A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Prevention of Freezing and Solidification of Liquids in Supply Pipes, Cisterns, and Adjuncts.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Prevention of
Freezing and Solidification of Liquids in Supply Pipes, Cisterns,
and Adjuncts.
I, GEORGE STEVENS of 37 Walbrook, in the City of London, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to a certain new, or improved method of, and means for
preventing the freezing and solidification of liquids in supply pipes, cisterns and
adjuncts, the objects being to prevent bursting of pipes, also to ensure, that supplies
to cisterns or boilers shall be uninterrupted and thereby explosions be prevented,
and generally to obviate difficulties, arising from freezing action and solidification,
or stagnation of liquids.
In carrying out this invention, I cause a series or succession of globules of air to
travel through the liquids, contained in the supply pipes and cistern, using
therefor one pipe as the duct for both, the air and the water, but the travel
being in opposing direction.
The details of the means employed may vary within certain limits, but I will
hereinafter describe a specially constructed valve, which is a combination of the
requisite orifices and ways or chambers to be opened and closed with facility and
avoidance of skilled manipulation, for supplying, cutting off and regulating the flow
of the water, and of the air globules.
I will now describe an apparatus, according to this invention, as applied to a
water cistern and water supply pipe, used in houses.
An air chamber is attached at the lowest available part of the pipe service, and
so connected, that the water is led to the bottom, and the air can be led out at the
top of said chamber, by separate pipes, or by concentric pipes. The said pipes are
joined together at the top of said chamber, intercepted by a regulator valve, so
that air, escaping from the chamber, shall be led into the water supply pipe through
a channel or passage, as part of the said regulator valve.
The globules of air are forined in this channel and regulated, as to size and speed
of motion, by the said regulator valve. As there is the constant tendency of the
air to rise and displace liquid, the globules are successively formed and likewise
pass upward through the pipe system, escaping into and passing through the
water cistern, until the air in the air chamber has been exhausted and replaced
by water.
To recharge the vessel with air, the water is to be drawn off, conveniently.
through a syphon, by utilizing the pressure of air, left in the chamber, and after
starting the syphonage flow, the air in the chamber is brought into communication
with the atmosphere, whereby a corresponding volume of air will replace the out-
flowing water.
Comparatively a small air chamber is sufficient to maintain the automatic flow of
air globules for a considerable time, extending to several days.
The air chamber is conveniently of cylindrical form, perfectly air-tight and
standing in vertical position, and of material to resist the pressure and corroding
effect of the water or liquid.·

page_text: The specially constructed and combined valve is attached to the top of the
cylinder, and the outside body or shell of said valve is provided with six orifices,
of which the two bottom ones are each continuously in separate communication
with the water and the air in the air chamber, by means of concentric pipes. The
inner one of these pipes extends down to a short distance from the bottom, and the
outer concentric pipe extends only to the top of the air chamber. Two other of
the six orifices are situated at the top and two orifices at the side of the shell.
The said shell is provided with an inner body or plug, having gaps or openings
corresponding with the said six orifices, and so placed that by simply turning said
plug, by one handle, a quarter circle movement, the bottom orifices are pat in
direct communication with the supply pipe and cistern through the upper orifices,.
to produce and convey the air globules, and during this time the side orifices are
cut off; or in the alternative, by reverse motion of the handle to shut off the top
orifices and open the side orifices, to syphon off the water and replenish the air, as
and when required.
The plug is provided at its end, inside the shell, with stop lumps to locate and
limit the quarter motion.
The regulator valve is situated at the upper part of the air orifice, and consists
mainly of a spindle, screw threaded for adjustment, passing through a stuffing box
in the shell, and terminating in a cone adapted to the valve seating of said air
orifice. The outer end of said spindle is formed to receive a key, which may be
movable.
In combination with and in continuation of the water orifice, there is fitted an
inspection glass to show the rate of travel and the size of the uprising air globules
to the pipe, connected with the water supply pipes and the cistern.
The inspection glass is protected by a metal case, screwed to the shell of the
valve, provided with a slot for inspection, and the leading off pipe is connected
through an adjustable packing at the upper end of said metal case.
One of the two side orifices of the valve shell is simply a hole, communicating
with the air passage of the plug, and the other is in connection with the water port
of the plug, and terminates in a nozzle for reception of a flexible draw-off-pipe for
the syphonage.
The aforesaid leading off pipe, from the inspection glass, is to be jointed to the
water supply, preferably by a movable joint and provided, when necessary, with a
stopcock and union.
As I consider it of importance, that my automatic apparatus may be easily
attached, without calling in a plumber, I arrange a special form of connections for
that purpose.
