IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COLLECTION AND STORAGE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF RAIN WATER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Ormsby, of 19, Parliament Street, in the
City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE COLLECTION AND STORAGE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF RAIN WATER."
Sealed the 30th July 1867, and dated the 8th February 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Arthur Orinsby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 8th February 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
ORMSBY, of No. 19, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do declare the nature of my said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE COLLECTION AND STORAGE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF RAIN. WATER," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-

page_text: My Invention is designed to afford an improved means of collecting rain
water, useful especially for drinking and cooking purposes where pure water of
this kind is desirable, and for storing the same in a convenient manner for its
ultimate distribution either with or without other water obtained separately or
separately distributed. For this purpose I select a suitable locality with a 5
surface available for the collection of rain water by the means to be used, and
with such an amount of fall as may be most advantageously employed.
On this surface I erect a roof on metal, stone, brick, or wooden pillars, or
other suitable supports, and formed of glass or non-porous tiles, slates, or
sheet metal, or other substance which readily allows water to flow over it. The 1
roof may have a small degree of slope in order merely to cause the rain
water to flow to the side channels and transverse channels which conduct it
to hollow pillars or to tubes leading to receiving reservoirs at various parts of
the ground, and at depths sufficient to remove the water from the influence
of frost.
I find that a slope for the surface of the roof of about one in one thousand
is sufficient to secure the desired flow, and when glass is used the thickness
must be increased if heavy falls of snow are to be provided for in the
particular locality and diminished when adopted in tropical climates.
The receiving reservoirs may be either below the roof or outside of it,
and they are connected with each other and may be connected by tubes
with a general distributing reservoir, which thus forms a main tank from
which a constant supply can be obtained for domestic, culinary, and other
purposes.
In order that the mode of carrying out my Invention, which I prefer to
call an "aquatect," may be clearly explained, I have annexed Drawings of
the same representing one form of it in several Figures drawn to the several
scales therein mentioned.
In these Drawings Fig. 1 represents the general plan shewing the position
of the receiving reservoirs, valve, shafts, conducts, leading to the distributing
reservoir, and the longitudinal and transverse roof ridges.
Fig. 2 represents the roof covered with glass, the longitudinal and trans-
verse elevations at the edges, and the inclination of the surfaces, and the
point of eduction.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the roof, part being with glass and part without.
Fig. 4, sections of a bay or compartment of the roof both longitudinal and
transverse, with the angle iron, arches, and ties.

page_text: Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of the roof without glass, and a side elevation
with glass.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Ormsby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of February, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
above-named Arthur Ormsby, in
the presence of
JOHN DUNN,
Clerk to Ashurst, Morris, & Co.,
6, Old Jewry,
London.
A. ORMSBY. (L.S.)