IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOOD VALVES FOR DRAINS AND THE LIKE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Dyer, of Camden Town, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOOD VALVES FOR
DRAINS AND THE LIKE."
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Dyer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1881.
FREDERICK DYER, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FLOOD VALVES FOR DRAINS AND THE LIKE."
The object of this valve is to prevent the inroad of high tides and floods into
buildings up through the drain pipes, and into the basement, etcetera, and it is fixed
to the drain in some convenient place between the outfull and the building.
The valve chamber or casing is made preferably of cast iron of any requisite
size to suit drain pipes; the inlet or house end of the valve is a little higher than
the outgo, and the inner side of this has a flat ring of gun-metal, vulcanite, or
other suitable material fastened to it, turned true with a chamford edge to serve
as a seating for the valve. The chamber of the valve has a movable cover which
may be fastened on by a few bolts with a large rubber washer or packing ring,
and close up under this cover is a metal bar which goes across the orifice, and
may be made just to drop into two slots or bearings.
In the centre of this small bar is a kind of knuckle joint so constructed that it
can move only in the required direction; this joint has a rod attached which hangs
from it, and at the end is fastened a ball, preferably of copper, faced with rubber;
this is made to hang very slightly out of the plane, inclining towards the gun-
metal seating, so that as the water would rise in the chamber the ball would rise
with it and press tightly against the gun-metal seating, and thus stay the back
rush of water, soil, etcetera, effectually.
The chamber of the valve is larger than the diameter of the pipe so as to allow
of soil, etcetera, passing away past the ball, and the ball is made a little larger in
diameter than the orifice of the metal seating so as to prevent it being wedged in;
the gun-metal ring is preferably the same diameter as the inlet, and is made
smooth, so that the soil, etcetera, may pass freely through.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Dyer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd March
1882.
"
FREDERICK DYER, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FLOOD VALVES FOR DRAINS AND THE LIKE"
The object of this valve is to prevent the inroad of high tides and floods into
buildings through the drain pipes, and it should be fixed to the drain in some
convenient place between the building and the outfull.
The valve and its operation will be best understood by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings. Figure 1 is an elevation, with part of the side broken away,
of a usual form of my improved valve; Figure 2 is a section of the intake branch
and seating ring with the ball valve in place; Figure 3 is also a section of the
intake branch showing the seating ring when applied from the inside of the
chamber. A is the valve chamber, made of cast iron, carthenware, or the like,
and having an intake branch A' at a higher level than the outfall branch A²; the
outfall branch may with advantage he made larger than the intake branch, and is
shown thus in the Drawing. A hollow ball B, preferably of copper, covered with
an indiarubber coating B hangs by an arm C freely from a joint C at the
portion A³ of the chamber A, or the joint may be attached to the movable cover A*
The tail C¹ of the arm C projects at an inclination upward so as to come in
contact with the cover A' or part of the joint before the arm C has dropped to a
perfectly vertical position. The same result may be attained by providing a lug
or projection B within the chamber A for the ball or arm to rest against. Tho
joint Č² may either be screwed into the cover, or the arm C may be attached to a
horizontal rod extending across the orifice under the cover A', and taking bearings
in lugs upon each side of the upper portion As of the chamber A. A seating ring D
of brass, vulcanite, or other incorrodible material (or such as is not easily corrodible
is placed upon the inner end of the intake branch A¹; this is turned true, and forms
a seating for the ball to fit into when raised. The branch A¹ may be formed
separate from the main-body and bolted on, or the whole may be made in one
piece; in the former case the seating ring would be placed between the flanges, as
shown in Figure 2; in the latter it would be bolted on inside, as shown in Figure 3.
As difficulty is sometimes experienced in applying the rubber coating B₁ an ordinary
ball of copper or the like may be substituted, and the seating ring D be formed of
soft material for it to bed against.
The action is as follows:-
1
The tide or flood backing up the drain enters the outfall branch A², rises in the
chamber, and floats the ball B, which as the water rises approaches the intake
branch A', and finally beds firmly upon the seating ring D, thus effectually closing
the orifice and preventing the water entering the building. By reason of the
arm C being always slightly inclined towards the intake branch A' there is no
danger of the ball sticking with the arm vertical, or of its moving the wrong way,
the tail or the lug B³ preventing that. When the water subsides again the
ball falls with it, unscaling the branch A' and leaving a clear passage. The
chamber should be considerably larger than the ball so as to leave plenty of room
for the passage of soil, & cetera.
The ball is larger than the seating ring so as to obviate any danger of its
jamming in the seating. If the chamber A be made of earthenware or other
incorrodible material, the seating ring may if desired be dispensed with, and the
seating be merely turned true,

page_text: The ball could be made of metal only, but would require careful fitting to the
seat, and would be liable to be prevented from coming to a proper bearing by dirt,
or it could be made of rubber only; but in this case I find that it is liable to get
pressed out of shape, and so not make a secure seal, therefore I prefer the metal
ball and soft scating.
The arrangement as described above is suitable for most drains of ordinary
construction, but it is manifest that the shape of the chamber A admits of con-
siderable modifications to suit different circumstances; thus in the case of a very
deep fall it might be advantageous to place the intake and outfall branches nearly
or quite vertical, and the ball arm C approximately horizontal, and provided with
an extra support if necessary; the action in both cases would be similar. There
is however an important advantage in the design shown in the Drawings, vis. :-
That the level of the inlet branch A' is but little above that of the outlet A*, so
that this valve can be employed where the fall is very slight. It is advisable to
keep the bottom of the inlet branch a little above the top of the outlet
branch.
Having now described my Invention, and the method of performing the same,
I wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. In a flood valve the flotation ball B attached to a pivotted guide rod or
arm C, whereby it is guided directly to its seat when floated, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth and shown.
Second. In a flood valve the tail piece C¹ or its equivalent, the lug B', whereby
the flotation ball B is prevented from falling back too far, and is retained in a
position from which it may rise freely to its seat, substantially as set fort
shown.
Third. The herein described construction of flood valve in which the difference
in height between the inlet A' and the outlet A² need be only sufficient to secure
the flotation of the ball B and sealing of the inlet before the sewage or water fills
the said inlet, whereby the valve can be applied where there is only a small fall,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Dyer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
EREDE DVED