An Improved Combined Catch-pit, Overflow, Trap, Cover, and Grating for Gullies in Streets and other Places.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combined Catch-pit, Overflow, Trap, Cover, and
Grating for Gullies in Streets and other Places.
I, JOHN PHILLIPs, of 25, Disraeli Road, Putney, in the County of Surrey,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to improvements in the catch-pit gully, and the trap
therefrom, which I invented and the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers
adopted in 1848, and which has been generally used in the Metropolis and elsewhere
ever since.
For receiving and carrying away the drainage of streets and other places; for
catching the detritus washed off therefrom down into the interceptors, and thus
preventing it from passing thence down into the drains and sewers; and for pre-
venting foul air or sewage gas in the drains or sewers from escaping into the streets
and other places; I provide as follows:-
First. I construct a gully catch-pit under the grating, with two overflows there-
from into a trap on one side thereof, all in one piece and water-tight, of `fire-clay,"
stoneware, iron, or Portland cement and flint or quartz siftings.
Second. I make the gully catch-pit oblong, elliptical, or circular on plan, with
flat or curved bottom, vertical or pyramidal sides and ends, curves at the angles,
and socket round the top for receiving a castiron gully-cover and frame, with
separate grating therein.
Third. In one side of the gully catch-pit I make two square or oblong overflows
at or near the top, and at a suitable distance apart, with square, curved, or splayed
sides and bottom thereto.
Fourth. Directly outside and parallel with one side of the gully catch-pit, and
partly below, and partly opposite the overflows therefrom, and including the
distance between them, I make the trap oblong or curved on plan, with sides and
ends vertical or sloping, top flat, and curved along the outer angle, and bottom
wholly curved, or partly curved at the ends and flat in the centre.
Fifth. Across the trap from the near square, curved, or splayed sides of the
overflows into the trap, and down from the top of the trap to midway between the
bottom of the overflows and the bottom of the trap, I put two dip-partitions
dividing the trap into three compartments-
-one at each end and one in the centre-
and leaving the lower part thereof free and open to the three compartments.
Sixth. Through the outside of the centre compartment of the trap, I put an
overflow pipe communicating with the drain leading into the sewer. I place the
bottom of this pipe below the bottom of the overflows into the trap so that two
waterfalls are formed from the gully catch-pit down into the trap, and two water-
seals are formed across the trap between the overflow drain and the gully
catch-pit.
Seventh. Into the socket round the top of the gully catch-pit I put, on a bed
of cement, or a thick cushion of felt, a castiron horizontal cover and vertical frame,
with oblong or square opening therein and a tapering socket at top of the frame,
all made in one piece. Into the tapering socket at top of the frame I put a cast-
iron movable or hinged grating even with the top of the socket.
Eighth. Projecting from the ends of the gully catch-pit inside, at some distance
from the overflows into the trap, I put two short iron ears, and from over the ears
I hook a movable iron guard-the top being some height above, and the bottom
some depth below the bottom of the overflows-for preventing straw, sticks, or

page_text: other floating refuse in the gully catch-pit from collecting across the overflows, or
passing into the trap, and so stopping or blocking up the overflows or the trap.
The improvements formed and arranged in and about the gully catch-pit and
trap, as above described, have the following economical and sanitary advantages:-
First. By the catch-pit completely intercepting the detritus from the drain or
sewer, the insanitation it causes therein, and the expenses it incurs to remove it
therefrom, are prevented.
Second. By simply removing or turning up the gully-grating, the detritus, and
the foul water, in the catch-pit, may be easily removed therefrom by a suitable
scoop; and the trap may also be easily cleansed or flushed; and the foul water
removed from the catch-pit may be at once discharged by the scoop through the
trap into the drain or sewer.
Third. By reason of the oblong plan of the gully catch-pit, and also of the
oblong openings of the cover and grating, the scoop will remove the detritus and
foul water from the catch-pit far more easily and effectually than hitherto.
Fourth. By the waterfalls down from the gully catch-pit into the trap causing
commotion in the water passing therefrom through the trap into the drain, mud or
silt contained in the water is prevented from depositing and accumulating in the
trap, and thus the trap is self-cleansing.
Fifth. By the trap being independent of the gully catch-pit, the water-seals
across the trap are always intact, and thus foul air or sewage gas in the drain or
sewer is prevented from flowing through the trap into the street or other place,
even when the catch-pit is emptied of its contents.
Sixth. By the movable guard in the gully catch-pit preventing straw, sticks, or
other floating refuse in the catch-pit from collecting across the overflows, or passing
through them into the trap, the overflows and the trap are prevented from stopping
or blocking up.
Dated this Twelfth day of July 1892.
JOHN PHILLIPS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combined Catch-pit, Overflow, Trap, Cover, and
Grating for Gullies in Streets and other Places.
I, JOHN PHILLIPS, of 25 Disraeli Road, Putney, in the County of Surrey,
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 the catch-pit gully, and the trap
therefrom, which I invented, and the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers
adopted, in 1848, and which has been generally used in the Metropolis and
elsewhere ever since.
For receiving and carrying away the drainage of streets and other places; for
catching the detritus washed off therefrom down into the interceptors, and thus
preventing it from passing thence down into the drains and sewers; and for pre-
venting foul air, or sewage gas, in the drains or sewers, from escaping into the
streets and other places, I provide as follows:-
First. I construct a gully catch-pit under the grating, with two overflows there-
from into a trap on one side thereof, all in one piece and water-tight, of fire-clay,
stoneware, iron, Portland cement and crushed and washed flint, quartz, or granite
siftings, or of the composition known as Victoria stone.
Second. I make the gully catch-pit square, oblong, elliptical, or circular on plan,
with flat or curved bottom, vertical or pyramidal sides and ends, curves at all
angles, and plain or with socket round the top of the catch-pit, for receiving a
castiron gully cover and frame, with separate castiron grating therein.
Third. In one side of the gully catch-pit, I make two square or oblong overflow

