IMPROVE- MENTS IN VENTILATORS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wemyss, of Springwood Park, in the County
of Roxburgh, North Britain, Gardener, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VENTILATORS."
Sealed the 24th April 1860, and dated the 3rd November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wemyss at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd November 1859.
I, GEORGE WEMYSS, of Springwood Park, in the County of Roxburgh,
North Britain, Gardener, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of ventilators
for supplying fresh pure air to, and drawing off vitiated air from apartments
of various kinds, but principally the living and sleeping rooms of dwelling-
houses. In carrying out this Invention in practice, there is fitted up in the
wall of the room to be ventilated, and by preference near the ceiling, an
adjustable "gridiron" valve or slide, the face of which is flush with the inner
face of the wall. This valve governs a passage into a metal chamber, which
is fitted into a hole in the thickness of the wall directly behind the valve. This
metal chamber is double the external section or division, being solid and close,
excepting where the adjustable door or valve opens into it from the apartment,.
and where a tubular thoroughfare opens from it on the opposite side to con

page_text: nect the apartment with the external atmosphere. The inner section of the
chamber has a solid end next to the valvular passage, but it is perforated or
slotted all round, so that the vitiated air as it enters from the room first of all
strikes against the solid end, and is then diffused along and over it, passing in
between the two sections or divisions of the chamber. From this space the
vitiated air passes into the interior of the inner section of the chamber through
the openings in the sides, and it flows off therefrom through the end opposite
to the solid end and the valvular entrance of the external section or chamber,
thus escaping into the tube before mentioned, and passing off into the atmo-
sphere. The air does not, however, pass at once into the atmosphere, but it
flows into a second duplex chamber built in the external face of the wall. It
is the same as the duplex chamber in the apartment, except that its outer end
or face is covered by a shield piece, open all round for the passage outwards of
the vitiated air. In this way the spoiled air passes freely into the atmosphere,
the amount of discharge being accurately adjustable by means of the valvular
door in the apartment. The escaping air is diffused so as not to flow with a
strong rush, and the entrance of air from the atmosphere, which would inter-
fere with the outflowing current, is prevented by the external shield, and by
the disposition of the parts of the duplex chamber. The arrangement thus
secures a perfect discharge of the bad air, and causes a good inflow of good air
by the doors, windows, or other ordinary channels. The apparatus and
arrangements may be modified in various ways, and erected in various
situations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Wemyss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WEMYSS, of Springwood Park, in the County of Roxburgh, North Britain,
Gardener, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Wemyss, Her special license that I, the said George Wemyss,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Georges
Wemyss, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VENTILATORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Wemyss, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 George Wemyss, 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 fol-
lowing 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 the arrangement and construction of venti-
lators for supplying fresh pure air to, and drawing off vitiated air from apart-
ments of various kinds, but principally the living and sleeping rooms of
dwelling houses. In carrying out this Invention in practice, there is fitted up
in the wall of the room to be ventilated, and by preference near the ceiling, an
adjustable "gridiron" valve or slide, the face of which is flush with the inner
face of the wall. This valve governs a passage into a metal chamber, which
is fitted into a hole in the thickness of the wall, directly behind the valve.
This metal chamber is double, the external section or division being solid and
close, excepting where the adjustable door or valve opens into it from the
apartment, and where a tubular thoroughfare opens from it on the opposite
side to connect the apartment with the external atmosphere. The inner section"
of the chamber has a solid end next to the valvular passage, but it is perforated
or slotted all round, so that the vitiated air as it enters from the room first of
all strikes against the solid end, and is then diffused along and over it, passing
in between the two sections or divisions of the chambers. From this space
the vitiated air passes into the interior of the inner section of the chamber
through the openings in the sides, and it flows off therefrom through the end
opposite to the solid end and the valvular entrance of the external section or
chamber, thus escaping into the tube before mentioned, and passing off into
the atmosphere. The air does not, however, pass at once into the atmosphere,
but it flows into a second duplex chamber built in the external face of the wall.
It is the same as the duplex chamber in the apartment, except that its outer
end or face is covered by a shield piece, open all round for the passage out-

