IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DESTROYING NOXIOUS GASES, VAPOUR POISONS, AND ORGANIC GERMS ARISING FROM SEWAGE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Harris
Wight, Engineer, for an Invention of
OF DRAINAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
Reeves, of Parkhurst, in the Isle of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
DESTROYING Novions Ciere VADAVID
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Harris Reeves at the
Office of the Commissioners of Paients on the 14th September 1881.
ROBERT HARRIS REEVES, of Parkhurst. in the Isle of Wight, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
DESTROYING NOXIOUS GASES, VAPOUR POISONS, AND ORGANIC GERMS ARISING
FROM SEWAGE."
The gas in the drain or sewer is trapped off into districts or sections, so that the
sewage flows through the drains freely, but the gas is confined to certain localities,
as desired.
The trapping may be done by means of a tongue or shutter descending into the
drain below the surface of the sewage, the portion of the drain beneath the tongue
or shutter being dished or hollowed out so as to ensure the gas being trapped off
whenever there is sewage in the drain.
This tongue or shutter may be either fixed or floating, so as to rise and fall with
the sewage.
The gas thus trapped off is drawn out from the drain by means of a fan. force-
pump, or other suitable exhausting apparatus, and thereby driven through a tank
of water, by which means the various odours and vapour poisons are destroyed, and
thence into a purifying chamber containing slaked lime or other disinfectants,
which will destroy the noxious gas and organic germs; it then passes harmlessly
into the atmospheric air.
The inlets for supplying fresh air in the place of the gas thus drawn out are
placed at points of the drain as far as possible from the exhausting apparatus, their

page_text: size being regulated according to their distance from the apparatus, the smallest
inlet being the nearest to it.
Where the application of the exhausting apparatus above described is not
advisable or convenient, I construct at a convenient part of the drain two chambers
or tanks communicating with one another, and one of them communicating with
the drain by means of a pipe.
The pipe leading from the drain to the first chamber has a dip at the extremity
which is in the chamber, and this chamber contains a sufficient quantity of disin-
fecting fluid to cover the mouth of this pipe; a similar pipe leads from the first
chamber to the second, which contains water only.
At a convenient part of the drain above the first mentioned pipe a counter-
balanced valve is placed, so regulated that a pressure of gas or air in the drain will
cause it to close.
The pressure of gas in the drain causing the valve to close, the gas will pass
through the pipe into the first chamber. through the disinfecting fluid, thence
through the second pipe into the second chamber, through the water, and thence
through a convenient aperture into the atmospheric air completely purified.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Harris Reeves in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th March 1882.
ROBERT HARRIS REEVES. of Parkhurst, in the Isle of Wight, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
DESTROYING NOXIOUS GASES, VAPOUR POISONS, AND ORGANIC GERMS ARISING
FROM SEWAGE."
My Invention consists in a simple apparatus which, when applied to sewers and
drains in the manner hereinafter described, will effectually cause the destruction of
noxious gases, vapour poisons, and organic germs arising from sewage.
To effect this object I trap off the gas in the drain or sewer into districts or
sections, so that while the sewage will flow freely the gas will be confined to certain
localities or districts, as desired. The trapping off is done by means of a tongue or
shutter descending into the drain below the surface of the sewage, the portion of
the drain beneath the tongue or shutter being. if necessary, dished or hollowed out
so as to ensure the gas being trapped off whenever there is sewage in a drain: this
tongue or shutter may be either fixed or floating, so as to rise and fall with the
sewage.
The gas being thus trapped off is drawn out from the drain by means of a fan,
pump, or other suitable exhausting apparatus, and thereby driven through a tank
or chamber of water, and thence into a purifying chamber containing slaked lime
or other purifying substance or liquid which will destroy the noxious gas and
organic germs; it then passes harmlessly into the external atmosphere.
Or, in another arrangement of my Invention, I cause the gas drawn off from the
sewer to pass through a pipe into a chamber containing a purifying liquid, and
thence through another pipe into a second chamber containing water. and thence
into the external atmosphere. In these cases I put inlets at convenient distances
from the apparatus to admit fresh air to the drain.
Instead of the exhausting apparatus above described for the purpose of drawing
the gas off from the drain. can in some instances utilize the compression caused
by the rising or flowing of the sewage for the purpose of forcing the gas through
the purifying chambers. In this instance the chambers must contain a sufficient
amount of liquid only just to cover the aperture of the pipe through which the gas
is conducted to the chambers. At the upper end of the pipe or passage through
which the gas passes from the sewer, or at any other convenient position in the
drain, I fix a counter-balanced valve so regulated that on any pressure of gas from
below it is closed so as to prevent an escape. The pressure of gas in the drain
causing the valve to close the gas will pass through the pipes into the purifying
chambers, and thence into the external atmosphere. When there is no pressure
of gas in the drain the valve will open, and fresh air will enter into the drain from
the external atmosphere.
Instead of using pipes for the purpose of conducting the gas through the chambers
I can employ tongues or slides. which can be made either fixed or floating, or
regulated by any convenient apparatus. so as to ensure the extremity of the tongue
or slide dipping into the fluid in the chambers.
In the application of my Invention to sewers I fix the apparatus above described
in a chamber adjoining the ordinary apertures for ventilating the drain.
In like manner the apparatus can be fixed to the drains of private houses, and
will thus do away with the necessity of ventilating pipes.

page_text: In the Drawings annexed to this Specification Figures 1 and 2 show the appli-
cation of my Invention in those cases where I employ an exhausting apparatus.
A is the sewer; X. the tongue for trapping the gas off. In Figure 1 this tongue is
shown fixed, in which case the lower part of the sewer is dished or hollowed out,
as shown. In Figure 2 the tongue is floating. so as to rise and fall with the
sewage. B is the pipe leading to the fan E: F is the pipe leading from the fan to
the first purifying chamber . connected with the second purifying chamber D, as
shown at G H is the outlet to the external air. The Drawings are in section,
except the exhausting apparatus. Figure 1 shows the application of my Invention
where I cause the gas first to pass through water, and then through a dry chamber
containing slaked lime or other purifying substance. Figure 2 shows the application
of my Invention where I cause the gas first to pass through a purifying liquid, and
then to pass through another chamber containing water.
The
Figure 3 shows the application of my Invention where I utilize the compression
cansed by the rising or flowing of the sewage in force the gas through the purifying
chambers, and employ the above mentioned counter-balanced self acting valve.
letters throughout indicate the same parts of the apparatus as in Figure 2. except
that E in Figure 3 is the self acting valve instead of the fan E. Figure 2. The
shutter X is here shown hinged at the top.
Figure 4 shows the method in which my Invention is practically applied to
sewers. The lettering of the details of the apparatus is the same, as in Figure 3.
except that I have shown the tongues or slides above mentioned. which I use in
the place of pipes for leading the gas from the drains through the purifying
chambers. The communication with the external atmosphere is shown at H, H,
through the grating in the roadway I. K is a chamber built over the apparatus to
afford convenient access to it from the roadway.
Figure 5 shows an application of my Invention to the drain of a private house.
and needs no further description. The trapping off of the gas is caused by the dip
in the drain pipe at X.
Throughout the Drawings the direction of the gas is shown by the arrows.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the
same is carried out, I claim, the apparatus hereinbefore described. substantially as
shown in the Drawings accompanying this Specification, for the purpose of confining
sewage gas in the districts and destroying its noxious qualities, in manner herein
described.
In witness whereof. I. the said Robert Harris Reeves, have hereunto set my
hand and seal. this Thirteenth day-of-March-One-thousand-eight hundred
and oighir two
ROBERT HARRIS REEVES. (L.S.)