IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE PURIFICATION OF AIR IN RAILWAY TUNNELS, MINES, BUILDINGS, OR OTHER PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Charles William Stanley, of 41, Barnsdale Road,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
RELATING TO THE PURIFICATION OF AIR IN RAILWAY TUNNELS, MINES,
BUILDINGS, OR OTHER PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles William
Stanley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th September
1880.
JOHN CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY, of 41, Barnsdale Road, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE PURIFICATION OF AIR IN
RAILWAY TUNNELS, MINES, BUILDINGS, OR OTHER PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
The object of this Invention is the purification of air in underground railways,
mines, tunnels, and other enclosed places, such as theatres, churches, carriages,
etcetera; and consists in subjecting the impure atmosphere to the purifying influence
of water, either alone or in combination with any of the known chemical purifying
agents, and in apparatus for effecting this purpose.
In railways and mines I purpose fixing on a carriage a shallow tank, and above
this on pillars or other supports sufficiently low to freely allow of its passing
through the tunnel another similar tank. Between the two tanks, at a distance of
a few inches or so apart, perforated tubes (fluted if necessary) or wire gauze may
be placed, which will conduct the water from the upper to the lower tank, which
in thus gravitating through the perforated pipes or down the gauze will present to
the impure air a thin film of running water.
The perforated tubes, which may be made of any known suitable material or
gauze, may be covered with flannel or other fabric, which will have the effect of
holding the water and prevent its flying off by the rapid motion of the carriage
through the air. To keep a constant supply of water in the upper tank I fix one
or more centrifugal or other pumps of sufficient capacity to keep the upper tank
supplied with water from the lower one, and for this purpose I utilize the motion
of the carriage and work the pumps from a drum fixed to the axle or in some

page_text: equivalent manner. If desided other motive power may be used, such as compressed
air, gas, steam, etcetera.
For buildings, cabins in vessels, carriages, etcetera, where the tubes or gauze will
be stationary, a reservoir may be fixed with a pumping system for the economy of
water, or a direct supply may be taken from the water main or other source of
supply.
If it be desirable a filtering or refrigerating apparatus may be employed in
connection with this Invention for rendering the water free from the impurities it
has taken up from the air.
For collecting as much air as possible in passing wings or louvres may, when
desired, and where practicable, be hung to the sides or other portion of the
carriage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Charles William Stanley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th March 1881.
JOHN CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY, of 41, Barnsdale Road, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE PURIFICATION OF AIR IN
RAILWAY TUNNELS, MINES, BUILDINGS, OR OTHER PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR.'
The object of this Invention is the purification of air in underground railways,
mines, tunnels, and other enclosed places, such as theatres, churches, carriages,
etcetera; and consists in subjecting the impure atmosphere to the purifying influence
of water, either alone or in combination with any of the known chemical purifying
agents, and an apparatus for effecting this purpose.
In railways and mines I purpose fixing on a carriage a shallow tank, and above
this on pillars or other supports, sufficiently low to freely allow of its passing
through the tunnel, another similar tank. Between these two tanks, at a distance
of a few inches or so apart, perforated tubes (fluted if necessary) or wire gauze may
be placed, which will conduct the water from the upper to the lower tank, which in
thus gravitating through the perforated pipes or down the gauze will present to
the impure air a thin film of running water.
The perforated tube, which may be made of any known suitable material or
gauze, may be covered with flannel or other fabric, which will have the effect of
holding the water and prevent its flying off by the rapid motion of the carriage
through the air. To keep a constant supply of water in the upper tank I fix one
or more centrifugal or other pumps, of sufficient capacity to keep the upper tank
supplied with water from the lower one, and for this purpose I utilize the motion of
the carriage and work the pumps from a drum fixed to the axle or in some equivalent
manner. If desired other motive power may be used, such as compressed air, gas,
steam, etcetera.