page_text: wards of the vitiated air. In this way the spoiled air passes freely into the
atmosphere, the amount of discharge being accurately adjustable by means of
the valvular door in the apartment. The escaping air is diffused so as not to
flow with a strong rush, and the entrance of air from the atmosphere, which
would interfere with the outflowing current, is prevented by the external shield
and by the disposition of the parts of the duplex chambers. The arrangement
thus secures a perfect discharge of the bad air, and causes a good inflow of
good air by the doors, windows, or other ordinary channels. The apparatus
and arrangements may be modified in various ways, and erected in various
situations.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in ventilators may be
properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several illustrative
Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings, which I have hereunto
appended for the purpose of showing certain modifications under which my
improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to say:-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a sectional plan of a
room, showing the application of one of my improved ventilators thereto;
Figure 2 is a plan or external view of the ventilator complete; and Figure 3
is a horizontal section corresponding to Figure 2; Figure 4 is an elevation of
the inner end of the ventilator, showing the arrangement for controlling the
egress of the heated air; and Figure 5 is a transverse section taken at right
angles to Figure 3.
The ventilating apparatus, as delineated in the accompanying Drawings, is
arranged in the wall of the apartment in a horizontal direction, so as to com-
municate from the interior of the room to the exterior of the building. The
ventilator consists at the outer or egress end of a shallow box or recessed
part A, the flange of which is flush with the external wall. The box A has
attached to it the plate B, which is made smaller than the area of the box, so
as to leave openings for the escape of the vitiated air. Extending behind the
box A is a second chamber C, communication between the two being effected
by means of the openings made in the box A. The interior of the chamber C
is partly filled by the inner chamber D, the sides of which are made with rect-
angular or other shaped openings in them. The chamber D communicates
directly with the tubular passage E, which in this modification is of a rect-
angular figure in its transverse section. The tubular passage E is made in two
parts, which are arranged on the telescopic principle, so that the length of the
ventilator may be readily adjusted to the thickness of the wall. The inner end
of the passage opens into a chamber F, which is made with open sides similar
to the chamber D. The apertures in the chamber E communicate with the

page_text: external box G, the front part of which is made flush with the wall of. the
apartment. The rectangular apertures which are made in the front plate of
the box G permit the vitiated air of the room to flow through; the outgoing
current impinges against the closed end of the chamber F, and passing round
the end, it flows in by the lateral apertures. From the interior of the
chamber F the vitiated air flows through the passage E into the chamber D,
and passes out by the openings in the sides to the chamber C. Finally the air-
passes through the openings in the chamber C, and passing away under the
plate B, it escapes into the external atmosphere.
In order to regulate the outgoing current of air and prevent draught in the
apartment, or the too rapid abstraction of warm air therefrom, a sliding
plate His fitted in the ventilator, so as to cover the apertures in the box G at
pleasure. The sliding plate H is fitted in grooves, or otherwise, so as to move
easily to and fro behind the openings in the box G. A horizontal slot is made
in the front plate of the box G, and through this opening a stud I works to
and fro, which stud is fixed in the plate H. A cord J, or other suitable
attachment, is fastened to the stud and passes through two pulleys K, fixed in
the face of the box G. The ventilator, when arranged for carrying off the.
heated and vitiated air from an apartment, is fitted in the wall near to the
ceiling, and the ends of the cord J are carried downwards and brought within
convenient reach, in the manner of an ordinary bell pull. In lieu of this sliding
plate arrangement, a rosette or other ornamental device may be used, the
opening of the apertures in the ventilator being effected by turning the plate
behind the rosette more or less about its centre. With this arrangement of
ventilator, the air, as it becomes heated and impure, flows off with more or
less rapidity, according to the extent of the openings allowed in the box G
by the sliding plate H, all return draught being prevented by the arrangement
of the chambers D and F. These ventilators when fitted at the lower part of
the room are well adapted for causing a current of cold or warm air to flow
into the lower part, and as this air rises to the ceiling it carries away with it
all the impure or vitiated air. In this way, by a judicious arrangement of two
or more of these ventilators, courts of law, lecture rooms, chapels, schools,
stables, and other buildings, as well as dwelling houses or apartments, may
be thoroughly and efficiently ventilated, and a constant supply of pure air
ensured.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider novel and original,

page_text: and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of ventilators or apparatus
for obtaining by self-acting means a due supply of pure air in the rooms of
dwelling houses, public buildings, and other similar places, as herein-before
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of ventilating dwelling-houses, public buildings,
and other similar places by means of apparatus arranged to carry off the
impure air, and, where necessary, to introduce also a stream of cold or warm
air, which assists the removal of the vitiated air, as herein-before described
and delineated in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere equivalent
therefor.
Third, the system or mode of arranging and constructing ventilating appa-
ratus in the walls of buildings, and in such manner that the apparatus may be
readily adapted to walls of different thicknesses, and adjusted as regards the
velocity of the outgoing or inflowing current of air, as herein-before described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wemyss, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.