IMPROVEMENTS IN URINALS, AND APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING THE SAME, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR FLUSHING SEWERS OR DRAINS, AND FOR PERIODICALLY EMPTYING WATER OR LIQUID FROM TANKS OR RECEPTACLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Jennings, of Palace Wharf, Stangate, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN URINALS, AND
APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING THE SAME, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR FLUSHING
SEWERS OR DRAINS, AND FOR PERIODICALLY EMPTYING WATER OR LIQUID
FROM TANKS OR RECEPTACLES."
Sealed the 23rd March 1880, and dated the 21st October 1879.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Jennings at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1879.
GEORGE JENNINGS, of Palace Wharf, Stangate, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVEMENTS IN URINALS, AND APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING THE SAME,
APPLICABLE ALSO FOR FLUSHING SEWERS OR DRAINS, AND FOR PERIODICALLY
EMPTYING WATER OR LIQUID FROM TANKS OR RECEPTACLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in urinals, and apparatus for
flushing the same, applicable also for flushing sewers or drains, and for periodically
emptying water or liquid from tanks or receptacles.
The basin of a urinal I fix in a casing, the top of which can be turned upwards
on hinges as a lid, whilst the sides and front of the casing are formed of a pair of
doors which close together at the front. The lid and doors I connect together in
such manner that when the lid is raised the doors open out also and then form
screens at the sides of the basin, whilst by the lifting of the lid the top of the
basin is uncovered. When the lid is closed the doors close also, and the basin is
then completely shut in and hidden from view.
:
In order periodically to flush and thoroughly cleanse the basin of a urinal, I
mount, at some distance above it, a small cistern, into which water is allowed to
trickle slowly. From the cistern a pipe, which forms the. longer limb of a syphon,
descends to the basin of the urinal; the continuation of this pipe inside the cistern
is formed into a spiral coil with any desired number of coils or bends, or it is formed
with a number of to and fro zig-zag bends, by preference, vertical bends; the end of
When the cistern
the coil is open, and is brought near to the bottom of the cistern.
gets filled with water to a certain level, the syphon formed in the manner above
discribed gets charged with water, and is at once set in action and discharges: the
contents of the cistern into the urinal, and this takes place whether the cistern
be filled rapidly or slowly.
Intermittent syphon apparatus formed in the manner above described. with a
number of coils or bends in the shorter limb of the syphon may be used for enabling
sewers or drains to be intermittently flushed with water from any receptacle. into
which water is allowed slowly to collect, and may be used generally to auto-
matically empty tanks or receptacles when they become filled with liquid. .

page_text: :
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Jennings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th April
1880.
GEORGE JENNINGS, of Palace Wharf, Stangate, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN URINALS, AND APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING THE SAME,
APPLICABLE ALSO FOR FLUSHING SEWERS OR DRAINS, AND FOR PERIODICALLY
EMPTYING WATER OR LIQUID FROM TANKS OR RECEPTACLES.”
This Invention has for its object improvements in urinals, and apparatus for
flushing the same, applicable also for flushing sewers or drains, and for periodically
emptying water or liquid from tanks or receptacles.
The basin of a urinal I fix in a casing, the top of which can be turned upwards
on binges as a lid, whilst the sides and front of the casing are formed of a pair of
doors which close together at the front. The lid and doors I connect together in
such manner that when the lid is raised the doors open out also and then form
screens at the sides of the basin, whilst by the lifting of the lid the top of the
basin is uncovered. When the lid is closed the doors close also, and the basin is
then completely shut in and hidden from view. I also arrange that the opening
of the lid shall open the supply cock for supplying water to the basin, and the cock
being self closing will close when the lid is shut down.
In order periodically to flush and thoroughly cleanse the basin of a urinal, I
mount, at some distance above it, a small cistern, into which water is allowed to
trickle slowly. From the cistern a pipe, which forms the longer limb of a syphon,
descends to the basin of the urinal; the continuation of this pipe inside the cistern
is formed into a spiral coil with any desired number of coils or bends, or is formed
with a number of to and fro zig-zag bends, by preference, vertical bends; the end
of the coil is open, and is brought near to the bottom of the cistern. When the
cistern gets filled with water to a certain level, the syphon formed in the manner
above described gets charged with water, and is at once set in action and discharges
the contents of the cistern into the urinal, and this takes place whether the cistern
be filled rapidly or slowly.
