AN APPARATUS FOR KEEPING OFF FLIES, MOSQUITOES, AND SIMILAR INSECTS."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Heinson Huch, of Brunswick, in the
Empire of Germany, at present residing at the Royal Hotel, Bridge
Street,, Blackfriars, in the City of London, for the Invention of
"AN APPARATUS FOR KEEPING OFF FLIES, MOSQUITOES, AND SIMILAR
INSECTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Heinson Huch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th September 1871.
I, EDWARD HEINSON HUCH, of Brunswick, in the Empire of
Germany, at present residing at the Royal Hotel, Bridge Street,
Blackfriars, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN APPARATUS FOR KEEPING OFF FLIES, MOSQUITOES,
AND SIMILAR INSECTS," to be as follows:-

page_text: and 2 to 1 of an inch thick, on to which I attach suitable surfaces of
paper fabric or any other similar material in the shape of small wings.
These bars are attached radially to a vertical axle which is to be rotated
either continuously or in alternate directions or having an oscillatory
motion given to it. The surfaces of paper fabric or other material hang
down from the radial bars which are horizontal or nearly so, and are
carried round with them when the axle is rotated. The axle may be
put in motion by clockwork, or a falling weight, or any convenient
known means, by preference I suspend to it apparatus similar to the
ordinary bottle jack. The whole mechanism may be suspended over a
person lying in bed or wherever a person wishes to protect himself from
the annoying contact of flies, mosquitoes, or similar insect of the
same kind. The radial arms may be jointed to the vertical axis, and be
also linked to a runner capable of sliding along the axis so that the
apparatus may be folded up like an ordinary umbrella.
This apparatus might be applied in any case where anything is wished
to be protected from the contact of flies or similar insects.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Heinson Huch in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HEINSON HUCH, of Brunswick, in the Empire of Germany, at present
residing at the Royal Hotel, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Heinson Huch, Her special
license, that I, the said Edward Heinson Huch, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Heinson Huch,
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,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN APPARATUS FOR KEEPING OFF FLIES, MOSQUITOES, AND SIMILAR INSECTS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Heinson
Huch, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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
Dataut
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN APPARATUS FOR KEEPING OFF FLIES, MOSQUITOES, AND SIMILAR INSECTS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Heinson
Huch, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Edward Heinson Huch, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
According to my Invention I construct apparatus for keeping off
flies, mosquitoes, and similar insects, of thin bars, stays, or rods of
wood, metal, whalebone, or other suitable material attached readily to a
central vertical stem which is to be rotated either continuously or in
alternate directions, strips of paper fabric or other suitable material,
such as a fringe or feathers or thin sheets of wood or metal, are attached
to the bars, stays, or rods which stand out from the central stem, and
which are horizontal or nearly so. The vertical stem may be revolved
either by clockwork or by other convenient mechanism. I prefer that
the bars, stays, or rods should be jointed to the vertical stem, and be also
linked to a runner capable of sliding along the stem so that the
apparatus may be folded up like an ordinary umbrella. The apparatus
may be suspended over a person lying in bed or wherever a person
wishes to protect himself from or keep away flies, mosquitoes, or
similar insects. The apparatus when in use also serves the purpose of
keeping up a circulation of air without producing a draught, which is of
great advantage in many occasions.
Figure I. shews a vertical section, and Figure II. a plan, of an
apparatus constructed according to my Invention. In these Figures
the apparatus is shewn to be open and ready for use. Figure. III. is
a side view of the same apparatus when closed. Figures IV. and V.
shew various ways in which a revolving motion may be given to the

page_text: apparatus. I would however state that I do not contine myself to the
employment of these methods of giving the revolving motion to the
apparatus, as other arrangements may be adopted; the arrangements
shewn are however those which I prefer to employ.
In Figures I., II., and III., a is the central stem, to which are
jointed radial ribs b, b, each carrying a strip of paper, or fabric, or other
suitable material c. To the ribs are connected stretchers or supports d,
which are also jointed to a runner e. This runner can be slid along the
stem a, and by so doing the apparatus can be opened or closed at
pleasure. When the apparatus is closed the strips of fabric can be
folded around the ribs and stem in the same way that an ordinary
umbrella is folded up. In place of the ribs being connected to
stretchers or supports as above described, the ribs may have cords f, f,
attached to them as shewn at Figure V., such cords being led upwards
and over a ring g, and then led downwards and connected to a runner h,
so that by moving this runner upwards or downwards along the vertical
stem a the apparatus can be opened or closed.
At Figure IV. the apparatus shewn to be employed for revolving the
vertical stem a is an improved bottle jack apparatus working for
8 hours, and to deaden the usual clicking sound produced by such
apparatus whenever the direction of rotation is reversed the case of the
apparatus may be lined with felt. The bottle jack is carried by an arm
standing out from the top of a pillar k, but it may be carried by any
other suitable support, as for example from the upper part of the
canopy of a bedstead, or from a hook at the ceiling of a room.
Figure V. shews an arrangement of mechanism for giving a con-
tinuous revolving motion to the apparatus; in this arrangement a
coiled spring is employed; this is contained within the hollow pillar k,
and is employed to give a continuous revolving motion to wheelwork
contained in the box m, and so to transmit a revolving motion to the
apparatus. Various ways for causing the spring to drive the wheelwork
may be adopted. I however prefer that the lower end of the spring
should be fixed at the bottom of the pillar, and the upper end of the
spring be connected to a cap capable of sliding up and down within the
pillar; from the cap a cord is led over a barrel similar to the barrel of a
clock, and upon which the cord can be wound up as when winding a
clock, and the spring thereby extended so as to occupy the whole length

page_text: of the pillar. As the spring contracts it drives the wheelwork and revolves
the apparatus, and keeps it in motion for several hours (eight hours).
Naturally it can be done in the contrary way so that the spring shall be
contracted by winding up the barrel of the wheelwork, and so that the
extending of the spring shall drive the wheelwork and revolve the
apparatus. By the employment of apparatus such as above described a
person lying in bed can protect himself from the annoyance of
mosquitoes, flies, and similar insects, and at the same time obtain a
pleasant circulation of the air around him, which in hot climates is very
agreeable and in many cases of sickness of great value. The apparatus
can also be employed wherever it is desired to keep off mosquitoes, flies,
or such like insects, and to keep up a circulation of air. For children
and invalids especially the apparatus is of great value, as it will protect
them from disturbance whilst sleeping.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is, the construction of apparatus for keeping off flies, mosquitoes, and
similar insects, and for keeping up circulation of air, substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Heinson Huch, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.