AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS IN POPULOUS CITIES OR TOWNS FOR THE RECEPTION OF GAS AND WATER PIPES AND TELEGRAPH WIRES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Baylis, of the Poultry, in the City of London,
Solicitor, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING AND
ARRANGING UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS IN POPULOUS CITIES OR TOWNS FOR THE
RECEPTION OF GAS AND WATER PIPES AND TELEGRAPH WIRES."
Sealed the 1st April 1859, and dated the 6th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Baylis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
6th October 1858.
on the
I, CHARLES BAYLIS, of the Poultry, in the City of London, Solicitor, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS IN POPULOUS CITIES OR
TOWNS FOR THE RECEPTION OF GAS AND WATER PIPES AND TELEGRAPH WIRES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention of "An Improved Mode of Constructing and Arranging
Underground Chambers in populous Cities or Towns, for the Reception of Gas
and Water Pipes and Telegraph Wires," relates to such a method of arranging,
enclosing, and protecting gas and water pipes and telegraph wires, as will
admit of access being obtained with facility to any of them or any part thereof,
without disturbing the pavement of the street or way under which they may
be placed, or interfering with or obstructing the traffic of the road or way.
This object is effected by placing these pipes and wires in underground
chambers, composed of lengths or cast iron or other tubing of any suitable or
convenient size and form, and joined together at their ends, so as to form a
continuous chamber or gallery, in which openings are made at top, either in
all the lengths of tubing, or at such convenient intervals as may be desired.
D-in d

page_text: A convenient mode of constructing these underground galleries or receptacles
will be to make rectangular or nearly rectangular chambers of cast iron, with
an opening extending along the upper side thereof, and provided with grooves
in which may be slidden plates or shutters to close up the chambers. These
plates may be made with tongues and grooves to fit into one another, and at
convenient distances apart there may be key plates, which will hold all the
others in their places, and prevent them from being removed until the key plate
is first lifted out of its place. Instead of the plates being made wholly of cast
iron, they may be composed of cast-iron frames, into which flag stones may
be secured, so as to present a stone surface to the passengers' feet. Strong
sheets of glass may also, if desired, be let into the cast-iron plates or frames
at intervals to admit light to the chambers beneath. By means of these
removable plates or frames a longitudinal opening of any length, and of sufficient
width to enable a man to enter the underground chamber, may be
sbtained with facility without obstructing the traffic. The iron compartments
are so constructed as to allow the upper surface of the key plate and the other
shutter plates or frames being brought flush with the pavement; and, in fact,
I propose that this part of the structure shall form the curb of the roadway,
for which purpose, and to strengthen and protect it from the carriage traffic, a
strong rib or projecting piece may be cast along the outer edge. In the long
continuous chamber thus obtained may be placed the gas or water pipes, or, if
preferred, the telegraph wires may be arranged therein, and a lateral chamber
may be added thereto for the gas and water pipes. These two chambers may
be cast in one piece, in suitable lengths, or, if preferred, they may be formed
of cast-iron plates bolted together, or the one chamber may be attached or
secured to the other by bolts or otherwise, as may be found most convenient.
If the gas and water pipes are placed in the chamber or gallery farthest from
the houses, then short transverse ways or spaces must be reserved and taken out
of the other chamber or gallery to enable the supply pipes for the houses to be
passed through, and as these supply pipes will pass immediately below the long
longitudinal opening that is covered in by the shutter plates, they may at that
spot be provided with cocks for the purpose of cutting off the supply to the
houses when required.
On the top of the second and outermost gallery or chamber is to be placed
the gutter plate, and such part of the roadway as will be contiguous thereto,
and if it be desired or be considered necessary the top plate of this gallery may
be strengthened by internal struts and supports, so as to render it strong
enough to sustain the weight and concussion of any heavy carriages that may
pass over it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pusuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Baylis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BAYLIS, of the Poultry, in the City of London, Solicitor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Baylis, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Baylis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Baylis, 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 Channels Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS IN
POPULOUS CITIES OR TOWNS FOR THE RECEPTION OF GAS AND WATER PIPES AND
TELEGRAPH WIRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Baylis, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Charles Baylis, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "An Improved Mode of Constructing and Arranging
Underground Chambers in populous Cities or Towns for the Reception of Gas
and Water Pipes and Telegraph Wires," relates to a method of arranging
enclosing, and protecting gas and water pipes and telegraph wires, so as to
admit of access being obtained with facility to any of them or any part
thereof, without disturbing the pavement of the street or way under which
they may be placed, or interfering with or obstructing the traffic of the road
or way.
This object is effected by placing these pipes and wires in underground

