IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF VENTILATING BUILDINGS AND OTHER PLACES WHERE A CHANGE OF AIR IS REQUIRED
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL
WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JAMES
GRANT, of Vine Street, Westminster, Gas Fitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of May, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Grant, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Grant, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said James Grant, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF VENTILATING
BUILDINGS AND OTHER PLACES WHERE A CHANGE OF AIR IS REQUIRED;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said James Grant,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Grant, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists, firstly, in ejecting or emitting a volume of steam
from a boiler into a chamber pipe or shaft in communication with the room or
place to be ventilated, whereby the vitiated air of the said room or place is
drawn into the said chamber or shaft, and conveyed away into the external
atmosphere.
Secondly, in the means of actuating a fan, blower, or other exhauster
employed for the purpose of exhausting or drawing off vitiated or foul air
from rooms or places.
And, thirdly, in an improved mode of ventilating carriages, ships, and mines:
The means which I employ for carrying my Invention into effect for the
ventilation of houses are shewn in Sheet A of the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical representation of a house, shewing the longitudinal view of
the arrangements of branch pipes, and also the main ventilating shaft fixed
outside of the house. Fig. 2 is another section of the same house, taken
transversely, shewing the fresh and foul air pipes in section, between the joists
and the flooring. The stream or volume of steam which I employ in my
mode of ventilating is obtained from the boiler in the kitchen, or in any other
part of the house or building. It is injected into the main ventilating shaft, and
in its ascent to the top of the said shaft it draws the vitiated air from the rooms
through the horizontal branch pipes herein-after described. I assist the
exhaustion of the foul air by means of a blower, which is put in motion either
by the action of the wind acting on an apparatus which I denominate a horn
balanced fan, or by the pressure of water from a cistern fixed in any convenient
part of the building, and which will be hereafter more particularly described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, Sheet A, represents the section of a house of two stories, with the
ventilating arranged for the purpose of ventilating the same. The pipes
marked A1, A2, A3, are the branch pipes for the discharge of the vitiated or
foul air; those marked B', B', are for the admission of fresh air. The mode
of operation is as follows:-C is a boiler, fixed in the kitchen, having a steam
pipe D communicating with the main ventilating shaft E, by this means a
regular current of steam is supplied to the said shaft. F is a syphon pipe for

page_text: conveying off condensed steam from the bottom of the shaft. Figs. 3, 4, 5,
and 6 are different views, and sections of the shaft E, E. The steam passes.
from the pipe D upwards to the top of the shaft E, where it is assisted in its
discharge by the exhauster, fixed in the apparatus marked G at the top of the
shaft. Fig. 7 is an elevation, Fig. 8 a section, and Fig. 9 a plan of this
auxiliary exhausting apparatus on an enlarged scale. As the steam passes
upwards, the apparatus (by its mechanical action) draws the foul air from the
rooms by or through the pipes A', A2, A3, into the said shaft E, E. The mouth
or ingress H of the branch foul air pipe is shewn at Figs. 10 and 11, in an
enlarged view and section, with the elbow I bent in the direction of the
current. The mouth-piece H can be made to assume an elegant appearance
by applying a patera or star ornament over it, perforated with holes, a space
being left between it and the ceiling, as at J, J, Fig. 1. In the erection of a
new building, a narrow chamber can be constructed or applied round the
upper part of the room, so as to have the appearance of a cornice. It must
be furnished with the small holes covered over with pateras or ornaments, as
at K, K, Fig. 1, the pipe L forming the communication with the main
ventilating shaft E, E. The ends of the pipes A1, A2, A3, which are introduced
into the shaft E, E, have an elbow O, directing the foul air upwards, as at
Fig. 12. The branch pipes B', B2, are for the admission of fresh air into the
room. The air may be either warm or cold, according to circumstances, and
is admitted by the holes M, M, Fig. 1, in the centre of the floor, and at N, N,
Fig. 1, coming in behind the skirting, or in any other convenient manner,
according to the nature and construction of the building to which this mode
would be applied. The air is admitted into the pipes B¹, B³, through an
elbow in the chamber P, Fig. 15, and by passing through that elbow, which
is surrounded with steam, it then becomes warmed. Fig. 14 is a side view,
and Fig. 15 is a section of the chamber and elbow. At the entrance of the
pipes B and B I fix some layers of linen, or any
so that the flow of air may be regulated. I do not confine myself to this
mode of constructing the chamber as shewn in the Drawing, but any
other convenient one, in which the entrance of the fresh air pipes may be
surrounded with steam, and by that means warm the air about to be
admitted in the rooms, may be employed. The chamber may be made
square, with several small horizontal pipes passing through it, and leaving
a sufficient space between for the steam to pass through. In the inside
of the shaft I introduce a pipe S, of much smaller dimensions, running all the
way up, as in Figs. 5, 12, and.15, the use of which is to assist the discharge
of steam in the shaft E, E, and which must have a distinct or separate com-
suitable material, Q,

page_text: munication from the boiler to the shaft E, E. Fig. 13 is a plan of the shaft
E, E, and the elbow A¹; Figs. 16, 17, 18, and 19, are different views of the
principal or main ventilating shaft E, E; Fig. 18 shews a steam pipe surrounded
by a wooden case or box, whereby I am enabled to warm the fresh air whilst
conveying it to the room, and also to abstract the foul air; E is the steam
pipe; G shews the fresh air tube; and H, the vitiated air tube. The action of
this arrangement is different from the foregoing, inasmuch as the foul air and
the steam are not mixed or drawn out together. The steam being introduced
in the pipe E, Figures 16 and 18, rarefies the air in the two tubes G and H,
one of which contains the foul air to be expelled, and the other the fresh air
to be introduced; the admission of the fresh air in this case is through a hole
in the bottom of the tube H, Figures 16 and 18, which hole is covered over
in the same manner as Q, Fig. 14. The air in its ascent up the tube meets
with apertures I, I, seen at Fig. 19, communicating with the pipes B¹, B³,
Figures 1 and 2; and in so travelling up the tube becomes gradually warmed,
care being taken that the top of the tube H, Fig. 16, should be closed.
