IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING AND IN PREVENTING FIRES ON BOARD SHIPS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Cargill, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING
AND IN PREVENTING FIRES ON BOARD SHIPS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR.
"
·
Sealed the 16th November 1875, and dated the 8th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Cargill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th September 1875.
I, DAVID CARGILL, of Dundee, in the County, of Forfar, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of " IN-
PROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING AND IN PREVENTING FIRES ON BOARD SHIPS, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:—
•
This Invention which relates to improvements in ventilating the
holds, cabins, and other parts of steam and sailing ships, and to pre-
venting fires therein, consists as regards the improvements in ventilating
in constructing by means of planks or boards an open space along the
bottom of the hold. A series of pipes placed vertically and at some

page_text: distance apart in the direction of the ship's length lead from the open
space to the deck, whereon one or more blast fans is or are situated.
To each of the fans one end of a pipe or flexible hose is coupled, the
other end being attached to the upper extremity of one of the vertical
pipes. When it is desired to ventilate the ship the fan or fans is or are
operated by hand, atmospheric, or steam power, and a current of air is
thereby forced into the hold or other part of the ship, in circulating
through which it purifies or expels the gases arising from the cargo or
from other causes.
The Invention whilst applicable to ships generally is specially appli-
cable to those ships wherein coal cargoes are carried, and to counteract
the inflammable tendency of the gases arising from such cargoes an
earthenware, fire-clay, or other vessel is situated upon the deck or other
convenient part of the ship, into which a quantity of broken chalk is
placed. The vessel is formed with two openings or necks, to one of which
a flexible pipe is attached, the said pipo being also secured to one of the
vertical pipes herein-before referred to, and which lead down to the bottom
of the hold. Into the other neck or opening of the vessel a short pipe
is inserted, which is formed with a funnel at its outer end, the inner end
being bent into a syphon form to prevent escape of gas from the vessel.
Through the syphon pipe a mixture of sulphuric acid and water is
poured into the vessel, which mixture acting on the chalk liberates
carbonic acid gas, which is conducted through the flexible and vertical
pipes to. the bottom of the ship's hold, and there combining or com-
mingling with the gases arising from the coal destroys the combustible

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Cargill in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
CARGILL, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said David Cargill, Her special license
that I, the said David Cargill, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said David Cargill, my executors,
administrators, or 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, èxercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VENTILATING AND IN PREVENTING FIRES ON BOARD SHIPS, AND IN THE APPA-
RATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said David Cargill, 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 David Cargill, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improvements in ventilating the holds,
cabins, forecastles, stores, "stoke-holes,” engine rooms, and other parts of
steam and sailing ships, and to preventing fires therein.
-
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
I now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or

page_text: from the deck into any suitable part thereof, and to which the flexible
hose or pipe e is connected when ventilation is required..
The system of ventilating herein-before set forth whilst applicable to
ships or vessels. generally is specially applicable to those ships wherein
coal or other gas emitting cargoes are carried, and this Invention further
relates to providing. in such ships or vessels means and apparatus
whereby the inflammable nature of the gases arising from such
cargoes is destroyed by diluting them with carbonic acid gas. For this
purpose an earthenware or fire-clay vesself is situated upon the deck c
or at other convenient part of the ship, into which a quantity of broken
chalk, marble, bicarbonate of, soda, or other carbonate is placed. The
vesself is formed with two openings or necks, as more particularly seen
at Figure 3, which is a vertical section of one form of vessel applicable
for the purpose, but any other suitable form of vessel may be employed.
To the neck y a flexible pipe & composed of gutta percha or other
suitable material is attached, the said pipe being also secured to one of
the vertical pipes b, herein-before referred to. Into the other neck or
opening i of the vessel fa syphon pipe & formed with a funnel or mouth 7
at its outer end is inserted, and it together with the pipe h is luted with
putty or otherwise fixed in a manner to prevent escape of gas from the
vesself. Through the syphon pipe / a mixture of sulphuric or muriatic
acid and water, or acid salt, or dry acid dissolved in water is poured
into the vesself, which mixture acting on the chalk or other carbonates
herein-before referred to liberates carbonic acid gas, which is conducted
through the flexible pipe into one of the pipes b, and is thereby led'
to the bottom of the ship's hold, where combining or commingling with
the gases arising from the coal or other gaseous and inflammable cargo
the said carbonic acid gas destroys the combustible tendency thereof.
The vessel wherein the carbonic acid gas is generated is or may bo
encased in wickerwork, and it is provided with handles for lifting and
changing its position from one vertical pipe 6 to another, whereby an
equal distribution of the gas throughout the hold is obtained.
The blast of air from the fan or fans d herein-before referred to and
the carbonic acid gas from the vessel ƒ may be caused to pass down the
vertical pipes at the same or at different times as desired.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which

page_text: the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in.
part recited Letters Patent is,―
First Ventilating-the-holds,-cabins, and other parts of steam and
sailing ships by forcing currents of atmospheric air into and through
them, in the manner herein-before described.
Second. Preventing fire on board ships by means or carbonic acid gas
conducted into the holds or other parts thercof so as to dilute the
gases and render them non-inflammable, substantially as herein-before
described.
Third. The arrangements or combinations of apparatus employed in
effecting the ventilation of ships and in preventing fires therein, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said David Cargill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.