C Stations of Underground Railways and the Shafts of Mines.
Year: 1886

page_text: C
Stations of Underground Railways and the Shafts of Mines.
I CHARLES HENRY DAVIES of the Firm of C. H. Davies & C° Estabd 1866,
Consulting Engineer and Artist in Parqueterie to Her Majesty the Queen of
No 20 Newman Street, W. in the Parish of St Mary la Bonne do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object and process of my Invention is to rapidly extract the vitiated air
from the tunnels and stations of the underground railways, which has been deprived
of its life supporting gas, oxygen and loaded with sulphurous vapours and carbonic
acid gas the products of combustion in the furnaces of the engines and thereby
rendered unfit for breathing.
For accomplishing this long desired result I make one or two large circular
openings in the crown of each section of tunnel about fourteen feet in diameter
situated nearly midway between two of the stations and rapidly extract or force
the vitiated air through the said opening or openings so made as aforesaid in the
crown of tunnel and I carefully keep all other apertures closed between the two
stations save and except the large central opening or openings aforesaid and the
two open ends of each section of the same, so as to compel the whole volume of
vitiated air contained therein to rapidly travel half the length of each section of
tunnel from each several station towards the one or two large central openings for
each section above described-And for the purpose of rapidly extracting or forcing
the vitiated air through the said opening or openings I employ either of the
following methods; the first hereinafter described being the most convenient and
economical-In all cases I make direct communication with the large opening or
openings in crown of tunnel, with my powerful single or duplex centrifugal air
pumps 14 feet in diameter made very strong and light constructed of thin
sheet iron or steel having 24 tapered blades each about 6' 9" x 2' 7" with spokes
of steel wire, screwed into two circular steel plates in centre and braced diagonally
so as to revolve perfectly true and rigid, the thin steel blades being fixed at an
angle of about 45° inside the outer rim which is about 1 ft 10" deep; and a
similar centrifugal with the blades fixed the reverse way (when both are used in
one opening) also at an angle of about 45° and revolving in the opposite direction
the upper centrifugal being driven by a solid vertical shaft about 2" diameter
which in such case will pass through an iron tube about 21" diameter inside
" thick forming the driving shaft of the lower centrifugal, the said centrifugals
in such case both revolving in opposite directions in the large circular openings
in the crown of tunnel close to but not touching each other; a bearing being.
provided for the inner shaft exactly in the centre of the highest part of the large

page_text: circular opening or openings and another bearing exactly underneath and in the
centre between the up and down lines inside the tunnel to receive the lower ends
of the driving shafts motion being given to the same by two bevilled cog wheels
about 18" diameter each having the same number of teeth one of which is fixed to
the inner shaft driving the upper centrifugal and the other of the said cog wheels
fixed on the outer tube forming the driving shaft of the lower centrifugal, the two
cog wheels aforesaid being driven by another larger bevilled cog wheel fixed direct
on the main shaft of a small steam engine I have designed expressly for the
purpose the same being fitted with an effective throttle valve and governor and not
requiring any attention except for occasional oiling &c the said centrifugals whether
single or duplex discharging either immediately overhead through a grating in
the public roadway which is much the best-or carried to one side by means of
a horizontal air shaft situated above the tunnel immediately under the public
roadway to an outlet as near as possible.
By this arrangement several of my small self acting engines compactly con-
structed each fitted with effective throttle valves and governors as aforesaid for
driving my powerful single or duplex centrifugal air pumps may all be driven
along the whole line of railway from Aldgate to Notting Hill-Gate or elsewhere, by
one or two locomotive firebox tubular boilers centrally placed and under the control
of one fireman and the working expense of same reduced to the cost of firing the said
boilers The steam pipes leading east and west from the said boiler or boilers are
'to be of sufficient size to maintain the pressure for the small engines furthest from
the boilers the said steam pipes being made perfectly steam tight and very special
care being taken to prevent condensation in the same by carefully clothing the said
pipes with several thicknesses of very thick brown paper felt or other non
conducting substance and also well covered up outside with long narrow pieces of
pine wood about "thick hooped round, pitched and buried in the ground and
running underneath the small horizontal engines driving my powerful single or
duplex centrifugal air pumps a provision being made to prevent "priming" in the
small engines by placing the exhaust pipes below the cylinders in all cases.
