An Improved Drain and Soil-pipe Testing Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th June, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Drain and Soil-pipe Testing Apparatus.
HENRY EDWARD BURNET 24 Queens Road Peckham London S.E. Manu-
facturer of Drain Tests and Collector of Income Tax &c. do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
In my present invention I take an impervious tube open at both ends & two
caps or the like to cover the ends I charge the tube with a strong smell producing
chemical such as phosphide of calcium or oil of peppermint, I then take a length
of string or the like & having affixed the same to the tube I bind the same tightly
round & round the whole firmly securing the caps onto the tube, I may then place
the whole into an airtight case & hermetically seal the same. I may fix a spring
between the caps so that when the string is unrolled the caps are forced off & the
chemical set free.
The said caps may be of tin or other suitable material & the connection between
the same & the tube may be rendered airtight by placing india-rubber or other
suitable material between them, or by any other suitable means.
In the place of the tube & caps I may substitute two impervious boxes and
place an india-rubber or other suitable disc between them or use other suitable
means of rendering the connection airtight & the spring may be used to force the
boxes apart upon the string being unrolled; or 1 may substitute an impervious
box & covering, a spring may be utilized to force the covering off the box upon
the string being unrolled.
I may place blotting paper or other material capable of readily absorbing water
within the apparatus in the form of a lining or in any other suitable manner.
September 5th 1894.
H. E. BURNET.
An Improved Drain and Soil-pipe Testing Apparatus.
I, HENRY EDWARD BURNET of 24 Queens Road Peckham London S.E.
Manufacturer &c. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertaine·l
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved device or apparatus for testing drains or
soil-pipes by means of smell and smoke but especially the former i.e. smell.
or
and
or
In my present invention I take an impervious tube open at both ends & two
caps or the like to cover the ends & having closed one end of the tube with one of
the aforesaid caps I charge the tube with a strong smell smoke producing
chemical such as phosphide of calcium or oil of peppermint, I then close the other
end of the tube with the second cap & affix the end of a suitable length of string
or the like to the tube & wind the same round & round the whole thereby firmly
securing the caps onto the tube; having previously placed a spring of steel or
other suitable material between & acting on the caps so that upon the string being
unrolled the caps are forced off & the chemical thus set free.

page_text: In the place of the tubes and caps I may use two impervious boxes charging
one or both with the aforesaid chemical & binding them together with the string
in the manner above described & using a spring after the manner aforesaid acting
against the boxes so that they will be forced apart upon the string or the like
being unrolled & the chemical thus set free, or I may substitute a cap or lid for
one of these last mentioned boxes the spring being placed in any suitable manner
for forcing the cap off upon the string or the like being unrolled, the chemical thus
being set free.
The tube or box or boxes forming the receptacle or receptacles for the chemical
& the caps for covering their open ends are preferably made of sheet metal & the
junctions between them may be rendered airtight by placing india-rubber or other
suitable material between them, & a disc of blotting paper or other suitable
material may be placed over the chemical in the receptacle in order to prevent its
falling out too readily when the apparatus is in action.
The spring before mentioned may be dispensed with & for the same purpose a
chemical may be used being placed within the receptacle & capable of causing
generation of gas the expansion of which forces the lid or lids off upon the string
being unrolled.
or
or
The object of my present invention is to produce an apparatus consisting of a
tube or box containing a chemical or chemicals suitable for producing strong smell
and smoke the opening or openings of such tube or box being covered with a
moveable cap or caps or second box the junctions being rendered air tight by any
suitable means & secured by means of a length of string attached to the receptacle
containing the chemical & wound round & round the whole binding the cap or caps
firmly onto the receptacle containing the smell and smoke producing chemical in
any suitable manner that the string may readily be unrolled again & when nearly
or completely unrolled the cap or caps will be forced off by virtue of the action of
a spring suitably placed or by other suitable means & the chemical thus set free.
When in use the end of the string is secured by the operator near the trap of the
drain to be tested, the apparatus is then lowered into the trap & flushed through
into the drain by means of water, the string thereupon becomes unrolled & the
chemical set free, & should any defect or leakage in the drain exist the smell
or smoke from the apparatus escapes through & the defect is immediately
detected.
In order that my present invention may be easily understood & readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The several figures annexed ilustrate three ways of carrying out my said
invention.
or
Fig. 1. shows the tube A covered at each end by a moveable cap B; C is the
india-rubber or other suitable material used to render the junction air-tight between
the tube & caps; D is the smell and smoke producing chemical; E is the string
wound round & round the whole binding the caps firmly onto the tube; H is the
spring for forcing the caps off upon the string being unrolled; G is a loop at the
end of the string for the operator to attach before commencing the experiment;
X shows a section of the coils of string wound round & round the apparatus the
reverse way to & being a continuation of the same piece of string shown at E.
aunexcu lustrate three ways or carrying out my said
or
invention.
Fig. 1. shows the tube A covered at each end by a moveable cap B; C is the
india-rubber or other suitable material used to render the junction air-tight between
the tube & caps; D is the smell and smoke producing chemical; E is the string
wound round & round the whole binding the caps firmly onto the tube; H is the
spring for forcing the caps off upon the string being unrolled; G is a loop at the
end of the string for the operator to attach before commencing the experiment;
X shows a section of the coils of string wound round & round the apparatus the
reverse way to & being a continuation of the same piece of string shown at E.
or
Fig. 2. shows two impervious receptacles or boxes B B charged with the smell
and smoke producing chemical D; C is the iudia-rubber or other suitable substance
for rendering the junction between the boxes airtight; G is the loop at the end of
the string; X shows the section of the coils of string wound round & round the
apparatus so as to bind the receptacles close together; H is the spring for forcing
the boxes apart upon the string being unrolled.

page_text: Fig. 3. shows a box A with a moveable lid or cap B; C C is the india-rubber or
other substance placed between them to render the junction airtight; G is the
loop at the end of the string; D is the smell and smoke producing chemical; X is
the section of the coils of string wound round & round the apparatus; H the spring
for forcing the lid off the box upon the string being unrolled.
or
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
or
An apparatus for testing drains consisting of the combination of a tube or box
containing any suitable chemical or chemicals capable of producing strong smell
and smoke, the opening or openings of such tube or box being closed by moveable
cap or caps the junctions between such tube or box & the said cap or caps being
made airtight by any suitable means and a string or the like attached to the said
tube or box & then wound round the whole a number of times in such a manner as
to bind the cap or caps onto the said tube or box containing the chemical so that
upon the string being unrolled the said cap or caps will be forced off substantially
in the manner & for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 5th day of June 1895.
H. E. BURNET.