Improvements in or relating to Ventilating.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
Improvements in or relating to Ventilating.
I, EZRA LOFTS, of Cherryhinton, Cambridge, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The fresh air which is admitted into rooms and other places is usually admitted
through pipes or tubes placed vertically along the walls and the result is that the cold
air admitted in this manner quickly falls making a most uncomfortable draught and
causing great inconvenience. Moreover unless the air in the room be at a considerably
higher temperature than that outside the influx if there be any at all is so small as to
be of no practical use, while as stated above if the difference in temperature be
sufficient to cause a good inrush of fresh air then the draught difficulty arises
at once.
"
My invention is designed to remedy these evils and in the first place to cause the
inrush of the fresh air even when the difference of temperature between the air
outside and that inside the building is not sufficient alone to cause it I apply heat to
the pipe or tube by which the air enters; this causes a circulation at once and brings
in the air. In the second place I overcome the draught difficulty by the same means,
that is to say the air being heated in passing through the heated tube enters the
building at a temperature equal to that of the air in the room or perhaps above it and
consequently it readily rises instead of falling and becomes properly mixed with the
rest of the air before it descends. The draught is thus got rid of but even if owing
to any local current or other cause this air did fall instead of rising no harm would be
done as it is a cold draught that is harmful not a warm one.
The means I prefer to adopt for heating the tubes consist in surrounding the tube
with an outer tube or casing and filling the space between with steam hot water hot
air or other heating medium. The shape of the tubes may be varied according to
circumstances and where the heat is provided by air heated by a lamp or gas or
otherwise so that the outer tube or casing need not be entirely closed up, the lower
end or other part may be left open and if necessary a pipe or opening provided to
carry off the products of combustion, gas &c.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Ventilating.
:
I, EZRA LOFTS of 45 Hills Road, Cambridge, 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 :-
The fresh air which is admitted into rooms and other places is usually admitted
through pipes or tubes placed vertically along the walls and the result is that the cold
air admitted in this manner quickly falls making a most uncomfortable draught and
causing great inconvenience. Moreover unless the air in the room be at a considerably
higher temperature than that outside the influx if there be any at all is so small as to
be of no practical use, while as stated above if the difference in temperature be
sufficient to cause a good inrush of fresh air then the draught difficulty arises
at once.
My invention is designed to remedy these evils and in the first place to cause the
inrush of the fresh air even when the difference of temperature between the air
outside and that inside the building is not sufficient alone to cause it I apply beat to
the pipe or tube by which the air enters; this causes a circulation at once and brings
in the air. In the second place I overcome the draught difficulty by the same means,
that is to say the air being heated in passing through the heated tube enters the
building at a temperature equal to that of the air in the room or perhaps above it and
consequently it readily rises instead of falling and becomes properly mixed with the
rest of the air before it descends. The draught is thus got rid of, but even if owing
to any local current or other cause this air did fall instead of rising no harm would be
done as it is a cold draught that is harmful not a warm one.
The means I prefer to adopt for heating the tubes consist in surrounding the tube
with an outer tube or casing and filling the space between with steam, hot water, hot
air or other heating medium. The shape of the tubes may be varied according to
circumstances and where the heat is provided by air heated by a lamp or gas or
otherwise so that the outer tube or casing need not be entirely closed up, the lower
end or other part may be left open so as to allow the flame to burn freely and pass
the heat between the inner and outer tube and if necessary a pipe or opening
provided to carry off the products of combustion gas &c. so as to keep the air in the
room pure.
In the accompanying drawings figs. 1 to 5 are views of one form, figs. 6 to 8 of
another form and figs. 9 to 12 of a third form of apparatus constructed in accordance
with my present invention and all hereinafter more particularly described.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In the ventilating apparatus represented in front elevation at fig. 1 and in vertical
section at figure 2 I provide the ornamental base or stand A which is closed in at its
front and two ends the back being left open for the admission thereto of the air which
is to be heated in its passage through the said apparatus and before it enters the room
or compartment to be ventilated, but if desired the cold air may be allowed to enter

page_text: the base A from any other part.
, marcate two vertical bus passing
crown of the base Å and screwed and provided with nuts and suitable packing C³
at each end. D, D indicate two other vertical tubes (advantageously cast-iron tubes)
surrounding the tubes C and A¹, A' indicate shallow sockets formed on the base A and
into which the lower ends of the tubes D fit. E, E indicate two caps the flange E¹ of
each of which fits around the upper end of each tube D the said caps being also
formed with central openings up through which the upper ends of the tubes C project.
G, G indicate India rubber, leaden or other suitable packing for making tight the
joints between the ends of the tubes D and the base A and caps E. It will be seen
that by tightening up either or both of the nuts C₁ all the joints are drawn together
and thus can readily be made water or steam tight. D₁ and D' indicate the sockets
into which the inlet pipe H and outlet pipe H¹ are respectively screwed. D³, D³, indicate
the sockets into which the unions I are screwed for coupling together the two tubes D.
