IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO WATER CLOSETS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY WITHINGTON of 37 Brown Street Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Sanitary Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO WATER CLOSETS" to be as follows:-
The objects of this Invention are to obtain a stronger and quicker flush of water
than hitherto on the raising of the handle or pulling down the chain or wire as the
case may be and also to cause the raising of the handle or pulling down of the
chain to open and close a valve in the soil pipe so as to prevent the admission of
sewer gas into the closet.
In the first place instead of making the flusing cistern or waste water preventer of
a rectangular shape with the sides vertical or nearly so I make the same in the form
of a hopper with the sides converging either diagonally or in a curve towards the
mouth of the flushing pipe, so that the whole weight of the water is concentrated
upon the mouth of the said pipe and when the handle is raised or the chain pulled
down as the case may be the flush of water through the pan is stronger and
quicker than when the cistern is of the ordinary construction.
I sometimes make the side of the cistern nearest to the wall perpendicular or
nearly so, in order to bring the mouth of the flushing pipe close to the wall so as
to avoid the necessity for a bend in flushing pipe whereby the fall of the water is
further facilitated.
"
In the soil pipe below the syphon trap I place a valve of any suitable form such
as will not present any obstruction but allow always of an opening equal to the
full diameter of the said pipe and I so connect this valve by means of a lever or
cranks (or other simple connection) to the handle or to the chain or other part of
the mechanism of the closet, that when the handle is raised or the chain pulled
down as the case may be the lever at the same time opens the valve in the soil
pipe to the full extent, and I connect this valve with an air vessel in the well
known manner so that when the handle or chain is released the valve closes slowly.
Thus the valve forms no impedient whatever to the escape of the excreta and
flushing water but as so soon as they have passed away the valve closes slowly
and prevents the upward passage of any Sewer gas.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM HENRY WITHINGTON of 37 Brown Street Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Sanitary Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO WATER CLOSETS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
The objects of this invention are to obtain a stronger and quicker flush of water
than hitherto on the raising of the handle or, pulling down the chain or wire as the
case may be, and also to cause the raising of the handle or pulling down of the
chain to open and close a valve in the soil pipe so as to prevent the admission of
sewer gas into the closet.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
In the first place instead of making the flushing cistern or water waste preventer
of a rectangular shape with the sides vertical or nearly so, I prefer to make the
same in the form of a hopper with the sides converging either diagonally or in
a curve towards the mouth of the flushing pipe as shown at Fig. 1. in which a, a is
the flushing cistern, and b, b the flushing pipe. By these means the whole weight
of the water is concentrated upon the mouth of the said pipe b, b and when the
bandle is raised or the chain pulled down as the case may be, the flush of water
through the pan is stronger and quicker than when the cistern is of the ordinary
construction.
I sometimes make the side of the cistern nearest to the wall perpendicular or
nearly so, in order to bring the mouth of the flushing pipe close to the wall so as to
avoid the necessity for a bend in the flushing pipe whereby the fall of the water
is further facilitated.
In the soil pipe below the syphon trap I place a valve of suitable form such as
will not present any obstruction but allow always of an opening equal to the full
diameter of the said pipe, and I so connect this valve by means of a lever or cranks
(or other simple connection) to the handle or to the chain or other part of the
mechanism of the closet, that when the handle is raised or the chain pulled
down as the case may be the lever at the same time opens the valve in the soil
pipe to the full extent, and I connect this valve with an air vessel in the well
known manner so that when the handle or chain is released the valve closes
slowly. Thus the valve forms no impediment whatever to the escape of the
excreta and flushing water, but as soon as they have passed away, the valve closes
slowly and prevents the upward passage of any sewer gas.
The form of valve which I prefer to use for this purpose is shown in section
at Fig. 2. In the valve box c, c is a vertical slide d, d in which works a valve e, e
with an inclined face which closes against a similar facing as shown in the drawing

page_text: and is raised up into the position shown in dotted lines, by means of the lever ƒ, f
(which is attached to a handle or chain) so as to leave a perfectly clear way
through.
If the soil pipe be carried through the wall it is attached to the valve box_g.g
but if the soil pipe is carried down inside the wall it is connected at h, h, in which
latter case a ventilating opening must be made in the upper part of the valve box.
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
First the combination with a flushing cistern having its sides converging towards
the mouth of the flushing pipe, of a valve in the soil pipe below the syphon trap
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore particularly set forth
and described.
Secondly the use or application in the soil pipe below the syphon trap of a valve
of any suitable form and connected to the handle or chain or other part of the
mechanism of the closet substantially in the manner and for the purposes set
forth and
Thirdly I claim the particular construction of sliding valve for this purpose
illustrated by Fig. 2 of the annexed drawings and above described.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.