Improvements in and relating to Incubators, Rearing Appliances, and Egg Testers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Incubators, Rearing Appliances,
and Egg Testers.
I, THEODORE CHARLAN of 22 Hooper Street, Greengate Street, Oldham, in the
County of Lancashire, Poultry Dealer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is the construction of an incubator by means of which
any kinds and sizes of eggs can be hatched successfully at one operation and the
hatched chicken, etc., dried and partially reared in the same apparatus, and which
will require much less attention and not cause the eggs to be subjected to the variation
of temperature, as heretofore has been the case.
My invention consists principally in the first place in the employment of a series of
sectional drawers in which the eggs to be hatched, are placed.
These drawers are employed inside the lower portion of a box, each being closed in
front by means of a door, which prevents the escape of hot, or inrush of cold air,
when withdrawing or replacing the drawer.
Each of these drawers is provided respectively, with means for raising the eggs to
a given height so as to subject eggs of various sizes, to an equal temperature, and
with means for gradually and simultaneously turning over a drawer full of eggs,
without removing the drawer or touching the eggs with the bands.
These features of my invention I prefer to carry out in the following manner :-
Inside each drawer I arrange a frame to which I connect two pairs of jointed levers
on which is employed a loose bottom or platform, carrying one or two rods or rollers,
on or between which the eggs to be hatched are placed in a row.
By means of a screw passing through the front end of the drawer the said frame
can be slid forwards and backwards, and the loose bottom or platform, on which the
eggs to be hatched are placed, raised or lowered by the jointed levers, from the outside
of the drawer.
By this means I am enabled to bring the eggs in the incubator, independently of
size, all to one level wherchy they are subjected to one uniform heat without the
necessity of packing the small eggs, which is very troublesome and risky.
The said roller or rollers, are caused to project through the end of the drawer, and
are provided with means for being rotated, when two rods are employed they are
rotated simultaneously in one direction preferably by means of an india-rubber band
placed thereon.
In order to give the said roller or rollers a firm grip on the eggs, so as to
ensure a uniform turning of the same I cover the said roller or rollers with india-
rubber.
For the purpose of preventing the chilling of the eggs in the incubator on
replacing unfertile eggs by fresh ones I employ removable partitions between the
eggs, arranged to slide in grooves formed above the loose bottom or platform in the
drawer.
Through each door and drawer a hole is formed for the insertion of a thermometer
for registering the heat inside the incubator.
It will thus be understood that on examining the eggs, the same will not be sub-
jected to cold air as much as when contained in one drawer only, and as regards the
turning of the same, not at all, as the drawer need not be withdrawn during the
turning of the eggs, and the eggs in each drawer may be examined independently of
the remainder contained in the incubator.
Above the sectional drawer the incubator is formed with a hinged window and a

page_text: door in front thereof through which the eggs and the interior of the incubator can be
.observed.
My invention consists in the second place in providing the incubator with means
for automatically retaining the proper humidity of air therein.
This I carry out by fixing inside the upper portion of the incubator, a water reservoir
of convenient shape formed with an inlet and outlet.
This outlet, by means of a pipe is brought into communication with a cup, and
the latter by means of another pipe with a trough arranged a suitable distance above
the sectional drawers, the said trough containing a pad to facilitate evaporation of the
water in the same.
In order to effect an automatic supply of water to be evaporated in the said
trough I permit the reservoir outlet pipe to dip into the said cup, so that when the
trough has received sufficient water, the water in the cup, traps the orifice of the
reservoir outlet pipe and prevents the flow until the vapourized water in the trough
causes the water in the cup to descend below the orifice of the reservoir outlet tube
when the supply to the trough will be continued, as before.
My invention consists in the third place in the particular application and construction
of a lamp for creating the necessary heat, and inethod of regulating and conducting
the heat through the incubator.
For this purpose I employ an oil reservoir of convenient shape underneath the
apparatus which I supply with oil automatically in a like manner as the supply of
water to the trough hereinbefore described, takes place.
The lamp I form with three metal jackets, the inner jacket being in connection with
a pipe passing through, the second jacket with a pipe conducting hot air into,
and the third jacket with a pipe passing hot air into, the upper portion of the
incubator.
Inside the inner jacket a chimney is arranged to be raised or lowered at will to
facilitate the trimming and lighting of the lamp without removing it.
My invention consists in the fourth place in the particular application of and means
for regulating the heat inside the incubator to the desired temperature so as not to be
influenced by the various conditions of weather.
To this end I employ in conjunction with the burner of the lamp, an oscillating
lever furnished or formed at its top with a perforated cap or lip.
This lever by means of suitable connections is actuated from a weighted lever
arranged to oscillate on the upper part of the incubator and acted upon by a
float.
The said cap or lip is formed to cover only a portion of the wick so as to partly
extinguish the same and thereby regulate the heat, the perforations serving to
prevent the accumulation of hot gases, which prevents the oil tank from getting
heated.
The said float is arranged in a vertical tube which is bent and formed with a vertical
chamber.
