CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH SEWERS, DRAINS, AND CESSPOOLS, ALSO IN SUCTION AND DELIVERY PIPES, AND IN CONNECTING SUCH PIPES OR HOSE, THE APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH SEWERS, DRAINS, AND CESSPOOLS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENNETT
ALFRED BURTON, of the Firm of Bennett Alfred Burton and Henry Mortimer
Burton, of John's Place, Holland Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County of
Surrey, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Bennett Alfred Burton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Bennett Alfred Burton, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Bennett Alfred Burton, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
WITH SEWERS, DRAINS, AND CESSPOOLS, ALSO IN SUCTION AND DELIVERY PIPES,
AND IN CONNECTING SUCH PIPES OR HOSE, THE APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH
SEWERS, DRAINS, AND CESSPOOLS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIKE PURPOSES;""
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Bennett Alfred Burton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be

page_text: inrolled in Her Majesty's Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said 5
Bennett Alfred Burton, do hereby declare the nature of my 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, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention of certain improvements in apparatus connected with sewers, 1
drains, and cesspools, also in suction and delivery, and in connecting such
pipes or hose, relates,―
Firstly, to certain machinery or apparatus for flushing or cleansing sewers,
drains, and gulleys.
Secondly, to a new mode of constructing valves which are applicable to 1
pumps for emptying cesspools and other purposes, and also to a peculiar mode
of making and connecting suction and delivery pipes.
Thirdly, to a machine or apparatus for emptying cesspools.
And, in order that the same may be readily understood and carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
2
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of portion of a sewer, and
Figure 2 a sectional plan, shewing my improved self-acting flushing gate, as being
applied thereto. a, a, represent the brickwork in section, and 6, the flushing
gate supported by a hinge joint, which is fixed at such an angle or inclination 2
that the gate will always have a tendency to close or remain in the position
shewn in the Drawings. c is a lever moving freely upon a stud which is fixed
in the wall; the inner or bent end of the lever (marked c²) is made with a
lateral projection which bears against a projecting piece cast upon the flushing
gate, so that when the gate is shut or closed it will be retained in that position s
by the lateral projection of the lever c. The outer end of the lever c is made
somewhat heavier than the inner or bent end, so as to cause the outer end to
preponderate or fall down. d is a rod made with a slot at the lower end, and
through this slot there is passed a stud which is screwed into the end of the
lever c. The upper end of the rod d is connected to a lever e, which also 3
moves freely upon a stud fixed in the side wall of the sewer. To the opposite
end of the levere there is attached by means of a rod a float f. g is a cistern
constructed in the side wall of the sewer, which I should prefer to be at or

page_text: near the sido entrance, so that the apparatus may at any time be readily
examined and kept clean. h is a small aperture which forms a communication
between the sewer and the cistern which contains the float f. The action is as
follows:-Suppose the flushing gate 6 to be shut as shewn in the Drawings, in
which case water will begin to accumulate in the sewer and also in the cistern
g, which will have the effect of raising the float f, and by means of the rod
will elevate that end of the lever to which it is attached, and the opposite end
will be depressed until the upper end of the slot in the rod d comes in contact
with the stud fixed to the outer end of the lever c. The effect of this will be
to depress that end of the lever and raise the opposite end, whereby the
flushing gate, which has been held in the position shewn, will be liberated and
forced open by the weight of water behind it. By the time the water has run
away the gate will have closed again by its own weight, and the float f will be
gradually lowered by the escape of water through the small aperture h, until
the lower end of the slot in the rod d comes in contact with the stud, whereby
the lever c will by the weight of the float ƒ be again brought in the position
shewn at Figure 1, and the gate will again be secured for a fresh accumulation
of water and the flushing will go on as before.
Figure 3 represents an improved flushing flap or valve for drains and
gulleys. In this Figure 6 represents a flap or valve moving freely upon a pin
joint at c. d is a counter balance weight for retaining the flap in a horizontal
position, as shewn in the Drawing. e is a lever moving freely upon a stud at
e. The under side of this lever is made in the form of a hook, which fits into a
staple fixed to the flap b, so as to retain the flap in the position shewn when
there is a weight of water above it. The lever e, however, is provided with a
counterbalance, which, when the hook of the lever is once disengaged from
the staple, has a tendency to keep it so. In the upper part of the gulley there
is a cistern g'. i is a float connected by means of a rod k with a slot at its
lower end to the lever e, in the same manner as before described with regard
to Figure 1. I is a service pipe for supplying the cistern g with water for the
purpose of flushing, which takes place in the following manuer :-When the
water has accumulated in the cistern or upper part of the gulley 9 so as to
flow through the hole h into the small cistern g³, the float i will begin to rise,
and with it the rod k, until the lower end of the slot comes in contact with the
stud in the end of the lever e. The result of this will be, that the buoyancy
of the float will raise the end of the lever e so as to disengage the hook from
the flap b, and the whole of the water accumulated above the flap will be
suddenly discharged into the drain. The water in the small cistern'g' will
escape through the aperture h, and the float and rod k will descend until the

