Improved Cowl and Shaft Arrangements for Ventilation.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Cowl and Shaft Arrangements for Ventilation.
1 GEORGE FELLOWS HARRINGTON, Hurdholme, Ryde, Isle of Wight, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My "Improved Cowl and Shaft Arrangements for Ventilation," are improvements
on the cowl and shaft arrangements as specified in the Patent I obtained dated
January 24th 1883, No. 387, for " Ventilating Sewers." And also on the cowl
and shaft arrangement as specified in the Patent I obtained dated January:30th,
1884, No. 2404, for "Improved Cowl Arrangements for Ventilation."
My improvements in cowls, as therein specified, consist of making them with open
ends to form an angle of about ninety degrees, their mouths being about double the
area of their throats to condense the wind as it blows through them. And being
required to revolve over the tops of the inlet shafts, they are made with vanes to
cause them to turn for the wind to blow through them into the inlet shafts. The
cowls are also made with rims, to descend below the outside of their throats to
revolve in channels made on the tops of the inlet shafts to contain oil to trap them
so as to prevent the wind escaping outside the throats of the cowls after it enters
the inlet shafts.
My improvements in shafts, as specified in the first of the aforesaid Patents,
consist of making them in part of wicker-work secured by nails to the walls of the
buildings against which they are placed, such wicker-work being coated inside and
outside with cement formed and stained to correspond with the style of the buildings
against which they are placed. The lower ends of the shafts being connected with
sewers, the upper ends rising above the buildings against which they are placed, or
to such altitudes as may be desired. The shafts, being inlet and outlet, are placed
about three hundred feet apart. Spindles are secured to the upper ends of the
inlet shafts on which the cowls revolve to receive the wind, so that the system
allows wind to blow fresh air into sewers and foul gases out of them to altitudes
where they become harmless.
In the Patent dated January 30th 1884, No. 2404, for "Improved Cowl
Arrangements for Ventilation" extended the right to use my cowl and shaft
arrangements for ventilating sewers, to ventilate rooms of houses, public buildings,
vaults of banks, railway tunnels, stations, and under ground railways. And in
addition to making the shafts of wicker-work and cement, as specified in the first of
the aforesaid Patents, I made them of cement moulded in blocks of convenient
lengths and forms to be secured to the walls of buildings by nails.
My further improvements in the cowl and shaft arrangements above described,
are: As the oil in which the cowls revolve to trap them with the shafts is liable to
become so thick in cold weather as to prevent the cowls revolving, my first improve-
ment consists of using glycerine instead of oil, which is much less liable to thicken
in cold weather. And instead of making the shafts of wicker-work and cement,
and of cement only, my second improvement consists of making them of steel or
other suitable metal. In other words: where cowls and shafts are used for venti-
lating purposes, as herein described, my improvements consist of trapping the
cowls and shafts with glycerine instead of oil, and of making my shafts of steel or
other suitable metal instead of wicker-work and cement, or of cement only.
Dated this 1st day of January 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Cowl and Shaft Arrangements for Ventilation.
I GEORGE FELLOWS HARRINGTON of Hurdholme, Binslead Road, Ryde, Isle
of Wight, Gentleman, 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 and drawings which illustrate it :-
-
Having explained in my Provisional Specification of this Patent for "Improved
Cowl and Shaft Arrangements for Ventilation," that the two Patents which I had
previously obtained, and which are named therein, were for cowls made with their
mouths about double the area of their throats, to cause the wind to condense itself
while blowing through them; and with flanges and rims to trap them with the
shafts on which they are made to revolve; and that such shafts are made with
receptacles at their upper ends to contain oil for the lower part of the rims of the
cowls to revolve in to trap them so as to prevent the escape of the condensed wind
from the upper part of the shafts.
And having also explained in my said Provisional Specification, that inlet and
outlet shafts are made and connected with sewers to guide the wind into the sewers
for it to combine with the sewer gases as they form, and convey them into the open
air at altitudes where they become harmless. That the said inlet and outlet shafts
are made either of wicker-work and cement, or of cement, to correspond with the
buildings against which they are placed, and to be used with the cowls, not only to
ventilate sewers, but also public buildings, houses, railway tunnels, and such other
rooms and places as require to be ventilated.
This Patent being for improvements on the two Patents above alluded to, I will
describe the said improvements by words and reference to the drawings which
accompany this Specification.
Figure 1 represents a cowl made to revolve on a spindle connected with a shaft
to cause the wind to condense itself as it blows through the cowl into the shaft:
the arrow-shaped vane being made to cause the cowl to revolve to receive the wind
whatever be the direction in which it blows. The cowl being also made with a
flange, and rim, for the lower part of such rim to revolve in the glycerine which is
contained in the receptacle at the upper end of the shaft on which the cowl revolves
to prevent the escape of such condensed wind, after it leaves the cowl, from the
upper end of such shaft.
Figure 2 represents inlet and outlet shafts, made of steel or some other suitable
metal, connected with a sewer, such shafts to be made and painted to correspond in
appearance with the buildings against which they are placed, and to be erected
about three hundred feet apart, with a revolving cowl on each alternate or inlet
shaft. The arrows show the direction of the currents of wind in the open air,
through the cowls, down the inlet shafts, in the sewer, and up the outlet shafts into
the open air again: the which currents, while in the sewer, combine with the sewer
gases as they form and convey them to altitudes where they cease to be a nuisance
or injurious to health.
I also make "metal" inlet and outlet standard shafts, detached from buildings,
and connected with sewers to ventilate them.
Figure 3 represents an inlet shaft, surmounted by a cowl, placed against the wall
of a house, and connected underground with a sewer.
Figure 4 represents an inlet shaft arranged against the wall of a house to receive
the sewage from its water-closets on its way to the sewer. As the currents of con-
densed wind, while blowing down the shaft, are always stronger than the currents
of sewer air in the sewer, such currents of condensed wind follow the discharges of
water-closet sewage, and prevent a return of sewer gas. By this arrangement all
house drain traps are dispensed with. When there is no wind, as the sewer
becomes surcharged with sewer air, the currents thereof, while ascending up the

page_text: shaft, are too weak to force the traps connected with the water-closet pans, so that,
wind or no wind, there would be no risk of sewer gas returning into the water-
closets.
The same explanation will apply to all my shafts which become outlet shafts for
the escape of sewer air to harmless altitudes when there is no wind.
My shafts are made oblong, square, or round. When round I secure spindles for
the cowls to revolve on, and make receptacles to contain glycerine, at their upper
ends. But when oblong or square I make union-shafts round at their upper ends in
which I secure spindles for the cowls to revolve on, and make receptacles to contain
glycerine, and shape their lower ends to correspond with the form of the shafts on
which they are to be secured by means of screw nuts and bolts, or in such other
way as may be deemed best.
I do not confine myself to the details herein given so long as the principle of my
invention is introduced or retained in any arrangement that may be made for
ventilation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The making of cowls as above described and using them with inlet and outlet
shafts made of steel or other suitable metal, in connection with sewers to ventilate
them. Also the using such cowls and inlet shafts made of steel or other suitable
metal and connected with water-closets, public buildings, houses, &c. &c. to ventilate
them. And
2nd. The trapping of such cowls and shafts with "glycerine" to prevent the
escape of condensed wind from the upper parts of such shafts as explained and
described in this my Complete Specification.
Dated this 28th day of September 1892.
GEORGE FELLOWS HARRINGTON.