This vertical tube & chamber are partially filled with mercury so as to leave room
for the hot air in the said chamber to expand on the mercury and drive the latter
into the vertical tube which contains the float, the stem of which presses against
the weighted lever aforesaid so as to operate the said lipped or capped lever of the
lamp.
My invention consists in the fifth place in the formation of a drying and rearing
chamber on the upper portion of the incubator.
When the chickens, etc., are hatched, they are placed into this chamber and dried
and partially reared therein, the top thereof being of glass, they are always in sight
and their progress can be easily observed.
The last part of my invention consists in providing the front end of the incubator
with a sliding table in connection with a sliding lamp and an egg tester.
The said table I arrange below the sectional drawers to be slid in and out at will,
and to serve to place the eggs on, when charging the sectional drawers with, or testing,
the same.

page_text: Above the sectional drawers and window I arrange a lamp having a bull's eye, so
as to slide on a rod or bar and provided in front thereof with a deflector formed with
an opening and rest, in which the egg to be tested, is held.
The object of arranging the lamp to slide is to have the same always in immediate
proximity to the sectional drawer the eggs of which are to be tested, so as to subject
the eggs to the cold as little as possible.
In order to facilitate ventilation in the incubator I insert into the spaces between
the sectional drawers, a series of pipes communicating with the interior and exterior
of the incubator.
Datal thin th
1000
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Incubators, Rearing Appliances,
and Egg Testers.
I, THEODORE CHARLAN, of 22, Hooper Street, Greengate Street, Oldham, in the
County of Lancashire, Poultry Dealer, 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:-
The object of my invention is the construction of an incubator by means of which
any kinds and sizes of eggs can be hatched successfully at one operation and the
hatched chicken, etc., dried and partially reared in the same apparatus, and which
will require much less attention and not cause the eggs to be subjected to the variation
of temperature, as heretofore has been the case.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to be
appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference indicating
like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2. a plan, Fig. 3. a front view and Fig. 4. a back
view of my improved incubator.
In carrying out my invention and referring to the Figs. generally my improve-
ments consists principally in the first place in the employment of a series of sectional
drawers a in which the eggs b, to be hatched, are placed.
These drawers a are employed inside the lower portion of a box c, each drawer a
being closed in front by means of a door d, hinged to the box c, which prevents the
escape of hot, or inrush of cold air, when withdrawing or replacing the drawers a.
b
Each of these drawers a is provided respectively with means for raising the eggs
to a given height, so as to subject eggs of various sizes, (see more particularly,
Fig. 3.) to an equal temperature, and with means for gradually and simultaneously
turning over a drawer full of eggs, without removing the drawer or touching the eggs
with the hands.
These features of my invention I prefer to carry out in the following manner :-
Inside each drawer a I arrange a sliding frame e to which I connect by pivots e¹,
respectively the one end of two pairs of jointed levers f, the other ends thereof being
hinged to the bottom of the drawer a.
On the said levers is employed a loose bottom or platform g, carrying one or
two rods or rollers h, on or between which the eggs b, to be hatched, are placed in a
row.
By means of a screw i passing through the frame e and held in position in the
front end of the drawer a, the said frame e can be slid forwards and backwards,
and the loose bottom or platform g, on which the eggs b, to be hatched, are placed,
raised or lowered by the medium of the jointed levers from the outside of the
drawer a.
I may here remark that for very short drawers, one pair of levers may be employed,
pivoted together cross-wise, in lieu of two, as described. By this means, and the

page_text: employment of an index b³, on each drawer a, I am enable to bring the eggs in the
incubator, independently of size, all to one level whereby they are subjected to one
uniform heat without the necessity of packing the small eggs, which is very troublesome
and risky.
The said roller or rollers are caused to project through the end of the drawers a,
and are provided, if deemed necessary, with means for being rotated simultaneously
in one direction, preferably by means of an india-rubber hand, placed thereon, see
Fig. 3.
In order to give the said roller or rollers a firm grip on the eggs, so as to ensure
a uniform turning of the same I may cover the said roller or rollers / with india-
rubbar.
For the purpose of preventing the chilling of the eggs in the incubator on replacing
unfertile eggs by fresh ones, I employ removable partitions between the eggs b,
arranged to slide in grooves formed above the loose bottom or platform g in the
drawer a.
Through each door d and drawer a, holes a', d' are formed for the insertion of a
thermometer for registering the heat inside the incubator.
It will be understood that on examining the eggs, the same will not be subjected to
cold air as much as when contained in one drawer only and as regards the turning of
the same, not at all, as the drawer need not be withdrawn during the turning of the
eggs, and the eggs in each drawer may be examined independently of. the remainder
contained in the incubator.
Above the sectional drawers a the incubator is formed with a hinged window k
and a door in front thereof, through which the eggs and the interior of the incubator
can be observed.
My invention consists in the second place in providing the incubator with means
for automatically retaining the proper humidity of air therein.
This 1 carry out by fixing inside the upper portion of the incubator, a water
reservoir of convenient shape formed with an inlet and an outlet l².
This outlet 12, by means of a pipe
and the latter by means of another pipe
above the sectional. drawers a, the said
evaporation of the water in the same.