I pierce a hole in the water supply pipe and scrape, or make a flat surface
thereon at such orifice, to form a seating, against which the end of the pipe to be
jointed, is tightly pressed, with an intervening washer, by a suitable union, in
connection with a clip, surrounding the supply pipe and so tightly connecting the
pipes without soldering.
I may, if found necessary, apply a similar arrangement of automatic air vessel
and fittings, direct to a cistern, in which case the air vessel should be placed below
the bottom of the cistern, and the air discharge may be received under a false
bottom in the said cistern, provided with a number of orifices, to distribute the
ascending air throughout the cistern.
In cases, where the air chamber, pipes and the connections are exposed to
extreme cold, they should be coated with felt or any non-conducting material, or
the air, leaving the chamber, may be warmed or heated, either directly or by.
applying heat to the water in the air chamber.
Dated 18th day of April 1896.'
./..
'
GEORGE STEVENS,
37, Walbrook, E.C., Applicant.

page_text: A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Prevention of
Freezing and Solidification of Liquids in Supply Pipes, Cisterns,
and Adjuncts.
1, GEORGE STEVENS of 37 Walbrook, in the City of London, 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:-
This invention relates to a certain new or improved method of, and means for
preventing the freezing and solidification of liquids in supply pipes, cisterns and
adjuncts, the objects being to prevent, bursting of pipes, also to ensure that supplies
to cisterns or boilers shall be uninterrupted and thereby explosions be prevented,
and generally to obviate difficulties arising from freezing action and solidification
or stagnation of liquids.
In carrying out this invention, I cause a series or succession of globules of air_to
travel through the liquids, contained in the supply pipes and cisterns using therefor
one pipe as the duct for both the air and the water, but the travel being in
opposing directions so far as the regards the connection pipe.
The details of the means employed may vary within certain limits, but I will
hereinafter describe a specially constructed valve, which is a combination of the
requisite orifices and ways or chambers to be opened or closed with facility and
avoidance of skilled manipulation for supplying cutting off and regulating the flow
of the water, and of the air globules.
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same in reference to the drawings hereto annexed and to the letters
and figures. Like letters refer to similar parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 shows in section the adaptation of my invention to a domestic dwelling.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the control device and air container.
Fig. 3 is an end view of the cock or plug of the control device and
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same through X. Y.
It is obvious that the disposition of the service pipes, cisterns, and adjuncts will
depend upon the arrangements that have to be dealt with, to prevent the liquids
from becoming frozen or solidified in the pipes, cisterns, or adjuncts, but in each
arrangement of pipes, cisterns, or adjuncts I carry out my invention by applying
to either the supply system of pipes or to the discharge system of pipes to the
cisterns or receptacles containing water or liquid my automatic air container
(compressing and distributing globules of air) preferably at the lowest accessible
point or end of such systems of pipes, cisterns, or receptacles, so that the head or
pressure of liquid or water may be utilized, as hereinafter described, to compress
the air and to cause it to enter the said pipes, or adjuncts; and the buoyancy of
the air globules in the surrounding liquid is utilized to cause an effective and rapid
circulation of the globules of air either with or against the direction of the flow
of liquid in the pipes.
As an example I will describe the adaptation of my invention to a house service
in Fig. 1.
I attach an air container at the lowest available part of the pipe service as at A
in the basement or at A' on the ground floor on the downward supply pipes S or
at A' at the lowest point of the upward supply service S' to the cisteru B where
there is interimittent or constant supply.
The attachment pipe of my air container to the service pipes passes through a
special control or regulating device C and a water supply pipe a is carried almost

page_text: .
down to the bottom of the container. The water under pressure, so admitted from
the service pipes, seals the bottom of the pipe a and compresses the air contained
in the upper part of the air container (which may be easily recharged as
hereinafter described) and forces the air through the annulus D about the water
pipe a the passage d through the orifice d' in the plug G.and the valve controlled
seating E and passage e in the form of globules into the descending column of
water from the service pipes. The moment the air globules enter the water
pipes they rise rapidly by their inherent buoyancy and traverse the service pipes
however they may be disposed (as shown by way of example in Fig. 1) to their
highest point of outlet or supply in the service cistern even against any ordinary
downward flow of the liquid itself in the pipes. The air discharge into the
cistern B may be received under a false bottom bor baffle plate b provided with a
number of orifices to distribute the ascending globules of air uniformly throughout
the.cistern.
