AN IMPROVED STENCH-TRAP
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th April 1880.
MATTHEW WILSON, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Merchant.
"AN IMPROVED STENCH-TRAP."
My Invention relates to an improved stench trap, and consists in the novel
construction and arrangement of parts of the same, whereby I render such traps
more efficient and less liable than heretofore to the displacement or disarrangement
of any of the parts.
The said trap is of that class wherein a bell or inverted cup is arranged below a
grating at the top of the trap over the outlet or discharge aperture, and with its
lower edge dipping into the liquid in the said trap, thereby sealing and preventing
the passage of foul gases and smells upward through the said trap.
The novel and important feature of my said Invention is the construction and
arrangement of the parts in such a manner that the grated cover of the trap can
be removed from the same without removing the bell, and the latter cannot be
taken out, disarranged, or displaced to unseal the trap while the cover is in place,
but the said bell can be raised to permit the trap to be cleared of any obstruction
when the said cover is removed. Heretofore great inconvenience has been caused
by the displacement of the bell and cover of stench traps by careless servants or
others, while on the other hand when stench traps have been constructed with a
view to preventing these inconveniences they have been otherwise inconvenient,
and moreover have been very costly to manufacture.
In carrying my Invention into practice I construct the box or body of the trap
of cast iron or other suitable material, and cast in or otherwise provide the bottom
of the same with an ontlet or discharge tube, which extends upward and has a
sufficient beight within the trap to permit the same to hold enough liquid to
properly seal the same. This outlet tube is provided with a cross-bar or plate
through which passes a stem or rod cast on or otherwise attached to the said bell.

page_text: A shoulder is formed on this stem or rod to rest on the said cross-bar, and thereby
support the bell in the proper position, and the lower extremity of the said rod is
bent or otherwise formed to serve as a stop to prevent the removal of the bell from
the trap. The grated cover rests in a recess in the top of the body of the trap,
and is not attached to the bell; therefore the said cover can be readily removed 5
without disturbing the bell. The latter is provided with a projection or knob
which extends up through the cover and assists in keeping the bell in place, and by
which the said bell can be lifted to the extent permitted by its rod or stem when
the cover is removed.
The aforesaid cross-bar or plate may be arranged at the top or bottom, or at any
other position in the outlet tube, and the latter may in some cases be formed with
an enlargement or bell mouth at its lower end. In some instances I may modify
my Invention by making the said bell immovable in the trap.

page_text: the said Matthew Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th October
1880.
MATTHEW WILSON, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Merchant.
"AN IMPROVED STENCH-TRAP."
My Invention relates to an improved stench trap, and consists in the novel
construction and arrangement of parts of the same, whereby I render such traps
very efficient and less liable than heretofore to the displacement or disarrangement
of any of the parts.
The said trap is of that class wherein a bell or inverted cup is arranged below a
grating or perforated plate or cover at the top of the trap over the outlet or
discharge aperturo, and with its lower edge dipping into the liquid in the trap,
thereby effectually and tightly closing or sealing the latter, and preventing the
passage of foul gases and smells upward through the said trap.
The novel and important feature of my said Invention is the construction and
arrangement of the parts in such a manner that the grated or perforated cover of
the trap is separate or detached from the bell or cup, and can be removed from the
latter without removing the said bell or cup therefrom, and the said bell cannot be
taken out, disarranged, or displaced to open or unseal the trap while the cover is in
place, but the said bell can be raised to permit the trap to be cleared of any
obstruction when the said cover is removed. Heretofore great inconvenience has
been caused by the displacement of the bell and cover of stench traps by
careless servants or others, while on the other hand when stench traps have been
constructed with a view to preventing these inconveniencos they have been difficult
to clean and otherwise inconvenient; and moreover have been very costly to
manufacture.
In carrying my Invention into practice I construct a stench trap as shewn in the
accompanying Drawing, in which,―
Figure 1 is a vertical central section shewing the trap scaled.
Figure 2 is a similar section showing the same unsealed.
Figure 3 is a section on the line x, x, Figure 1, with the bell removed.
Like letters indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
I form the box or body a of the trap, the cover a', and the bell or cup 6 of cast
iron or other suitable material. I cast or otherwise provide in the bottom of the
box a an outlet or discharge tube c, which extends upwards as shewn, and has a
sufficient height within the trap to permit the box or body a to hold enough liquid
to ensure the proper closing or scaling of the trap when the bell is in the position
shewn in Figure 1. The outlet tube c is provided with a cross-bar or plate d
through which passes a stem or rod e cast or otherwise attached to the bell or cup b.
I prefer to provide the said cross bar with a bush or lining ƒ for the rod e to
work through. A shoulder g is formed on the bell b or rod e to rest on the
said bridge or cross-bar, and thereby support the bell in the proper position for
sealing the trap, as shewn in Figure 1.
By supporting the bell upon the said cross bar or bridge, as above described, I
ensure its being level, so that it dips equally in the liquid all around the trap.
The lower extremity of the said rod is bent, or provided with a knob or button, or
otherwise formed to serve as a stop to prevent the removal of the bell b from the
trap. The grated or perforated cover al rests in a recess in the top of the body a
of the trap, and is not attached to the bell, therefore the said cover can be readily
removed without disturbing the bell. The latter is provided with a projection or
knob e', which may be arranged as shewn, or may be on the end of a rod extending
up through a central hole in the cover, thereby assisting in keeping the bell in

page_text: place. This knob or projection affords convenient means whereby the said bell can
be lifted to the extent permitted by the stop on the lower end of its rod or stem e
when the cover is removed.
The aforesaid bridge cross-bar or plate may be arranged at the top or bottom of,
or at any other position in the outlet tube, and the latter may in some cases be
formed with an enlargement or bell mouth at its lower end. In some instances I
may modify my Invention by providing the trap with a bell or cup detached or
separate from the cover, but fixed immovably in the said trap, that is to say, the
said cup is attached to the rod e, and rests upon the bridge d in a similar manner to
that above described, but is prevented from being raised by the bending over of the
lower end of the said rod c, so that the lower end of the outlet tube c acts as
a stop to prevent its end wise movement.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. In a stench-trap which has a bell or inverted cup arranged below a grated
or perforated cover, the bell or cup separate from the cover, and provided with
a rod or stem which passes through a hole with or without a bush or lining
in a bridge or cross-bar in the discharge tube or aperture, and is provided with a
stop on its lower end, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Second. In a stench trap the employment of a bell or cup which is arranged
below a perforated or grated cover and is separate therefrom, and which is
supported solely upon the top of the aforesaid bridge or cross-bar, as and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Matthew Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and ciclty
Witness,
HENRY H. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
M. WILSON. (L.S.)