Improvements in Ventilators or Air-extractors for Railway Carriages, Steamships, Public Buildings, and other Structures.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1899-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1899
Improvements in Ventilators or Air-extractors for Railway Carriages,
Steamships, Public Buildings, and other Structures.
We, WILLIAM PLATTS, Engineer and Manufacturer, of Savile Street, and
GEORGE HEPPLE COWEN, Engineer, of 70, Harcourt Road, both in Sheffield, in
the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-
Our invention relates to improvements in ventilators or air-extractors chiefly
designed for railway-carriages and other vehicles but also applicable for ships,
factories and other buildings or structures.
Our improved ventilator or air-extractor comprises a hollow stem or body-
piece, forming the uptake, which is provided with a flange or other suitable
base at its lower end to afford an easy means for attaching it to a carriage or
other roof or to a deck, or for securing it in any other desired situation. The
air-passage through the said stem or body-piece is divided into two or more
channels or passages by means of one or more partitions or walls, each channel
or passage opening into one or more corresponding downtakes communi-
cating with the external atmosphere, in such a manner that the air will be
drawn out by the action of the wind or of the air-current caused by the motion
of the train or ship, and each downtake will act independently of the other.
The uptake may, if desired, be controlled by a movable gridiron-valve or other
suitable device.
In one form of our air-extractor, the wall of the main stem or uptake is bent
over upon itself at its upper end and the return portion, together with curved
extensions of the dividing wall or partition, forms the downtakes.
In another form of our improved ventilator, the main stem or uptake is
provided with a cap or cowl formed upon or supported by the dividing wall or
partition of the uptake, which also divides the space within the cowl; the cowl
has its wall or walls prolonged downward sufficiently to effectually screen the
upper opening of the uptake.
The lower ends of the downtakes are sometimes so formed that their terminal
parts lie in a horizontal direction. In this case, holes are provided upon the
under side of the horizontal parts for draining away any water that may collect
therein.
We sometimes provide our improved air-extractor with an upper and a lower
flange, fitting one upon the other, and with projections or bolts upon one flange
engaging in grooves in the other flange. By these means the air-extractor can
be turned to any desired position. This movable type of air-extractor can also
be fitted with ball-bearings for ease of working.
An advantageous form of our air-extractor for use on the side of a railway-
carriage, consists of a hollow stem or body-piece which extends into one side
of a cap or cowl so that the wall of the latter overlaps the outer end of the
said hollow stem.
In the case of deck-ventilators, the uptake, the uptake is made to extend
upward above the lower edge of the down-take sufficiently to obviate the liability

page_text: to any rush of water taking place through the said uptake; and to more
effectually prevent the passage of water or spray through the uptake, we find it
advantageous to arrange in the downtake a perforated flap or other valve pro-
vided with means whereby it can be readily opened and closed from the interior
of the saloon or other compartment or room in the ship, or, if desired, from
the deck. This perforated valve, when closed, will obstruct the entrance of
water into the downtake, whilst permitting the egress of air therefrom.
Our improvements obviate the liability to down-draught and to the entrance
of water or dust in rainy or stormy weather, and afford the further advantage
of compactness, neatness of appearance, great extracting power and adaptability of
the air-extractor to replace other designs of air extractors without alteration
of existing arrangements.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of a wall or partition dividing the
uptake into two channels or passages only, as we can, if desired, construct such
uptake divided into any convenient number of channels and provided with a
corresponding number of downtakes.
D1 11. 001 1
1
1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Ventilators or Air-extractors for Railway Carriages,
Steamships, Public Buildings, and other Structures.
We, WILLIAM PLATTS, Engineer and Manufacturer, of Savile Street, and
GEORGE HEPPLE COWEN, Engineer, of 70, Harcourt Road, both in Sheffield, in
the County of York, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in ventilators or air-extractors chiefly
designed for railway-carriages and other vehicles but also applicable for ships,
factories and other buildings or structures.
Our improved ventilator or air-extractor comprises a hollow stem or body-
piece, forming the uptake, which is provided with a flange or other suitable
base at its lower end to afford an easy means of attaching it to a carriage or
other roof or to a deck, or for securing it in any other desired situation. The
air-passage through the said stem or body-piece is divided into two or more
channels or passages by means of one or more partitions or walls, each channel
or passage opening into into one or more corresponding downtakes communi-
cating with the external atmosphere, in such a manner that the air will be
drawn out by the action of the wind or of the air-current caused by the motion
of the train or ship, and each downtake will act independently of the other.
The flow of air into the uptake may, if desired, be regulated or controlled by a
movable gridiron-valve or other suitable device.
In the accompanying drawings we have shown various forms or modifications
of our improved ventilator or air-extractor; the several figures of the drawings
will be hereinafter more particularly referred to.
a is the hollow stem or body-piece forming the uptake, which is divided by
a partition or wall b into separate channels or passages c, c', and which is provided
with a flanged for securing it in any desired situation. The said channels c, c¹
communicate respectively with downtake channels or passages e, e¹.
In Figure 1 we have shown, in vertical central section, one form of our

