US417210A - Drain-testing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. MERIAM.

DRAIN TESTING APPARATUS.

No. 417,210. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

N. PETERS. Phalo-Lllhugmplwl. Wnshmglull. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN MERIAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRAIN-TESTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,210, dated December'lo, 1889.

Application filed January 25, 1888. Serial No. 261,923. (No model.)

. pipe or other vessel prepared to be connected,

by means of a screw or otherwise, with the bore of the drainage or foul-water pipe or with the sewer used in houses, &c., the said pipe being provided near its top with an inside flange or other support, which carries a detachable and removable vessel or cup of peculiar construction, in which cup rests a I glass or other frangible vessel containing an odorous substance, which substance is liberated to the surrounding air within the pipe by a device for breaking the vessel or a portion of it 5 and the object is to provide a cheap and easily-managed device for effecting detection of the location of breakages in the drain-pipe or the sewer which the drain-pipe enters by means of the escape of odors from the contents of the cup above mentioned.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a drawing in vertical cross-section of one form of my device. Fig. 2 is atop view of the same. Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 7 are drawings in horizontal crosssection in lines shown in Fig. 1, as hereinafter noted. Fig. 1 is a view hereinafter explained.

In the drawings, F F, Fig. 1, is a short pipe, preferably of brass, (not necessarily of a pipe form, and sometimes bearing a pipe screwed to its bottom,) bearing at its top, screwed on, (and thus removable,) a cap G G, Fig. 1, also of brass, (or other metal possibly.) Between the upper end of the pipe F F and the cap G G is a washer H H, Fig. 1, of leather, cork, or other appropriate substance. Firmly attached to (cast on the top of) the cap G G is a boss J, presenting (see Fig. 2) in top view the form of a hexagonally-shaped nut. In the center, inside of the cap G G, (in the lower surface of its horizontal portion,) is a dent or cavity. (See Fig. 1.) Into this cavity enters the cone-shaped top of a rod or bar K, called the discharging-rod. This rod K. passes through a hole in the center of a spider L L, Fig. 1, or plate with apertures presented concentrically, (see Fig. 3,) which spider is screwed concentrically in and across the upper part of the pipe F F. (See Fig. 3.) The rod K proceeds perpendicularly downward, and bears at its lower end a plate M, with projections on its lower surface, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) which plate is called the crusher. Beneath this crusher (see Fig. 1) is the glass bottle N, lying on its side, tightly corked and nearly filled with, preferably, oil of peppermint. I sometimes fill this bottle with ether, or any other volatilizable liquid or solid such as camphor or ambergris which is odorous, and sometimes, instead of a glass orpottery-ware bottle, I use a vessel of any eligible substance, providing it at its top side with a pane or button, of glass or any other easily frangible substance. This bottle N restsin a vessel P P, Fig. 1, called the odor-tank, which is in the shape of a short hollow cylin-' der open at the top, but bearing a bottom,

and carrying projecting from its upper edge two rods or bars Q Q, Fig. 1, to draw it up with and return it, which rods extend upward to a point just beneath the spider L L, and are at their respective tops bent to a right angle and proceed a short distance horizontally toward the axial center of the pipe F F, to answer as a handle. (See Fig. 1.) This odor-tank P Prests on an inner flange attached to the bottom of the pipe F F, and its bottom is formed with a cup-shaped curvature at the center Z, (seen in Fig. 1,) while round its outer portion (see Fig. 7) the bottom bears eight (more or less) apertures passing thronghit. At its bottom the'pipe F F is fastened to a branch pipe B, Fig. 1, proceeding from the soil or drain pipe S, Fig. 1. hen the soil or drain pipe is horizontal, or nearly so, at the point where my device is attached, I sometimes dispense with the branch pipe R and utilize instead thereof the lower end of the pipe or vessel F F, (perhaps lengthened for that purpose,) this lower end thus becoming virtually the branch pipe at, which I consider it in my claims as herewith defined.

Operation: The spider L being unscrewed,

and with the rod K and the crusher M withdrawn'from the pipe F F, then by means of the rods Q Q the cup PP is drawn up out of the pipe F F, and the bottle N, filled with oil of peppermintor other volatilizal'ile odorous substance, is placed therein, having first been tightly corked. The cup being then returned to the pipe, the spider, rod, and crusher are also returned, and the king screw on the end of the pipe F F is well greasedsay with t1-1lowand the cap G G is screwed nearly down (which screwing is much facilitated by the nut J) to such a point as that the crusher M rests lightly on the glass bottle N, as seen in Fig. 1. The pipe F F now bears its contents hermetically sealed in, (as to the upper part of the pipe,) and is carefully taken and either fastened at once onto the drain-pipe or it is laid aside until its use is needed.