page_text: upper end of the slot comes in contact with the stud. The weight of the
float and rod will then force the hooked part of the lever e into the staple of
the 'flap, which flap has previously been brought into its horizontal position by
the counter balance d. Note.-The aperture h must be of such a size that the
time required for the escape of water from the cistern g¹ will be longer than
the time required for the escape of water from the upper part of the gulley 9,
so as to allow the flap 6 to resume the position shewn in the Drawing before
the rod begins to move the lever, as described. These remarks will also
refer to the arrangement shewn and described with regard to Figure 1.
My improvements in apparatus for flushing house drains are shewn at
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. a, a¹, Figure 4, represents a cistern divided so as to
form a double cistern or two compartments. b, b' are two valves for discharging
the cisterns through the pipe c, which leads to the drain. The valves 6 and 6¹
are attached by means of chains to a lever c, which moves freely upon an axis
at its centre, at which part of the lever there is a vertical arm c¹ provided with
a slot, and a weight at the top which acts as a tumbler, and assists in raising
the valves when the lever has passed the centre. d is a double spout or channel
moving freely upon an axis at or near the centre part thereof. An end view of
the double spout d is shewn separately at Figure 5, in which Figure d' represents
the axis, and d, d, the two channels. The spout d is connected with the
lever c¹ by means of a pin which passes through the slot, so that when the
Jever c is moved up or down, so as to raise alternately the valves 6 or b¹, as
shewn by b', the spout d will also be moved upon its axis, so that the water,
which flows through the pipe e will be conveyed into the compartment a or a¹,
as the case may be. f.f are copper balls or floats attached to each end of the
lever c. The pipe e, it may be observed, is the overflow pipe from the
cistern which supplies the house or dwelling. The action is as follows :-
When the cistern which supplies the dwelling has been filled by the supply
pipe from the street main, the water begins to flow through the overflow
pipe e; and if the lever c is supposed to be in the position shewn at Figure 4,
the overflow water will be conducted by the trough d'into that compartment
of the cistern marked a. The result will be that the end of the lever
marked c will be raised by the buoyancy of the float, which will also raise the
valve 6 from its seat, and the tumbler weight on the end of the vertical arm
will cause the opposite end of the lever c to be depressed, so as to close the
valve 6. And since the double spout d moves freely upon an axis, and is
connected by means of a pin with the vertical arm c, the spout d will be
moved so as to incline in the opposite direction, and the overflow water will
be conducted into the compartment a', in which a similar effect will be

