IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING AND COOLING GREENHOUSES, VINERIES, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gray, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Smith, at present residing at Ayton,
in the County of Berwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HEATING AND COOLING GREENHOUSES, VINERIES, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
STRUCTURES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1875.
I, WILLIAM GRAY, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Smith, at present residing at Ayton, in the County of
Berwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN HEATING AND COOLING GREENHOUSES, VINERIES, AND OTHER
ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in heating and cooling
greenhouses, vineries, and analogous structures, has for its object to
effect the heating and cooling with rapidity, and especially adapted to
cases where two or more houses exist.

page_text: Each house is supplied with water by a separate flow pipe connected
to the boiler, and each is also fitted with a separate return pipe through
which the water is returned to the boiler after circulation through the
pipes in the houses. Each house is thus heated rapidly and simul-
tancously with a uniformity of temperature, but in order to render
them independent, and consequently to enable the temperature in cach
to be varied at will, each flow pipe is connected to its return pipe at or
near the house by an intermediate neck or channel which is provided
with a cock or valve which when so opened permits the circulation of
the water to and from the boiler without entering the pipes in the
houses, the valve or cock of these latter being closed.
The cooling is effected by connecting a cistern or tank of cold water
or a water main to the pipes in the houses, into which latter the cold
water is discharged, and the hot water therein is expelled through pipes
provided therefor which are connected to the return pipes and com-
municate with a well, tank, or other receptacle.
The pipes, other than those in the houses, are formed of small
diameter, and are preferably of wrought iron, whereby they are
readily adapted to curves and corners, and whereby economy is
effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Gray in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GRAY, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, 2
Smith, at present residing at Ayton, in the County of Berwick, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the g
39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Gray, Her special license,
that I, the said William Gray, my executors, admmistrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Gray, my executors,

page_text: administrators, or 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, exorcisc, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HEATING AND COOLING GREENHOUSES, VINERIES, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
STRUCTURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Gray, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patont.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Gray, do horcby declaro
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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
My said Invention relates to improvements in heating and cooling
greenhouses, conservatories, vincrics, and analogous structures, and has
for its object to effect such heating and cooling in a more rapid and
effectual manner than has hitherto been the case with apparatus
employed for that purpose, and whilst adapted to the heating of single
structures of the class mentioned the Invention is specially applicable
in cases where two or more of such structures exist.
The Invention consists in an arrangement of apparatus whereby
heated water is conducted into the greenhouses, conservatories, vineries,
or other structures when it is desired to raise the temperature theroof,
and also whereby cold water or other cooling medium is conducted into
the said structures when it is desired that the temperature thereof should
be diminished.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried
into effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheets of Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say
-

page_text: On the Sheet of Drawings. hereunto appended Figure 1 is a general
view of one arrangement of the apparatus constructed to attain the
object of my said Invention, and as shewn thereon the mechanism
consists of a boiler A with which a tank or cistern B to supply the
boiler with water is connected by a pipe C. The tank or cistern is
situated at a height above the boiler sufficient to cause the water after
circulating through the interior thereof to flow through pipes D con-
nected by suitable means to the top of the boiler, one only of such pipes
being shewn complete on the Drawings. A close box or chamber E is
also situated above the boiler and connected thereto by a pipe F,
through which the steam generated in the boiler ascends upwards into
the box and is expanded therein to prevent pressure within the boiler.
A pipe G is employed to conduct the expanded steam away from the
apparatus. Each pipe D, and of which any desired number may be
employed, is provided with a stop valve H, and at the end opposite to
that whereat the pipe is connected to the boiler A the said pipe is
attached to another pipo I, preferably of wider diameter, which passes
into and is or may be conducted round the greenhouse, conservatory,
vinery, or other similar structure to be heated At its exit end cach
heating pipe is connected to a return pipe J, to which is joined another
pipe K by which the water is conducted back to the boiler A to be
reheated and again circulated, as herein-before set forth. In each
heating pipe I a cock or valve L is placed, and similar cocks or valves S
are provided in the pipes K, as shewn at Figure 1.
Between the pipes
'
D and K a junction or connecting branch is formed, and a cock or
valve M placed therein, by which means when it is desired that the
heated water should not enter the pipe I and circulate therethough in
the greenhouse or other analogous structure, the said water may by
shutting the cock or valve Land opening the valve M, be made to cir-
culate back into the boiler A through the pipe K.
It is to be understood that a separate flow pipe I and return pipe K
is provided for each structure of a group or series, in connexion withi
which the apparatus is applied, by which means cach separate house is
heated rapidly, and the whole series is simultaneously maintained at a
uniform temperature when all the cocks or valves L are open, the
arrangement of the apparatus at the same time (permitting of the tem-
perature of any one or more of the structures being reduced or kept at
a lower degree of heat than the others in the scies by closing the cock
or valve L of such structure or structures.

