An Improved Fire-proof Composition suitable for Building Purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 25th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fire-proof Composition suitable for Building Purposes.
I, HENRY ROUS, of Nos. 220 to 222, Edgware Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My present invention has for its object an improved fire proof composition
which possesses the unique advantage of having a specific gravity from 50 to 70
per cent. lighter than any other fire-proof composition now in use, thus rendering
it particularly applicable to the stuffing or filling in of the walls and ceilings,
doors, staircases and other portions of the superstructure of fire proof or partially
fire proof buildings.
Such composition consists of the following ingredients mixed together in about
the proportions, and in the manner hereinafter specified, that is to say: I take
of water say five gallons and dissolve therein 3 lbs. of size, ozs. of saturated
solution of ammonia, and 13 ozs. of saturated solution of potash after which I add
thereto 4 lbs. of common soda,-3 lbs. of ground or finely pulverised alum and
1 lbs. of tungstate of soda.
When such ingredients are thoroughly blended by stirring or soaking, I add
about a bushel of hay chaff and take care to allow the same to become thoroughly
saturated by allowing it to stand for about 24 hours. I then add about half a
bushel of ground or finely pulverssed grey lime to the mixture and thoroughly
mix the same therewith by stirring, or in any other convenient manner; after
which I allow the mixture to stand for about 3 or 4 hours previous to drying in
order to thoroughly assimilate; after which it is dried, and is then ready for
immediate use:-Or it may be advantageously used while wet, and in a stiff
mixture, for filling in the spaces between flooring joists and timbers, and for other
similar purposes in the construction of buildings, as when so used the wood absorbs
the moisture exuding from the mixture and is thereby rendered fire-proof.
I would here observe that I do not limit myself to the exact proportions of the
various ingredients hereinbefore specified, as such proportions may respectively
be increased or diminished pro rata relatively to each other in accordance with
the formula hereinbefore set forth, or any mere modification thereof, up to and
including say from one to two per cent., either more or less of all or any of the
ingredients named.
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:-
!
Ago new or improved article of manufacture the fireproof composition consistin

page_text: of the various ingredients used substantially in the proportions hereinbefore
specified and prepared substantially in the manner herein before described.
Dated this 15th day of January 1898.
ELT & Co.,
Registered Patent Agents,
43, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.
ELT & Co.,
Registered Patent Agents,
43, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Syphons.
I, ALBERT WOLLHEIM, of 101, Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in automatic syphons, or syphons of
that class which are connected with a tank or reservoir which is filled gradually,
by a more or less constant small stream of liquid, to a certain height, at which
point the syphon is brought into action automatically and operates to discharge
the tank rapidly.
The invention is herein shown as applied to a syphon adapted for flushing
sewers but is however, obviously applicable to other uses.
The invention relates to that class of syphon which is brought into action by
the sudden escape of a quantity of air through the seal, which air in its upward
passage through said seal throws, out a quantity of liquid so that when the
column of liquid in the seal and the body of water in the tank rush towards, each
other to take the place of the air which has thus escaped and restore the equi-
librium thus destroyed, the liquid column in the seal, by reason of its having been
thus diminished, will be over-balanced and thrown out and the syphon thus
brought into full action.
It will be evident from the foregoing that the certainty of action of the syphon
is dependent upon the amount of liquid suddenly thrown out by the escaping
air, and that this is in turn dependent principally upon the amount of air
released in one body or bubble.
It is the object of the present invention to provide means whereby the air will
be held back or retarded in its escape so that the air thus accumulated will be
caused to escape in a larger body or bubble when its release occurs, than in
similar devices at present known.
The syphon comprises an intaking limb forming the shorter leg of the syphon
and the mouth of which is located near the bottom of the tank, a discharge limb
forming the longer leg of the syphon and a seal having the form of a returned
or upwardly extending pipe connected with the lower end of the longer leg of
the syphon proper. The intaking limb may have the form of a bell or dome,
which surrounds the upper end of the longer leg or descending limb, the hori-
zontal lower margin of said bell being located a short distance above the floor
of the basin. The bell may be conveniently supported in this position by means
of a plurality of legs which rest upon the said floor.