page_text: openings at or near to the top, and at a suitable distance apart, with square, curved,
or splayed sides and bottom thereto.
Fourth. Directly outside and parallel with one side of the gully catch-pit, and
partly below and partly opposite the overflow openings therefrom, and including
the distance between the overflow openings I make the trap oblong or curved on
plan, with sides and ends vertical or sloping, top flat, and curved along the outer
angles, and bottom wholly curved, or partly curved at the ends and flat in the
centre.
Fifth. Across the trap from the near square, curved, or splayed sides of the
overflow openings into the trap, and down from the top of the trap to midway
between the bottom of the overflow openings and the bottom of the trap, I put
two dip-partitions, which divide the trap into three compartments-one at each
end and one in the middle-and which leave the lower part of the trap free
and open to the three compartments.
Sixth. Through the outside of the centre compartment of the trap, I put a
piece of overflow pipe from the trap as a spigot connecting with the drain leading
to the sewer.
I place the bottom of this piece of spigot pipe some inches below the
bottom of the two overflow openings into the trap, so that two water-falls are
formed from the gully catch-pit down into the trap, and two water-seals are formed
across the trap between the overflow drain and the two overflow openings from
the gully catch-pit into the trap.
Seventh. Upon the plain top, or into the socket top, round the gully catch-pit, I
put on a bed of cement, or on a thick cushion of felt, a castiron horizontal cover and
vertical frame, with oblong or square opening therein, and a tapering socket at top
of the frame, all made in one piece. In the tapering socket at top of the
frame, I put a castiron movable or hinged grating, flush or even with the top of
the socket.
Eighth. Projecting from each end of the gully catch-pit inside, I put a short
iron ear, and from over the cars I hook a movable iron fender or guard-the top
being two inches above, and the bottom two inches below, the bottom of the over-
flow openings into the trap-for preventing straw, sticks, or other floating
substances or refuse, falling down into the gully catch-pit, from collecting across
the overflow openings, or passing into the trap, and so stopping or blocking up
the overflow openings, or the trap and overflow drain therefrom.
The improvements formed and arranged in and about the gully catch-pit and
trap as above described have the following economical and sanitary advantages:-
First. By the catch-pit completely intercepting the detritus from the drain or
sewer, the insanitation it causes therein, and the expenses it incurs to remove it
therefrom are prevented.
Second. By simply removing the gully-grating, or turning it up if hinged, the
detritus, and the foul water in the catch-pit, may be easily removed therefrom by
a suitable scoop, and the trap may also be easily cleansed or flushed; and the foul
water removed from the catch-pit may be at once easily discharged by the scoop
through the openings into the trap, and thence into the drain or sewer.
Third. By reason of the oblong plan of the gully catch-pit, and also of the oblong
openings of the cover, and grating thereon, the scoop will remove the detritus
and foul water from the catch-pit far more easily and effectually than hitherto.
Fourth. By the water falling down from the openings in the side of the gully
catch-pit into the trap causing commotion in the water passing through the
trap into the drain, mud or silt contained in the water is prevented from
depositing and accumulating in the trap, and thus the trap is rendered self-
cleansing. Note. The method of making drops or falls from drains into traps
for this purpose was commonly practised in the metropolis and elsewhere up
to 1846, when stoneware pipes were used instead of bricks for making drains and
traps.
Fifth. By the two partition dips across the trap being independent of the side
of the gully catch-pit for sealing the trap, the said two water-seals across the

page_text: .
trap are always intact, and thus foul air or sewage gas in the drain or sewer is
prevented from flowing through the trap into the street or other place when the
catch-pit is emptied of its contents.
Sixth. By the movable fender or guard in the gully catch-pit preventing straw,
sticks, or other floating substances or refuse in the catch-pit from collecting across
the overflow openings from the catch-pit, or passing through them into the trap,
the said overflows and trap are prevented from being stopped or blocked up.
.In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 represents a plan of the gully catch-pit C, and trap D ;
Fig. 2 a plan of the top of the gully-grating E, and trap D; Fig. 3 a transverse
vertical section A-A across the gully cover F, and frame G, the grating E
therein, the catch-pit C, the trap D, and the overflow drain H therefrom; and
Fig. 4 a longitudinal vertical section B-B across the' trap D; according to my
invention, as before fully described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
First. The method substantially as herein described of constructing a gully
catch-pit under the grating, with two openings through one side thereof near the top
overflowing into a trap placed directly outside the same, all in one piece and water-
tight, of fire-clay, stoneware, iron, Portland cement and crushed and washed flint,
quartz, or granite siftings, or the composition known as Victoria stone.
Second. The metliod substantially as herein described of constructing directly
'outside and parallel with one side of the gully catch-pit a trap; with two dip-
partitions across it dividing it into three compartments-one at each end and one
in the middle leaving the lower part of it free and open to the three compartments;
and with a piece of overflow pipe from the middle compartment as a spigot con-
necting with the drain leading to the sewer: the bottom of the spigot pipe being
some inches below the bottom of the two overflow openings from the catch-pit
into the trap.
"
Third. The method substantially as herein described of providing a movable
fender or guard in the gully catch-pit for preventing floating substances or refuse
from collecting across the overflow openings, or passing into the trap.
Dated this Twelfth day of April 1893.
JOHN PHILLIPS.-