IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS FOR SEWERS, ALSO APPLI- CABLE FOR DEODORIZING NOXIOUS GASES ARISING IN THE PROCESSES OF CERTAIN MANUFACTURES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Baldwin Latham, of No. 6, Westminster Chambers,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS FOR SEWERS, ALSO APPLI-
CABLE FOR DEODORIZING NOXIOUS GASES ARISING IN THE PROCESSES OF CERTAIN
MANUFACTURES."
Sealed the 27th August 1869, and dated the 11th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Baldwin Latham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th May 1869.
I, BALDWIN LATHAM, of No. 6, Westminster Chambers, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS FOR SEWERS, ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR DEODORIZING NOXIOUS GASES ARISING IN THE PROCESSES OF CERTAIN
MANUFACTURES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in so arranging spirally or otherwise
arranged channels or passages inside the ventilating chamber containing
charcoal or other deodorizing material that while any water that enters
the ventilator can pass freely through such channels or passages down

page_text: into the sewer without coming in contact with the deodorizing material,
yet any noxious gases passing up through such channels will be brought
into contact with the deodorizing material before issuing from the
ventilator. For this purpose, in one arrangement, I construct a box or
casing of any suitable configuration, inside which is a second receptacle
or chamber formed so as to leave a space all round between it and the
outer casing, which space is closed at bottom and constitutes the dirt
box, while the inner chamber is either entirely open at bottom or closed
with a grating. Round the inner surface of the inner chamber is formed
or fixed a spiral trough, gutter, or channel, either open at the top or
covered with wire gauze or perforated plates, and communicating at the
upper end with the dirt box, while the lower end opens into the shaft or
passage leading into the sewer. The inner chamber is either filled with
disinfecting material, or by preference I introduce into the same a spiral
tray containing the deodorizing material and formed as a grating or with
perforations, which is of such an incline that the deodorizing material
will rest upon it, and which fits closely against the sides of the chamber
and rests upon the before-mentioned spiral channel or gutter. By this
arrangement it will be seen that the water that collects in the dirt box
will flow freely off from the top thereof through the said spiral channel
without coming in contact with the deodorizing material, which is thus
kept dry, while any gases passing up through such trough or chaunel
will pass through the open top thereof in among the deodorizing material,
together with the main body of such gases passing directly through the
inner chamber.
My Invention consists further in constructing a moveable dirt box and
ventilator in combination contained in a fixed outer casing, which may
be of brickwork, metal, or other suitable material, and which may even
be used in connection with the gulley of a drain, so that by removing
the dirt box and ventilator when required these may be readily cleaned
out, or when the before-mentioned spiral tray is used this may first be
removed. The apparatus may be covered with a suitable cover or com-
bination of covers of known construction having apertures over the dirt
box for the escape of the gases.
In applying my first-described improvements to existing ventilators,
in which a dirt box is contained in one side of the casing and the
deodorizing material is placed in trays on the opposite side, I form
channels or troughs in the side or sides of the chamber opening into the

page_text: spaces between the trays, and communicating at top with the dirt box,
so that the water from the latter escapes into such troughs, which com-
municate with each other by vertical or inclined passages at opposite
ends, while the lowest trough communicates by a passage with the shaft
of the ventilator. Any noxious gases rising into such troughs will pass
out into the space between the trays with the deodorizing material. The
various parts of my improved ventilators may be made of cast or wrought
iron, either plain or galvanized, earthenware, or other suitable material.
My before-described improved ventilators are also applicable to
buildings in which operations are carried on in which noxious gases
are evolved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Baldwin Latham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BALDWIN
LATHAM, of No. 6, Westminster Chambers, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Baldwin Latham, Her special licence
that I, the said Baldwin Latham, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Baldwin Latham, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the termi
therein expressed, should and lawfully night make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN VENTILATORS FOR SEWERS, ALSO APPLICABLE POR DEODORIZING NOXIJUS GASES
ARISING IN THE PROCESSES OF CERTAIN MANUFACTURES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Baldwin Latham, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to bo