page_text: produced, and the flushing from the two cisterns will continue alternately
so long as there is a supply of water from the overflow pipe.
Figure 6 represents two modifications of the flushing apparatus last de-
scribed. The first is by means of a two-way cock shewn at d, which is acted
upon by the lever c, c', so as to fill the cisterns a, a², alternately, the cisterns
being discharged in the manner herein-before described. The second modifica-
tion consists of making the lower part of the overflow pipe of a flexible
material, and passing it through a ring attached to the vertical arm c" of the
lever c, c', as shewn by dotted lines, so that the motion of the lever may move
the end of the overflow pipe, first over one cistern and then the other, or the
pipe may be made with an ordinary swivel joint, as will be clearly understood.
Figures 7 and 8 represent a sectional elevation and plan of another appa-
ratus for flushing by means of an oscillating cistern or cisterns as follows:-
In Figure 8, which represents the plan a, a', are two cisterns joined together,
or one cistern with a partition so as to form two compartments. The cisterns
so formed are supported by and move upon what is technically termed a knife-
edge, shewn at c. Each compartment is constructed with a projecting piece
b, b', at opposite ends of each compartment, and the cisterns so adjusted with
regard to the knife-edge that they will remain in equilibrio or balance each
other, or nearly so, in whatever position they may be placed in. This being
premised, let it be supposed that water is flowing through the overflow pipe e
from the house cistern into the compartment a'. When the water begins to rise
in the projecting part 6', such part of the cistern will become heavier than the
other or opposite end, and the cistern will begin to move upon c as a centre
until it tumbles over into the position shewn by dotted lines, and in so doing
the spindle of the valve d' will come in contact with a stop fixed in the dis-
charge pipe, the valve will therefore be raised, and the water suddenly
lischarged and conducted by the pipe f into the house drain. The cistern
having moved into the position shewn by dotted lines, the pipe e, which
previously delivered or conducted the overflow water into the cistern a', will
now begin to conduct or deliver such water into the cistern a, owing to the
channel 9 being brought underneath the end of the pipe e, by reason of the
altered position of the cisterns a and a', as will be understood. The compart-
ment a having been filled, an effect will be produced similar to that just
described with regard to the cistern a'.
Secondly, my improvements consist of a new mode of constructing valves
which are applicable to pumps for emptying sewers, cesspools, and other pur-
poses. a, a, Figures 9 and 10, represent end views of a vulcanized india
rubber or other flexible pipe. b, b, are two plates of metal about one inch

page_text: broad, more or less, rivitted to the side of the pipe in the position shewn at
Figure 9.
c, c, are also two plates of brass or other suitable metal of the
same dimensions as the plates b, b, but are cast with a projecting finger c', and
rivetted to the pipe in such manner that the projecting pieces c', c', may lap
over or fall upon the plates b, b. It will therefore be seen that if the plates
c, c¹, be pressed together, as shewn at Figure 10, the pipe will be effectually
closed, and will answer the purpose of a valve. I would observe that the
plates c, c', may be worked by an arrangement of levers connected with the
pump, so as to open and close them at the proper time.
My improvements in suction and delivery pipes, and in connecting such
pipes or hose, have for their object the application of thin sheet iron as the
material for the body of the pipe, in place of leather or vulcanized india rubber,
or a combination of both, with a spiral coil of wire, as heretofore, whereby such
pipes may be produced or made at a much less cost than those which are
now generally used for that purpose. In carrying out this part of my Inven-
tion I propose to make the body of the pipe of thin sheet iron; and in order to
render the same partly flexible, so as to adapt itself to the inequalities of the
ground, I propose to construct the joints, as shewn at Figure 12, in which
a, a, represent two portions of the sheet iron tube joined or connected toge-
ther by means of a short length of tube b, b, somewhat larger in diameter
than the tube a. The mode of connecting them is by means of four small
studs or rivets c, c, c, which, it will be seen, are placed so as to form an axis
of motion at right angles to each other, whereby the pipes when so joined or
coupled together form an universal or "Hook's" joint, which is afterwards
covered with a short length of vulcanized india rubber or other flexible mate-
terial in the form of a tube, as shewn at d, d, each end of which is bound
fast round or upon the tubes a, a, with copper wire or other suitable material.
Note, I propose to apply this form of joint and description of pipe, not only
for suction but delivery pipes, and when it was required to carry the pipe
round a corner, I propose in such cases only to employ a short length of
flexible pipe of the ordinary construction, but in cases where the water requires
to be conveyed in a direct line, or nearly so, the pipes may be made of sheet
iron, as herein-before described.
The mode of connecting pipes together according to my Invention will be
understood by the following description, reference being had to the Figures.
marked from 13 to 19. a, a, Figures 14 and 15, represent the ends of two
flanged pipes, connected together by means of a wrought-iron strap, which is
shewn at Figure 13. The lower part of the strap at b is made with a hook,
which projects over the edge of the flanges, and takes hold or bears against

