IMPROVED MEANS FOR TRAP- PING AND VENTILATING HOUSE AND OTHER DRAINS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Copley Woodhead, of Leeds, in the County of
York, M.R.C.S. (London), for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS FOR TRAP-
PING AND VENTILATING HOUSE AND OTHER DRAINS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Copley Woodhead
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th November 1878.
WILLIAM COPLEY WOODHEAD, of Leeds, in the County of York, M.R.C.S. (London).
IMPROVED MEANS FOR TRAPPING AND VENTILATING HOUSE AND
DRAINS."
OTHER
This Invention relates to improvements upon the Invention for which I obtained
Letters Patent dated 21st January 1878, No. 267. In the Specification of this
Patent I describe the house drain as discharging into a funnel shaped receiver fitted
either flush with the surface of the ground or otherwise and covered by a grating,
such receiver forming a portion of a ventilating arrangement for stopping the
advance of any sewer gas towards the house and ensuring its discharge into the
open air. In conjunction with this funnel shaped receiver I now propose to employ
a novel construction of trap, by the use of which I more effectually prevent the
passage of a sewer gas and specific germ poisons from the sewer or drain pipe into
the house. The sink pipes and other outlet pipes from houses and buildings will
discharge into an independent trap for the purpose (as in the case of the sink trap)
of recovering the grease which may be discharged from the sink, and for that or any
other purpose to prevent the entrance of any substance which might be a means of
stopping up the drains, as in chemical works, stables, and other buildings. In
applying my improvements I construct a rectangular box or other suitable shaped
receptacle for the drainage, and this I place outside the house or other building,
sinking it either to a level with the ground or otherwise. This box I divide into
three compartments by means of two transverse vertical partitions. In one of the
outer compartments I form an inclined floor from which depends a deep lip or cur-
Price 6d l

page_text: tain that reaches near to the bottom of the compartment and serves as a trap, as
will be presently explained. This, the first, and also the third compartments I cover
by a grating which leaves them open to the air, and the middle compartment may
'be covered by a close lid. In the end of the box I form an opening a little above
the inclined floor through which the drainage is discharged. In the middle com-
partment towards the lower end thereof I fit a tray formed, say, of pierced metal or
other reticulated material, and below this I form an opening for the discharge of the
drainage into the third compartment of the box. The first and second compart
ments I connect together by an opening which is above the tray of the second
compartment and below the inclined floor of the first compartment. The water
runs into this box and will fall over the floor to the bottom of the first compartment,
and passing under the lip or curtain will as it accumulates discharge itself through
the opening in the partition or to the reticulated tray. Here any fat or other refuse
which the drainage may contain will be caught, and the water passing through the
tray will escape into the third compartment or air chamber whence it will be dis-
charged into the drain which I propose to ventilate according to my above mentioned
Patent. Thus a column of air flowing down through the air chamber will prevent
any sewer gas reaching the trapped box and entering into the house or other
building. Fall pipes may be made to enter this third compartment for the purpose
of flushing and ventilating it. The drainage, it will be understood, in passing
through the box will form a trap by means of the lip or curtain in the first com-
partment, and thus all possibility of sewer gas or germ poison passing through the
box will be prevented. Where necessary a coarse grate may be adopted instead
"of the reticulated tray for keeping back any solid particles that would be liable to
choke the drain. As an improvement in the surface drain receiver I fit the same
with a suitable reticulated receptacle below the grating, so that all the drainage
water with the solid particles contained therein will pass into the receptacle before
reaching the drain pipes. Thus the mud and other solid refuse will be arrested and
prevented from choking the pipes leading to the sewer. In order to intercept the
solid particles which are mingled with the surface water as it flows in the direction
of the grating where such gratings are placed in the street I fix a specially con-
structed interceptor in the form of a wire cage or basket which allows only the
liquid to escape into the drain. The solid particles remaining exposed to the action
of the air are deodorized and remain in a harmless condition until such times as it
may be necessary to remove them. In the event of these baskets becoming filled
before the time arranged for their periodical removal I provide an overflow pipe
which would take all surplus water direct to the drains.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Copley Woodhead in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th May 1879.
WILLIAM COPLEY WOODHEAD, of Leeds, in the County of York, M.R.C.S. (London).
'IMPROVED MEANS FOR TRAPPING AND VENTILATING HOUSE AND
DRAINS."
OTHER
This Invention relates to improvements upon the Invention for which I obtained
Letters Patent, dated 21st January, 1878, No. 267.
In the Specification of this Patent I describe the house drain as discharging into
a funnel shaped receiver fitted either flush with the surface of the ground or other-
wise, and covered by a grating, such receiver forming a portion of a ventilating
arrangement for stopping the advance of any sewer gas towards the house and
insuring its discharge into the open air.