page_text: performed, and cause the saine to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Baldwin Latham, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say :-
•
My Invention consists, firstly, in so arranging spirally or otherwise
arranged channels or passages inside the ventilating chamber containing
charcoal or other deodorizing material that while any water that enters
the ventilator can pass freely through such channels or passages down
into the sewer without coming in contact with the deodorizing material,
yet any noxious gases passing up through such channels will be brought
into contact with the deodorizing material before issuing from the
ventilator. For this purpose, in one arrangement, I construct a box or
casing of any suitable configuration, inside which is a second receptacle
or chamber formed so as to leave a space all round between it and the
outer casing, which space is closed at bottom and constitutes the dirt
box, while the inner chamber is either entirely open at bottom or closed
with a grating. Round the inner surface of the inner chamber is formed
or fixed a spiral trough, gutter, or channel, either open at the top or
covered with wire gauze or perforated plates, and communicating at the
upper end with the dirt box, while the lower end opens into the shaft or
passage leading into the sewer. The inner chamber is either filled with
disinfecting material, or by preference I introduce into the same a
spiral tray containing the deodorizing material, and formed as a grating
or with perforations, which is of such an incline that the deodorizing
material will rest upon it, and which fits closely against the sides of the
chamber, and rests upon the before-mentioned spiral channel or gutter.
By this arrangement it will be seen that the water that collects in the
dirt box will flow freely off from the top thereof through the said spiral
channel without coming in contact with the deodorizing material, which
is thus kept dry, while any gases passing up through such trough or
channel will pass through the open top thereof in among the deodorizing
material, together with the main body of such gases passing directly
through the inner chamber.

page_text: My Invention consists further in constructing a moveable dirt box and
ventilator in combination contained in a fixed outer casing, which may
be of brickwork, metal, or other suitable material, and which may even
be used in connection with the gulley of a drain, so that by removing
the dirt box and ventilator when required these may be readily cleaned
out, or when the before-mentioned spiral tray is used this may first be
removed. The apparatus may be covered with a suitable cover or com-
bination of covers of known construction having apertures over the dirt
box for the escape of the gases.
In applying my first-described improvements to existing ventilators,
in which a dirt box is contained in one side of the casing and the
deodorizing material is placed in trays on the opposite side, I form
channels or troughs in the side or sides of the chamber opening into the
spaces between the trays, and communicating at top with the dirt box,
so that the water from the latter escapes into such troughs, which com-
municate with each other by vertical or inclined passages at opposite
ends, while the lowest trough communicates by a passage with the shaft
of the ventilator. Any noxious gases rising into such troughs will pass
out into the space between the trays with the deodorizing material.
The various parts of my improved ventilators may be made of cast or
wrought iron, either plain or galvanized, earthenware, or other suitable
material.
My before-described improved ventilators are also applicable to
buildings in which operations are carried on in which noxious gases are
evolved.
Having thus set forth the nature of my Invention I will now proceed
more particularly to describe the manner of performing the same, for
which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, on
which are shewn various arrangements which I employ in carrying my
Invention into practice.
Figures 1 to 3 shew respectively a vertical section, a plan, and a plan
with the cover removed of one arrange-arrangement. An annular recep-
tacle A of iron, carthenware, or other material constituting the dirt box
encloses a central chamber B communicating at the lower end with the
passage E leading to the sewer or other locality whence the noxious
fumes proceed, while at the upper end it communicates through the
apertures c in the cover C with the atmosphere. To the sides of this
chamber B is fixed the spiral trough or channel D, the upper side of

