IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING CONDUITS OR CHANNELS FOR THE RECEPTION OF GAS, WATER, AND OTHER MAINS, TUBES, OR PIPES. AND TELEGRAPHIC WIRES, ALSO FOR THE CONVEYING AWAY OF SMOKE OR NOXIOUS VAPOURS FROM BUILDINGS, AND FOR THE VENTILATION OF BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Angus Croll, of Coleman Street, in the
City of London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ARRANGING CONDUITS OR CHANNELS FOR THE RECEPTION OF GAS, WATER, AND
OTHER MAINS, TUBES, OR PIPES. AND TELEGRAPHIC WIRES, ALSO FOR THE
CONVEYING AWAY OF SMOKE OR NOXIOUS VAPOURS FROM BUILDINGS, AND FOR
THE VENTILATION OF BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PLACES,"
Sealed the 14th September 1866, and dated the 19th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Angus Croll
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th March 1866.
I, ALEXANDER ANGUS CROLL, of Coleman Street, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
'IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING CONDUITS OR CHANNELS FOR THE RECEPTION OF GAS.
WATER AND OTHER MAINS, TUBES, OR PIPES, AND TELEGRAPHIC WIRES, ALSO FOR
THE CONVEYING AWAY OF SMOKE OR NOXIOUS VAPOURS FROM BUILDINGS, AND FOR
THE VENTILATION OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER PLACES," to be as follows:-
The present system adopted of burying gas and water mains and some of
the telegraphic wires underground is very objectionable on account of the
[Price 8d.]

page_text: inconvenience occasioned by the frequent stoppage of main thoroughfares for
repairs of such mains or lines, and otherwise, as well as on account of the
costs involved. To remedy these evils it has been proposed to form subways
under the roads, but these are objectionable on account of the danger arising
from accumulations therein of escaped gas and foul air subject to explosion.
According to my improvements I employ peculiarly formed conduits or
channels for the reception of the various gas, water, or other mains, pneumatic
dispatch or other tubes, and also telegraph wires. These conduits or channels
are by preference formed of metal supported on columns or piers above the
surface of the round and along the centre of the road or other way, or they
may be applied under the footway. They have covers to them formed in
sections connected by dovetail or socket joints, and they are held in position by
screwing, or by bolts and locks, so as to be removeable in such sections forming
separate chambers or compartments to facilitate separate access to the parts
enclosed. I apply escape or test passages or outlets at intervals corresponding
with the separate compartments or chambers to ascertain whether any escape
has taken place to the fluids in the respective tubes. When these channels or
conduits are supported on a double row of columns or piers the space under-
neath them and between the rows of supports thereto may be paved, and
serve as a covered footway to shelter foot passengers and facilitate their
crossing from one side of a street or way to the other; or they may he
supported sufficiently high to be out of the way of vehicles on a single row of
columns, and thereby save space. The columns or piers are formed with
broad bases, and should be sunk beneath the surface of the road, so as to
resist lateral strain. The sides of these conduits or channels I provide with
shelves or other receptacles for plants or flowers, enclosed under glass covers
if desired; or they may have other means of ornamentation, to be used for
advertizing or other purposes. Subsiduary or local mains from the elevated
conduits are applied in channels under the pavement or along the fronts of
buildings, and supplied at intervals from the general mains. The supporting
columns or piers to the raised conduits or channels I form hollow and employ
as channels for conducting smoke or vapors from neighbouring buildings or
other places; fans or other exhaust apparatus being employed to draw or
force such smoke or vapor through these piers or columns and the channels
connecting them with the neighbouring buildings.
Conduits or channels arranged as described will afford means of ready
access at all times to the various mains or tubes, or telegraph wires without
impeding the traffic of the road, and the telegraph wires will be preserved
from the injurious effects of atmospheric influence. The raised conduits serve