The upper delivery end of the seal projects upwardly within the drain pipe.
The precise form of the delivery end of the part is not essential to the working
of the syphon, so long as it is so constructed that the liquid heaved up or dis-
placed by the upward passage of escaping air is allowed to escape freely from the
end of the said seal. Obviously when the upper end of the seal is made hori-
zontal and to project freely above the floor of the drain pipe, the liquid will be
free to flow over the edge of the pipe around the entire periphery and this will
therefore be a most advantageous form.

page_text: The seal or ascending part of the syphon is united with the lower end of the
descending leg by means of an integral U-shaped bend which is substantially
circular in cross-section, so that the air in escaping around said bend will form
itself a segmental passage at the upper inner side of said bend.
I have discovered that by providing the upper inner side of that part of the
syphon which connects the lower end of the discharge limb with the lower end of
the seal along which the air passes in its escape from the discharged limb with
a horizontal portion the air will be retarded and prevented from escaping around
said lower part at once when the water level is depressed to the level of the upper
side thereof and will accumulate in the form of an elongated bubble or series of
bubbles along the said upper side.
The result is that when it finally escapes, it will escape in a larger body or
bubble, thus throwing a larger quantity of liquid out at the upper end of the
seal and rendering the action of the syphon more positive and certain.
SO
I have further discovered that this retarding action will be augmented if the
interior of that part along which the bubble forms be roughened,
as to increase the capillary attraction between the liquid and the pipe above the
normal. I have also discovered that this retarding action may be still further
and very materially increased by forming that part of the syphon along which
the air accumulates in the form of a horizontally extending plane surface, that
is, extending horizontally both transversely and longitudinally of the passage,
Treferably of a width approximately equal to the diameter of the pipe and of
varying length depending on the general shape of the syphon, it being understood
that, within reasonable limits, the improved effect will be in a measure propor-
tioned to the extent of horizontal area thus provided. I have found that with
this construction when the liquid has been sufficiently depressed in the descending
leg of the syphon, the air will first, instead of immediately passing around to the
seal and escaping up through the latter, gradually creep along the said hori-
zontally extended part and accumulate in the form of one or more elongated
bubbles until a relatively large quantity of air has accumulated below the highest
level at which it might escape to the seal were it not for this capillary attraction,
and when its escape finally does occur the whole quantity thus accumulated below
the level of said plane surface will be liberated practically together in a single
charge, thereby throwing out a materially increased amount of liquid from the
upper end of the seal.
or
of less
This is
By combining the several means of augmenting the accumulation of air above
described, I produce a syphon very much more certain in its action and I am
therefore enabled to make the seal considerably shorter
depth, without rendering the action of the syphon unreliable.
an important desideratum for it is manifest that whenever the seal may
be shortened, the syphon may be shortened as a whole a like amount, and the
grade of the drain pipe into which it discharges correspondingly raised.
In cases where the fall for drainage purposes is limited by natural conditions,
this is a feature of the utmost importance, because it enables me to put in
satisfactory flushing syphons where it would otherwise be impracticable. By
reason of this improved action, I may also reduce the area of the reservoir at the
high water line, or in other words, use a flush tank of smaller capacity.
It will be obvious that some variation in the form of the interior of the part
along which the air accumulates may be made without departing from the
principle of the invention. For example I may make a syphon in which no part
of the lower bend is exactly horizontal, considered longitudinally, but the bend
has the form of a very flat curve. Such a construction will have approximately
the same effect of retarding the air as one which is horizontal, especially if the
upper side of this part he made horizontal transversely.
1000
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ALBERT WOLLHEIM, of 101, Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in automatic syphons, or syphons of
that class which are connected with a tank or reservoir which is filled gradually,
by a more or less constant small stream of liquid, to a certain height, at which
point the syphon is brought into action automatically and operates to discharge
the tank rapidly.
