AIT valves Ior the same.
Year: 1886

page_text: AIT valves Ior the same.
I, EZRA SPENCER MCCLELLAN of No. 19 Church Street, Paterson in the State of
New Jersey United States of America Doctor of Medicine do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
There is a bowl or receptacle into which mercury is placed and a descending pipe
passing into the mercury from the basin, bath, water-closet or other receiver, and a
pipe leads off from the upper part of the mercury holding vessel, at a distance
above the top of the mercury. These devices form the trap to prevent gases and
vapors from the sewer or waste pipe or drain passing into the apartment, and the
amount of mercury is sufficient to sustain the column of water up to the desired
level in the basin or receptacle. When more water runs into the basin its level is
not materially raised because the surplus escapes between the lower end of the
pipe and the surface of the mercury and rises through the column of mercury in
the bowl of the trap.
To discharge the contents of the bowl or receptacle the mercury is rapidly
lowered and thereby the seal is removed and the water flows freely through
the trap.
To lower the mercury a vessel is connected to the trap by a pipe, and in this
vessel is a displacer and a rod or handle is used to lift the same. With a basin
this handle will usually come up at the side or back of the basin. When the
displacer is lifted the mercury runs rapidly from the trap into the vessel. Where
the displacer is allowed to descend, a valve, preferably the end of the displacer
rod almost closes the pipe to the trap, so that the mercury can only return
gradually, this gives time for the contents of the basin or receptacle to escape
before the mercury again forms a seal.
It is often important to admit air freely into the sewer or drain pipe, to prevent
the formation of a partial vacuum by the descending column of waste water, and
to effectually prevent the escape of gases from the sewer through the air valve
if the pressure accumulates. I effect these objects by a valve formed as an
inverted cup, the cylindrical portion of which passes into an annular mercury holder.
The external air comes up inside this cup valve and the closed case surrounding
the valve is connected by a pipe to the sewer or drain pipe. If there is a minus

page_text: pressure in the sewer or drain pipe the external atmosphere acting inside the cup
valve lifts the same instantly above the mercury and the air passes into the drain
or waste pipe to equalize the pressure, but if the pressure in the drain pipe
increases the cup valve is forced down into the annular mercury holder and the
gases cannot displace the mercury column. Sometimes the pipe between the trap a
and the mercury vessel is connected by a branch to the annular mercury vessel of
the air valve, so that the mercury rises in the air valve vessel simultaneously with
the rise in the trap.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Traps for Waste Pipes and Drains, and in
Air Valves for the Same.
I, EZRA SPENCER MCCLELLAN of No. 19 Church Street, Paterson, in the State of
New Jersey, United States of America, Doctor of Medicine 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:-
There is a bowl or receptacle into which mercury is placed and a descending
pipe passing into the mercury from the basin, bath, water closet or other receiver, 2
and a pipe leads off from the upper part of the mercury holding vessel at a distance
above the top of the mercury. These devices form the trap to prevent gases and
vapors from the sewer or waste pipe or drain passing into the apartment, and the
amount of mercury is sufficient to sustain the column of water up to the desired
level in the basin or receptacle. When more water runs into the basin its level is 2
not materially raised because the surplus escapes between the lower end of the
pipe and the surface of the mercury and rises through the column of mercury in
the bowl of the trap.
To discharge the contents of the bowl or receptacle the mercury is rapidly
lowered and thereby the seal is removed and the water flows freely through 3
the trap.
To lower the mercury a vessel is connected to the trap by a pipe and in this
vessel is a displacer and a rod or handle is used to lift the same.
With a basin, this handle will usually come up at the side or back of the basin.
When the displacer is lifted the mercury runs rapidly from the trap into the 3
vessel. When the displacer is allowed to descend, a valve, preferably the end of the

page_text: displacer-rod, almost closes the pipe to the trap, so that the mercury can only
return gradually; this gives time for the contents of the basin or receptacle to
escape before the mercury again forms a seal.
