Im- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAIN AND OTHER PIPES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Crabb Creeke, of Bournemouth, in the
County of Hants, Architect and Surveyor, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAIN AND OTHER PIPES."
Sealed the 17th October 1862, and dated the 21st April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Crabb
Creeke, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st April 1862.
I, CHRISTOPHER CRABB CREEKE, of Bournemouth, in the County of Hants,.
Architect and Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAIN AND OTHER PIPES," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to substitute earthenware or stoneware pipes.
for the iron or lead pipes now used in the transmission of gas, water, and.
sewerage under pressure, the object being to effect a material economy thereby..
To this end I mould the pipes so that their ends shall lock the one into the
other. The sockets and flanges which I employ may vary in form, so as to
present either one or two abutting surfaces, but in all cases I mould these
ends of the pipes with wedge-shaped projections and recesses, which by an
axial motion being given to one of the pipes shall serve to draw the ends of,
the pipes together, and make a secure joint. Before thus securing the pipes,
I insert suitable packing or cement between the abutting surfaces, so that

page_text: when the pipes are laid in place and screwed up, their joints will be water or
gas tight. These pipes I propose also to construct with side sockets to receive,
when required, a branch pipe; but such sockets may be closed until required
for use by a cover fitting the socket after the manner of the pipe to be applied
thereto.
Another improvement which I propose to introduce is to form a kind of
trough pipe which is to be inverted and placed over the drain, water, or gas
pipe to protect it from the superincumbent pressure, and from injury from
workmen when engaged in disturbing (for the purpose of street repairs or
otherwise) the adjacent ground.
In some cases I propose to make the ends of the stoneware pipes without
flanges or sockets, and to introduce these plain ends into a short sleeve pipe
formed with recesses at its ends to receive suitable packing or cement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Christopher Crabb Creeke in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
CRABB CREEKE, of Bournemouth, in the County of Hants, Architect and
Surveyor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Christopher Crabb Creeke, Her special license that I, the said
Christopher Crabb Creeke, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Christopher Crabb Creeke, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAIN AND
OTHER PIPES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Christopher
Crabb Creeke, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be

page_text: "
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Christopher Crabb Creeke, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the substitution of earthenware or stoneware pipes
for the iron or lead pipes now used in the transmission of gas, water, and
sewage under pressure, the object being to effect a material economy thereby,
and to supersede the use of lead, found to be so injurious where employed to
convey water for domestic purposes. The objection hitherto to such pipes
has been their tendency to leak from the imperfect character of the joints or
couplings; this, however, I now propose to remedy by constructing a joint,
which, when put together, is elastic enough to allow of that insensible
depression at each joint, the waut of which has hitherto prevented the use of
stoneware pipes for the conveyance of fluids under pressure; to this end I
mould the pipes so that their ends shall lock the one into the other, and draw
tightly together. The sockets and flanges which 1 employ may vary in form,
so as to present either one or two abutting surfaces; but in all cases I mould
these ends of the pipes with wedge-shaped projections and recesses, which by
an axial motion being given to one of the pipes, shall serve to draw the ends
of the pipes together, and make a secure joint, preserving, however, until the
joint has hardened, the elasticity referred to. Before thus securing the pipes,
I insert suitable packing or cement between the abutting surfaces, and I also
lubricate the entire surface of the socket and its counterpart, by which means,
when the pipes are laid in place and screwed up, water or gas tight joints will
be secured.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews, in side view, a series of
earthenware or stoneware pipes made and connected together according to
this Invention; Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the same; and
Figures 3 and 4 are views of the coupling ends of adjacent pipes. It will be
seen that a socket is made at the end A of the pipe to receive a rebated
projection B of the adjoining pipe. An annular recess is made in the
socket A. to receive lateral projections on the rebated end B. Lateral
openings are made to give these lateral projections access to the annular
recess, as shewn at Fig. 2. One side of this annular recess being inclined, as
shewn, it will, with the lateral projections on the end B make a kind of
bayonet joint that will insure close contact between the abutting surfaces 1, 1,

page_text: of the coupled pipes when the pipes are drawn together by turning one or
other on its axis. A movement in the reverse direction will permit of the
separation of the coupled pipes. Before coupling the pipes together, I pro-
pose to run some suitable cement around the end B, or to interpose some
suitable bed between the contact surfaces of the pipes, as well as to lubricate
the entire of the surfaces of the joint as before said, so as to ensure a close
joint between the surfaces 2, 2, of the coupled pipes. Stone or other ware
pipes, made so as to interlock and draw tightly together, as above described,
I propose also to construct with side sockets to receive (when required) a
branch pipe, but such sockets may be left solid or closed until required for
use, and can be made use of at any time, or be abandoned without prejudice.
At Fig. 1, C represents a side socket for receiving a branch pipe, and at
Fig. 5, which is a cross section of the pipe, this socket C is shewn as
closed; when required for use, the part D is broken away.
Figures 6 and 7 shew, in side view and longitudinal section, my improved
construction of pipe with the coupling ends slightly modified in form, the
object being in these modifications to effect this new mode of constructing
the joint without altering the form or general thickness of the present common
socket pipe, whereas in the former case the socket and the pipe throughout
are uniform in thickness, which I prefer for obtaining increased strength for
facility of manufacture, and for the advantage of laying more solidly and
bearing uniformly throughout its length.
Another improvement which I propose to introduce is to form a kind of
spanner pipe, which is to be placed over the drain, water, or gas pipe to
protect it from the superincumbent pressure when laid in positions requiring
such protection. This combination of drain, water, or gas pipe is shewn in
cross section at Fig. 8, E being the spanner or covering pipe.
In some cases I propose to make the ends of the stoneware pipes without
flanges or sockets, and to introduce these plain ends into a short sleeve pipe
formed with recesses at its ends to receive suitable packing gaskin or cement.
This arrangement is shewn in longitudinal section at Fig. 9, where F, F,
represent the ends of two pipes inserted into opposite ends of a sleeve pipe G,
of stoneware, recessed at 3, 3, to receive the caulking cement. Figures 10
also shew a modified form of sleeve pipe, intended to adapt itself where pipes
require connecting or altering under circumstances not allowing of the usual
joint first described, and for which purpose I make the sleeve pipe with or
without flanges or rebates to receive the caulking.
Having now set forth the nature of my improvements in the construction
of drain and other pipes, and explained the manner of carrying the same

page_text: into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
'Letter Patent, I claim the means above described for effecting the coupling
of and preventing the leakage in main and branch pipes composed of stoneware
or earthenware.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Crabb Creeke, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
CHRISTOPHER CRABB CREEKE. (L.S.)