The invention is herein shown as applied to a syphon adapted for flushing
sewers, but is, however, obviously applicable to other uses.
The invention relates to that class of syphon which is brought into action by
the sudden escape of a quantity of air through the seal, which air in its upward
passage through said seal throws out a quantity of liquid so that when the
column of liquid in the seal and the body of water in the tank rush towards each
other to take the place of the air which has thus escaped and restore the equi-
librium thus destroyed, the liquid column in the seal, by reason of its having been
thus diminished, will be over-balanced and thrown out and the syphon thus
brought into full action.
It will be evident from the foregoing that the certainty of action of the syphon
is dependent upon the amount of liquid suddenly thrown out by the escaping
air, and that this is in turn, dependent principally upon the amount of air
released in one body or bubble.
It is the object of the present invention to provide means whereby the air will
be held back or retarded in its escape so that the air thus accumulated will be
than in
caused to escape in a larger body or bubble when its release occurs
similar devices at present known.
The invention will be more readily understood from the following description,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a basin or reservoir, equipped
with a syphon embodying my invention, the latter being shown in axial section.
Figures 2 and 3 are similar axial sections of syphons embodying modifications
of the invention.
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 4-4 of Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of a syphon similar to that of Figure 1
except in its cross sectional form.
The invention is herein shown as embodied in a syphon adapted for rapidly dis-
charging the contents of a flush tank which is filled gradually, the object of thus
discharging the contents rapidly, being to flush out the sewer pipe leading there-
from and thus prevent it from becoming clogged.
Referring to said drawings A designates the catch basin or reservoir which may
be of any usual construction, B the inflow or feed pipe through which the reservoir
is filled gradually, C the sewer or drain into which the reservoir is discharged
and D the syphon as a whole, by means of which the liquid is conducted from
the reservoir into the drain.
The syphon D comprises an intaking limb D₁ forming the shorter leg of the
syphon and the mouth of which is located near the bottom of the tank, a discharge
limb D forming the longer leg of the syphon and a seal D3 having the form of
a returned or upwardly extending pipe connected with the lower end of the longer
leg of the syphon proper. The intaking limb D₁ is in this instance shown as
having the form of a bell or dome, which surrounds the upper end of the longer

page_text: leg or descending limb D2, the horizontal lower margin d of said bell being located
a short distance above the floor of the basin.
The bell is conveniently supported in this position by means of a plurality of
legs which rest upon the said floor.
The upper delivery end of the seal 1³ projects upwardly within the drain
pipe C. The precise form of the delivery end of the part D³ is not essential to the
working of the syphon, so long as it is so constructed that the liquid heaved up
or displaced by the upward passage of escaping air is allowed to escape freely. from
the end of said seal. Obviously when the upper end of the seal is made horizontal
and to project freely above the floor of the drain pipe, the liquid will be free to
flow over the edge of the pipe around its entire periphery and this will therefore
be a most advantageous form.
The seal or ascending part D³ of the syphon is united with the lower end of the
descending leg by means of an integral U shaped bend which is substantially
circular in cross-section, so that air in escaping around said bend, will form itself
a segmental passage at the upper inner side of said bend.
I have discovered that by providing the upper inner side of that part of the
syphon which connects the lower end of the discharge limb with the lower end
of the seal along which the air passes in its escape from the discharge limb with
a horizontal portion, the air will be retarded and prevented from escaping around
said lower part at once when the water level is depressed to the level of the upper
side thereof and will accumulate in the form of an elongated bubble or series of
bubbles along the said upper side.