page_text: .
Flow pipes D and return pipes K may be arranged at both sides of
the boiler A, or at one side only, according to the number of structures
to be heated, or to the situation in which the apparatus is placed, and
one only, or two, or more of such flow pipes may be connected to a
single pipe I, a corresponding number of pipes K being attached to the
return pipc J with which such pipe I communicates
To cool greenhouses, conservatorics, vinerics, or other analogous
structures in accordance with my said Invention a cistern or tank N to
contain cold water, is employed, and which is connected to the flow
pipe I by means of a pipe P, or in lieu of the tank the pipe P may
communicate with a water main.
Figure 2 is a detailed view showing one method under which the
pipe P may be connected to the pipes I, a separate branch a being
formed on or connected to the said pipe for each structure, and a cock
or valve a provided in connexion with such branch.
When it is desired to cool one or more of the structures the cock or
valve Lin cach flow pipc I is closed, thereby preventing communication
with the pipe D, and the cocks or valves S¹ in the pipes K are similarly
shut. The cock a of as many branch pipes as are required is then
opened, whereby the cold water is allowed to flow into the pipe I, in
circulating through which it expels the heated water through the
branch connected to the return pipe J, from which branch the out-
flowing water is conducted into a cistern or tank which, in structures of
the class referred to, is employed to contain water for watering the
plants, or from the branch the water may be allowed to escape. The
supply of cold water through the pipe P is continued until the tem-
perature of the structure is decreased to the desired extent, which being
effected the cock or valve a is shut off or closed.
It is preferred to construct the pipes of the apparatus (other than
those in the greenhouses or other structures) of malleable iron, whereby
they are adapted to bend round curves and corners, and thereby effect
economy in joints; but it is to be understood that I do not restrict
myself to construct the said pipes of such material.
In lieu of separately attaching each flow and return pipe to the boiler,
as shewn at D and K, Figure 1, such pipes may be collectively attached
to one branch or socket, as shewn at R, Figure 3 of the Drawings,

page_text: Figure 4 being a front elevation of the branch or socket; or the said
pipes may be otherwise attached, it being explained that I do not
confine myself to any particuliar mode of attaching such pipes, nor to
arrange the apparatus precisely as herein-before described and shewn
on the Drawings, as the same in its details may be considerably 5
varied without departing from the essential features of my said In-
vention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which
the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would 1
obscrve in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the horcin-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. Heating greenhouses, vineries, conservatorics, and other
analogous structures by means of the apparatus herein-before described 15
and shewn on the appended Sheet of Drawings, or by any mere modi-
fication thereof, whereby in cases where there are two or more such
structures in proximity to each other an uniform or different
temperature may be maintained in all the structure by providing
separate flow and return pipes for cach, substantially as herein-before 20
set forth.
Second. Cooling greenhouses, vinerics, conservatories, and analogous
structures by means of the apparatus herein-before described, whereby
in cases where there are two or more of such structures placed together
the temperature of all or as many of them as desired may be reduced, 25
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wilham Gray, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
•