IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPES, GUTTERS, TROUGHING, AND OTHER APPARATUS FOR IRRIGATING AND MANURING LAND, AND IN GIRDERS AND FRAMING FOR SUPPORTING THE SAID APPARATUS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edwin Maw at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st February
1870.
I, EDWIN MAW, of Clements Lane, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PIPES, GUTTERS, TROUGHING, AND OTHER APPARATUS FOR IRRIGATING AND
MANURING LAND, AND IN GIRDERS AND FRAMING FOR SUPPORTING THE SAID
APPARATUS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
:-
My said improvements relate, first, to the construction of troughs or
gutters. I make them by preference of such a sectional form trans-
versely that there are two convex corners at the bottom and two
outwardly projecting concave flanges at the top, the sides and bottom
of the troughs being flat. The troughs are thus composed of concave,
convex, and flat surfaces, the two first being for the purpose of
strengthening them, and the last for the purpose of more easily con-
necting the outlets and valves. I further strengthen them by stays or
clips on the top of the gutter or trough. For the purpose of regulating
the supply of water, sewage, or other liquid I place sluices at different

page_text: points of the troughs to stop partially or entirely the flow of such liquids.
The sluice doors are hung on two centres, and at the side thereof is a
quadrant having holes at the proper distances apart; by means of a pin
or stud inserted through these holes into a hole or socket in the door I
keep the latter in the position required,
I construct my improved pipes or tubes of wrought-iron segments or
portions, each of which forms part of a circle, which segments or portions
when properly placed together form a complete tube or pipe. I
strengthen them by longitudinal ribs and circular strips of angle or
T iron rivetted to the longitudinal and transverse joints of the segments
or plates of which the pipe-is-made.-The-troughs.or_gutters are elevated
above the land to be irrigated and are supported upon trestles or
standards of peculiar construction. The said trestles or standards are
made of wood or iron, or partly of both materials, the wood in the latter
case being entirely or partially covered or encased with iron. I regulate
the inclination or fall of the gutters or troughing and maintain the
correct line of the same in a more perfect manner than has heretofore
been practicable. For this purpose I use keys or wedges which are fitted
between projections on the sill on which the trestles or supports are fixed
and on a loose sill placed below the first-mentioned sill. I connect the
sill of the trestle and the loose sill when they are properly adjusted by
iron dogs or clamps.
I regulate the discharge of the water, sewage, or other fluid from the
gutters or troughing by means of outlets made of cast or wrought iron
or other metal and connected by a branch with the troughs or gutters.
When the outlet is at the side of the gutters the top of the outlet is by
preference on the same level as the top of the gutter or trough to
prevent its overflowing, I make the branch pipe conical in some cases
to prevent the lodging of the water, sewage, or other liquid in the outlet
when the gutter or trough is empty. I also by preference make the
passage from the gutter into the branch pipe consist of a number of
small holes which admit the liquid but prevent the entrance of rags,
corks, or other solid substances or bodies. I regulate or stop the
discharge of water, sewage, or other fluid by means of a wooden plug
inserted in the outlet, which plug may be provided with holes to receive
a pin or stud whereby it may be held in any required position. To the
under side of the outlet I connect pipes to carry the water, sewage, or
other fluid into receivers made of wood, earthenware, brick, cement, or

page_text: concrete at the junction with the earth carriers or ditches by which the
liquid is distributed in the land.
In some cases, as, for instance, when there is no gradual inclination in
any direction of the surface of the land to be irrigated, or when the
same is irregular or undulating, I use covered gutters of wrought iron
or other metal, which are supported on fixed trestles or standards such
as I have herein-before described, or they may rest upon moveable
supports or sleepers and may be connected to each other or to open
troughs or tanks by flexible junctions which allow them to be moved
into any desired position. I may perforate the covered gutters for the
purpose of watering the land for a distance on each side of the gutters.
I also provide these covered gutters with outlets and wooden plugs as
above described to discharge the water, sewage, or other fluid where
required. I strengthen the gutters so that the trestles or supports may
be further apart by placing under them a hollow beam or girder made of
two plates cach with top and bottom concave flanges rivetted to top and
bottom plates. This method of construction may be applied to beams
or girders for bridges, buildings, carriage frames, and for other purposes.
I sometimes form under the gutters or troughing a fence of wood or
iron, or partly of both materials, the said fence being constructed of
boards or metal plates let into a framing of wood or iron attached to the
trestles or supports.