IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH DRAINS FOR HOUSES AND BUILDINGS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Copley Woodhead, M.R.C.S., of Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH DRAINS FOR HOUSES AND BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 9th July 1878, and dated the 21st January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Copley Woodhead
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st January 1878.
WILLIAM COPLEY WOODHEAD, M.R.C.S., of Leeds, in the County of York.
PROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH DRAINS FOR HOUSES AND BUILDINGS."
"
IM-
In order to apply my improvements I, by preference, concentrate the drainage
as much as possible, and have as few outlets from the buildings or "property" ag
thought desirable, which are taken into a main pipe of suitable dimensions, and
through a ventilating shaft outside the buildings or "property."
My arrangements are as follows:-Should the portion of the drain where the
ventilating shaft communicates exceed, say, four feet in depth, the shaft will be
built, by preference, of brickwork, and provided with iron clamps or footholds for
descending into or ascending from it. The bottom of the shaft is an "invert" arch
on the same plane as the fall of the drain, and connected therewith, having a
perfectly air-tight joint. At each side of the shaft in the drain from the building,
and in the drain to the main drain or sewer, is inserted a "syphon bend;" the bend
in the drain from the house, building, or "property," is provided with a ventilating
pipe in communication with the herein-before mentioned shaft. The top of the
shaft may be covered by an ordinary street grate with hinged top.
Should the depth of the drain where communication is made not exceed, say,
four feet, the shaft may be constructed of drain or other pipes or tubes, the bottom
being in the same plane as the fall of the main drain or sewer. In other respects
the construction is the same or similar to the herein-before described arrangemont.
The advantages of the herein-before described arrangements are very beneficial,
effectually preventing the escape of sewer gas into the house or building, the drain

page_text: at the bottom of the shaft being in full communication with the open air, the
"syphon" on the house, building, or "property" side, together with the ventilating
pipe connected therewith, doubly prevents gas re-entering the house or buildings,
and the "syphon" on the main drain or sewer side prevents almost entirely gas
returning therefrom, but should any do so it passes immediately up the shaft to the
open air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Copley Woodhead in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th July 1878.
WILLIAM COPLEY WOODHEAD, M.R.C.S., of Leeds, in the County of York. "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH DRAINS FOR HOUSES AND BUILDINGS."
In order to apply my improvements I, by preference, concentrate the drainage
as much as possible, and have as few outlets from the buildings or property as
thought desirable, which are taken into a main pipe of suitable dimensions, and
through a ventilating shaft outside the building or "property."
My arrangements are as follows: Should the portion of the drain where the
ventilating shaft communicates exceed, say, four feet in depth, the shaft will be
built, by preference, of brickwork, and provided with iron clamps or footholds for
descending into or ascending from it. The bottom of the shaft is an "invert" arch
on the same plane as the fall of the drain, and connected therewith, having a
perfectly air-tight joint. At each side of the shaft in the drain from the buildings,
and in the drain to the main drain or sewer, is inserted a "syphon" bend; the bend
in the drain from the house, building, or "property," is provided with a ventilating
pipe in communication with the herein-before mentioned shaft. The top of the
shaft may be covered by an ordinary street grate with hinged top.
Should the depth of the drain where communication is made not exceed, say,
four feet, the shaft may be constructed of drain or other pipes or tubes, the bottom
being in the same plane as the fall of the main drain or sewer.
In other respects
the construction is the same or similar to the herein-before described arrangement.
The advantage of the herein-before described arrangements are very beneficial,
effectually preventing the escape of sewer gas into the house or building, the drain
at the bottom of the shaft being in full communication with the open air, the
"syphon" on the house, building, or "property" side, together with the ventilating
pipe connected therewith, doubly prevents gas re-entering the house or buildings,
and the "syphon" on the main drain or sewer side prevents almost entirely gas
re-entering therefrom, but should any do so it passes immediately up the shaft to
the open air.
And in order that my Invention may be more completely understood, reference
is given to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and marks
thereon.