Fig. 17 is a section of the foul air tube G, and K, the elbow, as at O, Fig. 12,
communicating with the pipes A1, A2, A³. Fig. 7 is an elevation of an appa-
ratus to give motion to a fan blown or exhauster to assist the upward progress
of the steam; Fig. 8 is a section of one of my improved modes of actuating
the blower or exhauster, and Fig. 9, a plan of the same. A is a water joint;
B, B, are two fans, mounted or suspended on a horizontal frame, which is con-
nected to a vertical tube C. These fans are made of horn or any other light
material, and are so constructed in their mechanical parts that the wind, by
acting against them, will cause the tube C, to which their horizontal frame is
connected, to turn round or revolve. Fig. 20 shews an enlarged view of one
of the fans; Fig. 21, a plan; and Fig. 22, a side view. N is the horizontal
frame, made of brass wire or any other suitable material. The plate or vane
is suspended from the frame by three eyes b, which allow it to turn on its axis;
the square piece of horn is connected to these eyes by rivets or any other suitable
means; on one side of this horn fan is a piece of wire d, seen by dotted lines at
Fig. 20, the use of which is to keep the horn in a perpendicular position to resist
the whole force of the wind; but when the fan has turned round and pre-
sented its other side to the wind, and the wind blowing upon it in the direction
of the arrows, Fig. 22, the horn is blown back against the two wire pegs e, e,
Figs. 21 and 22, and laying against those wires in a horizontal position, offers
no resistance to the wind; whilst the fan on the opposite arms has the full
resistance of the wind, and by thus applying three, four, or more of these fans to
a vertical axle, it will always be kept in perpetual rotation as long as there is

page_text: a slight breath of wind. The ball g is fixed to the centre eyes by a screw,
and is applied to balance the fan so as to cause it to yield to the slightest
breath of wind. h is a ball to act as a flyer; I do not confine myself to the
particular shape shewn in the Drawing, but the horn can be cut of any other
form. Three of these fans are required to cause the axle to revolve. These fans
are fixed to a vertical tube C, as before mentioned, at the bottom of which are
two hollow arms D, D, extending horizontally, and furnished with a small hole
at each end. e is a toothed wheel, soldered or otherwise made fast to the tube C,
through which and through the tube a spindle S, Fig. 8, passes, and is kept in
the centre of the tube C by the cross bar i, which is firmly fixed to the tube C.
E is an inverted cup, forming part of the hydraulic or mercury joint, and
having its bottom edges immersed in water or mercury, as shewn in Fig. 8;
A is a cross arm of brass or copper, solidly fixed to the inside of the cup or
cover E, and constructed so as to allow the end of the spindle S to turn freely.
