Improved Construction and Arrangement of Interceptors for Sewers and Drains.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction and Arrangement of Interceptors for Sewers
and Drains.
I WILLIAM SYKES Surveyor Town Hall Walham Green London S.W. do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the construction of improved interceptors for
sewers or drains, and is made of stoneware, earthenware concrete, iron or any
other similar material, and is made or cast in one piece.
It has for its object an interceptor, invert to manhole, ventilator to house
drain, ventilator to public sewer by means of the openings A. A' also two
inspection shafts B. B' (as shown on the accompanying drawings), the object is
to dispense with the complicated arrangements now in use, and to concentrate
such arrangements into an interceptor &c. &c., of the kind herein mentioned.
I combine the invert of the manhole with the interceptor by building the same
in the manhole in the position shown by which means the velocity of the sewage
is maintained right through the invert of the interceptor and carried away
instead of lodging in the open channel as is the case with the arrangement now
in vogue it is easily accessible and being situate in the manhole full control is
obtained over the various parts.
I form outlets or ventilators by means of the openings A. A¹ (shown on
accompanying drawings) the opening A' shows an easy means of ventilating the
main sewer, it is now contended that if every house by means of an upcast
shaft performs its share there will be no foul or offensive sewer gases remaining
in the sewers.
;
I also form openings B. B¹ for inspecting and cleansing the respective drains.
I propose to manufacture the interceptor in the manner shown and of the
material herein mentioned and of such thickness as may be necessary the invert
being made with an easy curve so that the sewage flows easily away and is not
retarded in its flow.
I form a base on the interceptor by which means it is kept perfectly steady
whilst being fixed, it also gives the interceptor greater support. I also manu-
facture the interceptor with a slight fall or in other words make it slightly out'
of dead level so as to conform better to the gradient of the sewer by which a
better flush is also obtained, but I also propose to make the interceptor with a
level base in which case they will be fixed dead level.
Fig. 2, shows another form of the same interceptor in the centre of which I
make an inlet which will admit of receiving sewage or liquid from other channels
which may enter the chamber or manhole the interceptor in every other respect
is made the same as before described.
I propose stopping the openings to inspection shafts &c. by means of a screw
stopper compressing a clay band the threaded portions of the stopper will be
attached according to my Patent 15901-1891.
Dated this 29th day of April 1893.
W. SYKES,
Applicant.

page_text: Improved Construction and Arrangement of Interceptors for Sewers
and Drains.
I, WILLIAM SYKES, formerly of The Town Hall, Walham Green, in the County
of Middlesex, but now of 18 New Bridge Street, Blackfriars, in the City of
London, Surveyor, 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 now
common to provide in connection with house drains, a covered
inspection chamber formed below the level of the ground, there being formed in
the bottom of this chamber an invert or open channel that leads the sewage from
one or more drain pipes that open into the chamber, to one end of an interceptor
which holds a liquid seal, and at its other end is in communication with the sewer.
Owing however to the invert at the bottom of the said chamber being open to the
body of the chamber, the arrangement possesses several disadvantages, and under
some circumstances, well understood by those versed in sanitary matters, may prove
a source of considerable danger.
Now this invention has reference to an improved construction and arrangement
of interceptor adapted to serve the two-fold purpose of interceptor and inspection
chamber invert in such a manner as not only to obviate the disadvantages attaching
to the above mentioned ordinary arrangement but so also as to provide when
desired for ventilation of the sewer as well as of the house drain.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews in vertical section a combined
interceptor and inspection chamber invert constructed and arranged according to
this invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
As will be seen, the interceptor shown (which may be made in one piece of any
suitable material such as stoneware, earthenware, concrete, or iron) comprises the
following features, viz. :-(a) a passage 1 the lower portion of which is made to
Berve in lieu of the ordinary inspection chamber invert, and which passage is con-
structed with a dip 2 adapted to hold liquid to form a seal; (b) a branch 3 adapted
to be connected by a fluid tight joint with the house drain 4; (c) an inclined
inspection branch 7 that is normally closed fluid tight by a plug 8 and is so arranged
that, upon removing the plug, ready access can be obtained to the house drain;
(d) a branch 9 adapted to be connected by a fluid tight joint with the pipe 12
leading to the sewer; (e) an inclined inspection branch 11 normally closed fluid
tight by a plug 14 on removal of which access is afforded to the sewer pipe 12.