page_text: also to support the street lamps and the pillars or piers for the fire and other
water outlets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Angus Croll in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, ALEXANDER
ANGUS CROLL, of Coleman Street, in the City of London, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
!
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me. the
said Alexander Angus Croll, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Angus Croll, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I.
the said Alexander Angus Croll, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter daring the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING CONDUITS OR CHANNELS FOR THE RECEPTION OF GAS.
WATER, AND OTHER MAINS, TUBES OR PIPES, AND TELEGRAPHIC WIRES, ALSO
FOR THE CONVEYING AWAY OF SMOKE OR NOXIOUS VAPOURS FROM BUILDINGS.
AND FOR THE VENTILATION OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER PLACES,' upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Angus Croll, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Angus Croll, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
The present system adopted of burying gas and water mains and some of
the telegraphic wires underground is very objectionable on account of the

page_text: inconvenience occasioned by the frequent stoppage of main thoroughfares for
repairs of such mains or lines, and otherwise, as well as on account of the costs
involved. To remedy these evils it has been proposed to form subways
under the roads, but these are also objectionable on account of the danger
arising from accumulations therein of escaped gas and foul air subject to
explosion.
According to my improvements I employ peculiarly formed conduits or
channels for the reception of the various gas, water, or other mains, pneumatic
dispatch. or other tubes, and also telegraph wires. These conduits or
channels are, by preference, formed of metal supported on colums or piers
above the surface of the ground and along the centre of the road or other way.
or they may be applied under the footway. They have covers to them formed
in sections connected by dovetail or socket joints, and they are held in position
by screwing or by bolts and locks, so as to be removeable in such sections
forming separate chambers or compartments to facilitate separate access to the
parts enclosed. I apply escape or test passages or outlets at intervals cor-
responding with the separate compartments or chambers to ascertain whether
any escape has taken place to the fluids in the respective tubes. When these
channels or conduits are supported on a double row of columns or piers the
space underneath them and between the rows of supports thereto may be
paved, and serve as a covered footway to shelter foot passengers and facilitate
their crossing from one side of a street or way to the other; or they may be
supported sufficiently high to be out of the way of vehicles on a single row of
columns, and thereby save space. The columns or piers are formed with
broad bases and should be sunk beneath the surface of the road so as to resist
lateral strain. The sides of these conduits or channels I provide with shelves
or other receptacles for plants or flowers, enclosed under glass covers if desired,
or they may have other means of ornamentation, or be used for advertizing or
other purposes. Subsidiary or local mains from the elevated conduits are
applied in channels under the pavement or along the fronts of buildings and
supplied at intervals from the general mains. The supporting columns or
piers to the raised conduits or channels I employ as channels for conducting
off smoke or vapours from neighbouring buildings or other places, fans or
other exhaust apparatus being employed to draw or force such smoke or
vapour through the piers or columns and the channels connecting them with
the neighbouring buildings.
Conduits or channels arranged, as described will afford means of ready
access at all times to the various mains or tubes or telegraph wires without
impeding the traffic of the road, and the telegraph wires will be preserved

page_text: the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure shows a sectional view, and Figure 2 a part of a side view of one
arrangement of parts according to my improvements; Figures 3 and 4 show
some of the parts in detail. In each of these views the same letters indicate
corresponding parts wherever they occur.
A, A, is the conduit or channel for the support of the various tubes or means
of communication; this conduit is supported on columns B, B, above the road-
way, and so as to form between the columns B, B, a covered way C between
two carriage ways C', one of which may be used for vehicles passing in one
direction and the other for those passing in the opposite direction, whilst the
central footway C will serve as an agreeable path or promenade to protect
persons walking thereon alike from rain or snow, and from risk of inter-
ference by the road vehicles; it will also greatly assist persons in crossing
from one side of the street or road to the other. The channel or conduit A as
here shown contains a tube a, which is provided with rails a', a', to support
the wheels of carriages or receptacles for the transit of parcels or goods so
that such tube may form a pneumatic dispatch or other tramway. b, b,.are
gas or water mains which have branch pipes e. e, from them carried down
through the respective columns B, B, to the houses or buildings adjoining;
c, c, are other means. Each main or line of tubes b, b. is contained in a
separate channel E, which is divided at intervals by partitions D (more clearly
shown by Figures 3 and 4) so as to divide each of such channels of a line of
piping into sections or chambers, each of which is enclosed by a separate
cover E', all of which are capable of being made air and water tight, and of
being separately removed or replaced for examination of the contained tubes
without disturbing any other channel. Each line of tubes c, c, is also con-
tained in separate channels, I, I, divided into sections at intervals by partitions.
Access to the pipes contained in each of the sections of the channels I. I, is
obtained through the covers or openings I, I¹. The covers E' to the
chambers E. containing the mains b. b, are arranged to open from the top,
whilst the covers I to the chambers I containing the mains c. c. open from
the side, and they are made fast by screw nuts, or it may be by lugs and a

