Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 25th May, 1888
machines do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to incubators, and has for its objects to secure continuous
operation and greater certainty in the results.
As incubators are at present constructed and employed, the full charge of eggs is
placed in the apparatus at once and the whole of the chickens hatched therefrom have
therefore to be handled and dealt with simultaneously and as they are all of about the
same age, many of them will require to be fed longer than is necessary.
My improvements consist in so constructing and operating the Incubator and its
accessories that chickens may be hatched and withdrawn therefrom daily or at any
less frequent intervals as may be required.
The Incubator constructed according to these Improvements consists of a series of
compartments or chambers within which are fitted drawers for containing the eggs.
Care is taken in construction that all the drawers are interchangeable. I have found
by experiment that the external or artificial heat required for hatching gradually
diminishes from the first day, the total difference being about three degrees. I there-
fore arrange that each chamber or compartment shall be continuously maintained at
the same temperature and that succeeding or different chambers shall have different
constant temperatures so that the drawers containing the eggs may be periodically
transferred from the higher temperature chambers to the lower until they have
passed through the whole series of chambers and are finally hatched in the chamber
having the lowest temperature. Thus, without limiting myself to any particular
number of chambers, the first chamber may have a constant temperature of 105 deg. F.;
the second 104.5 deg.; the third 10+ deg.; the fourth 103.5 deg.; the fifth 103 deg.;
the sixth 102.5 deg.; and the seventh and last 102 deg. In such an arrangement
the chickens would be hatched continuously, and fresh eggs may be placed in the
first compartment of the apparatus daily, for which purpose it will be convenient to
arrange for three or a multiple of three drawers in each chamber so that each day's
eggs may be kept separate, and be separately transferred to the following chambers.

page_text: Each of the chambers or compartments communicates with a flue which is
connected to an exhaust fan, an aspirator or other means for withdrawing air. The
openings from the chambers or compartments are opened or closed by a valve the
movement of which is controlled by any suitable thermostat, but preferably by one
constructed as follows: the ends of a curved strip or bar of metal or of a composite
bar or strip of metal or metals are firmly secured to a suitable base. To about the
centre of the curved bar one end of a light rod is adjustably secured and the other
end of the rod is connected or geared to the spindle of the valve. In the event of a
slight variation of the temperature the bar tends to increase or diminish in length, but
its ends being rigidly fixed, this tendency results in an increase or diminution in its
curvature, and by the motion so set up the position of the valve is controlled. The
exact temperature required is secured by the amount of air passing through the
compartment, and this is governed by regulating the adjustable connection of the rod
with the curved bar. This having been regulated once, will require no further
regulation for a long period.
.
The heat supply of the whole apparatus may be derived from any source ordinarily
employed and controlled by any usual means or by the hereinbefore described
thermostat which may be employed to operate a valve or to control the gas supply
when gaseous fuel is used.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Incubators.
I, JOHN GARDNER, of Hadfield, in the County of Derby, dealer in type-writing
machines 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 Incubators and has for its objects to secure continuous
operation and greater certainty in the results.
As incubators are at present constructed and employed the full charge of eggs is
placed in the apparatus at once and the whole of the chickens hatched therefrom have
therefore to be handled and dealt with simultaneously, and as they are all of about
the same age, many of them will require to be fed longer than is necessary.
My Improvements consist in so arranging and operating the incubator and its
accessories that chickens may be hatched and withdrawn therefrom daily or at any
less frequent intervals as may be desired.
The incubator constructed according to these improvements consists of a series of
compartments or chambers, within which are fitted drawers for containing the eggs.
Care is taken in construction that all the drawers are interchangeable. I have found
by experiment that the external or artificial heat required for hatching gradually
diminishes from the first day, the total difference being about 3 deg. I therefore
arrange that each chamber or compartiment shall be continuously maintained at the
same temperature and that succeeding or different chambers shall have different
constant temperatures, so that the drawers containing the eggs may be periodically
transferred from the high temperature chambers to the lower, until they have passed
through the whole series of chambers and are finally hatched in the chamber having the
lowest temperature. Thus, without limiting myself to any particular mode of con-
struction or number of chambers, the first chamber may have a constant temperature
of 105 deg. F.; the second 104.5 deg. the third 104 deg. ; the fourth 103.5_deg. ;
the fifth 103 deg. ; the sixth 102.5 deg. ; and the seventh and last 102 deg. F. In
such an arrangement the chickens would be hatched continuously, and fresh eggs may
be placed in the first compartment of the apparatus daily, for which purpose it will
be convenient to arrange for three or a multiple of three drawers in each chamber so
that each day's eggs may be kept separate and be separately transferred to the
following chamber on following days.
Each of the chambers or compartments communicates with a flue which is
connected to an exhaust fan, an aspirator or other means for withdrawing air. The
orifices of exit from the chambers or compartments may be opened or closed by a
valve the movement of which is controlled by any suitable thermostat but preferably
by a metallic thermometer constructed as follows:-the ends of a curved strip or bar
of metal or of a composite bar or strip of metals or metal are firmly secured to a
suitable base. To about the centre of the curved bar, one end of a light rod is
adjustably secured and the other end of the rod is connected or geared to the spindle

page_text: of the valve. In the event of a slight variation in the temperature the bar tends to
increase or diminish in length, but its ends being rigidly fixed, this tendency results
in an increase or diminution in its curvature and by the motion so set up, the position
of the valve is controlled. The exact temperature required is secured by the amount
of air passing through the compartment and this is governed by regulating the
adjustable connection of the rod with the curved bar. This having been regulated
once, will require no further regulation for a long period.
The heat supply of the whole apparatus may be derived from any source ordinarily
employed and controlled by any usual means or by the herein before described
thermostat which is of known construction and may be employed to operate a valve or
to control the gas supply when gaseous fuel is used.
I desire it to be understood that I do not claim as constituting any part of this my
said Invention, any particular type or construction of an incubator or of apparatus for
regulating heat therein, since these are generally well known; and that I limit myself
to the arrangement and operation of a series of incubating chambers or chambers con-
taining incubators.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The Improvements in and relating to incubators substantially as herein before
described which consist in the arrangement and operation of a series of incubating
chambers or chambers containing incubators heated by air set in motion by artificial
means, each of the series after the first being kept at a slightly lower temperature
than the preceding chamber and the eggs being periodically transferred through the
series from the chamber having the highest to that having the lowest temperature.
Dated this 20th day of April A.D. 1888.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.