Improvements in Apparatus for Moistening Air and Ventilating.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1891—Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Moistening Air and Ventilating.
We WILLIAM MATTHEWS, JOSEPH YATES, and WALTER YATES, all of Todd
Street Works Long Millgate, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Ventilating
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for humidifying or moistening air and
ventilating.
In an apparatus constructed according to these improvements there is a tube
communicating with the external atmosphere and enclosing, near its inlet end, a
ventilating fan arranged to draw air from the external atmosphere through the
open end of the tube. On the outlet side of the fan the tube is preferably
enlarged and it contains a chamber preferably of tubular form concentric with
the tube. This chamber is closed at the end nearer to the fan and open at its
opposite end. A. water jet is arranged to deliver a thin stream or streams of
water, under pressure, axially with and inside the chamber, against a com-
paratively small plate arranged a short distance in front of the jet, whence the
water spray produced by the impact is deflected against the walls of the chamber.
Beyond the enlarged part of the tube within which the chamber is situated, the
tube may be again contracted and it may terminate in a single opening or have as
many branch openings as may be desired.
The water spray produced by the impact of the water against the plate in, and
the walls of, the chamber, passes in an exceedingly fine? state of division into the
surrounding tube and is blown through the tube into the room or space to be
ventilated with moistened air, by the current of air set up by the fan.
As many of the tubes and enclosed fans and spray producers may be arranged in
a room as may be desired, and it is preferred to so arrange them that they are
uniformly distributed in order that the moistened air supplied by them may equally
permeate all parts of the room.
The efficiency of the apparatus is increased by arranging one or more exhaust
fans to remove the air from the room in such a position or positions, distant from
the moistened air inlets, as may be suitable and convenient.
The water employed in the apparatus may be warm or cool according to the
season of the year and to the degree of humidity required.
Dated this 25th day of September A.D. 1890.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Moistening Air and Ventilating.
We, WILLIAM MATTHEWS, JOSEPH YATES, and WALTER YATES, all of Todd
Street Works Long Millgate, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Ventilating
Engineers, 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:-
This invention relates to apparatus for humidifying or moistening air and for
ventilating.
In an apparatus constructed according to these improvements a ventilating fan
is arranged to circulate air through a tube or similar passage within which or within
a chamber formed in which the circulated air is more or less saturated with
Doji

page_text: water in a fine state of division. The moistened air passes into the shed or
room where it is required, and the air to replace it in the apparatus may be
drawn from the external atmosphere or from the interior of the room or from
both sources. The air may be humidified or moistened before passing the fan
or, and preferably, afterwards. The finely divided water may be obtained by
the impingement of a jet of water upon a fixed surface or from a jet of steam.
We will more particularly describe our said invention and in what manner
the same may be performed with reference to the accompanying drawings in
each of the figures of which similar parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference.
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section ;
Figure 2 is a perspective view also partly in section of a modified form of the
construction represented in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1 ; and
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken across Figure 1 in front of the
spray producing device.
As represented in the drawings, the apparatus is supposed to be fixed imme-
diately below the roof of a weaving shed parts of which are indicated at A. A.
In the form of the apparatus represented in Figures 1 and 3, the air is drawn
by the fan from the external atmosphere through the casing B the lower part
of which may be provided with a flap or swing door C hinged at D. This door
is adapted to close either the opening R opposite to the fan E, or, when in the
horizontal position as represented by dotted lines in Figure 1, the area of the
casing B. In each of the positions the door should be made so as to be capable of
being securely fastened, in order that it may not be displaced by the action of the
induced current of air.
When the door C is fixed is the horizontal position, the fan will draw the air
from the interior of the shed or room through the opening R and will force it
'through the apparatus, in which it is humidified, into the room again, so that in
this case the air is moistened over and over again and is simply circulated without
being changed. When, on the other hand, the door is fixed in the vertical position
as shewn in Figure 1, covering and closing the opening R, the air is drawn from
the external atmosphere through the casing B and is humidified in the apparatus
as before. In this case therefore the supply of air is continually being renewed
and the apparatus is more perfectly a ventilator.
The fan E is arranged at the rear of the humidifying chamber F which is
preferably tubular and co-axial with the fan, and which contains the small spray-
plate G.
In front of the spray plate in the centre of the chamber, there is
arranged a jet H directed against the spray plate so that water or steam issuing
therefrom impinges upon the spray plate which in the case of water, breaks it up
into spray, and which in either case deflects the spray or steam and completely
diffuses it throughout the forward part of the chamber, where it is caught by the
current of air driven by the fan and carried forward through the tube J whence it
may be delivered from axial and lateral openings N into the shed. By the time
the spray or steam whichever may be used, reaches the outlet of the tube J it is
completely diffused in the air which is thus humidified without at the same time
containing free globules or drops.
The fan may be driven by means of a belt running upon the pulley I and passing
through the closed bottom of the casing B. The spray plate G may be fixed in the
centre of the chamber F by means of three metallic strips K fixed to the wall of the
chamber or to an annular casing S around the spray plate G as indicated in
Figure 4. This annular casing assists in the production of the fine spray. At the
back of the spray plate there may be fixed a cone as indicated in Figure 1 to
deflect the incoming current of air from the fan. The water or steam jet is supplied
by the pipe L which is shewn broken off in Figure 4 so as not to obstruct the view
of the spray plate.
Any water which may be condensed in the apparatus may be arranged to

page_text: run back into the chamber F whence
and 3.
may escape by the outlet pipe M Figures 2
The outlets N N from the tube J may be of any convenient number and arranged
in any convenient positions but for general purposes, we prefer the arrangement
illustrated by the drawings.
The tube itself may, if desired in some cases, be extended to the limits of the
room in which it is placed or may be extended to other rooms, the outlets N being
conveniently distributed.
In the modification represented in Figure 2, no provision is indicated for
deriving the air from an external source. Such an arrangement may be employed
when it is desired only to humidify the air in the room and not to draw in the
external air also.
For ordinary purposes and in ordinary weather we prefer to employ water
for the humidification of the air, but in exceptional conditions and in winter we
may employ steam or steam and water alternately. If water be used, it may be
either cold or warm according to the season of the year and to the degree of
humidity required.
As many of the apparatus may be arranged in a room or shed as may be desired,
and it is preferable to so arrange them that they are uniformly distributed, in order
that the moistened air supplied by them may equally permeate all parts of the space
to be humidified.
The efficiency of the apparatus may be increased by arranging one or more
exhaust fans to remove the air from the room or shed; these fans being arranged
in such positions distant from the moistened air inlets as may be suitable or
convenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,―
1. An apparatus for humidifying or ventilating or circulating air, constructed
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for humidifying air, the combination and arrangement with a
ventilating fan, of a humidifying chamber and an outlet tube, constructed and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
3. In an apparatus for humidifying air, the combination with a ventilating fan,
of a jet and spray plate, a chamber containing the spray plate, and an outlet tube;
constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th dow of Tune A D 1801
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.