IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Clarke, of 43, Preston Street, Brighton,
County of Sussex, Engineer, and John Gilbert, of 10, Hyde Place,
Hoxton, County of Middlesex, Plumber, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF WATER AND
OTHER FLUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Clarke and
John Gilbert at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 20th October 1852.
We, CHARLES CLARKE, of 43, Preston Street, Brighton, County of
Sussex, Engineer, and JOHN GILBERT, of 10, Flyde Place, Hoxton,
County of Middlesex, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF
WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS" to be as follows:-
By means of a self-acting filtering throttle valve inserted perpen-
dicularly in the service or supply pipe leading to the reservoir or cistern,
and another similar valve inside the cistern fixed at the bottom or near
thereto.
The action of the water when turned on under the pressure of the
source of supply in passing up the pipe raises the valve and filters

page_text: through finely perforated zine or other suitable material until the
height of the cistern is attained, and by continuous pressure opens the
upper valve, and passing through the perforated material the fluid
.flows into the cistern until it raises a float, which regulates the water
line by its connexion with the valve at the bottom of the cistern, and
thus prevents any overflow of the cistern. The lower valve then falls
and prevents the water returning to the main or source of supply, when
the same pipe of supply may be used for distribution, as required.
It may be adapted to cisterns, baths, and water-closets, already fixed
and distributed, as required, the same pipe forming both the purposes
of induction and eduction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Eetters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Clarke and John Gilbert in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 20th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
CHARLES CLARKE, of 43, Preston Street, Brighton, County of Sussex,
Engineer, and JÓN. GILBERT, sof.10, Hyde Place, Foxton: County of
Middlesex, Plumber, send greeting.
-
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent,, bearing late the Twentieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Charles Clarke and John Gilbert, Her special
licence that we, the said Charles Clarke and John Gilbert, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Charles Clarke and John Gilbert, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUPPLY AND
DISTRIBUTION OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Charles Clarke and John Gilbert, by an

page_text: instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Clarke and John
Gilbert, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following: statement:
.
The Invention consists of the application of two self-acting valves (a
lower valve and upper valve) connected by a pipe for conveying water
from a main pipe or elevated reservoir to a cistern placed within range
of the supply from the main, and by means of the same pipe to draw
water from the cistern, thereby saving the expence of a second pipe.
The lower valve is to be placed inside of a casing or cock, furnished
with a strainer to prevent any extraneous matter getting in or under it,
and put in any convenient part of the pipe, so that the water may flow
from the main; and by its pressure open the valve and pass along the
pipe, communicating therewith to another valve, which we designate
the upper valve. to, be placed as near as possible at the bottom of tho
cistern; this upper valve may also be furnished with a strainer.or
strainers, and made to close by means of a float when the cistern is
filled with water to the required height, and open again when it is
desired to draw off' water from the cistern.
The opening and closing of the upper valve is effected by means of a
float made to rise or fall on a rod as the water.in the cistern rises or
falls; when, the float has risen to the required height the float, by
means of a collar or pin fixed on the rod, lifts the valve and closes the
aperture until the water is drawn off; immediately the water is drawn
off from the pipe the valve opens again, and allows the water to flow out
of the cistern down the same pipe that supplied it, and if there be any
water in the main of a greater pressure than the water in the pipe or
cistern the water will again flow and fill the cistern to the required
height; if the main pipe should be empty, or the water in it be of less
pressure than the water in the service pipe leading to the cistern, the

page_text: lower valve will be closed by the pressure of water on the upper side of
the valve, which will prevent any water flowing back into the main
from the rising pipe or cistern.
We make no claim for the valve or valves separately, but only when
two or more valves are used in connexion and made self-acting, and
protected by strainers to prevent any extraneous matter getting to the
valves. The valves' and casings may be made of brass, copper, gun
metal, lead,, iron, porcelain, or any other suitable material, but we
prefer brass or gun metal, and the strainers may be made of perforated
metal, as brass, gun metal, lead, iron, or any other suitable material,
but we prefer perforated zinc, or tinned copper, or galvanized iron; or,
instead of perforated metal, gauze wire may be used, and, instead of
perforated metal being used, filterers may be introduced between the
supply main and the lower valve or in the cistern above the upper valve,
but we make no claim for the use of a filterer or filterers, strainer or
strainers separately, but only when in connexion with the upper or lower
valves, as described, or in the pipe or pipes leading to or from the valves.
We also claim an apparatus for opening and closing a valve or cock
for the supply of water-closets, consisting of a lever and eccentric
keyed on to the shaft which opens the pan or valve of the closet; when
the handle of the closet is pulled up for discharging the contents in the
basin it actuates the eccentric on the shaft, and depresses one end of a
lever supported by a stay keyed or rivetted to the top of the iron casing
or stool of the basin, and lifts at the other end the spindle of a valve
passing through a collar or neck, and opens a valve for supplying water
direct from a pipe, without the intervention of cranks or wires; the
collar of the spindle is to be fixed on to the top of the iron casing of the
basin or stool.
Note. If the spindle and collar pass through the top of the iron
casing there cannot be any escape of water externally, and if there
should be any escape by leakage internally it would only take place
when the water is running for cleansing the closet, and would fall into
the trap.
And in order that our Inventions may be better understood for the
supply and distribution of water and other fluids we have given illus-