Each of these unions as shown at figs. 3, 4 and 5 respectively in plan, end elevation
and longitudinal section consists of a short tube i, with its opposite ends formed
respectively with right and left-handed screw-threads and at about the middle of its
length the said tube i is formed with a preferably squared portion, 2¹. 12 indicates a
sleeve or collar the outside of which is preferably shaped like a hexagonal nut and the
inside of which is formed square so that it can be moved longitudinally upon the
squared portion i¹ of the tube i upon which portion it fits easily: The ends of this
sleeve make water or steam tight joints against the bosses D³. The respectively
opposite sockets D³ are screwed with right and left handed threads to accomodate. the
right and left-handed screw threaded tube i, which is screwed "home" by means of
the nut-shaped sleeve between the ends of which and the adjacent surfaces of the
sockets D³ the necessary tight joints are made by suitable packing.
The sleeve instead of being exteriorly of hexagonal form may be of circular or any
other form which will enable it to be grasped by tongs, a wrench or other suitable tool and
if desired the central opening of such sleeve and the portion ¹ may be of other than
square shape, the term "square" being used to apply to any shape of portion ¹ which
will not allow of the sleeve 2 rotating upon it.
It is to be understood that in the before described air heating apparatus each tube D
and its connections constitute a complete apparatus and that such single arrangement
may if desired be employed by itself the flow and return pipes being under such
circumstances both directly connected to the said tube D; or instead of one or two
tubes D any other desired number may be coupled together.
Supposing the cool air to enter through the opening J represented in dotted lines
at figures 1 and 2 which opening may be through the skirting and wall against which
the apparatus stands, the air will pass upwards out from the base A by way of the
tubes and into the room or apartment to be ventilated and will have become heated
by contact with the said tubes C the heat to these being imparted by the circulation of
hot water, steam or hot air or other medium in the chambers surrounding the tubes C
and within the tubes D.
In the form of apparatus shown at figures 6, 7 and 8 respectively in front elevation,
side elevation, and plan I provide two chambers K K each preferably fitted with a
cover K¹ secured to it in any suitable manner. These chambers are secured together
at the required distance apart by the tubular connections L L into the former of
which the inlet pipe H is screwed and into the latter of which the outlet pipe H¹
is screwed. The air-heating passage in this arrangement is constituted by the space K
between the adjacent walls of the two chambers K which walls become highly heated
by the circulation of the heating medium through the said chambers.
The form of apparatus represented at figures 9, 10 11 and 12 respectively in front
elevation, end elevation, plan and transverse vertical section is one of construction
somewhat similar to that herein last described but it also shows how the same may be
shaped to form part and a continuation of a dado or skirting or a complete skirting the
upper edge or surface of the said apparatus being shaped or moulded so as to conform
with the pattern of the skirting or dado to which it is to be fitted. In this construction
the chambers K are each fitted with a cover K¹ which may be secured in position by

page_text: countersunk-headed screws K² engaging with the lugs K³ formed on each of the
chambers proper, it being understood that each of the joints between the covers K¹
and chambers K is made tight by any suitable means. The two chambers K are
connected together by the tubular connections L and L' in the same manner as that
herein described with reference to figures 6, 7 and 8 and they may be held at the
proper distance apart by the pieces or projections K* which serve to close in the ends
of the air passage C and thereby to constitute the same a flattened tube. The
operations of this arrangement are identical with those of the apparatus shown at
figures 6, 7 and 8 and hereinbefore described.
The air to be heated in the herein described apparatus may be conducted to the
passages therein in any suitable manner either through the floor or lower part of the
adjacent wall of the apartment or otherwise and where necessary the construction of
the said apparatus may be modified to suit the conditions of such air inlets, and if
required the said apparatus may be introduced at any point into any existing hot
water circulating system and so utilise heat which would otherwise be wasted, and if
desired one of the before mentioned arrangements preferably that represented at
figures 6, 7 and 8 might advantageously take the place of an ordinary hot water cylinder.
An useful application of this would be exemplified in placing this apparatus within an
ornamental openwork casing in a hall or other apartment to be heated where it acts
as the apparatus for warming the air and at the same time serves as the hot water
cylinder" or reservoir to supply the requirements of the house.
**
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A ventilating apparatus consisting of two concentric tubes the inner one in
which the air is heated serving as a stay or bolt to secure the caps or ends upon the
outer one substantially as described.
2. A ventilating apparatus consisting of a stand such as A having a socket A' a
tube D having a cap or cover E and an inner tube such as (open at both ends and
screwed and having nuts whereby the two tubes the cap and the stand are all
fastened together substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In ventilating apparatus a union consisting essentially of a right- and left-handed
screwed tube such as i a "squared" portion and an outer sleeve or nut 22 only
capable of longitudinal movement on the squared portion ¹ substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In ventilating apparatus two chambers such as K containing the hot water or
other heating medium and between and around which the air passes and becomes
heated substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
5. A combined heating apparatus and skirting substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 9 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.
73
1
1000