It has been found that such circulation of globules of atmospheric air through
water or liquids standing in pipes or in cisterns, effectually prevents the congelation
and solidification of the liquid in the pipes or cisterns, under all ordinary
circumstances of low temperature such as during frost. The compression of the
air by the water pressure tends slightly to raise the temperature of the circulating
air globules, but where extreme degrees of cold are to be met-the air globules
as they leave the air container or the air contained therein, may be artificially
warmed by a lamp or gas jet applied externally-either to the passage traversed
by the air globules or to the water delivered into the container from the service
pipes and the pipes may also if desired be coated with felt or other nonconducting
material to protect the contents from external cold.
The construction of my regulator and control device is as follows:-
The plug G of the device, C operated by the handle F is capable of a rotation
through 90% between its extreme positions of operation for circulation and
recharge the travel of the cock being limited by stops ff at the end of the plug
abutting against a set screw. In the central position all orifices are closed and
the apparatus is out of operation.
In one extreme position as shown in Figs. 2. 3 and 4 the slot g in the plug G
effects communication between the service pipe and the internal water pipe a
allowing a small quantity of water continuously to enter the air container by
the passage a¹ and to compress and discharge the super-incumbent air through
the passage d in the casing the slot d' in the plug G to the tube over which
is fitted a taper screw-threaded regulating valve K with movable key. In order
to protect the seating of the tube E from the action of water it is raised above
the floor of the passage e in the plug casing through which the air (formed into
globules as it passes the spindle K) passes into the water pipe a' and thence to
the service pipes. The speed of issue of the globules of air can be nicely regulated
by the spindle valve K.
The store of compressed air in a comparatively small container will provide a
succession of air globules for many hours or even days when the circulation
need not be rapid, but the air charge is eventually exhausted.
The air container can now be rechanged automatically by moving over the
regulator cock G to its other extreme position.
In this position, the slot g of the plug G, closes the communication of the service
pipe with the internal pipe a of the container, and opens the latter to an exit
nozzle L, to which is attached a pipe of metal or india-rubber to form a syphon,
carried below the container A, to a drain or bucket. At the same time the slot d
in the plug G closes the communication of the air passage d with the tube E and
opens former to the atmosphere by the orifice l in the cock casing. The atmosphere
can thus freely enter the container A whilst the accumulated water is syphoned
out through the exit nozzle L, the remaining charge of compressed air sufficing if
the finger is placed on the orifice.l easily to commence such syphonage of discharge.
The container A is thus recharged with air, and ready for a continuance of its

page_text: automatic circulating action upon reversal of the cock G by the handle F to its
first described position.
For the convenience of inspection as to rapidity of circulation of the air
globules, an inspection glass H is inserted between the container A and the service
pipes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that wbat I.
claim is :-
1st. A method for the prevention of the solidification of liquids in pipes, cisterns
and adjuncts consisting of, the automatic insertion by means of the water pressure
of the system into the lowest parts of such service system, of globules of air at an
elastic tension equal to the liquid pressure at the point of insertion, to effect a
circulation of such globules through the service system substantially as and for the
purposes described.
2nd. The combination with pipes, cisterns and adjuncts forming any system for
transmission of liquid, of an air-container attached to the lowest point of said
service system a control device on said container, adapted to admit liquid from.
service pipes to air container, and to allow egress of compressed air from said.
container in globules to service system, to effect automatic circulation of compressed
air globules through said service system to prevent solidification of liquids therein.
3rd. Apparatus to prevent solidification of liquids, in pipes or adjuncts,
consisting of, in combination, an air container, a water admission pipe thereto
extending adjacent to the bottom of container, a union attachment to service.
pipes, an inspection device, a control device between attachment device and.
container; ports therein, orifices and passages in cock casing and container, adapted
to admit water pressure from service system to bottom of container, and egress
of compressed air globules to regulating valve and thence to service pipes,.
substantially as described.
4th. In apparatus to prevent solidification of liquids, a control device C consisting
of a rotating reversible plug G operated by a handle F, stops ff on plug and set
screw fin casing to limit extreme positions of plug, two slot passages a, d' in plug
three orifices a a L in casing of plug, controlled and communicating with slot g
and orifices d E and I controlled and in communication with slot d' substantially as
described.
5th. In apparatus to prevent solidification of liquids a tube seating E in control
device casing: a regulating screw-threaded spindle-valve K: and passage e to.
service pipe attachment, to regulate size and rapidity of compressed air globules.
into the service system substantially as described.
6th. In an apparatus to prevent solidification of liquids the combination of a heat.
giving device with the exterior of the air transmitting devices, to beat the globules.
of air before circulation through the said service system.
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant..