IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edmonds, M.D., Surgeon Royal Navy,
residing at Peel Lodge, Stoke Road, Gosport, County of Southampton, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS,
AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 30th June 1863, and dated the 26th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edmonds at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
February 1863.
I, HENRY EDMONDS, M.D., Surgeon Royal Navy, residing at Peel Lodge,
Stoke Road, Gosport, County of Southampton, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
I effect the above object by means of and through a system of shafts and
channels invented by me, designed to act upon those parts of a ship's interior,
where ventilation is most necessary, such as the highest parts of inhabited.
decks, store rooms and magazines. The bilges and those channels between
the inner and outer skin of the ship, separated from each other laterally by the
upright timbers or ribs extending from above downwards towards the bilges,

page_text: and which channels it is highly necessary should be ventilated by the preser-
vation of the timbers from decay. These channels, called the 'openings,' I
connect together by means of a longitudinal shaft, extending for part or the
whole length of the ship on each side, having communication into each of the
openings' channels. I close their ordinary outlets, except where I require
them to act for ventilating purposes. The connecting shafts may be made
available for ventilation, either independently of or in connection with the next
described part of my system. For one or more planks or any portion of them
forming the roof of the deck to be ventilated, I substitute a hollow channel or
channels extending for all or any part of its length ordinarily level with the
deck, but which may be made slightly arched or projecting above. These
'deck channels' should have numerous perforations below, so as to communicate
with every space where impure air collects between the beams of inhabited
decks. These as well as the 'openings channels' may be composed of or com-
pleted with iron or other material of sufficient strength and together or
separately communicated into a vertical shaft or shafts, and ventilation effected
by fire-draught or any of the ordinary methods.
Whether used in steam or in sailing ships or vessels, separately or combined,
I claim them as my Invention in whatever manner air is drawn through them
or forced into them for the purpose of ventilation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Edmonds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDMONDS, M.D., lately Surgeon, now Staff Surgeon in the Royal Navy,
residing at Peel Lodge, Stoke Road, Gosport, County of Southampton, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of
'our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Henry Edmonds, M.D., Her special licence that I, the
'said Henry Edmonds, M.D., my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Edmonds, M.D., my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to timė

page_text: 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 THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Edmonds, M.D., my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly 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 Henry Edmonds, M.D., do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention for improvements in the ventilation of ships and vessels and
apparatus connected therewith consists in ventilation, by means of and through
a system of shafts and air channels invented by me, designed to act upon those
parts of a ship's interior where ventilation is most necessary, and for which
purpose they are peculiarly adapted, acting as they do directly upon them.
Those parts are the upper spaces of inhabited decks between the beams, cabins,
storerooms, and magazines. The bilges and those channels between the inner
and outer planking or plating of the ship separated from each other laterally
by the upright timbers or ribs extending from above downwards to the bilges.
These channels are ordinarily called the 'openings' or 'timber spaces,' and
it is highly desirable that they should be ventilated for the preservation of the
ship's frame timbers from decay or 'dry rot' as well as to prevent their damp
exhalations, together with the foul air from the bilges, being vented, as is now,
usually the case in merchant ships through the list piece' space along the
ship's side internally into the mess or cabin deck room or as in ships of war
through open spaces above the shelf pieces between the beams of the same
deck and close to where the sailors sleep in hammocks at night, where the
greatest care should be taken to preserve the air from contamination. Through
the first part of my apparatus about to be described the action of those
openings' is reversed, and they are converted into most efficient means for
carrying off the foul air from the inhabited decks as well as from the
bilges. To effect this I connect them together by constructing longitudinal
shafts or enclosed air passages along the ship's sides externally or internally

page_text: over the list piece' space internally I consider the most convenient position,
extending for any part, or the whole of its length, constructed of thin sheet
metal, or of wood, or of both combined, having communication by means of an
aperture of regulated size proportioned to their number and the size of the
shaft into each of the openings between the timbers, a circular hole of about
two inches diameter I consider sufficient for each in a large ship. These
openings channels thus become so many branch air passages from about
100 to 150 in number on each side acting by their upper extremities on the
most impure air of the mess and cabin deck, and by their lower extremities on
the foul air of the hold and bilges, all their other outlets should be carefully
closed, but the "openings" may be also communicated by means of apertures
or connecting tubes with any compartment requiring ventilation. These longi-
tudinal shafts may be used either independantly of or in connection with the
second part of Invention which I shall next describe. For one or more
planks, or any portion of them forming the ceiling of the deck to be ventilated
on each side of the ship, I substitute a hollow channel or air passage, extending
for all or any part of its length ordinarily level with the deck above, but which
may be made slightly arched or projecting above, the material I prefer to use
in the construction of these channels is iron or brass, or it may be wood only, or
strengthened with metal, these deck air channels should have perforations
below so as to communicate with every space between the beams of inhabited
decks and cabins where impure air naturally collects, connected with each
perforation, may be a small transverse air channel with smaller perforations so
as to diffuse its action.
my
or
I have now described a system composed of two series of air shafts or
channels by means of which I effect communication with every part of a ship
requiring ventilation, the first described I call the 'longitudinal
'openings' ventilating shaft, the second are the deck air channels, I can
either communicate these by means of one or more cross shafts, uniting them
in the centre of the ship or wherever it may be convenient, and connecting
these into one or more vertical shafts of sufficient size and height, with rever-
sible cowls to complete the ventilation, or I can ventilate them separately by
communicating each into one or more of such shafts, or in any convenient
manner.
In steam vessels I prefer to use the funnel draught for this purpose by
leading a cross shaft. communicating with the longitudinal shaft and deck
channel of each side by a valved opening into some part of the funnel, its
uptake, or into the ash-pit of the boiler furnaces; if into the funnel or

