IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS AND SMOKE EXTRACTORS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Boyle, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Ventilating Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS AND SMOKE EXTRACTORS."
Scaled the 25th October 1872, and dated the 30th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Boyle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th April 1872.
I, ROBERT BOYLE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Ventilating Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATORS AND SMOKE EXTRACTORS," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus designed to act more
or less like the apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent
obtained by the present applicant, and dated 25 July 1670 (No. 2120),
but in a more efficient and satisfactory manner.
In a modification of the improved apparatus suitable for application
at the upper outer end of a vertical ventilating shaft or tube or at the

page_text: top of a chimney, the central part is divided into four vertical quadrantal
spaces or passages by two diametrical vertical partitions of sheet metal
or other suitable material at right angles to cach other. At the outer
part of each quadrantal space there are fixed a number of vertical plates
for dividing and deflecting the currents of air. There is a radial plate
in the middle, and there is a tangential plate at each side extending
from the outer edge of each diametrical partition towards the radial
plate; whilst intermediately on each side of the radial plate there is a
plate having an intermediate inclination, so that four outlets are formed
from the quadrantal space all converging towards the direction of the
radial plate. There are in addition three curved external plates for
cach quadrant, a middle one with its concavity facing the radial plate
and the two others with their concavities outwards between the sides
of the middle external plate, and the inner tangential plates. These
external plates are for the purpose of directing currents of the external
air so as to have an exhaustive action on the outlets formed by the
inner plates. The middle external plate also prevents any external
current from blowing directly into any of the inner outlets, and it may
have inclined plates fixed outside of it to deflect any current blowing
directly upon it towards the sides, and into the external passages of the
two adjacent quadrants. The four quadrants with their deflecting and
divisional plates combined as described will act whatever may be the
direction of the wind or external air current; cach quadrant however
forms a complete ventilator of itself suitable for some situations and
may be placed vertically, horizontally, or at any inclination; or two or
more of the sets of parts constituting the quadrant may be combined
together.
In the earlier Specification herein-before referred to a modification
of ventilator is described in which the shaft or tube is fitted with
an external conical deflecting plate surmounted by a circle of vertical
division plates forming radiating outlets, and covered by a curved cap.
By the present Invention this ventilator is improved by making an
aperture in the centre of the cap with by preference a narrow cylindrical
projection or lip.
The present Invention also comprises the application of a light valvo
in a peculiar form of casing to check back or down draughts. The
chamber is nearly in the shape of a quadrant, and the valve, set by
preference on a vertical axis, is arranged to open inwards when the

page_text: current is in the right direction, but the ventilating shaft or tube
communicates with the chamber at the back of the valve, so that when
the current begins to blow in the wrong direction it is directed upon
the back of the valve and instantly closes it.
By the present Invention also provision is made for producing an
upward current in a ventilating shaft, when there may be no external
air current. For this purpose a helical or spiral tube of thin metal is
placed in the shaft, and just beneath the bottom end of it, which is
expanded, gas is burned in a Bunsen burner so that the products of
combustion may pass up the spiral tube which retards their upward
progress, so that their heat is more effectually communicated to the air
in the shaft and its ascension thereby promoted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Boyle in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BOYLE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Ventilating
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Boyle, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert Boyle, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Boyle, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might 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
AND SMOKE EXTRACTORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Robert Boyle, 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

