up Solid or Compact Refuse in Sewers and Drains.
Year: 1885

page_text: up Solid or Compact Refuse in Sewers and Drains.
I JOHN HORNE of Hallam Hall, Clevedon, 'Somerset, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR METHOD
AND APPLIANCES FOR BREAKING UP SOLID OR COMPACT REFUSE IN SEWERS AND
DRAINS," to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to break, cut, loosen or separate solid or compact
refuse or deposit in sewers and drains in order to enable the cleansing by flushing
or scraping to be effected.
For the purpose of my invention I connect floating or buoyant bodies to a cord
also buoyant or nearly so, said cord being of such a length as to reach from one given
point, say, a man-hole, to another.
I
The floating or buoyant bodies may be of any suitable shape, or shapes, but
propose to make one or several of thein of metal elongated in form and provided
with rollers or wheels in brackets which project from the sides to guide the same
and to ease it or them while passing along with liquid with which I charge the
sewer or drain at the time.
One or more rollers or wheels is or are at the fore end of the appliance to guide
it round a curve or bend in, say, a pipe drain if necessary.
.
The cord is of sufficient length to leave a portion clear at the entry end, and to
this a rope or chain can be attached and be gradually hauled through until a good
purchase is obtained. A scraper tool can then be attached which can be drawn
along to cut into, loosen or separate the solid or concreted deposit or refuse. This
scraping or loosening tool is solid or hollow and is provided with sets of rollers or
wheels around its broadest diameter so that it offers as little resistance as possible
to the drag of the rope or chain, said rollers or wheels being shaped and fitted'
loosely that although they have a cutting action they yield to obstacles and clear
themselves.
The scraping or loosening tool may be of skeleton form and have links attached
and a rope or chain can be connected to the back end and used in conjunction with
the hauling rope or chain to draw the tool to and fro.
ܢA
.H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said John Horne,

page_text: up Solid or Compact Refuse in Sewers and Drains.
I JOHN HORNE of Hallam Hall, Clevedon Somerset, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to break cut, loosen or separate solid or compact
refuse or deposit in sewers and drains in order to enable the cleansing by flushing
or scraping to be effected.
For the purpose of my invention which will be understood by reference to the
annexed drawings I connect floating or buoyant bodies to a cord also buoyant or
nearly so, said cord being of such a length as to reach from one given point, say a
man hole to another.
Figure 1 shows one of the said floating or buoyant bodies A which may be of
any suitable shape or shapes but I propose to make one or several of them of
metal elongated in form and provided with rollers B or wheels in brackets C which
project from the sides to guide the same and to ease it or them while passing
along with liquid with which I charge the sewer or drain at the time.
One or more rollers or wheels is or are at the fore end of the appliance to guide
it round a curve or bend in say a pipe drain if necessary.
The cord D is of sufficient length to leave a portion clear at the entry end and
to this a rope or chain E can be attached and be gradually hauled through until a
good purchase is obtained.
F represents a scraper tool which can then be attached and can be drawn along
to cut into loosen or separate the solid or concreted deposit or refuse. This
scraping or loosening tool is solid or hollow and is provided with rollers or sets of
rollers or wheels B, B, B, around its broadest diameter so that it offers as little
resistance as possible to the drag of the rope or chain, said rollers or wheels being
shaped and fitted loosely that although they have a cutting action they yield to
obstacles and clear themselves.
The scraping or loosening tool may be of skeleton form as shown at Figure 2
and have links attached and a rope or chain can be connected to the back end
and used in conjunction with the hauling rope or chain to draw the tool to and
fro.
Figure 2 is an iron composite wheel link or scraper surrounded by a ring.
Between every two bars three wheels or rollers C, C, C, are strung the middle
one preferably to be turned smooth or otherwise shaped not to wear the sewer the
two smaller ones (one on each side) to have sharp knife like edge to cut through
the deposit.
The iron ring F¹ on which the wheels CCC turn may pass through the bars or
be let into them from the outside. They may be kept apart by sections of tube

