Improvements in and relating to Smoke Testing and Fumigating Appliances for Drains and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Jan., 1899 -Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
Improvements in and relating to Smoke Testing and Fumigating
Appliances for Drains and the like.
I, JOHN MACDONALD, of the Firm of Burn and Baillie, Plumbers and Sanitary
Engineers, 63, Hanover Street, in the City and County of Edinburgh, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to smoke testing
and fumigating appliances for drains and the like such as that described in my
Patent No. 14056 of 1884 and has primarily for its object the regulating of the
air blast from bellows so that full blast can be kept on drain under test without
firing and overheating smoke combustible in fire chamber as at present with
the whole blast passing through fire or smoke chamber.
The improvements also enable the present machine to register any desired pres-
sure on drain under test and to have a connection to drain by inflated plug and
thus do away with clay or other jointing material.
I carry these improvements into effect as follows. In comunication with the
bellows I adopt a four or multiple way cock connected to which is a bye-pass tube
passing round water chamber and attached to outlet from smoke chamber by
means of this cock the whole or any part of blast from bellows can be made to
pass through the fire or smoke chamber the remainder or part of blast passing-
round same through bye pass pipe and meeting or mixing with smoke at outlet
and thus allowing full blast from bellows to enter drain at a much cooler tem-
perature than if the whole blast was passing through fire or combustion chamber
as heretofore,
By an alternative arrangement separate cock may be fitted on bellows and on
smoke chamber.
Attached to the bye-pass pipe is a piston or expansion coupling to which is.
connected a small air tight tank with one tube joined to top and another, tube
dipping to bottom of tank. To the dip tube is connected a flexible tube with
small cup attached which can be raised to any height required for water pressure
by means of telescope tubes attached to machine. By filling tank with water
the pressure of air from drain under test acting upon the surface of water in tank
will force same up flexible tube into cup where it will remain stationary if drains
or soil pipes are tight. The float of machine is fixed down on bearing washer or
seat in water chamber by means of bridle and screw attached to framework of
machine and the float is protected by a metal bridge piece and clamp.
If higher pressures than bellows will generate are required, air pump and pres-
sure gauge can be applied to piston coupling and the cock communicating with
bellows be shut off.
An inflated plug would be fitted between outlet of machine and drain to be
tested to keep this airtight without clay or other joints.
This inflated plug would consist of a central metal tube with flanges at each
end, and have an outer rubber tube, a chamber being formed between the metal
and rubber.

page_text: The central metal tube would be covered with canvas, asbestos or other non-
conducting material to prevent the rubber being damaged by the heat from same.
Dated the 2nd day of Anril 1898
.1
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
Improvements in and relating to Smoke Testing and Fumigating
Appliances for Drains and the like.
I, JOHN MACDONALD, of the Firm of Burn and Baillie, Plumbers and Sanitary
Engineers, 63, Hanover Street, in the City and County of Edinburgh, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement that is to
say--
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to smoke testing
and fumigating appliances for drains and the like such as that described in my
Patent No. 14056 of 1884 and has primarily for its object the regulating of the
air blast from bellows so that full blast can be kept on drain under test without
firing and overheating smoke combustible in fire chamber as at present with
the whole blast passing through fire or smoke chamber.
The improvements also enable the present machine to register any desired pres-
sure on drain under test and to have a connection to drain by inflated plug and
thus do away with clay or other jointing material.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of explana-
tory drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of a smoke testing and
fumigating apparatus arranged according to my improvements. Figure 2 is a
plan view of same. Figures 3 to 7 represent views of gauges for indicating leak-
ages and presures. Figure 8 is a sectional view of the entrance plug to drain,
and Figure 9 is a view of inflated search plug in drain pipe.
Referring to these drawings:-
I carry these improvements into effect as follows. In communication with the
bellows A I fit a pipe A¹ which passes round water chamber B and is attached
to a four way crosspiece C. A cock A is fitted on the pipe A¹. Communication
is made from bellows A to smoke chamber 6 by means of a pipe B'; fitted with
a cock or valve B2. Communication is made from smoke chamber b to outlet
pipe D. By regulating the cocks A2 and B2, the whole or any part of blast from
bellows A can be made to pass through the fire or smoke chamber b, the remain-
der or part of blast passing round same through pipe A¹ and meeting or mixing
with smoke at outlet D and thus allow full blast from bellows and smoke to enter
drain at a much cooler temperature than if the whole blast was passing through fire
or combustion chamber b as heretofore.
When it is desired to work the air pressure from bellows A direct to drain,
without passing through smoke chamber b, a rubber plug a with central tight-
ening up spindle a¹ and end metal flanges a² is inserted into the tube B¹ so as to
prevent any entrance of air into smoke chamber 6 when the valve B2 is shut off.
A cock E¹ is fitted on one of the branches of the four way crosspiece C, and
a pipe E leads from this to any ordinary air pump. By this means when higher
pressures are required than the bellows A can generate, the cocks A³ B² are shut
off and the cock E¹ opened to air pump.
On the top branch of the four way crosspiece C a removable pin F is fitted, and

page_text: indicating gauges can be coupled to this branch when pin is withdrawn by a
tightening up thumb screw F. As shown in Figures 3 and 4 float gauges can
be used, consisting of an outer casing f in which works a float or plunger f
and which works on the same principle as the float b₁ of the smoke chamber b,
the pressure of air entering the orifice f¹ to raise the float f2 while any leakage
will at once be indicated by the falling of the float f². Covers f³ are fitted over
these gauges. These gauges Figures 3 and 4 are for giving quick indications of
leakage where low pressures are employed. In the arrangement shown in Figure 5
an ordinary pressure gauge is used, but with a nipple for inserting into the
branch of the crosspiece C. Figure 6. represents sectional and front elevations
of a canvas and rubber bag gauge g, having a perforated tube gl secured between
two flanges g³ the expansion or contraction of the bag indicating whether leak-
age is present.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 7 water is forced from the vessel Z
through the rubber tube Z¹ into the gauge glass 72 and so indicates the pressure.
As shown in Figure 8 an inflated canvas bag plug would be fitted between outlet
of machine and drain to be tested to keep this air tight without clay or other
joints. This inflated plug would consist of a central metal tube G¹ with flanges G³
at each end, and have an outer rubber tube G³ a chamber G being formed
between the metal and rubber.
The central metal tube would be covered with canvas, asbestos or other non-
conducting material G4 to prevent the rubber being damaged by the heat from
same.
The outside rubber is protected by canvas bag G5 and rings of rubber G6 placed
on outside of canvas and make a secure joint. The bag G would be inflated
through an orifice G7. The smoke from the apparatus would enter by the entrance
tube D2.
As shown in Figure 10 a wire 'cage Y may be fitted on end of tube G¹ shown
in Figure 8. Combustible material would be placed in this cage and ignited
before inflating the stop plug, and by this means the smoke test can be applied at
high pressure.
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:-
First. In smoke testing and fumigating appliances, the arrangement of sepa-
rate pipes and cocks for controlling the air pressure from bellows to smoke
chamber or drain, substantially as herein set forth.
Second. In smoke testing and fumigating appliances, the arrangement of four
way crosspiece with connections substantially as set forth.
Third. In smoke testing and fumigating appliances the arrangements of indi-
cating gauges substantially as set forth.
Fourth. In smoke testing and fumigating appliances the arrangement of air
pump connection in combination with pressure indicating gauges substantially
as set forth.
Fifth. The general arrangement in combination of the smoke testing and
fumigating machines and appliances, substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated 1911...
1
1000
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.