Improvements in Sewer Ventilators.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewer Ventilators.
I THOMAS CANIK of Albert Park Road Malvern Link Engineer's Assistant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Experience has shewn that the common method of ventilating sewers by means
of open shafts communicating therewith and terminating with an open grating at
the surface of the roadway or ground becomes at times a nuisance and dangerous
to health from the emanation therefrom of the sewer air with its noxious and
dangerous contents and the multiplying of such ventilators with the view of
diluting the sewer air has failed to remove the objection. An investigation into
the cause of the occasional emanation of the foul odours has shewn 1stly that
unless the air be issuing from the ventilator at a considerable velocity the air is so
diluted by the atmosphere as to render the otherwise obnoxious odours imper-
ceptible. 2ndly that the ventilators serve sometimes as air inlets and at other
times as outlets and that the direction and force of the wind are the chief factors
in determining the velocity of the sewer air currents and which of the ventilators
in any system of sewers shall for the time serve as inlets or outlets. The objects
of this invention are 1st to distribute more equably the ingress and egress of the
sewer air over all the ventilators in the system of sewers to which it may be applied
and thus diminish the velocity of the outflow from any particular ventilator
2ndly to permit such a degree of freedom for the escape of the sewer air as to
prevent any pressure upon the water seals or other traps upon the private or other
drains connected to the sewers and 3rdly to filter the sewer air in its passage to the
external atmosphere so as to remove the microbes germs or other matter suspended
therein. The means by which I accomplish this and which is the subject of this
application, is by placing in the ventilating shaft, filling its entire sectional area
and to such depth as may be found desirable some air filtering medium as cotton
wool, slag wool, siliceous earth or other suitable material either carbolised or
otherwise treated with disinfectants or without such treatment.
The method of applying it may vary according to the form of the ventilator but
generally a wire basket inserted of the internal dimensions of the ventilating shaft
in which the air filtering medium is placed is sufficient so that the sewer air in its
passage to the external atmosphere shall pass through the filtering material and not
over or around or past it merely, as in charcoal and other existing forms of
ventilators employed with the view of absorbing or disinfecting the noxious gases
only. The device is applicable to ventilators whether terminating at the surface
of the ground or otherwise.
Dated this Twelfth day of September 1892.
THOMAS CANIK.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewer Ventilators.
I THOMAS CANIK of Woodland View Loudon Road Worcester formerly of
Albert Park Road Malvern Link Engineer's Assistant 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 :-
Experience has shewn that the common method of ventilating sewers by means
of open shafts communicating therewith and terminating with an open grating at
the surface of the roadway or ground becomes at times a nuisance and dangerous to

page_text: health from the emanation therefrom of the sewer air with its noxious and dangerous
contents, and the multiplying of such ventilators with the view of diluting the
sewer air has failed to remove the objection. An investigation into the cause of
the occasional emanation of the foul odours has shewn Istly that unless the air be
issuing from the ventilator at a considerable velocity the air is so diluted by the
atmosphere as to render the otherwise obnoxious odours imperceptible. 2ndly that
the ventilators serve sometimes as air inlets and at other times as outlets and that
the direction and force of the wind are the chief factors in determining the velocity
of the sewer air currents, and which of the ventilators in any system of sewers
shall for the time serve as inlets or outlets. The objects of this invention are
1st to distribute more equably the ingress and egress of the sewer air over all the
ventilators in the system of sewers to which it may be applied and thus diminish
the velocity of the outflow from any particular ventilator. 2ndly to permit such a
degree of freedom for the escape of the sewer air as to prevent any pressure upon
the water seals or other traps upon the private or other drains connected to the
sewers, and 3rdly to filter the sewer air in its passage to the external atmosphere
so as to remove the microbes germs or other matters suspended therein. The
means by which I accomplish this and which is the subject of this application is by
placing in the ventilating shaft some air filtering medium as cotton wool slag wool
silicieous earth or other suitable material either carbolised or otherwise treated
with disinfectant or without such treatment.
The method of applying it may vary according to the form of the ventilator,
but generally a wire basket inserted of the internal dimensions of the ventilating
shaft in which the air filtering medium is placed is sufficient so that the sewer
air in its passage to the external atmosphere shall pass through the filtering
material and not over or around or past it merely as in charcoal and other
existing forms of ventilators, employed with the view of absorbing or disinfecting
the noxious gases only. The device is applicable to ventilators whether
terminating at the surface of the ground or otherwise.
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
The insertion in the sewer ventilators of a plug of cotton wool or other air
filtering material for the purposes hereinbefore set forth viz. (a) the removal of
the dangerous elements of the sewer air by filtration through the material
employed; (b) the avoidance of nuisance by distributing more equally the ingress
and egress of sewer air into and from the ventilators, thus preventing a current
of air of high velocity being concentrated in and through any particular ventilator,
securing such a dilution of atmospheric air as to render any odours imperceptible,
(c) to afford a free ingress and egress of air to the sewers.
2000
THOMAS CANIK.