Patent GB-867664-A (GB)
Title: A method of emptying a water closet bowl, and a water closet appliance for carrying out the method
IPC: E03C1/12
Filed: 1957-05-07
Abstract: 867,664. Sanitary closets; ventilating closets. LILJENDAHL, S. A. J. May 7, 1957 [May 8, 1956], No. 14528/57. Class 26. A method of emptying a water closet bowl consists in supplying flushing water in a predetermined quantity to form an accumulation for catching excrements and substantially sealing off the outlet, and abruptly applying a vacuum to the accumulation at the outlet to project it therethrough and through a discharge conduit as a liquid plug filling the conduit cross-section while travelling through it in piston-like manner to or towards a receiving vessel. Additionally, bowl contents deposited in the conduit may be formed into the stipulated plug. At least the major portion of the flushing water may be supplied during the period between applications of vacuum to two successive accumulations, and at least a portion of the water may also be supplied immediately before such a vacuum application. Further, water may be supplied during such a vacuum application, the rate of supply being then less than immediately before the vacuum application, and optionally increased upon vacuum release. A suitable appliance comprises a bowl 1 with a water container 2, a valve 4, controlling an outlet 3, normally closed but intermittently openable for discharge, controlled by a timed mechanism started by hand in opening the valve 4, which it closes in due time, and controlling valves in the water path to the pipe 15 supplying the nozzle tube 16, when the valve 4 is closed, forming an accumulation to seal the outlet 3, a discharge conduit 12 being connected to a receiving vessel 120 under a vacuum, the plug formed being propelled by the pressure difference between its ends when the valve 4 is open. The flushing water enters the bowl through spray nozzle 18, a piston motor 35, 39, operated by pressure-water from a service line 64 to 66 through a valve 56 or 57 having a piston 39, which upon being shifted to the right (as in Fig. 8) displaces the water for the spray nozzles through valves 54, 55, pipes 62, 63 and 15 and nozzle tube 16 thereto, and causes reversal of the valves 54 to 57 by arms 52, 53. In this movement the piston 39 divides the cylinder into two chambers, one connecting to the service line 66 and the other to the spray nozzles 18 and with the next movement, which will be to the left, further flushing occurs, the valves operating differently. The cylinder 35 of the piston motor has connections 67, 68, 71 or 58 to 63 at each end 36, 37, leading from the pressure-water line 64, 66 through a rotary-valve 65 to the spray nozzles and controlled by the valves 54 to 57. The rod 38 of the piston 39 is connected to an abutting arm 40 formed into a plate 41 having a recess 43 to cooperate through lost-motion linkage with swingable arms 44, 83, having lostmotion linkage through swingable arms 52, 53 with the valves 54, 55, 56 and 57 and weight-loaded to tend to occupy one or the other of two end positions so that the piston 39 executes one or the other of its strokes. From one starting position on raising the actuating rod 75 by the handle 126 to rest on a latch 76 valve spindle 72 rotates to open the valve 65, pressure-water enters pipe 71 and the cylinder 35, the piston moving right, and into pipe 61 for the flush-pipe 15. The lever 44 moves right, (Fig. 8), to become vertical and a pin 49 is displaced along a slot 50 to the left, the lever 44 moving further to the right because of the weight 46. Also, the cam projection 79 on the bar acts on the latch 76 which pivots clockwise in opposition to its spring to release the arm 73 which drops, and the valve 65 is closed. On raising the rod 75 the actions occur in reverse order for another flush. A frame 42 depending from the plate 41 is displaced to the right and a pawl 70 thereon contacts a T-flange 86 on a lever 83, (Fig. 9), which encounters a T-element 92, attached to a wire 87 carrying a weight 88 and operating the valve 4, especially when the weight 85 on the lever 83, mounted on a pivot pin 45 and passing through a slot 84 in the plate 41, is moved slightly to the left, so that the wire 87 is pulled upwardly to open the valve 4. On continued movement of the frame 42 an abutment 93 engages the T- element 92 to release it from the flange 86 and the valve 4 is closed. The operations are timed as desired by selecting the localities of the pawl 70 and abutment 93. An additional flushing valve or valves may be included, controlled by the mechanism and adapted upon opening of the discharge valve to reduce the rate of supply of flushing water, and may also be adapted, upon closing of the discharge valve, to increase again the rate of supply. Some nozzles may be supplied through appropriate ones of the flushing water valves 54 to 57 and the remaining nozzles through the additional flushing valve(s). The spray nozzles may be formed with restricted through-flow orifices, and each nozzle may be in the form of a relatively narrow slot in a nozzle tube. In another form the appliance includes an electrically-operated sequence switch with a manually-actuatable starting switch having three circuits controlled thereby, namely a discharge valve opening circuit containing an electromagnetic discharge valve shifter, a circuit for controlling the supply of flushing water and a holding circuit maintaining the sequence switch in operation until the time necessary for a discharging operation has elapsed. A closet bowl may have a ventilating conduit 116, (Fig. 15) extending from a passage 115 which is above the liquid level in the bowl 1, connected to the outlet 12 and controlled by a normally-closed valve 114, which may be controlled by a swingable bowl seat 125, so that, when the seat is pressed down, the valve 114 is opened. Several bowls 1, each with a discharge valve 4, and, if desired, a ventilating valve, may be connected to a common receiving vessel 120, the several discharge conduits, e.g. 117, 118, may be united to a common outlet tank. The discharge conduit which when underground is in insulating material 141 in a culvert 140, may have a plug-forming or restoring pocket, e.g. 139, or pockets between its ends.