page_text: For buildings, cabins in vessels, and other places where the tubes or equivalent
will be stationary, a reservoir may be fixed with a pumping system for the economy
of water, or a direct supply may be taken from the water main or other source of
supply.
If it be desirable a filtering or refrigerating apparatus may be employed in
connection with this Invention for rendering the water free from the impurities
it has taken up from the air.
For collecting as much air as possible in passing wings or louvres may, when
desired, and where practicable, be hung to the side or other portions of the
carriage.
Reference being now had to the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation,
one half in section, of a railway carriage fitted in accordance with this Invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the framework and wheels
with three different ways of arranging the pumping apparatus; Fig. 4 shows some
arrangements of the perforated pipes and their modifications; Figs. 5 and 6 are
respectively a part sectional elevation and plan of one modification of the tubes;
and Fig. 7 is a part sectional elevation of a gauze tube and attachment; Fig. 8 is
an elevation, and Fig. 9 plan of one arrangement for use in buildings and for
stationary purposes generally. Like. letters represent like parts in the different
views. A is the bottom tank; B, the top one; and C, the tubes; A¹, an opening,
closed by a suitable cover, for filling the upper tank B; and B', a cock or equivalent
for running off the water after it is done with; D are the shutters or louvres for
catching the air worked by levers or equivalent D'; E are the pumps or devices
for filling the upper tank B. These are driven in any convenient manner, three
different ways being shown in Fig. 3, viz., a centrifugal pump driven by a band
from the pulley F, and two ordinary pumps worked from the eccentric G with a
long or short rod, as shown. If the centrifugal pumps be used either two pumps
must be employed, one to work when the carriage goes one way, and the other
when the movement is reversed, or an arrangement of straight and crossed belts
and ratchet gear, or the like, so that the pump moves in the right direction which-
ever way the carriage is travelling. E is the pipe up which the water passes from
the pump to the tank B.
"
In Fig. 4 are shown the tubes, etcetera, down which the water trickles. No. 12
is a pipe perforated at the top down to partition or stop (a). The water passes to
the outside through the perforations, and then down the outside of the pipe in a
continuous stream. No. 13 is similar to No. 12, but has flannel or the like (b)
wrapped round it, as shown. No. 14 is an unperforated tube or a solid rod, which
may be made of wood, if preferred, for cheapness. One method of holding this in
position and conducting the water to it is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The
four arms, three would do, might be ordinary nails driven into the top of the
wooden "tube or rod, and so keeping it central in the cap (c), the lower end of
which is nearly of a size with the top of the "tube," and leaves only a narrow
annular space between them. The end is tapered for adjustment; by raising or
lowering the "tube" the size of the annular space, and therefore the flow of water
down the outside of the "tube," can be varied at pleasure. The tube may be
secured or fixed at the proper height by a suitable fastening where it joins the
lower tank. No. 15 is a gauze tube with flannel round it; and No. 16 is a gauze
tube without any wrapping upon it. Fig. 7 shows one way of conducting the
water to it. The arrows indicate the direction of the water in Figs. 5 and 7, the
top plate in both cases being supposed to be the bottom of the upper tank B.
In Fig. 8 the water enters the tank B through the pipe or cock (from the main
or other source of supply) at top, and after passing down the "tubes" C enters the
lower tank A and escapes through the pipe at the bottom, and may be pumped up
for re use, or used in the building where practicable.
The dot and dash lines in Fig. 9 show another, and in some cases a preferable,
shape for the outer walls of the stationary apparatus, which would generally be

page_text: CLAIMS.
Having now described my Invention, and the method of performing the same, I
wish it to be understood that I do not broadly claim the principle of purifying
foul air by submitting it to the action of water, or of water and chemicals together,
as I believo such principle to be old; but that what I do claim and desire to protect
under the bereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. As a locomotive apparatus for purifying air the combination upon a truck
or carriage of the upper and lower tanks, having between them the tubes or rods
down which the purifying agent flows, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth and shown.
Second. In an apparatus for purifying air the employment of the tubes or rods
as a coro or centro round which the purifying agent flows, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and shown.
- Third. As a stationary apparatus for purifying-air the combination of the-upper
tank B, supplied with water from the main or other convenient source of supply,
tubes or rods C, walled or boxed in, and lower tank A, forming together the
purifying chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Charles William Stanley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY. (L.S.)