Or I may obtain the necessary exhausting power for the vitiated air by means of
tall air shafts like small lighthouses with heat applied at the base by means of
fire or air & gas Bunsen burners, and also by powerful exhausting currents of air
produced by equidistant jets of heated air or steam driven into conical tubes to
greatly increase the volume of vitiated air extracted froin the tunnels and finally
in all cases driven up into the open air sufficiently high as not to be injurious to
anyone in the public roads or otherwise.
EL
The grand result that will be obtained by the adoption of my Invention com-
prising thorough system of ventilation hereinbefore described, throughout the
whole railway and the vast volumes of vitiated air that my powerful centrifugals
each 14 feet in diameter will extract at a nominal cost and the like vast volumes
of pure fresh air that will consequently be drawn in through all the stations into
the open ends of the several sections of the tunnel changing the whole atmosphere
underground so rapidly that it will be fresh, pure, clean and healthy so long as my
powerful single or duplex centrifugal air pumps are at work.
That my Invention comprising a thorough and complete process for ventilation
of underground railways &c will confer a benefit of great public utility, as well as
health, comfort and cleanliness to all who regularly travel by the Metropolitan
Railway and will be the means of enormously increasing the traffic and revenue of
the railway company adopting my Invention for thorough ventilation.
: 36 1 1
J

page_text: Stations of Underground Railways and the Shafts of Mines.
I CHARLES HENRY DAVIES of the firm of C. H. Davies & Co Estabd 1866
Consulting Engineer and Artist in Parqueterie to Her Majesty the Queen of
No 20 Newman Street, W. in the Parish of St Mary la Bonne and County of
Middlesex 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 object and process of my Invention is to rapidly extract the vitiated air from
the tunnels and stations of the underground railways which has been deprived of
its life supporting gas oxygen and loaded with sulphurous vapours and carbonic
acid gas the products of combustion in the furnaces of the engines and thereby
rendered unfit for breathing.
For accomplishing this long desired result; I make one or two large circular
openings in the crown of each section of the tunnel about 14 or 15 feet in diameter
and four or five feet apart; situated nearly midway between two of the stations
and rapidly extract or force the vitiated air constantly through the said opening
or openings so made as aforesaid in the crown of tunnel and I carefully keep all
other apertures closed between the two stations, save and except the large central
opening or openings aforesaid (made in circular rings of brickwork so as not to
weaken the tunnel) and the two open ends of each section of the same, to compel
the whole volume of vitiated air contained therein to rapidly travel half the length
of each section of tunnel from each several station towards the one or two large
central openings for each section above described; and for the purpose of rapidly
extracting or forcing the vitiated air constantly through the said opening or
openings, I employ either of the following methods the first hereinafter described
being the best most convenient and economical.
