CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LYSANDER HALE, of Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty, by Her Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of October, in the tenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Lysander Hale, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her
special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said James
Lysander Hale, my exors, admors, and assigns, and every of them, by myself
himself, and themselves, or by my, his, and their deputy or deputies, servants,'
or agents, or such others as I, the said James Lysander Hale, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, and Her
Majesty's Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and within
the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Man, and all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, in such manner as to me the said James
Lysander Hale, my exors, admors, and assigns, or any of them, should in my,
his, or their discretion seem meet, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, PARTS OF
WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES;" in which Patent there is contained

page_text: a proviso that I, the said James Lysander Hale, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an'instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the now reciting-Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Lysander Hale, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by this present instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, in the words herein-after written, and by reference to the
Drawings herein-after referred to..
Now, the nature of my Invention is, first, to prevent the escape of foul or
noxious air, gases, steam, and vapours from drains, engines, pipes, and other
machines or apparatus, and to obviate the effect arising from the corrosion
and wasting of iron and metallic substances, of which valves and their hinges
and beds are composed, and to promote and facilitate their more free and
perfect action; and, secondly, to promote the free and pure circulation of the
common or atmospheric air by withdrawing from it noxious gases and vapours
arising from drains, engines, pipes, and other machines or apparatus, and giving
such gases and vapours a direction and current; and the manner in which
such Invention is to be performed to prevent the escape of foul or noxious
air, gases, steam, and vapours from drains, engines, and pipes, and other
machines or apparatus, and to obviate the effect arising from the corrosion
and wasting of iron and metallic substances of which valves and their hinges
and beds are composed, and to promote and facilitate their more free and
perfect action, is as follows:-
First, I use an instrument of the same shape and form as the common iron
sewer trap; but instead of the pipe part of such trap being made of iron, I
use a pipe made of brown stone ware or glass or any other fitting substance
which will not corrode; but I prefer brown stone ware, inasmuch as brown
stone ware is more durable and cheaper than any other substance applicable to
the purpose with which I am acquainted, and instead of the valve or flap of such
instrument being made of iron, and attached to the pipe part of such instru-
ment by iron or metal hinges, I use a valve or flap made of vulcanized indian-
rubber, gutta percha, or any other substance, whether simple or compound,
that is flexible and durable, but I prefer vulcanized indian-rubber; and I attach
such valve or flap to such pipe made of brown stone ware or such other sub-
stances as are durable and will not corrode as aforesaid, by a hinge or rivets
made of vulcanized indian-rubber, gutta pėrcha, or any other substance that

page_text: is flexible and durable. The flexible hinge is applied in a similar manner to
the ordinary iron or metal hinge, and it may be secured to the valve or flap
and pipe by a certain well-known adhesive solution manufactured by the
Kampticlican Company, called "elastic cement," and this I prefer; but it may
be secured by rivets, or by wire, or any other suitable and convenient means.
The use of this part of my Invention is to prevent the corrosion of the hinges to
which the common iron or metal trap is subject, and from which it has frequently
become altogether useless. I sometimes, after the flap or valve is attached to
the pipe itself, attach also to that part of the flange of the pipe which forms
the bed on which the valve or flap rests, a piece of flexible material of the
same kind as that used for the valve or flap hinge; and the use of this last
application of the flexible material is to render the joint formed between the
valve or flap and its bed air-tight. My flexible hinge may be used with great
advantage and economy in situations where moisture, damp, or other vapours
corrode or wear away iron or other metal or rigid hinges, or otherwise impede
the free and perfect action of such hinges.
Secondly, to prevent the escape of foul or noxious air, gases, steam, and
vapours from drains, engines, and pipes, and other machines and apparatus,
and to obviate the effect arising from the corrosion and wasting of iron and
metallic substances of which valves and their hinges and beds are composed,
and to promote and facilitate their more free and perfect action, I also use
another kind of valve or flap which is made as follows:-I take a sheet of
flexible material, generally vulcanized indian-rubber, usually about one-eighth
of an inch thick, and of any form to suit the aperture to be trapped. On one
side of this sheet I fix, by means of any adhesive solution, or by rivets, or by
wire, or any other suitable means, an iron, or metal, or stone, or other heavy
plate, or, instead of the said iron, or metal, or stone, or other heavy plate, a'
number of metal ribs. If I use the iron or metal or stone plate, it entirely
covers the flexible sheet, and the use of such iron, metal, or stone plate is to
press by its weight the flexible sheet on its bed that the joint may be air-tight.
If, instead of an iron, métal, or stone plate, I use the iron or metal ribs, they
entirely cover the flexible sheet, excepting a space varying from one-sixteenth
to one-eighth of an inch between each. I prefer manufacturing this plate
and these ribs out of galvanized tinned iron, this substance being the best
kind of metal for hydraulic purposes, as it resists the effects of damp, and is
not liable to erosion. The use of these ribs, and the advantage they possess
over the metal plate, may be illustrated as follows:-Suppose the valve is
covered with eight ribs, each rib being two inches wide; now,
if water two
inches deep is flowing out of the pipe, it raises the first or lower rib on the

page_text: valve and no more, while the other seven ribs pressing the portion of the valve
beneath them on to its bed renders the valve air-tight during the egress of
water. Hitherto no kind of valve has been used or invented to effect this
purpose; the action of the common iron flap is to permit a large space for
the escape of foul air.
:
Thirdly, instead of using the last-mentioned description of valve, I some-
times prefer taking a round plate of galvanized iron, and by a straight cut
dividing it into two unequal parts; I then join the parts again by applying
their edges parallel and nearly close together, and securing them by an indian-
rubber band or by a band of any other material flexible and durable, which
acts as a hinge; this valve is then attached to the mouth of the pipe by fixing
the lesser part of it, generally by copper wire or rivets, to the end of the pipe,
while the other part is free to swing upon its hinge, and thus afford egress to
the water flowing from the pipe into the sewer.
:.
Fourthly, my improvements include another kind of valve, which is made
as follows:-I attach to the end of the pipe to be trapped a curved plate; this
plate has a hole in the centre corresponding to the bore of the pipe. I cover
this hole with a diaphragm made of any material flexible and durable. I. fix
'the diaphragm to the plate by rivetting all round, excepting a certain portion at
the bottom just 'sufficient that when the valve or diaphragm is open, there
shall be the same space for the egress of water as is contained in the cross
section of the pipe. I sometimes cover this diaphragm with a curved metal
plate to protect it from injury. The use of the last-described valve is to gain
more effectually the object sought in the construction of the ribbed valve, vide-
licit, the prevention of the escape of foul air during the egress of water. The
successful working of the diaphragm depends on the nature of the flexible mate-
rial used in its construction. Perfect flexibility is necessary to ensure complete
success. The same may be said with regard to the flexible material used in
'the construction of the ribbed valves. This valve is of particular use in certain
situations where it is desirable to keep pipes clear during the rise of tides or
other waters.
That part of my Invention connected with drainage and sewerage, and which
is intended to promote the free and pure circulation of the common or atmo-
spheric air, by withdrawing from it noxious gases and vapours arising from
drains, engines, pipes, and other machines or apparatus, and giving such gases
and vapours a direction and current, is also applicable to the more efficient
drainage and drying of houses, foundations, walls, and every description of
building; and I'make this part of my Invention as follows:-I take a sheet
of metal, and from one end or two sides of it cut out straight portions, as

page_text: represented in the Drawings Nos. 1 and 2, the spaces left after this operation
from the apertures through which the damp air, foul air, steam, smoke, noxious
gases, and vapours escape. These apertures may be of any shape or dimensions,
and they may be either alike or dissimilar in respect of form and size; the
principle involved in my construction is not affected by varying them. I now
take the sheet thus prepared, and form it into a cylinder or prism of any num-
ber of sides, or any other figure that may be considered more convenient. The
principle involved in its construction is not affected by its form so long as
there is a passage left for the escape of the effluvia to be drawn off. In future
reference to this part of the apparatus, for the sake of distinction, I shall call
it the inner cylinder. I now take another sheet of metal of larger dimensions
than the first, and form it into a cylinder or a prism of any number of sides
or any other figure more convenient, but generally of the same form as the
inner cylinder; with this (which in future reference I shall term the outer
cylinder) I surround that part of the inner cylinder containing the apertures
in such a manner as to make the upper end of the inner cylindar on a level
with the upper end of the outer cylindar. I now secure the two cylindars
together by any of the known methods, only taking care that the way for the
currents of air between the two cylindars shall not be much obstructed. I
cover the top of the inner cylindar containing the apertures with a plate of
metal, to prevent, what is commonly called, a down draught. Two similar
sections of it are seen in Figures 3 and 4, and a top view in Figure 5. This
part of my Invention I generally apply outside of the building for which it is
intended, and it acts in this manner :-It is constructed so that when put in
contact with a current of air it causes a great draught to pass through it, and
by this means drains away all moisture, damp air, &c. I dry damp walls and
apartments very speedily by putting this apparatus upon the top of chimnies
connected with them. The manner in which it effects this is as follows:-It
creates a strong rush of air up the chimney, and by this means throws double
the quantity of heat into the apartment, and causes a quick and constant
circulation of air, which rushes in through all apertures to supply the waste.
by the chimney. Hence, I have found this part of my. Invention invariably
efficacious in the prevention of smoky chimnies, and in the ventilation of
buildings, churches, public and private rooms,.&c., where it is required to get
rid of foul air or any other noxious vapour or gases, and to supply a free circu-
lation of air.
Other improvements forming part of my Invention relate to the application
of brown stone ware instead of iron or common stone in the manufacture of
sewer and drain gratings. This part of my Invention is particularly applicable

page_text: to private drainage of houses. I also use this part of my Invention, instead
of the iron gratings in common use, in the face of walls to produce a free
circulation of air for drying purposes, and when thus applied I call it an
air brick..
The parts of my Inyention applicable to steam engines are the valves
described in the former part of this Specification, and are used in precisely
the same way as valves already in use.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lysander Hale, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
JAMES LYSANDER (L.S.) HALE.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
James Lysander Hale, in the presence of
H* W* BULL,
•
25, Ely Place, Holborn,
Solicitor.
T. G. HUNT, Clerk to said H. W. Bull.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid James Lysander Hale came before our.
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and everything therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose..
Enrolled the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven...
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