IMPROVEMENTS IN INCUBATORS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JACOB K. MESCHTER, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U. S. A., Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INCUBATORS,”
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has reference to incubators; and consists in certain improvements
whereby the temperature of the air within the incubator may be kept automatically
under perfect control being varied in accordance with the changes which occur in
the surrounding atmosphere; further in providing separate chambers or compart-
ments in which to carry on the first and final stages of the incubation, the said
stages requiring different hygrometrical conditions of the atmosphere surrounding
and in contact with. the eggs; further in providing said chamber with moisture
carrying pads whereby the requisite degree of saturation of the air may be readily
provided; further in trays for the eggs by which they may be placed within or
removed from the incubator, the bottoms of which trays are made of flexible
material adapted to adjust itself to the eggs it supports, and enable the said eggs
to be readily transferred all at once into another and similar tray without touching
the eggs or breakage thereof; further in providing an incubator with a brooding
yard, and in many details of construction all of which are fully set forth in the
following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form part
thereof.
The object of my invention is to provide an incubator with all the necessary
apparatus whereby it shall be self regulating in its action and simple and durable
in construction. By the proper automatic regulation of the temperature and
hygrometic condition of the atmosphere within the incubator a maximum number
of chickens can be hatched from a given number of eggs.
In the drawings:-
--
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an incubator on line x x of Fig. 2 and embodies
my improvements.
Fig. 2 is a similar view on line y y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hot water circulating boiler with one end
removed to show how the water currents are produced.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of same taken on line z z of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus which automatically controls
the temperature of the circulating hot water in accordance with the changes in
temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lamp burner and the regulating valve adapted
to be actuated by the apparatus shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the supporting trays for the eggs with part
of the flexible or soft covering cut away, and

page_text: Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the wooden supports for the moistening
trays and are also adapted to support the egg trays over said moistening trays.
A is the hot water circulator and is furnished with bollow partitions b, which
form the chambers B B and B¹. The side walls b are supported from the horizontal
walls or floors, and are further divided vertically into spaces b¹ b' and b² from the
former of which apertures c open into the interior of the horizontal floors, and from
the latter of which tubes C extend into the space of said horizontal floors as shown
in Fig. 4. E is a tube opening into the bottom floor b from below and connects
with the heater E' and boiler E2. The two pipes C in the space of the lower floor
are united and .terminate in a pipe E which passes through pipe E and has an
upwardly turned nozzle e in the heater E¹. The water is placed in the above
apparatus by an open pipe A'. E³ is a lamp, preferably enclosed with a sheet
metal chimney e¹, and is arranged under the boiler E, and heats the circulating
water causing a circulation as indicated by the arrows, the upwardly turned
nozzle e facilitating said circulation.
This hot water circulating apparatus is enclosed within a wooden case or
covering H provided with one or more doors H₁ preferably of glass, and said case
forms on the bottom a chamber J, the ceiling of which is the bottom of circulator A
whereby it is kept warm. One end opens into the brooding yard K which may be
The two
of any desired size and shape and is preferably covered with earth.
upper chambers B are open on each side and may have ventilating tubes d opening
into the atmosphere to allow of a proper circulation of air, but the lower chamber B₁
is closed on each side by hinged doors I having their faces i covered with felt and
kept closed by springs I¹ which are pressed upon by the doors H¹.
Any other
suitable fastening may be used if desired. While this lower compartment is com-
paratively tight it may also be provided with ventilating tubes d to carry off
impure air. D is a thermometer to indicate the temperature of the air in chamber B.
The heating lamp E is provided with a cut off valve F hinged at F1 and
having a notch f so that when closed it still leaves a small part of the wide wick e
exposed as shown in Fig. 6. This valve F is normally kept thrown back by a
weighted arm f' as shown in Fig. 5. It is also provided with an arm F2 having
an aperture through its end for the reception of a guide pin f' secured to the
weight, which when it is allowed to rest on lever F2 causes the valve to shut as
shown in Fig. 6. Weight is hung by a chain 7 to a lever L pivoted at 12, and
carrying a bulb G having a long leg g¹ which extends to the fulcrum . This
lever and its bulb is counterbalanced by a segmental plate L' and weight L² hung
low and at or close to a vertical line through the fulcrum 12. L³ is a weight box
into which weights 13 may be placed to adjust the counterbalance to a nicety.
2
E is a receptacle having an open top and secured within the heater E¹ as shown
in Fig. 5 so as to be heated by the hot water of the circulating boiler. This
receptacle E³ is nearly filled with water which is practically of the same tem-
perature as the water in heater E¹, and in this water is placed a U shaped
cylinder G having a wide and narrow leg, the latter g being connected by a rubber
tube g with the leg g¹ of the bulb G. Into the large leg G of the U shaped
cylinder is first placed a few drops of ether, or alcohol or any spirit readily vaporized
to make the air within said leg G rare or of small density. After the spirit is
vaporized by the heat of the water in receptacle E³ mercury G³ is poured into the
bulb G¹ until the bulb is partly filled, the tension within the leg G supporting the
column of mercury as shown in Fig. 5. As the upper part of the leg G-is exposed.
to the atmosphere, any changes in temperature will affect the density of the vapor
and cause the mercury to either rise or fall, diminishing or increasing the quantity
of mercury in bulb G¹, and consequently throwing the lever L out of balance.
Taking the apparatus as shown in Fig. 5, if the air should become warmer the
mercury would rise in bulb G', and cause the lever to tip lowering the weight l
and shutting down the valve F to the position shown in Fig. 6. It acts equally
well for any internal changes in temperature of the incubator, for if the circulating
water should become too hot the tension of the vapor in leg G will increase and
.

