Improvements in Flushing Apparatus for Water Closets and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb.,
1900
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN WOODBURY, of 60, Atlantic Terrace, Lynn,
in the County of Essex, State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Lawyer.]
Improvements in Flushing Apparatus for Water Closets and the like.
-
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention relates to flushing apparatus for water closets and the like and
consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination
of parts which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the
accompanying drawings, and to the claims hereto appended and in which my
invention is clearly pointed out.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a sectional elevation of a flushing apparatus illus-
trating my invention.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the upper portion of the flushing tank
illustrating a modification of the valve operating devices.
In the drawings A represents a supply tank composed of the cylinder 3 and
the heads 4 and 5, and 6, 6, are ears by which said tank is secured to the wall
of the room where it is to be used.
The head 4 has formed in its center a large opening in which is fitted the
discharge pipe 7, and casing 8 formed integral with the flange 9 which is firmly
bolted to the hub of said head, and suitably packed to make a liquid tight joint,
as shown.
The casing 8 is made somewhat larger in diameter than the discharge end of
the same casting marked 7, is formed with an open upper end, and a section of
its upper end is made still larger in internal diameter and has screwed thereon
the cap 10 in the centre of which is screwed the lower end of the pipe 11, the
upper end of which extends through the stuffing-box 12 in the centre of the head 5.
The barrel of the casing 8 is connected to the discharge pipe 7 by any suitable
number of ties 13, of which four are shown in the drawing, between which are
passages 14 through which the liquid in the tank may escape into the discharge
pipe and thence to the closet bowl when the valve is opened.
The barrel of the casing is bored out and has fitted therein the chambered or
cylindrical valve 15, the lower end of which is frusto conical to fit a correspond-
ingly shaped seat 16 formed on the upper end of the discharge pipe 7, just
below the passages 14 communicating with the tank A.
The valve 15 has a partition 17 formed therein in the center of which is

page_text: screwed the lower end of the rod 18 which extends upward through the pipe 11
as shown.
A portion of the upper end of said valve 15 is reduced in diameter and has
formed at the lower end of said reduction an inwardly inclined annular shoulder 19.
and fitted thereon the annular packing ring of elastic material 20, the annular
washer 21 and the threaded compression ring 22.
The lower end of the upper enlargement of the casing 8 has formed thereon
an outwardly inclined annular shoulder 23 the upper edge of which is at the
same level as the upper edge of the shoulder 19 on the valve, when said valve
is closed.
The elastic packing ring 20 is forced down upon the upper edges of the
shoulders 19 and 23 by the adjustable nut ring 22, to any desired pressure, to
prevent leakage over the valve when it is closed upon its seat.
The partition 17 is provided with the vent holes 25, through which any water
that finds its way upward between the valve and casing, and passes the packing
ring 20, will find its way into the discharge pipe 7, and be discharged into the
closet bowl without doing any harm.
The head 5 has formed thereon two upwardly projecting ears 26, only one of
which is shown, to which is pivoted the lever 21 the end of the short arm of
which is pivoted to the upper end of the rod 18, and has connected to the end
of its long arm a suitable chain or cord 28, by pulling upon which the valve 15
may be raised to permit the contents of the tank A to escape into the discharge
pipe and thence pass to the closet bowl to flush the same.
Water is supplied to the tank A through the service pipe 29, and the pipe 30
screwed into the head 5 and depending therefrom, as shown in Figure 1.
The head 5 has formed in its upper side, at or near its periphery, a recess 31
to receive the lower end of the spring 32, the upper end of which is inserted in
a similar recess 33 formed in the under side of the disk-like expansion of the
long arm of the lever 27, said spring serving to close the valve 15 when the
pull upon the chain 28 is released.
A vent tube 34 is inserted in the side of the discharge pipe 7 below the valve
seat, to admit air when the valve is closed and prevent the gurgling noise that
would otherwise occur.
An air valve. 35 is also connected by the pipe 36 to the interior of the tank A
to control the inflow and outflow of air, to and from said tank.
