IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VENTILATION OF HOUSE DRAINS APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE WARMING AND VENTILATION OF APARTMENTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE CRAPPER of 9 Walton Street Chelsea in the County of Middlesex
Plumber do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE VENTILATION OF HOUSE DRAINS APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE WARMING AND
VENTILATION OF APARTMENTS, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a simple effective and economical mode of and means
for utilizing the otherwise waste heat from the kitchen ranges or other fire places
of a house for the purpose of ventilating house drains and soil pipes or for warming
and ventilating apartments.
In carrying out my Invention I retain the ordinary system of soil pipes from
the water closets continuing the same up above the parapet or eaves of the
roof of the house as heretofore but I dispense with the use of a cowl on the top
of the soil pipe for inducing an up current through the same and leave the
mouth open.
It is well known that sewer gas is heavier than air and that any impure air
contained in the soil pipe at the time of a closet being used will be forced down
into the drains by the sudden action and weight of the water there being no
escape (should there not be sufficient wind to produce an up current) consequently
the impure air must escape through the various outlets into the house.
Now according to my Invention I fix or form a cast iron or other suitable air
heating chamber in the flue at the back of the kitchen range or other fireplace in
the house and carry from the bottom of such chamber a wrought iron or other pipe
which I connect with the nearest point in the drain. From the top of the said
chamber I carry a ventilating or up-cast pipe to a sufficient height in the flue
through the side of chimney jamb to the external wall whence it is carried up
above the parapet or eaves of tho roof.
The action of the heat in the flue raises the temperature of the chamber and
thereby causes a powerful current of air to pass down the soil pipe along the drains
and up the up-cast pipe or shaft.
The direct communication of the drain with the sewer is cut off as usual by
means of a Weavers or other syphon trap with inspection chamber which chamber
I provide with an inlet for fresh air fitted with a mica or other suitable valve

page_text: opening inwards so as to be closed by the internal pressure of air when the closet
is used thereby preventing any impure air from escaping therefrom.
I am thus enabled by the aid of the heating chamber to produce a constant
current of fresh air passing along the drains and up the up-cast shaft as well as
down the soil pipe which forms the down-cast shaft there being at all times a
continuous down draught through the soil pipe and also a current of fresh air from
the inlet into the inspection chamber along the drains to the heating chamber and
thence up the up-cast pipe.
The heating chamber can be readily fixed or formed in the construction of the
flue at the time of setting the range or grate and is therefore particularly applicable
in the construction of new buildings.
.
The said air heating chamber may obviously be adapted to any existing range
or fire place in any part of the building. It will also be readily understood that
by carrying the pipe which communicates with the lower part of the heating
chamber out into the open air, in lieu of into the house drain, a constant supply
of heated pure air may be directed from the up-cast shaft into any one or more of
the apartments thereby effectually warming and yentilating the same.

page_text: I GEORGE CRAPPER of 9 Walton Street, Chelsea in the County of Middlesex
Plumber do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
VENTILATION OF HOUSE DRAINS APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE WARMING AND
VENTILATION OF APARTMENTS " and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My said Invention relates to a simple effective and economical mode of, and
means for, utilising the otherwise waste heat from the kitchen ranges or other fire
places of a house for the purpose of ventilating house drains and soil pipes or for
warming and ventilating apartments.
In carrying out my Invention I retain the ordinary system of soil pipes from the
water closets continuing the same up above the parapet or eaves of the roof of the
house as heretofore but I dispense with the use of a cowl on the top of the soil pipe
heretofore employed for inducing an up current through the same and I leave the
top of the soil pipe fully open for the ingress of a down current of air.
It is well known that sewer gas is heavier than air and that any impure air
contained in the soil pipe at the time of a closet being used will be forced down
into the drains by the sudden action of the water, there being no free escape for it
(should there not be sufficient wind to produce an up current) consequently the
impure air must find its way through the various outlets into the house.
Now according to my Invention I fix or form a cast iron or other suitable air
heating chamber in the flue at the back of the kitchen range or other fire place in
the house and carry from the bottom or one end of such chamber a wrought iron or
other pipe which I connect with the nearest point in the drain. From the top or
opposite end of the said chamber I carry a ventilating or up-cast pipe to a sufficient
height in the flue through the side of the chimney jamb or otherwise to the external
wall whence it is carried up above the parapet or eaves of the roof.
The action of the heat in the flue raises the temperature of the chamber and
thereby causes a powerful current of air to pass down the soil pipe, along the
drains and up the up-cast pipe or shaft.
The direct communication of the drain with the sewer is cut off as usual by
means of a "Weavers" or other well known syphon trap with inspection chamber
which chamber I provide with an inlet for fresh air fitted with a mica or other
suitable valve opening inwards so as to be closed by the internal pressure of air
when a closet is used thereby preventing any impure air from escaping therefrom.
I am thus enabled by the aid of the heating chamber to produce a constant
current of fresh air passing along the drains and up the up-cast shaft as well as
down the soil pipe which forms the down-cast shaft there being at all times a
continuous down draught through the soil pipe and also a current of fresh air from
the inlet into the inspection chamber along the drains to the heating chamber and
thence up the up-cast pipe.
The heating chamber can be readily fixed or formed in the construction of the
flue at the time of setting the range or grate and is therefore more particularly-
(though not exclusively) applicable in the construction of new buildings..
The said air heating chamber may obviously be adapted to any existing range or
fire place in any part of the building.
It will also be readily understood that by carrying the pipe which communicates
with the lower part of the heating chamber out into the open air in lieu of into
the house drains a constant supply of pure air may be drawn into the said chamber
and directed in a more or less heated condition by pipes leading therefrom to any