page_text: chambers, composed of lengths of cast iron or other tubing of any suitable or
convenient size and form, and joined together at their ends, so as to form
a continuous chamber or gallery, in which openings are made at top either
in all the lengths of tubing, or at such convenient intervals as may be
desired. A convenient mode of constructing these underground galleries or
receptacles, and arranging the several parts of the underground structure,
is shewn in the accompanying Drawing; in which Fig. 1 is a transverse
vertical section of the structure, which is composed of rectangular or nearly
rectangular chambers of cast iron A, A, and B, B, with an opening C extending
along the upper side of the larger chamber A. The sides or edges of this
opening are provided with grooves a, a, in which may be slidden plates or
shutters to close up the chamber. These plates or shutters b, b, should be
made with tongues and grooves to fit into one another, and at convenient
distances apart key plates are provided, which hold all the other plates or
shutters in their places, and prevent them from being removed until the key
plate is first lifted out of its place. Instead of these plates or shutters being
made wholly of cast iron, they may be composed of cast-iron frames, into
which flag stones may be secured, so as to present a stone surface to the
passengers' feet. Strong sheets of glass may also, if desired, be let into the
cast-iron plates or frames at intervals to admit light to the chambers beneath.
By means of these removeable plates, shutters, or frames, a longitudinal open-
ing of any length and of sufficient width to enable a man to enter the under-
ground chambers may be obtained with facility, without obstructing the traffic.
It is proposed that the compartment A, being the larger and more accessible
of the two compartments, shall be devoted to the reception of telegraph wires.
This compartment will be situated under the pavement or side walk of the
street, while the smaller one, in which it is proposed to place the gas and water
pipes, will extend under the roadway. The iron compartments are so con-
structed as to allow the upper surface of the key plate and the other shutter
plates or frames being brought flush with the pavement; and, in fact, I
propose that this part of the structure shall form the kerb of the roadway, for
which purpose, and to strengthen and protect it from the carriage traffic, a
strong rib or projecting piece c is to be cast along the outer edge. The long
continuous chamber A may also be strengthened internally by means of webs
or ribs d, d, and in it, if preferred, may be placed the gas or water pipes instead
of the telegraph wires, as above mentioned, and the telegraph wires may be
arranged in the lateral chamber B, which communicates with the other
chamber. These two chambers may be cast in one piece, in suitable lengths,
or, if preferred, they may be formed of cast-iron plates or other suitable material

page_text: bolted together, or the two chambers may be cast or formed separately, and
attached or secured to each other by bolts or otherwise, as may be found most
convenient. In the Drawing the chambers are represented as formed of cast-
iron plates provided with flanges, and bolted together, as shewn in Fig. 1, and
also in the detached views, Figures 2 and 3. If the gas and water pipes are
placed in the chamber or gallery farthest from the houses, as shewn in the
Drawing, then short traverse ways or spaces must be reserved, and taken out
of the other chamber or gallery, as shewn at c, e, in Fig. 1, in order to enable
the supply pipes f, f, for the houses to be passed through the chamber. The
spaces reserved for these supply pipes must be boxed round and covered in, as
shewn at Fig. 2, in order to protect the pipes from injury when workmen are
employed in the chamber. As the supply pipes f, f, will pass immediately
below the long longitudinal opening C that is covered in by the removeable
shutters or plates, the pipes may at that spot be provided with cocks g. g, for
the purpose of cutting off the supply to the houses when required.
On the top of the smaller and outermost gallery or chamber B is to be
placed the gutter plate h, and also such part of the roadway as will be con-
tiguous thereto, and if it be desired or be considered necessary, the top plate
of this gallery may be strengthened by internal struts and supports i, i, so as
to render it strong enough to sustain the weight and concussion of any heavy
carriages that may pass over it.
Having now described my Invention of an improved mode of constructing
and arranging underground chambers in populous cities or towns for the
reception of gas and water pipes and telegraph wires, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured
to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, constructing such underground chambers
of cast iron or other suitable material, as above set forth, and arranging such
underground chambers, as herein shewn and described, that access may be
obtained to the interior of the chambers without interfering with or deranging
the roadway.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Baylis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
CHA. BAYLIS. (L.S.)