IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR WATERING AND CLEANSING STREETS AND ROADS AND FOR SPEEDILY REMOVING SNOW
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Sim, of Glasgow. in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Contractor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ARRANGEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR WATERING AND CLEANSING STREETS AND
ROADS AND FOR SPEEDILY REMOVING SNOW."
Sealed the 22nd May 1868, and dated the 26th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sim at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
26th November 1867.
on the
I, WILLIAM SIM, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark. North Britain,
Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR WATERING AND CLEANBING STREETS
AND ROADS AND FOR SPEEDILY REMOVING SNow," to be as follows, that is to
say:-
This Invention has for its objects the watering and cleansing of streets and
roads in a convenient and economical manner and the speedy removal of
snow, and the features of novelty comprised in it are.-
Firstly. The using of permanently fixed perforated pipes supplied from the
water mains and controlled by valves or hydrants for watering and cleansing
Price 8d.]

page_text: streets and roads, and also for removing snow therefrom when not accompanied
by too intense a frost.
And, secondly. The using of travelling furnaces for liquefying snow when
accompanied by hard frost, or when it may be inconvenient to use water for
removing it.
In practically carrying out the improvements it is proposed to lay pipes
along one or both sides of a street or road, such pipes being formed with
perforations arranged to direct the water across the entire area to be cleansed.
Such pipes may be conveniently placed at the sides of the gutters, and in the
angle of the kerb stones, or they may be recessed into the kerb stones when
these are first laid down or renewed. The perforated pipes are to be connected
to the water mains by branch pipes disposed sufficiently near together to
obtain the necessary force of water throughout the intervening lengths of
perforated pipes, and each branch is to be fitted with a valve or hydrant.
With these arrangements the watering or cleansing of the streets will be
effected by a few street keepers, who will open and close the hydrants in
succession. When the object is the thorough cleansing of the streets it is
preferred to employ labourers to remove the bulkier matters, and to finish the
operation by washing the streets by means of the perforated pipes.
Freshly fallen snow may in many cases be got rid of by the washing
process, but when this is inconvenient on account of intense frost or otherwise
it is proposed to employ a travelling furnace which may be drawn along the
streets or roads.
This apparatus may consist of any convenient form of furnace surmounted
by an open metallic vessel with raised sides, but with openings along the
bottoms of such sides. A portion of the snow is to be shovelled into the vessel,
and melting therein will run out as hot water which will effect the melting of
further quantities of the snow on the street and wash the whole into the
sewers.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Sim, Her special licence that I, the said William Sim,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Sim, my executors, administrators, 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
ARRANGEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR WATERING AND CLEANSING STREETS AND ROADS AND
FOR SPEEDILY REMOVING SNOW," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Sim, 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 William Sim, 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 following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say
My said Invention has for its objects the wafering and cleansing of streets
and roads in a convenient and economical manner, and the speedy removal of
snow, and the features of novelty comprised in it are,-
Firstly. The using of permanently fixed perforated pipes supplied from the
water mains, and controlled by valves or hydrants for watering and cleansing
streets and roads, and also for removing snow therefrom when not accompanied
by too intense a frost.
And, secondly. The using of travelling furnaces for liquefying snow when
accompanied by hard frost, or when it may be inconvenient to use water for
removing it.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing examples
of the practical application of my improved arrangements.

page_text: Figure is a plan of Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, in which
street pipes have been laid down according to my system in the positions
indicated by blue lines.
Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sections showing two modifications.
Pipes P are laid along one side of a street or road as indicated by the blue
lines in Figure 1, and as shown in Figure 2, or along both sides, as indicated by
the blue and red lines in Figure 1, and as shown in Figure 3. Perforations
are formed in the pipes P so as to cause the water to be projected quite across
or half way across the street accordingly as there are pipes at one side only or
at both sides. It is an advantage of having pipes at both sides that one half
of the street can be watered whilst the other half is occupied with traffic.
The pipes may also be smaller and a projectile force of less intensity is required.
The pitch and size of the perforations in the pipes may be varied, but I find
that holes of about the sixteenth of an inch in diameter and placed twelve
inches apart answer very well.
The perforated pipes P may be conveniently placed at the sides of the
gutters and in the angle of the kerb stones, or they may be recessed into the
face of the kerb stone, or the foot pavement may be arranged to project over
them, as shown in the enlarged section Figure 4.
Figure is another enlarged section showing the pipes P as embedded in
the upper side of the kerb stone. In this case the pipes are closed in with
cement, whilst little channels are cut in the stone as indicated by the dotted
line to give free egress to the jets.of water.
In Figures 4 and 5, there is also shown a convenient mode of connecting the
perforated pipes P with the mains M, namely, by branch pipes B fitted with
stop-cocks C, and these connections with the main are to be made sufficiently
near together to obtain the necessary force of water throughout the intervening
lengths of perforated pipes.
As there are places, such as crossings where it is not convenient to apply
fixed perforated pipes so as to command the entire space, it is necessary in
order to complete my system to provide a portable perforated pipe p. as shown
in Figure 6 for watering such places, such portable spray pipe being connected
by flexible tubing with a cock or hydrant on a branch from the main and
being directed in the manner indicated.
With these improved arrangements the watering or cleansing of the
streets will be effected by a few street keepers who will open and close the
hydrants in succession. When the object is the thorough cleansing of
the streets I prefer to employ laborers to remove the bulkier matters,

page_text: Freshly fallen snow may in many cases be got rid of by the washing process,
but when this is inconvenient on account of intense frost or otherwise I propose
to employ a travelling or portable furnace which may be drawn along the streets
or roads.
This apparatus may consist of any convenient form of furnace surmounted
by an open metallic vessel with raised sides but with openings along the
bottoms of such sides. A portion of the snow is to be shovelled into the vessel
and melting therein will run out as hot water which will effect the melting of
further quantities of the snow on the street and wash the whole into the
sewers.
A convenient modification of my travelling furnace for melting snow is
shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, which are respectively a transverse vertical
section, a horizontal section, and an end elevation. The apparatus comprises
a furnace space 1 from the inner end of which a flue 2 extends to the other
end of the carriage where it communicates with two return flues 3, 4, at the
sides. Chimneys 5, 6. are fitted to each side flue, or these side flues may be
made to communicate with a box over the furnace, and fitted with a single
chimney. The body of the apparatus is made of sheet iron, the furnace
space 1 being lined with fire-brick. Side shells 7, 8, are fixed above the side
flues 3. 4. to retain the snow whilst being melted, and the tops of the flues
being inclined down towards the outer sides the water from the snow
runs down them and passes off by openings along the bottoms of the side
shells 7, 8.
In Figure 10, a modified form is shown in transverse vertical section, and
in this modification an increased melting surface is obtained by inclining the
tops of the side flues down towards the middle. holes being formed through
the bottom for the escape of the water. In order to reduce the cost of
apparatus of this kind, I propose to make the carriage with axles suitable
for receiving the wheels of ordinary carts or lorries, which wheels can be
easily obtained for temporary use when the apparatus is required for melting
snow.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
nyself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what
1 believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-

page_text: 1. The application and use of permanently fixed perforated pipes in con-
nection with the mains for watering and cleansing streets and roads as herein-
before described.
And, 2. The application and use of a travelling or portable furnace for
melting and speedily removing snow as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Sim, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow..