US5958A - Henry ruttan - Google Patents

Description

`uNiTEn sTATEs. PATENT oEEioE.

HENRY RUTTAN, oE ooBoURG, CANADA.

WARMING AND vENTiLATINe BUILDINGS, `&c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5,958, dated December l5, 1848; Reissiied Aug-ust 14, 1855, No. 32.3. y

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HENRY RUTTAN, of the town of Cobourg, in the Newcastle District, in the Province of Canada West, have invented a new mo-de of ventilating. buildings, railway cars, steamboats, and other vessels and the machinery by which the ventilating-air may be warmed in cold weather;

and I do hereby declare that the following` constructed-the diversity of forms and plans, and the dierence in localityit is impossible to lay down particular rules for all these cases, in their erection. A few general rules, therefore, for the erection of an ordinary dwelling ho-use must answer for all. The walls of a dwelling house should be made to inspire pure air and expire that which has become foul-resembling in this respect the lungs of a human being. And the architect should, before he begin, understand this anatomical structure as the surgeon must that of the other. Without this provision I regard it as an utter impossibility, that the health of it-s inmates can be maintained. From the cellar to the attic amount of miasm from the decomposition going on from. vegetables, meat and the various branches of kitchen and culinary operations, as well as the combustion from the lungs and emanations from the human body--and the hosts of vermin which in the course of a short time will infest the cellars and hollow walls and the spaces between the joists of the best kept dwellings, is such that if the senses of sight and smell were equal to its full detection, it would present a view truly horrifying.

I take for example, a building (Plate l, Figure 1,) 40x50 feet 3 stories high above the basement, with a 10 feet hall through the middle from bottom to top. The walls may be of wood brick stone or other material-say brick for this example. Hollow walls, such as any practiced brick-layer understands-terminating in flues to be carried out similar to our common chimneys-for the escape of the vitiated air, would be very 4 efficacious but if for any reason these beobjected to then Ibegin for this purpose kas many foul` air flues a, a, a, as may intheir production upward embrace most if, not 'all the rooms within the building. These fines should be enlarged at every ascending'story upward. Four of these, answering in fact to our present smoke chimneys, will in gen-` eral be found suiiicient. The tops should be carried out to vas great a height as practicable. I then begin one or more flue or flues troduction of the .pureair I shall, ,for distinction sake cally shaftsb, b, b, 5,) which alone or together will in their capacity cont-ain aboutS `square feet. l "Iheseare torv be also commenced and open into' the basement c, c, c, c, but are toopen into it immediately under the joists. There should, for eflicien'cy, be one of these in each of two opposite sides `of the building-if one in each of thel 4 sides, all the better. These shafts (which as they are intended to be forthe inshould be carried up into the walls (smoothly plastered in the inside)v and opened outward at d, (Z, d, cZ, to a height yabove that of the surrounding vegetatio-n and the floating miasm of stables yards and other impure localities, and below that of the influence of the smoke of adjacent chimneys. At the lower ends of these pure rair shafts, and. closely under kthe joists of the lower` story, they must be inclosed in ducts c, e, e, e, common inch boards notched say) and carried' to a common point directly under Vwhere itis intended that the ventilator or warming machine is to standsay inthe center of the hall, on the first floor, 4,and there inclosed in a box f. The mouths of these several ducts, if there be any coming from opposite directions, should have hanging doors or shutters g, g, made of the lightest material, and so adjusted that any Violent move- Then I put a case z', z', of some lightand bright metal, say common tin, around the whole aperture, to stand about 8 feet high and within which is placed the ventilator l hereafter to be more particularly described, so that the whole of the cast-iron ventilator, except the front containing the door, is completely hid from view. vUpon the top of `this casing are doors or yother conveniences lio through whic'hthe warmed Vair passes intov have now, conducted thus far 8 square feet of pure air.

.Vith respect to the interior of this building, if the partitions could be made solid it would be well; but as in nine cases outof ten, they are constructed of wood and vhollow-elath and plasterA upon scantling `and the floors laid uponjoists-#all the studs and joists must be bored or perforated j, j, j, Sac., to give ventilation to the hollow spaces' above mentioned Thea number lor size of these holes or perforations must,of cours-e, be increased, as the place Aof exitv of the vitiated airisapproached. l

I take it for granted that' some part of all the rooms may bemade to come next to or comprehend one or other of the main foul air flues, if not, small diagonal fines are to be run from the room into the main flue before it reaches the roof of the building. So also may there be small communicationsopened from the end of every partitition with the main or some branch flue.

The floor is then laid, keeping it separate from the wall (Plate l, Fig. 2, a, a,') sufficiently toV allow the same, or a little greater quantity of air to escape between the flooring and the wall, than is allowed to come into the roomfor an ordinary 20 `foot room about half an inch all around the room say.

The base or skirting is then put down, but before it be put down, must be so diminished or cut on the under side (Fig. 1, o, o) as to admit under it the same quantity o-f air to escape. I should, before, have stated that the openings k, 7c, 7e, from each story into the foul air flues are to be made on a level with the joists of each sto-ry, and each of these openings may be closed or opened at pleasure by a small slide or gate Z, Z, Z.