It is often important to admit air freely into the sewer or drain pipe, to prevent
the formation of a partial vacuum by the descending column of waste water and
to effectually prevent the escape of gases from the sewer through the air valve
if the pressure accumulates.
1 effect these objects by a valve formed as an inverted cup, the cylindrical
portion of which passes into an annular mercury holder. The external air comes
up inside this cup valve, and the closed case surrounding the valve is connected by
a pipe to the sewer or drain pipe. If there is a minus pressure in the sewer or
drain pipe the external atmosphere acting inside the cup valve lifts the same
instantly above the mercury and the air passes into the drain or waste-pipe to
equalize the pressure, but if the pressure in the drain pipe increases, the cup valve
is forced down into the annular mercury holder and the gases cannot displace the
mercury column.
Sometimes the pipe between the trap and the mercury vessel is connected by a
branch to the annular mercury vessel of the air valve so that the mercury rises in
the air valve vessel simultaneously with the rise in the trap.
In the drawings.
Figure 1. is a vertical section of the basin trap and mercury holder and
Figure 2. is a horizontal section at the line x. x. fig. 1.
Figure 3. is a vertical section with the mercury holder and the pipe thereof made
separately from the trap and with the air valve applied.
Figure 4. is a section at the line y. y. fig. 3. and
Figure 5. illustrates the manner in which the air valve may be applied to an
ordinary sewer trap.
The basin A. is preferably of the shape shown sectionally in fig. 1. in order that
the discharge-pipe may be at the back or at one side adjacent to the handle that
operates the displacer, thereby lessening the length of the tube between the trap
and the mercury holding vessel.
The trap is made as a chamber B. beneath the basin A. and in the bottom of
this chamber B. is an annular mercury-trough c. with a central convex or conical
projection d. and from the annular trough c. the mercury-pipe E. leads to the
mercury holder F. which is in the form of a vertical cylinder.
Adjoining the chamber B. and at G. is a discharge or sewer pipe horn, with an
overflow dam at h. and I also prefer to make use of a ventilating pipe connected
with the horn I.
I prefer to make the basin A. chamber B. pipe E. miercury-holder F. and horn G.
of porcelain or earthenware and all in one piece as seen in fig. 1. but I do not
limit myself in this particular as they may be of separate pieces as in fig. 3. and
when these parts are made in porcelain the side of the cylinder F. should be
connected with the side of the chamber B. The dip-pipe K. extends down from
the bottom of the base A. and its lower end is centrally above the mercury
trough c.
I prefer to make this dip-pipe of porcelain with a strainer at the upper end and
a flange by which the dip-pipe is hung from the bottom of the basin, the parts
being united and rendered water-tight by a rubber ring or cement at the
joint i. fig. 1.
The strainer at the top of the dip-pipe may be of porcelain or it may be an
ordinary metal strainer. The dip-pipe is flaring to increase the space for the
discharge beneath its lower end.
I prefer to make use of a supporting frame L. passing down from the under side
of the slab M. to the lug n. at the lower part of the mercury-pipe E. and in line
with the center of the mercury holder F, see fig. 1. At this place said mercury
pipe E. should be perforated for the reception of a plug m. and screw o. the former
being securely fastened into the porcelain by melted sulphur or other cementing

page_text: material. This screw o. allows the mercury to be drawn out when necessary.
The upper part of the frame L. is formed as a flange to rest against the under side
of the slab M and such flange may be made with an off set to pass beneath the top
flange of the basin A. and by means of screws passing through countersunk holes
in the porcelain flange, the frame L. is connected to the basin and held in place
to facilitate transportion and to become a guide in properly placing and connecting
the basin to the slab.
Said slab M is to be perforated for the passage of the connecting thimble P.
which passes through such slab, and also through the top part of the frame L;
and Q is a tubular clamping-nut for securing the thimble and frame to the slab.
