IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAPS FOR PREVENTING THE PASSAGE OF NOXIOUS GASSES FROM SEWERS OR DRAING TURANAL PIPES COMMUNICATING THRDWID
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Gregson Banner, of No. 11, Billiter
Square, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRAPS FOR PREVENTING THE PASSAGE OF NOXIOUS GASSES FROM SEWERS OR
DRAING TURANAL PIPES COMMUNICATING THRDWID "
Sealed the 27th September 1872, and dated the 1st August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Gregson Banner.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st August 1872.
I, EDWARD GREGSON BANNER, of No. 11, Billiter Square, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAPS FOR PREVENTING THE PASSAGE OF NOXIOUS GASSES
FROM SEWERS OR DRAINS THROUGH PIPES COMMUNICATING THEREWITH," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a self-acting trap to
prevent the passage of noxious gases from sewers or drains into the
outlet pipes leading from waterclosets or from sinks in dwelling-houses,

page_text: or through other pipes leading into sewers or drains. For this purpose,
in place of the outlet pipe from the pan of a watercloset or from a sink
being led directly into the drain as heretofore, I lead it into a small
chamber from which is a pipe leading into the drain, and the end of the
pipe from the closet or sink I close by a cup valve of larger diameter
than the end of the pipe. The bottom of the cup valve fits against the
bottom of the pipe, whilst the top edge of the cup fits against the upper
part of the chamber before-mentioned, so closing the passage between
the pipe and the drain by two valve joints which may be made air-tight
by vulcanized india-rubber carried either by the cup or by the surfaces
up to which the cup is held. The cup valve is held up to the bottom
of the pipe by a weighted lever or by a spring adjusted to maintain
any desired height of water in the pipe. The passage of gases from the
sewer to the closet or sink will thus be also shut off by this column
of water in the pipe, and also by water contained in the cup valve.
When the closets or sinks are in use and water descends from them
into the outlet pipe, the cup valve will descend and allow an equal
amount of water to pass to the drain. Afterwards the valve will be
again closed by its weighted lever or spring.
Whenever it is desired to flush the pipe or drain the weighted lever
may be raised or the spring depressed to allow the valve to descend.
The whole column of water in the pipe will then be free to descend, and.
will effectively flush the pipe and drain, enough water being always left
in the cup valve to effectually seal the end of the pipe and prevent the
entrance of gases from the main sewer.
A similar arrangement of apparatus may be employed in other cases
for preventing the passage of noxious gases from a sewer into pipes com-
municating therewith.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Gregson Banner in the Great Seal Patent a
Office on the 1st February 1873.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edward Gregson Banner, Her special license
that I, the said Edward Gregson Banner, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Gregson Banner, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,,use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRAPS FOR PREVENTING THE PASSAGE OF NOXIOUS GASES FROM SEWERS OR
DRAINS THROUGH PIPES COMMUNICATING THEREWITH,” upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Gregson Banner, my exccutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Gregson Banner, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to construct a self-acting trap to
prevent the passage of noxious gases from sewers or drains into the
outlet pipes leading from waterclosets cr from sinks in dwelling-houses,
or through other pipes leading into sewers or drains. For this purpose,
in place of the outlet pipe from the pan of a watercloset or from a sink
being led directly into the drain as heretofore I lead in into a small
chamber from which is a pipe leading into the drain, and the end of the
pipe from the closet or sink I close by a cup valve of larger diameter
than the end of the pipe. The bottom of the cup valve fits against the
bottom of the pipe, whilst the top edge of the cup fits against the upper
part of the chamber before-mentioned, so closing the passage between
the pipe and the drain by two valve joints which may be made air-tight
by vulcanized india-rubber carried either by the cup or by the surfaces

