IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET GUTTERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Tenwick, of Clarendon Street, (Albion Foundry,)
Portsmouth, Hampshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF STREET GUTTERS."
Sealed the 8th May 1860, and dated the 10th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Tenwick at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
November 1859.
I, JOHN TENWICK, of Clarendon Street, (Albion Foundry), Portsmouth,
Hampshire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET GUTTERS," to be as follows:-
The mode heretofore commonly practised of forming street gutters has been
simply to make a dished or concave channel along the kerb of the street or
road on the surface of the ground, and to connect the said gutter with gratings
and traps leading into the main drain or sewer, the water passing along the
surface of the gutter thus formed. Now the object and intention of this Inven-
tion is to carry off the water below the surface of the gutter, so that in heavy
rains the gutter shall act as a double gutter and thus prevent flooding of the
street or road, and also the unsightly appearance of a body of muddy water
flowing down the street or road. I propose to effect these improvements by
constructing street gutters in the following manner, that is to say, I make the

page_text: gutter of cast metal in the form of a deep trough, in lengths of about three
feet, with a curved lip at top to rest on the surface of the street or road; into
the top of said trough I place a dished or concave plate of metal, through
which numerous holes are formed, so that supposing several of such lengths of
troughs and lids constituting gutters to be connected together, and to suitable
traps and gratings along the line of the street or road at each side thereof, the
effect will be as follows:-Under ordinary circumstances the water will pass
principally through the aforesaid holes in the lid of the gutter and along the
trough below into the trap, and from thence into the main drain or sewer; but
in cases of floods it will pass along both the surface of the gutter and the
trough; and it is this novel and peculiar method of constructing gutters that
constitutes this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Tenwick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TENWICK, of Clarendon Street, (Albion Foundry), Portsmouth, Hampshire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, bý Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Tenwick, Her special licence that I, the said John Tenwick,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Tenwick, 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 THE CON-
STRUCTION OF STREET GUTTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Tenwick, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Tenwick, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The mode heretofore commonly practised of forming street gutters has been
simply to make a dished or concave channel along the kerb of the street or
road on the surface of the ground, and to connect the said gutter with gratings
and traps leading into the main drain or sewer, the water passing along the
surface of the gutter thus formed. Now the object and intention of this
Invention is to carry off the water below the surface of the gutter, so that in
heavy rains the gutter shall act as a double gutter, and thus prevent flooding
of the street or road, and also the unsightly appearance of sewage water flowing
down the street or road. I propose to effect these improvements by construct-
ing street gutters in the following manner, that is to say, I make the gutter
either of cast or wrought metal in the form of a deep trough, in lengths of
about three feet, with a curved lip at top to rest on the surface of the street
or road; into the top of said trough I place a dished or concave plate of
metal, through which numerous holes are formed, so that supposing several of
such lengths of troughs and lids constituting gutters to be connected together,
and to suitable traps and gratings along the line of the street or road at each
side thereof, the effect will be as follows:-Under ordinary circumstances the
water will pass principally through the aforesaid holes in the lid of the gutter
and along the trough below into the trap, and from thence in the main drain
or sewer; but in cases of floods it will pass along both the surface of the
gutter and the trough. In order to explain this Invention as completely as
possible, I now proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, reference being had to the accompany-
ing illustrative Sheet of Drawings, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:—
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING..
Figure 1 is a longitudinal and vertical section of a street gutter constructed
according to my said Invention, showing mode of connecting same to trap;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of said gutter and trap; Figure 3, an end eleva-
tion of Figure 2; Figures 4 and 5 respectively exhibit a cross section and top
plan of the aforesaid gutter, drawn to an enlarged scale. At each of the
foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding
parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of such said
Figures respectively. A, A, are metal castings or troughs about three feet

page_text: water.
in length, fitting into each other at their ends, and into opposite ends of the
trap B, as exhibited. C, a curved lip intended to come against the kerb of a
road, street, or way, or such said lip may constitute the kerb, if desired. D, D,
are plates of metal formed with holes a, a, through them for the passage of
In adapting my improved gutters to self-sealing traps, I propose to
form a gutter within the trap, as at A* (Figure 1). I also propose to form
the top edges of each length of the gutters A, A, with rebates, into which I
insert pieces of wood b, b, as at Figures 3, 4, 5, or other cheap and suitable
material, so that when the plates D, D, are placed on the troughs A, A, the
pieces of wood or other material b, b, shall form a cushion for said plates to
bed upon, and prevent rattling of same when vehicles pass over them. In
adapting my Invention to footpaths the lip C may be dispensed with, and the
surface of the plates D, D, may be formed chequered, as at Z, Figures 1
and 2, or be otherwise roughened, and this applies to the plates used for street
gutters. In order to combine lightness of material with strength and cheap-
ness, I propose to form the several lengths of gutters or troughs A, A, with
ribs c, shown at Figure 4, and by dotted lines at Figures 1 and 2; the plates
D may be similarly formed, and rendered strong by ribs at the under side
thereof placed at suitable distances asunder.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Street Gutters," together
with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention,
desired to be secured to me by the above in part recited Letters Patent, is as
follows: I claim constructing street gutters in the manner above particularly
described, set forth, and represented by the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and of connecting same with traps and gratings, whereby the water is carried
off principally below the surface of the gutters, and flooding of the street, road,
or way prevented, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Tenwick, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN TENWICK. (L.B.)