page_text: Figure 1 represents a section of basement or deep drain system.
Figure 2 represents a sectional plan shewing a further application of my system.
Figure 3 is a diagram shewing my mode of ventilating street drains and main
sewers.
Figure 4 is a diagram shewing the system as applied for house or other property
drainage.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and section also for house or
other property drainage, all constructed and arranged according to my Invention.
I will first proceed to describe the Invention as shewn at Figure 4.
Should the portion of the drain where the ventilating shaft a communicates
exceed, say, four feet in depth, the shaft a will be built, by preference, of brickwork
as shewn at b, and provided with iron clamp or footholds c for descending into or
ascending from it. The bottom of the shaft at d is an "invert" arch, and may be,
when preferred, (though not necessarily so) on the same plane as the fall of the
drain, and is connected therewith by tubes e, the joints of which should be carefully
fitted and air-tight. At each side of the shaft a in the house or other property
drain e, and in the drain to the street or main drain or sewer f, is inserted a
'syphon bend" and g¹; the "syphon bend "g attached to the house, building,
or property drain e, is provided with a ventilating pipe h or h¹, this being in com-
munication with the shaft a. The top of the shaft a may be covered by an ordinary
street grate i, also the top of the ventilating shaft h with a grate j. The house,
building, or property drain e at its upper end may be provided, when required,
with an additional syphon at k, and ventilating shafts and m, and the receiver or
pipe n, which is in direct communication with the building pipes, and may be also
open at its mouth as shewn at o. Any required number of drains may be turned
into the air shaft a, as shewn at p, the area of the shaft of course varying in
accordance with such requirements.
"
Should the depth of the drain where communication is made not exceed, say, four
feet, the shaft and other parts may be constructed of earthenware or metal, and
neatly arranged together as shewn at Figures 5 and 6; in which 1 is the house
pipes; 2, the open funnel-shaped tube or receiver, and identical with o Figure 4,
and, by preference, provided with a grate at 3; 4 is the first syphon; 6, the
ventilating shaft; 5, the grate on the ventilating shaft; 7, the floor of shaft 6;
8, the second syphon; 9, the ventilating tube, which may also be covered with
a grate. This trap is so constructed that there is a considerable incline towards the
street or main drain or sewer, and the soil or other matters acquire such force in its
passage through the open ventilated pipe 2, that it rushes through the first syphon
4, when it drops at an acute angle in the open ventilating shaft 6, then through the
second syphon 8 into the strect or main sewer.
It will be seen by the above-described arrangements that there is a complete
severance of house pipes from street or main sewers, for all connections between house
pipes, street, and main sewer are severed by the double syphons 4 and 8, and
ventilating shaft 6 and tube 9; also in addition to which the receiver or pipe 2
assists in this matter by being open at the mouth. I will now proceed to describe
Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Figures 1 and 3 represent modifications and applications of my improvements,
in which a, a, are the open mouthed receivers from house drains; b, b, are the
drains from property; c, c, are syphons; e is the street or main drain, which is also
syphoned, as shewn at f, Figure 3, thereby forming a double syphon arrangement by
the combination of the property drain syphon c, and the street or main drain
syphon The shaft g is of the same description (by preference built of brickwork)
as described for Figure 4; h, h, are the ordinary street traps, which are connected
with street or main drain, as shewn at Figure 3, by means of tubes i, i, or to property
drain, as shewn at J, Figure 1. K represented in Figure 3 is also an ordinary

page_text: street trap, through which the water passes from the street level into ventilating
shaft, and thence into street or main drain.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan shewing a number of house or property drains
coupled to the ventilating shaft g, all of which drains are provided with syphons
at the point of entering the street or main drain m, which also is syphoned as
described.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and shewn by Drawings
how the same may be carried into practice, I would have it understood that I do not
limit myself to the exact limits, details, or configuration of the parts I have explained
and shewn, as the same may of course be varied or modified without in any way
departing from the nature of the said Invention, but what I claim and desire to be
secured to me by Letters Patent is, the arrangement, construction, and combination
of parts, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings
for isolating the sewer or sewers from houses, buildings, or property drains, for the
purpose of preventing gaseous contents of the sewer from entering such houses,
buildings, or property.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Copley Woodhead, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM COPLEY WOODHEAD. (L.S.)