IMPROVEMENTS IN SINK TRAPS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Wilson, of No. 15, Wellington Street,
in the Borough of Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SINK TRAPS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th November 1869.
I, MATTHEW WILSON, of No. 15, Wellington Street, in the Borough
of Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SINK TRAPS," to be
as follows:-
My Invention consists of an upper chamber perforated at the top,
having a recess at the bottom containing an india-rubber ring, upon which
presses a circular valve, on the inner side of which is the aforesaid ring
which fits in the said recess. On the lower side of the valve a cylinder
is fixed which is perforated. A spring is placed in the upper chamber
which presses firmly down upon the valve, thereby making a perfect
trap. A rod passes through the top of the upper chamber having a

page_text: chain attached thereto, by means of which the valve is lifted up; this
immediately allows the water to pass down the inner cylinder, which
upon the release of the chain before referred to the valve with its
cylinder immediately falls back into its original place or position.
The object of the trap before described is to prevent any stink or
smell coming up from the drain below in connection with which the
trap is laid on, which it will most effectually do as it is air-tight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Matthew Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
WILSON, of No. 15, Wellington Street, in the Borough of Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Matthew Wilson, Her special licence that
I, the said Matthew Wilson, mý executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Matthew Wilson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SINK
TRAPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Matthew
Wilson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Matthew Wilson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being also had to the Sheet of Drawings
thereunto annexed :—
An ordinary shaped stink trap A without the bell; a cylinder B pierced
with holes or slots C passing through the hole or flange D in the bottom;
at the top of the cylinder B a cap E large enough to cover the flange
D at the bottom of the trap, in the same manner as the lid of a pill
box when on the box, the edge of the flange F and inside the rim of
the cap G to the ground making close fitting surfaces; or the cap E
supplied with a washer H of india-rubber, cork, sponge, hemp, or any
other suitable material, so that when the cap E is forced down upon
the flange D by means of a spring I around the cylinder B and beneath
the trap it is impossible for water to run down or stench to arise. To the
aforesaid cap is fastened a rod J passing upward through the grating K
of the trap, enabling the cylinder B to be drawn up a certain distance
and fastened by means of a pin L put through a hole pierced in the
rod, thus forming a bell trap when in use, as illustrated by E and D;
and when not in use upon removing the pin E from the rod J it is com-
pletely closed down and rendered effective, as before described. Instead
of the cylinder as above described I purpose occasionally if desirable to
substitute three or four rods connected with the cap or valve E with all
the other appliances as aforesaid. I may also instead of the spring weight
the bottom M of the cylinder or rods to produce an equal pressure to
that of the spring. I may also if necessary entirely dispense with
spring or weight and substitute a screwed rod at the top of the cap.
passing upward through a screwed hole in the centre of the grating, so
that upon the screw being turned the cap is either raised to form a bell
trap or lowered and tightened at pleasure, rendering, it as effective as
above described with the spring.
I also purpose if desirable to put a wide grooved rim around the top
edge N of the grating, this I fill with packing as above mentioned,
passing through the centre of the grating a rod having a spring around
it or weighted sufficiently in the bell inside the trap; this is attached to a
rimmed cap outside the trap and above the rim N, so that when not in
use the rim of the cap fits closely down upon the soft substance in the
groove, thus rendering it impervious to stench.
I also purpose in the event of using a spring around the cylinder
exceeding 10 lbs. pressure to affix a leveron the top of the grating K
to lift the cylinder, to the rod of which it is attachod by a short chain.
,

page_text: I also purpose if required to obviate the consequence of an overflow
of the sink, should the water tap be left running, to fix the trap as
described in the first paragraph of this Specification in the bottom of a
receptacle sufficiently large to contain a lever; this lever I attach to
the valve, and the lever works upon a fulcrum which may be affixed to
the top or bottom of the trap. At the end of the lever I attach a per-
forated basin at the end farthest from the fulcrum, of certain dimensions
to contain a sufficient weight of water to counterbalance the strength of
the spring around the cylinder of the trap, and when emptied through the
perforations the cylinder resumes its shut down position. To the bottom
of the basin I connect a chain, and to the bottom of the trap I fix a
wheel. The chain is brought round the wheel so that when required to
raise the valve I pull up the chain, which comes through the grating
and this pulls down the lever. Instead of the aforesaid lever I pur-
pose as occasion may require to use a float of some light material
and of sufficient dimensions enclosed in an upper receptacle above the
trap, to raise the cylinder and cap by pressure of the water beneath the
float.
I also purpose a deep trap with all the appliances as described in the
first paragraph of this Specification, except that the close fitting surfaces
F, G, H, will be above instead of forming part of the cap and cylinder,
videlicet as follows:-A short stout rod O above and attached to the cap
E carries a circular piece of metal P grooved to receive the soft surface Q
as herein-before described, this when the pin is removed from the rod
above the grating falls upon a projecting ledge R around the sides of
the trap, thus rendering the trap as before described impervious to stench
even from the stagnant water remaining in the trap.
I also propose if required to give facility for cleansing the trap by the
following means, as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3, videlicet, by having the
flange A separate from the trap and attached by a cross bar B to a screwed
rod O passing upward through and attached to the bell E, and also through
a wormed hole in a guide bar D attached to the sides of the trap beneath
the projection R. The circular grooved metal plate P is detached from
the bell, and has an independent action by means of a hollow tube F
being affixed to it, and passing upward through the grating around the tube,
and beneath the grating is a spring G to produce the required pressure
instead of being around the cylinder (B, Fig. 1), which is entirely
dispensed with. The above mentioned screwed rod passes upward within

page_text: the hollow tube, and is squared at the top to admit of a key being used
to screw the rod, holding the bell and flange either up to admit the rushi
of water to cleanse the trap, or down to force the bottom of the flange
upon a soft bed of india-rubber H, or some other suitable substance
which is placed in a groove around the hole in the bottom of the trap.
At the top of the hollow tube, outside the grating, is a screw knob with
a ring to prevent any stench arising from the body of the trap through
the tube, and also for the purpose of raising the plate P; the tube is
pierced for the pin as before described. I is also a guide bar for the
rod C to pass through. In the event of extra pressure being required
upon the soft surfaces herein-beforo described I purpose having a collar
fixed around the rod outside the grating, and fitted loosely over the
collar a screw nozzle with arms, so that when required it can be screwed
down tightly upon a screw attached to the grating.
Instead of using india-rubber, cork, hemp, or any other pliable sub-
stance to the valves or caps the surfaces may be ground so that they may
be closely fitting.
I do not wish to confine myself to any particular shaped trap, but
propose to adapt the above appliances to the bell trap, Ess trap, or any
other suitable trap.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
3 Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the above-named Matthew
Wilson, in the presence of
T. G. EVERILL,
2, Poets Corner,
MATTHEW WILSON. (L.S.)
Westminster,
Solr.