IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FANS FOR VENTILATING.
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lloyd, Engineer to the Lilleshall Iron
Company, near Shifnal, in the County of Salop, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FANS FOR VENTILATING.'
Sealed the 30th July 1869, and dated the 3rd June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lloyd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd June 1869.
I, JOHN LLOYD, Engineer to the Lilleshall Iron Company, near
Shifnal, in the County of Salop, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FANS FOR VEN.
TILATING," to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to construct the fans with a series of
blades or vanes of varying lengths and fitting them between two discs.
One of the discs is solid, while the other has a hole in its centre through
which the air is drawn. The solid disc is fitted to a face plate by which
Price 81

page_text: it is rotated, or a shaft may be fitted through the solid disc and bolted
on the inside of the same. Each blade is preferably formed of a segment
of a circle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lloyd in the Great Seal Patent. Office on
the 3rd December 1809.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, JOHN
LLOYD, Engineer to the Lilleshall Iron Company, near Shifnal, in the
County of Salop, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria.by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, 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 inc, the said John Lloyd, Her special licence that T, the said John
Lloyd, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Lloyd, 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 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF FANS FOR VENTILATING," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Lloyd, 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 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 John Lloyd, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say-
The object of the Invention is to construct the fans for ventilating
purposes with a series of vanes or blades of varying lengths, and fitting

page_text: them between two discs. One of the discs is solid, while the other has a
hole in its centre through which the air is drawn. The solid disc is
fitted to a face plate by which it is rotated; or a shaft may be fitted
through the solid disc and bolted on the inside of the same. Each blade
is preferably formed of a segment of a circle.
The accompanying Drawings represent the manner in which I carry
my Invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a half sectional view taken through the line a, b, c, d, of
Figure 2, which is a plan view of the same.
A, A, are the blades or vanes which are fitted to the insides of the
discs B, C; these blades are arranged in segments of circles from the
outer edges of the discs to near the central portions, and are firmly
Secured to them by means of angle irons and rivets, as shown. The
disc B which is nearest the engine D is perfect, and has connected to it
arms E which are spread outwards near the centre for the purpose of
being fitted to the axle or shaft F by which the fan is rotated. The
shaft is likewise connected to the disc B by means of a collar or socket. G,
which forms an additional support to the fan and ensures its steadiness
while revolving. The shaft passes through to the opposite side of the
fan and finds a bearing in the plummer block Fl, which is fitted on the
pedestal I. The disc C has the opposite sides of the blades A, A,
attached to it. by angle irons and rivets in a similar manner to the disc B.
There is a hole in the central part of the disc C which is in connection
with the drift or air shaft or passage J, and as the fan revolves it draws
air through the passage into and between the blades and drives it out
into the atmosphere from the periphery. To ensure the fan working as
closely as possible to the wall K of the drift to prevent a re-entry of air
to the same, I fit a ring of wood or other material L on the outside of
the disc C, which just touches the wall without producing unnecessary
friction, and I cover that part of the wall with cement in order to obtain
a comparatively smooth surface for the wood ring to work against. In
some cases I fit a girder M across the opening of the drift and secure
the pedestal to it. The girder gives rigidity to the fan shaft and also
serves to strengthen the wall or structure. Inside the discs B, C, I fit
other and shorter blades or vanes N, N, which spring from the periphery
towards the centre; they are fastened to the discs in a similar manner to
the blades A, A, and act as spreaders or dispersers of the vitiated air
which accumulates at the centre of the fan. The periphery of the fan

page_text: is enclosed by a series of adjustable flaps P, which are held in position
by plates fitted on the side walls; one end of each of the flaps is
hinged or jointed to the plates, while the other ends are fitted to threaded
rods which pass through projections on the plates. Nuts are placed on
the rods so that the height of the free end of the flaps can be regulated
to suit the speed at which the fan may be rotated in order to produce
a steady withdrawal of the air from the mine or other place to which it
may be fitted.
I do not confine myself to placing the blades or vanes at the
inclination shown in the Drawings, nor to the arrangement of fitting
three short ones between two long ones, as in some cases it may be
found necessary to arrange the blades in some other form and of varying
lengths to one another, neither do I confine myself to carrying the shaft.
through from one side of the fan to the other, as one end of the shaft
may terminate at one side or disc and be firmly secured to it in any
convenient manner, by which means I could employ the whole of the
central part of the fan for receiving the air drawn from the minc.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. Constructing fans for ventilating mines and other places of a
series of blades or vanes of varying lengths fitted between discs which
revolve with the blades, substantially in the manner herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and employment of fans for ventilating
purposes in which one of the discs is formed with a central hole or
opening through which the air is drawn in the manner herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lloyd, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
JOHN LLOYD. (L.S.)