Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 31st Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888.
ARCH. H. FORD
E. G. WRIGHT

page_text: An Improved Self-ventilating Sewer Pipe and System of
Sewer Ventilation.
We ARCHIBALD HENRY FORD Associate Member Institution of Civil Engineers,
11 High Street, Portsmouth and ELIAS GEORGE WRIGHT Ventilating Engineer of
343 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
"
Our Invention relates to improvements in the form of sewers sewer and drain pipes.
It consists in the provision at or near the top and in the case of a curved or circular
top either on the concave or convex of the convexo-concave part either attached or
partially detached for ventilation, of a special air passage or of special air passages
which latter are partially disconnected or "disjointed at intervals, formed or built
with a series of straight or curved blades or divisions of any suitable length with
louvred openings between or in the blades thereof; and, an improved system of ven-
tilation to sewers, drains and other subterranean passages or channels, by means of a
current of fresh external air induced by a downcast pipe in conjunction with an
upcast pipe the air thus introduced travelling along the passage formed at or near
the top of said sewers or drains or subterranean ways or passages thereby attract-
_ing the ascending sewer gases, foul or vitiated air at each opening or break
formed between or in each of the blades or divisions of the air passage or passages
aforesaid.
"
"
In order that our Invention may be the better understood, we have appended the
accompanying three sheets of drawings in which our improvements are shewn in
their application to the ventilation of sewers and drains; like letters of reference
denoting corresponding parts throughout the several views. Referring to which, A,
represents the improved sewer, sewer pipe, drain or drain pipe (as the case may be)
formed at or near the top thereof with louvres, blades or divisions B, forming or leading
into an air passage or into air passages C, along which latter a current of fresh air is
caused to travel., Said current of fresh air is admitted from the roadway or other
external air space to C by the down take pipes or shafts D. Suitable uptake pipes
or shafts E are provided for discharging into the atmosphere the foul gases evolved
in the sewer or drain when mixed or diluted with the current of fresh air, which
latter passing into and down the downtake pipe or shaft D, circulates along and through
the air passage C and ascends the upcast pipe E, inducing or abstracting in its
course along C, the foul or vitiated air through the openings F formed between or
in each of the louvres, blades, or divisions aforesaid B. The travel of said current of
fresh air as also of the foul emanations arising from the liquids passing along the
subterranean conduits are indicated by arrows throughout the several views.
The effect of the arrangement above described is, that the gases evolved in the sewer,
drain, or subterranean passage are rapidly separated from the liquids in, or passing
there along, bringing such gases under greater control, (than is possible without such

page_text: specially formed air passage or passages C) by obviating the friction of the liquids on
the gases and the consequent liability to variations in and reversal of, the air current
in the sewer.
In the arrangement of a sewer illustrated in longitudinal section-Figure 3, sheet 1,
the current of air through the passage C and the flow of the sewage along the sower
or drain A respectively, travel in opposite directions; they may however be caused
to flow in the same direction by reversing the position of the downtake shaft D,
and the uptake shaft E, as also of the louvres, blades, or divisions B as shown in
Figure 2, Sheet 2.
The current of air for small sewers, sewer pipes, drains or drain pipes may be
induced by the introduction at frequent intervals, of uptake pipes E and downtake
pipes D, either with or without any of the well known types of downtake or uptake
cowls or shaft terminals; the outlet of the uptake pipes E being preferably as high
as possible above the mouth or grating of the downtake pipes or shafts D; the flow
of air travelling along the air passage C may, when desired, be assisted by the
application of a finely divided stream of water introduced into the downtakes; or
by a gas burner or other means of heating the air in the uptake shaft E, or both
of these supplementary provisions may be adopted. Also, in the case of large sewers,
sewer pipes or other large subterranean conduits ways, or passages, two or more
air passages C, C, may be formed as shewn in transverse sectional view, Figure 1,
Sheet 2, the passage of the air current in such case being promoted either by the
uptake shafts E and downtake shafts D as shown, or further assisted when required
by the employment of any of the well known type of air blowing, fanning, or exhausting
appliances.
The further objects sought to be accomplished by our improved system of sower
ventilation are:
(a) To obviate the objectionable and imperfect system which at present obtains of
permitting the foul gases from sewers or other subterranean passages ways or conduits
to discharge at Road surfaces or other places without first requiring dilution of the
foul gases by a continuous admixture all along the length with a current of fresh
air and to supersede as far as possible road surface ventilators as uptake shafts for
foul air.
(b) To concentrate the foul air in sewers in a small space or in small spaces com-
paratively with the relative size of the sewers; thus securing increased control, velocity
and regularity of the action of the air currents.
(c) To enable the ventilation of sewers to be dealt with in Sections of any requisite
lengths without the intervention of traps or like obstructions to the flow of sewage
by simply subdividing the air passage C'into sections corresponding with the section
of sewer to be separately ventilated, by partitions H, Figure 3, Sheet 1 and Figure 2,
Sheet 2 and providing down take shafts or pipes D and uptake shafts or pipes Ę in
conjunction with each of the sections aforesaid.
(d) To prevent the stagnation of air in sewers or other subterranean passages, ways
or conduits, and to secure greater dilution of the foul air through the medium of the
air passage or passages O; and also to effect the sectional system of ventilation of
sewers with fresh air, at the same time extracting or inducing the foul air arising in
sewers into, and its movement along, the air passage or passages aforesaid with the
fresh or external air; resulting consequently in a material reduction of the foulness
of the air discharged at the outlets of the uptake shafts or pipes.
Figure 1, Sheet 3 of the accompanying drawings is illustrative of our improvements
as we propose to apply same to the special purpose of the ventilation of house drains,
(these latter may however also be adapted to sewer ventilation); said Figure repre-
senting a longitudinal section of the drain pipes A and uptake shaft E, the current of
fresh air together with the foul air flowing in opposite directions to the direction
of travel of the liquids through said drain pipes A into the main sewer, similarly
as herein before described with reference to Figure 3, Sheet 1.
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 Sheet 3 represent by longitudinal and cross
sections respectively some of the forms which our improved self ventilating drain or

