IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE JOINTS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE JOINTS."-A communication from abroad
by John Frothingham Ward, of Jersey City, State of New Jersey,
and Alfred Wingate Craven, of the City and State of New York,
in the United States of America.
Sealed the 3rd November 1868, and dated the 3rd June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition,
on the 3rd June 1868.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE JOINTS," a communication to me
from abroad by John Frothingham Ward, of Jersey City, State of
New Jersey, and Alfred Wingate Craven, of the City and State of
New York, in the United States of America, to be as follows, that is
to say:-
This Invention relates more particularly to gas and water pipes, and

page_text: has for its object the facilitating the laying of such pipes across rivers
and creeks and other places difficult of access, and allowing them to
adjust themselves to the uneven beds of the same without imparing
the said joints.
According to this Invention the end of one pipe which serves as
the spigot is cast with bands or projections thereon for the purpose
of retaining more securely the lead packing which is poured in after
the end of the pipe has been inserted into the socket of the next pipe;
this socket in place of being cylindrical as heretofore forms a portion
of a hollow sphere, so that the packing on the end of one pipe is
free to turn in any direction in the socket of the other pipe after
the manner of a ball-and-socket joint.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 PIPE JOINTS," a communication from abroad by John
Frothingham Ward, of Jersey City, State of New Jersey, and Alfred
Wingate Craven, of the City and State of New York, in the United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
3.444
11.

page_text: in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
The said Invention relates more particularly to gas and water pipes,
and has for its object the facilitating the laying of such pipes across
rivers and creeks and other places difficult of access, and allowing
them to adjust themselves to the uneven beds of the same without
impairing the said joints.
According to this Invention the end of one pipe which serves as
the spigot is cast with bands or projections thereon for the purpose of
retaining more securely the lead packing which is poured in after.
the end of the pipe has been inserted into the socket of the next
pipe; this socket in place of being cylindrical as heretofore forms
a portion of a hollow sphere, so that the packing on the end or
spigot of one pipe is free to turn in any direction in the socket
or faucet of the other pipe after the manner of a ball-and-socket
joint.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents in section
the improved joint as adapted to pipes of large diameter; Figure 2
represents the same as adapted to pipes of small diameter; and
Figure 3 illustrates the manner in which pipes connected together
by the improved joints will accommodate themselves to the bed of a
river or creek.

page_text: A and A¹ represent the ends of two pipes connected together by the
improved joint, the end of the pipe A consisting of a socket a, the
inside of which represents a section of a sphere designated by the red
circle of which the point x is the centre. The end of the pipe A¹ is
straight and plain with the exception of the bands or collars i, i, the
object of which will be rendered apparent hereafter. The spherical
interior of the socket a is so much larger than the end of the pipe A'
that an annular space shall intervene between the two for the reception
of a mass B of lead or other suitable material, which is introduced in
a molten state in a manner similar to that practised in forming
ordinary lead joints for pipes. The spherical interior of the socket a
is of such an extent and the end of the pipe A' penetrates the socket
to such a limited distance that there shall be a space of proper
dimensions between the end 6 of the pipe A' and the termination e
of the socket for a purpose explained hereafter.
In laying the pipes across the bed of a river or creek they are
connected together one joint at a time on a suitable vessel or float
by the introduction of molten lead between the socket of one pipe
and that portion of the adjacent pipe which penetrates the socket.
After the joint is thus connected the vessel is moved towards the
opposite shore so far as to bring the next socket in a convenient
position to connect to the next pipe, and as the process is continued the
pipes are paid out like a chain and are allowed to sink to the bed of the
river, as shewn in Figure 3. As the lead packing is securely confined to
the end of the pipes A' by the bands or collars i, i, and as the lead
fits accurately to the spherical interior of the socket a a ball-and-
socket joint is formed, and the lead carried on the end of the pipes A¹
will move with the latter in the sockets as the pipes sink and adjust
themselves to the uneven bed of the river. In pipes of smaller diameter
this movement will in no way impair the efficiency of the packing,
but in pipes of larger dimensions and greater weight the lead will
in some instances be strained and the packing injured. A remedy
for this is afforded by the extent of the spherical interior of the
socket and by the space presented between the termination e of the
socket and the end of the pipe which penetrates the same, as this
space in pipes large enough to admit a man permits him to caulk
the packing on the inside and to prevent any leakage which may
have been caused by the tearing or disentegration of the lead packing.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the com-
bination of bands i or their equivalents on the end of the pipe A'
with the lead packing B and a spherical cavity or socket a formed
on an adjacent pipe A, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Second day
of December, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)