IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO THE LAYING OF PIPES AND MAINS IN STREETS FOR THE SUPPLY OF COMPRESSED AIR OR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN STURGEON of 3 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, London, S. W.
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND APPERTAINING TO THE LAYING OF PIPES AND MAINS IN STREETS FOR THE
SUPPLY OF COMPRESSED AIR OR OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:-
In laying pipes in streets for the supply of compressed air, gas, or water, it has
been heretofore customary to simply bury such pipes in the ground, covered over
with earth, where there are no convenient subways in which to place them. The
objection to this is, that whenever it is required to get access to the pipes for
repairs or making connections, it is necessary to break open the streets, and this
has often to be done for a considerable length in order to ascertain the position of
a fracture or fault. Moreover the pipes have to be buried to a considerable depth
in order to minimise the risk of breakage by the passage over them of heavy traffic.
In order to obviate these difficulties I construct open troughs near the surface of
the street, of concrete, brickwork, iron, or other suitable material or combination of
materials, in and along which the pipes are laid and jointed as required, and the
whole covered in by a series of lids or covers of semicircular or arched form and
composed of concrete, iron, or other suitable material or combination of materials,―
or of flat or nearly flat form, and composed of buckled plates filled up with concrete,
or frames fitted with wooden blocks, or other suitable arrangement, these lids or
covers being of such size and weight as to be easily lifted up off their bed, so as to
leave the pipe below exposed and accessible from the top, and of such strength as
to sustain the weight of loads passing over them. In some cases the upper surface
of these lids or covers may be level with the surface of the street, and in some cases
sufficiently below the surface to enable them to be covered over with a layer of
road metal of the same kind as the general surface of the street, which layer can be
readily picked off in order to get access to the removeable cover. Each cover is pro-
vided with an opening or openings brought up to the level of the road surface, which
openings serve the double purpose of catches for the lifting tackle, and of openings
by which the position of a leak may be ascertained, which, with compressed air, is
at once detected by the whistling sound produced by the escaping air.
Dated this d 1
1000

page_text: Improvements in and Appertaining to the Laying of Pipes and
Mains in Streets for the Supply of Compressed Air or other
Purposes.
I, JOHN STURGEON of 3 Westininster Chambers Victoria Street London S.W.
Civil Engineer 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:-
In laying pipes in streets or other places for the supply of compressed air, gas or
water it has been heretofore customary to simply bury such pipes in the ground
covering them over with earth except in the few cases where convenient subways
are provided in which to place them. The objection to this is that whenever it is
required to get access to the pipes for discovering leakages for repairs or for making
connections it is necessary to break open the streets, and this has often to be done
for a considerable length in order to ascertain the position of a leakage fracture or
fault. Moreover the pipes have to be buried to a considerable depth in order to
minimise the risk of breakage by the passage over them of heavy traffic. In order
to obviate these difficulties and to preserve the pipes better against corrosion,
I construct open troughs near the surface of the street or other place and place the
pipes therein and provide covers for the trough along the whole length of trough
such covers being removable and the whole being of a strong and suitable form to
resist the superincumbent load and impact from heavy traffic. Moreover these
troughs serve to convey the sound of leakages. They are also useful for placing
therein electric wires.
Figure 1 is a plan of a street with part of two cross streets and indicating the
troughs therein and the trough cross connections. Figure 2 is a longitudinal
section of one form of trough with line of pipe and valves therefor and Figures 3, 4
and 5 are transverse sections through various parts of same, Figure 3 being a
section on line A A and Figure 4 a section on line B, B.
In this form the trough A is cast in situ or otherwise and in concrete as I prefer
it and of such lengths as may be found convenient and according to the size pipe
for which the trough is intended. The lid B is also cast in concrete or other suit-
able cheap and strong material all according to local circumstances. and prices.
Where two streets cross each other and a self acting four way valve is provided
such as described in the Specification of Patent N° 5232 of 1883 and as shown at C
Figure 2 I provide a cross shaped trough as also shown at T Figure 1 and lids B
at each of the four shanks of the trough while the centre part of the cross trough
by preference is covered by a cast iron grate lid D the interstices of which are
filled with wood blocks as shown. On removing the lid D access is obtained to
the four spindles E for working the four way valve C. Where I use branch or
service pipes with valves F for letting out the air pressure when a service con-
nection has to be made see Figure 2 and in the cross section Figure 5 and at S
Figure 1 the trough A has to be formed accordingly a grated lid G being provided
in the centre having wood blocks inserted in the interstices.
The pipes and valves may as shown in Figures 2, 3 4 and 5 be supported on
iron rollers such as I, or pieces of wood such as H Figure 6 is a cross sectional
view of a concrete trough A having a cover B of cast iron in the form of a grating

page_text: with wood blocks inserted in the interstices. The top of these covers would
generally be flush with the road metal or paving. Figure 7 is a cross sectional
view of a concrete trough A with recessed cover B made of arched or buckled steel
plates B filled up with concrete. Figure 'S is a cross sectional view of a cast iron
trough A with an arched cast iron lid B.
In all the forms shewn the lids should be of such a size and weight as to be easily
lifted off their bed so as to leave the pipe in the trough exposed and accessible from
the top and of such strength as to sustain the load or impact of traffic passing over
them. The concrete troughs if not made in situ may be made with male and
female ends so as to join.
In some cases as illustrated by the examples given the upper surface of these lids
or covers may be level with the surface of the street and in others sufficiently
below the surface to enable them to be covered over with a layer of road metal of
the same kind as the general surface of the street which layer can be readily picked
off in order to get access to the removable cover. Special covers or doors such as D
or G will generally be required over each valve. Each cover D or G is provided
with an opening or openings brought up to the level of the road surface, which
openings serve the double purpose of catches for the lifting tackle and of openings
by which the position of a leak may be ascertained, which with compressed air is
at once detected by the whistling sound produced by the escaping air. In order
to trace a leak in any part of the pipe system, the workınan opens the small lil on
the grating door over the valve nearest to the place where the leakage is suspected
and by applying the ear to one such lid in the vicinity after the other he will be
able to trace the leakage to the locality of its source and determine its position
between two valves and as the case may be perhaps nearer to one of them than to
the other. He will then only have to remove the road metal over such portion
of the pipe trough and then one or more of the covers B until he finds the exact
spot, or if the covers come right up to the level of the road, as described with
reference to D and G Figures and 5 then there will be no removal of the road
inetal,
In these troughs I may also place the electric wires which are required for con-
veying the records of the various consumers meters to the central station as
explained in the Specification of my Patent N° 964 of 1885. Also when desired
small pipes for conveying high pressure air to places where compressed air tram
cars are to be charged may be placed in these troughs. Other smaller compressed
air pipes for special purposes requiring different pressures to that of the main may
also be placed in this trough conduit.
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 manufacture and use of troughs provided with removable covers,
such troughs being placed in the ground near the surface and serving to contain
pipes and mains with valves for compressed air or other fluid in such manner as to
afford facility for ascertaining leakages and for inspection and repair, substantially
as set forth.
Second-The construction of troughs and covers described and shewn and
for the purpose set forth.
BREWER & JENSEN,
For the Applicant.