IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEYS, FORMING A COMBINED SMOKE AND VENTILATING FLUE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Goode Messenger, Civil Engineer, of Lough-
borough, in the County of Leicester, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHIMNEYS, FORMING A COMBINED SMOKE AND VENTILATING FLUE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Goode Messenger at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1877.
"
THOMAS GOODE MESSENGER, Civil Engineer, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester. IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEYS, FORMING A COMBINED SMOKE AND VEN-
TILATING FLUE,"
The object of this Invention is to form a combined smoke and ventilating flue in
one, made of fire-clay, brick, clay, concrete, iron, or other suitable material. This
appliance, made in suitable lengths, is built in as the building proceeds, or is formed
in the brickwork, stonework, or otherwise, and terminates in an ornamental pot at
the top, or a plain pipe, or some equivalent.
This is accomplished by the employment of two tubes, one within the other, the
smoke ascending up the inner one and the air up the outer one, or the cavity formed
between the two. By this means warm air may be brought into a room above
another where there is a fire, the bad air being taken out-up a perfect ventilating
shaft by means of junctions with an air duct.
By this method of construction fresh air can be admitted into an apartment or
room either from above the house, downwards from the exterior, or from the base-
ment upwards, or from any other convenient position; or it may be made to act as
an inverted syphon.
The fresh air being brought in contact with the heated flue creates a natural ven-
tilation. The same remarks apply to the bad air being carried off from a room
with great facility.
Preference is however given to bringing the fresh air into the room or apartment
by a down current, admitted at the side of the chimney near the top, and running
down by one side of the smoke flue into the room at about the floor line or other
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page_text: part, and the vitiated air carried up the other side of the same flue from the top of
the room; thus every room would be perfectly ventilated by its own chimney.
To do
In the case of factories or mills, and so forth, every room could be ventilated
thoroughly by arranging the ventilation according to my Invention in the steam
boiler shaft, and warm fresh air is brought into the rooms by similar means.
this, half the air duct of the chimney is used for the downward current or fresh air,
and the other half for the upward current or bad air. This could also be effected in
dwelling houses, or two flues, used, as the case may be.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Goode Messenger in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st 1
May 1878.
THOMAS GOODE MESSENGER, Civil Engineer, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester. " IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEYS, FORMING A COMBINED SMOKE AND VEN-
TILATING FLUE."
This Invention has for its object an improved construction of chimney, so as to
form a combined smoke and ventilating flue, whereby warm fresh air may be
readily introduced into any portion of a building, thus affording thorough ventilation
without the slightest inconvenience, and so materially enhancing the sanatory
qualities thereof.
In order to carry out my Invention I propose in building chimneys to form two,
three, or more flues or passages in one shaft, all communicating with the room in
which there is a fire. The inner or central one of such flues or passages acts as an
ordinary smoke flue, while the outer flue or flues, being in contact with the exterior
of the hot smoke flue or chimney. lining, serve as ventilating flues, forming junctions
either with one or various rooms, so as either to admit fresh air into the same, or to
carry away the vitiated air therefrom.
My Invention may be applied with equal advantage either to dwelling houses,
warehouses, workrooms, or factories, and wherever a chimney is employed to carry
away smoke.
In cases where chimneys are built for steam boilers, and the rooms are warmed
by steam or hot water, I construct the chimney with a ventilating flue or flues, and
having a system of exhaust pipes leading from the various rooms in the building,
and all terminating in one large flue, either at the bottom of the chimney, or in any
other convenient position, and so connecting the large flue with the ventilating flue
or flues; a connection is thus made with all the rooms; or, if preferred, several
exhaust pipes may be connected direct with ventilating flue or flues without the
large flue.
By this arrangement all the rooms may be thoroughly ventilated,
including as well those which are unprovided with fire-places, such as closets,
pantries, bath rooms, and the like, as those wherein a fire-place is constructed,. as
by employing a suitable number of tubes made of zinc or other suitable metal or
material, the exhausted and vitiated air may be carried into the ventilating flue,

page_text: which is warmed by the smoke and other heated gases from the fire, and such
vitiated air coming in contact with such heated smoke flue, ascends rapidly, and
makes its exit near the summit of the chimney, a suitable provision being made to
admit a fresh supply of air into the room or rooms whence such vitiated air has
been drawn off, and by this arrangement a series of apartments can be ventilated by
a single chimney ventilator.
I form the smoke and air flues of fire-clay, brick, clay, concrete, iron, or of any
other suitable material, made in convenient lengths, so as to build in the same as the
building proceeds, and I secure the various joints with iron or other sockets, fire-
clay, or cement; or I form the flues in brick, stone, concrete, or other material as
the chimneys are being built, and allow the smoke flue to terminate in the ordinary
manner at the summit, while the ventilating flue or flues may be arranged in any
manner most suitable to the style of architecture adopted for the buildings; or they
may be provided with special exit pipes placed on one or both sides of the chimneys,
having suitable wind guards or cowls affixed thereto.
