IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPES AND SYPHON BOXES OR TRAPS FOR DRAINS AND OTHER SANITARY FITTINGS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bestall Jerram, of Walthamstow, in the County
of Essex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPES
AND SYPHON BOXES OR TRAPS FOR DRAINS AND OTHER SANITARY
FITTINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bestall Jerram at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April 1881.
GEORGE BESTALL JERRAM, of Walthamstow, in the County of Essex, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPES AND SYPHON BOXES OR TRAPS FOR DRAINS
AND OTHER SANITARY FITTINGS."
One part of the Invention relates to improved means of jointing together lengths
of earthenware, terra cotta, stone ware, or other pipes, such as those used for the
conveyance of sewage, gas, or water in the streets of towns, and for other purposes,
and consists in forming the sockets and spiggots of such pipes of a tapered form,
but with the tapered part of the spiggot somewhat smaller than that of the socket,
the space between being filled with soft material to make the joint tight or staunch,
such as tarred gaskin, felt, indiarubber, or other such like substance, or with
asphalte, bitumen, or other elastic substance.
Another part of the Invention relates to syphon boxes or traps for preventing
the entrance of sewer gas into house drains, and for other such like purposes, and
consists in forming such syphon boxes or traps with a depressed portion at or about
the middle of the length of the bottom, and adapting a loose cross partition to slide
more or less vertically in guides formed on the internal sides of the syphon box or
trap. The lower end of the said partition enters the aforesaid depression in the
bottom, so as to form a dip piece or liquid lute when the said depression contains
water, sewage, or other liquid. The aforesaid partition may be made gas tight in
the guides by means of indiarubber packing, cement, or otherwise. The inlet and
outlet pipes are arranged to enter the syphon box or trap at any convenient point,

page_text: and the top may be covered in any suitable manner, provision being made for the
escape of sewer or other mephitic gas from the syphon box or trap by means of a
pipe, grating, or otherwise.
By this arrangement the syphon box or trap can be cleaned out with the greatest
facility; and when the partition is removed the inlet and outlet pipes can readily
be got at for the insertion of a cane or other instrument for the purpose of clearing
them. In the arrangements heretofore in use these operations have been difficult
to accomplish without taking out the syphon or pipes, or both. In the arrangement
above described it is only necessary to remove the cover and partition from the
syphon box or trap in order to enable these operations to be performed.
The syphon box or trap, with its partition and guides, may be made of earthen-
ware, stone-ware, terra cotter, cast iron, or other suitable material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Bestall Jerram in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1881.
GEORGE BESTALL JERRAM, of Walthamstow, in the County of Essex, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPES AND SYPHON BOXES OR TRAPS FOR DRAINS
AND OTHER SANITARY FITTINGS."
One part of the Invention reqates to improved means of jointing together lengths.
of earthenware, terra cotta, stoneware, or other pipes, such as those used for the
conveyance of sewage, gas, or water in the streets of towns, and for other purposes,
and consists in forming the sockets and spiggots of such pipes of a tapered form,
but with the tapered part of the spiggot somewhat smaller than that of the socket,
the space between being filled with soft material to make the joint tight or staunch,
such as tarred gaskin, felt, indiarubber, or other such like substance, or with asphalte,
bitumen, or other elastic substance.
Figure 1 of the. accompanying Drawings illustrates this part of the Invention.
A is the socket end of one pipe; B, the spiggot end of another pipe, made some-
what smaller than the interior of the socket A, so as to leave a space between the
two, which is filled with the aforesaid soft material C. One method I have found
most convenient and effectual for making joints in accordance with this Invention
is the following:-Previously to inserting the spiggot into the socket I cover the
tapered surface of the former with a sufficient quantity of the soft material, and
when necessary (according to. the nature of the soft material employed) allow the
same to harden or set more or less. I then push the spiggot so covered with the
soft material into the socket; and when necessary drive the same home with a maul
or other appliance, whereby the said soft material is wedged into the space between
the socket and spiggot, and is squeezed into the crevices and against the two
surfaces so as to form a practically tight joint. In some cases the soft material
may be applied to the inside of the socket instead of to the exterior of the spiggot,
or it may be applied to both; but whichever method be adopted I consider it
preferable to drive or otherwise force the spiggot end of the pipe into the socket for
the purpose of wedging the soft material into the space between the said spiggot
and socket.
Another part of the Invention relates to syphon boxes or traps for preventing
the entrance of sewer gas into house drains, and for other such like purposes.
Figures 2 to 6 of the accompanying Drawings illustrates a syphon box or trap
constructed in accordance with this part of the Invention, Figure 2 being a longi-
tudinal section, Figure 3 a plan with grating or cover removed, Figure 4 a horizontal
section at Z, Z, in Figure 2, and Figures 5 and 6 respectively vertical transverse
sections on lines Y, Y, and X, X, of Figure 2. Similar letters refer to like parts in
all the Figures from 2 to 6.
This part of the Invention consists in forming such syphon boxes or traps with a
curved depressed portion A at or about the middle of the length of the concave
bottom, and adapting a loose cross partition or diaphragm B to slide more or less
vertically in guides C, C, formed on the internal sides of the syphon box or trap D;
the lower end of the said partition enters the aforesaid depression A in the bottom,
so as to form a dip piece or liquid lute when the said depression contains water,
sewage, or other liquid. The aforesaid partition B may be made gas tight in the
guides C, C, by means of indiarubber packing, cement, or otherwise. The inlet
and outlet pipes E, E, may be arranged to enter the syphon box or trap D at any
convenient point, and the top may be covered with a grating F or in any other

page_text: '
suitable manner which will allow of the escape of sewer or other mephitic gas from
the syphon box or trap; for example, instead of a grating a close cover with a pipe
carried to any required height may be employed.
By this arrangement the syphon box or trap can be cleaned out with the greatest
facility, and when the partition B is removed the inlet and outlet pipes E, E, can
easily be got at for the insertion of a cane or other instrument for the purpose of
clearing them and the drains or pipes connected therewith. In the arrangements
heretofore in use these operations have been difficult to accomplish without taking
out the syphon or pipes, or both. In the arrangement above described it is only
necessary to remove the cover and partition from the syphon box or trap in order
to enable these operations to be performed, and the syphon box thus serves the
combined purposes of a ventilator for the sewer, a fresh air inlet to the pipes under
the house, a syphon trap, and an inspection box.
The curved form of the bottom of the syphon box or trap facilitates the passage
through it of matters which are liable to be retained in and to choke up the passage
through syphons with flat or angular bottoms.
The syphon box or trap with its partition and guides may be made of earthen-
ware, stoneware, terra cotta, cast iron, or other suitable material, and may be made
with several inlet openings, so as to form junctions for conveying pipes or drains,
as shown by dotted lines in Figure 4.
.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to or may be performed, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise forms or proportions shown in the Drawings, as
they may be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention, but
what I do claim is,-
First. The improved means of jointing together lengths of earthenware, terra
cotta, stoneware, or other pipes by making the spiggots and sockets thereof of taper
or wedge form, filling the space between such spiggots and sockets with soft
material, such as tarred gaskin, felt, indiarubber, or other such like substance, or
with asphalte, bitumen, or other elastic substance, and driving or otherwise forcing
the spiggot ends of the pipes into the socket ends, whereby the said soft material is
wedged into the space between the spiggot and socket, as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figure 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Second. The construction of syphon boxes or traps with a curved depressed
portion A in the concave bottom thereof, combined with the moveable partition or
diaphragm B, forming a combined inspection box, a trap or syphon, a sewer
ventilator, and a fresh air iulet, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 2
to 6 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bestall Jerram, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.