IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOKE-TESTING AND FUMIGATING APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVOVNAL DIVIFICATION.
I, JOHN MACDONALD of 29 Frederick Street, in the City and County of
Edinburgh, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOKE-TESTING AND FUMIGATING APPARATUS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus to be employed for testing house
drains or sewers and gas mains, and for registering extent of defects in leaky
drains, disinfecting green-houses, sick-rooms, and the like, by fames generated from
any liquid suitable for this purpose, such for example as carbolic acid, and for
fumigating vermin holes and destroying the varmin therein by the use of suitable
smoke fumes or gases.
The improved apparatus comprises a fume or smoke chamber or casing, which is
surrounded by an external casing containing water which forms an annular water
lute between the casings, into which dips a covered holder or bell. To the bottom
of the fume chamber is connected an inlet tube communicating with a bellows or
pressure blower, and a valve or stop-cock is provided for shutting off connection
when necessary, An outlet tube which is raised inside the fume chamber to
prevent the liquid escaping into the drain is also provided, and the air forced from
the bellows or pressure blower is caused to gurgle through the liquor placed in the
fume chamber before entering the outlet tube which is connected to the drain to be
tested.
The apparatus having been connected to the drain, a fire is kindled in the smoke
chamber, or sulphur or other fumigating or vermin destroying agent is burned or
placed in such chamber, and the bellows or air blower applied to produce any
desired pressure of air within the drain. The holder or bell which covers the fume
chamber rises and will remain stationary if the drains are air-tight, but if the
drains leak, the extent of leakage can be ascertained by the rate at which the
holder or bell falls, which can be indicated by an index and pointer.
To the inlet tube or to the bellows or blower is connected a tube leading to a
flexible bag or bladder fitted to surround the pipe which conveys the smoke or
fumes to the drain under test, and by the air pressure such bag or bladder is inflated
until it fills and closely fits the drain pipe; and similar flexible bags or bladders
are fitted in the openings from the drain to prevent escape of the air and smoke or
fumigating agent, a small tube being however passed centrally through the inflated
Price BRI

page_text: baga to show by the escape of smoke or fumes that the apparatus is working
properly, and that the drain is fully charged.
Another holder or bell float of the same construction as the fume chamber may
be applied to any part of the drain to ascertain that the pressure is equal. In
searching for leaks the holder or bell can be locked down and bladders introduced
and blown up in the water seals of the traps, and any desired pressure can then be
applied to facilitate the finding of an escape. The weight of the holder or bell is
such that the air will escape by it before such pressure is reached, as would force
through the water seal of any of the traps connected with the drain, when the
bell is raised up.'

page_text: "
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN MACDONALD, of 29 Frederick Street, in the city and county of
Edinburgh, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOKE-TESTING AND FUMIGATING APPARATUS," and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
This Invention relates to improved apparatus to be employed for testing house
drains or sewers and gas mains, and for registering extent of defects in leaky
drains, disinfecting green houses, sick-rooms, and the like, by fames generated
from any liquid suitable for this purpose, such for example as carbolic acid, and for
fumigating vermin holes and destroying the vermin therein by the use of suitable
smoke fumes or gases. .
In order that the full nature, and the mode of putting my said Invention into
effect or practice may be properly understood, I have appended the accompanying
sheet of Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the outer
supporting frame A and the fume chamber or vessel B, B1, in section, and Figure 2
is a corresponding plan of one modification of the improved pressure smoke-
testing and fumigating apparatus of, and constructed in accordance with my
Invention.
The improved apparatus is portable and self-contained, being all secured to or
within an outer supporting open frame or box A; and essentially comprises a fume
or smoke chamber or casing B, close at bottom and sides, preferably cylindrical,
surrounded by an external casing b for a considerable distance down from the open
top, and closed in below for containing water or other liquid to form an annular
Iute case, and air-tight joint between the casings B, 6, with a covered holder or
bell B which dipa into the luted recess b'. To, or, near the bottom of the fume
chamber B is connected an inlet tube C, communicating with a bellows or pressure
blower D, and a discharge valve o (or it might be stop cock) is provided in the
pipe O for shutting off connection between the blower D and fume vessel B, B¹,
when necessary. An outlet tube B' is also fitted to the lower part of and raised
Inside the fume chamber B, B1, to prevent the water or liquid in the lower part B
of this chamber escaping into the drain. The air forced through the inlet pipe O
from the bellows or pressure blower D is caused to gurgle up through the liquor
placed in the fame chamber, before entering the outlet tube B, which is connected
by a coupling branch at B³ and hose or other suitable pipes to the drain to be
fumigated or tested.
The air pressure blower D is preferably made in the form of a simple double
acting hand lever bellows as shown, with the lower end D' of the under forcing or
discharge chamber fixed to the bottom frame A, and that of the upper D³ fixed
and bound stationary to the lower by straps D³ and by a branch pipe d which
conducts the air forced from the lower chamber D¹ of the bellows into the upper
discharge chamber D³, which is directly connected at o' to the inlet chamber of the
discharge hand stop valve a. The moving central diaphragm or piston D which
forces the air, is connected to the lower and upper forcing chambers D', D³, by the

