IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Pope, of Holford Square, Penton-
ville, in the County of Middlesex, Engraver, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Pope at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th November 1852.
I, WILLIAM POPE, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS" to be ds
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect a continuous circulation of
air through the several cabins and other compartments of a ship
without the aid of manual labor. At the head and stern of the vessel
I provide a series of air conductors, and I bring into connection there-
with a system of pipes which traverse the vessel in any convenient way,
and give off the air supplied to them wherever it is required. Thus,
for example, if I am fitting up a passenger ship, I fit in the floor of
each sleeping cabin a metallic or other box with a lid full of holes or

page_text: covered with a grating, and I connect this box with the system of
ventilating pipes. A current of air being set up in these pipes by the
rapid progress of the vessel through the atmosphere, fresh air will con-
tinue to be supplied to each sleeping berth during the whole progress
of the voyage. The escape of vitiated air may be direct through the
sides of the vessel or through ventilating slips into the main saloon,
whence it will be carried off through the deck in the ordinary
way, or through pipes fitted with a cowl to assist its passage up-
wards. The saloon and other large cabins are supplied with fresh
air in like manner through any given number of gratings in the
floor. The boxes of which these gratings form the lids are of just
sufficient depth to allow of their insertion between the lower deck
timbers of the ship.
I find it convenient in steam vessels to connect the system of
ventilating pipes with the steam boiler furnace, for by that means I
not only create a more powerful draft than can be obtained by the
passage of tho vessel through the atmosphere, but I am enabled at
all times to feed the furnace fires with the requisite amount of air,
even when, as in a storm, the hatchways are closed.
In the system of pipes I provide proper means for regulating the
supply of air and of diverting the current, as may be found expedient.
The main pipes are supplied with sliding doors at intervals of about
30 or 40 feet for the purpose of cleansing, for which a Turk's-head
broom with jointed handle may be used. A flexible tube may also be
attached, when required, by means of a screw plug, to any portion of
the main conducting pipes, for the purpose of blowing foul air out of
the hold or any other close part of the ship not otherwiso ventilated.
In vessels fitted for carrying cattle I provide conductors for air at the
sides as well as head and stern of the vessel, such conductors being
suitably formed for meeting the air in the line of the vessels progress,
and thereby inducing or setting up a circulation of fresh air within the
vessel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Pope in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th May 1853.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM POPE, of Holford Square, Pentonville, in the County of
Middlesex, Engraver, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the
year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Pope, Her special license
that I, the said William Pope, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Pope, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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, 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 THE
VENTILATION OF SHIPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Pope, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 William Pope, do hereby
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 had to the Drawings-here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
. :
..
The object of this Invention is to effect a continuous circulation of air
between the decks of steam and sailing vessels, and through the several
cabins and other compartments of such vessels, without the aid of fans

page_text: or other apparatus driven by steam or other motive power. At the head
and stern of the vessel I provide a series of air conductors, and I bring
into connection therewith a system of pipes which traverse the vessel
in any convenient way, and give off the air supplied to them wherever
it is required. Thus, for example, in ventilating a passenger ship I
fit in the floor of each sleeping cabin a metallic or other box having
a lid pierced with numerous holes, or covered with a grating, and I
connect this box with the system of ventilating pipes. A current of
air being set up in these pipes by the rapid progress of the vessel
through the atmosphere, a continuous stream of fresh air may be sup-
plied to each sleeping berth during the whole progress of the voyage.
Escape passages for vitiated air may be made direct from the sleeping
cabins to the open air through the sides of the vessel, or this air may
pass through ventilating slips in the partitions which cut off the berths
from the main saloon, and be carried off thence through the deck in the
ordinary way, or through pipes fitted with a cowl to assist its passage
upwards. It is proposed to supply the saloon and other large cabins
with fresh air in like manner through any given number of gratings in
the floor.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figures 1, and 2, (Sheet I.) repre-
sent, in sectional elevation, the manner of ventilating a steam vessel
according to my Invention; and Fig. 3, Sheet II., is a sectional plan
view of the same. At the head of the vessel converging in-draft air
channels a, a, a, are formed, which lead by trunks b, b, to descending
pipes c, c, and thus the air which enters the channels a, a, is passed
down below the lower deck. In order to distribute the air through
the several compartments of the ship where ventilation is required I
connect the tubes c, c, with a system of pipes d, d, which take the
circuit of the ship, and to these pipes I attach lateral branches e, e, by
which the air is conducted to the several air chests or boxes f, f, whence
it issues out to ventilate the various compartments of the vessel. The
stern of the vessel is also provided with in-draft air channels, shewn at
9, 9, in Fig. 2, which channels are connected with the pipes d, d, to
assist in feeding them with air. Figs. 4, Sheet III., shew the manner
of obtaining the stern in-draft. The bulwark at the stern of the vessel

