IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING, FORCING, AND PROPELLING AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher James, Consulting Engineer, of 10,
Upper Sydenham Road, in the City of Bristol, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING, FORCING, AND PROPELLING
AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS."
Sealed the 13th May 1873, and dated the 12th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher James at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th December 1872.
I, CHRISTOPHER JAMES, Consulting Engineer, or 10, Upper Sydenham
Road, in the City of Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING, FORCING, AND
PROPELLING AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
For this
exhausting, forcing, and propelling air and other fluids.
purpose I cause steam or other fluid under pressure to issue from a long,
straight, and narrow slit, which is enclosed within a casing into which

page_text: the air or other fluid to be acted upon by the motive jet is admitted, and
the casing is so constructed as to bring the motive jet into close contact
with the fluid to be operated upon.
The passage through which the motive jet is caused to issue is made
in two parts, being divided lengthwise of the orifice, and the two parts
are bolted together.
In order that the orifice may not become clogged by particles carried
mechanically by the steam or fluid, I cause the steam or fluid to pass
upwards through a straining vessel which is made in two parts, bolted
together with a strainer of wire gauze or such like material between the
parts. The straining vessel also serves to separate from the steam any
water which is poured over from the boiler, and there is a tap at the
bottom of the vessel to draw off the water which may accumulate in it,
and to empty the vessel.
In the manufacture of the apparatus the proportions of the parts are
varied according to the work the apparatus has to perform, and the
circumstances under which it is required to operate, and afterwards no
adjustment is required so that the apparatus is simple and inexpensive
in construction, and requires no skill in its use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Christopher James in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRIS-
TOPHER JAMES, Consulting Engineer, of 10, Upper Sydenham Road, in
the City of Bristol, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Christopher James, Her
special license that I, the said Christopher James, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Christopher James,

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING, FORCING, AND PROPELLING
AIR AND OTHER FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Christopher James, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Christopher James, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
exhausting, forcing, and propelling air and other fluids. For this
purpose I cause steam or other fluid under pressure to issue from a long,
straight, and narrow slit, which is enclosed within a casing into which
the air or other fluid to be acted upon by the motive jet is admitted, and
the casing is so constructed as to bring the fluid to be operated upon
into close contact with the motive jet.
The passage through which the motive jet is caused to issue is made
in two parts, being divided lengthwise of the orifice, and the two parts
are bolted together.
In order that the orifice may not become clogged by particles carried
mechanically by the steam or fluid, I cause the steam or fluid to pass
upwards through a straining vessel which is made in two parts, bolted
together with a strainer of wire gauze or such like material between the
parts. The straining vessel also serves to separate from the steam any
water which is primed over from the boiler, and there is a tap at the
bottom of the vessel to draw off the water which may accumulate in it,
and to empty the vessel.

page_text: In the manufacture of the apparatus the proportions of the parts are
varied according to the work the apparatus has to perform, and the
circumstances under which it is required to operate, and afterwards no
adjustment is required; but it is capable of easy adjustment should the
circumstances for which it is required be altered, so that the apparatus
is simple and inexpensive in construction, and requires no skill in its use.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I have in the Drawings hereunto annexed shewn

page_text: terminates in a short tube having a flange around its upper end, to
which a pipe for supplying steam or other fluid under pressure to the
chamber can be connected.
By constructing the slit and chamber in connection therewith in the
manner above described the parts are very readily and cheaply con-
structed, and can be quickly taken apart to be cleaned and again put
together should the slit at any time become obstructed. by any matters
carried along into it by the steam or other fluid under pressure.
A modification of the above arrangement is shewn at Figure 8. In
this modification the outer casing a is cast together in one piece with
the plates b; in other respects the apparatus is similar to that previously
described, so that it is unnecessary to give any further description of it.
When the slit of this apparatus is to be of a long length I support the
two plates composing the slit by ribs g, g, cast with them, as shewn at
Figure 9.
In some cases also in place of forming the apparatus in two castings,
as shewn at Figure 8, it may be divided into four castings in the manner
shewn at Figures 10, 11, and 12, the edges of the castings being all
planed true, and bolted together as when two castings only are used.
At. Figure 13 I have shewn a vertical section of the apparatus I
employ for keeping back from the slit all solid matters or water which
may be carried over with the steam from the steam boiler. It is made
in two parts l, m, bolted together as shewn, with a strainer n of fine
wire gauze placed between them. Steam from a steam boiler is admitted
into the lower part m by the pipe o, and rising upwards through the wire
gauze, passes away by the pipe p. to the straight slit of the apparatus
above described.
I would state that although I prefer to use a straining or filtering
apparatus, such as above described, together with the straight slit
apparatus, yet such apparatus may be used either with or without the
straining apparatus. Jet apparatus, similar to that herein-before described,
may be employed for exhausting or forcing air and other fluids for a
great variety of purposes.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
nerforming the same. I would have it understood that I claim the

page_text: combined arrangement and construction of apparatus, substantially as
herein described, for exhausting, forcing, and propelling air and other
fluids by means of a narrow straight jet of steam or other fluid under
pressure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher James, have hereunto set 5
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
CHRISTOPHER JAMES. (L.S.)