page_text: By the devices hereindescribed the great difficulties experienced in getting a
string or wire through the sewer from manhole to manhole are overcome. Friction
being reduced to a minimum expense, force, time and comparative failure are
spared.
I charge the sewer in the following manner
I take three sections of the sewer
the middle one of which I select for cleansing. By the use of a penstock at the
lower end I fill from hydrant or cart the three sections full of water from the
upper end using at this upper end another penstock to prevent the usual flowing
of the descending sewage. This penstock at the upper end is fixed on that side of
the manhole which is nearer the sewage that would otherwise descend.
Giving time for settlement I cause the penstock at the lower end to be lifted
an inch or so until a current is set up taking care that at the upper, manhole as
much water is poured in as issues at the lower end. It is manifest that a sharp
descending current can thus be made in the middle section, such section remaining
full of water.
Adjusting the height of this water to within two inches of the top of the sewer
and keeping up the current at that height I insert an instrument similar to that
shown at Figure 1 of the annexed drawings.
The instrument consists first of a solid india rubber cord D of about or in
diameter or any similar cord the specific gravity of which is lighter than water.
To one end of this cord is attached hemp cord or rope G or wire pulling after it
say a small chain H which shall introduce the wire rope or other substance for
pulling through the instruments hereafter described. To the other end of the
floating cord I attach a cork or metal float A made preferably of fish like form
supplied with side and front wheels C C made of any suitable size, number, and
fixing as to diminish friction and speed the float onward. By a hollow tube like
(or similar) fastening I fasten on the floating cord simply by stretching the latter
or by means of clips or otherwise.
Behind this float I may have what I term cork egg floats I I with side
wheels CC attached (each float at distances preventing the intervening sections
of cork from falling into the water) fastening each float to the cord simply by
stretching the latter.
Figure 3 is a front view of the fish float.
By placing this fish float on the current at the higher end of the section under
treatment it must be carried down by the current and as many egg floats being
attached as will serve for the length of the section it is manifest that from end to
end a floating cord is necessarily carried down by means of which the after
appliances are drawn through.
Figures 4 and 5 represent side and front views respectively of a wooden hoe
or scraper which may be made of solid wood grooved as in the drawing surrounded
by a flange J cut out of the solid wood which flange is surrounded by stout metal
wire K on which turned wheels C C as shown revolve. This scraper or hoe has a
solid iron rod running through it with welded eyes L, L. It may be made of any
suitable size according to the character of the sewer in which it is used.
Figures 6 and 7 are side and front views respectively of a hollow metal (cast
iron, sheet iron etc) or a wooden hoe or scraper covered with metal with an iron
disc, say from 1 to 3 inches wide, or flange M into a hollow of the outside of which
stout metal wire K carries the wheels C C.
If sand or deposit need extraction by mechanical means I use buckets as shown
at Figures 8 and 9. I prefer them to be made of malleable cast iron protected by
bars as shown, surrounded by rings M on which wheels CC revolve.
Figure 8 shows a reversible bucket with a dividing iron sheath M running through
the centre. Every time it is drawn backwards to one manhole and forward to
another manhole it pulls to manhole about half a bucket.
Figure 9 is a bucket for use at a single manhole.
In connecting these instruments to chain in sewer I use an unbreakable link N
as shown at Figures 10 and 11.

page_text: Figure 12 shows a hoe to be used in connection with the before mentioned
appliances. The hoe to the first joint to be made of light iron and the handle of.
wood or cane to be jointed and put together like a sweeps brush.
Figure 13 shows a composite fixing frame P for pulley gear with adjustable
sides and capable of being shortened or lengthened at pleasure. This drops into
the manhole and offers the clear passage as shown in Figure 14. To the sides
and screw tightening arms Q Q as shown in drawing the pulley R attached to
its rod rigidly turns with its rod let into corresponding holes in the frame as
shown.
Figure 15 represents a portion of a sewer with penstocks S, S, closing said
portion of sewer and my float apparatus A, A, in connection with windlasses T, T,
in position for cleaning the said sewer and being floated from manhole to manhole
for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is
:
1. The improved system or method and appliances for breaking up solid or
compact refuse in sewers and drains and for removing the same therefrom substan-
tially in the manner herein before described and shown in the annexed drawings.
2. The construction and arrangement of buoyant or non-buoyant bodies provided
with rollers having a cutting action as herein before described and their application
for use in sewers and drains as and for the purpose set forth.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said J. Horne.