1851 Great Exhibition: Official Catalogue: Class VII.: George Devey
54. DEVEY, GEO., 16 Great Marlborough Street — Inventor.
Model, illustrating a proposed method for obviating the nuisance arising from the smoke of ordinary house fires, by combining with the present sewerage a general system of underground smoke drainage.
The preceding cut shows the mode of application to existing buildings, and the general arrangement proposed:—
1. By connecting the ordinary flues with the sewer in the streets.
2. By adapting these flues, now formed for transmitting the smoke upwards, to the downward current proposed.
3. By providing, in these arrangements, for the present action being resumed at any time, for the purpose of inspection or repair.
Fig. 1.
A, Sewer.
B, Horizontal connecting flue from chimney in kitchen.
C, Valve, or register for regulating opening.
D, Junction (by present flues from basement,) of flues from chimneys above; the smoke from which, ascending in the usual way on reaching the openings at E, would be drawn down by the current produced by exhaustion in the sewer; the action being assisted by the heat from the kitchen fire.
E E, Openings forming passage for smoke across chimney-breast, cut through partitions or withs, with a valve set in each. By means of a balance weight, these would be made to act simultaneously, and remain open or shut as required; forming, when open, a downward passage for the smoke under the action of the new system, and, when shut, a passage upwards by the existing flues. Thus, allowing the ordinary action upwards to be instantaneously resumed in case of accident, or during any operation, such as cleansing or repair.
F F, Stone to front of chimney-breast in roof, to take down for access to valves.
Fig. 2. Openings at E E to larger scale, with valves shut for passage of smoke upwards as at present.
Fig. 3. Openings at E E; open for passage of smoke downwards as proposed.
See Also
Sources of Information