page_text: uptake I so arrange the valve that in the act of closing the opening into
the funnel it leaves clear a passage up the funnel casing, which being
bighly heated when the engines are at work will alone create a powerful
draught, but it will rarely be necessary even when steam is up to shut-off
the communication into the funnel, up which the draught is then very
powerful, and even when the fires are not lighted it is considerable; to
increase it at night, I recommend a small fire or stove to be placed in one of
the furnaces or ash-pits on each side when the fires are not lighted for steaming
purposes.
In ships where the masts are of iron and hollow, I prefer to avail myself of
their constant up-draught by communicating my deck air channels into them,
also by means of a short air tube opposite each mast. Fans, screws, or bellows
worked by hand or by steam may also be employed in connection with any part
or my apparatus.
In sailing ships, vertical tubes with reversible cowls may be used to ventilate
the longitudinal shafts, which will alone effectually remove all foul smells, and
prevent dry rot. The deck channels may or may not be connected with these:
They may be dispensed with in ships not carrying many passengers, or they
may be separately ventilated. Hollow iron masts are very desirable in sailing
vessels; for this purpose care should of course be taken that there should be
aperies near the top of the mast at least equa' in size collectively with the
communicating tube below.
Although I prefer to ventilate by extraction of foul air, and thus assisting
natural ventilation, my shafts and channels are equally available for the intro-
duction of fresh air through them which they would diffuse uniformly where it
is most wanted without perceptible draught.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a horizontal section of a
sailing ship at the level of the deck on the right or starboard side (a)
and on the other (b) of a steam ship, the latter being through the ship's
side at a lower level, in order to shew the longitudinal shaft (c) Fig. 1
and 2; in Fig. 2 a section only is shewn, its communications with the openings
(d) and the direction of the current through them is shewn in Fig. 1 and 2, by
arrows, being downwards from the mess and cabin deck at (f) Fig. 2 and
upwards from the bilges at (e) Fig. 2. The foul air from these sources next
passes into the cross shaft (9) Fig. 1 and 2, which in steamers may unite with
the deck channel at (h) Fig. 2, and the combined shaft enters the funnel at
(i) Fig. 1 and 2, by a valved opening so arranged that on the valve (k) being
closed either by a communicating wire passing through the funnel casing, or

page_text: by lifting the moveable cover shewn in Fig. 2 at (1) the draught may be shut
off from entering the funnel, and passes up the funnel casing at (9). Fig. 2
represents a transverse section of a steam vessel on one side, and of a sailing
vessel on the other, in the latter the longitudinal shaft (c) only is shewn carried
along over the list piece covering this, in and communicating with the openings
by apertures of graduated size through a thin casing over them, so as to diffuse
the action of the shaft equally. The means of ventilating them here shown is
through vertical tubes with cowls from one to three on each side as in Fig. 1
(p, p, p,) ordinarily with the cowl reversed from the wind, but when a dry
wind is blowing, the cowl may be faced to it; fresh air will then be circulated
through the whole framework of the ship, acting as uptakes, damp will be
carried off, as well as all foul smells from the bilges and hold, and dry rot
prevented.
Fig. 3, 4, and 5 are specimens of practical modes of constructing the deck
air channels, the material use at (m, m,) being iron or brass. Fig. 3 is specially
adapted for ships of war, being of great strength; Fig. 4 and 5 being lighter
and more easily constructed, are adapted for mercantile vessels. All of them
serve also as stringer plates, greatly strengthening the ship longitudinally
The channel of which a longitudinal view is seen in Fig. 6 is completed below
between the beams with thin sheet iron or zinc (r) perforated at (u) and com-
municating with small cross channels, a section of which is shewn at (n) formed
by enclosing an angular space between the beam and deck, also perforated as
at (s) so as to diffuse the action of the deck air channels. In Fig. 2 (w, w,)
in dotted lines shews another arrangement of the longitudinal shaft, being here
placed along the ship's side, beneath the mess deck, or it may be at a still
lower level. The communicating cross shaft is more conveniently carried
downwards till near the floor of the boilers, between two of which it should
pass and divide opposite the ash-pits of their furnaces into two short branches,
and enters them beneath the fires by a valved opening (x). In Fig. 1 the deck
air channels are shewn throughout their whole length on the steamship side
marked (o,) a section only is shewn in Fig. 2 also marked (o).
Having now described my Invention and some practical modes of working
it, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim any originality in the venti-
lating powers I have availed myself of, but only in using them in connection
with the whole or any part of the system of air shafts and channels, invented
by me for the purpose of ventilation that I have described, namely, the first
part of my apparatus which I have called the 'longitudinal' or 'openings' ven-
tilating shaft, and the second part or deck air channels of whatever materials

page_text: these may be constructed, whether used in steam or in sailing ships or vessels,
separately or combined, I claim them and ventilation by means of them as my
Invention, in whatever manner foul air may be extracted through them, or
fresh air introduced into them for ventilating purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edmonds, M.D., have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
HENRY EDMONDS, M.D. (L.B.)