Improvements in Discharge Apparatus for Watercloset and other Cisterns.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1899-Accepted, 1st July, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Discharge Apparatus for Watercloset and other
Cisterns.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of the Tubal Works, Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object to improve the construction of discharge
apparatus of watercloset and other cisterns, more particularly with the view of
saving waste of water.
In the case of a watercloset cistern the discharge of which is brought about by
means of a handle when required, I have the discharge valve attached directly
to a float which is proportioned to bear up the valve in water when not closed,
but which cannot raise the valve when closed because of the pressure then acting
on the area of the discharge port. A stem extending up from the valve and float
and suitably guided is arranged to be lifted by a lever moved by connections to
the closet handle. The arrangement is however such that the lever justs lifts
the valve off its seat and then frees itself. The valve is then held up by the float
whilst the water discharges but descends with the float and finally closes the
discharge port. A small hanging toggle piece is jointed to the valve stem and
the lever acts upwards on it at first and lifts the valve, but as the lever in rising
becomes inclined its end gets to the side of the toggle piece which then moves away,
so that the valve cannot continue to be held up by the lever.
In connection with cisterns, or tanks for automatically and periodically flush-
ing water closets, trough closets, drains, and the like, when siphons are employed
waste and inefficiency often arise from water flowing slowly over the weir of the
siphon without starting the siphon. To prevent such waste I apply at the bottom
of the descending leg of the siphon a dish which retains just enough water to seal
the bottom of the siphon leg; and at the top of the same leg I apply one, two
or more small siphons which act when the water level becomes very slightly
higher than the siphon weir and hasten the starting of the full siphonage. In
addition I cause the supply of water into the cistern to be increased as the water
level approaches the siphoning point. I arrange a ball-float valve so that the
lever opens the valve when the float reaches a predetermined height; and I make
the same valve serve for regulating the water supply whilst the cistern is filling,
by applying an adjusting screw which determines the small extent to which the
valve is left open when the float lever is not raised.
TTTYRE

page_text: Improvements in Discharge Apparatus for Watercloset and other
Cisterns.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of the Tubal Works, Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:
-
My said invention has for its object. to improve the construction of discharge
apparatus of watercloset and other cisterns, more particularly with the view of
saving waste of water.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and showing my improvements.
Figure, 1, on the accompanying sheet of drawings is a vertical section of a
cistern showing one modification of my improved discharge apparatus Figure, 2,
and, 3, are views as at right angles to each other of a second modification.
Figure, 4, is a vertical section of a modification of my improvements applicable
to a cistern for giving automatically periodical flushings; and Figure 5, is a
longitudinal vertical section of a valve which may be used in such apparatus. In
these drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
As shown in Figure, 1, of the drawings, I have the discharge valve, A, attached
directly to a float, A 1, which is proportioned to bear up the valve in the water
when not closed, but which cannot raise the valve when closed because of the
pressure then acting on the area of the discharge port, A 2. A stem, A 3, extend-
ing down from the bottom of the valve, A, and up from the float, A 1, and suit-
ably guided, is arranged to be lifted, as hereinafter described, by a weighted
lever B, centered on a bracket, 1 1, fixed to the edge of the cistern, B2, and moved
by a cord or chain, C, from the closet handle (not shown). The arrangement
is such that the lever, 13, lifts the valve, A, off its seat, in the discharge port, A2,
and then frees itself. The valve, A, is then held up by the float, A 1, whilst the
water discharges, but descends with the float and finally closes the discharge
port, 12.
A small hanging toggle piece, C1, is jointed to the upper end of the
valve stem, A 3, and the weighted end of the lever, B, acts upwards on it at first
and lifts the valve, A, but as the lever in rising becomes inclined its end tilts the
toggle piece, C1, to one side and escapes from under it so that the valve, A, can-
not continue to be held up by the lever, B, no matter how long the cord, C, is
pulled. On the cord being let go the weighted lever, B, falls into the position
shown, the end of the lever momentarily pushing the toggle piece, C1, to one
side so as to get under that piece.
In the modification shown in Figures, 2, and 3, instead of a small hanging
toggle piece (C1) being jointed to the valve stem, A3, a pawl-like piece, C2,
is jointed to the end of the lever, B, and an enlargement, D, is formed on the end
of the stem, A 3. The lever, B, is worked by a rod, D 1, having a weight, D2,
on it; and extending down beneath the cistern, B2, so that its lower end will he
encountered by a lever, E, attached to the water-closet seat, E 1, on that seat being
depressed by any person using the watercloset, E2. The rod, D1, will thus be
pushed up and the lever, B, lowered the pawl-like piece, C2, at the same time
being turned up by encountering the enlargement, D, on the end of the stem, A 3,
and on getting past the enlargement, D, the pawl, C2, will straighten out again
and project underneath the enlargement. On the seat, E1, being allowed to rise

page_text: again the weight, D2, causes the rod, D1, to descend, the lever, B, to rise, and
the pawl, C2, to bear on the underside of the enlargement, D). The valve, A, is
thereby raised and floats as in the modification hereinbefore described, the
pawl, C2, in rising getting to the side of the enlargement, D, and from under-
neath it.
In connection with cisterns, or tanks for automatically and periodically flush-
ing waterclosets, trough closets, drains, and the like, when siphons are employed,
waste and inefficiency often arise from water flowing slowly over the weir of the
siphon without starting the siphon. To prevent such waste I, as shown in
Figure, 4, apply at the bottom of the descending leg, F, of the siphon, F1, a
dish, F2, which retains just enough water to seal the bottom of the siphon leg, F;
and at the top of the same leg I apply three small siphons, G, (or it might be one,
two, or more than three small siphons) which act when the water level in the
cistern, B2, becomes very slightly higher than the siphon weir, G 1, and hasten
the starting of the full siphonage. In addition I cause the supply of water into
the cistern, 132, to be increased as the water level approaches the siphoning point.
To effect this I, as shown in Figure, 5, arrange a ball-float valve so that a cam-
shaped projection, H, on the inner end of the float lever, H 1, works in a slot, H2,
in the valve body, J, and opens the valve when the float, J 1, reaches a predeter-
mined height. I make the same valve, J, serve for regulating the water supply
whilst the cistern, B2, is filling by making the valve body, with a projecting
screwed end, J2, to which an adjusting screw nut, K, is applied, the position of
this nut determining the small extent to which the valve, J, is left open when
the float lever, H 1, is not raised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In discharge apparatus for water closet and other cisterns, a discharge valve
attached to a float and having a suitably guided stem arranged to be lifted by
a lever and then freed, the lever being moved by connections to the closet handle
or equivalent, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. In a cistern for giving automatic and periodical flushings, applying a dish
at the bottom of the descending leg of the siphon and one, two, or more small
siphons at the top of the same leg, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
3. In a cistern for giving automatic and periodical flushings, a float lever
having on its inner end a projection arranged to work in a slot in the body of
the water supply valve, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
4. In a cistern for giving automatic and periodical flushings, a water supply
valve having a projecting screwed end to which an adjusting screw nut is applied,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of May 1899.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.