Improvements in Pipe or Drain Stoppers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pipe or Drain Stoppers.
1, JOHN JONES of 40 Sidney Street, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has been designed as a handy and effective means of stopping pipes
whether large or small and is particularly applicable for a temporary stoppage in drain
pipes when it is desired to test them. It will be understood however that the apparatus
which may be made of any required size, shape, materials, and strength can be used
for the stoppage of most kinds of pipes, water, gas, drainage, air, ventilator or other,
and is particularly useful in the teinporary stoppage of broken pipes and tubes of
various kinds.
In carrying out this invention I employ a bladder or expansible ball of any required
shape, materials, or size, preferably of indiarubber or bladder, and to this is connected
a pipe or tube of any required size or length and having some means of stopping it as
for instance a tap or cock and also preferably having a nozzle or suitable end adapted
for use in the mouth of the operator or for receiving the mouth piece of a
bellows.
In using this device the ball or bulb is placed in the pipe which it is desired to
stop; the bulb is then expanded by forcing air or other fluid into it the said fluid
being prevented from returning by means of the stop-cock or other means provided.
A tight joint is thus made in the pipe and the heavier the pressure against it the more
tightly it holds.
For use where heavy pressures exist or where it has to remain in position for a
considerable time positive means may be employed for ensuring that the bulb is not
blown out of the tube; such means are not necessary for the testing of drain pipes
and similar purposes where no severe pressures exist, and would not generally be
necessary. An illustration of such a means would be a strong metal ring adapted to
fit into the tube to be stopped and provided with two or more set screws preferably
pointed which would take hold upon the tube.
Where desired that portion of the bulb which would be exposed to the pressure
may be provided with a hollow or indentation preferably conical so that the natural
effect of the pressure would be to force open the walls of the bulb and thus increase
its hold upon the pipe.
Dated this 13th day of January 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pipe or Drain Stoppers.
I, JOHN JONES of 40 Sidney Street, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Builder,
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 has been designed as a handy and effective means of stopping pipes
whether large or small and is particularly applicable for a temporary stoppage in drain
pipes when it is desired to test them. It will be understood however that the apparatus
which may be made of any required size, materials, and strength can be used for the
stoppage of most kinds of pipes, water, gas, drainage, air, ventilator or other, and is
particularly useful in the temporary stoppage of broken pipes and tubes of various
kinds. In carrying out this invention I employ an expansible bladder or cylindrical
Price 81

page_text: bag of any required materials or size, preferably of indiarubber or rubber-cloth and to
this is connected a pipe or tube of any required size or length and having some means
of stopping it as for instance a tap or cock and also preferably having a nozzle or
suitable end adapted for use in the mouth of the operator or for receiving the mouth
piece of a bellows or pump.
In using this device the bag is placed in the pipe which it is desired to stop and is
then expanded by forcing air or other fluid into it the said fluid being prevented from
returning by means of the stop-cock or other means provided. A tight joint is thus
made in the pipe and the beavier the pressure against it the more tightly it
holds.
For use where heavy pressures exist or where it has to remain in position for a
considerable time positive means may be employed for ensuring that the bag is not
forced out of the tube; such means are not necessary for the testing of drain pipes
and similar purposes where no severe pressures are commonly used and would not
generally be necessary. An illustration of such a means would be a strong metal
ring adapted to fit into the tube to be stopped and provided with two or more set
screws preferably pointed which would take hold upon the tube.
Where desired that portion of the bag which would be exposed to the pressure may
be provided with a hollow or indentation preferably conical so that the natural effect
of the pressure would be to force open the walls of the bag and thus increase its hold
upon the pipe.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a view of the stopper constructed according to this invention,
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the stopper with the securing ring,
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2 and
Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of the stopper
when formed with the hollow or indentation.
Fig. 5 is a view of my improved stopper showing its shape as compared with that
of the ordinary ball gas pipe stopper shown in Fig. 6.
Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the stopper as adapted for stopping water pipes in
cisterns and other places where the pressure tends to force the stopper into the
pipe.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to Fig. 1, A is the pipe, drain or other passage which is to be stopped
and B the bladder or expansible bag hereinafter referred to as the stopper. C is
the flexible pipe or tube connected with the stopper B and through which is passed
the air or other medium by which the said stopper is to be inflated. c is the stop
cock which may be secured to the pipe C to retain the distending medium in the
stopper B until it is desired to remove said stopper from the pipe A at which time
the cock may be opened and the distending medium allowed to escape through it.
When it is desired to plug up a pipe with the stopper B Fig. 1 it is inserted in its
collapsed condition into the pipe and the distending medium is forced through the
pipe C which for the time being may be secured to the nozzle or outlet of a pump
bellows or equivalent air or other forcing apparatus. When there is sufficient
pressure in the stopper B to force its walls tightly against the inner surface of the
pipe A the cock c may be shut and the pipe C disconnected from the forcing
apparatus.
In Figs. 2 and 3 the stopper B is of substantially similar construction to that in
Fig. 1, but it is shown with a ring D inserted in the pipe A to be stopped and this
ring may be fixed in position by means of two or more pointed set screws d or other
means. The stopper B is inflated at the inner side of the ring which will afterwards
support it against the pressure in the pipe and prevent its being forced out.
In the stopper B shown in Fig. 4 there is formed on that part of it which is exposed
to the pressure within the pipe to be stopped a hollow or indentation 6 which may be
of any desired shape but preferably conical or partly so as shown and in which the
pressure within the pipe naturally tends to force the walls of the stopper tightly
against the inner surface of the pipe and thus increase its hold upon said pipe.

page_text: Hitherto the expansible stoppers used for closing gas pipes have been made
spherical as in Fig. 6 and for this reason it has not been possible to use them for
stopping pipes wherein they would be subjected to much pressure because owing to
the small surface of the stopper in contact with the wall of the pipe there is not
sufficient frictional resistance presented to prevent the stopper being forced out. It is
to overcome this difficulty that I make the before described stopper of the elongated
cylindrical form shown in Fig. 5 whereby a very extensive bearing or contact between
the bag and the pipe is secured which in practice appears to resist almost any pressure
which is not sufficient to rupture the bag and moreover to still further ensure effective
results I may make the stoppers larger in diameter than the pipes to which they are
to be applied. For example for a six inch pipe I prefer to use a stopper which when
fully inflated without restriction would be six and a half inches in diameter.
When the stopper is intended for plugging the water pipe of a cistern as shown in
Figs. 7 and 8 or in some other situation where the pressure would tend to force the
stopper into the end of a pipe or into some orifice it may be provided with a collar B¹
which may either, be secured to one end of the stopper B itself or to the tube C.
When in use as shown in Fig. 8 the collar B¹ rests on the bottom or wall E of the
cistern and sustains the stopper when first introduced into the pipe A in its collapsed
condition against the weight or pressure of the water in the cistern which acts to force
the collar B tightly over the entrance to the pipe A and thus tends to increase the
efficiency of the stopper. In this last described arrangement where the pressure is
prevented from acting directly on the stopper B and where consequently the fixedness
of the stopper is not dependent on the extent of its surface in frictional contact with
the surrounding wall of the pipe (the collar preventing it from being forced through
the pipe) the said stopper may be spherical spheroidal or other convenient shape
although even in such case I prefer the cylindrical shape shown in the drawings.
For use in a pipe or opening whose section is other than circular a bag of corre-
sponding section may be used and the word "cylindrical" in this specification and
claims is intended to denote the parallelism of the opposite walls of the bag rather
than the strictly circular form of the cross section which latter may vary at any time
as for example with a distorted pipe.
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 1
claim is;
"
1. A pipe stopper consisting of a cylindrical" expansible bag such as B with or
without a hollow or indentation such as 6 substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for stopping pipes or the like the combination with a "cylindrical"
spherical or other bag or ball adapted to be temporarily inserted and used as a stopper
of a ring such as D d substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for stopping pipes or the like the combination with a spherical or
other bladder or ball of a collar such as B' substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1890.
JOHN JONES.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.