IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER FLUSHING APPARATUS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lowthian, of No. 38, Lowther Street,
Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER FLUSHING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 22nd August 1871, and dated the 24th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lowthian at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th February 1871.
I, JOHN LOWTHIAN, of No. 38, Lowther Street, Carlisle, in the County
of Cumberland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER FLUSHING APPARATUS," to be as follows :-
The object of the Invention is to secure an efficient flushing of water
without waste. For this purpose the cistern or reservoir for the water is
provided with a lever turning upon an axis of motion, and connected
towards one end to one end of a chain or other suitable connecting
means, the other end of which is connected to the valve of the flushing
pipe. To this end of the lever is also attached by pin joint, with

page_text: "
capability for adjustment, the upper end of a pendant rod, the lower
end of which is hooked or formed to pass under the arm connecting
the float or "ball" with the supply tap, so that when the one end of the
lever above referred to is drawn downwards, raising the other end of it
and lifting the valve to the flushing pipe, so as to allow of the water in
the cistern passing away by the flushing pipe for flushing purposes,
then the hook of the pendant rod comes under the arm from tho supply
lap to the float, so as to prevent its descent and the consequent opening
of the supply from the main until the release of the lever above referred
to, when the valve to the flushing pipe will be closed, and the hook
to the pendant lever descending the float will also descend to open
the tap to the main for a fresh supply of water to the cistern. Stops
are applied to regulate the distance of motion of the lever in either
direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lowthian in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LOWTHLAN, of No. 38, Lowther Street, Carlisle, in tho County of
Cumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-ouc, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Lowthian, Her special
licence that I, the said John Lowthian, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Lowthian, my 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, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATER FLUSHING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Johm Lowthian, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: 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 I, the said John Lowthian, 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 thereof, that is to say:―
The object of the Invention is to secure an efficient flushing of water
without waste. For this purpose the cistern or reservoir for the water
is provided with a lever turning upon an axis of motion, and connected
towards one end to one end of a chain or other suitable connecting
means, the other end of which is connected to the valve of the flushing
pipe. To this end of the lever is also attached by pin joint with
capability for adjustment, the upper end of a pendant rod the lower
end of which is hooked or formed to pass under the arm connecting the
float or "ball" with the supply tap so that when the one end of the
lever above referred to is drawn downwards, raising the other end of it,
and lifting the valve to the flushing pipe so as to allow of the water in
the cistern passing away by the flushing pipe for flushing purposes,
when the hook of the pendant rod comes under the arm from the supply
tap to the float so as to prevent its descent and the consequent opening
of the supply from the main until the release of the lever above referred
to when the valve to the flushing pipe will be closed and the hook to
the pendant lever descending the float will also descend to open the
tap to the main for a fresh supply of water to the cistern. Stops are
applied to regulate the distance of motion of the lever in either
direction.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawing proceed to describe means pursued by me in

page_text: In each of the views the same letters are employed to indicate corre-
sponding parts; a, a, representing the cistern; b, the pipe by which the
water is supplied to such cistern through the tap or valve c, and d
is the lever arm from such tap or valve for closing or regulating the
supply of water through the tap or valve c by the float to such lever d
resting on the surface of the water as that is supplied to such cistern
by the valve or tape in the ordinary way, as is well understood, and
which separately considered forms no part of my Invention. e is a lever
which is supported so as to turn upon the pin e' as an axis of motion; onc
end of this lever e is connected to a chain ƒ or it may be other suitable
connection by which that end of the lever e may be drawn downwards
whilst towards the other end the lever e is provided with a stud eª
adapted to receive the ring or link of a chain g or other suitable con-
nection between that end of the lever c and the valve h so that the
raising of this end of the lever e by the drawing down of the other end
thereof may lift the valve and admit of water contained in the cistern a
flowing out therefrom by the pipe h' to a watercloset, urinal, or other
place required to be flushed; i is a pendant rod, the upper end of which
is passed through an opening formed for it in the inner end of the
lever c, and is there held by a screw pin with capability of adjustment
for the length of the rod i by the upper end of that rod being formed
with two or it may be more than two holes, either of which may bo
employed to receive a pin . The lower end of this rod i is formed
hooked or otherwise to pass under the lever handle d. It will thus be
seen that when a flushing is desired by the drawing downwards of tho
outer end of the lever by pulling the chain f or other suitable con-
nection the other end of the lever e will be lifted raising the valve h
and allowing water contained in the cistern a to flow by the pipe h¹
for the desired flushing. But whilst the valve & will be thereby opened
the under part of the pendant rod i by coming under the float lever d
will support that lever d so as to prevent the descent thereof, and the
consequent opening of the passage through the supply tap or valve, so
that although the lover e may be kept in a position to retain the valve h
open the supply of the cistern a will be shut off during such time and
consequently only that measure of water can be used at any one time
for flushing purposes which the cisterna (together with the closing
position of the valve float) is arranged to hold, and only when by the
releasing of the lever e, the valve his first permitted to close will the
float lever d be allowed to descend to open the supply passage for a

page_text: fresh supply to the cistern a. e*, e³, are stops formed on the lever e
to regulate the distance of motion of that lever .in either direction.
These stops in place of being formed with the lover e may be formed
separately so as to be adjustable.
Having thus described my Invention I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details as shewn and described,
as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of my Invention, but what I claim is, the adaptation or
combination of means forming apparatus whereby the quantity of water
used for flushing may be controlled substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lowthian, have hereunto set
my hand and. seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
onc.