fixed the two stands b, v,
carrying the cranked shaft c, on the ends of which the inner cylinder
h, h, revolves, and on the cranked part the vanes.d, d, d, revolve; these
are carried round by the inner cylinder, working through the split rollers
m, m, m, and through slots in the circumference of the inner cylinder,
they revolve with their outer edges as close to the inner surface of the
casing e, e, and with their ends as close to the casing ends 9, 9, as may
bo without rubbing. The inlet is enclosed so as to be connected to
the main pipe, vessel, or mine, &c., to be drawn from and placed
opposite the outlet 7, when the inner cylinder h, k, is caused to revolve
the air or gas is drawn in at the inlet k, carried round by the vanes and
discharged by the outlet 1.
In Sheet 2, Figure 6. is a cross section, and Figure 7 a longitudinal
section of one of these machines, in which the shaft c is straight with
the inner cylinder h, h, fastened upon it, tho shaft is also provided with
one or more pulleys by which it and the inner cylinder with it are
caused to revolve. The vanes d, d, d, are of same length as the inner
cylinder, and work through longitudinal slits or grooves in its circum-
ference and through radial slots in its ends. There are bosses or
eccentrics on the inner faces of the casing ends, which bosses are
concentric with the inner surface of the cylindrical part of the casing,
and on these bosses there are at each end of the machine eccentric straps
or bands with arms or rods n, m, n, to each of which in pairs, one of
which is at each end, is attached one of the vanes d, d, d, by pins
fastened to the outer corners of the vanes. The cylinder h, h, revolves
eccentrically with the casing in contact with it on one side and carries
the vanes round with it, the outer edges of which are guided round the
inner surface of the casing by the arms n, n, n.
The ends of the vanes

page_text: d, d, d, arc in contact with the arms n, n, n, each of which is thick
enough to fill the space between the ends of the vanes and the inner
surface of the casing ends g, g.
.
Figure 8 is an arrangement in which a wheel n, n, n, is used at each
5 end of the machine in place of the arms n, m, n, shewn in Figure 6,
the wheels are attached by pins to the outer ends of one of the vanes by
which the wheels are caused to revolve when the inner cylinder h, h,
revolves. The wheels turning on bosses concentric with the inner
surface of the outer cylinder cause the outer edges of the vanes to
O follow the inner surface of the casing. The vanes are made equal in
length with the inner cylinder and the spaces between the ends of tho
vanes and the inner surface of the casing ends g, g, is filled by the
thickness of the wheels. As the circumferential velocity of the outer
edges of the vanes is continually varying, even while that of the
5 periphery of the inner cylinder is constant, the distances of the outer
edges of the vanes from each other is also varying, and as one of the
vanes is attached to the wheel to carry it round, this variation has to be
allowed for by other vanes having pins on each end fitted into slide
blocks which work in segmental slots in the rims of the wheels, tho.
slots being made sufficiently long to allow of this variation and being
concentric with the inner surface of the outer casing, so as to cause the
outer edges of the vanes to follow the inner surface of the casing as
before described.
In Sheet 2, Figure 4 shews one arrangement of the inner cylinder
5 of these machines, in which it is provided with openings o, o, o, which
openings are closed by the valves or doors p, p, p, during some portions
of cach revolution and left open for the supply of air or gas to the
interior of the chamber q as required; the valves p, p, p, being hinged
on one edge and balanced in whole or in part by weights and lovers.
) In Sheet 1, Figure 9 shews another arrangement by which openings
are provided in the circumference of the inner cylinder, which in this
case consists of segments with spaces between them, which spaces
are filled or opened, as shewn, by quadrants or segments r, r, r, hinged
to the cylinder along one edge and attached to radius rods 8, 8, 8, which
; revolve round eccentrics on the shaft t. The inner cylinder revolves in
contact with one side of the casing, and the eccentrics being concentric
with the inner surface of the outer casing the outer ends of the
quadrants r, r, r, are carried round close to the inner surface of the

page_text: outer casing, the air or gas being drawn in at the inlet and carried
round to and discharged by the outlet 1. The quadrants are made equal
in length to the distance between the ends of the casing 9; they are
made convex on their outer surface to an equal radius with the inner
surface of the cylindrical part of the casing, and are provided with an
internal flange to each to regulate the extent of opening through the
circumference of the inner cylinder. The distance between the middle
of the depth of the wood packing piece and the top of the outlet /
should not be less than the width of one of the quadrants.
In Sheet 1, Figure 10 shews an arrangement by which openings
through the circumference of the inner cylinder o, o, o, are opened and
closed by slides p, p, p, the motion of which is controlled by their being
connected with the split rollers m, m, m, as shewn, the machine being
otherwise as described for Figures 1, 2, 3 or 4, and 5, except as to the
variation in the openings through the circumference of the inner
cylinder shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
Sheet 1, Figure 11 shews an arrangement of the inner cylinder and
vanes of these machines, in which the rollers m, m, m, are formed upon
the vanes, and they are thus caused to slide into or out of the inner
cylinder as it revolves. The radius rods 8, 8, 8, are attached to the s
rollers m, m, m, and vanes d, d, d, the rollers sliding in the slots u, u, u,
and to prevent unnecessary friction there the rollers may be fitted with
pins and slide blocks at their ends to slide in the grooves v, v, v; the
action of the machine being otherwise as herein-before described for
Figures 1, 2, and 3.
In the machines herein-before described any of the arrangements of
inner cylinder, vanes, shaft, guide wheels, or arms for vanes, openings
in inner cylinder with slide covers, valves, or shutters, vanes with sliding
rollers on them, or other parts attached to or connected with the inner
cylinder, as shewn in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, may be used
in combination with the outer casings shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5, or in any of the other Figures.
In one of the methods of applying the motive power to these
machines I attach a spur wheel to one end of the inner cylinder, and into
this another spur wheel is geared, which is fixed on one end of the
crank shaft of a steam engine, the axis of the steam cylinder lying at
right angles with that of the machine to be driven.

page_text: Sixthly. The construction of any of the heroin-before described
machines with the delivery increased by the method of induced
currents.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Irlam Ellis, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Second day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.