IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- TURE OF PIPES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bewicke Blackburn, of Clapham Common, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF PIPES."
Sealed the 17th April 1855, and dated the 31st October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bewicke Blackburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1854.
I, BEWICKE BLACKBURN, of Clapham Common, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PIPES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in applying small pieces of wood or shingles laid in
a cylindrical form, overlapping each other and cemented together.
The pieces of wood or shingle preferred are about twelve inches long,
from three to five inches wide, and about one quarter of an inch thick;
these dimensions may, however, be varied. The cement preferred is the
asphalte commonly used for cementing brickwork and coating arches, tho'
other cement may be employed.

page_text: The process of laying and cementing the pieces of wood or shingle found
most convenient is as follows: A cylinder of thin sheet iron, of an
external diameter equal to the internal diameter of the intended pipe, is
mounted on a horizontal axle, and caused to revolve at about one hundred
revolutions an hour. Whilst revolving, the pieces of wood or shingle one
by one are laid and bound with a wire on to the cylinder, overlapping
and breaking joint with each other; the outer casing of thin sheet iron is
then bound round them, and the whole heated in an oven, and being set
up on one end, on a bed of dry sand, the asphalte (heated to fluidity) is
poured into the interstices; when cold, the external and internal casings of
sheet iron (which before using had been coated with lime or other matter to
prevent adhesion) are stripped off. When sockets are required, a heated
cast-iron collar of a T section is fitted on to one end of a. pipe, and of an
section on to the other end. In laying the pipes, the spigot end of each is
slightly softened by a heater, and it is then forced into the socket of the
next pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Bewicke Blackburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BEWICKE
BLACKBURN, of Clapham Common, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Bewicke Blackburn, Her special licence that I, the said Bewicke
Blackburn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Bewicke Blackburn, my 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF PIPES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Bewicke Blackburn, by an instrument in writing under

page_text: 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 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 Bewicke Blackburn, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention consists in forming pipes of various sizes, and generally from
about nine inches to three feet in diameter, and up to nine feet-or more in
length, by binding small pieces of wood together, overlapping and breaking
joint with each other in a cylindrical form, and cementing them with and
completely imbedding them in asphalte or other suitable cement.
The pieces of wood preferred for the purpose are about a quarter inch
thick, and about twelve inches to eighteen inches long; and from about three to
six inches wide. It is also preferred that they should be creazoted, and that
the grain of the wood should run obliquely to the length of the piece. For
binding the wood it is preferred to use hoop iron, about one-twentieth of
an inch thick, and about half an inch wide. The cement preferred is the
asphalte commonly used for coating railway arches, reservoirs, or other like
works. The method of making these pipes is as follows:-A cylindrical
mould, the same diameter and length as the intended pipe, is formed of thin
sheet iron. This cylinder is fixed to an axle, and made to revolve at a
speed at its circumference of about six feet a minute; and as it revolves,
the pieces of wood one by one are laid and bound on it by one or more lines
of hoop iron, which are drawn off reels by the revolution of the cylindrical
mould, friction being applied to the reels to keep the binding iron sufficiently
tight.
In Figure 1, a layer of pieces of wood overlapping and breaking every
joint with each other is thus laid and bound along the whole length of the
cylindrical mould. When the pipes are to be furnished with spigot and
faucett joints, cast-iron rings, as shewn by C, C, F, F, Figure 2, are driven
on to the two ends; a jacket of thin sheet iron is then bound closely
round the outside; the whole is then to be heated to about 220 degrees
of Fahrenheit. It is then to be set upright, and the asphate, heated to its
greatest degree of fluidity, is to be poured in at the top, between the inner
and outer cylinders of iron, so that it may flow down amongst the pieces of
wood and fill up the interstices, and make a solid concrete of the whole. When

page_text: cold, the inner and outer cylinders of sheet iron are to be removed, and the
pipe is complete. The thickness of the pipes is to be in proportion to their
diameter and to the pressure they are to stand, and the thickness is increased
or diminished by giving the pieces of wood greater or less lap.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bewicke Blackburn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
ROB J. LECKY,
Valencia, Kerry.
BEWICKE BLACKBURN. (L.S.)