Ordinarily the shape of the combined smoke and air flues would be in transverse
section a circle in a parallelogram, as shewn at Figure 5 in the accompanying
Drawings, but in carrying out my Invention I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to any particular form or arrangement, as the same may be
varied according to circumstances without departing from the principle of my
Invention.
I also construct, when necessary, either on one or two sides of the smoke or ven-
tilating flues longitudinal wings or gills, or their equivalents, so as to form separate
and distinct air flues in the same chimney. Such wings or gills may extend either
partially or throughout the entire length of the same, as required, and may either
be of equal or unequal dimensions; and in cases where a sufficient supply of fresh
air cannot be obtained through the hot air flue, propose to admit air from the
exterior of the building, as near the ceiling of the room as possible, and where con-
venient to carry the same down the building from a considerable height through
suitable pipes, tubes, or passages, so as to ensure a supply of purer air being
obtained than when taken from a lower altitude; and when I adopt this latter
arrangement I use in conjunction therewith my improved ventilating flue, either
for carrying off the vitiated air alone, or for admitting only a partial supply of
fresh air.
In some cases I form a fresh air or ventilating flue totally distinct and separate
from the smoke flue, but situate in the same chimney stack, and I admit air thereto
nearly at the summit of the chimney (as shewn in Figure 2), and I make a commu-
nication from this with the fresh air flue in contact with the smoke flue at any
desired point; or I admit fresh air direct into the room or rooms from the same,
which supply may be regulated, if desired, by means of suitable valves so arranged.
as to admit or exclude the same at will.
Another of my improvements consists in admitting fresh air either at the bottom
of the room or at the exterior of the building, and thence carrying it up the hot flue
and conducting it out by suitable means, either at the top of the same room, or into
another compartment, as desired.
Another of my improvements consists in taking the vitiated air either from the
centre or any other part of a room by means of tubes inserted above the ceiling, or
at the back of the skirting, or in any other convenient position, and then in a
similar manner to admit fresh air into the room, taking care that both series of lubes
or pipes communicate with the ventilating flue or flues.
In cases where a stove or hot air apparatus is employed I carry the fresh air down
to be warmed in the manner above described, and after the same is used I cause it
to pass off up the ventilating flue, which is in contact with the smoke flue. By so
doing a large supply of pure air is admitted into the room, whilst the temperature
is maintained at a uniform degree. In this manner a large public building which is
warmed by hot water pipes or other means may be readily ventilated by a suitable
arrangement of inlet and outlet pipes arranged on the foregoing principles,. thus

page_text: making use of the heat generators in a similar manner as the fire is utilized in the
foregoing description, or in any analogous manner.
And in order that my said Invention may be better understood and more readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to particularly describe the accompanying
Drawings, whereon similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews an ordinary open fire-place having a smoke flue A constructed
either of cast iron or other suitable material, with two or more longitudinal wings
or gills a. The fresh air is brought in from the exterior at some convenient point
above the ceiling line, and is thence carried down a suitable flue or chamber B out-
side the smoke flue lining, so as to find its exit over the top of the fire-place, whence
it returns up the flue or chamber C, by which time it becomes warm, and is then
admitted into the room at some convenient point beneath the ceiling, or wherever it
may be desired. The descending flue B is separated from the ascending flue C by
the before-mentioned wings or gills, which also assist in warming the air. Any
desired number of such wings or gills, may be employed, and it will be found that
their use effects a considerable economy in fuel. The arrows on the Drawing indi-
cate the course taken by. the fresh air. The vitiated air is conducted from the room
either at the centre of the ceiling or at any other desired point up either one or
both sides of the smoke flue D, a communication being made therewith above the
ceiling line. The communication between the fresh air and vitiated air flues is shut
off by means of iron plates or their equivalents at E, so that both flues are kept
quite distinct; and it will be found that my improved system of ventilation is
equally adapted for stoves and enclosed fire-places, and should any of the air flues
require stopping or regulating, this can easily be effected by the employment of
suitable dampers or valves, which are distinct from the partition plates just referred
This Drawing shews the fresh air as admitted from the exterior at about the
ceiling line, whence it passes down the ventilating flue on one side of the smoke
flue A, and up the ventilating flue on the other side into the room.
to.
Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, save that it shows the point of admission
of the fresh air at a much higher elevation than in Figure 1, and much nearer the
summit of the chimney, which I prefer as ensuring a purer supply of air. Such
point of admission may be either above or under the roof, as preferred. F shews
the air admitted direct into the room from the downcast flue B without passing
through the hot air flue, and such supply may be regulated at the outlet by any
suitable arrangement of damper.
Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings shews a similar view as Figure 1, save-
in this, that the fresh air after passing down both sides of the smoke flue is intro-
duced at the bottom of the room or above the skirting, and is thence conducted
upwards by means of a vertical pipe or other suitable conductor for about one-third
of the entire height of the room, so as to impart an upward motion to the current of
fresh air, which may also be carried to any other part of the room, or to other rooms,
if desired. It will be observed that in this Figure the fresh air is shewn as passing
down both sides of or all around the smoke flue, and entering the room at the bottom
or floor line, while the vitiated air finds its exit by the side of the fresh air flue and
partition plates into the flue D.
Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings shews a section of the smoke flue A and
two air flues, the fresh air passing down the flue B into the room at the bottom,
whilst the vitiated air passes off up the flue D, and finds its exit near the summit of
the chimney. In this arrangement, as also in that shewn in Figure 5, which is a
cross section of the same, the wings or gills are dispensed with, but, if preferred, one
may be employed on each side of the smoke flue in order to separate the fresh air
from the vitiated air; also in this arrangement the partition plates or their equiva-
lents are not required.
Figure 6 also shews a cross section or plan of a smoke flue or chimney constructed

page_text: with wings or gills a, as before described, forming distinct chambers through which
the fresh air passes up or down. Such wings or gills apply only to that portion of
the chimney which conveys fresh air into the rooms, videlicet, the part situate
between the arch of the fire-place and the iron or other plates fixed at the ceiling
line, and are not connected with the vitiated air flues, as will be seen by the sec-
tional lines H, H, which indicate the portion of the chimney to which such gills
are applied.
The difference between Figures 4 and 5, and Figures 1, 2, and 6 of the accom-
panying Drawings is, that in the first case the fresh air passes down outside one half
of the smoke flue, and enters the room at the bottom, whilst the vitiated air passes
up the outside of the other half of the smoke flue, and enters the ventilating flue at
the ceiling line (see Figure 4, letter D), and hence no partition plates are required;
whereas in Figures 1, 2, and 6, the fresh air passes down one side of the smoke flue
and up the other, entering the room under the ceiling line; thus for a certain por-
tion of the length of the chimney the whole of the external surface of the smoke flue
is employed to warm the fresh air, while the remaining portion of the chimney is
used to carry off the vitiated air which is admitted above the partition plate
employed, as before described.
Although in the Drawing the flues are shewn perfectly straight, I may observe
that any other form may be adopted, as circumstances may render most convenient.
Figure 7 is a view shewing the partition plate I fixed at the line E, which shuts
off all communication between the fresh air flues B, C, and the vitiated air flue D,
the smoke flue only being allowed to pass through the same.
Figure 8 shews a partition plate I only partly covering the various flues formed
by the wings or gills, as shewn in Figure 6, and fixed to the smoke flue at the
line G, Figures 1 and 2, so as to carry the fresh air into one half of the flues or
chambers B, but excluding it from the other half C, so that, as seen in Figure 7, the
air passes under, and, as seen in Figure 8, it passes over, a space of, say, 4 to 6
inches into the flues or chambers B, and is thence conducted down to just above the
opening in the head of the fire-place, or around, the fire-place or stove, and thence
again upwards through a flue which connects B and C together, and thence through
Cinto the room.
In order to allow the fresh air to freely enter the room, the wings or gills shewn
at Figure 8 are so constructed as not to touch the plate by, say, 4 or 6 inches.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
Firstly. The construction and use of a smoke flue or chimney lining so formed as
to leave a convenient space between it and the outer wall for the purpose of con-
veying fresh air into rooms or apartments, and for conducting the vitiated air from
the same to nearly the summit of the chimney, its escape being greatly acce-
lerated by its being brought into contact with the heated smoke flue at the same
time that it imparts warmth thereto, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The employment of a ventilating flue at some elevated point of the
building in connection with a smoke flue, by means of which fresh air is conveyed
into a room or apartment in a pure and heated state, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The principle of so arranging a smoke flue that fresh air is caused to
pass down one side to any desired depth, and up the other side thereof, whence it
enters a room under the ceiling line at any other convenient point, having been
previously raised in temperature by passing through chambers or flues formed by
wings or gills, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
Fourthly. The forming in the chimney stack, or in any other convenient position,
a cold air flue, so as to bring fresh air into the ventilating flues, either to be warmed
at any desired point before passing into the rooms, or to be directly introduced into
such rooms without previously passing through hot flues, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.

page_text: Fifthly. The constructing the chimneys of steam boilers used in connection with
mills, factories, and other similar buildings, with a suitable number of exhaust pipes
or tubes communicating with the various rooms or workshops, so as to exhaust the
vitiated air from all the various rooms, workshops, or warehouses connected there-
with, substantially as herein-before described.
Sixthly. The connecting by means of suitable metal tubes, or their equivalents,
rooms, closets, and other apartments unprovided with a fire-place with the venti-
lating flue of a chimney which is warmed by a fire elsewhere, substantially as herein-
before described.
Seventhly. The constructing any suitable number of wings or gills upon the sides
. of smoke flues in any convenient position, so as to form separate flues or chambers
for the passage of air.
One particular advantage which is the natural result of my Invention is that
buildings may be either wholly or partially ventilated independent of any attention
or effort on the part of the occupants to ensure this result, which, in the case of
factories, warehouses, lodging houses, and many other buildings, will be found to
contribute very materially to the maintenance of the sanatory condition of the
same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Goode Messenger, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.