Improvements in Ventilators or Chimney-cowls.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1893--Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ventilators or Chimney-cowls.
I, RICHARD MONTGOMERY PANCOAST of 205 Cooper Street, Camden, in the
County of Camden, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
In any of the various ventilating hoods, cowls and chimney caps in use, the action
of the wind at certain angles may increase the draft, but the chief drawback is
their inefficiency when there is no wind, and in not always being storm-proof and
cinder proof. Generally their very construction, to guard off wind, rain, &c.,
becomes a veritable hindrance to their free delivery when the wind don't blow,
and hence in a calm they become chokers.
The object of my invention is to furnish a cowl for chimneys, ventilating-
flues, &c., that will be absolutely storm proof and that will furnish free egress for
the smoke, &c., when the outside air is calm, and which will increase the draft by
any motion of the outside air. This object I attain in the following manuer,
reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which→
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved exhaust cowl.
Fig. 2 is a plan view.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are diagram views of the same form.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are views illustrating some variations of form of
Figs. 9, and 10, are views showing details of construction.
my
invention.
A is a neck of the cowl, which can be secured to the chimney or ventilating
flue in any suitable manner.
B is the head, having a conical or tapered crown b, as shown in Fig. 1, and its
base d is in the form of an inverted cone which guides the smoke or the air from
the chimney in an easy course without causing any back pressure due to the
checking and backing of the smoke under the usual hollow or concave head.
The upper end of the neck A is preferably flared, as shown, for the purpose
described hereinafter.
The inverted cone d is connected to the crown b by a vertical or nearly vertical
flange d' forming an annular space e between the projecting edge b¹ of the crown
and the flange. The object of this construction is to prevent water that may seek
the edge 6 of the crown from dripping onto and flowing down the cone d into the
neck A, this break causing the water to stop at the edge of the crown and drop off
clear of the chimney opening. At the same time this break in the under guide
crown d does not interfere with the free outward flow of smoke, &c., as the edge b¹
of the crown is higher than, and stops short of, the rim of the base or cone d, as
clearly shown by dotted line ij in Fig. 8.
In order to prevent any ingress whatever in the flue, and to aid the updraft when
the outside air is in motion, I provide a deflector D, having, preferably, two
inwardly inclined surfaces fg, one extending above and the other below the centre
line xx.
The surface extends up to a point sufficient to prevent rain, &c., from
possible entrance in an oblique line mn (Figs. 8 and 9), into the stack, and the
surface g extends to a point sufficiently below the upper edge al of the neck A, as
to prevent entrance under the edge of the deflector and into the body of the cowl.
In Fig. 1, I have shown by arrows the exit of the smoke, &c., from the body
of a cowl during a calm. In Fig. 3 I have shown by arrows the action of an
upward current of air from the outside. In Fig. 4 I have shown the action of a
downward current. In Fig. 5 I have shown the action of a side draft.

page_text: The flaring mouth a of the neck A directs the air outward when an upward
current, through the annular flue formed between the head B and the deflector D.
In Fig. 6 I have shown a concave conical based and in Fig. 7, I have shown the
crown of the head rounded, and in Fig. 8, I have shown an extreme taper or
elongation of the inverted cone d, where it is necessary to provide as straight a
draft as possible for the exit of heavy smoke, &c., which would be retarded more
by a flatter deflecting cone d, as in Fig. 7.
Thus it will be seen that I make a chimney cowl which is simple in construction
and which is absolutely proof against rain and downdrafts, and one which will
readily allow smoke and air to escape when the wind does not blow and will help
the exhaust when the wind strikes it in any direction.
In Fig. 10 I show the manner of holding the head B and the deflector D to the
neck A when the cowl is made of sheet metal; three or more metal braces k l are
made separately and formed as shown to connect the three parts (B, D, and A) and
hold them securely by riveting.
In Fig. 9 I show the manner of holding the head, the deflector and the
neck (B, D, and A) together when I make the apparatus of cast metal; I cast the
upper portion of the braces in one with the base cone d, and the lower portion /
of the braces in one with the neck A, and I cast in one with the inside of the
deflector D an inwardly projecting piece g which is clasped by the extremities of k
and and riveted as shown. This makes a very true, rigid and cheap construction
as the rivet holes are all cast in the connections.
In making this cowl of cast-iron which is preferable to sheet metal for the
purpose, I cast the neck A with the lower arm of the braces in one; 1 cast the
deflector D with the inward ear g in one; I cast the under cone d and flange d
with the upper arms of the braces, all in one; and I cast the upper cone 6 6¹ in
I fasten the upper cone bb' to the lower cone d d' by means of a rod set in
at y and passing through and fastened by screw or otherwise at z, Fig. 10.
one.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, in a chimney cowl, of the chimney opening, with a
deflector above said opening, said deflector having a bottom in the shape of an
inverted cone or pyramid, so that the smoke or air passing from the cowl will be
deflected outward and upward thereby, an inclined crown, and a flange connecting
the inverted conical bottom of the deflector with the crown of the same, the edge
of said crown extending beyond the flange, but not beyond a line extended in the
plane of the deflector bottom, thereby forming an annular space between the bottom
and the edge of the crown to prevent water from flowing down the bottom from
said edge of the crown without interfering with the free egress of smoke or air
from the cowl, substantially as described.
2. The combination, in a chimney cowl, of the neck, with the deflector situated
above the neck, said deflector having an inverted conical or pyramidal bottom, an
inclined crown, and a flange connecting the crown with the bottom and forming an
annular space between the bottom and the edge of the crown, the said edge
extending beyond the flange, but not beyond a line extended in the plane of the
deflector bottom, and with an annular deflector D opposite the cowl opening and
having upper and lower tapered portions, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. The combination, in a chimney cowl, of the neck, with the deflector
situated above the neck, said deflector having an inverted conical or pyramidal
bottom, an inclined crown, and a flange connecting the crown with the bottom and
forming an annular space between the bottom and the edge of the crown, the said
edge extending beyond the flange, but not beyond a line extended in the plane
of the deflector bottom, and with an annular deflector D opposite the cowl opening

page_text: and having upper and lower tapered portions, the neck, deflector and inverted
conical or pyramidal bottom being adapted to be secured together, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
4. The improvements in chimney cowls, substantially as described and illustrated
and for the purposes set forth.
Duted thie 23rd dor of March 1902