Improvements in Devices for Draining, Separating and Storing Rain Water Shed from Roofs.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr.. 1899
Improvements in Devices for Draining, Separating and Storing Rain
Water Shed from Roofs.
I, WILFRED OCTAVIUS BAUMGARTNER, of Whitburn, near Sunderland, in the
County of Durham, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
:
:
The present invention has reference to improvements in devices for draining
separating and storing rain water shed from roofs, and the object of it is to
automatically separate the dirty first washings from the roof from the after clean
drainage, so that a clean supply of rain water for household use can at all times
be drawn off to the very bottom of the tank or other storage receptacle without
fear of any dirty sediment passing with it."
According to my invention, the down-pipe or pipe descending from the roof
or gutter and leading to the tanks or tubs below has its lower end dipping into
the tank or other receptacle in which is to be stored the clean water, and to
this down-pipe is attached outside the tank at a suitable angle, a short branch-
pipe or spout which hangs over and delivers into a second tank or other vessel
for the reception of the dirty water.
At the junction of these two pipes is hinged, internally, a door or diaphragm
which closely fits the internal passage of the down pipe and normally lies across
the said passage blocking it up. The said door opens upwards towards the
branch pipe and is connected, by a rod passing through a hole in the said small
lateral pipe with one arm of a bell-crank lever pivoted to the top of the dirty
water tank from the other arm of which hangs a rod having at its lower extremity
a ball-float.
The down-pipe, at any convenient point above the aforesaid internal hinged
door, is provided with a shoot or baffle plate fixed to the internal surface of the
said pipe at an angle. This shoot or baffle plate nearly but not quite closes the
internal bore of the down-pipe and its object is to shoot or deflect the water, fall-
ing down the pipe towards the opening of the short branch pipe at the inter-
section of the two pipes, in order to ensure all the first roof washings going into
their proper tank or receptacle.
Both tanks or storage receptacles are provided with one or more suitable taps
for drawing off the water, and both are covered-in with the exception of a few
small holes for ventilation to render them dust-proof.
The action of the arrangement is as follows:
Assuming that both the dirty water tank and the clean water tank are empty,
the weight of the ball float will be in its down position and will have closed,
through the medium of the bell-crank and connecting rods, the hinged door in
the down-pipe which in this position completely blocks the internal passage of
the said pipe and so causing the first washings descending down it from the
roof to be deflected into the dirty-water tank. This flow continues until the
level of water in the dirty water tank reaches the ball float when as the water
still further rises, it carries with it the said float which in turn operates the bell-

page_text: crank and connecting rod attached to the door in such manner as to raise or
open the latter and thereupon the passage to the dirty-water tank is blocked
and the supply which will now be clean water can pass straight through the
down pipe into the clean-water tank below.
The capacity of the dirty-water tank must be proportional to the size of roof
or such that enough water shall run into it to clean the roof before the float is
reached and the entrance to it thus automatically closed.
The bell-crank lever and connecting rods are completely covered in, and the
cover is so made as to be easily put on or removed.
The down-pipe is provided with an inspection door or eye so that the internal
hinged door above described can be examined with facility when desired.
The position or location of the two tanks is immaterial to the invention;
they may be situated in any convenient part of the house, or outside if preferred,
it being only necessary to connect a pipe of the required length terminating in
a tap to each or either of the tanks.
Dated the 10th d
1000
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Devices for Draining, Sejarating and Storing Rain
Water Shed from Roofs.
1. WILFRED OCTAVIUS BAUMGARTNER. of Whitburn, near Sunderland, in the
County of Durham, Agent, 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;―
The present invention has reference to improvements in devices for draining,
separating and storing rain water shed from roofs, and the object of it is to
automatically separate the dirty first-washings of the roof from the after clean
drainage, so that a clean supply of rain water for household use can at all times
be drawn cff to the very bottom of the tank or other storage receptacle without
fear of any dirty sediment passing with it.
The following is a complete description of the invention, reference being had
to the accompanying sheets of drawings illustrating the same, and in which:--
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the complete appliance or arrangement:
the section being made on the central vertical plane thereof.
Figure 2 represents an elevation of a house shewing the rain water appliance
or arrangement fixed in position as applied thereto. Throughout these draw-
ings and description; like reference letters denote the same parts: A is the
down-pipe; B is the lateral pipe leading out of A; C is the clean-water tank;
Dis the dirty-water tank; E is the valve or door hinged at the junction of pipes A
and B to control and direct the passage of the water coming from the gutter';
b indicates the part of the junction of A with B where the valve or door E; is
hinged; e denotes the rod connecting the door E with the bell-crank; f is the
opening in pipe B through which the rod e passes; Fis the bell-crank; Gis the
pivot of the said bell-crank: H is the rod connecting the bell-crank with the
ball-float; I is the said ball-float; J is the baffle-plate within the down-pipe A:
K are the draw-off taps fitted to the tanks C and D; L is the gauge-glass fitted
to the dirty-water tank D; and M is the casing or box enclosing the working.
parts of and those connected with the bell-crank lever F, and N is a guide-bar
for the ball-float rod.

