IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING SEWERS, DRAINS, RÉSERVOIRS, AND OTHER WATERWAYS; APPLICABLE ALSO FOR DISCHARGING MEASURED QUANTITIES OF WATER OR OTHER FLUID
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert William Peregrine Birch, of 5, West-
minster Chambers, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer; for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR FLUSHING SEWERS, DRAINS, RÉSERVOIRS, AND OTHER WATERWAYS;
APPLICABLE ALSO FOR DISCHARGING MEASURED QUANTITIES OF WATER OR
OTHER FLUID."
-
Sealed the 25th September 1874, and dated the 2nd April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert William
Peregrine Birch at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 2nd April 1874.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM PEREGRINE BIRCH, of 5, Westminster Chambers,
Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS"
POR FLUSHING SEWERS, DRAINS, RESERVOIRS, AND OTHER WATERWAYS, APPLICABLE.
ALSO FOR DISCHARGING MEASURED QUANTITIES OF WATER OR OTHER FLuid,” to bẹ,
as follows:-
·
:
This Invention has for its object to provide an automatic apparatus by:
means of which sewers, drains, reservoirs, and other waterways may be
periodically flushed, or by means of which measured quantities of water:
!

page_text: or other fluid may be discharged on a large scale, as for instance in
sewage utilization or defication works.
The apparatus consists of a buoyant dam by means of which the
Invert of a sewer, channel, or waterway is stopped, and the water or
sewage held back until sufficient water or sewage is accumulated to float i
and raise the dam which then moves from an inclined to a vertical
position, and in so doing becomes free to make a partial turn upon pins
projecting from its two opposite sides and leave the penned back water
or sewage free to flow down the sewer or channel, the portion of the dam
which before was uppermost then floats upon the surface of the stream
until the water level has descended to such an extent that this end of
the dam comes into position to close the invert of the waterway and
stop the downward flow of the water or sewage: Each end of the dám
has a collar of leather fixed around it to fit against the invert of tho
sewer or waterway and prevent the passago-of water or sewage between ]
the dam and the invert. This collar is fixed to the edge of the dam
which is away from the pent up water or sewage so that this water or
sewage may act upon the dam to float it:
In order that when the dam is floated and turns over on its axes, as
above described, that the end which before was uppermost should have a
a tendency to fall, I employ two pins or axes on either side of the dam
and at a short distance apart from each other; as the 'dam commences
to float the lower of each of the two pins becomes the axis upon which
the dam turns. Or a single oval pin might be used in place of two
separate pins. The pins are received in slots in the two arms of a forked a
suspending picce which is carried from a weighted bar which is free
to rise or fall a short distance, and the lower ends of the arms of the
fork abut against stops which project from the sides of the sewer or
channel and keep the dam from being carried down the channel by the
stream or flow. The slots in which the pins or axes are received a
are shaped thus ✓. When the dam commences to float, the pins or
5.
axes are brought into the position shown by the two dots, and then
commence to raise the forked suspending piece and weighted bar above-
mentioned until the dam is sufficiently lifted to allow of its turning, the
dam then makes a partial turn upon the lower pins which then rest
upon the central ledge of the slot and remain upon this ledge until the
dam has made a half revolution or nearly so.