Through this thimble P. the handle R. passes and is secured to the upper end of
the rod S. and at the lower end of this rod S. is a valve t. resting into a seat at
the junction of the mercury pipe E. with the holder F.
This valve is not ground tightly to its seat, or else there is a small channel
through the seat for allowing the gradual passage of the mercury.
U. is a displacer within the mercury holder F which displacer will be of iron
and having a hole through it for the free passage of the rod S. There is a cap or
cover V. to the mercury-holder F. which may be of porcelain or other suitable
material and this cover may be held in place by a rubber band at w. fig. 1.
Upon the rod S. at its junction with the handle R. is a lock nut r. and above it
a rubber cushion or washer 1. to limit the upward movement of the rod S. and
displacer U. by contact with the lower end of the tubular nut Q mercury is to be
supplied into the trap until it rises above the lower end of the dip-pipe K. and the
hight of the mercury above said lower end must be in proportion to the column of
water to be sustained in the basin.
Water will remain in the chamber B up to the dam h. When the handle R.
is raised, the displacer U. is lifted and the mercury rushes out of the annular
trough C. by the pipe E into the holder F. and the contents of the basin A. are
free to discharge by the sewer pipe connected with the horn G.
When the handle R. is dropped, the valve t. immediately fills the opening to the
mercury-tube E. and the displacer U. floats in the inercury, and as the mercury
passes gradually through between the valve and its seat, the displacer descends and
this operation continues until the mercury resumes its normal level position; and
it will be apparent that the time consumed in this operation will depend upon the
amount of leakage between the valve and its seat.
This leakage is to be such that sufficient time will be allowed for the discharge
of the contents of the basin A. should the handle R. be dropped immediately after
being lifted.
•
The case A is made with a cylindrical exterior a. and a bottom b. and a
rising air inlet pipe c² passing up through the bottom and there is a bell shaped
cylinder B¹ from the top of which a pipe C¹ passes to the sewer or discharge side
of the trap B. The cylinder B¹ is placed within the cylinder a. and its lower end
is immersed in mercury contained in the vessel A¹ and within the hell shaped
cylinder B is an air valve F¹ formed as an inverted cylindrical cup, the lower edge
of which passes into the mercury and rests upon the bottom b.
The air-inlet tube c² rises up within this cup shaped valve F¹ so as to be at the
proper hight above the surface of the mercury.
It will now be understood that the water or other material flowing off to the
sewer by the pipe G. sometimes produces a partial vacuum and if air is not
admitted into such pipe G. the contents of the trap B will be displaced or partially
so, and a noise produced by drawing air into the sewer pipe and sometimes with
ordinary traps, the water will be drawn out by a siphoning action. My present
improvement prevents this difficulty, because as soon as there is a minus pressure
or partial vacuum the pressure of the air acting beneath the cup-valve F' lifts the
same and the air draws in beneath its lower edge and passes into the pipe C
and waste-pipe G. to equalize the pressure and prevent the formation of a partial
vacuum; but as soon as the equilibrium in the pressure is restored the inverted

page_text: cup valve F¹ drops to its normal position in the mercury seal and no gases can
escape because the column of mercury forced up between the cup F1 and the
cylindrical bell B' resists the pressure of the sewer gases.
My improved air valve may be used with any desired character of waste pipe
or sewer-trap such for instance as that shown in fig. 5. I have however shown the
same in fig. 3 as connected with a basin and mercury seal.
The basin A. has a tubular discharge pipe K. passing down within the trap B.
and there is a mercury pipe E leading to the cylinder F. in which is a displacer U.
and a handle R. passes up through an opening in the basin slab and the pipe R¹
connects the pipe E. with the bottom b. of the vessel A¹.
The position of the vessel A¹ and air valve F' is such in relation to the mercury
space in the trap B. that the pipe R' and lower part of the vessel A¹ will be filled
with mercury to the proper level; but the upper end of the pipe R' is sufficiently
above the bottom of the vessel A¹ to insure the retention in said vessel A¹ of the
proper depth of mercury to maintain the seal for the valve F¹ when the seal of
the trap is open.
