IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF MAINS OR PIPES FOR CONVEYING OR CONDUCTING STEAM OR HOT WATER UNDERGROUND AND IN APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH THE SAID MAINS OR PIPES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Whiteman of No. 7 Staple Inn in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE ARRANGEMENT OF MAINS OR PIPES FOR CONVEYING OR CONDUCTING
STEAM OR HOT WATER UNDERGROUND AND IN APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH
THE SAID MAINS OR PIPES A communication from abroad by the American
Heating and Power Company of the City of New York in the County and
State of New York United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Whiteman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1882.
WILLIAM THOMAS WHITEMAN of No. 7 Staple Inn in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF MAINS OR PIPES FOR
CONVEYING OR CONDUCTING STEAM OR HOT WATER UNDERGROUND AND IN
"
APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH THE SAID MAINS OR PIPES [A communication
from abroad by the American Heating and Power Company of the City of New
York in the County and State of New York United States of America]
In laying mains for the conveyance of steam or hot water it is customary to
take off branch and service pipes for the supply of buildings and for other
purposes at or near points where the mains are held immovable or nearly so and
it is at these points alone that the mains are ordinarily tapped for supplying steam
or hot water to buildings or for other purpose.
The object of this Invention is to provide mains which may be tapped at any
point, such points generally not being secured so as to be immovable or nearly so.
For this purpose the underground mains used for conveying steain or hot water
are divided in conveying and distributing mains the character and purpose of which
will now be described.
The conveying mains are similar to those in ordinary use fitted with expansion
joints, and secured rigidly at suitable points. It is prefered to lay these mains in
F
•

page_text: water light boxes, pipes or trenches and to provide man holo openings giving access
from the street at the points where the expansion joints are fitted and the mains
held rigidly. At such points the distributing mains are attached and they are
carried along both in the same direction as the conveying mains, and also branching
therefrom in various directions.
The distributing mains are also preferably laid in water tight boxes pipes
or trenches and differ from the conveying mains principally in the following
particulars
1st. The distributing mains are not continuous as are the conveying mains and
one end of each distributing main being free no expansion joints or rigid con-
nections (other than their points of attachment to the conveying mains) are
required.
2nd. The distributing mains are fitted with connections for branch pipes.
arranged so as to give a connection for every building along the street or district
through which a distributing main is run so that connection with any building
can be made with even greater ense than obtains in the case of an underground
main used for conveying cold water or gas.
3rd. The water tight box pipe or trench is so constructed that a branch of the
same can readily be attached at any point where a service pipe is run out.
Both the conveying mains and the distributing mains may be made double to
provide both for the conveyance of the steam and hot water from and their return
to the steam generators or the water heaters.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Thomas Whiteman in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th October 1882.
WILLIAM THOMAS WHITEMAN of No. 7 Staple Inn in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF MAINS OR PIPES FOR
CONVEYING OR CONDUCTING STEAM OR HOT WATER UNDERGROUND AND IN
APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH THE SAID MAINS OR PIPES." A communication
from abroad by the American Heating and Power Company of the City of New
York in the County and State of New York United States of America.
In laying mains for the conveyance of steam or hot water it is customary to
take off branch and service pipes for the supply of buildings and for other purposes
at or near points where the mains are held immovable or nearly so and it is at
these points alone that the inains are ordinarily tapped for supplying steam or hot
water to buildings or for other purpose.
The object of this invention is to provide mains which may be tapped at any
point such points generally not being secured so as to be immoveable or nearly so.
For this purpose the underground mains used for conveying steam or hot water are
divided into conveying and distributing mains the character and purpose of which
will now be described.
The conveying mains are similar to those in ordinary use fitted with expansion
joints and secured rigidly at suitable points. It is preferred to lay those mains in
water tight boxes pipes or trenches and to provide man hole openings giving access
from the street at the points where the expansion joints are fitted and the mains
held rigidly. At such points the distributing mains are attached and they are
carried along both in the same direction as the conveying mains and also branching
therefrom in various directions.
The distributing mains are also preferably laid in water tight boxes pipes
or trenches and differ from the conveying mains principally in the following
particulars
1st. The distributing mains are not continuous as are the conveying mains
and one end of each distributing main being free no expansion joints or rigid
connections (other than their points of attachment to the conveying mains) are
required.
2nd. The distributing mains are fitted with connections for branch pipes
arranged so as to give a connection for every building along the street or district
through which a distributing main is run so that connection with any building
can be made with even greater ease than obtains in the case of an underground
main used for conveying cold water or gas.
3rd. The water tight box pipe or trench is so constructed that a branch of the
same can readily be attached at any point where a service pipe is run out.
Both the conveying mains and the distributing mains may be made double to
provide both for the conveyance of the steam and hot water froin and their return
to the steam generators or the water heaters.
The accompanying drawing clearly shows the manner in which the two classes
of mains are to be laid.
In the drawing A represents a conveying main laid in a box or pipe B
(preferably made watertight) the main being covered with insulating material C
which may partly or wholly fill the space between the main A and the interior of
the box or pipe B. The main A should be supported at suitable intervals on
bearings or rollers in any of the well known methods,