page_text: According to my invention, the down-pipe A or pipe descending from the-
roof or gutter and leading to the tank or tube C below, has its lower end dipping
into the said tank or other receptacle C in which is to be stored the clean water,
and to this down-pipe A is attached, outside the tank at a suitable angle, a
short branch pipe or spout B which hangs over and delivers into a second tank
or other vessel 1) for the reception of the dirty water.
At the junction of the two pipes A and B is hinged internally at b a door or
diaphragm which closely fits the internal passage of the down-pipe A and
normally lies across the said passage blocking it up.
The said door E opens
upwards towards the branch-pipe B and is connected by a rod e passing through
a hole, in the said small lateral pipe B, with one arm of a bell-crank lever F
pivoted at G to the top of the dirty-water tank 1), from the other arm of which
lexer F hangs a vertical rod H having at its lower extremity a ball-float I.
The down-pipe A at any convenient point above the aforesaid internal hinged
door or valve E is provided with a shoot or baffle-plate J fixed to the internal
surface of the said pipe A at an angle to the horizontal. This shoot or baffle-
plate J nearly but not quite closes the internal hore of the down-pipe A leaving
only a small space a between them and its object or function is to shoot or
deflect the water falling from the roof down the pipe A towards the opening of
the short branch-pipe B at the intersection of the two said pipes, in order to
ensure all the first roof-washings going into their proper tank or receptacle 1).
Both tanks or storage receptacles C and D are provided with one or more
suitable taps K for drawing off the water, and both are covered-in, with the
exception of a few small holes for ventilation which may be provided, to render
them dust-proof.
-
To the side of the tub or tank D is or may be fitted a gauge-glass L to show
the level of the water in the said tub, and indicate the position of the door or
valve E, thus: When the water stands at the top of the glass tube L as seen
clearly in Figure 1, it shows that the ball-float I is floating at its highest point,
and the door E in the down-pipe A is closed to the dirty water tub D, and any
rain water falling from the roof must pass into the clean water tub or tank C.
When, however, the glass tube L is empty, as seen in Figure 2 it shows that
there is but little water in the tub D, and that the valve or door E is in conse-
quence closed downwards, and all rain water falling must run into the dirty
water tub D.
M is a casing or box provided to enclose the working parts of and those con-
nected with the bell-crank lever F to protect them from the weather and dust.
The action of the arrangement is as follows:
Assuming that both the dirty-water tank D) and the clean-water tank Care
empty; the weight of the ball-float I will bring it into its down position and
will have closed, through the medium of the bell crank F and connecting rods H
and e, the hinged door in the down-pipe A which in this position completely
blocks the internal passage of the said pipe and so causing the first washings
descending down it from the roof to be deflected into the dirty-water tank D.
This flow continues until the level of water in the dirty-water tank D, reached
the ball-float I, when, as the water still further rises, it raises or carries with it
the said float which in turn operates the bell-crank lever F which thereupon
pulls back the connecting rode attached to the valve or door E in the pipe A
thus raising or opening the latter, and thereupon the passage to the dirty-water
tank I becomes blocked and the supply which will now be clean water can pass
straight through the down-pipe A into the clean-water tank C below.
The capacity of the dirty-water tank D, must be proportional to the size of
the roof or such that enough water shall run into it to clean the roof thoroughly
before the float is reached and the entrance to it thus antomatically closed by the
raising of the valve E.
The bell-crank lever F, and connecting rods H and e, are completely covered-
in by the casing M, and the cover is so made as to be easily put on or removed.

page_text: The down-pipe is provided with an inspection door or eye 0, so that the internal
hinged door E above described can be examined with facility when desired.
The position or location of the two tanks C and D is immaterial to the inven-
tion; they may be situated in any convenient part of the house, or outside if
preferred, it being only necessary to connect a pipe of the required length ter-
minating in a tap to each or either of the tanks.
This appliance is just as suitable for delivering into the house direct as it is
as shown in Figure 2, where the tanks are both nearly on the ground level. To
have the delivery inside the house the two tubs or tanks C and D would have to
be raised to the necessary height and a pipe laid from the bottom of the clean-
water tub or tank C to the required position in the house; and a pipe termi-
nating in a tap might also be taken from the bottom of the tub or tank D to a
convenient height from the ground.
The usual means should be adopted to flush the tub or tank D by pouring a few
bucket-fulls of water into it and letting the dirty water run off by the outlet
tap K, (which should be a good sized one), until the bottom is quite clean..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
--
The connection with a down-pipe from a roof of the appliance for draining,
separating and storing rain-water shed from the roof, consisting essentially of
the combination of lateral pipe B valve or door E, baffle J, bell-crank lever F,
rods e and H, ball-float I and tanks or other receiving vessels C and D all arranged,
operated and working substantially as and for the purposes described and set
forth.
11
001
1
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.