page_text: trations in the accompanying Drawings, showing the application of the
improvements above described, but we do not confine ourselves to the
peculiar shape or configuration therein shown.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, are an elevation, plan, and section of the lower
self-acting valve. a, is an external casing; b, a metal washer and screw;
c, a self-acting spindle valve; d, a conical strainer, made of perforated
metal, with a central tube to act as a guide for the spindle to keep it in
a vertical position. Figures 4, and 5, are an external view and longi-
tudinal section of a self-acting valve made to act as a stop cock, so
that the water may be cut off from the main; the valve is prevented
rising by a screw holding it down. Figures 6, 7, and 8, are an external
view, longitudinal section, and top view of a self-acting valve com-
bined with a stop cock, as last directed, and made with a plug or
key in addition for the purpose of cutting off the supply of water,
and also so made that the self-acting valve and strainers can be
taken out. Figure 9, is a section of the cock, showing the aper-
tures a, b, closed. Figures 10, and 11, are plan and external
view of the plug or key removed from the casing, and showing, the
apertures filled in with perforated metal, or, instead of the apertures
being filled in, a conical strainer may be used, as shown in Figures
4, and 5, and fastened down by means of a collar, flange, and
screws. Figure 11, is a view of the valve removed. Figures 12; 13,
and 14, are an exterior view, section, and plan of the upper or cistern
valve. a, is a self-acting valve; b, a spindle fastened to the valve and
prolonged by a rod, according to the depth of the cistern; c, a guide to
keep the rod in a vertical position, and another guide is to be placed
across the top of the cistern; d, a nut to prolong the spindle by means
of a rod and screw tapped on to the end of the rod; upon this rod there
is a nut c, for regulating the height to which the float is to rise; f, an
air-tight float, made with a tube through the centre for the vertical rod
to pass through; g, a cylindrical strainer fixed on the rim of the casing.
Figures 15, and 16, are views of the water-closet apparatus, showing
the application of the apparatus for opening the valve or cock for
supplying the basin with water. A, a pan closet; B, valve or cock,
made with a spindle to pass through a tube or neck C; this spindle is

page_text: actuated by means of the eccentric D, keyed or fastened on to the shaft
which opens the pan or valve of the closet. E, a lever, supported by a
stay F, rivetted on to the top of the iron casing or stool of the closet.
Figure 17, shows the application' of the various improvements to a
dwelling house or building. A, the inain service pipe; B, pipe from
the main to the lower valve; C, the lower valve; D, continuation of
the pipe to the upper valve E, fixed at the bottom of the cistern F.
The action of the valves is as follows:-Supposing the cistern to be
empty, the water in the main A, passes through the pipe B, opens the
valve C, passes along the pipe D, therice over the edge of the upper
valve E, into the cistern 'F', and then fills it to the required height, when
the valve is shut off by the float C, lifting the rod H. by the pin or nut
on the rod. If the water be drawn off from the pipe D, for the service
of any of the sinks or water-closet the upper valve E, immediately
opens, and the water descends in the pipe D, to the sink or closet where
the water is drawn off, and as soon as the water is drawn, and there be
any water in the main of a greater pressure than the water in the pipe
D, or cistern F, the water will again rise in the cistern F, until it is
stopped again by the action of the float G, closing the upper valve
Note. Instead of the water being taken from the main pipe, as
shown in the Drawing, it may be taken from a cistern or reservoir
having a greater elevation than the cistern proposed to be filled by the
äpparatus described.
The same apparatus as above described may be applied. for the
supply and distribution of any other liquors."
F
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Clarke and John Gilbert,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of
April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-throo
CHARLES CLARIZE
CHARLES CLARKE. (...)
JOHN GILBERT.
(L.S.)