Intermittent syphon apparatus formed in the manner above described with a
number of coils or bends in the shorter limb of the syphon may be used for enabling
sewers or drains to be intermittently flushed with water from any receptacle into
which water is allowed slowly to collect, and may be used generally to automatically
empty tanks or receptacles when they become filled with liquid.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 to 7. shew various views of a urinal enclosed in a casing constructed
as above described. Figure 1 is a plan view, and Figure 2 a front view of the
casing when closed; Figure 3 shows a front view; Figures 4 and 5, vertical sections,
and Figure 6, a horizontal section of the casing when open; Figures 7 shew
separately, on a larger scale, the links which connect the lid with the side doors,
and the bracket and slide to which the links are jointed.
1
In these Figures A is the back of the casing to which is fixed the urinal basin B;
C, C, are the doors which form the sides and front of the casing, and which are
hinged to the back A; D is the top lid or cover of the casing, also hinged to the
.back A.
The back has standing out from it two brackets E, along each of which slides
a small slide F. Each slide F. is coupled by a link Ğ to an arm extending
backwards from the lid, and also by a link H to one of the side doors. When the
lid is raised, the slides F are moved forwards along the brackets E, and the links
are caused to open the doors C, as shewn at Figure 6, but when the lid is closed
down the doors C are closed together, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. I also arrange

page_text: that the opening of the lid shall cause the water supply cock to be opened; for
this purpose I cause a projection from the back of the lid to act against and depress
the lever handle I of the water supply cock, thereby causing the cock to open and
supply water to the urinal basin." When the lid is closed the lever handle of the
cock is no longer held down, and the cock closes automatically.
I will now proceed to describe more fully that part of my Invention which
relates to the periodical flushing of urinals and drains.
Figures 8 and 9 shew vertical sections of small cisterns of sufficient capacity
to contain the quantity of water which it is desired to discharge at one time, say
into the basin of a urinal, to cleanse the basin and flush the discharge pipe which
leads from it. The cistern shown at Figure 8 has within it a pipe a having three
coils or bends; one end of the pipe is open, and comes within a short distance of
the bottom of the cistern, the other end is carried through the bottom of the cistern
and is led down to and connected with the water discharge passage into the urinal
basin. Water is allowed to trickle down continuously in a thin stream into the
cistern from a supply tap. As the water rises in the cistern it enters the open end
of the pipe a, and when it has risen above the top of the coils the upward bends of
the succeeding coils fill in succession as the level of the water in the cistern rises
and gives sufficient head of water to cause these bends to fill. When the level of
water in the cistern has risen to a sufficient height it causes water to flow into and
down the longer limb of the syphon which descends to the urinal basin; the
equilibrium between the head of water in the cistern and in the upward bends of
the coils then shortly gets destroyed, and the head of water in the cistern produces
a rapid flow into the syphon pipe, and thereby the syphon gets fully charged, and
the whole contents of the cistern are by it rapidly drawn off and discharged into
the urinal basin, and this will take place whenever the level of water in the cistern
rises to the requisite height, whether the cistern be filled with a comparatively
small stream or quickly. In Figure 9 the portion of the pipe a in the small
cistern is bent to and fro with a number of zig-zag bends instead of in circular coils,
the action is however precisely the same. By preference, I form three coils or sets
of bends in the pipe, as shewn in the Drawing, but two or more coils might be
used, but not, I believe, so advantageously. Syphon discharge apparatus similar
to that above described may be applied to a variety of uses, as, for example, it may
be used from time to time for discharging into a drain or sewer the contents of pits
or receptacles formed below gratings at the sides of streets, and such like, as shown
at Figure 10. Thus, however slowly the pit or receptacle may be filled, its contents
will, when the water level has attained a certain height, be all quickly discharged
into the drain or sewer and thereby flush and cleanse the sewer, and prevent the
accumulation of deposit.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same,
I would have it understoood that I claim,-
First. The urinal, substantially as described and shewn at Figures 1 to 7, con-
sisting of a urinal basin carried by the back of a casing, the top, and sides, and
front of which casing are formed to open simultaneously, substantially as described.
Second. The construction of syphon apparatus with two, three, or more coils
or bends in the inlet limb of the syphon, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Jennings, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One.
GEORGE JENNINGS. (L.S.)