An Improved System of Drainage.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved System of Drainage.
We,
DAVID ARTHUR of 12 Baron's Court Road, West Kensington, London,
Bachelor of Medicine and Master in Surgery of the University of Glasgow, and
CHARLES RUMNEY ILLINGWORTH of 12 Baron's Court Road, West Kensington,
London, Doctor of Medicine, of the University of Edinburgh and Diplomate in
Public Health of the London Conjoint Board, 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 consists of an improved system of drainage in towns whereby the
possibilities of sewer air penetrating through the drains into dwelling houses or other
buildings are obviated; the necessity for street-ventilators as at present in use is
rendered unnecessary; and the sewer air is drawn and propelled into cremator
furnaces for purification.
The view generally accepted by the medical profession, is that sewer air is
infective as well as offensive; but this view has been opposed by some leading
authorities in sanitation, on the ground that it is not supported by experimental
evidence. Hence the tolerance of street-ventilators.
It has, however, been clearly demonstrated by our experiments that sewer air is
not so harmless as has been represented, but that it contains numbers of infective
germs eliminated from the sewers, and hence is a constant and fruitful source of
diphtheria, scarlet fever, and many other infectious diseases, by reason of its
dissemination through street-ventilators, untrapped drains, etc.
The outlets of drains from dwelling houses and other places into the sewers have
hitherto discharged into the sewer at points above the sewage-level, the only
preventive means adopted against the passage of sewer air being the traps in the
house-drainage system. These traps, however, from time to time become defective
and inoperative and thus are sources of danger.
By means of our invention this danger is obviated, the drains being constructed
so as to discharge their contents into the sewer below any possible sewage-level as
shewn in Figure 1.
The sewer itself with the drain-junctions thus forms a trap which entirely prevents
the sewer air from entering the drains.
To modify existing drains according to this principle, it is only necessary to
close the old drain at its entrance A to the sewer and divert it as shewn in
Figure 1.
This system of sewerage will thus have the effect of entirely separating the
drain-air of each house from that of others, however imperfect the house-drainage
may be.
For the disposal of sewer air as provided by this invention cremator furnaces of
any suitable construction are placed in convenient localities, and the air may be
drawn and propelled in the direction of the same by means of floating or other fans
placed at suitable distances in the sewers.
These fans may be worked by electrical or other motor power, and the fans may
be of any suitable construction and fixed upon floats conveniently adapted for the
purpose, but preferably constructed in the form shewn in the drawings annexed
hereto.
It has hitherto been found impossible to utilise cremator furnaces in sewers as at
present constructed, as the effect of their use was a liability to unseal the traps of
the drains leading from dwelling houses etc.; but by means of our invention this
danger is obviated.

page_text: The fans are fixed upon floats of any suitable shape, and rise and fall with the
sewage; and may be kept in position by upright standards or frames or by any
other suitable means, preferably those shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Above each fan is placed a closed chamber into which the float ascends during
floods. For this purpose the existing street-ventilators may be utilised, the shafts
being closed at the top to prevent the escape of sewer air.
By means of the floating and other fans the sewer air is passed along in the
direction of the cremator furnaces.
To provide for the adequate ventilation of the sewers it will be necessary to
construct down-cast air-shafts with suitable regulating apparatus at the terminals
or origins of the sewers.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively transverse and longitudinal sections of the
sewer A with float chamber B and shewing a connecting drain C discharging below
sewage D. E. is the circular fan with guard F to protect the fan from the sides of
the sewer in case of oscillation. G is a float attached by means of sliding ring I
to upright standard H which is connected by any suitable means to the upper
chamber and embedded in the ground below the level of the sewer.
Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal and transverse sections of minor sewers with
drain-junctions A¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. An improved system of drainage substantially as described.
2. The arrangement of the outlets of the drains so as to discharge into the sewer
below the sewage-level.
3. The combination of drain-outlets discharging below the level of the sewage in
conjunction with the floating and other fans substantially as described.
4. The combination of drain-outlets discharging below the level of the sewage,
together with floating or other fans extracting and propelling the sewer air towards
the cremator furnaces substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of April 1894.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
45, Holborn Viaduct, London, Agents for the Applicants.