Chemistry:Rain chain

From HandWiki
Short description: Decorative chain guiding water falling from a roof.
Rain chain with copper cups

Rain chains (Japanese: 鎖樋, kusari-toi or kusari-doi,[1] literally "chain-gutter") are alternatives to a downspout. They are widely used in Japan. Their purpose is largely decorative, to make a water feature out of the transport of rainwater from the guttering downwards to a drain or to a storage container. (Rainwater is sometimes collected for household usage.) They can also be found on temples.[2]

Rain chains are typically either a series of metal cups, chained together with a hole in the bottom of each, or chain links that span vertically.[2] Rain water run-off gets distributed from a rooftop gutter downward through the rain chain.

Rain chains on the Brutalist library at Nailsea, England

File:Rain chain at japanese temple - july 4 2021.webm Rain chains have also been used in the West. Nordic vernacular architecture often used a simple stick as a rainwater guide, in similar fashion. They have also been used in the Modernist era, to juxtapose metal chains with a concrete or Portland stone facade. They are often seen in cup-shape, link and loop style, as well as decorative.[3]

References

  1. Breen, Jim, ed. "鎖樋". WWWJDIC. http://nihongo.monash.edu/cgi-bin/wwwjdic?1MDJ%BA%BF%C8%F5.  See rendaku for why multiple pronunciations.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Dunnett, Nigel; Clayden, Andy (2007). Rain Gardens. Portland, Or.: Timber Press. pp. 85–87. ISBN 9780881928266. OCLC 269310925. 
  3. "Rain Chains" (in en-US). https://rockstarraingutters.com/rain-chains/. 

Further reading