IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE JOINTS OR CONNECTIONS OF EARTHENWARE PIPES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Doulton, of Lambeth Pottery, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE
JOINTS OR CONNECTIONS OF EARTHENWARE PIPES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Doulton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1880.
"
HENRY DOULTON, of Lambeth Pottery, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE JOINTS OR CONNECTIONS OF EARTHENWARE
PIPES."
This Invention has for its object improvements relating to the joints or connections
of earthenware.pipes.
In forming the joints. or connections of earthenware pipes I do away altogether
with the socket which it is now the practice to make upon each length of pipe to
receive in the end of the next adjacent length. The pipes as I make them
according to this Invention are in the interior cylindrical throughout from end to
end. In order to form tight and strong joints between the lengths I grind every
length to a true face at cach end. In laying the pipes the true faces are butted
together and clips are applied to hold them in contact. To receive the clips the
exterior of the pipe is formed near each end with a collar or ring of increased
thickness. The clips, which may be of cast iron, have their ends bent so as to catch
over the collars, and the clip is made fast and the true ends of the pipes are held
together firmly by a key or wedge driven in at one end of the clip. The key or
wedge, which may be of wood, enters between the collar on the pipe and the
overhanging end of the clip.
This system presents the following advantages;-
1. The joint being formed by the butting together of two ground pottery
surfaces is not only watertight and imperishable, but leaves no space or cavity for
the accumulation of deposit as in the ordinary spigot and socket pipe joint.
2. The joint is so firmly held together by the clips as not to be deranged by the
settling of the ground or other inequalities of the pressure of the soil.
3. The keying of the pipes together is not limited to any fixed point, the collars
being continuous around the pipe, therefore any desired angle can be given to a
junction branch, and no excavating is required under the joint as all the wedges
may be driven by the workman from the top of the pipes.
rn..

page_text: 4. The joints being formed by the butting together of true surfaces leakage
cannot arise from the forcing out of a filling material, whereas with socketted pipes
it is a common occurrence for the material with which the socket is filled to be
forced out.
5. If it should be required at any time to make junctions with a line of pipe
already laid, it may be readily done in the following manner :-One length of the
pipo is lifted or broken out and in its place two lengths are inserted. One of
these is a short length with a socket, the other a spigot end of such a length as to
fill the interval; the joints are keyed up in the manner described and the spigot
and socket joint caulked; the junction branch is formed on the spigot end.
6. The pipes rest equally on each end on their beds, the strain from the pressure
of the soil being thus equalized over the pipe, whereas in the case of socket joints
one end rests only on its bed, the other being supported by the socket of the
adjacent pipe and the packing material which is liable to yield.
These pipes can if desired be laid upon chairs placed beneath the collars.
The arrangements above described admit of some variation in place of employing
keys or wedges. Inclines may be formed upon the collars, and the clips are then
fixed by moving them around the pipes until they bind upon the surfaces of the
inclines.
A ring of compressible packing material may be included in the joint between
the ends of the pipes butted together.
Or the ends of the pipes may be so formed that in meeting they enclose a cavity
all around the joint, and this cavity may be filled with a cement concrete or like
material to ensure a perfectly tight joint. When this is done the grinding of the
ends of the pipes may be in some cases omitted.
The collars may be notched or recessed to receive the clips. The clips employed
may consist of a piece of wood or other material with a V notch on one side and
which is tightened up by driving a wedge behind it. This arrangement however
renders it necessary to lay the pipes so that the notches correspond and the notches
in the collars reduce the strength of the pipe.
The clips as above described are applicable for securing together the ends of
socketted pipes, and may be used with advantage especially where the ends
of the pipes and the interior of the socket are brought to a true form by means of
a composition moulded upon and within them after the pipes have been burnt, a
'method which at the present time is frequently resorted to.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Doulton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
November 1880.
HENRY DOULTON, of Lambeth Pottery, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE JOINTS OR CONNECTIONS OF EARTHENWARE
PIPES."
This Invention has for its object improvements relating to the joints or connections
of earthenware pipes.
In forming the joints or connections of earthenware pipes I do away altogether
with the socket which it is now the practice to make upon each length of pipe to
receive the end of the next adjacent length. The pipes as I make them according
to this Invention are in the interior cylindrical throughout from end to end. In
order to form tight and strong joints between the lengths I grind every length to
a true face at each end. In laying the pipes the true faces are butted together and
clips are applied to hold them in contact. To receive the clips the exterior of the
pipe is formed near each end with a collar or ring of increased thickness. The
clips, which may be of cast iron, have their ends bent so as to catch over the collars,
and the clip is made fast and the true ends of the pipes are held together firmly
by a key or wedge driven in at one end of the clip. The key or wedge, which
may be of wood, enters between the collar on the pipe and the overhanging end of
the clip.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawing is a longitudinal section of the ends of two
earthenware pipes made and connected in the manner described above.