The branches 7 and 11 may advantageously be strengthened by a rib 15 connecting
them and the body of the interceptor.
In the example illustrated 5 is a vertical branch adapted to be connected by a
fluid tight joint with an air inlet pipe 6 leading to any suitable place and terminating
it may be in a box provided with a mica flap valve adapted to allow air to enter
but not to escape from the said pipe in a manner well understood; 10 is a like
branch similarly connected to the lower end of a ventilating pipe 13 which extends
to a suitable height above the ground so that the external air may act to create an
upward draught in the said pipe and its connections, and thus ventilate the sewer
at this point.
My improved interceptor constructed as described may be provided with a
base 16 by which it can be supported in a perfectly steady manner whilst being
fixed at the bottom of the inspection chamber 17, which may be done by bedding
it on a concrete or other suitable bed 18*. The interceptor may also be made with
a slight fall so as to better conform to the gradient of the sewer, by which means
a better flush will be obtained, but it may be provided with a horizontal base, or

page_text: fixed so as to be horizontal, if desired. When it is wished to connect more than
one drain with the sewer, the interceptor is provided with an additional inlet
branch or branches. When one additional connection only is needed, the branch
for effecting this may be a vertical one extending from a point directly above the
liquid seal, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings filed with my Provisional Specifi-
cation. I consider it more advantageous however to form the additional branch or
branches on one side, or on opposite sides of the interceptor, and on the house side
thereof, as indicated in dotted lines at 18.
The various joints may advantageously be made in the manner and by the means
described in the Complete Specification of another application for Letters Patent
filed by me dated 12 April 1893, No. 7498, the plugs 8 and 14 being made fluid
tight when screwed home, by means of a washer of suitable material, as for example
a clay or india rubber band, so that they can be readily removed when necessary.
All the joints may however be otherwise formed if desired.
As will be seen, by my invention a perfectly closed and trapped connection is
effected at the bottom of the inspection chamber, between the house drain or drains
and the sewer, and all liability of noxious gases or other matter escaping into and
accumulating within the inspection chamber is avoided, whilst at the same time
providing for the ventilation of the sewer.
As will be obvious the form of my interceptor and the relative arrangement of
its branches can be variously modified without departing from the essential features
thereof. Thus in cases where the fall in the sewer is great, the drain end of
the interceptor with its branches may be made higher than the sewer end thereof
with its branches; furthermore although I consider it advantageous to provide
ventilating pipes in the positions indicated, the drain and sewer might be otherwise
ventilated so as to render it unnecessary to construct my interceptor with the
ventilating branches 5 and 10 or one of them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. An interceptor for sewers and drains adapted to serve the two-fold
purpose of interceptor and inspection chamber invert as hereinabove described.
2. An interceptor for sewers and drains, comprising (a) a passage the lower
portion of which is made to serve in lieu of the ordinary inspection chamber
invert, and which passage is constructed with a dip adapted to hold liquid to form
a seal; (b) a branch adapted to be connected by a fluid-tight joint with a house
drain; (c) an inclined inspection branch that can be normally closed fluid-tight by
a plug and is so arranged that, upon removing the plug, ready access can be
obtained to the house drain; (d) a branch adapted to be connected by a fluid-tight
joint with a pipe leading to a sewer; and (e) a second inclined inspection branch
that can be normally closed fluid-tight by a plug on removal of which access will
be afforded to the sewer pipe, substantially as described.
3. The construction and arrangement shewn in and described with reference to
the annexed sheet of drawings (with or without ventilating branches 5 and 10, or
one of them,) wherein the lower portion of the passage 1 of my improved interceptor
constitutes the invert of the inspection chamber 17 with which and the pipes 4
and 12 it is combined as set forth.
DL: 00L 1
T1004
W. Lloyd Wise,
W. SYKES.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.