Method of and Means for Protecting an Officer on a Railway Locomotive, Ship, or other Rapidly Moving Structure, from Wind and the Inconveniences Arising from Wind, such as Dust and Spray.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Means for Protecting an Officer on a Railway
Locomotive, Ship, or other Rapidly Moving Structure, from
Wind and the Inconveniences Arising from Wind, such as
Dust and Spray.
We, ROBERT WILLIAM GRIFFIN M.A., L.L.D., of 30 Trinity College and
1 Harcourt Terrace, Dublin, Gentleman, and JOHN HUSTON STEWART, B.A.
B.Sc. of 26 Leeson Park in the County of Dublin Professor and Fellow of the
Royal University of Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
By means of a fan driven by a steam-engine, electro-motor or other source of
power we produce between the officer to be protected and the wind a strong upward
current of air. This current. issues from a flue at a short distance from the officer
and at any convenient height, preferably at about the level of his chin. Such
volume and speed are given to this upward current that when it meets the outer
air which is moving horizontally or nearly so, it forms by combining with the
latter a resultant air current which has an obliquely upward direction. The
resultant current passes over the head of the officer to be protected, carrying with
it spray, dust, or other matter with which the air may be charged and leaving the
officer in a comparative calm. In certain cases we derive the upward current
wholly or partially from the rapidly moving atmosphere by intercepting a portion
of it by bell or trumpet-shaped orifices resembling those at present used for
ventilating ships.
The flue through which the air is driven, and the orifice whence it escapes into
the outer atmosphere may have any convenient shape, size, or position, and the air
driven through the flue by means of the fan may be drawn from any place, room
or structure which it is desired to ventilate.
Dated this 28th day of February 1894.
ROBT. WM. GRIFFIN.
J. H. STEWART.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Means for Protecting an Officer on a Railway
Locomotive, Ship, or other Rapidly Moving Structure, from
Wind and the Inconveniences Arising from Wind, such as
Dust and Spray.
We ROBERT WILLIAM GRIFFIN L.L.D. of 30 Trinity College Dublin and
JOHN HUSTON STEWART B.Sc. London University and Fellow of the Royal
University of Ireland of 26 Leeson Park Dublin 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 protection at present in use limits and obscures the look out and in thick
CD 017

page_text: weather completely obscures the view, so that on locomotives the man on the look-
out, almost invariably leans over the side, in order to get a clear view, and by so
doing incurs the inconvenience caused by the wind, and runs the risk of getting
sparks and dust in his eyes resulting in injury to his sight. It also affords a great
resistance to the motion of the structure.
The object of our invention is :-
1. To diminish the resistance to the motion of rapidly moving structures, caused
by the means used at present for the protection of the officer on the look out.
2. To diminish the inconvenience and danger arising from wind experienced by
the officer on the look out, on structures whether stationary or moving.
3. To afford him a clear unobstructed look out.
4. To protect him from wind and the inconveniences of wind such as dust,
sparks and the like.
5. To assist ventilation.
For the purpose of our invention we use a curved flue having an opening
directed towards the wind, which it admits, and changes its direction so that when
it leaves the flue, its direction is at right angles, or nearly so, to the original
direction of the wind, the directed current acting on the portion of the wind which
would otherwise strike the officer on the look out in the face, diverts it in an
oblique direction on either side, or over his head, as desired, carrying with it dust
sparks and the like.
Whenever it is inconvenient or for any other reason undesirable to have an
opening towards the wind, we propose to produce the diverting current by means
of a fan or other appliance set in motion by the engine, or other source of power
in which case the lower portion of the flue conveying the diverting current of air
may, on board ship, communicate with the cabins, and thus in addition to the
above mentioned results produce increased ventilation in the cabins, by means of an
upward current, instead of by means of downward currents now in use, and so
strongly condemned in recent Local Government reports.
The annexed drawings show our invention in its simplest form.
Figs. I & II show the flue when used for directing the current over the head
of the officer. P the point where his head should be situated to suffer no
inconvenience from wind, dust and the like.
Figs. III & IV show one form of the fan arrangement.
In all, arrow O, is the original direction of the current, arrow D the direction
of the deflecting current and arrow R. the resultant or deflected current.
S the air shaft communicating with cabins. C centre of fan.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The use of a flue, similar to that shown in the annexed drawings, on a
locomotive, ship or other moving structure to direct a current of air in the
manner and for the purposes explained.
4th January 1895.
ROBT. WM. GRIFFIN, A.M., L.L.D.,
30, Trinity College, Dublin.
J. H. STEWART.