IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING MUD AND SWEEPINGS COLLECTED FROM THE SURFACES OF THE STREETS AND THOROUGHFARES.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lees Rosborough, of 9, Upper Cross Road,
1
in the City of Dublin, Inspector of Cleansing and Watering City
of Dublin, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR
MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING MUD AND SWEEPINGS COLLECTED FROM THE SURFACES
OF THE STREETS AND THOROUGHFARES.'
"
Sealed the 10th May 1872, and dated the 1st February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lees Rosborough
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st February 1872.
I, JOHN LEES ROSBOROUGH, of 9, Upper Cross Road, in the City of
Dublin, Inspector of Cleansing and Watering City of Dublin, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
OR MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING MUD AND SWEEPINGS COLLECTED FROM THE SURFACES
OF THE STREETS AND THOROUGHFARES," to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has for its object the conveying away of mud and
sweepings obtained from the surfaces of streets and roads in a more

page_text: "
expeditious and economical manner than by the present costly system of
carting the same to distant depôts, and consists essentially in the use
of sunk covered cisterns situate in various convenient parts of a town,
and in communication by special pipes with the street mains, and by
other special pipes with the main outfall or depôt outside the town. To
these cisterns the collected mud or sweepings is or are carted; but as
the cisterns are numerous and situate in the most convenient districts
selected for the purpose the cartage is only over short distances, in lieu
of over long distances to the suburban depôts. The mud or sweepings
collected in the said district depôts or cisterns is there mixed with a
sufficient amount of water, obtained from the street mains, to render it
capable of being run off through the discharge pipe by gravitation along
with the water whilst held in suspension therein. In some cases the
water used may be forced under pressure along the said discharging
pipes from the cisterns, such pressure being obtained by connecting the
closed cisterns with the ordinary high-pressure street mains, or by
pumping or other well-known hydraulic machinery, or the cisterns may
be considerably elevated and provided with cart approaches to afford
access thereto, so that the liquified mud or sweepings in such elevated
cisterns will be forced by head pressure along the pipes to the general
outlying depôt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lees Rosborough in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN 2
LEES ROSBOROUGH, of 9, Upper Cross Road, in the City of Dublin, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty- 3
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Lees Rosborough, Her special licence
that I, the said John Lees Rosborough, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Lees Rosborough, my

page_text: executors, administrators, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING MUD AND. SWEEPINGS COLLECTED. FROM
THE SURFACE OF THE STREETS AND THOROUGHFARES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Lees Rosborough, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lees Rosborough, 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, that is to say :--
This Invention has for its object the conveying away of soil, mud, or
dust, or other sweepings obtained from the surface of the streets and roads,
or other loose materials excavated from the trenches intended for the
construction of house drains, street sewers, or large system of main
drainage, or for the reception of gas and water mains, in a more
economical and expeditious manner than by the present slow and costly
system of carting to some distant depots.
The great drawback to the economical and expeditious cleansing of
streets and roads, especially in large towns and cities, is the want of
numerous and convenient depots, such depots to be in the centre of
small districts for the reception of soil, mud, or dust obtained from the
streets at short distances from said depots, and then the necessity, but
much more the difficulty, of having such depots quickly emptied again;
but though such depots if numerous would be convenient, yet as they are
generally open yards for the reception of mud, dust, soil, decaying
vegetable matter, and all kinds of filth collected from the streets, lanes,
and alleys they could not be permitted (on sanitary principles) in dense
populations such as are in large towns and cities, and would be objected
to at least in the fashionable localities. Therefore in wet bad weather
and dirty state of the streets, the mud and soil (a very large percentage

