IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS FOR EFFECTING ABSORPTION OF NOXIOUS SEWER GASES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Percy Boulnois, of Exeter, in the County of
Devon, for an Invention of " IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS FOR
EFFECTING ABSORPTION OF NOXIOUS SEWER GASES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Percy Boulnois at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1880.
HENRY PERCY BOULNOIS, of Exeter, in the County of Devon. "IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS FOR EFFECTING ABSORPTION OF NOXIOUS SEWER
GASES."
It is well known that earth or mould has a powerful action in deodorising foccal
and other matter undorgoing decomposition, and in absorbing the noxious emana-
tions from such matters. My Invention relates to means of utilising this absorptive
power of earth or mould for the purpose of absorbing, arresting, or rendering
innocuous the gases evolved in sewers, drains, or receptacles of foecal matter. For
this purpose I provide in such parts of the sowers, drains, or receptacles as are under-
ground perforations or apertures by which gases can escape into the ground above,
protecting these apertures from access of mould and diffusing the currents that flow
from them so as to distribute the gases throughout a largo quantity of the super-
incumbent earth. Tho apertures may be formed by open brickwork or by perforated
bricks or carthenware segments or gratings in the crown of a sewer, or whero drain
pipes are used, by perforating at intervals the upper side of the pipe; or otherwise
they may be formed by placing on the crown of the sewer or drain bricks or tiles
supported at points so as to leave passages under them. In some cases I employ a
perforated hood or perforated pipe placed vertically over an opening from the sewer,
drain, or receptacle, and where there are existing manholes or shafts giving access
to a sewer, perforate their sides, providing where practicable extended perforated
surface. In all cases I cover and surround the perforations with a layer of frag-
ments of stone, pebbles, burnt ballast, or such like material, covered by layers of
smaller fragments, such as gravel, and finally by the earth or mould, these materials
being arranged in the manner of a filter, so that the gases entering the interstices
between the larger fragments become broken up and distributed as they pass
through the successive layers into the earth, whereby they are renderod innocuous.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Percy Boulnois in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
October 1880.
HENRY PERCY BOULNOIS, of Exeter, in the County of Devon.
"IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF SEWERS FOR EFFECTING ABSORPTION OF NOXIOUS SEWER
GASES."
It is well known that earth or mould has a powerful action in deodorising foecal
and other matter undergoing decomposition, and in absorbing the noxious einana-
--tions-from-such-matters--My-Invention relates.to.means of utilising this absorptive
power of earth or mould for the purpose of absorbing, arresting, or rendering
innocuous the gases evolved in sewers, drains, or receptacles of focal matter. For
this purpose I provide in such parts of the sewers, drains, or receptacles as are
underground perforations or apertures by which gases can escape into the ground
above, protecting these apertures from access of mould and diffusing the currents
that flow from them so as to distribute the gases throughout a large quantity of the
superincumbent earth. The apertures may be formed by open brickwork or by
perforated bricks or earthenware segments or gratings in the crown of a sewer, or
where drain pipes are used, by perforating at intervals the upper side of the pipe;
or otherwise they may be formed by placing on the crown of the sewer or drain
bricks or tiles supported at points so as to leave passages under them. In some
cases 1-employ-a-perforated-hood or perforated- pipo-placed vertically over an
opening from the sewer, drain, or receptacle, and where there are existing manholes
or shafts giving access to a sewer I perforate their sides, providing whero practicable
extended perforated surface. In all cases I cover and surround the perforations
with a layer of fragments of stone, pebbles, burnt ballast, or such like material
covered by layers of smaller fragments, such as gravel, and finally by the earth or
mould; these materials being arranged in the manner of a filter, so that the gases
entering the interstices between the larger fragments become broken up and
distributed as they pass through the successive layers into the earth whereby they
are rendered innocuous

page_text: Although I have mentioned fragments of stone or pebbles and gravel as suitable
materials for distributing and diffusing the gases, and ordinary earth or mould as
suitable for absorbing their noxious constituents, it may be readily understood that
other materials, such as burnt ballast, fragments of brick, slag, scoria, chalk, lime-
stone, and the like can be employed, and that the earth or mould may be prepared
by drying or otherwise, or by admixture of limo, charcoal, ashes, or metallic ores
for effecting more complete deodorisation.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim,―
The construction of underground drains or sewers with perforations in their
upper parts covered by materials for effecting the diffusion and absorption of
noxious emanations, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Percy Boulnois, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
HENRY PERCY BOULNOIS. (L.S.)