US2747678A

US2747678A - Flood control system

Info

Publication number: US2747678A
Application number: US332054A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elra F Howe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-01-19
Filing date: 1953-01-19
Publication date: 1956-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-29

Description

May 29, 1956 Filed Jan. 19, 1955 E. F. HOWE FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 29, 1956 E. F. HOWE 2,747,678

FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Office 2,747,678 Patented May 29, 1956 FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM Elra F. Howe, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 19, 1953, Serial No. 332,054

1 Claim. Cl. 182-1) This invention relates to a flood control system and more particularly to a flood control system readily connectable to a basement sewer line.

It is the general object of this invention to produce a new and improved flood control system.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision of a flood control system readilyconnectable to a basement sewer pipe line so as to provide positive means for preventing flooding of the basement.

During flood conditions in a sewer main, sewage is apt to back up into a basement sewer pipe to cause flooding of the premises. To prevent such backing up of sewage it has been the practice to install a backwater valve which closes upon the existence of flood conditions in the sewer main and thus prevents the sewer from backing up into the basement. If the plumbing facilities of the house or building are not used during the time that the backwater valve is closed, no flooding problem exists. However, if it is desirable to continue to use the plumbing facilities, such as thetoilet, sinks, etc., during such times as the backwater valve may be closed, it is clear that flood danger arises inasmuch as the basement sewer line or pipe does not possess suflicient capacity effectively to store all waste liquid which may be directed thereinto while the backwater valve remains closed.

Accordingly it is another feature of the invention to provide means for taking care of the waste liquid from the house or building during such times as the backwater valve may be closed eifectively to prevent flooding of the basement with such waste water. One feature of the present invention includes a pump arranged to have its intake connected to the basement sewer line upstream of the backwater valve and its discharge connected to the line downstream of the valve together with means for automatically starting the pump upon the threat of flood conditions in the basement sewer line upstream of the valve, with the pump serving to pump waste liquid from the house or building around the valve and into the sewer line below the valve.

Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of a substantially complete flood control system for a basement sewer line which includes in combination a backwater valve for closing the line in the event flood conditions occur in the sewer main together with a pump of the type previously described for handling waste liquid from the house or building and pumping the same around the backwater valve to prevent such waste liquid from flooding the basement of the premises.

One of the principal features of the present invention is the provision of flood control apparatus of the type previously described which may readily be connected to an existing basement sewer line. A corollary feature is the manner in which the motor for the pump and the float operated switch for energizing the motor are mounted upon an extended housing so as to position the parts above the floor of the basement for ready accessibility when the system has been installed in conjunction with an existing sewer pipe, it being understood that such sewer 2. pipes are normally laid below the floor of the basement.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing. apparatus embodying the invention connected toan existing sewer pipe;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view along line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section. taken along line 44 of Fig. 1.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intendedto limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claim.

As previously noted, the apparatus of the present invention is particularly adapted to be attached to an existing basement sewer line such as the line 10. As shown in Fig. 1, flow from the house or building to the main sewer line is from right to left through the pipe 10, and a backwater valve 11 may be installed in the line in order to prevent sewage from backing up into the pipe in the event flooding conditions occur in the main sewer. The backwater valve 1.1 may take many forms such as the type shown in my copending application, Serial No. 310,181, filed September 18, 1952, now Patent 2,675,023, with the valve comprising a member normally gently biased to closed position by a weight system 12, with the valve being easily swung to open position in the direction of flow from the basement to the sewer by the flow of liquid from the house or building and being firmly seated against its seat when forced in the opposite direction by sewage backing up from the street sewer. It will be noted that the backwater valve 11 is provided with

end collar portions

13 and 14 proportioned to receive the adjacent sections of the sewer pipe 10 so that the same may readily be installed simply by removing a section or two of the basement sewer and replacing the removed sections with the flap Valve assembly.

