IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DRAINING LAND, AND OBTAINING SUPPLIES OF WATER THEREFROM
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WALTER SMARTT of Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell in the County of Essex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DRAINING LAND, AND OBTAINING SUPPLIES OF
WATER THEREFROM, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following statement:-
The object of my Invention is to obtain supplies of water by an improved system
of drainage of land, and to drain bogs marshes and other land, by which I also
reduce or abolish floods and fogs.
My Invention consists of a series of tubes which I call suction tubes, and which
are inserted in the ground, or in wells or other places containing water. The
upper ends of the said tubes are extended (in a direction more or less approaching
the horizontal) to and are connected with larger tubes, which I call the main or
delivery tubes. The suction tubes are sunk into the ground, or into the wells, to
such depths that the normal pressure of the atmosphere may be utilised in
obtaining a syphon action, and the higher ground is selected for the commencement
of each series of suction tubes, from whence the water is taken by the horizontal or
delivery tubes; the volume of water becoming augmented on its way to the
waterworks or place of delivery.
I am aware that the normal pressure of the atmosphere is balanced by a column
of water of a height of 33 feet or thereabouts, but as the height of the water round
the suction tubes will vary and as the suction power towards the place of delivery,
or in other positions may not always be equal to 33 feet, it is sometimes
advantageous to extend the suction tubes to a greater or less depth than 33 feet.
I fit a valve in each suction pipe, which valve is self closing when the water
surrounding the pipe is at a low level, and which. valve prevents the entry of air
in order to prevent the interruption of the syphon action of the series, and in order
that the exhaustion of one or more sources may not interfere with and stop the
supply of water from the remaining sources. The necessity for these valves may
not arise when the length of the suction tubes exceeds 33 feet in perpendicular
measurement. I also erect closed cisterns or vessels where necessary, which are
supplied with water from any convenient source. These cisterns have valves and
cocks which are actuated by a float. When the cistern is full the float turns off
the supply, and then opens the valve communicating with the tubes, and allows
air, if any be present from any source) to escape in exchange for water.
When the

page_text: cistern is empty the float closes the valve and then turns on the supply.—A valve
is placed at the top of the cistern which allows the escape of the air outwards
during the entrance of water, and closes to exclude the reentrance of air from
without. A branch pipe or air-chamber is provided between the maintube and the
cistern in which air may collect while the cistern is filling with water.
When necessary a check valve is fitted to check any upward flow of water from
the main.
Suitable means are adopted to prevent the entry of air at the joints and other
parts, and pumps or other apparatus are erected in suitable positions for obtaining
water for testing or other use; and these are also available for. extracting air and
producing active syphon action. Suitable traps, shackle valves or pen stocks are
placed near the delivery ends, and in other positions where found necessary to prevent
the passage of air,-to enable any source to be separated, or for other purposes.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that my Invention consists,
essentially, in obtaining a supply of water from more or less extensive tracts of
land by means of tubes sunk to a sufficient depth in ground, or in wells or other
sources of supply, and communicating with horizontal mains in such a manner that
the flow of water down the mains causes a syphon action to take place, and little
or no pumping is required to keep the supply in operation; by which arrangement
a great saving is effected in obtaining large supplies of water; and by which
arrangement also much land, which is at present swampy and wet, is drained and
floods and fogs are decreased or entirely prevented.
My tubes may extend any distance along any valley, as that of the River
Thames or the River Lea, and may drain to various depths, up to 33 feet, all the
more or less porous beds in marshes or elsewhere, and so convert them into
receptacles for water, by natural filtration or otherwise, which would otherwise
create floods and flow away unutilised.
Where water exists in impervious strata artificial tanks may be made in
positions suitable for the action of the syphons, and water may be admitted thereto
by or through filtering beds.
My tubes provide a ready means for exceptional supplies of water such as the
chalk springs of the Thames Valley, or the water from Windsor or other parks,
being kept separate from that of the Thames or other waters, the properties of
which render them less suited for public use.
My said Invention is applicable as a primary and independent source of supply,
or as auxiliary to any other source, and the several parts may be more or less
modified as circumstances may require.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood, reference
is hereby made to the accompanying Drawings, but such Drawings fare intended
to be merely illustrative of some of the features of my Invention, and not by any
means exhaustive, as the application of my Invention admits of great modification
in its details, as previously mentioned.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, shewing a general outline of my Invention, a a is
the horizontal line, b, b, the surface of the land, e é the main tube.
Wells are sunk into the ground as at d d-These wells may be ordinary wells in
some cases; in other cases they may be tube wells, as shewn in Fig. 2.-In other
cases they may be small tubes of the class known as "Abyssinian tube wells." In
ordinary wells and in tubular wells of large diameter (as shewn in Fig. 2) an
internal suction pipe is inserted-These suction pipes have valves which allow the
water to enter but are intended to exclude the air when the well is dry, or nearly
so-d¹ d' are side junctions from other districts In Fig. 2 one of these valves is
shewn open at c-A ball float fopens the valve when water is present, and its
weight closes the valve when the water is absent.-In Fig. 3 another form of valve
is shewn which is suitable for the internal suction tube shewn in Fig. 2, and also
for Abyssinian wells, or where from any cause there is the possibility of downward
pressure being substituted for upward motion. This form of valve may be closed
by springs or weights.

page_text: At suitable intervals where necessary, I place the cisterns or reservoirs
hereinbefore mentioned and shewn in Fig. 4. g is the cistern; h, supply pipe,
i the supply cock which is turned on by the descent of the float k, and is turned
off by its ascent, as shewn. The valve opens upwards for the purpose of allowing
air to escape as the water rises in the cistern, and the valve prevents the re-entry
of air when the water is flowing into the main. The air-chamber m is made of any
capacity that may be required, and acts as a trap to catch and retain any air that
may accumulate in the main. When the valve n is opened by the action of the
float, the air gains access to the cistern g and the water in the cistern g descends and
supplies the place previously occupied by air, thus insuring an uninterrupted
syphon action in the whole series- is the check valve to stop upward flow of
water.
о
The float is fitted with guide rods o o to preserve its vertical action in rising
and falling-The valve n has a balance weight p to insure its opening when
slightly raised.
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-
1. The improved means and apparatus for draining land and obtaining supplies
of water therefrom substantially as described.
2. The combination and arrangement of tube and other wells with mains and
other pipes, in such a manner that syphon action is utilised for raising and
collecting the water, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 29th day of April 1884.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.