CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR VENTILATION AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES TO WHICH THE SAID MACHINERY CAN BE APPLIED
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING.
I, ALEXANDER HAIG, late of Upper Carlisle Street, Portman Market, Maryle-
bone, and now of the Glass House, Glass House Street, Upper East Smithfield,
both in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, in and by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of Septem-
ber, in the ninth year of Her reign, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
did give and grant unto me, the said 'Alexander Haig, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Alexander Haig, my executors, admors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Alexander Haig 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 of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might maké, use, exercise, and vend, within
that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR VENTILATION AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES TO WHICH THE SAID MACHINERY CAN BE APPLIED;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Alexander Haig, shall
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of

page_text: Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Haig, 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, and the Drawing to these
Presents annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of certain
machinery and apparatus whereby furnaces, mines, and other places containing
incombustible, noxious, or unwholesome gases and vapours may be ventilated
and supplied with suitable air, so as thereby to facilitate combustion and
render the places wholesome. And in order to give every information in my
power respecting the said Invention, I will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereto annexed, in which the same letters of reference relate to the same
parts in the several Figures.
Figure 1 is a tranverse section of "a centrefugal blower," shewing the
interior centre chamber, in which the fan a, with two or more blades, revolves.
b, b, are openings, through which the air or gases to be withdrawn enter the
centre chamber through the pipes c, c, connected with the two chambers h, h
(one at each end of the blower), and the exit or discharge pipe d of the
blower. d, the exit pipe leading from the centre chamber of the blower,
which in Figure 3 and Figure 4 is shewn branching off into and terminating
in the ash pits o, o, of the furnace. e, the shaft to which the fan a, a, is
attached, and which, passing through the three chambers of the machine, may
be rotated by manual labor applied to the handle fin conjunction with the
spur wheel and pinion 1 and 2 connected with the fan shaft. g, rigger,
secured to the opposite end of the fan's shaft, and will be driven by a band or
strap, such band being driven by the engine or other rotary power instead of by
manual labour, as just described. The two chambers h, h, communicate with
the pipe j, j, furnished with a slide valve or cock K to regulate the volume of
atmospheric air entering the vertical pipe, which volume of air, being divided
by a split draft at Z, passes into the chambers h, h, where, combining with the
air or gases drawn from the furnaces, are projected into the ash pits through
pipes d, d, shewn in Figures 3 and 4, the end of each pipe being furnished
with a valve n intended to be closed by the hand rods m, m, in the ash pits
0, 0. When the furnaces are being supplied with fuel or clinkering, the bars
or other requisite operations requiring the furnace doors to be opened.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the centrifugal blower, shewing

page_text: the fan blades a, a, also the entrance appertures b, b, forming a communication
between the centre and external chambers h; h, receiving the exhausted gases
passing through the pipes c, c, which gases, combining with a due proportion
of atmospheric air entering the pipe j, j, its volume being regulated by the
slide valve K, finally escapes through the pipe d into the ash pits o, o. The two
outer ends of the blower P, P, are continued below the cylinder, and thus
serve for standards to support the apparatus, the projecting flangches permit-
ting its being bolted down on its required position, as on the steamer's deck,
steam chest, or other situation.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the boiler (six furnaces being supposed set
aside by side) shewing furnace bars s, s, ash pits o, o, and flues, also the fire
lumps r, r, the exit pipes of blower d, d, their valves n, and rods m. The
pipes t, t, leading from each of the furnace ash pits, are intended to con-
vey away the non-inflammable gases through the exit pipe Q, Q, passing
away in any convenient direction.
Figure 4, vertical section from front to back of boiler, shewing its furnace v,
fire bars s, s, the ash pits o, exit pipes d, d, of blower, their valves n and
rods m, together with the exit pipes t, t, that carry off the non-inflammable
gases. w, w, the evaperating pan, into which the hot cinders, ashes, &c.
fall are immediately cooled by the water contained therein, which assists
in preserving the bars from rapid destruction.
Figure 5, the centrifugal blower, shewn standing over the exit flue of
boiler, and secured to the steam chest c 2, in which position it collects all the
gaseous products evolved from the furnaces, instead of escaping into the
chimney or funnel in the usual way through the pipes c, c, the atmospheric air
entering, as in Figures 1 and 2, through the pipes j and the regulating valve k.
The centrifugal blower, although shewn as applied to marine boilers, may be
placed in any convenient position, whether applied to marine or land boilers.
or other furnace exit flue.
Figure 6, transverse section of the paddle or other rotary shaft x, to which
is attached the driving pullies y, y, of various diameters, by which any required
velocity of the fan may be obtained when put into gear with the rigger 9 2
and friction band i, i, in the usual manner. Those parts of the boiler
colored blue, excepting the furnace bars 8, 8, denote the water.
Having now described the annexed Drawings, I will proceed to point out
the various purposes to which, and the manner in which, they are to be applied.
And first, with reference to the particular arrangements and application
shewn in the Drawings, which are intended to effect, by the combined opera-
tions of exhaustion and condensation, the ventilation of close-air furnaces and
the combustion of the inflammable gases generated therein, and to allow of

