Moving, Propelling, and Exhausting Varying Amounts of Air or other Gaseous Fluids.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 30th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Moving, Propelling, and Exhausting Varying Amounts of Air or
other Gaseous Fluids.
WILLIAM GEORGE GASS and GEORGE POOL GASS junior, Engineers and Brass
Founders, of Hesford Foundry Shiffnall St. Bolton in the county of Lancaster do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The nature of our invention consists of a fan or air propeller so constructed as to
be entirely self contained, and the draught or amount of air or other gaseous fluid to
be carried through to be completely under control without in any way modifying
the method or means of driving said fan or air propeller and in construction and
form of same.
The means by which we obtain such results are as follows:-
The casing or what takes the part of a casing is provided with feet either cast on
or bolted to it by which it is supported either horizontally or vertically. Round the
outer part of said casing is a wide lip by which any necessary hoarding or other
means of filling up the aperture in which said fan or air propeller is placed so as to
prevent back currents of air, is carried.
Attached to this casing by suitable bolts is a central rib extending from top to
bottom of casing which by means of an elbow extension forming part of said central
rib, forms bearings for Fan spindle with its driving pulley or equivalent used for
giving motion to said fan.
In said casing is a circular aperture, both sides of which taper to a thin edge in
which, tips of fan blades or vanes are free to revolve this thin edge taking place of
cylindrical casing usually employed.
The Fan or Propeller is formed in a novel manner, and consists of a boss by which
it is fastened on shaft, having on it short arms forming part of said boss inclined in
the same plane as the blades or vanes of said fan and to which the said blades are
attached.
Each arm is so shaped as to be narrower at the point at which it springs from
said boss than at its outer extremity said blades or vanes being rivetted or bolted to

page_text: said short arms and when so done bent round said short arms thus effectually holding
them from movement in any way independently of said short arms.
These blades or vanes instead of widening as they approach their extreme diameter
in the ordinary way are formed in the following manner on the inlet side of a straight
line but on the exit or delivery side of a curve that meets the straight side so that
the extreme diameter of each blade or vane is a point the aforesaid fan being so
placed that the points of the blades are in the same plane as said thin edge of aper-
ture in casing before mentioned.
As a means of regulating the draught or amount of air the said fan is to deliver
we use the following arrangements:
Attached to casing by means of pins on which they swing are two semicircular
pieces which when together form with the central rib before mentioned a complete means
of entirely shutting off the air supply so that by opening them any desired amount, air
can be admitted from none at all to full blast or draught, these semicircular pieces
can be opened simultaneously or independently as desired; they swing outward from
central rib and in a parallel plane to said casing.
When Fan is placed in a restricted passage as say at the end of a flue it might
be necessary under such circumstances to alter somewhat said shutters so as to make
them work in smaller compass either by making them slide or carrying them in
suitable links.
The draught regulator might also be constructed of quadrants swinging in a
similar manner or of a series of parallel laths turning on their longitudinal axes and
either presenting their thin edge, or their wide face or any angle between these two
extremes to the passage of the air.
WILLIAM GEORGE GASS.
GEORGE POOL GASS, JUNIOR.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Moving, Propelling, and Exhausting Varying Amounts of Air or
other Gaseous Fluids.
WILLIAM GEORGE GASS and GEORGE POOL GASS Junr., Engineers etc, Hesford
Foundry Shiffnall St., Bolton, in the county of Lancashire do hereby declare the nature
of their invention for MOVING, PROPELLING AND EXHAUSTING VARYING AMOUNTS OF AIR
OR OTHER GASEOUS FLUID, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:–
Our invention consists of a fan or propeller for moving air or other gaseous fluids―
of means for controlling the amount of such fluids to be moved by said fan or
propeller and of arrangement and construction of said propeller and controlling
devices.
On reference to accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents vertical section taken
through line y (fig. 2).
Fig. 2 front elevation of propeller and casing, shewing regulating shutters part
open, and mechanism for moving same; as attached to bottom of casing stand.
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 general details.
Fig. S outline of propeller and section of casing.
Figs. 9, 10, 11, other arrangements of working regulating shutters.
Fig. 12, footstep for horizontal working.
Throughout all the figures similar letters apply to similar parts.
In Figs. 1&2A is the propeller B the casing and stand provided with broad
feet B B (shewn in detail fig. 3); C the central rib, provided with boss c¹; and
having elbow extension C, also provided with a boss C, all in one casting. These
bosses forming bearings for shaft d-d which carries between these bosses the driving
pulley D, and having at one end the propeller A, and at the other a small collar d'.
At the bottom and bolted to casing is an elbow bracket E (shewn in detail Fig. 6)
carrying a short shaft having a worm at its upper end and a hand wheel at the
other gearing into this on both sides of worm are quadrants e e-e² el provided with
teeth, swinging on centers 1 & 2 (fig. 2): forming part of these quadrants are arms
which carry the discs E-E' (shewn in detail fig. 5), and formed of thin sheet metal or
other suitable material.
These are so set that when brought close together by the worm they close up the
aperture in casing B so that no air or other gaseous fluid is allowed to get to the fan:
or, by moving them wide apart, a full clear aperture is obtained.
In the accompanying drawing fig. 2 they are shewn partly open-thus giving a
partial inlet, and this can be adjusted without stopping fan to any amount as required.
Fig. 3 is a detail in side elevation of casing B, provided with feet. B¹ B¹, and
shewing a portion of hoarding as used to fill up the aperture in which fan is placed,
bolted in position, and shewing it as it is carried by casing stand B through the
extension as hereinafter described.
Fig. 4 is a central rib as detached from casing B-this is intended to be placed
with elbow either above or below belt as desired, both ends being similar-by this

