Improvements in or connected with the Drainage of Stables or the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Drainage of Stables or
the like.
1 WILLIAM FRANCIS DOWNEY, Livery Stable Proprietor, of 1622 L Street,
North West, Washington City, in the District of Columbia, U.S.A. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to the drainage of stables; and it has for its general
object to provide a cheap, durable and effective means whereby the air, floor,
stalls and bedding of stables may be kept clean and free from noxious smells and
accumulation of filth, so as to prevent injury to the health of the horses or other
live-stock and diminish the cost of keeping the same by admitting of the bedding
being repeatedly used as presently described.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system of drainage which shall
be easily accessible and shall not be liable to clogging and thereby form a source
of annoyance and breeder of disease, and :
Still another object is to provide in conjunction with the drainage, a means of
ventilation, for without a means of removing the resultant gases and fumes, any
system of drainage would be fatally defective.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following
description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal vertical section through a stable embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2, is a transverse section of the same.
Fig. 3, is a plan view of two stalls.
Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail view.
The structure A, may be of any convenient form and the arrangement of the
several floors A2, A3, may be varied and as many stories used as is necessary.
The ground floor A', is similar to the others, except so far as is necessary to
modify the form of drain to adapt it to underground use.
The floors may be of
any suitable material, but I prefer a floor having a surface of granolithic or like
material, as such a surface is impervious to moisture and not liable to deterioration
from exposure to the action of the urine discharged thereon or of water used for
cleaning, or from the offal. Such a floor is also fireproof and prevents leakage
from one floor to the floor below.
The stalls B, each have a floor a, so formed as to fit the contour of the body of
the animal placed therein when such animal is lying down and in order to accomplish
this result, the floor is slightly concaved or sloped downwardly from the sides and
both ends towards a point at or near the centre. The floor is thus made highest
at those portions on which the hoofs of the animal rest when standing and any
liquid falling on such floor will therefore be drained away from the animal's hoofs
toward the lower central portion of the stall. To facilitate this draining, I form
channels a¹, in the sloping portions of the floor.
Suspended by hangers c, beneath the floors are troughs D. The troughs D, are
inclined sufficiently to give a fall to the liquid matter discharged therein. A
trap b, is located at the lowest point in the floor of each stall and covers the upper
D

page_text: end of a discharge pipe C, which empties into one of the troughs D; and said
trap is provided with small perforations so as to prevent any but liquid matter from
entering the pipe C. The troughs D, of which I prefer to arrange one below each
line or series of stalls empty into troughs D', of similar form but preferably
extending at substantially right angles to the length of troughs D. The troughs D',
communicate with a common discharge pipe D2, at their lower ends, which is
connected at its lowest end with a suitable drain below the lower floor of the
structure A, or into suitable. receptacles..
A trap E', having the proper cleaning openings and gas seal is arranged at the
communication between such discharge pipe D?, and the drain..
I prefer to make all of the troughs D, D', open at their top so that they are
readily accessible for the purpose of cleaning.
The stall partitions F, are preferably of such a height that a free air space is
provided above all the stalls on a floor. Within these partitions F, of the stalls
are formed flues f, which preferably extend only to the top of the partitions. and
open into the free air space just referred to.
The arrangement of the flues f, in the different stories; they being in alignment,
connects the air. spaces of the. floors, and the air space in the upper story with the
external air, in such a manner that the fumes and, gases which form in the
troughs D, D', are sucked upward through, the top of the building, and, never form
around the heads. of the animals, thereby preventing their inhalation and the
resultant damage to the eyesight and health, of the animals. The troughs. D, being
open, permit the immediate ascent of the gases.