It will be observed that by ejecting the air out under the base I have provided for rooms which are to be carpeted. In public or other buildings where this nuisance to the human family, may be dispensed with, I should at once perforate the floor. In putting up these partitions, the aperture m, m, &c for the admission of the fresh air should be constructed as high up as the ceiling or cornice will admit; about an inch left open the 4whole length of the partition is best, with here and there a pillar left of course to support the superstructure, the cornice', when one is made, covering the whole from sight.

I need not trouble you now with anyv ated air flues being carried out to a height much beyond the openings of the pure air shafts, act as eXhausters by their draft, and the moment the foul air slides within the roomsl are removed they will begin `to fill with the pure air. Any one of the rooms in the building may thus be ventilated independently of the othersor the whole together. The whole building is constantly filled andthe initiative lin this system `of warming or Ventilating is in letting the cold and vitiated air out. Upon this principle a room or building perfectly tight, excepting the openings made for this purpose, is thoroughly ventilated, which it cannot be upon any other principle.

The quantity of pure air thus circulating through this building-supposing that it move at a velocity of 3 feet per second, which with the ufoul air apertures all open it will more than doe-will be SXSIQ-ZLXGO:

1,440 cubic feet per minute, and if 10 cubicV pipe or flue of any `kind except those in the outer wall for bringing the pure air in and letting the vitiated air out-in other words not a pipe or flue for the distribution of the air.` The passages for the escape of the vitiated air being below the flo-or Athe tendency of the draft must be downward and the miasm andv carbonio acid gas always filling the space below the floor of every in habita'ted apartment, is thus kept below, which with the draft any where above the floor is always drawn upward. And, as it respects the ventilation of the hollow walls and between the joists of the floor, it is only necessary to refer for its necessity to any person who may have been present at the taking up of an old floor or the opening of the ceiling or partition of an inhabited building. The stench and eifluvia from noxious` gases and the .decomposition and putrid matter arising from the timber, vermin, and other matter are `such that no one can for a moment doubt its necessity. More-` over, it may be-coniidently asserted that no rats, mice, or other vermin, which always more or less infest the ybest kept houses with their hollow walls, will ever be found where there is a constant circulation of air--l `neither will frost penetrate it. The sum of the areas of the sections of the vitiated air spas y ues carried up the walls of thevbuildingit should lhave been mentioned beforeshould somewhat exceedthe sum pof those of the pure air shafts.

lIn fthe ventilation of ybuildings already erected, the same general .arrangements should, tas far as circumstances will admit, be. observed. ,It maybe diiiicult .in /this case to perforate the joists and studs; if, there-V fore, `ron account of the use of carpets the floor cannot be perforated .a flue `is to vbe well stand in the attic as in any of the made around the room by removing thebase a sufficient distance from the wall. The pure-air shafts 4maybe Vbest constructed. of wood-and placed either directly against'for at 'a distance :from the' building- For the ventilation of Amy own dwelling, `mine f is standing in my garden-with a movable cap to. facilitate the ingress ofthe pure air. It may also be .inconvenient ina building already erected to open the wall for receiving the pure air *from the hall, its whole length, in such case a single'aperture will do.

The Ventilating door or cap before alluded to consists of a swinging door shown in Plate l, Figs. 3 and 4, vand made to play against the sides of va window-likerecess in the wallso as to deiiect currents of air down the pure air shafts.

The general form and construction of this machine for warming the Ventilating-*air in.r p

Winter (Plate 2, Fig. .4), has'been adopted for thefpurpose of favoring, as much as possible, the rapid ascentr of the air, in the midst.r of which it stands, so as to prevent the? absorption of the oxygen and the oxidation. of the metal ofwhich itis composed. To, prevent the stagnant and dead body of air which alwaysmore orfless collects over the tops ofiat'or round metal heaters, this part of\this heater is made vat an acute anglethe air commencingrat the broadest part at the bottom, sweeps the whole length of the metal Land-meets at the top and'is moreover thus thrown against the pipe-the partial vacuum caused by the upward receding side plates being the more rapidly filled as the column of air above is high. This I take tobe the first peculi'arity. Second, the combustionfair is taken fromfthepure air only and therefore more efficacious vthan when taken as in the ordinary way from a cellar or room. Third, the combustion ai'r is 'admitted from both top and bottom (Plate 2,