I now propose to employ a novel construction of trap, by the use of which I more
effectually prevent the passage of sewer gas and specific germ poisons from the
sewer or drain pipe into the house, so that there shall be a constant circulation of
air intermediate of the house drains and the sewers.
The sink and other outlet pipes will be constructed on precisely similar principles
to the house drains and sewers as described in my original Patent of January 21st,
1878. These sink pipes and other outlet pipes in the houses and buildings will
discharge into an independent trap, and thereby in the case of the sink trap recover.
any grease that may accompany the discharged water from the sink. This trap
will arrest the passage of any substance which might be a means of stopping up the
drains or sewers, as in chemical works, stables, and other buildings.
In carrying out my Invention I construct a rectangular box or other suitable
shaped receptacle made of metal, earthenware, or bricks, lined with salt glazed
bricks for the drainage, and this I place outside the house or other buildings,
sinking it either to a level with the ground or otherwise, and connecting it with the
main sewer in the manner to be presently explained.
The construction of this box or receptacle is clearly shewn in the accompanying
Drawing, where Fig. 1 is a plan view of the box with the cover or grating removed,
and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same taken in the line 2, of Fig. 1.
In these Figures A is a rectangular box divided by transverse vertical partitions
into three compartments, 1, 2, 3. In the compartment 1 I form an inclined floor a
(see the cross section Fig. 3), from which depends a deep lip or curtain b, that
reaches near to the bottom of the compartment and serves as a trap, as will be
presently explained.
The compartments 1 and 3 are covered by gratings c, c, which leave them open
to the air, and the middle compartment is closed by a lid d, but if desired the three
compartments may be covered by one continuous grating. In one end of the com-
partment 11 form an opening e, a little above or level with the inclined floor a,
through which the drainage from the sink pipe, or it may be any other house pipe,
is discharged.
In the middle compartment 2, near the bottom thereof, or otherwise, I fit a tray
f, formed, say of pierced metal or other reticulated material (see the cross section
Fig. 4), and below this tray I form an opening g for the discharge of the drainage
into the compartment, 3 of the box. The compartments 1 and 2 I connect together
by an opening h, which is above the tray of the second compartment and below the
inclined floor of the first compartment. The house drainage run into this box will
fall over the inclined floor a to the bottom of the compartment 1, and passing under
the lip or curtain 6 in the direction of the arrows, will as it accumulates, discharge
itself through the opening h in the partition on to the reticulated tray f. Here any
fat or other refuse which the drainage may contain will be caught, the liquor having
been cooled by its passage through compartment 1, and the residual water passing

page_text: through the tray will escape into the compartment 3, whence it will be discharged
into a drain pipe B leading to the sewer C.
Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation of the box A, sbewing its connection
with the sewer by means of my ventilating drain pipe arrangement, described in
the Specification of the above mentioned Patent. In this Figure the drain pipe B
is shewn as connected with the compartment 3, and in this drain pipe are U-shaped
dips or syphons on either side of which are ventilating pipes B*, B*, extending up
to the surface level. By this combination I am enabled to isolate the house from
the sewer in a more efficient way than by the arrangement described in the Specifi-
cation of my above mentioned Patent, the box A with its three compartments
taking the place of the funnel shaped receiver and forming the mouth in the house
drain for the ingress of atmospheric air to the drain pipe B, whence it passes to and
escapes by the first ventilating pipe B*. Thus by the laws of gravity there will be
a continuous circulation of fresh air through the first section of the drain pipes.
From this point the drain may be continued either to a specially constructed shaft,
as shewn in Fig. 5, or it may be continued direct into the main sewer.
It will now be understood that a column of air flowing down through the compart-
ment 3 or air chamber and up the ventilating tube B* into the open air will prevent
any sewer gas or specific germ poisons reaching the trapped box and entering the
house or other buildings. Soil, or bath, or fall pipes may be made to enter this third
compartment; the fall pipe may be carried into it for the purpose of flushing and
ventilating it. The drainage, it will be understood, in passing through the box will
form a trap by means of a lip or curtain in the first compartment, and thus all
possibility of sewer gas or specific germ poisons passing through the box will be
prevented in conjunction with the before mentioned arrangements for producing a
current of fresh air.
When necessary a coarse grate may be adopted instead of the reticulated tray for
keeping back any solid particles that would be liable to choke the drain.
In applying my Invention I do not confine myself to the exact limits or details
before mentioned or shewn in the accompanying Drawing, as the same may be
varied or modified to suit circumstances, as for the surface drainage of streets or
other places.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Means for Trap-
ping and Ventilating House and other Drains," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent, I claim,―
The arrangement of apparatus above described with reference to the Drawing for
trapping and ventilating house and other drains.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Copley Woodhead, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy nine.
WILLIAM COPLEY WOODHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed; and delivered by the
said William Copley Woodhead
in the presence of
EDWARD WHITELEY,
Clerk to Mr. Thomas Turner,
Solicitor,
Leeds.