US1143938A - Drainage apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

G. A. BRICKER.

DRAINAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1911. RENEWED APR. 14.1915.

Patented June 22, 1915.

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.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARLAND A. BRICKEBI, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

DRAINAGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915:

App..cation filed June 17, 1911, Serial No. 634,095. Renewed April 14, 1915. Serial No. 21,458.

/ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARLAND A. BRIcKnR, a citizen of the United States, residing in Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have inventedia new and useful Drainage Apparatus, of'whic h the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for illustrating certain agricultural facts and principles, particularly those involved in drainage problems.

With this end in view, tht invention con;

sists in a new apparatus eml odying certain improved features of construction which adapt it especially for use in class work where instruction in these principles is being given, and in lecture work before gatherings of farmers or the like.

' In the accompanying specification, and the drawing forming a part thereof, I have described and illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention in what I consider to be its preferred form, but it should be understood that this is only for the purpose of illustration and different specific constructions may he adopted without departing from "the spirit of the invention.

The said drawing is a perspective view of the apparatus, as seen from above.

In the drawing, B indicates a water tight vessel of any suitable material, such as sheet metal, preferably of a non-corrosive character. At different elevations in the vessel B are two tubes, a, which are parallel, or nearly so, to the bottom of the vessel. The purpose of these tubes, as will appear later, is to permit the drainage of water from the vessel under certain conditions. v This drainage will take place if the tubes are horizontal, but it may be preferable to incline them slightly to facilitate the operation.

The dead or blind ends of the tubes a are closed and rigidly secured to the inner face of a wall of the vessel B. The tubes are sealed into, and pass through, the opposite wall of the vessel. having their open outer ends turned downward, as shown. Openings, 0, are formed in the Walls of the tubes 0. to permit the entrance of drainage water into the tubes. These openings are preferably covered with strainer cloth, 0, or some similar material to prevent clogging of the openings with soil.

In the front wall of the vessel B is an opening in which is scaled a piece of transparent material to form a water gage, (Z,

graduated as shown to indicate of water in the vessel.

A curved guard, b, of perforated remorably held in place back of the If by suitable bent strips, 0, secured to t e in,- side of the vessel B. The guard may be removed, when desired, through the top of' the vessel. It is important that the guard be provided with apertures or perforations. 6. I have found by experiment that when the. water gage opens intothe containing vessel only at its lower end there is a substantial difference between the height of the water in the gage and the height of the water table 7c in the soil in the vessel. This is due to capillarity of the soil and other causes which cause the water therein to assume a different level from that indicated by a gage connected only at the bottom of the mass of 7; soil. By providing access from the soil to the gage throughout the height of the gage the water in the gage stands at the same height as in the soil and affords a true indication of the height of the water table in such soil.

As previously indicated, the tubes 0 are for the purpose of draining off any excess of water in the soil.

In use, enough soil is placed in the vessel as B to fill it to a sufiicient height to cover the tubes (1. Water is then added progressively.

It will be found that the water gage will ordinarily show no indication, nor will any water flow from either of the tubes at, until at enough water has been added to saturate the soil. When this has occurred, free water will begin to appear in the vessel and its height will be indicated by the gage d. The surface of this water corresponds to, and represents. the water table in nature and the rapidity of its formation and rise is dependent upon the nature of thesoil being experimented upon. As water is added, the water table rises until it reaches the lower 1 tube (1., whereupon the free Water begins to drain out through said tube, as it does through a. line of drainage tile laid in the ground. Under normal conditions no water will New from the upper tube as long as the 1M lower tube is open. If theopcn end of the lower tube be closed while the addition of wutcr to the surface of the soil continues, the water table will rise to the upper tube and the free water will then flow from it.

By the use of the apparatus of my invention conditions can be realized in miniature, in the class room or lecture hall, which approximate closely those found in practical farming, and it becomes possible to make experiments and demonstrations relating to the principles of drainage and other agricultural facts in a most effective manner.

Having indicated the nature of my invention and described one way in which it may be put in practice, but without de' scribing all the specific forms which it may take nor all of its contemplated uses, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a water tight vessel pierced by two tubes, each of said tubes having openings in its walls inside of said vessel, said openings being, covered with I strainer cloth; a. Water gage sealed into the side of said vessel, and a removable, perforated sheet protector or guard member on the inside of said vessel, back of said visible gage for showing at all times the height of water in the receptacle, and perforated tubes arranged transversely in said receptacle and opening on the exterior there 30 of, substantially as described.

GARLAND A. BRIOKER Witnesses:

E. M. M. BRICKER, H. E. ESWINE.

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