page_text: The object of causing the dam as it rises to lift the weighted bar from
which it is suspended before the dam is free to turn is to prevent the
dam from commencing to revolve before its pins or axes rest fairly upon
the bearing ledge of the slots before mentioned.
.
The apparatus may be erected either with or without a safety overflow
and with or without a grating to arrest large floating substances, as may
be required.
The principal advantages of the arrangement above described are that
it is entirely self acting, inasmuch as it discharges the liquid it is
required to discharge as soon as that liquid has arrived at the desired
height and closes the passage as soon as it has fallen to such level as
may be fixed upon for the surface of the smallest flow to be allowed,
that it is applicable to any sewer or channel and involves but little
alteration in it, there being no projection or recess necessary in the
bottom of the channel; that there is no accuracy or fit required beyond
what can be obtained by an ordinary bricklayer, as the pressure of the
liquid is relied upon to put the dam in its proper place wherever it may
fall and to make it water-tight..
A counting annaratus may be used for recording the number of turns
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent,
.
filed by the said Robert William Peregrine Birch in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 2nd October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILLIAM PEREGRINE BIRCH, of 5, Westminster Chambers, Victoria
Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-seventh
Cyear of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the, said Robert William Peregrine Birch, Her special
license that I, the said Robert William Peregrine Birch, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
William Peregrine Birch, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and.
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING SEWERS,
DRAINS, RESERVOIRS, AND OTHER WATERWAYS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR DISCHARGING
MEASURED QUANTITIES OF WATER OR OTHER FLUID," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert William Peregrine Birch, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert William Peregrine Birch, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object to provide an automatic apparatus-
by means of which sewers, drains, reservoirs, and other waterways may
be periodically flushed, or by means of which measured quantities of
water or other fluid may be discharged on a large scale, as for instance
in sewage utilization or defecation works.
The apparatus consists of a buoyant dam by means of which the
invert of a sewer channel or waterway is stopped, and the water or
sewage held back until sufficient water or sewage is accumulated to float
and raise the dam which then moves from an inclined to a vertical
position, and in so doing becomes free to make a partial turn upon pins
projecting from its two opposite sides and leave the penned back water
or sewage free. to flow down the sewer or channel, the portion of the
dam which before was uppermost then floating upon the surface of the
stream until the water level has descended to such an extent that this
end of the dam comes into position to close invert of the waterway.
and stop the downward flow of the water or sewage. Each end of the
dam has a collar of leather or other material fixed around it, to fit against

page_text: the invert of the sewer or waterway. and prevent the passage of water or:
sewage between the dam and the invert; this collar is fixed to the edge:
of the dam which is away from the pent up water or sewage so that this.
water or sewage may act upon the dam to float it.
In order when the dam is flóated and turns over on its axes, as above
described, that the end which before was uppermost should have a
tendency to fall, I employ two pins or axes on either side of the dam
and at a short distance apart from each other; as the dam commences:
to float the lower of each of the two pins becomes, the axis upon which
the dam turns; or a single oval pin might be used in place. of two
separate pins; the pins are received in slots in the two arms of a forked.
suspending piece which is carried from a weighted bar which is free to
rise or fall a short distance, and the lower ends of the armis of the fork
abut against stops which project from the sides of the sewer or channel
and keep the dam from being carried down the channel by the stream
or flow. The slots in which the pins or axes are received are shaped
thus
°
5.
When the dam commences to float the pins or axes are-
brought into the position shewn by the two dots and then commence to
raise the forked suspending piece and weighted bar above mentioned until
the dam is sufficiently lifted to allow of its turning, the dam then makes a
partial turn upon the lower pins which then rest upon the central ledge
of the slot and remain upon this ledge until the dam has made a half
revolution or nearly so.
The object of causing the dam as it rises to lift the weighted bar from.
which it is suspended before the dam is free to turn is to prevent the
dam from commencing to revolve before its pins or axes rest fairly upon
the bearing ledge of the slots before mentioned.
The apparatus may be erected either with or without a safety overflow
and with or without a grating to arrest large floating substances, as may
be required.
The principal advantages of the arrangement above described are that
it is entirely self acting inasmuch as it discharges the liquid it is required
to discharge as soon as that liquid has arrived at the desired height, and
oloses the passage as soon as it has fallen to such level as may be fixed
upon for the surface of the smallest flow to be allowed; that it is

page_text: applicable to any sewer or channel and involves but little alteration in
it, there being no projection or recess necessary in the bottom of the
channel; that there is no accuracy of fit.required beyond what can be
obtained by an ordinary bricklayer, as the pressure. of the liquid is relied.
upon to put the dam in its proper place. wherever it may fall and to
make it water-tight.

page_text: over until what was previously its upper end comes to bear against the
invert of the sewer or channel.
I claim the arrangement within a sewer or other channel of a buoyant
self-inverting dam, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert William Peregrine Birch,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
R. W. PEREGRINE BIRCH. (L.S.)