In all cases I make direct communication with the large opening or openings in
crown of tunnel; with my powerful single or duplex centrifugal air pumps 14' or
15' feet in diameter made very strong and light constructed of thin sheet iron
or steel having according to circumstances 12-16 or 24 tapered blades each
about 7' 0" x 5' 10" or 7' 0" x 3' 0" feet with spokes of steel wire screwed
into two or three circular steel plates in centre and braced diagonally so as to
revolve perfectly true and rigid the thin steel blades being fixed at an angle of
about 45° inside the outer rim or rims, which may be about 4' or 2' deep and may
be skeleton or otherwise; and a similar centrifugal with the blades fixed the
reverse way (when both are used in one of the openings) also at an angle of 45°
and revolving in the opposite direction the upper centrifugal being driven by a
solid vertical shaft about 2" diameter which in such case will pass through an
iron tube about 21" diameter inside " thick forming the driving shaft of the lower
centrifugal the said centrifugals in such case both revolving in opposite directions
in the large circular openings in the crown of tunnel, each having two narrow ron

page_text: rings at edge; also two narrow iron bars (made moveable) crossing to a ring
(or bearing) in centre of opening about " thick between the said centrifugals to
make their touching each other impossible-a bearing being provided for the inner
shaft exactly in the centre of the highest part of the large circular opening.or
openings and another bearing exactly underneath and in the centre (of roof or)
between the "up" and "down lines" inside the tunnel (on the bed of the engine)
to receive the lower ends of the driving shafts (having revolving lights) motion
being given to the same by two bevilled or mitre cog wheels about 18" or 21"
diameter each having the same number of teeth the lower one of which is fixed to
the inner shaft driving the upper centrifugal and the other of the said cog wheels
fixed on the outer tube (having revolving light) forming the driving shaft of of the
lower centrifugal; the two cog wheels aforesaid being driven by one or two other
bevilled or mitre cog wheels about the same size each having a steel crank pin,
eccentric pulley and shaft working in a bearing on bed of a single or double
cylinder horizontal steam or compressed air engine I have designed expressly for
the purpose making about 120 revolutions per minute the same being fitted with
an effective quick acting throttle valve and governor and not requiring any
attention whatever except for occasional oiling &c the said centrifugals whether
single or duplex discharging either immediately overhead through a grating in the
public roadway which much the best-or carried to one side by means of a
horizontal air shaft situated above the tunnel immediately under the public roadway
to an outlet as near as possible; the air discharged therefrom being only very
slightly vitiated in consequence of the thorough and perfect ventilation of the
tunnels, and not as heretofore-vast volumes of air being rapidly and constantly
discharged in a comparitively-pure state. By this arrangement several of my self
acting and controlling steam or compressed air engines compactly constructed each
fitted with effective quick acting throttle valves and governors as aforesaid for
driving my powerful centrifugal air pumps (the whole working silently and without
vibration) may all be driven along the whole line of railway from Aldgate to Notting
Hill Gate or elsewhere by one or two locomotive firebox tubular boilers centrally
placed according to distance, driving their own engines each working four large
air compressors and all under the control of one or two firemen and the working
expense of same reduced to the cost of firing the said boilers-The steam or com-
pressed air pipes leading east and west from the said boilers or air compressors as
the case may be are to be of sufficient size to maintain the pressure for the small
engines furthest from the boilers, the said steam or compressed air pipes being
made perfectly steam and air tight and very special care being taken to prevent
condensation in the same when used for steam by carefully clothing the said pipes
with several thicknesses of very thick brown paper felt or other non conducting
substance and also well covered with long narrow pieces of pine wood about
3" thick hooped round pitched outside and either fixed inside the tunnel or laid on
the partially clothed exhaust steam pipes in a lined wooden trough and buried in
the ground as the case may be (only one pipe being required when compressed air
is used) the saine running underneath the small horizontal engines silently driving
without vibration my powerful single or duplex centrifugal air pumps, a provision
being made to prevent priming in the small engines when steam is used by placing
the steam and exhaust pipes below the cylinders in all cases and carefully laying
the said partially clothed exhaust steam pipes close under the fully clothed live
steam pipes in a narrow pine wooden trough lined with a good non conductor of
heat pitched outside covered in with wooden lid, laid at a gentle incline, so that
the distilled water therein may drain out near the boilers to be again turned into
steam; the said pipes being either fixed along the roof of the tunnel or buried.in
the ground and the exhaust pipe if necessary connected with a condenser.
Or I may obtain the constant uecessary exhausting power for continually
extracting the vitiated air from the tunnels of the underground railways &c by
means of tall air shafts like small lighthouses in direct communication with the
large central openings with heat applied at the base, by means of fire or air and

page_text: gas Bunsen or other atmospheric burners equidistantly arranged at the lowest part
of the air shaft aforesaid and may be so arranged in the crown of the tunnel.
