CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE METHOD OF VENTILATING BUILDINGS OR APARTMENTS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Brown, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF VENTILATING BUILDINGS OR APARTMENTS,
AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th October 1852.
I, ROBERT BROWN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF VENTILATING BUILDINGS OR
APARTMENTS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be aś
follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in a certain novel and peculiar method
of causing the foul and heated air and other noxious vapours in buildings
or apartments to pass or be conducted off to the atmosphere through a
certain flue or flues, principally through the agency of the rarefaction
of the air caused by the.burning of the gas or other artificial light

page_text: employed for illuminating the building or apartment. The apparatus
by which I propose to effect this object will be readily understood upon
referring to the accompanying sketch of the same, in which a, a, repre-
sents the ceiling of the building or apartment, and b, b, one of the beams
or rafters which support the same; c, c, is a box of cast iron or other
suitable metal secured to the beam b, b. To the lower portion of this
box the inverted glass chimney d, d, open at the bottom, and glass
hemisphere e, e, open at the top, are attached, and also the polished disc
or reflector f, g, is another polished disc, which also prevents the
top of the box c, c, from being burnt; h, h, represents an ordinary gas
pipe and burner; and i, i, is a flue or tube for carrying the foul and
heated air away to the atmosphere or chimney, as may be found most
convenient. The arrows indicate the direction of the current of air,
gases, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Brown in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 19th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT BROWN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Twentieth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
two, and in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Brown, Her
special license that I, the said Robert Brown, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Brown, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-

page_text: MENTS IN THE METHOD OF VENTILATING BUILDINGS OR APARTMENTS, AND IN THE.
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Robert Brown, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and scal,. should particularly describe and ascertain the nature,
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was .to.be. .per
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Brown,.do hereby.declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner. the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):
My improvements apply principally to the method of causing the
foul and heated air and other noxious vapors in buildings or apartments
to be conducted or pass off to the outward atmosphere ;through flues
or pipes, without reference to: the means employed. for supplying cool
or fresh or atmospheric air to the said buildings or apartments, such
air being supplied, by any ordinary suitable or efficient means. The
carrying off or conducting away, of the foul and heated air, &c. from, the
building.or apartment, is effected principally through the agency of the
rarefaction of the atmosphere caused by the burning of the gas or other
artificial light employed, for, the purposes. of illuminating the. said
building or apartment. The apparatus by means of which I.am enabled
to effect, this object is to be constructed as follows:-A hemispherical
or other suitably formed vessel-(open at the top), and composed of glass
or other material, is to be suspended from the ceiling of the, building
or apartment, leaving only a small space, say; from one to six inches,
between the ceiling and the top of the vessel. In the interior of this
said vessel a cylindrical or other suitably formed vessel (open at the
bottom) is to be placed: The gas or other artificial light is to burn in
the interior of this inner vessel, the upper part of which is connected:
to a pipe or fluc leading to the external atmosphere.. The ascending
current of heated.air caused by the burning of the gas or other artificial
light will constantly draw off the upper stratum of air (or that next
the ceiling of the building or apartment, which will of necessity be the

page_text: most foul and vitiated, causing it to pass through the gas or other
light, and thence by means of the flue or pipe to the external atmosphere.
Thus the foul or vitiated air and other noxious vapors are constantly
carried away from the upper part of the building or apartment, whilst
à supply of cold or fresh atmosphere is admitted to the lower part of
the same in any convenient and suitable manner, and a continuous and
most effective ventilation is thus obtained. In order more fully to
illustrate the practical details of my Invention I have attached to these
presents a Drawing, representing my improved apparatus in section, and
drawn to a scale of about three inches to a foot. The various parts of
the apparatus in the Drawing being marked with letters of refere.co
corresponding with those in the following description thereof:-a, n;
ŕepresents the ceiling of an apartment; b, b, the flooring of the room
above; c, c, is a glass vessel open at the top, and mounted in a brass or
other metal ring d, d, connected by a hinge to a ring d*, d, which is
attached to an inner ring e, e, by means of four or more radial arms.
The ring e, e, is attached to the tube f.f, by means of pins and slots, or
in any other convenient manner. To the lower extremity of the tube f, f
à tube g, g, is connected by means of screws. The tube g. 9, supports
the inner vessel or glass chimney h, h. The upper end of the tube f, f
is connected to a tube i, i, running betwixt the ceiling and the floor, and
communicating at the other end with the external atmosphere or with
the chimney, or, if preferred, the tubes f.f, and i, i, may be connected
by both communicating with a cast iron (or other metal box) or
chamber. k, k, is a polished disc or reflector. 7, 1, is a chain or cord
passing over pullies, and supporting the ring d, d, and vessel c, c, and by
means of which it may be lowered, when required for lighting, &c., into
the position shewn by dotted lines. m, m, is a gas pipe, and n,n, a
burner of any ordinary construction. It will be evident that the burning
of the gas or other artificial light employed will cause a constant cur-
rent of air in the direction indicated by the arrows, and thus effectually
ventilate the apartment or building.
Having thus described the nature and objects of my said improve-
ments, together with the manner of carrying the same into practica
effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my
Invention the

page_text: method of ventilating buildings or apartments by means of the apparatus
above particularly described, and clearly represented in the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Brown, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ROBERT BROWN. (L.S.)