IMPROVEMENTS FOR FACILITATING THE TESTING OF GAS OR AIR MAINS FOR LEAKAGE to be as follows:
Year: 1886

page_text: I JOHN HENRY LYON, Lessee of Gas Works, of Cosham in the County of Hants,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention, "IMPROVEMENTS FOR FACILITATING
THE TESTING OF GAS OR AIR MAINS FOR LEAKAGE to be as follows:-
"
The invention has for its object, the dividing of gas or air mains into desirable
and convenient lengths or sections for testing the same, to ascertain what loss is
taking place, or in other words to prove the soundness or otherwise of the length
of Main or Mains under test.
The accompanying drawing represents a transverse sectional elevation Fig. 1
and plan Fig. 2 of the apparatus, Fig. 8 shows a length of main with two boxes
attached.
The Invention consists in attaching to the Gas or Air Mains A at two or more
convenient points a box B which may be hydraulically sealed or unsealed at will;
the bottom of which box is considerably below the bottom of the Main A inside
this box B is an air tight partition C which terminates a sufficient distance below
the bottom of the Main A to give sufficient seal to this partition C when the box B
is filled to its proper level with water or other liquid to resist the maximum pres-
sure on the Main or Mains under test, at all other times there being a free and
unobstructed passage for the flow of gas or air.
The top of the box B is provided with an air or gas tight lid of the section D or
other convenient form and the joints may be of either planed surfaces or made
joints of any suitable material, to this lid or cover are fitted or attached or cast
with; three tubes of suitable size the same are marked on drawing E, F, G each
tube having an air or gas tight plug or cap to fit the upper end which can be
readily removed when a test is required to be made. The method or mode of
making a test is as follows, two or more boxes having been fixed as in Fig. 8 the
upper end of tube F is opened by removing the plug or cap before named, and
water or other liquid is poured down this tube until the partition is sufficiently
sealed so as to prevent the gas from A passing to A¹ this having been done the

page_text: plugs or caps are removed from E and G the tube E then being attached by a con-
venient and suitable connection to the inlet of an ordinary meter or other measurer
or leak indicator, then tube G is similarly connected to outlet of said meter or leak
indicator both connections being properly made and the two boxes securely sealed,
should the meter or leak indicator, register any gas or air as passing or having
passed through Main A¹ such quantity is the amount of gas or air lost in the length
of time during which such test has lasted, the same gas having escaped from the
length of Main A¹ between the two boxes B2, the test over, a pump is attached to
tube F the water or other liquid is pumped from box B³ the plugs or caps restored
to the several tubes and the Main is again ready for work.

page_text: Improvements for Facilitating the Testing of Gas or Air Mains
for Leakage.
I JOHN HENRY LYON, Lessee of Gas Works, of The Retreat, Cosham in the
County of Hants do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS FOR FACILITATING THE TESTING OF GAS OR AIR MAINS FOR LEAKAGE
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
To more particularly describe my Invention reference is necessary to the accom-
panying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
This Invention has for its object, the dividing, of gas or Air Mains, into desirable
and convenient lengths or sections, for testing the same to ascertain what loss is
taking place, (it being understood that this Invention refers to the testing of gas
or Air Mains, as laid under ground, in the various streets roads &c) in other words
to prove the soundness or otherwise of the length or lengths of Mains under test.
The accompanying drawing represents a transverse sectional elevation Fig. 2
and plan Fig. 1 of the apparatus Fig. 4 shows a section of road & length of Main
with two boxes attached or fixed.
The Invention consists in attaching to the Gas or Air Mains D at two or more
convenient or desired points, the boxes B and B which may be hydraulically sealed
or unsealed at will, the bottom of such box being considerably below the bottom
of the Main D inside this box or these boxes are partitions as in Fig. 2-2 and
Fig. 5 1 & 2 which are air or gas tight, and this partition in all cases, terminate
a sufficient distance below the bottom of Main D to give a sufficient seal to the
partition 2 in Fig. 2 or partitions 1 & 2 in Fig. 5 when the box is filled to its
proper level, with water or other liquid, to resist the maximum pressure on the
Main or Mains under test, the box is only thus sealed when it is desired to make
a test, or in case of damaged or broken Mains, at all other times there being a free
and unobstructed passage for the flow of gas or air.
The top of the box B is provided with an air tight lid of the section as shewn
on Fig. 2 or other convenient form and the joints may be of either planed surfaces,
or made joints of any suitable material, to this lid or cover are fitted or attached
or cast three tubes as shewn on box B and marked 1, 2, 3, each tube having an air
tight or gas tight plug or cap to fit the upper end, which can be readily removed
when a test is required to be made, and as readily replaced after the test has been
completed.
The method or mode of making a test, with my Invention is as follows, two or
more boxes having been fixed as in Fig. 4 and marked B and B¹ the cap or plug
on upper end of tube 2 is taken off and water or other liquid poured down the tube
until the partition or partitions in boxes B and B¹ are sufficiently sealed as shown
by the broken lines, to prevent gas passing from A to A and also from A to A¹,
this having been done the plugs or caps are removed from tubes 1 and 3 box B the
tubes F and G being then attached to 1 & 3 the leak indicator or other gas or air
measurer being attached to these tubes, the inlet being connected with tube 1 and
the outlet with tube 3 both tubes being securely connected and the boxes B & B¹

page_text: properly sealed, should the meter or leak indicator, register any gas or air as passing
or having passed, the gas so registered proves the Main D or other Main under test
as being defective, and the gas so passed would be the amount of loss taking place
on the length of Main under test, on the contrary should the leak indicator remain
stationery it will prove the Main to be in good order and sound-The test being
over, tubes F and G and leak indicator E are removed and the caps or plugs imme-
diately replaced on tubes 1 & 3 a pump being applied to tube the water in
boxes B & B¹ is emptied, the respective plugs or caps replaced and the Main is
again ready for work.
°
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The application of a box similarly constructed to box B or B' with the parti-
tions 2 as in Fig. 2 or 1, 2 as in Fig. 5 the whole arrangement being of any
convenient form or shape, the same to be also constructed if desired to be applic-
able to points of Mains at junctions whether T shape four way or other form, the
principal feature and improvement in this Invention, is, that, the said boxes once
applied to Mains, after being once properly fixed they are permanent and future
tests can be made with rapidity, saving much time and labour, over any other
method known, in addition to this I claim another very important advantage and
that is any serious escape of gas occurring, in any section of Main where these
boxes are applied, by sealing the nearest box, the escape of gas is at once stopped
and the possibility of an explosion taking place minimised to the least possible
degree, the box remaining sealed until the Main is repaired, after which it is
unsealed and the work proceeds as ordinary..
Dated this 00nd daw of Dataha 1000