IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE VENTILATION OF MINES. BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Théodore Lemielle, of Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
APPLICABLE TO THE VENTILATION OF MINES. BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PLACES."
Sealed the 8th September 1854, and dated the 8th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Théodorė Lemielle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
May 1854.
I, THEODORE LEMIELLE, of Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE VENTILATION OF MINES, BUILDINGS, AND OTHER
PLACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improved apparatus applicable to the ventilation of mines,
buildings, and other places, relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus,
whereby air may be drawn out of mines and other confined places. This
apparatus consists principally of an hexagonal or other shaped drum, provided
with a number of wings or shutters, which are hinged on to the periphery
thereof, and connected to a separate shaft; that is, one end of the wings is
attached to the drum, and the other ends, by means of rods, are connected to.
this separate shaft. The drum shaft and the wing shaft are mounted excen-
tically to each other, so that as the shaft which carries the hexagonal or other

page_text: suitably shaped drum or cylinder is made to rotate, it will carry with it the
moveable wings, shutters, or fan blades; and during this rotation the rods of
the excentric. shaft will act upon the wings or fan blades, and cause them to
open and act upon and drive forward the air that enters between the wings or
fan blades and the periphery of the drum. The blower is so mounted as to
leave a much wider space at the side from which the air is to be expelled
than at the other. The action of this apparatus is as follows:-On rotary
motion being communicated to the main shaft, the wings or blades will (by
the action of the arms attached to the excentric shaft) be closed on entering
the narrow space at that side where they are not required to act upon the air,
and will be caused gradually to open on approaching that side from whence
the air is to be expelled; they will then be opened to their full extent, and offer
sufficient resistance to drive forward the air. The action of the wings or fan
blades is so timed, that one of them shall not quit that portion of the casing
where the action upon the air takes place until the one following it has entered;
thus ensuring a continuous action, and preventing the possibility of the back
action of the air which has been driven forward.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Théodore Lemielle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THÉODORE
LEMIELLE, of Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of Belgiun, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in-the year-of-our Lord-One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Théodore Lemielle, Her special licence that I, the said Théodore Lemielle, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Théodore
Lemielle, 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 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE

page_text: TO THE VENTILATION OF MINES, BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PLACES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Theodore Lemielle, 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 Théodore Lemielle, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Fig. 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed shews the apparatus in plan.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the apparatus in the plan indicated by the
dotted lines X, Z, in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1, and a transverse section of
No. 2, in the plane indicated by the dotted line V, W.
A hollow cylinder A, B, C, D, (Figure 3,) of any particular diameter,
varying according to the ventilation required to be given, is constructed of
masonry, wood, iron, or other metals, which cylinder is firmly fixed, and is
provided with two openings 7, 6, and e, ?, hereafter mentioned. A second
cylinder E, F, G, H, of a diameter smaller than that of the first, but of the
same height, is placed in the first cylinder, in such a manner that the convex
surface of the smaller cylinder touches the concave surface of the larger; and
to this smaller cylinder a rotary motion is communicated, in the manner
hereafter described. This cylinder is placed in such a manner that it is
always in contact with the internal surface of the larger cylinder in the same
place, (B, Fig. 3.) These two cylinders, having the same height A, C, E, F,
(Fig. 2,) the bottom and the top (C, F, G, D), and A, E, H, B, of the large
cylinder, serves also for the bottom and top of the smaller cylinder. The
space A, D, G, E, (Fig. 3,) A, E, C, F, (Fig. 2,) comprised between the two
cylinders is traversed by some vanes or doors I, K, L, M, Fig. 3 and Fig. 2,
of the same height as the cylinder. One of the sides K and L, (Fig. 3,) of
each vane glides over the concave surface K, L, A, B, of the large cylinder,
whilst the opposite side, I and M, are fixed with hinges to the smaller cylinder.
The vanes are drawn round by the rotary movement of the smaller cylinder.
The hinges are indicated by the letters I, K, L, M, Fig. 2, and I, M, Fig. 3.
The top and bottom of each vane slide against the top and bottom A, E, H, B,
C, F, G, D, (Fig. 2,) of the space between the two cylinders. The smaller

page_text: cylinder is squared or made plane on two opposite sides G, H, E, F, Fig. 3,
in order to enable the vanes to shut against it in the manner of doors or
shutters. The sides K and L, Fig. 3, of the vanes which glide against the
interior surface of the larger cylinder are kept circular, so as to be in constant
contact with 'the interior surface of the large cylinder, Fig. 3, by the rays or
arms L, O, K, O, which have their centre of rotation in axes "O" of the large
cylinder; they are annexed by hinges K and L with the outside of the
vanes. In the construction of the machine, the axis O, (Fig. 3;) and O, O',
(Fig. 2,) is an elbow or crank in the shaft N, O, O, P, passing through the
lower centre of. rotation of the small cylinder. This shaft is fixed firmly by a
wedge or key Q to a bed R, S, which serves as the point on which the
moving cylinder turns. There is also a second pivot T, (Fig. 2,) pointed in the
inside central part of the small cylinder; this serves as the upper point on
which the small cylinder turns, on the upper part P, Fig. 2, of the elbows
of the shaft. The axis of the small cylinder is in addition constructed
externally with a turning shaft T, Y, Figure 2, made all in one piece with
the small cylinder, as is shewn by E, H, Y, Fig. 2. This shaft turns by
the aid of a crank Y, U, (Figures 1 and 2,) the latter receiving its movement
directly from a steam cylinder A', (Fig. 1,) by means of the connecting rod
B, U. The centre of rotation of this shaft is kept in constant position by
nieans of a powerful bearing, a, 6, Fig. 1, fixed to the beams, (a, 6;) Fig. 2,
which are for this purpose firmly fixed in the ground.
The same beams serve also to support the planking, forming the cover or top
of the large and small cylinder. There are two openings, y,,,, Fig. 3, in the
large cylinder; one to admit the air following the arrow (No. 1), Figure 3, and
the other to let it pass out, following the arrow No. 2. These openings are
arranged in such a manner, that one vane at least always intercepts the free
communication of the air confined within the limits (K, I, G, E, M, L, A, D,)
from one to the other, as is shewn in Fig. 3.
This communication being so intercepted, either by the contact of the two
cylinders at the point B. (Fig. 3,) or by the sliding of a vane passing to the
same point of the contact of the cylinder, it is certain that the air cannot
possibly retrograde, and that by the rapid movement given to the crank it is
driven out with force through the opening (, ), whilst it is drawn in through
the opening (7, 8), and may be applied to the purpose of ventilating mines
and buildings, or for blowing furnaces, or driving air into any required
places.
It is to be remarked that the number of the vanes or doors is not fixed, and

page_text: that the action of my machine can be also obtained by three, four, or more
vanes or doors, without departing from the principle upon which it rests, which
is, the movement of vanes or doors opened by radial arms in the space formed
by the concave and the convex surfaces of two cylinders, in order to give
motion to air in one direction, whilst the return of the air in the opposite
direction is prevented by the contact of the surfaces of the two cylinders, or
by the closing by means of the doors.
In witness whereof I the said Théodore Lemielle have hereunto set my
TH. LEMIELLE. (L.S.)