page_text: key bolt or lock. Each of the sections or chambers E and I has applied to
it a tap or valve, by opening which at any time any leakage from a liquid or
gas pipe contained therein may be readily detected. The upper portion of
the general channel or conduit containing the tube a is covered by a light
metal framework F filled in with glass, beneath which plants may be placed,
as indicated by Figure 1, so as to produce the appearance of a corridor of
flowers or a conservatory. The cover F is provided with non-conducting
supports for telegraphic wires. d, or such wires may be applied in separate
tubes or channels within or upon the cover. By these means the telegraphic
wires will be protected from injurious atmospheric influence, and yet be
readily accessible at all times without interfering with the street or road
thoroughfare. The columns B are formed broad at their lower part B¹, so as
to obtain broad bases to them, and they rest on masonry or a bed of well
formed and solid concrete. II, H, are gutters for collecting and conveying
away the rain water; f, f. are the street lamps; is an outlet for water in
case of fire, or for the use of the water carts, or for other purposes.
A modification of the improvements is shown by two sectional views and a
side view at Figures 5, 6, and 7, where in place of a double row of
columns B a single row is used. In this case the same letters indicate
corresponding parts to those already explained, but in this arrangement the
interior of some of the supporting columns B, as shown by Figure 7, are
employed to carry off the smoke or other vapour from adjoining buildings
and conduct it to a channel G, which may be entered for cleansing or other-
wise through passages G¹. The draft in these channels may be increased by
fans or other auxiliary apparatus employed to draw or force such smoke or
vapour from the various buildings through the passages B³ in the columns B
and the channel or channels G, G. F is the outer framework or covering,
which may be of iron or other suitable material, and formed in panels so as
to be adapted to contain advertisements or other general information, or for
other ornamental purposes. The cover F is formed in segments where
required for direct access to the tubes a and lines of telegraph wires d or
through the covers E, E, to the tubes b. In this arrangement it will be
seen that the door or cover I¹ to the chamber I is at the bottom of that
chamber.
Figure 8 represents by a sectional view, and Figure 9 by a side view,
another modification of the improvements adapted to contain two lines of
pneumatic tubes a, which may be used for the transit of passengers as well as
goods for short intervals, thereby to relieve the street traffic. The tubes b. b.
are contained in separate chambers E, E, access to which for repair, removal,

page_text: or replacement of the contained pipes is obtainable by removal of the
panels E. In like manner the tubes c, c, are supported in separate chambers
I, I, access to which for repair, removal, or replacement is obtainable by the
removal of the panels I. The top of the general cover F is formed in
sections so as to be readily removeable for access to either of the tubes a, a, or
to the telegraph wires d, d.
Figures 10 and 11 represent, by a section and a plan view, another modi-
fication in which the channels or conduits containing the pipes or tubes a, b,
and c are placed beneath the surface of the footway of the street, or way, the
columns B being employed to support an ornamental framework, which whilst
it forms a covered way for foot passengers and supports and protects the
telegraph wires, may, as shown, be also employed as a conservatory for plants
and flowers, or be used for other purposes. The sides F, F, of the general
conduit A in this case are represented as formed of brickwork or masonry,
but they may be formed otherwise if desired. The chambers E and I are
divided transversely by cross partitions D into separate chambers covered by
plates E and I which may form the footway.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details shown and described, so long as the peculiar character
of the Invention as stated be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Angus Croll, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
A. ANGUS CROLL. (L.S.)