Improvements in, or connected with, Expansible Drain Plugs or Stoppers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in, or connected with, Expansible Drain Plugs
or Stoppers.
I, ROBERT GEORGE LAING BURN, Sanitary Engineer, of 23 and 24, Charing Cross,
Whitehall, London, S.W., do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to a drain testing plug or stopper, formed of two metal
discs or caps connected together by means of a tube passing through, or connected
to them, usually centrally, and having an india rubber tube the diameter of the
discs and attached to the rims of same.
In connection with such a stopper, detachable covers of canvas or other suitable
material are used, to protect the india rubber tube and to confine or limit the
extent of expansion in a required degree when the stopper is inflated.
Hitherto such detachable covers have been formed to partially slip over the end
of the plug while being drawn through a drain with the result that part of the
rubber tube has not been confined, and when inflated the part so uncovered has
been unduly strained and burst.
The principal object of my invention is to prevent this defect and ensure that
the cover shall not slip over the end of the rubber tube, or become displaced.
In order to more clearly explain my invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed I will now describe same with reference to the accompanying
drawings whereon Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an expanding stopper
shewing my invention applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same stopper
with the fabric cover applied and shewn in position in a drain pipe, the latter
figure being drawn to a somewhat smaller scale than Fig. 1.
A A are the two metal discs or caps connected together by a tube or casing C
attached to the rims of the caps A. The detachable cover of canvas or other suit-
able material may be composed of three pieces of fabric D, E and E', the central
portion D being cut diagonally to the web. The ends of the centre portion of the
cover or bag D are carefully gathered and sewn to the bands E and E¹, hems F F
being formed on bands E E through which cords H H are passed, and which are
then tied to bind the cover D to the rubber tube C close to the point where it is
wired or fastened, and to the metal discs A. The outer edges of the bands E
and E are also hemmed and cords J J passed through the hems, or metal clips.
may be used for the purpose. A groove is formed in each of the metal discs or
caps A A into which the cords J J bind the edges of the canvas bands E E¹.
will thus be seen that not only is the cover D prevented from slipping over the
end of the plug or along the rubber tube C, but it is also tied down close to the
rubber C at the exact points at which it requires to be protected.
It
I generally provide connections K K one upon each end of the apparatus, in
order to receive the flexible tubes by which the stopper is inflated, and I also pro-
vide upon each disc A an eye L, to receive a rod, chain or cord by which the
stopper is drawn or forced into position within a drain pipe.
In some cases I provide any suitable detachable connection to take onto the