IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUMBER'S TRAPS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co Patent Agents Southampton Buildings London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUMBER'S TRAPS" communicated to him from abroad by
Frederick. N. Du Bois of the City and Stato of New York United States of
America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th October 1883.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUMBERS' TRAPS commu-
nicated to me from abroad by Frederick N. Du Bois, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America
This invention relates to that class of traps known as "plumber's traps," which
are made of lead or other suitable soft metal and curved so as to retain a body of
water in a U-formed bend or seal, which offers resistance to the escape of gases.
The said invention consists in making, in a single piece, such a trap with two or
more bends or seals which, containing more water than a single trap will afford a
better protection against the escape of gas than is attainable by the use of a single
seal trap. I am aware that two sewer traps have been placed end to end for the
purpose of ensuring the escape of gases through an outlet pipe placed at, or near,
their junction, but this invention is distinguished therefrom in that the trap is
made with two or more seals in one piece by forcing the metal through a die in
the manner described in the specifications of former Letters Patent dated
October 20th A.D. 1875 N° 3646 and November 19. A.D. 1875 N° 4026.
press.
According to the present invention the metal in a melted state is poured into the
When it has cooled and solidified it is expelled before two plungers
operating in opposite ends of one cylinder, and independently actuated by hydraulic
presses so that they may be moved at different speeds. By accelerating the move-
ment of one plunger, the metal tube emerging from the nozzle or die will be made
to curve towards the other; by making them move at the same speed, the pipe
will issue straight from the dio; by roversing the relative speed of the plungers
the issuing pipe will be made to curve towards the slower moving one, and

page_text: thus a succession of reversed curves with intermediate straight sections may be
made.
The greater the number of seals a trap contains the longer the trap will contain
water when not in use, and the more the opening of the same for the passage of
sewer gases by the evaporation of the water will be deferred. A screw plug is
placed at the bottom of each seal for the purpose of drawing off the water and
cleaning the trap.
I do not claim a trap with two seals or bends, for I am aware that such traps
have been described in prior specifications, for the outside connection with the
sewer. This improved trap is, however, distinguished from such traps in that the
latter were built either of brick-work or the like, or made up by laying two coinmon
single seal traps end to end, and having at the middle upward bend an opening
for the escape of gas through a vent pipe; while the said improved trap is drawn
in a single piece from soft metal with two or more scals, such traps being of the
kind commonly known as plumbers' traps and adapted for use in the interior pipes
of buildings and sold entire as an article of manufacture.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
Foreign Correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I Claim
A plumbers' trap of soft metal constructed without scams and having a series of
seals or dips, substantially as set forth.
"
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Thirtieth day of October in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.