Improvements in Centrifugal Fans for Ventilating Mines and other Places.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Fans for Ventilating Mines and other
Places.
I ARNOLD LUPTON of 6 De Grey Road Leeds in the County of York, Civil and
Mining Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of my invention is to make an improved Centrifugal Fan for ventilating
mines or other places. The fan consists of two circular iron discs connected by cross
plates or vanes placed in radial or curved lines all rivetted together so as to make one
circular hollow wheel. On one side is a circular opening by which air can enter the
hollow wheel. This opening is opposite to a passage "leading from the mine, the
wheel is carried on a horizontal axle supported on two bearings. one end of the axle
passes through the wall or casing surrounding the fan and beyond this wall is a
hearing and beyond the bearing a crank connected to a steam engine, or in place
of a crank a belt wheel may be put, to be driven by a belt from a drum on a steam
engine, the other end of the axle rests on a girder in the opening of the opposite wall
or side of casing. The hollow wheel or fan revolves in a building or casing of
brickwork, wood iron or other material and is completely enclosed except at one
quadrant which is open only at the top where the air from the fan is discharged. The
central opening in the fan has a wooden rim bolted on round it; the wall or casing
adjoining this opening has a similar opening round which is bolted a similar wooden
rim, so as to nearly touch the revolving rim of the fan so that but little air can pass
between the two rims. The casing or race in which the fan revolves is eccentric to it.
and is so proportioned that the air ejected from the fan shall revolve with it until it
reaches the open quadrant when it passes straight up a vertical shaft or chimney
which reaches above the top of the fan and is discharged into the air at a comparatively
low velocity. There are also two plates of wood or iron or other material fixed
vertically inside the fan casing one on each side at the centre line, and above the
axle and connected to the crosshearer which is above the fan and close to it, forming
a vertical partition across the fan race or casing in the half above the axle leaving
only space enough open for the fan to revolve without touching. The direction in
which the fan revolves is that the top moves from the partition towards the covered
inside, the effect of this partition is to stop the air revolving with the fan and to
discharge it up the vertical shaft or chimney, by this means the friction of the air on
the outside of the revolving fan is utilized, a suction is caused which draws air from
the mine, and the reentry of air is diminished. As an example the fan might be 20 ft.
in diameter, the discs or sides might be two feet six inches apart at the centre and
nine inches apart at the periphery the opening on one side seven feet six inches
diameter. The casing within 6 inches of the fan at the top and 2 feet below the
fan at the bottom, on the delivery side the casing rises to a height of three feet above
the top of the fan. These dimensions may be varied and the fan made of any
liameter.
I prefer to make the casing mainly of brickwork as being the cheapest and most
durable material, but the top part of the casing covering in the fan I prefer to make
of wood or sheet iron or zinc so as to make the interior air passage of the best
proportions, which are such that it gradually increases in area from the vertical
bartition round to the delivery shaft.
Dated this 14th day of August 1888
ARNOLD LUPTON.

page_text: Having now particularly described the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is--
1. The particular combination of the parts of the Fan with the Fan casing and
Partitions, as described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
CM 1000
ARNOLD LUPTON.