The advantage of connecting the mercury in the trap with the mercury of the
air valve before described is, that when the displacer U is depressed the level of
the mercury will be raised both in the trap B. vessel A¹ and pipe R' and the
reverse; hence the seal of the valve is always equal in hight to the seal of the trap
when closed, and a sufficient seal is preserved in the valve case when the seal of
the trap is open, and the supply of mercury is automatic in the valve-case.
The air valve will rise freely to admit air into the sewer pipe when there is
a minus pressure in the sewer pipe, because the valve will lift without the level
of the column of mercury inside and outside, the cylinder of the valve being
materially changed by the action of the air, which lifts the valve out of the
mercury.
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
First. The combination with the basin, of a chamber B. having an annular
mercury holding trough, a separate mercury holder, a displacer within the mercury
holder and a rod for lifting the displacer, and a tube connecting the mercury
holding trough to the mercury holding vessel whereby the mercury will be allowed
to run from the annular trough into the mercury holding vessel and the contents
of the basin to discharge, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination with the chamber B. and dip-pipe K. of a tube E. and
mercury-holder F connected with the lower end of such chamber B. a displacer in
the mercury-holder, a rod for raising the same, and a valve at the lower end of the
rod for nearly closing the discharge opening between the mercury holder and the
pipe leading to the chamber substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with the chamber B. having an annular mercury trough
in the bottom, the mercury holder F. and connecting tube E. of the dip-pipe K.
extending down into the chamber B. and terminating above the bottom of the
annular mercury trough at the bottom of said chamber B. substantially as
set forth.
Fourth. The mercury-holder F, displacer U. valve and rod S. in combination
with the handle R. lock-nut 7. and cushion substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The frame L. connected at its lower end with the porcelain at the bottom
of the mercury-holder and having at its upper end a flange connected with the
basin, in combination with the thimble P. tubular nut Q for connecting the frame
to the slab, the handle R. passing through the thimble, the rod S. displacer U.
mercury holder F and trap, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination with a trap containing mercury, of a vessel for holding
mercury, a pipe connecting the trap to the vessel and a valve in the said mercury
pipe to open and allow the mercury to run rapidly out of the trap and to nearly

page_text: close and allow the gradual return of the mercury into the trap, substantially as
set forth.
Seventh. The combination with the basin or vessel holding water, of a trap
containing mercury, a mercury holding vessel, and a pipe connecting the same to
the trap, a displacer within the mercury holding vessel and a valve in said pipe
to regulate the gradual return of the mercury to the trap, substantially as specified.
Eighth. The basin or vessel for holding water, a discharge-pipe, and a trap
containing mercury, in combination with a mercury holding vessel with an opening
to connect the same to the trap to allow the rapid subsidence of the mercury for
opening the seal, and a contracted opening for allowing the gradual return of the
same for insuring the required time for the discharge of the water from the basin
or bowl, substantially as specified.
"
Ninth. The combination with the vessel A¹ and inlet air pipe c' of the bell
shaped cylinder B¹ and pipe C leading to the waste pipe G. and the inverted
cup shaped valve F' within the cylinder B¹ and the mercury seal into which the
lower end of the valve F1 passes substantially as set forth.
Tenth. The combination with the vessel A¹ air inlet pipe c and cylinder B¹ of
the pipe C leading to the waste pipe G. and the inverted cup shaped valve F' the
trap B. the pipe E. leading from the bottom of the trap, the mercury vessel F.
the displacer U. and the pipe R leading from the vessel A¹ to the pipe E. whereby
the mercury seal in the vessel A¹ is raised and lowered simultaneously with the
mercury seal in the trap B. substantially as set forth.
Eleventh. A vessel containing mercury an inverted cup shaped air valve, with
the lower part thereof in the mercury, au air inlet within cup shaped valve, a case
and a pipe to connect with a sewer or drain pipe, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of October 1886