Apparatus for Determining the Quantity of Carbonic Acid in the Air of Rooms and the like.
Year: 1890

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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Determining the Quantity of Carbonic Acid in the Air
of Rooms and the like.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, (a communication to me from abroad by Hans Wintherlich
and Charles Gilbert, both of Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. Gentlemen,) do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in devices for indicating the condition of
air in a room or apartment, and the novelty will be fully understood from the
following description.
It is a well
In
In school-rooms, churches, hospitals, and other places where people are required
to remain for any length of time the air is apt to become foul or impure from the
consumption of the oxygen in it, or rather the conversion of a portion of it into
carbonic acid by passing through the lungs of the people in the room.
known fact that this gas, which is poisonous or incapable of supporting life, is
heavier than pure air and settles to the bottom of the room. Experiment has
shown that a cubit foot of pure atmospheric air at a temperature of zero
weighs 12783 ounce and that an equal amount of carbonic acid at the same
temperature weighs 1.8174 ounce, or over half an ounce more than pure air.
other words, a cubit foot of atmospheric air and carbonic acid mixed would
weigh 15478 ounce, or the sum of 12783 and 1.8174 divided by two, which will
thus make over a quarter of an ounce difference in weight between it and pure air.
It is also known that the heavier the atmosphere becomes the greater its pressure,
and consequently the greater its power to force an object upward which is suspended
within the air. Taking advantage of these facts, I have devised an instrument
which will indicate the pressure of carbonic acid in the air by reason of the greater
density of the air, and which will indicate such condition by means of an
automatically-moving pointer and a graduated scale. By means of suitable
electrical mechanism the condition of the air can be automatically changed by
permitting the escape of the foul air and the admission of pure air in its place.
By means of properly-arranged mechanism the least movement of the body
suspended in the air will be indicated by the pointer, which can be made to pass
over a greater or less amount of the scale by any change of the proportions of the
parts in manufacturing the instrument. In this way the change or condition of the
air is noted and called to the attention by the organs of sight, as well as to the lungs
of the inhabitants of the room.
The casing is preferably of a circular form and may resemble that of an ordinary
clock casing or frame. In the face of this casing is a plate, which is covered by a
glass face-plate. This plate has printed upon it the following: "Fresh," "Foul,"
"Poison." These words are around the periphery of the dial or plate at points
which by the action of air upon a balloon, which will be presently explained, the
hand or pointer will be moved to indicate the condition of the air in the room or
apartment within which the device is placed.
A frame is secured to the rear wall of the casing for the support of a shaft
carrying the balloon. In this frame and at opposite points are arranged two
threaded bearings, having at their adjacent ends a concave seat to receive the
tapering opposite end of a horizontal shaft, so that the friction at the bearing-point
may be reduced as much as possible, and the bearings may be set up to accommodate
the wear of said shaft.
An arm or lever is secured to the shaft and carries at one end within the casing

page_text: a balloon, which may be made of light metal or other suitable material. The
opposite or outer end of this arm, which extends beyond the periphery of the
casing, terminates in an externally-screw-threaded portion and receives an internally-
threaded nut or weight, which is adapted to be adjusted thereon, so as to balance
the balloon in fresh or pure air.
A short horizontal shaft has its bearings in the front plate or dial of the casing
and has its inner end tapering and bearing in the outer concave end of the outer
threaded bearing. This short shaft carries a fixed pulley, and at its outer end a
hand or pointer.
A flat spring has one end secured to a shaft, and its opposite end is secured to the
inner front plate of the casing.
A post or arm is secured to the lower portion of the casing and has journalled in
its upper end a bell-crank lever or angle-lever, the short branch of which is
connected with the outer portion of the arm by means of a wire, and the opposite
or longer branch of said lever has its upper end connected with a pulley by means
of a wire.
A coiled spring connects the inner portion of the arm adjacent to the balloon
with a post, and this spring, together with the flat spring, serves to insure a steady
working of the apparatus.
Dated this 22nd day of I.1 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Determining the Quantity of Carbonic Acid in the Air
of Rooms and the like.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Hans Wintherlick, and Charles Gilbert, both
of Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. Gentlemen,) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in devices for indicating the condition of
air in a room or apartment, and the novelty will be fully understood from the
following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed
drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a face view of my improved device, and
Fig. 2 is a diametrical section thereof.
In school-rooms, churches, hospitals, and other places where people are required
to remain for any length of time the air is apt to become foul or impure from the
consumption of the oxygen in it, or rather the conversion of a portion of it into
carbonic acid by passing through the lungs of the people in the room. It is a well-
known fact that this gas, which is poisonous or incapable of supporting life, is
heavier than pure air and settles to the bottom of the room. Experiment has
shown that a cubic foot of pure atmospheric air at a temperature of zero
weighs 1.2783 ounce and that an equal amount of carbonic acid at the same
temperature weighs 1-8174 ounce, or over half an ounce more than pure air. In
other words, a cubic foot of atmospheric air and carbonic acid mixed would
weigh 1-5478 ounce, or the sum of 12783 and 1.8174 divided by two, which will
thus make over a quarter of an ounce difference in weight between it and pure air.
It is also known that the heavier the atmosphere becoines the greater its pressure,
and consequently the greater its power to force an object upward which is suspended
within the air. Taking advantage of these facts, I have devised an instrument
which will indicate the presence of carbonic acid in the air by reason of the
greater density of the air, and which will indicate such condition by means of an

