Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
We, JOHN SCARISBRICK WALKER, THOMAS ASOROFT WALKER and EDWIN ROBERT
WALKER, all of Wigan Iron Works, Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :--
This invention has for its object a practically indestructible fan of large diameter to
work with as little waste of power and vibration as possible.
The vanes are formed preferably of single plates of iron with their surfaces parallel to
the running axis of the fan, but if required in special cases they can be in part, or in
These blades or
whole oblique to that axis. They can be nearly radial or curved.
vanes are strengthened by plate arms standing out at right angles at the back of the
same. These are preferably attached to the blades by angle irons, which extend right
down to the boss. There may be one or more to each blade, but we prefer a single
one in the centre, except in very broad fans, when we may have two or even more of
these supporting plate arms.
Round the boss, touching the salient plates or arms on each side, and extending in
some cases over half the diameter of the fan or more, we arrange circular discs or
annular plates, made preferably in only two parts or halves, jointed together by rivets,
and where there are two contiguous such pairs of semi-circular plates, their joints are
preferably at right angles to each other. If there be four such pairs, their joints
can be 90 degrees apart. These circular plates or discs and the salient supporting
plates are firmly riveted or bolted together, and the angle irons are brought down over
these circular plates, and the rivets or bolts passed through from one angle iron to the
other, if there be two. Between the salient supporting plates or arms as ends, we
prefer to rivet to the circular plates, curved plates filling up the space left between
as to form a
the salient plates as far as the periphery of the circular plates, so
continuous circle or at least a continuous annulus of solid metal. The cast metal
bosses are formed so as to hug with their flanges the disc plates and the blades also,
in those
and a flange preferably lies up against the edge of the salient plates or arms,
The circular
cases where they are not covered on both sides by the circular plates.

page_text: plates, and salient plates or arms are well secured together by bolts passing through
all three. The angle irons may stop at the bosses, but in some cases may be
encompassed by the bosses cast to suit, or be brought down over the flanges of the
bosses, or attached thereto.
The vanes can be supported by diagonal or other stays or struts as desired, and can
be radial, tangential, volute or curved to other forms.
In place of the blade plates coming down all the way across to the boss, we prefer to
cut them away near the boss, and have removable pieces attached by bolts to partially
fill up the hiatus. By regulating the shape and size of these plates, the minimum
amount of central obstruction with the largest amount of fan power can easily be
ascertained in each case.
Dated this 19th day of Dogambar 1987
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ventilating Fans for Mines, Tunnels, and the like.
We, JOHN SCARISBRICK WALKER, THOMAS ASCROFT WALKER, and EDWIN ROBERT
WALKER, all of Wigan Iron Works, Wigan, in the County of Lancaster 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 :-
This invention has for its object a practically indestructible fan of large diameter to
work with as little waste of power and as little vibration as possible.
The invention may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in
which.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and
Figure 2 a longitudinal section of the improved fan.
The blades A are formed preferably of single plates of iron with their surfaces
parallel to the running axis of the fan, but if required they can be, in part or
throughout, oblique to that axis. They can be nearly radial or curved as shown.
The blades A are strengthened by plate arms B, standing out at right angles to the
same. The plate arms are preferably attached to the blades by angles irons C which
extend right down to the boss D. There may be one or more plate arms to each
blade, but, we prefer a single one in the centre, except in very broad fans, when we
may have two or even more of these supporting plate arms.
Round the boss D, or shaft E touching the salient plate, arms B on each side and
extending in some cases over half the diameter of the fan or more, we arrange circular
or polygonal discs F or annular plates, made preferably in only two parts or halves,
jointed together by rivets. Where there are two such pairs of semi-circular plates
contiguous, their joints are preferably at right angles to each other; and, if there be
four such pairs, they are placed so as to break joint with each other. These circular discs
and the salient plate arms are firmly riveted or bolted together, and the angle irons C
are brought down over the discs and the rivets or bolts passed through from one
angle iron to the other, if there be two. Between the salient plate arms, we rivet to
the circular discs, curved plates G which fill up the whole or a portion of space left
between the plate arms, and extend as far as the periphery of the discs, so as to form
a continuous disc, or at least a continuous annulus of solid metal. The cast metal
bosses D are formed so as to hug with their flanges D₁ the disc or discs F and the
plate arms, also in those cases where the latter are not covered on both sides by the
discs. Flanges or brackets d, also preferably lie up against the sides of the blades as
shown. The circular discs and salient plate arms are well secured together by bolts
or rivets passing through all three. The angle irons C may stop at the boss
flanges D, but, in some cases they may be embraced by the flanges (which are recessed
accordingly) or they may be brought down over the Hanges and attached thereto.
The blades can be braced together by diagonal or other stays or struts H, as
desired.

page_text: In place of making the blade plates of the full width from the periphery to the boss,
we prefer to cut them away near the boss, as at A¹ and removable or interchangeable
pieces may be attached to the blades by bolts to partially fill up the hiatus. By
regulating the shape and size of these plates, the minimum amount of central
obstruction with the largest amount of fan power can easily be ascertained in
each case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The improvement in ventilating fans for mines tunnels and the like consisting in
the combination of the blades or vanes, the strengthening arms formed of plate and
angle iron, and the annular, circular or polygonal plate discs, all united together,
substantially as described.
2. The combination of a fan, boss plate disc, or discs, stiffening plate arms and
blades, all firmly braced together and united substantially as described.
3. The arrangement for obtaining the minimum amount of central obstruction with
the largest amount of fan power from a given fan and with a given speed which
consists in cutting the blades away near the boss, as at A¹ and attaching thereto
removable or interchangeable pieces partially filling up the hiatus left by thus cutting
away, substantially as described.
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.