Improvements in or relating to Closing-devices for the Valves of Water-cisterns and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Closing-devices for the Valves of
Water-cisterns and the like.
A communication from FRIEDRICH WANGELIN, of Dresden, Saxony, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant.
:
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,.
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The object of the present invention is a device for closing the admission--
valves in cisterns, water-tanks and the like and especially in flushing tanks for
water-closets.
The invention aims at effecting a slow and noiseless closing of the valve by
opposing to the force, causing the opening or the closing of the valve (whether it
be the pressure of the liquid itself or a lever with a weight) a balance weight in the
shape of a vessel which becomes lighter either by gradual escape of its contents or
by the counter-pressure of the liquid column slowly rising in the tank surrounding
the vessel.
The arrangements used hitherto in which generally a floating ball rose and fell
with the rise or fall of the liquid-level of the tank, and so caused the opening and
closing of the valve, had different drawbacks, the chief among which was that the
closing of the valve took place by jerks and that the floating ball became leaky, in
consequence of which the valve could not close tightly; and finally in the case of
the tank becoming leaky the admission valve would open automatically.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 shows in section a filled tank with a device according to this invention
therein; the parts are shown in the position in which they close the inlet valve.
Fig. 2 shows the same during its emptying and the commencement of re-filling,
the parts being in the positions in which they open the valve.
The box-shaped tank a has a discharge opening b, which normally is covered
and closed by a valve c or the like, but can be opened by a pulling arrangement d
of bell-crank lever, chains, and link, operated from the outside for quick emptying
of the contents from the tank a.
The opening and closing of the admission valve e is effected by a two-armed
lever, the part g of which is in operative connection with the closing-plug in
the valve box. On one end of the two-armed lever f is the weight h; to the
other is attached the vessel k. The escape of liquid from the valve e takes place
through the tube / directly into the box a and also through the pipe m into the
vessel k.
When the box a is filled with liquid and the valve e closed, the lever foccupies
the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. When the discharge valve c is opened
by pulling the string or the chain d, the contents of the box a escape quickly and
the filled vessel k sinks with the fall of the water in the tank a, as in this state it
is heavier than the weight on the other arm of the lever. The lever fis thereby
caused to turn and open the valve e in consequence of which the liquid escapes
from the two pipes land m. In the bottom of the vessel & there are provided
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page_text: several openings, the total area of which is greater than the area of the admission
pipe m. As long as the bottom of the vessel k dips in the liquid, it cannot
become empty, because water will continue to flow into the cistern.
But when the
level of the liquid sinks, the vessel k begins to empty and correspondingly to its
emptying the influence of the weight h becomes preponderant and moves the lever
slowly into the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the valve e is closed.
From the foregoing it will be seen :-
1. If the discharge-valve c be only slightly opened the valve e with allow water
to flow into the cistern continuously and simultaneously with the exit of fluid by
way of c.
2. If the discharge valve c be opened wide and immediately re-closed the
water in the vessel keeps the lever down long enough to enable the cistern
to re-fill.
:
3. If the discharge valve be opened wide and kept open the cistern and the
vessel will both discharge themselves completely and will not become recharged
until the lever be operated by "an outside influence."
The latter arrangement is especially suitable for use for instance in water
closets in winter, the valve C being left opened till the box a is perfectly empty in
order to prevent freezing of the whole arrangement.
To recharge the cistern a chain or cord may be arranged on the lever by means
of which device the lever f can be operated.
In this apparatus instead of the float ball hitherto used which easily rusts and
thus becomes unfit for use, the vessel k being provided with a perforated bottom a
quiet movement of the lever fis obtained and consequently also the opening and
closing of the valve e is effected without causing shocks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. A closing-device for valves causing automatically gradual closing of the
latter by a weight acting in opposition to the closing force and having the form of
a vessel k which becomes gradually lighter by emptying or by the counter-pressure
of the liquid rising in the tank a surrounding the vessel.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete closing-
device for the valves of water-cisterns and the like substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of May 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.