To install the booster pump for by-passing house waste liquid around the flap valve there may be installed in place of an additionally removed section of the sewer pipe at T section generally designated 15 comprising a cross portion 16 connected to a leg portion 17 of the T section, with the leg portion including a section 18 pro vided with a top closure 19 from which upstands a hollow tubular member 20. The member 20 houses a float rod 21 carrying a float 22 at its lower end and connected at its upper end to a float rod operated switch 23. The column 20 is preferably made sufficiently long so as to position the switch 23 above the floor level 24 of the basement.

The leg portion 17 terminates in a pump housing 25 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 26 carrying a plurality of disintegrator blades 27 within a disintegrator chamber 28. Communication between the leg portion 17 and the chamber 28 is through a suitable opening 29 in the side of the housing provided with a filter screen 3i). The filter screen may comprise a plurality of horizontal spaced apart rods and the disintegrator blades may have portions which, during rotation of the shaft 26, enter the spaces between the rods so as to disintegrate solid mate rial resting thereagainst.

Located within the lower portion of the chamber 28 is a flow guide housing 31 directing flow within the chamher into the intake 32 of a centrifugal pump 33 secured to the lower end of the shaft 26. Communicating with 3. the periphery of the chamber in which the centrifugal pump 33 is located is a pump discharge 34 which is connected to a suitable pipe 35 which discharges into the backwater valve housing 11 downstream of the valve therein.

The pump shaft 26 extends up through a second tubular column 38 and is connected at its upper end to an electric motor 30. To prevent whip in the shaft 26, the same is supported intermediate its ends in a bearing 40.

Should flooding conditions occur in the street sewer and cause the backing up of liquid into the basement sewer line, the backwater valve 11. is closed and thus eflectively blocks such sewage from flooding the basement. In the event the plumbing facilities of the house are subsequently used, the waste liquid discharged therefrom cannot pass the valve 11 and hence accumulates in the sewer line 10 and in the leg portion 17 of the T. Such accumulation of liquid in the leg portion causes the float 22 to rise, energizing the switch 23. The switch is connected by suitable electric wiring 41 to the electric motor to start the same, thus to pump the liquid from within the leg portion 17 and sewer pipe 10 around the backwater valve and into the section of the sewer line downstream of the valve.

Because the switch 23 and motor 39 are located above the floor level of the basement, they may easily be cleaned and inspected and may, on occasion, he test operated through means of a manual switch (not shown) forming a part of the switch member 23. Thus the motor can be periodically tested should the occasion require.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description that the flood control system described can readily be connected to an existing sewer line simply by removing a few sections of the preexisting line and replacing the removed sections with the T section 16 and, if a backwater valve is not already installed, with the backwater valve 11 and its casing. When so installed a complete flood control system is provided which prevents flooding of the basement due either to the backing up of waste liquid from the street sewer or the accumulation of waste liquid from the house, building, or other establishment using the sewer line 11.

I claim:

Basement flood control apparatus for use with a sewer pipe comprising, in combination, a backwater valve in the sewer pipe constructed to close automatically upon the existence of flood conditions in the sewer pipe downstream of the valve to block flow in either direction through said pipe, a branching T section of pipe connected to the sewer pipe upstream of the valve, a booster pump having an intake connected to the leg of the T section, a discharge pipe connecting the discharge of the pump with the sewer pipe downstream of the valve, a float in said leg of the T section and movable in response to the existence of flood conditions in said leg, a housing upstanding from the pump to terminate above the floor of the basement, an electric motor on the top of the housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing connecting the motor to the pump, a second housing upstanding from the leg of said section above the float to terminate above the floor of the basement, a switch assembly on the top of the second housing, a rod in said second housing connecting the switch assembly to the float, and means connecting the switch assembly to the motor to energize the same upon movement of the float.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 757,169 Yeomans Apr. 12, 1904 2,081,298 Hardacker May 25, 1937 2,421,066 Howe May 27, 1947 2,549,204 Kaddatz Apr. 17, 1951 2,569,102 Howe Sept. 25, 1951