page_text: is fitted with a series of reticulated panels, composed by preference of
ventilating slips, which are capable of being covered in during bad
weather by sliding shutters. I also avail myself of a similar means of
supplying the air pipes d, d, with air by fitting the front of the poop
deck with reticulated panels, which are composed of ventilating slips
both at their back and front sides. This arrangement is shown at
Figures 5, in Sheet III. Between the slips is a vertical partition, which
prevents the wind from blowing through the panels, and conducts the
air down into the air pipes d, d, whence it passes, as before explained,
into the boxes f, and so to the several cabins or other compartments of
the vessel. The boxes or air chambers f, I prefer to make of just
sufficient depth to allow of their insertion between the lower deck
timbers of the ship, as shewn best at Figures 1, and 2, Sheet I.; or, if
thought desirable, they may be raised above the level of the deck, and
made of any convenient shape, their sides being in that case pierced,
instead of their covers or upper parts.
I find it convenient in steam vessels to connect the system of
ventilating tubes with the steam boiler furnace, for by that means I
not only cause a more rapid circulation of air through the pipes than
can be obtained by the passage of the vessel through the atmosphere
or by the action of the wind, but I am enabled at all times to feed
the furnace fires with the required amount of air, even when, as in a
storm, the hatchways are closed. To effect this object I use what I
term a blow fender, which is shewn in longitudinal elevation at h,
Fig. 2, Sheet I., and in cross section at Fig. 2. This fender is made
hollow to admit of its receiving air from a branch pipe leading from
the main air tubes d, d, and vents are made in the upper part of the
fender to allow of the escape of the air. The fender is set in front of
the fireplaces, and the escaping air is directed so that it shall enter the
ash-pit, and pass between the fire bars to the burning fuel.
In the system of distributing pipes I provide at any required intervals
valves or cocks for regulating the supply of air, and for diverting the
current as may be found expedient. A flexible tube may be attached,
when required, by means of a screw plug, to any portion of the main
conducting pipes, for the purpose of blowing foul air out of the. hold

page_text: or any other close part of the ship not otherwise ventilated. Instead
of employing the air boxes f, I propose in some cases to make
openings in the main pipes themselves, and to cover such openings
with wire gauze or perforated metal, one such opening being pro-
vided for every berth (if thought desirable); and to allow of the
supply of air to the berths being regulated according to the require-
ments of the occupants, I fit sliding covers to the pipes, as shewn at
Fig. 2b, in Sheet I., which covers may be made to diminish or cut off
the supply of air as required.
In order to ventilate ships which are fitted for carrying cattle I
provide conductors for air at the sides, in lieu of or in conjunction with
the head and stern air conductors above described, and these side con-
ductors I so construct that they may be made to meet the air as the
vessel proceeds in its course, and thereby set up a circulation of fresh
air within the vessel. When stormy weather prevails these conductors
may be closed like the port-holes of a ship.
In Sheet III., Fig 6, shews, in side clevation, a vessel fitted with the
side or port-hole air conductors; and Fig. 7, shows one of these con-
ductors detached and in perspective. It consists of a hinged door a,
which carries a bull's-eye for the admission of light, and a screen of wire
gauze or perforated metal b, set at an angle to the door and secured
thereto by segment piecos c, c.
When the ventilators are open, and
the vessel is in progress, they will collect air, and pass it through the
screen b. This screen may, if required, be fitted with a sliding plate
having corresponding openings in it to allow of the amount of air sup-
plied to the vessel being regulated, which may be effected by shifting
the position of the sliding plate, and thereby partially closing the
openings when the supply is too great.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim as of my improvements
in the ventilation of ships,-
First, the manner of collecting the air at the head, the stern, and
the poop deck, and of distributing it to the various cabins and other
parts of the ship requiring ventilation, as above set forth.

page_text: And, secondly, the construction and use of the air conductors as
described with reference to Figures 6, and 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pope, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
W. E. NEWTON.
WILLIAM POPE. (L.S.)