page_text: method of carrying fan shaft, both bearings are brought on one side of fan, making
them easy of access this rib is fastened by suitable bolts or set screws to casing B.
Fig. 5 is the quadrant and arm showing shutter E fastened in position on arm,
Fig. 6 shows bracket F carrying worm and hand wheel ƒ¹.
Fig. 7 shews shape of one of blades with stiffening and carrying rib g rivetted in
place.
Fig. 8 shows position in which propeller A is placed with regard to casing :—and
the casing B is shewn in section.
From this section it will be seen the casing, or what takes the place of a casing, is
merely a flat annular plate extending from a to 3, and forming the circular aperture in
which propeller revolves this aperture is bevelled off on both sides, coming to a thin
edge in the center-On both faces of this flat plate are circular stiffening ribs -;
against the air inlet side the shutters E, E¹ (fig. 2) move-it thus keeping said
shutters clear of the tips of fan blade under all circumstances:-On the outer side of
these stiffening ribs b', 72, the central plate 3 extends round for a semicircle, and down
the vertical sides where fan casing is extended to give width for the fect B1, B¹; this
external position of casing is provided with holes for the purpose of readily attaching
whatever hoarding is needed when in position-thus saving the great expense usually
incurred in putting up a fan or ventilator.
9
In the plane of the hevelled edge of the casing, the tips of the blades of propeller
are set so as to revolve freely.-In fig. 7 the shape of the blade is shown in detail, and it
will be seen that the blade is narrower than is usual, and that to about of its distance
from base to tip it gradually widens, and from that point it curves towards the straight
side, terminating in a tip or point. These blades are fastened to a central boss by means
of the rib securely fastened to blade G., and set at an angle to axis of shaft; each one
forming a portion of a screw thread of long pitch-they also are set at an angle to
plane of boss the straight sides of blades forming a cone the base of which is at the
aperture of casing and the apex at the boss of propeller by this means the effective
area of working side of propeller is increased very largely such increase heing
dependent on the angle of conical surface as formed by the blades-the curved or
outlet side giving at the same time a delivery area in excess of inlet area. As the
propeller revolves its outlet surface runs in free air, having no casing or tube
surrounding it, so that whatever air is delivered radially is free to escape radially-
thus increasing the efficiency of the propeller.
In Fig. 9 the semicircular shutters E-E¹are carried by arms eel pivoted at m-n;
on each disc is a counterweight heavy enough to ensure closing of shutters E-E
when opened to a continuation of el a rod or link is attached and to one arm of T
levers placed at opposite side of casing B B. which in this is square on the outside;
this lever turns freely on pin in said casing, one arm of said T lever is fastened by a
link to arm e, and to the outer arm of T lever a cord or chain is attached; it will be
readily seen that as cord p is pulled a simultaneous movement of E-E will take
place, and by means of a series of hooks or other suitable devices by which cord p may
he held, they can be set in any position, thus giving any amount of opening required.
In Fig. 10 these shutters E, E¹ have an independent movement. The arms e-e¹
carry shutters E-E as in the other rangement, but these arms have each a
quadrant slot - respectively cast on, and forming part of said arm; these
quadrants, being both the same radius, pass through the same point r, and a bolt with
wing nut fastened in central rib C retain both at the same time; thus they can be set
independently.
In Fig. 11 the shutter is formed in one piece, this has a slot down the center which
slides along sides of central rib C, and slides in suitable guide pieces on each side of
casing, and is balanced by counterweights - attached to shutter by cords passing
over suitable pulleys mm. This is only intended to be used where space is limited.
We might under some circumstances use a regulator or shutter formed of a series of
slats or flat plates working on hinges and opening and closing simultaneously. All
these arrangements would be subject to variation to suit special circumstances.
Fig. 12 a cap bearing to be used when propeller is placed horizontally, as a foot step.

page_text: It consists simply of a cap W provided with sei screws ww, which is slipped onto end
of boss C, the outer boss of the central rib C. The small collar d' is removed; when
cap is placed in position, this forms an oil space - for lubrication, thus ensuring
constant supply to point of shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is
1. In a fan or propeller a plate-casing provided circular aperture having a bevelled
inner edge in plane of which, inlet side of fan or propeller is free to revolve
substantially as specified.
2. In a fan or propeller a casing formed of a flat plate having a circular aperture,
and having circular stiffening ribs on either face, with casing plate extended beyond
these ribs to carry hoarding, provided with screw or bolt holes, and having feet
attached to carry said casing, substantially as specified.
3. A fan or propeller formed of separate blades fastened to central boss, each
terminating in a point, and so set on boss as to present a concave surface on inlet, side,
and a convex surface on the outlet side, with lips revolving in plane of casing aperture
substantially as specified.
4. In a fan or propeller—a central rih provided with boss having an elbow extension
also provided with boss, and attached to casing, substantially as specified.
5. In a fan or propeller--the shutters or discs of thin sheet metal or other suitable
material, attached to arms swinging on studs in casing substantially as specified.
6. In a fan or propeller-the combination of the casing, the central piece C, with its
elbow extension and bearings, with movable discs or shutters on inlet side for the
purpose and as substantially specified.
7. In a fan or propeller-the combination of a casing, a central rib, shutters on
inlet side, and mechanism for operating same, substantially as specified.
8. In a fan or propeller the cap W on extremity of boss provided with set screws
for holding it in place and forming a footstep with oil chamber, substantially as
specified.
WILLIAM GEORGE GASS,
GEORGE POOL GASS, JUNR.,
Applicants.