The cup E is to be made secure and kept upright by holdfasts or other
convenient means, and by fixing the cup upright the spindle will also keep its
vertical position. u, Fig. 7, is a union joint, to which a pipe p is soldered;
this pipe communicates with a cistern, which can be fixed in any part of the
building. is a pinion fixed to the axle m of the blower or exhauster z; this
axle passes through the cover o of the box or case q, which I call a steam box,
and which surrounds the exhauster. The case has water joints r, r, so as to
make it air and steam-tight, and with the exhauster &c. is made secure to the
top of the main ventilating shaft E, Fig. 1, by screws and nuts. A washer t,
Fig. 8, is placed between the case q and the shaft E, Fig. 1, so as to lessen
the vibration or noise when the apparatus is in action. In the case where
steam could not be procured or raised, and in case of a dead calm, then by
allowing water from the cistern before mentioned to flow through the pipe p
into the pipe C, and escape through the horizontal arms D, D, Figures 7 and 8,
the exhauster will be put in action, as will be well understood. G, G, is an
outer case or reservoir to receive the water which shall have passed through
the arms D, D, and which shall have worked the exhauster. The partition
x. x, surrounding the case or steam box q, prevents the cold water in the
reservoir from coming in contact with the steam box q, and thereby causes
condensation when steam is used. is a pipe to empty the reservoir G, and
w, w, is a pipe connected with the exhauster, and baving communication with
the main ventilating shaft. It will, therefore, be seen that the steam and foul
air is rapidly drawn from the shaft E, Fig. 1, and expelled through the pipe w
into the atmosphere by means of the exhauster z, the box,, surrounding
the circular fan z, z, has a circular hole a, a, in the top and bottom to allow

page_text: the steam and foul air to be drawn out or exhausted from the main ventilating
shaft E, and escape into the atmosphere.
Another arrangement for actuating a fan blower or exhauster is shown at
Figs. 10 and 11 in Sheet C of the accompaning Drawings. a, a, is the horn
balanced fan attached to a spindle b, which passes through a hollow metal ball
or other float c, at the bottom of which a tube d rises, being closed at its upper
end as shown in the section, Fig. 11, and encircling the greater part of the
spindle b. This ball c floats in a cistern e, and is for the purpose of taking off
the weight of the fan wheel f, f, from its bearings. At the bottom of the cistern
rises a tube g, of a smaller capacity than the tube d, in which it is inserted to
act as a guide to the floating ball. The spindle 6 is coupled to the axle of the
fan wheelf by a screw nut h, and on water being poured into the cistern the
ball c will rise and take off the weight of the fan wheel from its bearings, thus
allowing it to rotate by the least breath of air on the horn balanced fan a, a.
An overflow pipe is applied to the cistern to regulate the height of the water
or other liquid therein.
In Sheet C, Figures 12 and 13 represent a front view and section of the
upper part of a stack of chimneys, in which a stream of air is applied for the pur-
pose of increasing the draft in the flues. a is a horn balanced fan, and b a blower
connected thereto; leading from this blower is a tube c, which has branching
tubes d (see Fig. 13), for conveying a blast of air to each of the flues in the stack;
by this means, on windy days, when flues are least likely to draw", a stronger
blast will be given by the rapid revolution of the fan a, and thus a steady draft
and proper ventilation will be kept up in all the apartments of the house.
My improvements in ventilating carriages are shown in the various Figures
in Sheet B. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a railway carriage, with the venti-
lating apparatus attached; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the
carriage; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan, taken in the line A, B, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4
is a cross section, taken in the line C, D, in Fig. 3. a, a, is an arrangement of
pipes running along the top of the carriage, down the end, and under the floor,
where it communicates with a blower b, which is to be worked by means of
the horn balanced fan above described with reference to Sheet A.
In Figures 5 and 6 a modified arrangement of the horn balanced fan is
shewn; Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6 a cross section. c, c, are the flyers of
the blower b, attached to a spindle d, on the top of which the horn fans e arc
mounted, to protect the fans from injury; a guard f, shown in plan view at
Fig. 7, is placed over them. By the rotation of the blower the vitiated air will
be drawn through the patteras or mouth-pieces at c, Fig. 2, from each compart-
the carriage. This mode of exhausting the air in the carriage may be
ment

page_text: employed either alone or in conjunction with the arrangement of pipes about to
be explained. g is a pipe, through which steam is to be passed for the pur-
pose of effecting a more perfect exhaustion of the respired air, and likewise of
warming the fresh air which is admitted to the carriage from under the flooring
through the funnels h, h, h, one of which is shown detached on an enlarged
scale at Figures 8 and 9. The pipe 9, passing through the funnel (see Fig. 9),
will warm the air as it rushes up into the carriage, and the steam circulating
through the arrangement of pipes 9, 9, (see Figures 3 and 4,) will ultimately
find an exit at i, i, i, carrying with it the respired air from 'the upper part of the
carriage through the funnel k, which opens into the steam pipe. At the exit
i, i, a common cowl may be applied, but I prefer the employment of a wind
guard, similar to that shown at Figures 10, 11, and 12; Fig. 10 being an
elevation, partly in section, Fig. 11 a front view, and Fig. 12 a cross section in
'the line A, B, Fig. 10. This wind guard I have found may be also advan-
tageously applied 'to the top of the exit steam pipe w, Figures 7 and 8, Sheet A.
Figures 13 and 14 represent the manner in which I connect the main steam
pipe of several carriages together; Fig. 13 is an outside view of the steam
pipes to be connected, and Fig. 14 a section of the same. One end of the
steam pipe g is closed by screwing on a disc which has an opening left in it for
the insertion of a tube l, to both ends of which a leather cup or packing is
attached, for the purpose of allowing it to slide steam-tight in the pipe g.