I do not limit myself to anyspecial means of connectionof my device with the drain-pipe. "jSometimes Iscrew it into the opening used to draw. foul water from a bath-tub. Sometimes I attach the pipe to a water-closet fixture,

'cessible portion of the drain-phoe, as seen in Fig. 1.

The device may be connected with the d rainpipe anywhere between the main sewer and the pipe at the top of the house, and with any and'every part of the drain-pipe, as may 'bedesired; and Isometimes, when the ramifications of the drain-pipe are quite extensive, use two or more of the test-pipes. In all well-constructed drains a stenclrtrap, a well-known device, is used, and is usually attached to the drain or the sewer outside of the house. The duet may leak and discharge foul air either on the hither or farther side of the trap, and Iappl y my test-pipe accordingly, according to judgment or supposition as to the locality of the leakage.

In the practical use of my invention we will suppose that the air in the duly piped and drained house becomes permeated with lar is hidden, say, by a brick floor.

foul odors. The drain-pipes running from various rooms down to the sewer are concealed behind the plastering or the floor-boards. The portion of the draining devices in the cel- To open at random the wall or a floor to discover an aperture perhaps not more than an eighth of an inch in diameter (a hole gnawed by a rat in a lead pipe) or a crack an inch or two long and opening one-sixteenth of an inch,

' (say in an earthen pipe broken by a' sunken beam or a loose joint in an iron pipe,) and the presence of either of these defects is enough to taint a house so as to render it unhealthy and uninhahitable,'to explore at random would be costly, as many successive attempts might all be ineiiicacious; but a strong distinctive odor being liberated in the vesselbottom and down the pipe.

side the closed pipe above, it will of course emerge at any point of breakage in the pipe. This is the foundation of the plan upon which in or about the year 187a I proceeded in suggesting the adoption of the now widely adopted practice (which I never patented) of testing drain-pipes, drains, and sewers, as to their integrity of condition, by means of the use of odors.

To use my invention, if this apparatus is not already eonnnected with the drain-pipes, thisconnection is effected. The cap G G is forcibly screwed down, which causes the crusher M to break the bottle N. (Sometimes I cause the crusher M to force in a stopper instead of breaking a vessel.) The peppermint-oil or other contained substance (being odorous) is exposed to the air in the drainpipe. If a liquid is used, a portion of it runs down intothe cup portion of the vessel P P, Fig. 1. The rest runs through'the'apertures (seen in Fig. 7)-of'the other part of The liquid or gas (if ether is used) or the gaseous product of the volatilization of the solid 9o substance contained in the vessel N passes into the pipe, and whereventhere may be a breakage, leak, or solution of continuity in the pipe or the sewer, the'odor emerges, and the experimenter is fully apprised by his 5 olfactory organs of the exact locationof'the breakage, as the'odor is of'course' strongest where the odorous gas or vapor first-emerges, unmixed, as it then is, with much atmospheric 'air. Theportion of liquid remain- 10o ing in thecupof the vessel P P stays there till evaporated, and is till then a'sou'rce of supply of the desired odor, and is a perman'ent test as long as it remains there.

The place of the leakage being thus detected, it is at once reached, the breakage or defect-repaired, the device, subject to this applica tion,is again charged, as hereinabove' described, and is then left undisturbed till a similar exigency again requires its use.

I do not claim any device or combination of devices for the forcible propulsionot atmospheric air into or in contact with the body of odorous substance; nordo I claim any device for the liberation of chemicals to I I 5 be combined with other substances in the main containing vessel and fitted for the extinguishing'of fires.

1. In the apparatus hereinabove described for the detection of the locationof flaws in drain-pipes, sewers, and other containing vessels by the use of odorous substances, the combination of the containing pipe F F and its removable cover G G, with the'dis- I25 charging-rod K, the frangible odor-containing vessel. N,and the branch pipe R, all constructed and arranged substantially as'shown and described.

2. The combination and arrangementof I 0 the pipe F F and its cover, and the rod K the placing rods or bars Q Q and branch and vessel N, with the odor-tank P 1" and pipe R, all constructed and arranged subbranch pipe R, all constructed and arranged stantially as shown and described. substantially as shown and described. BENJAMIN MERIAM.

3. The combination and arrangement of the pipe F F and its cover, and the rod K and vessel N, with the odor-tank P P, and

Vitnesses:

LEMUEL P. J ENKS, JOHN BAILEY.

Images