Places, and in the Arrangement of Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1885

page_text: Places, and in the Arrangement of Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN ONIONS of 21 Eugenia Road, Rotherhithe in the County of Surrey Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED MODE
OF VENTILATING MINES PITS, TUNNELS & OTHER PLACES & IN THE ARRANGEMENT
OF APPARATUS THEREFOR to be as follows:-
My invention consists first, in the application and arrangement of certain
machinery 'so constructed and applied as to effect a sufficient vacuum to exhaust
from the workings of any mines, pits, tunnels and all other places all such inflam
matory gases, vapours, choke damp and so forth so disastrously manifest in mines
and other places as herein described and thereby also produce a current of air in
such workings productive of health and comfort to the workmen.
The mode by which I secure a perfect ventilation in mines, pits tunnels & other
places is as follows I fix a cistern (or cisterns) tank or tanks near the bottom of
the upcast shaft or any other suitable place, as the case may be, with branch pipes
leading from the various workings or any place in the mines, tunnels pits and
other places where foul air, or gas or any noxious vapours, exist or are likely to
accumulate having a kind of hopper mouth at the end of each pipe or pipes where
necessary, for the more easily receiving of the vitiated air, gas and so forth into
the pipes, tubes or troughs so connected with the tank or tanks as stated above to
which I would attach a large air pump or pumps (to be worked by a steam engine
or engines) and also produce a vacuum in the tank or tanks sufficient to exhaust
any amount of air, gas and so forth that is likely to engender in the workings and
of course cause a fair flow of fresh air, through the mines, pits and other places or
works, the exhausted air, gas, & so forth to discharge itself (i.e.) to be discharged
through the outlet valves of the pump or pumps into or through a large tube or
tubes into the bottom of the upcast shaft or other suitable place. N.B. By the
means of the air pump or pumps with branches and pipes therefrom you cause the
gas et cetera, to rush into the said pipes immediate from the spot or place where it
exists or may be likely to exist and so pass into the cistern, tank or tanks where
a sufficient vacuum is formed by the air pump's exhaustive power which cannot
fail to cause a current of fresh air to exist in and through the workings of any
mines, pits, or places where necessarily used. By the above described mode of
1.

page_text: ventilating mines, a great saving of expense is effected by dispensing with the
necessity of air-ways which in the present mode of mining apparatus are indis-
pensable and constantly requiring repairing which of course is very costly, while
by the use of pipes so constructed with inlet and outlet valves laid so as to be
proof against any falls, breakages, blasts and other impediments will without
doubt ensure a supply of fresh air into any and every part of the pit (or
workings).
Places, and in the Arrangement of Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN ONIONS of 21 Eugenia Road, Rotherhithe Civil Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following 1
statement:-
My Invention consists first in the application and arrangement of suitable
machinery so constructed and applied as to effect a sufficient vacuum to exhaust
from the workings of any mines, pits, tunnels and other places all such inflam-
matory gases, vapours, choke damp. & so forth so disastrously manifest in mines
& other places as herein described & thereby also produce a current of air in
such workings productive of health and comfort to the workmen.
The mode by wbich I secure a perfect ventilation in mines, pits, tunnels, and
other places is as follows, I fix a cistern or cisterns tank or tanks near the bottom'
of the upcast shaft or any other suitable place as the case may be with branch
pipes leading from the various workings or any place in the mines, pits, tunnels
& other places where foul air, gas or other noxious vapors exist or are likely to
accumulate having a kind of hopper mouth or other devisable means at the end of
each pipe or pipes (where necessary) for the more easily receiving of the vitiated
air, gas & so forth into the pipes, tubes or troughs so connected with the tankė as
stated above, to which I would attach a large air pump or pumps (to be worked
by a steam engine or engines) so as to produce a vacuum in the tank or tanks
sufficient to exhaust any amount of air, gas, and so forth that is likely to engender
in the workings, & of course cause a fair flow of fresh air through the mines, pits
& other places or works, the exhausted air, gas and so forth to discharge itself
(ie) to be discharged through the outlet valves of the pump or pumps into or
through a large tube or tubes into the bottom of the upcast shaft or other suitable
place or otherwise condensed. N.B. By the means of the air pump or pumps with
ر

page_text: branches & pipes therefrom you cause the gas &c &c to rush into the said pipes
immediate from the spot or place where it exists or may be likely to exist & 80
pass into the cistern tank or tanks where a sufficient vacuum is formed by the
air pumps exhaustive power which cannot fail to cause a current of fresh air to
exist in and through the workings of any mines, pits, tunnels or other places where
necessarily used.
By the above described mode of ventilating mines a great saving of expense is
effected by dispensing with the necessity of air ways which in the present mode of
mining apparatus are indispensable & constantly requiring repairing which of
course is very costly while by the use of pipes so constructed with inlet & outlet
valves laid so as to be proof against any falls, breakages, blasts, or other impedi-
ments will without doubt ensure a supply of fresh air into any & every part of the
pit or workings.
I claim the application of the machinery for the
described.
purposes
herein above