Improvements in Fans or Air Propellers for Ventilating Weaving Sheds or other Places.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fans or Air Propellers for Ventilating Weaving
Sheds or other Places.
I, ALBERT WHITTAM of 64 Clayton Street, Great Harwood, in the County of
Lancaster, Mechanical and Ventilating Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to air propellers for injecting air into or ejecting air out of
weaving sheds, spinning rooms or any other place where it is desirable or necessary
that the air, should continually be changed, and the object of my invention is to
a combination of air
provide a fan or air propeller of simple construction or
propellers which will be capable of being placed directly upon the shafting used in
the building.
To this end then the essential features of my invention consist in the combination
of two facial air propellers with a centrail radial propeller and the combination of
these three elements with the shafting of the mill or building in which they are to
be used.
In carrying out my invention I construct the blades of the facial propellers of
such a form that they will draw a large amount of air and the blades of the radial
propeller so that they will best distribute the air drawn by the facial propellers
through a suitable casing or tube. The fan blades are attached to the bosses by
suitable arms whilst the bosses are secured in any convenient manner to the shafting.
The casing for the fans is supported by a suitable bracket or brackets as the
circumstances of the case may require.
By the combination of fans such as I have referred to I obtain a most powerful air
propeller, specially adapted for the ventilation of weaving sheds, spinning rooms or
any other place where motive power is available, and this without the necessity of
using belts, ropes or other extraneous ineans for driving it. The special construction
referred to does away with the necessity for lubrication, reducing the attention
required to a minimum and ensuring a positive action at all times when the shaft is
in motion.
CUBLI LEIDDI MUIFICATION.
Improvements in Fans or Air Propellers for Ventilating Weaving
Sheds or other Places.
I, ALBERT WHITTAM of 64 Claytou Street, Great Harwood, in the County of
Lancaster, Mechanical and Ventilating Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what mauner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to air propellers for injecting air into or ejecting air out of
weaving sheds, spinning rooms or any other place where it is desirable or necessary

page_text: that the air should continually be changed, and the object of my invention is to
provide a fan or air propeller of simple construction or a combination of air
propellers which will be capable of being placed directly upon the shafting used in
the building.
To this end, the essential features of my invention consist in the combination of
two facial air propellers with a central radial propeller and the combination of these
three elements with the ordinary line or other shafting, or counter-shafting of the
mill or building in which they are to be used or the shafting of any machine to which
the fans may be applied.
In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood I have appended
hereunto a set of drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fan embodying my improvements and shown applied
to a weaving shed roof.
Fig. 2 a front elevation with part of the casing E shown swinging down in dotted
lines.
Fig. 3 a cross section of the fan on line x. y. and
Fig. 4 a front elevation of a modified construction of fan with one radial blade
removed.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I place together on a shaft such as the line shaft A
of the weaving shed a radial fan B and two facial fans C and D. The three fans
may be each made separately and suitably connected together or they may be made
or built up as it were one fan. In either case the whole revolves together. The
blades c and d of the facial fans are made of any suitable shape which will render
them efficient in drawing in air towards their centres or interior, or if required
ejecting air from the inside to the outside. The blades of the radial fan or air
propeller B may also be made of any suitable shape but preferably with semi-circular
edges at the free ends. The three sets of blades are connected to suitable bosses a
by means of which they are attached to the shaft A whilst the outer edges of the
blades may be rendered rigid by the use of angle-iron rings or the like which serve
to keep them together.
The radial fan B is enclosed by a casing of iron or wood E the lower portion of
which may be hinged to the top portion and its free end secured by a lock, or pin
and staple. The casing is supported in any convenient manner such as by brackets e
which may be bolted to the rafters or gutters of the shed. The casing communicates
with an upright shaft by means of which the vitiated air drawn into the casing
by the fan blades may be conducted to the outer atmosphere. This upright shaft
is provided at the top with a baffle to prevent down draughts or rain entering it
and also with a pair of valves e¹ which automatically open when the fan is
working and close when it is stopped. The character of the casing E will of
course vary in shape according to circumstances.
Referring to Fig. 4 which shows a front elevation of fan of modified form
I place on the shaft A two cones A' with their bases together whilst their apices
are attached to bosses surrounding the shaft. The blades b of the radial fan B
are attached to these cones, the latter serving to deflect the currents of air drawn
in by the side fans towards the centre and thus prevent them clashing. These
conical surfaces are of great value especially in fans running at high speed.
In action the facial fans draw the air into the casing whilst the radial fan
discharges it into the upright shaft.
Although I have described the application of the improved fan to a weaving shed
it should be understood that it is applicable in any situation where fans are at
present used. By the combination of fans such as I have described I obtain a most
powerful air propeller, specially adapted for the ventilation of weaving sheds,
spinning rooms or any other places where motive power is available, and this without
the necessity of using belts ropes or other extraneous means for driving it. This
construction of fan also does away with the necessity for lubrication, reducing the
attention required to a minimum and ensuring a positive action at all times when
the shaft is in motion.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I make no
claim per se to either the facial fans or to the radial fan but what I do
claim is :-
(1.) The combination of a central radial fan with two facial fans--one on each
side substantially as described.
(2.) The combination of the two facial fans and the central fan with a central
shaft by which they are driven substantially as described.
(3.) The combination with two facial fans and a central radial fan of two conical
surfaces for deflecting the air currents drawn by the side fans towards a central
discharging channel or shaft substantially as described.
(4.) The improvements in ventilating fans or air propellers substantially as
herein before described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th dex of Desambar 1904
Per pro EMMOTT & CO., LIMITED,
ROBERT WOOD, Secretary,
2, New Bridge Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.