IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS AND VENTILATING FLUE OR CHIMNEY TOPS
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Hill Penny Cook at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
July 1859.
I, CHARLES HILL PENNY COOK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Tin Smith, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS AND VENTILATING FLUE OR CHIMNEY TOPS," to
be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the so arranging and constructing ventilators and
ventilating chimney tops that a very superior ventilating effect may be produced
in a very economical manner, whilst an efficient draught may be secured in
flues or chimneys of various kinds so as to bring about a complete ventilating,
result, and prevent "blow downs" and other evils attending chimneys as
ordinarily constructed. In house or room ventilators as constructed according
to this Invention for ventilating apartments from the interior into the flues or
chimneys, an aperture is made at or near the ceiling of each room communi-
cating with the flue or chimney in the wall. This aperture may be round,.
square, or of other sectional forms, and it is fitted internally with a series of.
inclined pieces, so adjusted as to afford very free access for the air in the.
apartment to the chimney. In the centre of the aperture there are placed.
one, two, or more hollow, conical, or pyramidal chambers, made of metal or
other suitable material, with their apices directed towards the apartment and,
their bases towards the chimney. The sides of the aperture are fitted with:
corresponding half cones or pyramids, their open bases being turned in a.

page_text: direction the reverse of the central chambers, and alternated with them in such
manner that the apices of the central chambers are at or about at a level with
the bases of the external chambers, in lines drawn transversely across or
through the aperture. With this arrangement whilst the vitiated air of the
apartment can find its way out between the solid inclined surfaces exposed to
its action, any blow down or return draught is entirely resisted by the bases
of the chambers. At the outer end, for instance, next the chimney, any air or
smoke attempting to enter is caught by the first central chamber, and what-
ever air flows over the edge of the chamber to pass onwards, is caught by the
hollow bases of the side chambers interpolated as described. The next central
chamber acts in like manner to catch any current still endeavouring to pass
into the room, and by reduplicating the parts sufficiently all inward air current
must necessarily be prevented. This form of ventilator may be continued
through all the rooms of the house. But the special form of the chambers or
internal current preventors may be varied very greatly. For example, the
interior of the aperture may be fitted on its sides with reversed diaphragm
pieces, forming open chambers in combination with the sides of the passage.
These diaphragm pieces may either be straight, inclines, or serpentine, or
other form. The air which may endeavour to enter the aperture from without
is caught by the first open chamber, and whatever portion of it escapes over
the edge or mouth is caught by the second, this sequence of actions being
continued until the entering current is wholly annihilated. At the same time
the vitiated air in the apartment can pass out with perfect freedom in a zig-
zag or serpentine course along the inclines and over their edges. The same
principle is applicable to the chimney top, which is left entirely open except in
as far as the chamber or diaphragm portions fill up the flue. In another form
the chimney top or can is formed in two tubes, one within the other, the
central tube or flue being fitted with alternated open topped chambers, with
inclined or serpentine diaphragm sides, up, along, and between which the air
and smoke current can pass freely to escape at the top. The fresh cold air
has free access to the apartment down the annular space between the two
tubes, the inclined diaphragms or chambers being so set as to allow of this
descent. As applied for ordinary ventilating, the open bottom of the main
central tube coincides with the level of the roof or ceiling, whilst the air inlet
is all round this portion, the fresh air being deflected laterally into the room.
It is of course not necessary that both the inlet and outlet tubes be combined
as just described; a similar effect may be produced by placing them in other
and different positions, the essential point being the so reversing the inclines
or preventive chambers or surfaces as to secure currents of cold fresh air

page_text: inwards, and vitiated air, smoke, or gases outwards. It is not necessary that
the top of the roof ventilator be quite open.
open. It may have an elevated
ornamental cover open all round. The centre cones or chambers are also
proposed in some cases to be adjustable in concert with their corresponding
incline or diaphragm pieces, so that the attendant can at any time suit the
operation of the inclines and chambers to what may be actually required of
them. This adjustment may be effected by a rack and pinion movement
worked by a cord pulley descending to a convenient position below or in other
ways.