An Improved Process for Detecting Leakages in Soil Pipes and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Detecting Leakages in Soil Pipes and
the like.
I, RICHARD TELLER CRANE, of No. 2541 Michigan Avenue in the City of Chicago,
in the County of Cook and State of Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer
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:
It is well known that it is very difficult to detect the presence of sewer gas in
houses, especially if the leaks are small.
My invention relates to a method whereby these leakages can be detected with
almost absolute certainty. In the ordinary method of testing the plumbing in a
building, for the purpose of discovering leakages of sewer gas, peppermint or some
other very volatile liquid, having a very strong pungent odour is employed, the plan
being to introduce this fluid into the pipes in some way so that the vapour will escape
through very small openings in any of the pipes, and so indicate the leakage by its
odour in one or more rooms in the building. One method is to close all the pipe
openings but one and then pour the liquid into this opening so that the presence of
defects will be indicated by the escape of the odour, as mentioned above. Another
plan is to drive the fluid into the pipe at some one point from a receptacle on the
outside thereof.
Neither of these methods however is entirely reliable as the fluid, if a liquid must
be extremely volatile and the odour very pungent, it is almost impossible to use it
under either of the methods mentioned above without some escape of odour outside of
the pipes and hence the presence of the odour in a room or rooms will not always
indicate a leakage thereinto from the plumbing. It is the object of my present
improvements to obviate these objections by rendering the escape of the odouriferous
vapour outside of the soil pipes impossible and so prevent any confusion of the
examiner through the influence of odours arising outside of the pipes. This result is
accomplished by introducing the fluid directly into the soil pipe at the lower portion
thereof, enclosed as an hermetically sealed receptacle, which is afterward opened or
broken within the pipe. There is, therefore, no escape for the odouriferous vapour
from the soil pipe and its connections, except through leakages or the regular outlet,
and hence the presence of the odour in any part of the building will, with certainty,
indicate a defect in the plumbing sufficient to permit the leakage of sewer gas.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have illustrated in the
accompanying drawing one way in which I have practically and successfully carried
out iny invention, which drawing shows a vertical section of a portion of the soil pipe
with an instrument applied thereto for the introduction and liberation of the odouri-
ferous fluid.
In this drawing, A represents a portion of the soil pipe of the building to be tested,
the location selected being at the lower part of the building. A hole a, is bored into
this pipe to permit the insertion of an instrument adapted to introduce the detective
fluid into the pipe and there release it. The instrument shown in the drawing
consists of a spindle B, which is provided at one end with a chamber or cage band at
the other with a suitable handle, b' and between these two with an enlarged boss or
collar 6 which is threaded. The opening a in the side of the soil pipe is also threaded
and is adapted to receive the threaded boss on the spindle, the latter being turned into
the former; and for the purpose of obtaining a perfectly tight joint these two parts
are preferably made of conical form, so that a perfectly tight fit will always be insured,
and if necessary this joint may be sealed. The solid portion of the spindle is bored
throughout its length, this bore being screw-threaded a portion or all of its length. A

page_text: rod or plunger C is threaded and adapted to fit the bore in the spindle, so that it may
be turned back and forth therein, being provided with a crank c, at the outer end
projecting from the spindle for this purpose. A stuffing box D, is secured to the
outer end of the spindle A and the plunger rod C passes through this stuffing-box, 50
that a perfectly tight joint is formed at this point between the spindle and plunger.
A detective fluid is enclosed in a small vial E, of glass or other fragile material and
this vial is hermetically sealed in any suitable way. I have found it a good method
of sealing to cover the cork and mouth of the vial with a good coating of varnish or
other similar material, and in practice have also found it desirable to cover the entire
body of the vial with this varnish, for thereby all odour arising from any portion of
the fluid which may have adhered to the exterior of the receptacle is prevented and
also all leakage of the contents thereof during its manipulation. This hermetical
sealing of the receptacle is very important for, as already stated above it is essential to
the success of my method that there shall be no escape of odour until the fluid is
released inside of the soil pipe..
In practising my method with the device herein shown and described, the hole a is
bored in the soil pipe at or near the bottom of the building. One of the sealed
vials E is then placed within the cage of the spindle, which may be done by with-
drawing the plunger rod and passing the vial through the bore of the spindle. The
plunger rod is then returned and the spindle inserted in the hole cut through the soil
pipe, being screwed into the latter by means of the handle. The vial is thus placed
within the soil pipe, as seen in the drawing, and the joints by which the insertion is
made are perfectly tight. The plunger rod is now turned forward until it crushes the
vial, thereby releasing the fluid which escapes from the cage through slots or openings
cut therein. The pungent vapour will now fill the soil pipe and all its connections
and if there be any leakage will escape into the adjoining room or rooms of the
building where its presence will be instantly detected. The presence of this vapour
outside of the soil pipe and its connections, except through such leakages, is however,
entirely prevented so that wherever the odour is detected a leakage is indicated with
absolute certainty.
The above description of devices is given for the purpose of illustration only, for
the practice of my invention is not confined to any particular instrument or device.
It is only necessary that the receptacle for the fluid shall be hermetically sealed and
that some instrument shall be provided suitable for introducing this receptacle into
the soil pipe and then releasing the contents of the receptacle. The receptacle itself
may be of glass or other fragile material and broken by the instrument in which it is
held to release the contents, or it may be of material not readily broken, in which case
it must be opened in some suitable way by an appliance working through tight joints
in the holder of the receptacle; the cork may be drawn by a suitable device or the
receptacle perforated.
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 1
claims is :-
The herein described method for detecting leaks in soil pipes in buildings, the same
consisting in introducing the detective fluid into the interior of the soil pipe in an
hermetically sealed receptacle by a suitable holder inserted in the pipe, and then
breaking or opening said receptacle within the pipe by a suitable device operated from
the outside thereof, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 12th dow of Anant 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.