OR IMPROVED. APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE IN COLLIERIES
Year: 1882

page_text: :
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Rhys Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th April 1882.
DAVID RHYS JONES, of Carmarthen, South-Wales, "NEW OR IMPROVED.
APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE IN COLLIERIES
"
My invention has for its object to reduce the fatality of colliery explosions by
providing the miners who have escaped violent injury but are in danger of
asphyxiation with a supply of fresh air. For this purpose I construct metallic
receptacles, fill them with compressed air and place them in convenient parts of
the workings, so as to be within easy reach of the miners, each receptacle being
provided with one or more valves or stop-cocks and one or more flexible pipes.
I prefer to use an intermediate receiver in combination with every metallic
receptacle, said receiver consisting of an expansible bag of indiarubber provided
with a stop-cock for the admission of compressed air from the main receptacle'
while the flexible pipe terminates in a mouth-piece which the miner can apply to
his mouth. The expansible bag may be spherical or. lenticular in shape and has
the effect of reducing the pressure of the air before it enters the mouth. There
may be one air receptacle for every miner in which case it may be carried or their
back, or one for every group of miners. As soon as the atmosphere of a mine
becomes poisonous by an abundance of pit-gas, the miner may sustain his life by
applying the mouth-piece to his mouth, opening. the stopcock and breathing air
from the receptacle..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Rhys Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th October
1882.
DAVID RHYS JONES of Carmarthen, 'South Wales "NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE IN COLLIERIES™"
My invention has for its object to reduce the fatality of colliery explosions by
providing the miners who have escaped_violent injury but are in danger of
asphyxia with a supply of fresh air. For this purpose I construct metallic
receptacles, fill them with compressed air and place them in convenient parts of
the workings, so as to be within easy reach of the miners, each receptacle being
provided with one or more valves or stop-cocks and one or more flexible pipes.
I prefer to use, an intermediate receiver in combination with every metallic
receptacle, said receiver consisting of an expansible bag of india rubber provided
with a stop-cock for the admission of compressed air from the main receptacle
while the flexible pipe terminates in a mouth-piece which the miner can apply to
his mouth..
The expansible bag may be spherical or lenticular in shape and has the effect of
reducing the pressure of the air before it enters the mouth. There may be one air
receptacle for every miner in which case it may be carried on their back, or one
for every group of miners. As soon as the atmosphere of a mine becomes
poisonous by an abundance of pit-gas, the miner may sustain his life by applying
the mouth-piece to his mouth, opening the stop-cock and breathing air from the
receptacle.
In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Fig 1. is
a side view of a cylinder or air receptacle A provided with straps B, C for carrying
the same Fig 2 is a partial section of the cylinder, showing the valve-opening a
and the outer orifice a¹ for the discharge of compressed air, as well as the valve
plug D, screwed into the end of the cylinder and having a square head d for
applying a key E (fig 3) provided with a square socket e and a handle e¹. Fig. 4
shows the mouthpiece F in plan, Figure 5 the same in horizontal section and
Fig. 6. the same in front view. Fig. 7. shows a part of the mouthpiece with cap H
and valve I on a larger scale. The flexible pipe G may be attached to and
detached from the mouthpiece by means of a cap H provided with a bayonet-
lock. A section-valve I of soft india-rubber attached to the piece F at i allows
air to enter the mouth-piece from the pipe G, but closes on its seat, when the air
pressure prevails on the opposite side (during exhalation). Two discharge-valves J.
also of india-rubber are attached to the top of the mouthpiece and open towards
the outside during exhalation, but prevent the intrusion of the surrounding atmo-
sphere. The lift of the valves is limited by wires and i. A hollow ring K of
soft indiarubber joins the mouthpiece to, the face. It is filled with air and can be
inflated more or less by means of a small tube k.
A strap L serves to attach the mouthpiece to the head. Fig. 8 illustrates how
the cylinder or air receptacle A may be conveniently carried by a man, and how it
is connected with the mouth. M is the expansible bag placed between the
cylinder and the mouthpiece and serving as intermediate air-supply or pressure
reducing chamber. In this figure the mouth-piece extends upwards over the eyes
so as to form a mask provided with eye-glasses and closing tightly to the face.
O, is a safety lamp. It is evident that the details of this apparatus may be altered

page_text: in many ways without departing from the nature of my invention, and that
instead of a portable air receptacle as illustrated a stationary receiver may be used.
What I claim is :-
1. The combination of a compressed air receptacle with an expansible bag or
intermediate air chamber a mouthpiece and air conduits provided with valves or
cocks, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The construction of the mouthpiece F provided with valves I and J,
expansible elastic ring K and cap H, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof I, the said David Rhys Jones have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Fourteenth day of October A.D. 1882.
DAVID RHYS JONES (L.S.)