24
is brought into communication with a cup
with a trough m arranged a suitable distance
trough m containing a pad m' to facilitate
In order to effect an automatic supply of water, to be evaporated in the said
trough m, I permit the reservoir outlet pipe 3 to dip into the said cup 1, so that when
the trough m has received sufficient water, the water in the cup traps the orifice of
the reservoir outlet pipe 13 and prevents the flow until the vapourized water in the
trough m causes the water in the cup to descend below the orifice of the reservoir
outlet pipe when the supply to the trough m will be continued as before.
My invention consists in the third place in the particular application and construc-
tion of a lamp n for creating the necessary heat, and in the method of regulating
and conducting the heat through the incubator.
For this purpose 1 employ an oil reservoir o of convenient shape underneath or
on the side of the incubator according to its size, which I supply with oil automatically
in a like manner as the supply of water to the trough m, hereinbefore described, take
place, viz. by means of the pipes o', cup o² and pipe o³.
The lamp n I form with three jackets n¹, n³, n³, the inner jacket n³, being in
connection with a pipe p passing through the egg chamber and the chimney q.
The middle jacket n² is in connection with the interior of the incubator and rearing
chamber and conducts hot air into the same, while the outer jacket n¹ admits cool air
around the jacket n².
Inside the inner jacket n³ a chimney q is arranged to be raised or lowered at
will to facilitate the trimming and lighting of the lamp n without removing it.
.
My invention consists in the fourth place in the particular application of and means
for regulating the beat inside the incubator to the desired temperature, so as not to
be influenced by the various conditions of the atmosphere.
To this end I employ in conjunction with the burner q¹ of the lamp n, an oscillating

page_text: lever furnished or formed at its top with a perforated cap, lip, or roller ». This
lever which is fixed on a spindle and arranged to rock between centres, by means
of the bent lever, rod is actuated from a weighted levert arranged to oscillate
on the upper part of the incubator and acted upon by a float s.
The said cap, lip, or roller may be formed to cover only a portion of the wick
so as to only partly extinguish the same and thereby regulate the heat, the perforations,
when used, serving to prevent the accumulation of hot gases, which prevents the oil
tank from getting heated.
The said floats is arranged in a vertical tube ¹ which is bent and formed with a
vertical or horizontal chamber s².
This vertical tube s¹ and chamber are partially filled with mercury, so as to leave
room for the hot air in the said chamber to expand on the mercury and drive the
latter into the vertical tube s¹ which contains the float *, the stem 3 of which
presses against the weighted levert aforesaid which operates the said lever r of the
lamp n.
-
For very broad wicks two of the said caps, lips, or rollers may be employed and
arranged to move towards each other, similar as described already.
The weight on the bent lever is adjustable thereon and serves as a means for
giving the cap, lip, or roller r its balance.
If desirable, the lamps n may be substituted by a gas jet, in which case the top
of the jacket n³ is formed with a chimney q², see dotted lines Fig. 4. the draft of
which is regulated by means of a damper or valve q³ in connection with and controlled
by the weighted lever t.
My invention consists in the fifth place in the formation of a drying and rearing
chamber on the upper portion of the incubator.
When the chickens, etc. are hatched, they are placed into this chamber u and dried
and partially reared therein, the top u¹, thereof being of glass and hinged thereto,
they are always in sight and their progress can be easily observed.
The last part of my invention consists in providing the front end of the
incubator with a sliding table vin connection with a sliding lamp to and an egg
tester w¹.
The said table I arrange below the sectional drawers a to be slid in and out at
will and to serve to place the eggs on, when charging the sectional drawers a with
eggs or testing the same.
Above the sectional drawers a and the window & I arrange to slide on a rod or
bar
3, the lamp w having a bull's eye and provided in front thereof with a deflector w¹
formed with an opening and rest, in which the egg to be tested, is held.
The object of arranging the lamp w to slide, is to have it always in immediate
proximity to the sectional drawers a, the eggs of which are to be tested, so as to subject.
the eggs to the cold as little as possible.
In order to facilitate ventilation in the incubator I insert into the spaces between
the sectional drawers a, or preferably at the side of the incubator, a series of pipes =,
communicating with the egg chamber, rearing chamber and exterior by means of
holes formed in the sides of the latter, and for the purpose of causing the heat in
the incubator to be distributed uniformly over the eggs b, 1 employ above the trough m
a perforated sheet y¹ and bent plates y in the corners thereof, which act as
conductors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
"In incubators."
1st. The general construction, adaption and arrangement of parts operating, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The use and employment of a series of sectional drawers a, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3rd. The combination with the interior of the sectional drawers a of a platform g,
adapted to raise and fall, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4th. The combination with an egg drawer a of rollers h, adapted to turn over the
eggs, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5th. The combination with the water reservoir outlet pipe and the trough
inlet pipe 7, of a cup 1, serving to automatically regulate the supply of water to the
trough m, substantially as set forth.
6th. The combination with the oil reservoir outlet pipe o' and lamp inlet pipe o³,
of a cup o adapted to automatically regulate the supply of oil to the lamp n,
substantially as set forth.
7th. The employment in combination with the lamp wick of an oscillating lip, cap,
or roller, r, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 6th day of September 1889.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.