page_text: automatically-moving pointer and a graduated scale. By means of suitable electrical
mechanism the condition of the air can be automatically changed by permitting the
escape of the foul air and the admission of pure air in its place. By means of
properly arranged mechanism the least movement of the body suspended in the air
will be indicated by the pointer, which can be made to pass over a greater or less.
amount of the scale by any change in the proportions of the parts in manufacturing
the instrument. In this way the change or condition of the air is noted and called
to the attention by the organs of sight, as well as to the lungs of the inhabitants of
the room.
Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates the casing, which is
preferably of a circular form and may resemble that of an ordinary clock casing
or frame. In the face of this casing is a plate a, which is covered by a glass
face-plate B. This plate a has printed upon it the following: "Gas Fresh,"
Foul," "Poison.'
66
These words are around the periphery of the dial or plate at points which by the
action of air upon the balloon F, which will be presently explained, the hand or
pointer will be moved to indicate the condition of the air in the room or apartment
within which the device is placed.
C indicates a frame secured to the rear wall of the casing for the support of a
shaft carrying the balloon. In this frame and at opposite points are arranged two
threaded bearings b, having at their adjacent ends a concave seat to receive the
tapering opposite end of a horizontal shaft D, so that the friction at the bearing
point may be reduced as much as possible, and the bearings 6 may be set up to
accommodate the wear of the said shaft D.
E indicates an arm or lever which is secured to the shaft D and carries at one
end within the casing a balloon F, which may be made of light metal or other
suitable material. The opposite or outer end of this arm E, which extends beyond
the periphery of the casing, terminates in an externally-screw-threaded portion G
and receives an internally-threaded nut or weight H, which is adapted to be adjusted
thereon, so as to balance the balloon in fresh or pure air.
I indicates a short horizontal shaft which has its bearing in the front plate or
dial a of the casing and has its inner end tapering and bearing in the outer concave
end of the outer threaded bearing b. This short shaft I carries a fixed pulley d
and at its outer end a hand or pointer e.
g indicates a flat spring which has one end secured to the shaft I, and its opposite
end is secured to the inner front plate of the casing.
A indicates a post or arm which is secured to the lower portion of the casing and
has journalled in its upper end a bell-crank lever or angle-lever, the short branch k
of which is connected with the outer portion of the arm E by means of a wire L,
and the opposite or longer branch of said lever has its upper end connected with
the pulley d by means of a wire M.
N indicates a coiled spring which connects the inner portion of the arm E adjacent
to the balloon with the post h, and this spring, together with the spring g, serves to
insure a steady working of the apparatus.
I have shown the balloon of an approximately crescent shape; but I do not wish
to confine myself to any particular shape.
This invention is more particularly adapted for use in connection with a steam-
heater for which I am about to make a separate application for Patent, and it is
designed, by the air or electricity to open and close the different valves for fresh and
foul air in the heater.
The bearings for the shaft P, upon which the bell-crank lever is journalled or
secured, may carry threaded bearings similar to those in which the shaft D is
supported.
In some cases the meter is connected electrically with an alarm-bell, which will
ring whenever the pointer e shows a certain condition of the air, for instance,
Gas" or "Foul,"

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A device for indicating the condition of air consisting of a case, an arm
journalled therein and carrying at one end a balloon and at its opposite end a
balance-weight movably secured thereto, and a pointer connected with the 'said
arm, whereby the arm and pointer may move synchronously, substantially as
specified.
2. The combination, with a case, of an arm journalled therein, a balloon secured
to one end of the shaft, a balance weight movably secured to the opposite end, a
pointer also journalled on a shaft, a bell-crank lever journalled in the case, a wire
connecting the short branch of the lever with the arm carrying the balloon, and a
wire connecting the pointer with the long arm of the lever, substantially as
specified...
3. The combination, with the main case, of the arm carrying at one end a
balloon, at its opposite end an adjustable balance-weight and journalled within the
case, an angular or bell-crank lever journalled in the case, a wire connecting one
branch of the lever with the arm carrying a balloon, a wire connecting the opposite
branch of the lever with the pointer, a spring connecting the inner portion of the
balloon-arm with the case, and a spring connecting the shaft of the pointer with the
case, substantially as specified.
4. A case having at points upon its face words indicative of the condition of air,
in combination with an arm journalled in said case and carrying at one end a balloon
to be acted upon by the air and a counterbalance-weight movably secured upon the
opposite end, and a pointer connected with the arm bearing the balloon, so that they
may move synchronously, substantially as specified.
5. The combination, with the device herein described, of an alarm bell electrically
connected therewith for the purpose hereinafter set forth.
Dated this 02nd dow of A1001
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.