page_text: sewer pipe A may assume; and Figure 8 is an elevational view to be hereinafter
referred to.
In Figure 1 the downtake pipe D, air passage C, louvre blades B, openings F and
uptake pipes E here act as hereinbefore described in the case of the application of our
improvements to the ventilation of sewers, with the exception that the uptake pipe E,
in the case of the ventilation of house drains, may be also formed or built with the
blades or louvres B and openings F as shewn. A cross sectional plan of said uptake E
Figure 1 might correspond in cross section with the drain pipe A. The effect of this
arrangement of the louvre blade or blades B being continued up or through the uptake
shaft or pipe E, is to prevent a reversal of the air current upon a discharge of water
. or sewage down said uptake pipe E; where the latter is also acting as a soil pipe,
inasmuch as by means of the louvre blade or blades B, the liquids passing down such
pipe become divided or separated from the ascending gases up to the level of the highest
inlet to said pipe E; beyond which point the pipe may be continued as an ordinary
ventilating pipe or uptake shaft. In constructing the improved self ventilating pipe A
(as also the uptake shaft) projecting studs L, Figures 2, 3, 4 and 8 may be provided
on the spigot end of each length of pipe, corresponding openings or recesses M being
also formed on the socket end of pipe into which the studs L would be fitted when
the pipes are arranged in position; by which means we are enabled to maintain a
true line of air passage C.
Our improved self ventilating drain or sewer pipes may when of stoneware or like
material be manufactured in a similar way to the ordinary stoneware pipes; or, the
louvre blades may be separately made and afterwards attached to the pipes before
burning. Or, if iron pipes are employed, they may be cast in the ordinary manner.
As a modification of the foregoing arrangement we may dispense with the blades,
louvres or divisions B, and employ in lieu thereof frustra of cones B¹, either of circular,
square, oblong, or other shape in cross section, shewn in the transverse sectional view,
Figure 3, and in longitudinal Section, Figure 4, Sheet 2; under which modification
the current of fresh air travels along the passage C extracting, or inducing, in its
passage the foul air or gases through the openings F as hereinbefore described.
As a further modification of the foregoing arrangement we may substitute for the
blades B a partially detached-air passage C, shewn in cross section Figure 5 and in
longitudinal Section Figure 6, Sheet 2, also in cross section Figures 10 and longitudinal
section, Figure 9 Sheet 3; under which modification the current of fresh or external
air passes along said partially detached air passage C, extracting or inducing in its
passage the foul air or gases through the openings F2 as hereinbefore set forth in
reference to the previously described arrangements.
In the application of our improved systein of ventilation to large sewers, under-
ground or subterranean passages, ways, or conduits of any description, the air
passages C, louvre blades or divisions B or frustra of cones B₁, may be formed or
built either of brick, stoneware, fireclay, concrete, terra cotta, iron or other suitable
material, or they may assume the form of specially made blocks of any such materials
ready for building in; and, in the application of said air passages C blades, louvres, or
partitions B or frustra of cones B₁ to small sewers, sewer pipes, drains or drain pipes,
they may be constructed of the same material as the sewer, sewer pipe, drain or drain
pipe, or be formed separately of any other different material.
Our improved system of ventilation by the adaptation of the air passage C, louvres B
or Cones B¹, openings or apertures F in conjunction with the downtake pipes or
shafts D and uptake pipes or shafts E, may be applied to any existing sewer, drain or
other underground or subterranean passage or way of any description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
First. The improved sewer or drain pipe A, formed either circular, oval, elliptical
or any other shape, and constructed with an air passage or with air passages, C,
louvres blades or divisions B or frustra of cones B₁, of any length, size or number,

page_text: with openings F substantially as herein described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. The provision to any drain, sewer, or other underground or subterranean
passage or passages of any description of a specially formed partially disconnected air
duct or of air ducts C at or near the top substantially as herein described and shewn in
the drawings.
Third. The improved system of ventilation of sewers and drain pipes by dividing the
gases evolved and moving in such sewer or pipe from the liquid in or passing along
same, and the dilution of the foul gases with fresh air, by means of the continuous air
passage (substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The arrangement and combination of parts for collection and dilution in
and removal along the air passage or air passages C of the foul air arising in any
sewer, drain, or other subterranean way, passage or conduit substantially as herein
described.
Fifth. The ventilation of sewers, drains, and other underground passages in section,
or separately, by subdividing the air passage or passages C, by means of the parti-
tions H into sections corresponding with the section of the sewer or underground
conduit to be separately ventilated substantially as herein described and shewn.
Sixth. In our improved system of ventilation when adopted for the ventilation of
house drains, the employment-in conjunction with the drain pipe A referred to in the
preceding claims-of an uptake pipe E formed or built up with blades louvres or
divisions B, whereby the separation of the descending liquids from the ascending
current of air is effected, substantially as herein described and shewn in Figure 1
Sheet 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Seventh. The improved system of self ventilation for Sewers, Drains, Sewer Pipes,
or Drain pipes and subterranean ways conduits or passages substantially as heroin
set forth.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicants.
Dated this 27th day of October 1888.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicants.