IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS OR IMPLEMENTS EMPLOYED FOR DISTRIBUTING SEWAGE OVER LAND
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Baldwin Latham, of Croydon, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS
OR IMPLEMENTS EMPLOYED FOR DISTRIBUTING SEWAGE OVER LAND."
Sealed the 17th March 1868, and dated the 16th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Baldwin Latham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th October 1867.
I, BALDWIN LATHAM, of Croydon, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
AND APPARATUS OR IMPLEMENTS EMPLOYED FOR DISTRIBUTING SEWAGE OVER LAND,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to obviate any nuisance arising from the
present system of distributing sewage over land in open channels or trenches
cut in the ground. It consists in providing closed channels or ducts either
upon the surface of the land or partly or wholly sunk into the surface of the
land, but with the top surface thereof uncovered, through which channels or
ducts the sewage is caused to flow, and from which it escapes on to the
surface of the land through openings or perforations. The form, mode of con-
struction, and dimensions of these channels or ducts may be variously modified;
thus they may consist merely of trenches cut in the land and covered with
perforated tiles, slabs, or plates, or they may be perforated pipes or tubes of

page_text: earthenware or other suitable material, and of any suitable transverse sectional
form, such, for instance, as the cylindrical, elliptic, egg-shaped, triangular,
semicircular, square, or polygonal form, or they may be trough-shaped ducts
with loose covers, either perforated or not, and with openings at the sides for
he sewage to pass out, and these pipes, tubes, or ducts may be made either
with butt joints or with socket and spigot ends, or with half sockets.
For directing or cutting off the flow of the sewage 1 introduce valves at
any required points formed either as throttle valves so as to be turned by a
rod passing through the pipes, or where the pipes or ducts have butt joints
I merely introduce thin metal plates across the pipes at such joints; or
openings may be formed in the top of the pipes or ducts for introducing a
stop, or one of the pipes may be removed for that purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Baldwin Latham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BALDWIN
LATHAM, of Croydon, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, 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 Baldwin Latham, Her special licence that 1, the said Baldwin
Latham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Baldwin Latham, 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 "Iк-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS OR IMPLEMENTS EMPLOYED FOR
DISTRIBUTING SEWAGE OVER LAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Baldwin Latham, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Baldwin Latham, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention has for its object to obviate any nuisance arising from the
present system of distributing sewage over land in open channels or trenches
cut in the ground; it consists in providing closed channels or ducts either
upon the surface of the land or partly or wholly sunk into the surface of the
land, but with the top surface thereof uncovered, through which channels or
ducts the sewage is caused to flow, and from which it escapes on to the surface
of the land through openings or perforations. The form, mode of construction,
and dimension of these channels or ducts may be variously modified; thus,
they may consist merely of trenches cut in the land and covered with per-
forated tiles, slabs, or plates, or they may be perforated pipes or tubes of
earthenware or other suitable material, and of any suitable transverse sectional
form, such for instance as the cylindrical, elliptic, egg-shaped, triangular,
semicircular, square, or polygonal form, or they may be trough-shaped ducts
with loose covers, either perforated or not, and with openings at the sides for
the sewage to pass out, and these pipes, tubes, or ducts may be made either
with butt joints or with socket and spigot ends, or with half sockets.
For directing or cutting off the flow of the sewage I introduce valves at
any required points formed either as throttle valves so as to be turned by a
rod passing through the pipes, or where the pipes or ducts have butt joints'
I merely introduce thin metal plates across the pipes at such joints, or openings
may be formed in the top of the pipes or ducts for introducing a stop, or one
of the pipes may be removed for that purpose.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are shown various forms and
arrangements of pipes or conduits, by means of which my Invention may be
carried into practice.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation, and Figure 2 shows a transverse section
of a pipe A by preference made of earthenware or iron, or both, 'the rounded
lower surface of which is sunk into the soil, while the flat upper surface pro
jects somewhat above it in order that the sewage may flow through the side'
apertures B, B, on to the soil. The lengths of pipe are connected together by
half socket joints C. In place of making the whole pipe of one piece the top'
flat side may be made separate as a cover, as shown in the section at Figure 3,
where the cover A³ rests upon the projecting parts between the apertures B
of the part A, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, and is provided with.

page_text: ribs a on its inner surface fitting between the sides of the part A so as to hold
it in position.
Figure 4 shows a side elevation, and Figure 5 shows a transverse section of.
another modification of this arrangement, in which the part A is made without
the before-mentioned projections, the side apertures B being formed by the
ribs a on the cover A¹ being made to pass across the edges of the trough A.
The cover is held in its place by lugs a¹ on the ribs a either externally, as
shown, or inside the trough. In this arrangement the pipes are shown with
butt joints merely.
Figure 12 shows another mode of forming the side openings B by making
the trough A with vandyked edges upon which rests the cover A¹. a are lugs
as before for holding the cover in place.
In the arrangement shown respectively in plan and section at Figures 6
and 7 the apertures B are formed in the top surface of the pipe by means of
recesses in the edges of the loose covers A¹, which rests upon projections a on
the inner side of the trough A and fits in flush with the edges of the latter.
In this case, as also in all others where the apertures are in the top surface,
the pipes are by preference sunk entirely in the ground so as to be flush with
the surface thereof, as shown.
Figure 8 shows a section of the same arrangement as that just described,
but with the cover formed in one piece with the pipe instead of separate
therefrom.
Figures 9 and 10 show respectively a plan and a section of a modification
of the foregoing in which in place of long side openings circular holes B, B,
are formed in the moveable cover A¹.
Figure 11 shows the same arrangement with the cover formed in one piece
with the trough.
Figures 13 and 14 show respectively a side view and section of an arrange-
ment with side apertures similar to Figures 1 and 2, the conduit A being
however in this case made of wood.
Figure 15 shows a section of a triangular-shaped conduit A, made of wood,
with openings B in the top surface.
Figures 16 and 17 show respectively a longitudinal and transverse section
of an earthenware pipe A of an oval form partly sunk into the ground, and
with circular apertures B in the upper uncovered part. D is a valve fixed to
the spindle d and turned by means of the handle d¹ in a similar manner to a
throttle valve, so as to either intercept or allow of the flow of the sewage
through the pipe as may be required. In place of such valves thin stop back
plates D, as shown in front and side views at Figures 29 and 30, may be

page_text: inserted between the butt joints of the pipes or through slits formed in the
top surfaces for cutting off and directing the flow of sewage through the
pipes.
Figure 18 shows a section of a circular iron pipe A partly sunk in the
ground with holes B, formed in its upper part.
Figures 19 and 20 show respectively a side view and transverse section of
a circular earthenware pipe A with outlet apertures B formed at the sides
only.
Figure 21 shows an egg-shaped iron pipe A with holes B formed in its
upper surface.
Figure 22 shows a trough-shaped conduit A with a curved cover A¹ fitting
with ribs a over the edges of the trough so as to leave spaces B, B, all along
the sides for the egress of sewage.
Figures 23 to 26 show various forms of flat pipes A simply laid upon the
surface of the ground, as indicated, and having outlet apertures B formed in
the upper surfaces, which arrangement may conveniently be employed where
it is only temporarily required to convey the sewage on to the land.. In the
section at Figure 23, as also in the section and plan at Figures 25 and 26, the
pipe is formed of one piece, while in the section, Figure 24, the cover A' is
separate and rests upon the ribs a.
In some cases also my Invention may be carried into effect by simply
cutting trenches in the ground for the sewage to pass through, and covering
the same with slabs of wood, earthenware, or metal, as indicated at Figures 27
and 28, the cover A¹ in Figure 27 having outlet apertures B formed in it for
the escape of the sewage, and being held in position by the spikes E driven in
the ground, while at Figure 28 the cover A¹ is raised upon ribs a placed at
intervals so as to leave side openings B for the escape of the sewage.
Figure 31 shows a form of conduit adapted for sloping ground, the upper
perforated surface A¹ being at an incline to catch the surface drainage from
the sloping ground above, while side apertures B are provided for the escape
of sewage on to the land below.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise arrangements and forms of pipes or conduits herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying Drawing, as various
other arrangements may be employed for carrying my Invention into effect;
but what I claim is,-
First. Distributing sewage upon the surface of land by means of closed
passages, pipes, or conduits, the upper parts of which are uncovered by the

page_text: soil, and in which uncovered portions apertures are formed for the escape of
the sewage on to the land, substantially as herein-before set forth.
Second. Constructing closed pipes or conduits for conveying sewage on to
the surface of land, arranged and operating substantially as herein-before
described with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Baldwin Latham, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
BALDWIN LATHAM. (L.S.)