The construction of the air valve 35 is not shown as it is not of my invention
and may be of any well known construction.
The valve 15 and its casing 8 are made of metals that are not easily corro-
dible, to obviate the liability of the valve sticking in the casing when it is desired
to have it close upon its seat.
In this connection it should be understood that the valve 15 may be fitted
loosely or so as to move freely in its casing, as the packing ring 20 will prevent
any leakage over the top of the valve when said valve is closed upon its seat,
and any leakage over said valve, if any should occur, when said valve is raised
would do no harm as it would be discharged into the discharge pipe 7, and con-
veyed into the closet bowl with the flushing water which at that time is being
discharged from the tank A through said pipe 7.
It will also be observed that the supply pipe 29 is at all times in communica-
tion with the interior of the tank and consequently, when the valve 15 is closed,
the water in said tank is at all times, when said tank is full, subjected to the
same pressure as the distributing pipes of the water supply system from which
the water is drawn.
When the valve is opened the pressure in the tank is reduced to the ordinary
atmospheric pressure, because of the difference of area of the discharge and supply
pipes.
In the modification shown in Figure 3 the valve operating lever 27 is pro-
vided with a third arm 37 to the end of which is pivoted one end of the rod 38,

page_text: the opposite end of which is threaded and has adjustably fitted thereon, the disk 39.
having an annular lip 40 formed upon its inner face, the adjusting nut 41 and
the check or binding nut 42.
The valve closing spring 32 surrounds said rod 38 between the disk 39 and the
forked stand 43, provided with the ears 26 which are connected together by a
web 44 having an annular lip 45 which enters one end of the spring 32, the
other end of which surrounds and is supported by the lip 40 on said disk 39 as
shown.
The operation of my invention is as follows:-
Assuming that the compression ring 22 is properly adjusted to give the re-
quisite pressure upon the packing ring 20 and the valve being closed and the
tank being full of water, if it is desired to flush the closet, the operator pulls
the chain 28 to raise the valve against the tension of the spring 32, the pull
upon the valve being in a direct line with its longitudinal axis, the valve is
easily raised, the water in the tank escapes through the passages 14 into the
pipe 7 and is thence conveyed through an extension of said pipe, not shown,
to the closet in a well known manner.
As soon as the water begins to escape from the tank, water begins to flow
into it through the pipes 29 and 30, and continues to so flow until the valve is
closed and the tank is again filled.
When the chain 28 is released the reaction of the spring 32 closes the valve
with comparative ease because there is little or no friction to be overcome,
except what there is between the valve and its casing, which being of compara-
tively non-corrosive metals, and loosely fitted, will present but little friction to
be overcome.
The rod 18, passing through the tube 11, which has an internal diameter
greater than the diameter of said rod, presents no obstruction to the movements
of said valve in either direction, and is not exposed to the corrosive action of
the water, which is a great advantage as compared with mechanism for operating
the valve from below and through the discharge pipe 7 where, of a necessity
all the working parts would be subjected to corrosion from contact with the
water.
The spring 32 is for the same reason placed upon the exterior of the tank
as shown, instead of being placed within the tank or casing 8, where it could
act directly upon the valve in which case the spring would have to be of an
inferior material for the purpose, as brass, but by placing it upon the exterior
of the tank it may be made of the best spring_steel.
The spring 32 may be arranged as shown in Figure 1, between the tank and
the long arm of the lever or it may be located as shown in Figure 3, or in any
convenient position exterior to said tank, where its reaction will tend to close
the valve upon its seat.
The annular washer 21 is placed upon the elastic packing 20 to form a metal
bearing for the compression ring 22 and prevent injurious action of said com-
pression ring upon said packing when said compression ring is to be rotated to
compress said packing ring.