And I may also obtain the constant necessary exhausting power for continually
extracting the vitiated air from the large central openings aforesaid in. the tunnels
of the underground railways &c without tall air shafts by powerful currents of
air constantly produced by equidistant jets of heated or compressed air or steam
driven into a series of short conical tubes to greatly increase the volume of vitiated
air constantly extracted from the tunnels or shafts; and finally in all cases driven
up into the open air sufficiently high as not to be in the least injurious to anyone
in the public roads or otherwise; the air constantly discharged from the outlets
especially when my powerful single or duplex centrifugal air pumps are adopted
will be only slightly vitiated in consequence of the thorough ventilation of the
tunnels that will be obtained thereby.
(When my Invention hereinbefore described is applied to mines; it is only
necessary to fix the same in the main horizontal or vertical shaft or shafts as
circumstances may require, so as to draw fresh air down one shaft and drive the
vitiated air, "fire damp" or "choke damp" up the other; the steam or compressed
air engine working my centrifugals being supplied by compressed air or steam
pipes well clothed as aforesaid direct from the boiler or from air compressors
worked by the winding engine at the head of the mine.)
The grand result that will be obtained by the adoption of my Invention
comprising a thorough system of ventilation hereinbefore described, throughout
the whole railway and the vast volumes of vitiated air that my powerful
centrifugals each 14' or 15' feet in diameter will extract at a nominal cost, and
the like vast volumes of pure, fresh air, that will consequently be drawn in through
all the stations into the open ends of the several sections of the tunnel ; so rapidly
changing the whole atmosphere underground that it will be fresh, pure, clean, and
healthy, so long as my powerful single or duplex centrifugal air pumps are at
work or my other methods herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and process of
my said Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim comprising my said Invention is
Firstly. My powerful single and duplex centrifugal air pumps with the appli-
cation thereof for thoroughly ventilating the tunnels and stations of underground
railways in particular and the shafts of mines &c together with my system or
process for thorough ventilation substantially as described in detail by my
Specification herewith including the rapid extraction or forcing the most vitiated
air constantly through one or two large openings only in the crown of each section
of tunnel situated nearly midway between two of the stations and in keeping all
other apertures closed save and except the one or two large central openings
aforesaid and the two open ends of each section of tunnel substantially as described
by my Specification.
Secondly. I claim my system of specially clothing the steam or compressed air
pipes working all my horizontal self acting and controlling engines, which I have
designed expressly for silently driving without vibration my powerful centrifugal
air pumps; the said steam or compressed air engines may be situated either in the
roof or low down between the "up" and "down lines" inside the tunnel, along
and upon the whole line of railway from one or two boiler, engine, and air
compressing stations only, according to distance, substantially as described by my
Specification.
Thirdly. I claim my system for converting the exhaust steam pipes running
under my live steam pipes and special engines, when steam is used for driving the
same (at a gentle incline) into a condenser and supplying the boilers with distilled
water therefrom substantially as described by my Specification.
Fourthly. I claim the application to the tunnels of underground railways in
particular of tall air shafts in direct communication with the large central

page_text: openings aforesaid with heat applied at the base by means of fire or air and
gas Bunsen or other atmospheric burners equidistantly arranged for constantly
extracting the vitiated air from the tunnels substantially as described by my
Specification.
Fifthly. I claim the application to the tunnels of underground railways in
particular of equidistant jets of heated or compressed air or steam driven into
a series of short conical tubes not requiring tall air shafts for rapidly and constantly
extracting the vitiated air from the large central openings aforesaid in the
tunnels &c substantially as described by my Specification.
Sixthly. I claim the application of my powerful single or duplex centrifugal
air pumps and other methods herein before described to the horizontal and vertical
main shafts of mines and for producing ventilation on a stupendous scale wherever
necessary substantially as described by my Specification herewith.
That my Invention comprising a thorough and complete process for the ventilation
of the tunnels and stations of the underground railways &c will confer a benefit of
great public utility as well as health, comfort, and cleanliness to all who travel by
the Metropolitan or other underground railway and will be the means of enormously
increasing the traffic and revenue of the railway company adopting my Invention
for thorough ventilation.