b I) b and c c c). Fourth, the chamber a provided to raise the temperature of the upper combustion air and out lof which chamber it is let down by a register (Plate 2, Fig. 7 c) in small jets so as that it is ready for combustion when it meets the 'unconsumed gases of the fuel. Fifth, the iire flues d, d, CZ, divide equallyv all the heat of the fuel and carry it in currents co-eXistent with and parallel to, and between, directly ascending currents of air-thus dispersing all'theheat equallythrough the body of air. The iron heater orvlent-ilator thus described is placed directly over the opening before described inthe tloorof the hall as represented in the drawing Fig. v2, the tin'case being shown in red lines. Sixth, it will readily' be perceived that one ofthe great j characteristics off this system of ventilation is the iillingcthe buildingwith the ventilating air, and consequently'the ventilator or air .warmer may for winter ventilation as `disturbing or dispersing and mixing of kthe incoming combustion air-2d of covering a .great portion of the apertures which admit this air, from-being choked `up by the fuel vand 3d vof' contributing largely, by the hollowsiunderneath formed by the raised por-f, Ytions of the grate, to the raising ofthe teml erature of theair before it comes in contact. with the. fuel. These objects are effected 1st by the cross currents of :air from the 'fiat and' perpendicular apertures A"v meeting, `2d by the cap or covering B,3d by the hollow Cy underneath, as above stated.v All which will appear by the drawings-reference being thereto had. A railway car or-carriage may be ventilated in the same wayv as a building, with little variation..y Thusmake an opening or openings (a) (Pl. l,vFig. 1) through the bottom, top or sides of the vehicle of suicientsize toadmit from one to two square feet of air; let thisair'be brought in a duct or ducts directly under the ventilator-or air warmer, when intended for winters vent-ilation. This metal ventilator, made inV size to suit circumstances, may be placed wherever mostr convenient.y Then make `a tin box, (b) in size suiicient to inclose both f the air warmer and the quantity ofair together. Make this to reach from the'bottom to the Vtop of the vehicle and fasten both ends. The smoke pipek c, may be carried withinit .up to, and go out of, the top. Close to thetop as possible CZ, open thetin boX or casing sufficiently to .let they same quantity of air out-a slide to regulate the temperature may be made to close this aperture when required. lThen perforate the flooring of the vehicle e, e, e, andV e in iiof,

straight lines jcrosswise of the carriage; and

pervade the whole carriage in making its Vair may be increased in quantity and its egress assisted by sheltering on the `under side of the floor, the holes or apertures from the currents of air caused by the movement.

For either summer or vwinter ventilation let coarse canvass, gauze, buckram fine sievewire or any other fabric f, which will distribute the air, be placed about two or three inches below the transverse beams which now generally support the roof of the cars, strips of wooden lathe of that thickness may be placed at intervals longitudinally of the vehicle, towhich the fabric used may be fastened. Then conduct the fresh air into this interval between the fabric and the roof as shown in Fig. l, and t-he effect of the ventilation will be much the same as in the other case.

Small sliding covers for the perforations in the bottom of the car may be constructed so that any passenger could shut or open those under his own seat or feetand thus regulate the ventilation of his locality.

In building a new steamer or vessel the space between the lining and the ships plank might with great ease be converted into an escape place for the foul air. In Ventilating an old one the foul air might be made to pass under the seats by which cabins are usually surrounded and taken out at proper intervals by wooden pipes or chimneys. The iioor however ought, if possible,`

to be perforated inA order that the mass of four air and carbonio acid gas, which is there constantly generating, and at every opportunity coming upv through the cracks and crevices, might be constantly drawn olif. This space in a ship is worse if possible than in a dwelling house. steamer the expense of fuel and room occupied by an air warmer or ventilator may be saved by bringing the external airproperly confined of course, over some part of the boiler or some of the steam pipes, into the cabin or hold, through an aperture which could be closed or opened and the tempera-` ture thereby regulated at pleasure. The air would be best precipitated downward through the deck, by a wind sail. If however an air warmer be required the fresh air In the case of mustbe brought under it andthe casing constructed similar to those in the rail-way cars.

lVhat I` claim is-.

1. The mode herein substantially as described of Warming and Ventilating buildings. The same consisting in introducing the air from without at some point sufficiently above the ground to get a pure air, and sufficiently low down to` get clear of smoke-said air so to be introduced being `conducted under the Hoor of the building `and directly under the furnace or stove for. v the purpose of supplying air to be warmed, for distribution and afterbeing thus warmed rising-in a central or otherwise convenient apartment or passage and thence carried into the various rooms by openings in the walls at the upper part o-r near the ceilings,without the aid of V.pipesand thence downward, through suitable openings in the lower part of the room, and thence outward through the various channels provided,` connected with the foul air flue or chimney. I do not claim simply-introducing warmed air at the `top of a room, and discharging it at the bottom, but only intend to claim thus when affected in themanner substantially as above described-and thus when applied to buildings or apartments of any known description. I claim also in the air warming furnace, the arrangement ofthe rediating pipes `or iiues in combination with the fire chamber situated within or between them, in the manner above set forth: and in combination with t-he elevated air chamber and flues, I claim the arrangement of the openings for admitting heated air above the iire to complete the combustion as herein set forth.

2. I claim the mode as herein described of constructing the grate viz. of raising one or more cylindrical grates above the grate iioor, said raised grates being capped or covered in such manner as to protect the vertical bars from the fuel substantially in the manner set forth. It is understood that the raised grate may vary Vin form so that the principle ofactio-n shall remain the same.

3. Ialso claim the mode of conducting the air into my pure air shafts whatever may be the direction 'of the wind viz. by placing the swinging valves or shutter at the mouth of aid shafts substantially in the manner set Orth.

AUGUST A. voN SCHMIDT, Azon TABoR.

[FIRST vPiunrrn 1913.]

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