Figure 2 is a section on the line 1, 1, in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is an end
view.
a, a, are the faces at the ends of the pipes, which are made smooth and true by
grinding; b, b, are the collars to receive the clips in any position around the pipe ;
c, c, are the clips; and d, d, are wedges of hard wood driven in between the
collar and the collar to lock the pipes together.
The system presents the following advantages
1st. The joint being formed by the butting together of two ground pottery
surfaces is not only watertight and imperishable, but leaves no space or cavity for
the accumulation of deposit as in the ordinary spigot and socket pipe joint.
2nd. The joint is so firmly held together by the clips as not to be deranged by
the settling of the ground or other inequalities of the pressure of the soil.
3rd. The keying of the pipes together is not limited to any fixed point, the
collars being continuous around the pipe, therefore any desired angle can be given
to a junction branch, and no excavating is required under the joint as all the
wedges may be driven by the workman from the top of the pipes.
4th. The joints being formed by the butting together of true surfaces leakage
cannot arise from the forcing out of a filling material, whereas with socketted
pipes it is a common occurrence for the material with which the socket is filled to
be forced out.
5th. If it should be required at any time to make junctions with a line of pipe
already laid, it may be readily done in the following manner :-One length of the
pipe is lifted or broken out, and in its place two lengths, represented partly in
section at Figure 4, are inserted.
One of these e is a short length with a socket, the other fa spigot end of such a
length as to fill the interval; the joints are keyed up in the inanner described
and the spigot and socket joint caulked; the junction branch is formed on the
spigot end.
6th. The pipes rest equally on each end on their beds, the strain from the
pressure of the soil being thus equalized over the pipe, whereas in the case of
socket joints one end rests only on its bed, the other being supported by the socket
of the adjacent pipe and the packing material which is liable to yield.
These pipes can if desired be laid upon chairs placed beneath the collars.

page_text: "
The arrangements above described admit of some variation; in place of employing
keys or wedges inclines may be formed upon the collars, as is indicated in
Figure 5, and the clips are then fixed by moving them around the pipes until they
bind upon the surfaces of the inclines.
A ring of compressible packing material may be included in the joint between
the ends of the pipes butted together, in the manner indicated at Figure 6, which
is a longitudinal section similar to Figure 1, but the end of one of the pipes is
grooved and receives a ring g of india rubber or like material. In this case it is
not essential that the ends of the pipes should be ground.
Or the ends of the pipes may be formed in the manner shown by the sectional
view, Figure 7, so that in meeting they enclose a cavity all around the joint, and
this cavity may be filled with a cement concrete or like material to ensure a
perfectly tight joint. When this is done the grinding of the ends of the pipes may
be in some cases omitted.
The cement concrete is poured or worked in a semi fluid state by an aperture or
apertures at the top of the joint.
•
The collars may be notched or recessed to receive the clips in the manner
represented at Figure 8, which shows in plan the ends of two pipes with notched
or recessed collars and the clips lying in the notches. The clips employed may
consist of a piece of wood or other material with a V notch on one side, and
which is tightened up by driving a wedge behind it. This arrangement however
renders it necessary to lay the pipes so that the notches correspond and the notches
in the collars reduce the strength of the pipe.
The clips as above described are 'applicable for securing together the ends of
socketted pipes, and may be used with advantage especially where the ends of the
pipes and the interior of the socket are brought to a true form by means of a
composition moulded upon and within them: after the pipes have been burnt, a
method which at the present time is frequently resorted to.
Figure 9 represents a socket joint, the parts of which are rendered true by means
of moulded composition, and which are held together by clips and wedges c and d
similar to those previously described and adapted to pass over the socket.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The method of forming the joints of earthenware pipes by moulding the
pipes with collars, grinding the ends, and holding them together with clips,
substantially as described.
Second. The method of forming the joints of earthenware pipes by moulding the
pipes with collars, introducing a compressible ring between the ends, and holding
them together with clips, substantially as described.
Third. The method of forming the joints of earthenware pipes by moulding the
pipes with collars, holding them together with clips, and introducing a cement
like material into a cavity provided in the ends of the pipes, substantially as
described.
Fourth. The method of securing the joints of socket pipes which have been
rendered true with composition by the application of clips engaging with collars,
substantially as described.
Fifth. My improvements relating to the joints or connections of earthenware
pipes, substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Doulton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.