By placing the discharge opening centrally of the stall and sloping the sides
and ends towards, said discharge opening, the moment, there is a discharge of liquid
it immediately finds its way to the opening and is, drained away from the hoofs of
the animal so, that, they cannot prevent, the free, and complete. exit. The
importance of this cannot be overestimated, for upon this. the healthy condition of
the animal's hoofs depends as well as keeping the stall clean and free from becoming
permeated with a mass of disease-breeding material detrimental to the animal and
increasing the cost of maintenance. I remedy such defects by the arrangement
described and this is further aided by making the bed as shown in Fig. 3. By
distributing the bedding very thin at a point over the trap b, and banking it on
the higher portions of the floor, toward the sides and ends of the stall I have
found that the animal rests comfortable and the bedding offers but a minimum
amount of resistance to the discharge of liquid matter. The dry offal is easily
removed almost unaccompanied by straw from the bedding and thereby the manure
so obtained is much less bulky, and the bedding, may be used longer for all of the
straw is useful no matter how short it may be.
The drain pipes are flushed through suitable pipes d, whenever desired so that
the ammonia therein is diluted so that very little ammoniacal gas accumulates.
The drain D³, on the ground floor is of any suitable material and the discharge
pipe and pipes connecting therewith are of the same general construction as is used
in connection with the other floors.
The troughs may be very easily cleaned by removing any one of the traps b, and
inserting a hose into one of the discharge pipes C, and it is, impossible for the same
to become stopped, up..
The. drain pipe enters a receiving-pocket or settling. basin, which is provided
with a man-hole, and said, pocket permits the heavy particles to settle to the
bottom, and, a seal, is formed by the partition, L, which depends below the level of
the liquid. From the receiving, pocket or settling basin G, the drain pipe leads to
the sewer H.
As shown in the drawings, the troughs are preferably made in sections, each of
which is provided at one end with an annular collar e', having an anuular seat, and
each section has at its other end e², an arch-shaped covering ³, extending over its
upper open side.
In placing the trough sections together, the end e³, of each section is fitted

page_text: within the collar e', of an adjacent section, and seated firmly against the seat
therein. The joints between the sections can then be caulked or made tight.
The arrangement of windows which I have shown, permits the ingress of pure
air which is directed upwardly, and thereby drives off the gases and odors while
supplying fresh air. Such arrangement also prevents any draft reaching the horses
or other live-stock in the stalls.
The operation from the foregoing description will be obvious and its advantages
apparent to those who are familiar with the needs and dangers surrounding the
care of live stock, particularly fine horses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a drainage system for stables, the combination with a stall floor, which is
coated with a suitable liquid-proof material, upon which the animal stands or lies
down and is concaved or sloped downwardly and inwardly from its sides and ends
toward the centre to form a surface conforming substantially to the contour of the
body of the animal when lying down in the stall, and forming a bank for the
bedding, a trap arranged at the lowest point in the stall floor, and connections
between said trap and a sewer, substantially as described.
2. In a drainage system for stables, the combination of a stall floor upon which
the animal stands or lies down, which is sloped or concaved downwardly and
inwardly from its sides and ends and has a series of channels or grooves formed in
its inclined surfaces, a trap arranged at the lowest point in the stall floor, said
grooves converging at said trap, and connections between the trap and sewer,
substantially as described.
3. In a drainage system for stables, the combination of a series of stalls arranged
on different floors of a building and each having a trap opening through its floor,
a series of conduits open at the top, supported below the ceiling of each story and
connected with the traps in the stalls on the floor above; air shafts formed between
the stalls in each story of the building and opening through the floor of such
story, and a discharge pipe connected with a sewer and with the stall conduits,
substantially as specified.
4. In a drainage system for stables, the combination of a series of stalls arranged
on different floors and separated by partitions of less height than the story in
which they are placed but extending above the animals' heads, a conduit open
upon its upper side, supported in the air space, receiving the drainage of the stalls
on the next floor above, said stalls heing provided with traps communicating
therewith, air passages formed by the partitions communicating with the air
space in each story, and finally with the external air, and a discharge connected
with the conduit beneath the series of stalls and a sewer, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of July 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.