page_text: the discharge of the refuse products of combustion through and from the
ash pit. The exhausting process of the ventilation collects the inflammable
and non-inflammable gases evolved from the fuel undergoing decomposition
into the case of the blower (at a temperature little short of that at which
hydrogen gas ignites), where, being combined with a due proportion of
atmospheric air, entering the case of the blower at a suitable opening (the
volume of atmospheric air so admitted being regulated by a regulating valve,
according to the quantity of air in the particular furnace, the mixture of the
gaseous products and atmospheric air are by the condensing action of the blower
driven into the ash pit or pits, where the non-inflammable gases are discharged
through a suitable pipe adapted with regulating pipe or valves to each ash pit,
all other external openings being sealed from the atmosphere. The non-
inflammable products from the ash pit may be discharged at any convenient
level, which on shipboard would be either on the larboard, starboard, or on
both sides, or at the stern of the vessel, depending upon the number and
situation of boilers and furnaces employed; and as the velocity or the draft
produced by the means above described may exceed that of a chimney shaft,
such shaft may be altogether dispensed with. The principles of the action of
the arrangement above described may be thus simply recapitulated :-The
gaseous products evolved during the fuel's decomposition are, by the exhausting
power of the centrifugal blower, collected in its case at a high temperature,
when the requisite volume of atmospheric air enters the case of the fan
through an adjustable area of opening, where, mixing with the before-named
inflammable and non-inflammable gases, the aggregate volume is driven by the
fan into the ash pit, or as many ash pits as there may be, in regulated volumes;
the inflammable gases passing through the fire bars are ignited, and the excess
of non-inflammable gases is discharged by a pipe leading from the ash pit to
any convenient situation. It is by the aforesaid continued exhausting and con-
desing that I accomplish the ventilation of a close furnace and the combustion
of the inflammable gases, and thereby prevent the evolution of smoke into
the atmosphere, and supersede the necessity for a chimney shaft for obtaining
the necessary draft. As the temperature of the combined gases entering the
ash pits will be considerable, this heat, in addition to that produced by cinders,
&c., falling through the fire bars, in conjunction with the high temperature
acting on the upper surfaces, would be very detrimental. I introduce water
into the bottom of such ash pits, which, from its evaporation and cooling of
the hot cinders, obviates the inconvenience referred to. The arrangements
shewn in the Drawing for the purpose of ventilating close furnaces may be
applied, with slight modification, for various other useful purposes when it is.
required to withdraw air or gaseous products and introduce an equal volume

page_text: of air or gas. If the air or gas to be so introduced in place of that which has
been withdrawn is to be introduced without mixing with that which has been
so withdrawn, as in the case of ventilating a coal mine, room, or the hold of a
ship, or other place, the pipe j, j, with its valve, &c. on the top of the
blower, will be unnecessary, and the exhausting pipes c, c, must be conveyed
into the place containing the vitiated air or noxious gas and vapour, which by
the rotation of the fan will be drawn into the chambers h, h, and from thence
into the centre chamber, when it will be discharged at the blowers' exit pipe d
into the atmosphere or conveyed away to any suitable spot, while an equal
volume of pure air will enter the place thus ventilated either through natural
openings or by a pipe laid into the place from whence the noxious air, gases,
or vapors may be removed, as aforesaid. The pipe j, j, with its valve K on
the top of the blower, must not be employed for ventilation in such cases, but
this opening may be employed instead of the pipes c, c, in which case the
latter would be abandoned; or the pipe j, j, may be employed as an
additional exhausting pipe in connection with another communication to the
place from which the noxious matter is to be withdrawn. The exhausting
pipes c, c, may communicate with several pipes of smaller diameter, con-
ducted or leading to the part of the mine or apartment in which the
noxious matter is principally generated, or from which it is particularly
required to be removed. The blower may be driven by manual or other
power which can be most conveniently obtained under the circumstances of
each particular case, the method of driving such blower at the requisite
velocity for creating a rapid current through the chamber in which the
fan moves being well understood, and forming no part of my Invention.
And I hereby declare, that I do not claim as of my Invention the mixing.
of gaseous products with air in furnaces, or the exclusive use of the several
separate parts of the machinery and arrangements shewn in the Drawings
hereto annexed and herein-before particularly referred to. But what I claim
as my Invention is,-
Firstly, the construction and arrangement of machinery and apparatus
whereby close furnaces may be ventilated, as above described.
Secondly, I claim the combination of the chamber containing the centri-
fugal blower, and of a chamber on each side of such blower, in connection
with exhausting and discharge pipes, and the application thereof to ventilation
and other purposes, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Haig, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, One thousand eight hundred
ALEXANDER (L.S.) HAIG.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fourth day of March,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Alexander Haig came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Fourth day of March, in the year above written.