Improvements in Incubators.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Incubators.
I, CHARLES CASILMORE, of Loughborough in the County of Leicester
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of improvements in incubators whereby I provide a means of
governing, controlling, regulating or filtering the atmosphere enveloping or passing
to and from the eggs. Hitherto water has been introduced into the incubator for
the purpose of saturating this air, upon the false idea that it is absolutely necessary
and the result is a liability to drown the chicks in the shell during a damp atmosphere.
Inlet for fresh air and outlet for vitiated air has been provided for, also variations
of hot and cold weather has been provided for, but no provision to the best of my
knowledge has been made for the variations of damp and dry weather.
Now I provide that the fresh air entering the incubator shall pass through a
suitable filtering material (wool preferably) for the purpose of extracting its super-
fluous moisture in damp weather. I repeat this operation by so filtering the
vitiated air at the outlet and thereby avoid extracting too much moisture from the
eggs in dry weather, in imitation of the hen which by her feathers prevents
the hygrometric variations in the atmosphere from injuriously affecting the eggs.
Dated this Twelfth day of August 1891
C. CASHMORE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Incubators.
I, CHARLES CASHMORE Manufacturer Hastings Street Ashby Road Lough-
borough Leicestershire 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 :---
My invention consists of improvements in incubators, whereby I provide a means
for governing, controlling, regulating or filtering as it were, the atmosphere
enveloping & passing to & from the eggs.
Hitherto, a dish of water has been introduced into the incubator for the purpose
of saturating, more or less, the air, upon the false idea that it is absolutely
necessary, & the result is a liability to drown the chicks in the shells during a damp
atmosphere. Inlet for fresh air & outlet for vitiated air has been provided for,
likewise so has the variations of hot & cold weather. However, there has been no
provision made hitherto for the dry & damp weather hence this Patent.
I provide that the fresh air entering the incubator, in which there is no dish of
water provided, shall pass through a suitable filtering material, & I stated, in my
Provisional Specification, that wool would be preferable for the purpose of
extracting the moisture in damp weather from the air supply. I repeat this
operation by so filtering, as it were, the vitiated air at the outlet in order to avoid
extracting too much moisture from the eggs in dry weather. The result is to keep
these variations of moisture & warmth at the normal desired state.
Now all this gives a fair result most of the year round, but there is one particular
time of the year which I have not had an opportunity of testing until now, i.e. the
early spring, just at the time when incubators should be most useful. It is then
that the wool does not appear to give such satisfactory results, but I find that
feathers, in lieu of wool, provides everything desired, & for all seasons throughout

page_text: the year.
I therefore qualify my previous statement by declaring that feathers
are preferable.
Preferably only, I provide that the egg chamber is situated below a warm water
or heating tank or vessel, with a communication or communications, to & from, the
outer atmosphere situated above the eggs. The air, in its passage into & out of
the chamber, must however pass through the suitable material preferably feathers,
for the purposes hereinbefore described. There must be no tray of water or other
means of providing moisture added within that chamber. So long as these con-
ditions are fulfilled, other methods of applying the heat may be resorted to in lieu
of the water tank or other kinds of incubators used in combination.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is-
(1). In incubators, the combination of an egg chamber & one or more layers of
suitable material, feathers by preference, through which the air communicates to
& from the outer atmosphere, substantially as herein before described.
(2). The combination of the previous claiming clause, with a suitable warming
apparatus, such for example as the warm water tank heated & controlled by the
lamp as usually met with.
(3). In incubators, the mode of obtaining the desired state of the atmosphere
within the egg chamber, by first dispensing with the usual water dish, or other
means of moisture therein, & by controlling, regulating or filtering the atmosphere,
as it were, through suitable material, preferably feathers, passing to & from that
chamber, substantially as herein before described.
(4). The combination of claiming clause No. 1, but in the which, there shall be
no water dish or tray or other means of moisture added within that chamber, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
(5). The combination of claiming clause No. 2, but in the which there shall be
no water dish or tray or other means of moisture added within that chamber.
(6). In incubators, the arrangements & combinations of the egg chamber com-
municating to & from the outer atmosphere, through one or more layers of suitable
material, preferably feathers, a heating apparatus, but no water tray or dish for
internal moisture, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 27th day of April 1892.
CHARLES CASHMORE.