page_text: one or more of the apartments of the building thereby effectually warming and
ventilating the same.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an ordinary dwelling house and front area
showing the application thereto of my improved method of and means for
ventilating the soil pipe and house drain and warming and ventilating the
apartments thereof.
Figure 2 is a vertical detail section of the kitchen fire place drawn to a larger
scale and showing the air heating chamber in position at the back thereof.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are separate details showing two forms of air heating
chamber detached in partial section.
a is the air heating chamber of cast or wrought iron or other suitable material
and of any convenient form and dimensions. This chamber is situate behind any
of the fire places in the building (shown partly broken away in Figure 1 to indicate
more clearly the position of the chamber and the pipes leading thereto and
therefrom).
In Figures 3 and 4 the air heating chamber is of a flattened and rectangular
form, and in Figures 5 and 6 it is represented as of tubular construction. It is
connected at its lower part by a junction pipe b either with a pipe c leading to the
nearest point in the house drain d or with a pipe c¹ leading to the external air
according as it may be required to ventilate the soil pipe and drain or to warm and
ventilate any of the apartments by supplying pure warm air thereto. The upper
part of the air heating chamber communicates in the former case directly through
the junction pipe b with the up-cast shaft or pipe e of metal or earthenware
carried either inside or outside the building to any suitable height above the roof
or parapet thereof as shown in Figure 1 to carry off the foul air. f is the soil pipe
which constitutes a down-cast ventilating shaft. The several closets communicate
with this pipe as heretofore and it opens at its lower end into the house drain d as
is well understood. g is an ordinary "Weaver's" or other syphon trap for cutting
off the direct communication between the house drain and the main sewer. h is the
usual inspection chamber closed by a removeable lid but provided with a fresh air
inlet i fitted with any ordinary mica or other sensitive valve at k opening inwards
so that it shall be closed by the internal pressure of the impure air and gases
produced by the flushing of any of the closets thereby preventing the escape of the
same through the valve and avoiding all risk of its gaining access to the interior of
the building through the usual openings therein.
The arrows indicate the flow of fresh air into and from the inspection chamber
and along the drain d to which it gains access through the usual half or split pipe
in connection with the trap and so on to the air heating chamber at a whence it
ascends and escapes by the up-cast shaft e along with the foul air drawn out from
the soil pipe and drain. In the case of supplying pure warm air to the apartments
for the warming and ventilation thereof the fresh air enters by the pipe c becomes
heated in the chamber a and passes thence by the ascending pipe e' to any one or
more of the apartments as shown suitable outlets being provided at l in the ceiling
or elsewhere for the escape of the vitiated air from the apartment.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :
First. The mode.or method of ventilating the soil pipes and drains of buildings
by causing a constant inward current of air (generated by an air heating chamber
heated by any of the fires of the building) to pass down and along the soil pipe and
drain constituting a down-cast shaft, and to ascend or escape by an up-cast pipe or
shaft both being in direct communication with the said air heating chamber
substantially as hereinbefore described,

page_text: Second. The warming and ventilating of apartments by the application and use
of an air heating chamber heated by any of the fires in the building and connected
with a fresh air inlet pipe and with a warm air discharging pipe communicating
either directly or otherwise with any one or more of the apartments of the building
provided with suitable outlets for the escape of the vitiated air substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Third. The combination of an air heating chamber heated by the otherwise waste
heat from any of the fires in the building with the soil pipe and drain and with an
up-cast shaft or pipe substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The combination of the said air heating chamber or pipe with pipes
leading respectively to the external air and to any apartment to be warmed and
ventilated substantially as herein before described.
Fifth. The combination with a drain trap inspection chamber, of a mica or other
sensitive air inlet valve opening inwards and closed by the internal pressure of air
produced in the said chamber when a closet is being flushed substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Agent for the Applicant.