page_text: the flame will be partly cut off as before or vice versa. The regulation is perfectly
automatic both for external and internal changes in temperature, and tends to keep
the temperature of the chambers B and B' always the same.
The trays for the eggs consist of frames M having cross slats m¹ and covered
with coarse or open canvas m or other soft material which hangs as shown in
Fig. 7. The eggs N are laid upon the canvas m between the slats m¹ as shown in
Fig. 1. O are the evaporating pans and carry the pads O¹ of asbestos or other
absorbent material and are supported within the chamber B by wooden supports P
having slots p through which the trays are placed, so that they shall not interfere
with the radiation of heat from the floor b.
Heretofore it has been the custom to use moist earth to impart the requisite
moisture to the atmosphere in the chambers B, but there was always liability of
getting too much water or not enough. By my method of using an absorbent pad
of a given size, when saturated it will always take up the same quantity of
moisture, neither more nor less than required. In the lower chamber B₁ the
frames M rest upon the floor b, but in chambers B they rest upon the supports P
above the water trays O.
The eggs are first placed in the chamber B¹ where they must be kept dry, no
other moisture than that contained in the egg itself being required, and in fact if
more moisture be added it would destroy the hatching quality of the eggs. After
being treated in the chamber B¹ for some time they are then placed above the
trays O in chambers B where additional moisture is required, and when hatched
the chicken is placed in chamber J and allowed to run free in the yard K.
In practice there are three sets of eggs in the incubator all the time, and it is
evident that by varying the capacity of the incubator more sets of eggs could be
simultaneously treated.
By the use of the soft bottoms to the egg trays I am enabled to place two trays
together and by turning them over transfer the eggs from one to the other and at
the same time turn them, a feature very necessary in the proper hatching of
chicken eggs.
Instead of water any other heating fluid may be used as oil, glycerine &c., and
in place of an oil lamp a gas burner may be used to heat the circulating boiler, and
the valve F may control the flow of gas.
While I prefer. the construction shown it may be modified in various ways
without departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1st. An incubator provided with automatic regulating apparatus to control the
temperature of the circulating heating fluid, the said apparatus being actuated by
a variation in the temperature of the atmosphere exterior to the incubator and
circulating beating fluid, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. In an incubator the combination of a hot water circulating boiler, a burner
to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a
regulator automatically operated by the varying changes in temperature of the
atmosphere exterior to the incubator to control said valve substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
3rd. In an incubator the combination of a hot water circulating boiler, a burner
to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a
regulator automatically operated by the varying changes in temperature of the
atmosphere exterior to the incubator and also directly by the water in said boiler
to control said valve substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4th. In an incubator the combination of a hot water circulating boiler, a burner
to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a
regulator automatically operated by the varying changes in temperature of the
atmosphere exterior to said incubator to control said valve, said regulator consisting
of a balanced lever, a column of mercury a rarified atmosphere supporting said

page_text: mercury and a receptacle to contain said mercury and rarified atmosphere sup-
ported in water of the temperature of that in the circulating boiler, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
5th. In an incubator the combination of a hot water circulating boiler, a burner
to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a
regulator automatically operated by the varying changes in joint temperatures of
the atmosphere exterior to the incubator and water in said boiler to control said
valve, said regulator consisting of a balanced lever, column of mercury a rarified
atmosphere supporting said mercury, and a receptacle to contain said mercury and
rarified atmosphere supported in water of the temperature of that in the circulating
boiler, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6th. In an incubator a regulator to control the temperature consisting of hot
water receptacle E³ supported in and surrounded by the water in the hot water
circulator, a U shaped vessel having legs G g, mercury G³, a rarified atmosphere in
leg G above the mercury and exposed to the atmosphere, a burner to keep the
water warm, a valve to control the flame of said burner and devices controlled by
the height of the column of mercury to automatically actuate said burner valve,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7th. In an incubator the boiler A having chambers B and B₁ and consisting of
hollow floors and walls b, passage ways b¹ 62 pipes C, apertures c, and means to
create a circulation of the hot water, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
8th. In an incubator the boiler A having chambers B and B¹ and consisting of
hollow floors and walls b, passage ways 61 62 pipes C, apertures c, pipes E, E*
having nozzle e, and means to create a circulation of the hot water substantially as
and for the purpose specified:
9th. In an incubator the combination of chambers B B¹, and doors I to close the
latter of said chambers and make it comparatively air tight substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
10th. In an incubator the combination of the circulation boiler A having
chambers B B¹, doors I to close the latter of said chambers and make it com-
paratively air tight, and case H having doors H¹, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
11th. An incubator provided with a brooding receptacle or chamber substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
12th. An incubator provided with a brooding yard and chamber substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
13th. A frame to support the eggs in an incubator consisting of a frame M
having cross bars m¹ a soft flexible bottom m, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
14th. In an incubator a removable absorbent pad of asbestos adapted to hold the
required amount of water to keep the hatching chambers in a moist atmosphere,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
15th. The combination of tray O, porous pad O¹, frame P, and egg frames M
having soft bottoms m, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
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قيم
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