The result is that when it finally escapes, it will escape in a larger body or
bubble, thus throwing a larger quantity of liquid out at the upper end of the
seal and rendering the action of the syphon more positive and certain.
as 3
I have further discovered that this retarding action will be augmented if the
interior of that part along which the bubble forms be roughened as shown at d³,
Figure 5, so as to increase the capillary attraction between the liquid and the pipe
above the normal. I have also discovered that this retarding action may be still
further and very materially increased by forming that part of the syphon along which
the air accumulates in the form of a horizontally extending plane surface, that
is, extending horizontally both transversely and longitudinally of the passage,
preferably of a width approximately equal to the diameter of the pipe and of
varying length depending on the general shape of
shown clearly d³ and din Figures 1, 2 and 4, it being understood
the syphon,
that, within reasonable limits, the improved effect will be in a measure propor-
tioned to the extent of horizontal area thus provided. I have found that with
this construction when the liquid has been sufficiently depressed in the descending
leg of the syphon, the air will first, instead of immediately passing around to the
seal and escaping up through the latter, gradually creep along the said hori-
zontally extended part and accumulate in the form of one or more elongated
bubbles approximately as shown at
Figure 1, until a
large quantity of air has accumulated below the highest level at which
relatively
it might escape to the seal were it not for this capillary attraction
and when its escape finally does occur the whole quantity thus accumulated below
the level of said plane surface will be liberated practically together in a single
charge, thereby throwing out a materially increased amount of liquid from the
upper end of the seal.
4
4
By combining the several means of augmenting the accumulation of air above 5
described, I produce a syphon very much more certain in its action and I am
therefore enabled to make the seal considerably shorter or of less depth, without
rendering the action of the syphon unreliable. This is an important desideratum
for it is manifest that whenever the seal may be shortened the syphon may be
shortened as a whole a like. amount, and the grade of the drain pipe into which it 55
discharges correspondingly raised.
In cases where the fall for drainage purposes is limited by natural conditions,

page_text: this is a feature of the utmost importance, because it enables me to put in
satisfactory flushing syphons where it would otherwise be impracticable. By
reason of this improved action I may also reduce the area of the reservoir at the
high water line, or in other words, use a flush tank of smaller capacity.
It will be obvious that some variation in the form of the interior of the part
along which the air accumulates may be made without departing from the
principle of the invention. For example, in Figure 3, I have shown a syphon in
which no part of the lower bend is exactly horizontal considered longitudinally
but the bend has the form of a very flat curve, as shown at , with which part
the trap D forms practically a right angle. Such a construction will have
approximately the same effect of retarding the air as one which is horizontal,
especially if the upper side of this part d be made horizontal transversely as
shown in Figure 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is;-
1st In an automatic discharge syphon the provision of means at the lower part
of the syphon between the intake and outlet limbs of the syphon, adapted to
accumulate air at and suddenly discharge it from the lower part of the syphon into
the outlet limb, substantially as described.
2nd The combination with a syphon comprising a downwardly opening intaking
limb, a longer discharging limb, and an upwardly directed outlet forming a seal,
oi a passage connecting said discharging limb and seal, the upper interior side
of which has a horizontally extended portion.
3rd The combination with a syphon comprising a downwardly opening intaking
limb, a longer discharging limb, and an upwardly directed outlet forming a seal,
of a passage connecting said discharging limb and seal, the upper interior side
of which has a horizontally extended portion extending longitudinally of the
passage.
4th The combination with a syphon comprising a downwardly opening intaking
limb, a longer discharging limb, and an upwardly directed outlet pipe forming a
liquid seal of a passage connecting said discharging limb and seal, the upper
interior side of which is roughened.
5th The combination with a syphon comprising a downwardly opening intaking
limb, a longer discharging limb and an upwardly directed outlet pipe forming a
liquid seal, of a passage connecting said discharge limb and seal, the upper
interior side of which has a horizontally extended roughened portion.
6th The combination with a syphon comprising a downwardly opening intaking
limb, a longer discharging limb, and an upwardly directed outlet pipe forming a
liquid seal, of a passage connecting said discharging limb and seal, the upper
interior side of which has a roughened portion extending horizontally and longi-
tudinally of the passage.
7th The combination with a syphon comprising a down-turned intaking limb,
a longer discharging limb, and an upwardly directed outlet forming a liquid seal
of a passage connecting such discharge limb and seal, the upward interior side
of which has a horizontally extended plane surface.
1
e
1000
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.