Improvements in Drain or Pipe Stoppers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
Improvements in Drain or Pipe Stoppers.
1, ALBERT WILLIAM BULLEN High Street Hampton Wick Middlesex Plumber
and Hot Water Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in stoppers used in testing drains, but the
use of the invention is not limited to drains; for instance it may be used for
stopping gas mains or other pipes.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1, a side view, Fig. 2, an end view, and Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of
a drain or pipe stopper constructed according to my invention. B, and B' are
circular discs having bevel flanges round their edges, the inner disc B¹ being
Borewed or otherwise fixed to the inner end of a tube H. The inner diso B' has also.
Borewed into it a tube C provided with a stopcock C, and upon this tubo C and
the tube H, the outer disc B is fitted to slide. The outer end of the tube H is screw
threaded on its exterior and provided with a nut, or internally sorewed tube E, one
end of which is fitted to bear on a boss on the outer disc B, so that when the nut E
is rotated by the handles shown or by other means, the discs B and B are caused
to approach toward, or recede from each other, and so to expand or contract
a ring A of india-rubber or other elastic material, causing its diameter to increase
so as to make a tight joint between the discs and the internal side of the drain or
other pipe.
Upon the outer end of the tube H a hose or other pipe may be attached by
means of a coupling F as shown, in order that water or other matter used for
testing may be passed through it into the drain, or a cap may be sorewed on
the end of the tube H for the purpose of preventing the escape of water or other
matter from the drain.
The tube C carrying the stopcock C, communicates at its inner end with
a chamber D, which forms part of the lower disc B', the said chamber D being
open to the interior of the drain near its upper side when the apparatus is in
position, so that air or gas accumulating in the upper part of the drain may escapе
through the stopcock C. The said cock C' is also used to indicate when the pipe
or drain is full of liquid, which if under pressure will be ejected from the
Dozzle of the cock C as soon as the level of the liquid rises to the opening in the
chamber D.
When the apparatus is in position the opening in the chamber D is near the upper
part of the inside of the drain, being so placed in order that the drain may become
as nearly full of liquid as possible before the liquid commences to escape into the
chamber D, so that before closing the stopcock C any air or gas remaining in the
drain may be entirely replaced by liquid.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The apparatus is first inserted in one end,
at a junction or other opening of the drain or pipe required to be tested, being in
the condition shown in Fig. 3, that is, with the elastic ring A unexpanded. The
handlod nut E is then screwed inwardly on the tube E so as to force the disc B
nearer the disc B'. By this means the elastic ring A contained in the angle
formed by the sides of the flanges on the discs B and B', is expanded against the
internal sides of the pipe, so as to form a water and air tight joint. A hose or other
pipe having been attached to the tube H by means of the coupling F, water

page_text: or other liquid may be caused to enter the drain or pipe, and any air or gas
remaining in the upper part of the drain will leave it by way of the chamber D,
tube C communicating with it, and stopcock C. When liquid is seen to issue
from the stopcock C, the liquid in the drain is level with the opening in the
chamber D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In drain or pipe stoppers of the kind in which an elastic ring is compressed
between two discs so as to be expanded against the inside of the drain or pipe, an
inner disc provided with an opening near its circumference the said opening
communicating with the atmosphere by means of a tube extending from the said
inner disc through the outer disc, the said tube being furnished with a stop-cook or
its equivalent, substantially as, and for the purpose described.
2nd. In a drain or pipe stopper of the kind herein described, the disc B' provided
with a chamber D, tube C and stopcock C', in combination with a tube H and
means for attaching a pipe thereto, elastic ring A, disc B and nut E, substantially
as, and for the purpose described.
Dated this 27th day of February 1896.
ALBERT WILLIAM BULLEN.