page_text: ordinary close leather or other flexible outer bellows case or covering, and is
actuated by the two side arms &, d, of the transverse actuating rocking shaft ď
carried in bearing brackets secured at a to one end of the frame A, and has an
upright lever & on one end projecting up through a slotted guide at a², secured to
the upper part of the side frame A.
When this apparatus is removed to the place
where it has to be used, a box hand lever is shipped on to the lever d³, and worked
to and fro by the operator when he has to force the air from the bellows D into
the fume pressure chamber B, B¹.
=
-The apparatus having been connected to the drain to be tested or fumigated,
a fire is kindled in the smoke chamber, or sulphur or other fumigating or vermin
destroying agent is burned or placed in the chamber B, B, and the bellows or air
blower D, applied to produce any desired pressure of air within the chamber B, B',
and the drain. The holder or bell B which covers the fame chamber B rises and
will remain stationary if the drains are air-tight, but if the drains leak, the extent
of leakage can be ascertained by the rate at which the holder or bell falls, which
can be indicated by an ordinary simple index and pointer attached thereto.
. To the inlet air tube C, or to the forcing chamber D' or bellows or blower D is
connected a tube leading to a flexible bag or bladder fitted to surround the pipe or
hose which conveys the smoke or fumes to the drain under test, and by this air
pressure conveyed thereto, such bag or bladder is inflated until it fills and closely
fits the drain pipe round the fume pipe.
Similar flexible bags or bladders are fitted in the openings from the drain being
tested to prevent escape of the air and smoke or fumigating agent, and a small
tube is passed centrally through these inflated bags, preferably with a tap on it, to
show by the escape of smoke or fumes that the apparatus is working properly and
that the drain is fully charged. The weight of the holder or bell B¹ is such that
the air will escape by it before such pressure is reached, as would force through the
water seal of any of the traps connected with the drain, when the bell is raised up.
Another holder or testing bell float of a similar construction to the fume chamber
may be applied to any part of the drain to ascertain that the pressure is equal, or
to the small tubes of the closing-in bags. In searching for leaks the holder or
bell B¹ can be locked down by a bar 6' above it, and have bladders or bags
introduced and blown up in the water seals of the drain traps, and any desired
pressure can then be applied within the drain to facilitate the finding of an escape
therefrom.
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
First. The construction of smoke-testing and fumigating apparatus for drains
and other pipes or ducts and fittings connected therewith, all substantially, as and
for the purposes herein described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction of a pressure smoke or fume chamber B, B¹, with a
lated movable top case B¹ in portable apparatus for testing and indicating leakage
in drains, or other ducts or pipes substantially as and for the purposes herein
described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings.