Year: 1887

page_text: I EDWARD GREGSON BANNER of Wessex House Northumberland Avenue in the
county of Middlesex 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:—
At the present time a very usual method of testing pipes drains and sewers to
discover if there be any leak imperfect junction or connection or fracture or other
fault in the same wherethrough and whereby sewer gas or other noxious vapours or
liquids or solids may pass into the house or building or the ground under the same or
elsewhere consists in pouring throwing or dropping into the pipe drain or sewer some
material that will produce a powerful smell and endeavouring by this smell to trace
and discover the fault if any.
In this aforesaid method a great drawback and a serious dis-advantage is experienced
in that the smell of the material frequently pervades the room or the house or building
or other place where the operation of testing the pipe drain or sewer is being carried
on before the material is poured thrown or dropped into the pipe drain or sewer. To
lessen this drawback and disadvantage, as much as may be possible the material
employed in often so poured thrown or dropped into a pipe in the open air by and in
and through which pipe the material is conducted to the pipe drain or sewer that is to
be tested and this is done obviously at a great inconvenience and at an increase of
expense while it is not practicable in some situations or in some cases and even when
it is practicable the smell of the material oftentimes affects the hands or the garments
of the operator whereby not only his sense of smell but also to some degree that of all
others near him will be so weakened impaired and vitiated that this test is of
comparatively little use as it will be very difficult if not altogether impossible to
distinguish between the smell that may issue from and through the fault if any and
the same smell that is already established in the olfactory nerves and organs of the
operator and others and this will equally be the case whether as is most desirable a
material having an extremely strong and pungent smell is used or a material having
only a weaker smell.

page_text: Now the object of this my invention is to obviate and overcome this very serious
drawback and disadvantage and I carry out this object in the following manner.
I make a small receptacle of any suitable size and shaperit may be somewhat in the
form of a small phial and of gelatine or glass or any other material that is either
soluble and can quickly be dissolved in water of fragile and can easily be broken which
receptacle propose to call a drain "grenade" and therein I place the desired
quantity of a suitable chemical or other subtance or it may be a combination of the
same possessing the desired and necessary qualities of pungency volatility and
strength such for example as essence of peppermint carbolic acid assafoetida or the
like either in a liquid form or as crystals or as powder or otherwise and I then tightly
and hermetically close this receptacle or grenade" in any suitable or convenient
I preferably form these receptacles of gelatine or very thin glass as when
made of these materials the receptacles can very readily and easily be hermetically
scaled by melting or blowing in the usual manner. In any case these "grenades
are now ready for use at any time.
manner.
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grenade
きう
When it is desired to test a pipe drain or sewer I take one or more of these
receptacles or grenades" and I drop the same through any convenient opening into
the pipe drain or sewer taking care to close this opening immediately the "
or grenadesis or are so dropped in and when each receptacle enters the water in
the pipe drain or sewer if made of gelatine or other material this soluble receptacle is
soon dissolved or when each receptacle comes, in contact with the sides or bottom of
the pipe drain or sewer or otherwise if made of glass or other material this fragile
receptacle is broken in either case scattering the contents thereof in the pipe drain or
sewer whereby a powerful unmistakable smell is created in the pipe drain or sewer
that is closed as aforesaid and therefore this smell can only escape through and by a
leak or imperfect junction or connection or fracture or other fault if any in this pipe
drain or sewer. Thus as the sense of smell in the operator or others has not been
previously weakened impaired and vitiated in manner as is hereinbefore described by
the material any escape of this smell from the pipe drain or sewer will with certainty
be immediately detected and by this smell the fault if any can easily be traced and
discovered as is desired.
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 improved testing of pipes drains and sewers substantially as hereinbefore
described and set forth.