DRAIN PIPES AND TILES FOR DRAINING AND LIQUID MANURING LAND
Year: 1859

page_text: DRAIN PIPES AND TILES FOR DRAINING AND LIQUID MANURING LAND."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Wilkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
February 1859.
I, EDWARD WILKINS, of No. 7, Addington Place, Camberwell, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAIN PIPES AND TILES FOR DRAINING AND
LIQUID MANURING LAND," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in forming half round drain pipes with scolloped or
vandyked openings or spaces along one or both of their longitudinal edges,
so that when laid down upon a flat surface with their convex sides uppermost
there shall be small spaces or openings for the entrance or exit of liquid into
or from the interior or hollow space between the concave side of such pipes
and the flat surface on which they may be laid, so as to serve either for
draining or for distributing liquid to the subsoil of land. These pipes may be
made of any suitable materials, and may either be moulded or cast in the half
round form, and the edge or edges of each scolloped or vandyked or otherwise
[Price 8d.]

page_text: made into the required shape, or they may be made by dividing an ordinary
cylindrical drain pipe (when in a plastic state, and before being dried in the
kiln) longitudinal in the manner shewn by the dotted line in the sketch.
When used for the purpose of applying liquid
manure to the subsoil, I lay down the lengths of
pipe on a level surface formed by sole tiles, such
sole tiles having their edges turned up a little on each side of the half round
drain pipe, and fitted together by grooves or otherwise, so as to form a kind
of trough or channel to hold the liquid manure and prevent it from sinking
b
into the land below the level of the sole tile. The
sketch shews a sectional view of a half round drain
pipe laid upon a sole tile, a, being the pipe, and
b, b, the sole tile with its edges turned up. I also form some of the ends
of the drain pipes with suitable curves to admit of upright pipes being fitted
In for the purpose of supplying or drawing off liquid or admitting air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Wilkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, EDWARD
WILKINS, late of No. 7, Addington Place, Camberwell, but now of No. 8,
Bath Terrace, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Wilkins, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Wilkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Wilkins, 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
DRAIN PIPES AND TILES FOR DRAINING AND LIQUID MANURING LAND," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Wilkins, my executors or

page_text: 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..
NOW KNOW YE. that I, the said Edward Wilkins, 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 :-
My Invention consists in forming half round drain pipes with scolloped or
vandyked openings or spaces along one or both of their longitudinal edges
so that when laid down upon a flat surface with their convex sides uppermost,
there shall be small spaces or openings for the entrance or exit of liquid into
or from the interior or hollow space between the concave side of such pipes,
and the flat surface on which they may be laid so as to serve either for
draining or for distributing liquid to the subsoil of land.
Figure in the annexed Drawing shews a length of half round drain pipe,
the longitudinal edges of which instead of being straight are curved or
scolloped according to my Invention. And it will be seen that if such a pipe
be laid upon a flat surface with the convex side of the pipe uppermost there
will be small spaces or openings x, x, through which liquid can flow either
into or out from the interior of the pipe.
One of the objects of forming pipes in the manner above described is the
more readily and advantageously applying liquid manure to the subsoil, for.
which purpose I dig a trench of the required depth, width, and length along
the bed or piece of land required to be manured, and having rammed hard
the bottom of the trench, I lay down sole tiles along the whole length thereof,
such sole tiles being either perfectly flat or having their two opposite. edges
turned up so that when laid together they form a kind of channel or trough
to retain liquid from sinking into the earth. Along and upon the surface
formed by the sole tiles I lay down lengths of my improved drain pipes from
end to end, the end length having a space (shewn at c, c, in Figures 1 and 3)
cut or formed for the insertion of an upright tube z. down which the liquid
may be poured, and I then fill up the trench with mould.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of a sole tile with turned up edges and a
half round drain pipe laid thereon according to my Invention; a being the
half round drain pipe, and b, b, the sole tile. On liquid being poured into the
upright tube it will flow down the flat surface of the sole tiles, gradually

page_text: escaping by the spaces or openings x, x, into the trough or channel formed
by the turned up edges of the sole tiles, where it will be held and prevented
from draining down into the earth beneath, but will gradually be absorbed by
the earth above, and will thus serve to supply liquid manure to the roots of
plants growing in the bed or ground above. On the other hand when land
is required to be drained, a small hand pump may be placed into the upright
tube, and any accumulation of liquid within the trough or channel be readily
drawn off, and the interior of the pipes left free for the circulation of air.
I form the above described pipes and tiles of the ordinary clay, and by any
of the known machinery used for making drain pipes and tiles, but other
suitable materials or means may be employed. The shape of drain pipe shewn
and described by Figure 1, I believe to be the most simple of manufacture,
but instead of the curved or scolloped shape the edges may be made of a
notched or vandyked shape, as shewn by Figure 3, or any other shape that
will effect the object of leaving small spaces either on one or both sides for
the ingress and egress of liquid into and from the interior of the pipe when
laid upon a flat surface; the tiles and pipes may if desired be made with
sockets and grooves for closely fitting together. In some cases, instead of using
sole tiles having turned up edges on which to lay the drain pipes, I use flat
tiles or boards or metal plates to prevent the edges of the drain pipes from
sinking, or I ram hard the bottom of the trench and place upon it a layer of
cement or lime and gravel so as to form a level and hard surface on which the
drain pipes may be laid.
I do not limit myself to any particular size of pipe or tile nor to the extent
of turning up of the edges of the tile shewn by the Drawing, the object of the
turned up edges being to check the flow of liquid downwards into the earth
when applied to a light soil.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Edward Wilkins, have hereunto sel my
hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
EDW. WILKINS. (L.S.)