It is essential that the packing 20 bear with the greatest pressure directly above
the joint between said valve and its casing and it is obvious that this result may
be obtained by making the shoulders 19 and 23 inclined in opposite directions
as shown, or by making said shoulders flat and making the under surface of
the packing in the form of an obtuse V the apex of which is directly over said
joint.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be perform, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1st. In a flushing apparatus for water closets and the like the combination
of a closed tank or reservoir; a water supply pipe communicating therewith;

page_text: a discharge pipe inserted in its lower end and provided with a suitable valve seat;
a valve casing connected to said discharge pipe above said seat and provided
with suitable passages for the passage of water from said tank to said discharge
pipe; a cylinder valve fitted to said casing and movable vertically therein; a
tube extending from the upper end of said casing upward through the upper
head of said tank with a liquid tight joint; a rod connected at its lower end
to said valve and extending upward through said tube; means for raising said
valve connected to the upper end of said rod; and a spring for closing said
valve located exteriorly of said tank, substantially as described.
2nd. In a flushing apparatus for water closets the combination with a closed
tank and a supply pipe communicating therewith, and a discharge pipe provided
with a valve seat, of a valve casing connected to said discharge pipe and having
a closed upper end and provided with openings at its junction with said dis-
charge pipe; for the passage of water from said tank to said discharge pipe;
a tube screwed into said casing and extending upward through the upper head
of said tank with a liquid tight joint; a cylindrical valve fitted to, and movable
vertically in said casing engaging said seat; a rod connected to said valve and
extending upward through said tube; means connected to the upper end of
said rod for raising said valve and a spring for closing said valve substantially
as described.
3rd. In a flushing apparatus the combination with a closed tank and a supply
pipe communicating therewith, and a discharge pipe provided with a valve seat
surrounding the discharge passage, of a valve casing extending upward from said
discharge pipe and provided with lateral openings, above said seat, for the pas-
sage of water from said tank to the discharge pipe; a cylindrical valve fitted
to said seat and to said casing and movable endwise therein; an annular shoulder
formed upon the periphery of said valve near its upper end; a packing of elastic
material resting upon said shoulder; and an adjustable compression ring fitted
to said valve and arranged to compress said packing upon said shoulder, sub-
stantially as described.
4th. In a flushing apparatus the combination with a closed tank, a supply
pipe communicating therewith and a discharge pipe opening therefrom and pro-
vided with an annular valve seat at its upper end; a valve casing extending
upward from said discharge pipe, provided with lateral openings through its
wall above said seat, and near its upper end with an outwardly inclined annular
shoulder 23; a cylindrical valve fitted to said seat and casing, and movable
vertically to open and close said valve; an inwardly inclined annular shoulder 19
formed on the periphery of said valve cylinder, near its upper end; a packing
ring of elastic material surrounding said valve and resting upon said shoulder 19
at all times; and upon the shoulder 23 when the valve is closed; an annular
washer resting upon said packing ring; and an adjustable compression ring to
press said packing ring upon said shoulder, substantially as described.
5th. In a flushing apparatus the combination of a closed tank; a supply pipe;
a discharge pipe provided with a valve seat a tubular extension thereof project-
ing upward therefrom through the upper head of said tank with a tight joint,
and provided just above said seat with lateral openings 14; the valve 15 is fitted
to said seat and closing said openings 14; the valve 18 extending upward from
said valve through said tubular extension; the pivoted lever 27 connected at one
end to the upper end of said rod 18; a spring interposed between the long arm
of said lever and the tank head to close said valve; and any suitable pull attached
to the other end of said lever for opening said valve, substantially as described.
6th. In a flushing apparatus the combination with a closed tank provided with
supply and discharging pipes, of a valve seat surrounding said discharge pipe;
a casing surrounding said valve seat; and provided with openings for the pas-
sage of water from said tank to said discharge pipe, and with an interior annular
shoulder near its upper end, a cylinder valve fitted to said casing and seat; a
packing ring of elastic material firmly secured to the exterior of said valve near

page_text: its upper end, and arranged to engage the shoulder in said casing when said valve
is closed; and means for opening and closing said valve all substantially as
herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of December 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.