page_text: D is a chamber accessible from the street through the man hole opening E and
in the chamber D is an expansion joint F of any well known form and a portion
of the main A which is held immoveable or nearly so by the anchors gỗ, g' or by
any other suitable means.
To this portion G is connected a distributing main II provided with a valvo h¹
so that this tonin can be shut off to attach a service pipe or for any other purpose.
This distributing main is enclosed in a box or pipe I (preferably inade water tight)
and is covered with insulating material which may fill partly or wholly the
space between the distributing inain H and the interior of the enclosing box or
Pipe I
At suitable intervals as at the distributing main has a connection to which
a service pipe can be attached, and run into a building or elsewhere by removing a
plug or its equivalent. In fitting up this distributing main H the connections
for servico pipes are made at short intervals so that a service pipe can he run
directly into every building along the street or district through which the
distributing main Ĥ passes.
The Figure shows the attachment of one servico pipe K surrounded by a pipe
box or trench (preferably made water tight) and covered with some insulating
material M.
It will be seen that the box or pipo I surrounding the distributing main has
connections O corresponding to the connections h³ in the distributing main II and
the openings in these connections O which are closed at points where no service
pipes are attached by caps or plugs o' are sufficiently large to allow the service
pipes free movement under changes of temperature. The distributing main and
service pipes should be supported at suitable intervals but as this and other
similar matters are well known to persons skilled in pipe fitting I have not
considered it necessary to describe them at length.
Pipes for conveying steam and hot water laid underground have been used for
many years and the general principles to be observed in laying them are well
understood by skilful pipe fitters. This invention does not relate to such details
but to a combination of conveying and distributing mains and service pipes laid
for the purposes which 1 have described in any of the modes which experience
shows to be suitable.
It is obvious that by using mains laid in the manner doscribed above service
pipes can be run wherever desired with much greater facility and with less expense,
thin has heretofore been possible. It will be seen further that by running off
branch distributing mains according to the methods described above, a much
larger district can be supplied with steam from a given amount of conveying innin
than has heretofore been the case. Generally in a district of a city, town or
village, consisting of longitudinal streets and lateral streets at right angles to each
other or approximately so all the buildings in the district can be satisfactorily
supplied with steam or hot water from a system of conveying mains in every
longitudinal street in connection with distributing mains in every lateral street.
In certain districts still greater economy of conveying mains (which are much
more expensive than the distributing mains on account of their greater size
expansion joints, rigid connections and man hole openings) can be secured.
Although for the sake of simplicity I have described and illustrated a single
conveying and distributing main this invention is not limited to this special
arrangement the said invention being applicable to those arrangements in which
more than one main is laid in ench box or pipe; and in general it is preferred to
make each main (both conveying and distributing) double for the conveyance of
steam or hot water to the place of use, and for the return of the condensed steam
or cooled water to the building in which thu generators are situated.
Having thus described the inture of this Invention and the manner in which it
is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as the said invention of
"Improvements in the arrangement of mains or pipes for conveying or conducting

page_text: steam or hot water underground and in appliances connected with the said mains
or pipes."
First A system of mains or pipes for conveying steam or hot water under
ground comprising conveying and distributing inains the latter connecting at
one end with said conveying mains and having their other end free so as to be
able to expand throughout their entire length substantially as described
Secondly The combination with the conveying mains of distributing mains
having one end free so that they can freely expand or contract and service pipes
led off from the said distributing mains only substantially as described.
Thirdly-In a system of underground mains or pipes, the combination with the
conveying mains, of distributing mains having one end free and provided at
suitable intervals with connections or means for the ready attachment of service or
supply pipes substantially as described.
Fourthly―The combination with the distributing mains having one of their ends
free as described and provided at suitable intervals with connections for service or
supply pipes of an enclosing pipe or box having corresponding connections or
openings closed where there are no service pipes attached by suitable caps or plugs
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Thomas Whiteman have hereunto
set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. T. WHITEMAN (L.S.)