page_text: improved air-extractor, in which the wall of the main stem or uptake a is bent
over upon itself at its upper end and the return portions thereof together with
curved extensions of the dividing wall or partition 6 form the downtakes e, el.
Each downtake e or el acts independently in conjunction with the correspond-
ing uptake c or c. The admission of air to the uptakes may, if desired, be
controlled by a valve or other suitable device, for instance, by an ordinary movable
gridiron-valve f.
In other forms of our improved ventilator, shown in central section in
Figures 2, 3 and 4, the main stem or uptake a is provided with a cap or cowl g,
the interior of which is also divided by the wall or partition b, and which extends
downward sufficiently to effectually screen the upper openings of the uptake.
To afford a stronger support for the cowl g, ribs or stays are sometimes provided
between the cow! g and the stem a, as more clearly shown in Figure 5, which
is an underside view of the arrangement shown in Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 7 a horizontal section on the line A, B, Figure 6, showing a modifica-
tion of our invention in which the wall of the uptake a is extended upward to
join the cowl g, suitable openings j, j being formed to establish communication
between the uptakes and downtakes for the passage of the air. As shown in
these figures, the flange d is made as a separate piece and is provided with
projections or bolts & engaging in slots in the flange m so as to permit the air-
extractor to be turned to and secured in any desired position. This device for
permitting the air-extractor to be turned to the most advantageous position is
applicable to either of the forms or modifications of our invention herein described,
and, in the case of large ventilators the weight of which may be considerable,
a ball-race may advantageously be formed between the flanges d and m, in
which are arranged balls for supporting the weight of the ventilator, thus allow-
ing it to be turned with ease.
We sometimes arrange the walls or partitions and the cowl g so as to form
more than two passages or channels; for example, in Figures 8 and 9, which
show respectively a vertical central section and a horizontal section on the
line C, D, Figure 8, we have illustrated a modification of our air-extractor in
which the uptake a is divided into four channels or passages c, c', c, c, the parti-
tions or dividing walls b extending upward within the cowl g so as to divide
the interior thereof and form a corresponding number of downtakes e, c¹, e², e³.
Another modification of our improved air-extractor in which the partitions are
arranged to form four channels or passages is shown in vertical central section
in Figure 10 and in side elevation in Figure 11.
The lower ends of the downtakes e, el are sometimes so formed that their
terminal parts extend horizontally, as shown, for example, in Figures 12
and 13, which show, respectively, a vertical central section and a horizontal
section on the line E, F, Figure 12.
Figure 14 shows, in vertical central section, another arrangement of this kind.
Holes are provided in the walls of the horizontal parts π for draining away
any water that may collect therein.
Figure 15 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 16 a horizontal section on the line G, H, Figure 15, showing a modifica-
tion of our invention in which inclined downtakes c, e¹ open into vertical tubes q,
the sides of which are provided with holes r.
An advantageous form of our air-extractor for use on the side of a railway-
carriage is shown in vertical section in Figure 17 and consists of a hollow stem
or body-piece which extends into one side of a cap or cowl y so that the wall
of the latter overlaps the outer end of the said hollow stem, the interior being
divided by a partition as shown.
Figure 18 shows in central section an arrangement in which the wall a of
the main stem is bent approximately at right angles to itself to form the down-
take e, which is divided into two distinct channels or passages by the wall b

page_text: as
more clearly shown in Figure 19, which is a section on the line J, K,
Figure 18.
In the case of deck-ventilators, the uptake is made to extend upward above
the lower edge of the downtake sufficiently to obviate the liability to any rush
of water taking place through the said uptake; and to more effectually prevent
the passage of water or spray, into the uptake, a perforated throttle or other
valve is arranged in each of the downtakes and is attached to a cord or chain
by which the valve can be readily opened and closed from the interior of the
saloon or other compartment or room in the ship, or, if desired, from the deck.
This valve is preferably perforated so that the entrance of water into the down-
takes will be obstructed without interfering with the free egress of air through
the ventilator.
Figure 20 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 21 a horizontal section on the line L, M, Figure 20, showing an air-
extractor in which a throttle-valve s is arranged in each of the downtakes e, c¹.
We sometimes employ a flap-valve without perforations (as indicated by chain
lines in Figure 20) by which the downtake can be completely closed; or we
employ for the same purpose a cap which is conveniently operated from the
deck, a catch or bolt engaging in suitable sockets to hold the said cap in the
open or closed positions.
Our improvements obviate the liability to down-draught and to the entrance
of water or dust in rainy or stormy weather, and afford the further advantage
of compactness, neatness of appearance, great extracting power and adaptability of
the air-extractor to replace other designs of air extractors without alteration
of existing arrangements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
First. A ventilator or air-extractor in which a hollow stem or body-piece
forming the uptake, is provided with one or more partitions dividing it internally
into two or more channels or passages, each of which opens into a correspond-
ing downtake, substantially as herein before described and for the purposes
specified.
Second. A ventilator or air-extractor comprising a hollow stem or body-piece
divided internally by one or more walls or partitions and a cap or cowl above
the said stem also divided internally by the said walls or partitions, substan-
tially as, and for the purposes, herein before described.
Third. A ventilator or air-extractor comprising a hollow stem or body-piece
divided into two or more separate uptake channels or passages, corresponding
downtake channels or passages, and perforated valves in the said downtake
channels or passages for preventing down-draughts and the entrance of dust,
spray, water or the like, substantially as described.
Fourth. The improved ventilator or air-extractor constructed substantially
as described with reference to either of the forms or modifications illustrated in
the accompanying drawings and operating as above set forth.
Dated the 18th day
1000
1 OYA
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.