IMPROVEMENTS IN GULLY TRAPS
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Pankhurst, the elder,
and Thomas Pankhurst, the younger, at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th February 1869.
We, THOMAS PANKHURST, the elder, and THOMAS PANKHURST, the
younger, both of Clover Street, Chatham, in the County of Kent,
Builders, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GULLY TRAPS," to be as follows :-
The improvements consist in furnishing sewer gratings or gullies as
now used in streets, roads, and various places, and sewer gratings,
gullies, and such like places generally, where the escape of effluvia is to
be prevented, with an under or catch receptacle having a passage way or
hole in it, and furnished with a moveable pan flap or door pressing
against such passage way or hole attached to a lever bearing an equi-
poise, so that the pan flap or door may be self-acting when any material
or fluid falls on it from or through the catch receptacle by reason of the
weight of such material or fluid, and after allowing it to pass then close
and so trap the hole or passage way in the bottom of the catch receptacle.
Thus the escape of effluvia is prevented.

page_text: In performing our Invention we apply to existing sewer gratings, or
gratings now in use, or to other suitable gratings made for the purpose, a
catch receptacle of suitable form or plan, preferably somewhat shallow,
with the sides sloping to the bottom, which is furnished with a hole, holes,
or passage way or ways protruding downwards, and it may be made of
metal, glazed earthenware, glass, &c., with a projecting lip or seat on
the upper part of such receptacle, rim-shaped or of such shape and so
fashioned that it will bear or be suported on, in, or by the recess made
or to be made for the purpose of supporting it and also the grating above
it, which may or may not be attached to it. Between the receptacle and
grating, and, if needed, between the receptacle or grating and the recess
for receiving it or them, we place suitable washers of felt, india-rubber,
tow, leather, canvas, &c., so that these parts may not allow the escape of
effluvia. An arm, bracket, or other suitable support is conveniently
fashioned on or affixed to the receptacle, so that the end may receive and
hold a lever, rod, or bar bearing the pan flap or door above described
on one end, and pieces of metal or heavy material at the other of
sufficient weight to counterbalance the weight of the pan flap or door,
and also keep it in contact, when not in actual use, with the hole or
bottom of the passage way in the receptacle, which hole or passage way
is formed preferably somewhat protruding downwards, and of the same
shape as the bottom of the pan flap or door intended to press against it,
but somewhat smaller, so that the pan flap or door, when furnished
with a rim or turned-up lip, such rim or lip covers over and receives
the protruding hole or passage way in the bottom of the catch receptacle.
The grating and receptacle may be conveniently made separate for
facility of cleaning, and may be conveniently placed in a gully as at
present constructed, or a gully way or gully casing of metal, earthen-
ware, brick, cement, or stone may be specially constructed to receive
them and their appendages.