IMPROVEMENTS IN MANHOLE DOORS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR PASSAGES LEADING DOWN TO SEWERS AND OTHER PLACES CONTAINING NOXIOUS GASES OR VAPOURS "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Collins of Winchester in the County of
Hants for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANHOLE DOORS AND OTHER
COVERINGS FOR PASSAGES LEADING DOWN TO SEWERS AND OTHER PLACES
CONTAINING NOXIOUS GASES OR VAPOURS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Collins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1882.
THOMAS HENRY COLLINS of Winchester in the County of Hants "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MANHOLE DOORS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR PASSAGES LEADING DOWN
TO SEWERS AND OTHER PLACES CONTAINING NOXIOUS GASES OR VAPOURS
"
The object of this invention is to provide efficient and simple means for the
disinfecting of or rendering innocuous sewer and other gases and vapours.
For this purpose I provide a tray shaped cover constructed to rest in the man-
hole or other frame and having a dome shaped bottom higher in the centre where
I construct it with a hole for receiving a wire basket like or otherwise openworked
receptacle which may be cylindrical and which contains charcoal or other suitable
disinfectant; the lid of the said receptacle is domed for the water or slush to run
off; and for allowing it to run down into the sewer without coming in contact with
the contents of the aforesaid receptacle I provide one or more pipes with slightly
raised top edge and terminating in a bend below so as to trap the water and
provent the gas from rising through same. The hole for the perforated receptacle
is preferably made with a raised edge so that the wet cannot run into the perforated
receptacle. All sewer gas arising will by this construction have to enter the recep-
tacle through its perforations and to pass through its contents escaping as innocuous
vapour from under the edge of the domed receptacle lid. Handles are provided for
raising the whole of the manhole if the sewer is to be entered, and the receptacle
is removable for flushing purposes. The usual grating is placed on the top of the
whole.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Henry Collins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th April 1883.
THOMAS HENRY COLLINS of Winchester in the County of Hants "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MANHOLE DOORS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR PASSAGES LEADING DOWN
TO SEWERS AND OTHER PLACES CONTAINING NOXIOUS GASES OR VAPOURS
"
The object of this Invention is to provide efficient and simple means for the
disinfecting of or rendering innocuous sewer and other gases and vapours.
For this purpose I provide a tray shaped cover constructed to rest in the man-
hole or other frame and having a dome shaped bottom higher in the centre where
I construct it with a hole for receiving a wire basket-like or other open worked
receptacle which may be cylindrical and which contains charcoal or other suitable
disinfectant the lid of the said receptacle is domed for the water or slush to run
off and for allowing it to run down into the sewer without coming in contact with
the contents of the aforesaid receptacle. I provide one or more pipes with slightly 1
raised top-edge-and-terminating in a. bend. below-so-as- to trap the water-and-
prevent the gas from rising through same. The hole for the perforated receptacle
is preferably made with a raised edge so that the wet cannot run into the per-
forated receptacle. All sewer gas arising will by this construction have to enter
the receptacle through its perforations and to pass through its contents escaping as 2
innocuous vapour from under the edge of the domed receptacle lid. Handles are
provided for raising the whole of the man-hole if the sewer is to be entered and the
receptacle is removable for flushing purposes: The usual grating is placed on the
top of the whole.
In order that my Invention may be more completely understood I will now 2
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an apparatus or appliance
constructed according to my Invention shown applied to the man hole of the
sewer.
Figure 2 is a view in plan of the tray and other parts connected therewith 3
removed from the manhole.
Figure 3 shows a hook suitable for use in lifting the tray from the manhole.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the manhole door but particularly illustrating
the cover of the basket which forms the door to same aud Figure 5 shows a modified
form of cover from that shown in the previous Figures Similar letters of reference 3
refer to like parts in all the figures.
a is the basket containing the disinfecting material and a' flange round same.
b is the dome shaped cover to basket which is preferably formed as shown at
Figures 1, 4, and 5. The base of this cover rests as shown on the top of the basket,
and the bottom or top of the cover 6 may be concave or convex ns preferred or of 4
other shape according to circumstances; d is the ring or edge of this cover b with
slits or apertures d' therein for the free escape of the water from the inner ring d²
of the cover b; e is the outer and e' the inner raised edge or frame of the tray or
receptacle which fits the manhole entrance as shown; g shows a ring of clay or
other suitable material round the manhole flange on which the tray rests so as to 4
obtain a tight joint; hh are the eye bolts whereby the tray f is lowered into the
manhole or raised therefrom by means of the handles such as are shown at Figure 3 ;
i, i, are the pipes for carrying off the water and slush which enter the pipes i by
the tray into the sewer . These pipes i, i are bent at their ends as shown in order
to form traps and to prevent the gas from passing thereby from the sewer ll, show 5
nuts at the base of the bend of the pipes ii so as to be able if necessary to clear

page_text: out stones or other material that might possibly collect there mm show the raised
portions of the tray inside the same and into which the pipes i, i are inserted. The
basket a is supported by its flange a¹ on the inner edge piece e'; o is the usual
grating placed over the tray and apparatus before described. The arrows show the
direction in which the sewer gas is compelled to travel before reaching the
atmosphere. The basket a which contains the disinfectant material such as
charcoal may be made round conical or of any other convenient shape most suitable
for enabling the gases to have free access to the contents; and the baskets may be
made of wire, perforated zinc, or of any porous. material that will hold the
disinfectant. The baskets need not be wholly perforated.
The trayf being placed in position at the mouth of the drain the basket a is
slipped in through the central aperture and supported by the flange a' on the inuer
edge e¹ of the tray f; the cover is then put on and the apparatus is secure in the
man hole and ready for use when the grating o is fitted on. The water and slush
which pass through the grating and that water portion thereof which falls on to
the cover b or into the ring or edge & thereof passes by the slits d' to the tray f
and thence by the pipes i to the sewer and should any mud fall into the tray f
it is prevented pussing down the pipes i by the raised portions m, m. The inud
remains or most of it in the cover b and tray f, and by this means no water can
touch the disinfectant material in the basket a and for greater security I sometimes
place an additional flange or ring p on the underside of the dome shaped cover b
as shown at Figure 1 in order to prevent any liquid passing by capillary attraction
into the basket a.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I am aware that baskets or vessels con-
taining charcoal or other disinfectants have been applied to the sewer with a
view of disinfecting the gases proceeding from same, I lay no claim broadly to such
an application but I claim
First-In manhole doors and other coverings for the passages leading to sewers
the employment of vessels or baskets containing disinfectants wherein the said
disinfectant is protected from the liquid and other material passing into the sewer
and the gas from the sewer is compelled to pass through the disinfectant all
substantially as herein before described and illustrated with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Second: The combination of basket a with cover b tray f and pipes' i all
constructed and arranged and acting substantially as described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Henry Collins have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty sixth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
THOMAS HENRY COLLINS
L.S.J