page_text: being water) has to be carted long distances to depots in suburban and
outlying districts at enormous cost and great loss of time and labor,
thus necessitating the keeping up of a large and expensive staff of
drivers, horses, carts, and plant, these requiring extensive stables, stores,
and yards, causing a large outlay for rent, interest on capital sunk, 5
renewal of stud of horses, and wear and tear of plant.
By this Invention I propose the reduction of the number of drivers,
horses, and carts, and attending expense, and to make the furthest street
as convenient (for scavenging purposes), the mud and soil requiring no
longer carriage than from those streets in the vicinity of depots, as at 1
present in use.
By this Invention there could be practically a depot, inoffensive and
quickly emptied, in every district, thus supplying the great want in the
scavenging of towns and cities.
This Invention consists essentially in the use of sunk covered cisterns ]
situate in the higher parts of a town and in connexion by special pipes
with the high-pressure street water mains, and by other special pipes with
the main outfall or depot outside the town. In some cases these cisterns
might be similar in design to the sewers or culverts, but closed at the
ends, but better still they might consist of the largest size water mains 2
laid in suitable and convenient localities for this purpose; but the special
pipes intended for the conveyance of the mud and water I would have
of the smallest size consistent with the full quantity of material to be
discharged in a given time. To these cisterns the mud or sweepings or
other loose materials is or are carted, but as the cisterns are numerous
and situate in the most convenient and suitable districts for the purpose
the cartage is only over short distances in lieu of over long distances to
suburban or outlying depots. The mud or sweepings or other loose
materials collected in the said district depots or cisterns is there mixed
with a sufficient quantity of water, obtained from the street water main,
to render it capable of being run off through the discharge pipes by
gravitation along with the water whilst held in suspension therein.
From the low lying districts not having a sufficient fall to enable the
mud and water to flow along the discharge pipe by gravitation, I would
cart the mud, &c., to the cisterns in the higher districts. But where
from the length of journey or other cause this would not be judicious I
would construct large cisterns large enough to hold several loads of

page_text: mud, &c., at a time, and from these cisterns' I would force the mud, &c.,
along the discharge pipe by the force and power of water obtained from
the high pressure street water mains; or the cisterns may be consider-
ably elevated on a walled or other embankment provided with suitable
cart approaches to afford access, thereto, so that the liquified mud, &c.,
in such elevated cistern will be forced by head pressure along, the dis-
charge pipe to the general outlying depot. But where the above would
not be suitable, or where it would be necessary to raise the liquified mud
to or over high or rising ground I would use. any pumping or well-
known hydraulic machinery, such as the centrifugal pump, or one on
the screw principle, or perhaps better still a machine enclosed in a
cover but similar in design to the paddle of a steamer. By the aid of
these two later machines the velocity of the water (with the mud, &c.,
held in suspension therein) could be accelerated along the discharge pipe
without altering the direction of its current.
I would have self-acting flap valves placed at the junction of the
discharge pipes with each other and at their junction with the cistern to
prevent the reflux of water and deposit of mud in the pipes not in use.
I would also have gratings placed at the entrance of the discharge pipes
at their junction with the cisterns to prevent the entrance of matters
likely to choke them. I would also have proper screw valves placed on
the discharge pipes in suitable places to close them, or isolate any par-
ticular line of pipes.
I would have in all cases the street water mains in connection with
the cisterns; and also with the discharge pipes at their junction with
said cisterns, and at several places along their route, but especially where
they dip into hollow ground, the inlet and discharge pipes having proper
inlet and stop valves. I would also have proper blow-out valves placed
on the pipes in suitable localities, such as in bend falling into low
ground between two elevations, that in case the pipes got choked from the
settlement of sediment that they might be cleared by the force of water
obtained from the high-pressure street mains, let in at short intervals,
thus clearing short lengths of the choked pipe at a time. I would also
have suitable air chambers or valves placed on the discharge pipes for
the emission of air which accumulates in the upper parts of pipes, and
retards the flow of water through them.
For the foregoing Invention it does not require any special form of
pipes or valves, but simply such pipes or valves as are used for the regula-

page_text: :
tion, conveyance, and distribution of water to towns and cities, nor of any
special form of pumps or engines, but of such only as are well known to
engineers.
.
It is only in the application and use of closed cisterns or closed dis-
charge pipes connected by other special pipes with the street water
mains to obtain water therefrom at high pressure to liquify and force
the mud, &c., from the cisterns into and along the discharge pipes to
the outlying depot, that I claim as my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lees Rosborough, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two
JOHN LEES ROSBOROUGH. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the said
John Lees Rosborough, in
the presence of
HENRY P. REILLY.