page_text: up to which the cup is held. The cup valve is held up to the bottom
of the pipe by a weighted lever or by a spring adjusted to maintain any
desired height of water in the pipe. The passage of gases from the
sewer to the closet or sink will thus be also shut off by this column of
water in the pipe, and also by water contained in the cup
valve.
When the closets or sinks are in use and water descends from them
into the outlet pipe, the cup valve will descend and allow an equal
amount of water to pass to the drain. Afterwards the valve will be
again closed by its weighted lever or spring.
may.
Whenever it is desired to flush the pipe or drain the weighted lever
be raised or the spring depressed to allow the valve to descend,
the whole column of water in the pipe will then be free to descend, and
will effectively flush the pipe and drain, enough water being always left
in the cup valve to effectually seal the end of the pipe and prevent the
entrance of gases from the main sewer.
A similar arrangement of apparatus may be employed in other cases
for preventing the passage of noxious gases from a sewer into pipes com-
municating therewith.
And in order that the manner of performing this my Invention may
be more fully understood, I have in the Drawings hereunto annexed
shewn various views of apparatus arranged in the manner above
described.
.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one arrangement of the apparatus;
Figure 2, a sectional plan; Figure 3, a transverse section through the
line A, B; Figure 4, a transverse section through the line C, D; and
Figures 5 and 6, shew part of the apparatus separately on an enlarged
scale. The same letters are used to denote similar parts in each of these
Drawings.
a, is a chamber, which by preference I make of cast iron, fitted with
a cover b and diaphragm c, and having a portion of the bottom formed
into a hopper d, and fitted with an outlet branch e in connection with
the main drain; f is a short length of cast-iron pipe bolted into the
upper part of the chamber a. Connected at its upper part to the soil
pipe from the closets so as to make an air and water-tight joint the
lower edge of the pipefis truly faced. g is a soil trap or pan which I
prefer making of stout tinned copper, and it has fitted in its bottom the

page_text: the overflow from the closet above has completed its descent, and there
is therefore a water seal formed as before. At no time during the.
operation is the lower end of the pipe fleft open to communication with
the chamber a and so placed in connection with the main drain, as when
the pan g is open to the greatest extent there is still a water seal of at
least half an inch in depth, and sufficient to prevent the inflow of sewer
gas. The chamber a is further ventilated by a pipe leading outside the
house and carried above the roof, or placed in connection with the rain-
water pipe.
Owing to the complete scal afforded by the use of the above-described
apparatus, I am enabled to dispense with the use of D traps to the
closets which are generally placed beneath the pan in all ordinary
closets to act as a seal between the closet and the soil pipe, and which
are very liable to generate gases by the impossibility of keeping them
free from impure matter. I therefore connect each closet with the
vertical soil pipe by a sloping pipe, and I make a bend in the vertical
soil pipe just previous to its arrival at my apparatus to prevent the full
force of the discharge acting on the pan valve.
At Figure 7, I shew a longitudinal section, and at Figure 8 a sectional
plan of a modification of the above-described apparatus, to the various
parts of which the same letters of reference so far as they are applicable
are used. The apparatus is generally of similar construction to that
described before, but in place of the balance weight and tipping
apparatus with the lever m I apply a. cataract or regulator in connection
with the closet handle. u is a brass cylinder fitted with a plunger v
loosely fitting and of sufficient weight to balance the pan 9 and the
column of water in the pipe f, and fitted at its lower extremity with a
leather w secured by a screw and washer. The lever i has its outer
cup
end made with a slotted hole, through which the pin x is passed. The
compartment of the chamber a in which the regulator is placed is filled
to above the level of the cylinder u either with oil or water; y is a brass
wire passing through an air-tight stuffing box in the cover 6 of the
chamber a, and attached by a joint to the plunger v. The upper end
of the wire rod y is attached to a chain or wire in connection with the
closet handle; z is a regulating cock capable of adjustment by a key
outside the chamber a.
The action is as follows:-On raising the handle of the closet, the
wire raises the plunger v in the cylinder u, allowing the oil or water

page_text: to flow freely past the edges of the cup leather w, and at the same time
the pan g is depressed, allowing the contents to be discharged upon
depressing the closet handle, the piston weight is free to fall in the
cylinder u at such speed as may be determined by adjusting the opening
of the regulating cock z, which permits the escape of the oil or water
contained in the cylinder, and which is returned into the reservoir to be
used over again.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that my apparatus
is capable of modification both in form and in the use of the materials
of which it is constructed, and I do not confine myself to the precise
methods here set forth of carrying out my Invention, but what I claim
is, the combined arrangement of trap, substantially as herein described.
for preventing the passage of noxious gases from sewers or drains
through pipes communicating therewith.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Gregson Banner, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.