page_text: which is open, and which communicates at the upper end with the dirt
box A through the opening d, and at the lower end with the passage E.
The chamber contains furthermore the spiral tray G of wire gauze or
perforated metal fixed to the central stem F, and resting loosely with its
outer edge upon the top surface of the spiral trough D, the tray G being
placed in position by being screwed in as it were. Upon this tray is
placed the charcoal or other deodorizing material, the angle of the
surface thereof being such that the material will not slip down it. From
this arrangement it will be seen that the water falling into the dirt
box A through the openings c of the cover will, when the dirt box has
become full, flow off through the aperture d into the spiral channel D,
from the lower end of which it will fall into the passage E without
having been brought at all in contact with the deodorizing material,
while any noxious gases entering the lower end of the channel D from
the passage E will, in passing up through the channel, escape through
the perforations of the tray G in among the deodorizing material. On
the other hand all the gases entering over the lower end of the spiral
tray will, in travelling upwards, be brought intimately into contact with
the surface of the deodorizing material thereon before issuing into the
atmosphere through the apertures c, c. If desired radial divisions may
be fixed upon the spiral tray in order to prevent the deodorizing material
from slipping down.
Figure 4 shews a vertical section of an arrangement similar to that
just described, but in which the dirt box A and central chamber B are
contained within and removable from an outer casing H, so that when
requisite to clean out the dirt box the whole receptacle can be removed
from this casing and turned over. The other parts are precisely similar
to the first arrangement, and need not be further described.
Figure 5 shews a vertical section of an arrangement in which the
central chamber B is closed at the lower end with a grating I and is
filled in with the deodorizing material. The spiral channel D is there-
fore in this case closed at its upper side with a perforated cover, as
indicated, through the perforations of which the gases passing up the
channel escape among the deodorizing material as before. In this
arrangement the central chamber B is shewn removable from the dirt
box A, but it may also be formed in one therewith, as in the former
cases.

page_text: arrangement of ventilating apparatus such as is at present employed,
in which the dirt box A is arranged on one side and the chamber B with
trays G carrying the deodorizing material on the other side of the
apparatus. Figure 6 shews a section on line Y, Y, Figure 7, and
Figure 7 shews a section on line X, X, Figure 6. In this case channels
or troughs D, D', D, are formed one above the other in one side or, if
necessary, in both sides of the chamber B, the passage D communicating
with the dirt box A through the opening d, and with the channel D'
below it through the aperture d'. D' communicates at the other end
with D through the aperture d³, and D communicates with the passage
leading to the sewer through the aperture d. As all the channels
D, D', D2, are open along their entire length to the spaces between the
trays G, it follows that any gases rising up through them will escape
into such spaces, and consequently be brought into contact with the
deodorizing material, while any water passing into them from the dirt
box will, as before, flow off without coming in contact with the
deodorizing material.
Figure 8 shews a vertical section of my improved apparatus as applied
to the man-hole of a sewer. For this purpose the entire apparatus, which
is similar in construction to that described at Figures 1 to 3, fits loosely
into the man-hole E, being made to rest with a rim a in an annular
trough or grooved flange K built in the man-hole, and which may
contain water or sand to prevent any escape of the gas. The spiral
trough or channel D is in this case cast in one with the sides of the
central chamber B; this is supported at the top from the outer casing
by means of stays L, which also serve as handles for removing the
apparatus when it is desired to gain access to the man-hole. The other
parts of the apparatus are similar to those of the first-described arrange-
ment, and are designated by the same letters of reference.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise arrangements thereof shewn on the
accompanying Drawing, as these may obviously be variously modified
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but what I claim
is,―
First. The employment in apparatus for ventilating sewers and for
deodorizing noxious gases of spiral or otherwise constructed channels,
troughs, or passages so arranged that while the water escapes through

page_text: them without coming in contact with the deodorizing material the gases
rising up through the same will pass in among or in contact with such
deodorizing material, substantially as set forth.
Second. The employment in combination with such spiral channels of
spiral perforated or wire gauze trays or surfaces for carrying the
deodorizing material, substantially as set forth.
Third. The arrangement of apparatus with removable dirt box and
deodorizing chamber, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Baldwin Latham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.