page_text: in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same 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 Robert Boyle, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to 5
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improved apparatus designed to act more
or less like the apparatus for the same purposes described in the Speci- 1
fication of Letters Patent obtained by me, and dated 28 July 1870
(No. 2120), but in a more efficient and satisfactory manner.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be hercin-after referred to, and representing 1
modifications of my improved arrangements. In these Drawings the
same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section, and Figure 2 is an elevation of a
modification of my improved apparatus suitable for application at the 2
upper outer end of a vertical ventilating shaft or tube 1, or at the top
of a chimney. The central part is divided into four vertical quadrantal
spaces 2,2,2,2, by two diametrical vertical partitions 3, 3, of sheet metal
or other suitable material at right angles to each other. At the outer
part of each quadrantal space there are fixed a number of vertical 2
plates for dividing and deflecting the currents of air. There is a radial
plate 4 in the middle and there is a tangential plate 5 at each side,
extending from the outer edge of each diametrical partition 3 towards the
radial plate 4, whilst intermediately on each side of the radial plate 1
there is a plate 6 having an intermediate inclination, so that four out- 3
lets are formed from the quadrantal space 2 all converging towards the
direction of the radial plate 4. There are in addition three curved external
plates for each quadrant, a middle one 7 with its concavity facing the
radial plate 4, and the two others 8, 8, with their concavities outwards
between the sides of the middle external plate 7 and the inner tangential 3
plates 5. These external plates 7, 8, are for the purpose of directing
currents of the external air, so as to have an exhaustive action on the

page_text: outlets formed by the inner plates 4, 5, 6. The middle external plate 7
also prevents any external current from blowing directly into any of
the inner outlets, and it may have inclined plates fixed outside of it as
indicated by dotted lines 9 to deflect any current blowing directly upon
it towards the sides and into the external passages of the two adjacent
quadrants. The quadrantal spaces may be surmounted by a flat plate,
I however prefer to crown the structure with a series of cones 10, 11,
12, 13, which whilst being ornamental are contrived to assist the
exhaustive ventilating action, being arranged in a manner equivalent to
what is described in my earlier Specification herein-before referred to,
and as will be easily understood from Figure 2 of my present Specifi-
cation.
The four quadrants 2 with their deflecting and divisional plates 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, combined as herein-before described will act whatever may
be the direction of the wind or external air current, each quadrant
however forms a complete ventilator of itself suitable for some situations,
as shown in section in Figure 3. It may be placed vertically, hori-
zontally, or at any inclination, or two or more of the sets of parts
constituting the quadrant may be combined together. Figure 4 is a
section showing the combination of two sets of the parts, and Figure 5
is a horizontal section showing the combination of twelve sets of the
parts, whilst Figure 6 is an elevation corresponding to Figure 5.
In the modifications shown in Figures 4 and 5 the intermediate external
plates 8 are dispensed with, and the intermediate internal plates 6 might
also be dispensed with in that shown in Figure 5.
In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6 the upper part of the
ventilating shaft or tube 1 communicates with the spaces surrounded by
divisional and deflecting plates by six separate openings 2.
In my earlier Specification herein-before referred to a modification of
ventilator is described, in which as in the modification shown in vertical
section in Figure 7 hereof the shaft or tube 1 is fitted with an external
conical deflecting plate 10, surmounted by a circle of vertical division
plates 14 forming radiating outlets and covered by a curved cap 15.
By my present Invention this ventilator is improved by making an
; aperture 16 in the centre of the cap, with by preference a narrow
cylindrical projection or lip 17.

page_text: My present Invention also comprises the application of a light valve
in a peculiar form of casing to check back or down draughts. Figure 8
is a horizontal section showing a pair of my improved valves as arranged
for admitting air from the upper part of a room into a chimney or
vent 18 indicated by dotted lines. Each valve 19 has a vertical hinge
at 20 and is in a chamber 21 which is nearly in the shape of a
quadrant. When the current is in the right direction indicated by the
arrows each valve opens inwards against a stop 22, but the fluc 18 or
ventilating shaft or tube communicates with cach chamber 21 at the
back of the valve 19, so that when the current begins to blow in the
wrong direction or oppositely to the arrows it is directed upon the back
of each valve and instantly closes it.
In my. Provisional Specification lodged on applying for the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, certain arrangements are described
for producing an upward current of air by the heat of a jet of gas, but
I do not now consider that such arrangements possess sufficient utility or
convenience to justify my making any claim regarding them.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
combining of the parts of ventilators and smoke extractors substantially
in the improved modes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Boyle, have hercunto sct my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ROBERT BOYLE. (L.S.)