page_text: one side, as shewn at Figure 14. The upper ends of the strap at 6' are made
with a slot to receive a key, which, when driven into the slotted ends, binds
against the side of the flange so as to draw the two flanges together. The
joint is made water-tight by placing between the flanges a ring of vulcanized
india rubber or other suitable packing.
Figure 16 represents another mode of connecting flanged pipes by means
of three jointed levers b, b, b, over which is passed a ring, shewn separately at
Figure 17, so that by driving the ring over the levers the heel 61 of each
lever is made to press or force the flange of one pipe against the other.
This form of joint may also be made with a ring of india rubber, as before
described.
Figures 18 and 19 represent a mode of forming socket joints according to
my Invention.
a represents a portion of a pipe having a slot of the form
shewn at b. When the pipes are put together the slot 6 slips upon a stud
rivitted to and projecting inside the socket pipe, as shewn at c, Figure 19.
the pipes being fixed together in the form or manner of a bayonet joint. d is a
short length of vulcanized india rubber or other flexible tube, fixed
the
socket pipe a' by means of copper wire or other suitable means, the oppo-
site end of the flexible tube d being bound round the pipe a by means of a
screw clip e, e, shewn at Figure 19, which completes the junction of the two
pipes.
upon
Thirdly, my improvements in apparatus for emptying cesspools is shewn at
Figure 20, and consists of a wood framework a, a, mounted upon wheels
somewhat similar to the body of a cart, which is drawn by a horse. 6 is a
cylinder of about thirty-six inches in diameter, more or less, and fitted with a
piston. c, c, is a cast-iron framework supporting a shaft d, upon each end of
which there is a handle e. f is a pinion keyed upon the shaft d, which
pinion gives motion to a wheel g keyed upon a second shaft, upon which there
is a pinion h, which gives motion to a rack i attached to and forming the
piston rod. Thus by giving motion to the handles e the piston can be raised,
and a vacuum formed in the cylinder. k is a pipe leading to the lower part of
the cylinder, and is provided with a valve or stopcock. The action of the ap-
paratus is simply as follows:-The pipe k being connected with a pipe leading
to the cesspool, the valve or stopcock is then opened, and the piston of the
cylinder b is raised in the manner described, whereby a vacuum is formed in
the cylinder, and the contents of the cesspool forced into it by the pressure of
the atmosphere. The cylinder being filled, the stop valve is closed, and the
suction pipe disconnected, and the machine with its contents removed without
the least annoyance to the inhabitants. I am aware that pumps have
been employed for exhausting a cylinder for the purpose. above described, but

page_text: in such cases the air withdrawn from the cylinder by the pumps becomes
tainted or foul, whereby the evil sought to be removed by the adoption of such
a machine still exists, that is, during the operation of exhausting the cylinder.
I also propose to employ an apparatus for emptying cesspools, in which
there is a cylinder or suitable vessel for receiving the contents of the cess-
pool, and also a small boiler and fireplace for generating steam, which is
admitted into the cylinder and condensed for the purpose of forming a vaccuum,
whereby the contents of the cesspool may be drawn into the receiver by the
condensation of steam, which will be clearly understood.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I am
aware that it has already been proposed to employ self-acting machinery
or apparatus for flushing drains and sewers. I therefore do not claim as my
Invention the application of self-acting machinery or apparatus generally; but
what I do claim as my Invention is,-
First, the general arrangement and combination of parts herein-before
described, and represented on the sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, for
flushing sewers, drains, and gulleys.
Secondly, the mode of making the joints and connecting metal pipes so as
to render them partly flexible, as described with regard to Figure 12, and the
mode of connecting pipes with regard to Figures 18 to 19.
Thirdly, I also claim the apparatus and mode of emptying cesspools, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bennett Alfred Burton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty.
סתני חגגת.
DIIDTON