When the carriages are to be attached, one end of the tube is slidden into the
steam pipe of the next carriage. By this means any number of main steam
pipes may be connected and disconnected with ease, and the packing being
elastic, sufficient "play" is given to prevent the oscillation of the carriage from
having an injurious effect on the steam pipo connection.
In Sheet C, two other modifications of my improved ventilating apparatus
are represented, one arrangement being for the ventilation of ships, and the
other for mines. Figures 1, 2, and 3 show the method of supplying fresh air
and drawing off the vitiated air from ships and other vessels employed for navi-
gation; Fig. 1 being a longitudinal vertical section of a vessel with the appa-
ratus applied, Fig. 2 a plan view, and Fig. 3 a cross section, taken in the line
A, B, of Fig. 1. a is a boiler, to be fixed in the cook's kitchen or other con-
venient part of the vessel; from this boiler a steam pipe 6 leads to a chamber
c, with which a system of tubes d, d, are connected. These tubes d, d, have
mouth-pieces opening into them, and are for the purpose of conveying away the
vitiated or respired air from the cabins or other parts of the vessel; e, e, is a
system or arrangement of pipes with mouth-pieces, for the supply of fresh air
below deck. At the top of the chamber c are pipes f and g, to which 'fan wheels,

page_text: similar to those already described, are affixed; the pipe f, with its fan wheel, being
for the purpose of drawing off the vitiated air, and the pipe and fan wheel g
for forcing fresh air into the pipes e. The construction of the chamber c is
shown on an enlarged scale at Fig. 4. h, h, are vertical pipes running
through the chamber c, and communicating with the pipes 9 and e. By
admitting steam from the pipe 6 into this chamber, the fresh air will be
warmed in its passage through the pipes h, h, and the steam rushing out at
the pipe f, assisted in its exit by the fan wheel at the top of that pipe, will
draw with it the vitiated air conducted into the chamber by the system of
pipes d, d.
b
The arrangement of ventilating apparatus by which I supply pure air to
mines, and draw off the foul air therefrom, is shewn at Figures 5 and 6,
the former representing the shaft and a portion of the excavations in vertical
section, and the latter shewing a plan of the arrangement of apparatus for
effecting the purpose desired. a is a boiler, in which steam is generated to
circulate through the pipes b, b, and b', 6'; at any desired situation in the mine
a chamber c is fixed, and to this chamber one end of the pipes b, b, and b¹, b',
are attached. The other end of the pipe b' leads into another chamber d;
e is a length of pipe (the mouth of which may be at any distance from the
mouth of the shaft) for the purpose of supplying pure air to the mine. The
air is forced down this pipe, as in the former instance, by a rotating fan,
wheel or other suitable contrivance. In this arrangement the mouth-pieces
for collecting the foul air are situated in the steam pipes 6 and 6', as shown in
the detached view, Fig. 5*, and by the rash of steam from the boiler a, the
foul air is drawn into the steam pipes, and with the steam is carried round to
the chamber d, from whence, by a small current of steam supplied through a
pipe f direct from the boiler, the foul air is forced up the pipe g, at the top of
which is a rotating fan wheel to assist its ascent and escape into the
atmosphere; i, i, i, are small chambers having a self-acting syphon attached
thereto for carrying off the condensed steam from the pipes 6, 6', and, if
thought desirable, the fresh air supply pipe e may be made to pass through
these chambers, by which means the air will receive a portion of heat before
it enters the chamber c. Figures 7, 8, and 9 show the construction of this
chamber c, for warming the fresh air; Fig. 7 being an elevation partly in
section, Fig. 8 a sectional plan, and Fig. 9 an end view of the same. b and
6' are the pipes for conducting the foul air and steam into and out of the
chamber, and e is the pipe for bringing the fresh air into the chamber, from
whence it passes in small streams through the pipes h, h, h, into the passages
or cuttings in the mine.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
claim,―
Firstly, the application of steam, as above described, for the purposes of
ventilation.
Secondly, the general combination and mechanical arrangement of apparatus,
as above described, by which steam is made to give an increased impetus to
the exit of vitiated air from houses, carriages, and ships.
Thirdly, the mode of circulating the steam for the purpose of ventilation in
coal and other mines, and also the mode of supplying fresh air thereto, as
above described.
Fourthly, the apparatus, which I denominate the horn balanced fan, to be
employed for actuating the blower or fan wheel in order to exhaust the
vitiated air and introduce the fresh air into places requiring the same.
And, lastly, the application of a hollow ball or other float for taking off the
friction from the revolving blower, as described with reference to Figures 10
and 11, Sheet C.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Grant, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
JAMES GRANT. (L.S.)