Designed for Use in Flushing. Sewers.
Year: 1886

page_text: Designed for Use in Flushing. Sewers.
I, HENRI LOUIS JOSEPH PARENTY, of Châteauroux (Indre), France, Engineer
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 relates to means for automatically flushing sewers, for emptying
cesspools, and for similar purposes; and consists chiefly in the employment of
apparatus as hereinafter described.
The said apparatus comprises a siphon the down-stream branch or leg of which
dips into a movable vessel suspended from a balance-beam or from a pulley,
according to the space which is at disposal, and balanced by a counterweight in
such a manner that the variations of the level of the liquid in the reservoir or
cesspool can automatically, and at intervals, cause the descent of the vessel and the
discharge of the liquid into the sewer, over the edge of this vessel.
Tho said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the figures of
which are hereinafter referred to.
In Figure 1, A is the cesspool or flushing reservoir which is as shallow and
extensive as possible. This reservoir is provided at one end with a pit or sump B
and is terminated by a vertical wall V.
C is a siphon which may be circular, elliptical, rectangular or of any other
suitable shape in transverse section according to requirement, and of sufficient area
to procure such a discharge as may be considered desirable.
The up-stream branch or leg of the siphon dips into the water in the sump B,
and the down-stream branch terminates in a movable vessel as stated.
D is the said movable vessel, the upper part of which is widened so as to increase
the variations of weight; 'resulting from the differences of level of the liquid therein.
E is the lower water-course or channel into which the siphon discharges.
.
P is a counterweight which may be of any suitable form and of such volume
that its apparent loss of weight in the water of the reservoir in which it is
immersed, when the water reaches a certain level, is sufficient to cause the
movement of the movable vessel. This counterweight can be annular and
surround the up-stream' branch of the siphon..
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
First. Suppose the siphon to be full of liquid and the movable vessel to be
raised so high that its edge is slightly above the maximum level of the water in
I
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page_text: the flushing water reservoir. When this level is attained, the relative weights of
the vessel Ď and its contents and of the counterweight P, owing to the weight of
water displaced by the said counterweight, are such that the said vessel can
descend, the counterweight being correspondingly raised. The force producing
this displacement is progressive, because the descent of the vessel D has the effect
of gradually augmenting the weight of the said vessel.
Second. The liquid from the reservoir now runs out through the siphon and
passes over the edge of the movable vessel, but at the same time the apparent
weight of the counterweight is augmented, by reason of the escape of the liquid
into which it was immersed. This increase of the weight is sufficient, when the
reservoir is empty, to again raise the vessel D and replace it in its original position.
If desired, the variation of the relative weights of the vessel D and the counter-
weight can be effected by means of a siphon, Figure 2, placed in the said movable
vessel, and filling itself during the discharge of liquid into the sewer, the said
siphon serving to lower the level of the liquid in the vessel, which being thus
lightened can again ascend to its highest position.
To render unnecessary the dipping of the counterweight into the water, the
chain supporting this counterweight can be placed in the groove of a cam fixed
upon the same axis as the pulleys supporting the vessel, as shewn in Figure 2bis in
such a manner that the vessel full of water at the commencement of its descending
course, and at the commencement, of its return motion can be pulled in one
direction or in the other owing to the variation of the static moment of the
counterweight between these two extreme positions.
With these various arrangements the siphon can be completely uncovered for
facilitating the outflow; it has however to be afterwards filled, which can be
accomplished by means of a pump or by the single descending movement of the
vessel D. Experience shows that this movement is sufficient to cause the filling
of the siphon if the edges of the flushing reservoir are sufficiently raised to permit
the water to pass into the movable vessel through the siphon; care must however
be taken to let the air escape through a valve placed upon the upper part of the
siphon and opening from the interior to the exterior of the space within the same.
The previous 'filling of the siphon considerably augments the effect of the outflow
and is preferred.
In order to effect the filling of the siphon, the two branches of which are dipped
into the liquid of two communicating vessels, I sometimes employ a countersiphon
as shown in Figure 3 formed of a vertical tube T terminating in the open air and
dipping to the bottom of a tube B closed at one end and placed in the interior of
one of the branches of the siphon and opening into the upper part of the same.
When, by means of a pump or any other suitable suction-apparatus, the air
contained in the siphon has been withdrawn through the tube T the tube B fills
with water and prevents the admission of air into the tube A...
A tube of small diameter bent as shown in Figure 4 may also be employed, the
said tube starting from the top of the siphon descending below the lowest level of
the water in the apparatus, and afterwards opening in the open air above the
highest level. This tube furnishes after the filling a perfect hydraulic valve for
permitting the entrance of air.
Figure 5 illustrates the adaptation of this method to the filling of a siphon, the
wall of which is not perforated for the connection of the filling.tube thereto.
For causing the filling of the siphon of the discharge basin without any super-
intendence from the moment it is fed with pure water, I employ a small ejector for
withdrawing the air from the siphon and operated by the feed liquid itself, the
arrangement of which ejector is shown in Figure 6.
'
A is the inlet cone for the liquid and B the delivery, cone the axis of which is in
line with that of the cone A and which is widened in the opposite direction to the
latter: The entrance of the cone B presents a diameter slightly larger than that of
the exit of the cone A, from which it is separated by an intermediate annular space
of some millimetres in length. A third cone surrounds the cone A and the
"

page_text: commencement of the cone B, and connected with its base is the tube D, through
which the air is exhausted from the siphon.
The escape channel E is widened into a funnel shape under the movable vessel
and terminated in a conical outlet communicating with the drain and extending in
the direction of the current to be produced as shown in Figures 7 and 8. These
arrangements have for their object to impart to the liquid a suitable direction and
considerable molecular velocity.
The apparatus hereinbefore described is applicable for flushing by means of
contaminated waters from cesspools or the like. For this purpose the bottom of
the flushing basin or cesspool must be constructed on an incline as far as the filling
sump B which latter must be provided with a grate.
The flushing reservoir can be arranged at one side of the drain under the foot-
path as shown in Figure 9.
It is also possible to employ the siphon apparatus for causing the intermittent
passage of the liquids of a watercourse divided into a number of sections by
successive weirs. The siphons surmounting these weirs can have any suitable
section for instance, either rectangular or elliptical, or elongated and occupying the
whole width of the weirs.
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. A siphon which is preferably filled before it is required for use and
dipping on the one hand into a sump terminating the flushing reservoir, and
overhanging on the other hand the discharge channel; the said siphon being closed
at its down-stream end by a vessel forming a valve with an bydraulic joint, and
suspended from a balance-beam or from a pulley.
Second. The employment of the valve-vessel, the up and down motion of which
is due to the variations of the relative weights of the vessel and its counterweight
produced as above set forth, for instance by the automatic filling of an auxiliary
siphon of small diameter fixed to the vessel, or by the employment of a cam
supporting the movable counterweight and fixed upon the axis of the pulleys
supporting the vessel; and this with or without the complete emptying of the
siphon at the end of the flushing.
Third. The methods of intermittent filling the principal siphon based upon the
employment of an auxiliary siphon forming a hydraulic joint after the filling.
Fourth. The method of filling the siphon by means of the feed liquid in the
reservoir through the medium of a double cone ejector.
Fifth. The arrangements of the flushing basin, the filling sump, and the dis-
charge channel and the arrangements which relate to the flushing by means of
contaminated waters.
Sixth. The application of the apparatus to the intermittent circulation of the
water of a water-course divided into several sections.
Seventh. The general arrangement of the mechanism and the masonry as set
forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.