Improvements in Cisterns.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1895
Improvements in Cisterns.
JHUGH ALEXANDER, of 13, St. Marks Road Hackney, in the County of
London, Sanitary Inspector, 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 :-
This invention is designed to protect the water supplied to households from
pollution by atmospheric, and other impurities, by the provision of an enclosed,
self cleansing, non pressure tank, combining therewith a reservoir to retain a store
of water for use on those occasions when from any cause the service from the
public main may be suspended, combining therewith also, an arrangement to give
warning, and to make known when the suspension of the service from the main
takes place. This I effect by the construction to be described, and shown in the
drawings herewith.
The reservoir A may be made of iron or steel plates, and it may be made
cylindrical, or of 4 equal or unequal sides, or of any desired shape, and of any
dimensions. I construct the said reservoir so as to expose only a minimum surface
of the water it contains to atmospheric influencies, and only for the shortest
interval, this I accomplish by the provision of an air box, B. attached to the top
and so arranged that the normal level of the water is above the top of the reservoir,
and within the area of the air box.
The air box, B. is rivetted on or otherwise secured to the top of the reservoir,
and it is fitted with a cover which is secured with bolts, in order that it may be
removable, and give access to the interior.
I connect to the air box an arrangement of twin-or double-valves C (with float
appended) which are opened, and shut simultaneously by the rising and falling of
the said float. One of the valves is connected to, and controls the service from
the public main. The other valve serves the primary purpose of supplying air
when required, to the air box, secondly it provides a way when required, for the
expulsion of air, and thirdly it serves the purpose of a warning pipe if at any time
its float fails to shut off the service from the public main.
I also attach a supplementary air valve D (with float appended) to the air box,
which will immediately be opened by the said float-and operate as an additional
warning pipe conjointly with the admission of air in the event of the twin valves
allowing the water to rise above its ordinary level.
In order that the householder may know when the supply from the public main
has been shut off, and so that he may be fully warned that for a time, he must
depend on his reserve store of water, I provide a warning valve E to close the
aperture of the main outflow pipe G in the bottom of the reservoir. The warning
valve I suspend with a chain or rod in such manner, that it will be deposited in its
seating, in the aperture of the outflow, if a small measure of the stored water is
diawn off, and then no more water can be obtained from, or through that aperture,
ntil the supply has been restored, when that takes place, the float rising with
he water raises "the warning valve" from its seating, and water can then be
drawn off as before.
The guide F controls the warning valve in a vertical direction.
To enable the householder to avail himself of the water stored in his reservoir
when the waining valve has closed the aperture of the main outflow pipe Go

page_text: I attach a supplementary outflow pipe H to the bottom, fitted with a stop cock J
and connected into the main outflow pipe, by which means, when the stop cock is
opened, the reserve store may be freely drawn off. The supplementary pipe
is raised internally a few inches above the bottom, and turned downwards to
preclude deposits taking place therein.
To preserve the purity of the water flowing through, or stored in the reservoir,
I prevent accretion or accumulation of deposits taking place therein, by constructing
the bottom with slopes falling from all sides to an aperture in a central boss K in
the bottom of the reservoir.
The boss KI form with an aperture to which I attach the main outflow pipe G,
and in the upper part of the aperture I form a seating for the warning valve E.
The boss I rivet, or bolt, on to the underside of the bottom, and it may be formed
of cast, or wrought iron, or other metal.
The base of the reservoir L is formed with angle iron rivetted or otherwise
secured on to the sides.
I will now describe the drawings filed herewith.
Fig. 1. is a plan of the reservoir A.
Fig. 2. is a vertical section of the reservoir through M. M.
Fig. 3. is a cross section of the bottom of the reservoir, and the guide F.
Fig. 4. is an elevation of the supplementary air valve D.
Fig. 5. is a section of the supplementary air valve, through N. N.
Fig. 6. is a section of the supplementary air valve, through O. O.
Fig. 7. is a section of the supplementary air valve, through P. P.
Fig. 8. is a sectional elevation of the twin valves, through Q. Q.
Fig. 9. is a front sectional elevation of the twin valves through R. R.
Fig. 10. is a plan of the bottom of the reservoir.
Fig. 11. 1s a section of the bottom, through S. S.
Fig. 12. is a section of the bottom, through T. T. extended to one side, and
showing the base of reservoir.
The action is as follows. The service from the public main being shut off, and
the reservoir being empty, the twin valve C will be open. The service being
restored, water will flow in through one valve, displacing air, which will flow out
through the other valve, until the ascending water raises the float, closing thereby
both valves at once, and shutting off thereby the further admission of water, and
the further exit of air.
In the event of the action of the float being impeded, and the valves not being
properly closed, in that case water flowing in through the water valve, would flow
out through the air valve, and give warning, in the manner of water overflowing
through an ordinary warning pipe.
In the further event of the water_valve leaking, and the air valve remaining
closed, the supplementary air valve D will immediately be opened, if the water
rises above its normal level, by the action of its float, and will operate as a
supplementary warning pipe.
When the service from the public main is suspended, the withdrawal of a few
gallons of water will lower the level of the water, and consequently the Hoat of
the twin valve, the warning valve E being suspended from that float, and
descending with it, will be deposited in its seating, and then no more water can
be drawn through the main outflow from the reservoir. The householder is in this
way warned, that the service of water from the public main is stopped. Having
received this warning, he can resort to the reserve water stored up in his reservoir,
by opening the stop cock J attached to the supplementary outflow pipe H when
the whole contents of the reservoir may be drawn off at discretion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,―
(1.) The combination with a closed in non pressure tank of an air box such

page_text: as B constructed in the manner, and for the purposes herein described, and shown
in the drawings herewith.
(2.) The combination with a closed in non pressure tank of twin-or double-
valves such as C. One valve being for the admission of water, the other valve
being for the admission, and the expulsion of air, and for use as a warning outflow
for water, the said valves operating in the manner, and for the purposes herein
described, and shown in the drawings herewith.
(3.) The combination with a closed in non pressure tank of a supplementary
air valve such as D arranged and operating in the manner, and for the purpose
herein described, and shown in the drawings herewith.
(4.) The combination with a closed in non pressure tank of a warning valve
such as E arranged and operating in the manuer, and for the purpose herein
described, and shown in the drawings herewith.
(5.) The combination with a closed in non pressure tank of a supplementary
outflow pipe such as H, fitted with stopcock J arranged and operating in the
manner and for the purpose herein described, and shown in the drawings
herewith.
(6.) The combination with a closed in non pressure tank of a bottom constructed
in the manner and for the purpose herein described, and shown in the drawings
berewith.
Dated this Twentieth day of November 1895.
H. ALEXANDER.