Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets.
I, HUGH THOMSON, of "Thornton," Studley Park Road, Kew, near Melbourne,
in the Colony of Victoria, Tanner 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:-
This invention of improvements in apparatus for flushing water closets has been
devised in order to enable high pressure water to be delivered direct into the pans
of water closets so as to utilise its full force and at the same time to make provision
for automatically shutting off the high pressure water after a sufficient quantity
has been supplied, and also for supplying a small quantity of water to the pan of
the closet by way of an after-flush in order to ensure a sufficient quantity of water
always remaining in the pan.
According to my invention, I provide a two-way screw tap or valve in a pipe
leading from the high pressure water supply main to the pan of the closet, and
I provide the spindle of said tap with a small hand wheel or other contrivance
whereby said tap can be rotated, as well as with a counterbalance weight whose
tendency is to keep said tap in any position (that is, either open or closed) in which
it may be turned. This spindle is also fitted with a hollow cylinder or vessel on
the opposite side to said counterbalance weight, and the spindle is made hollow, or
provided with a passage leading from the interior of the casing of the tap or valve
(above the valve seating) into said hollow cylinder or vessel, so that when the
flushing valve or tap is turned on, the larger portion of the water will be discharged
into the pan, whilst a smaller portion will pass into the hollow cylinder or vessel,
and will, after a certain lapse of time, overcome the resistance of the counterbalance
weight, and again close the valve, thus shutting off the supply of pressure water
to the closet pan, after which said cylinder will discharge its contents into the pan
as an after-flush, so as to ensure a certain amount of water remaining therein for
the next user of the closet.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an apparatus for flushing water closets,
showing same constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section thereof on line 2-2, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section (drawn to a larger scale) of the valve or
tap above referred to; whilst
Figure 4 is a plan of said valve.
Figure 5 is a plan of a water closet fitted with flushing apparatus constructed
according to this invention; and
Figure 6 is a vertical central section thereof.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A represents the casing of the two-way valve or tap above referred to, and B
the piston or valve thereof, whose spindle C is tubular or formed with a passage c',
as shown, and which has other passages or ports c² leading from the casing A into
said spindle C.
D represents the comparatively heavy counterbalance weight which is secured
upon the spindle C, and serves (as indicated by dotted and full lines in Figure 2)
to keep the valve B either open or closed as required, whilst E represents the
hollow cylinder or vessel, which projects from the opposite side of the spindle C
o the weight D, and is sufficiently heavy (when full of water) to overbalance the
weight D, and again close the valve by screwing it down on to its seating.

page_text: This hollow cylinder E is in open communication with the hollow spindle C,.
through a passage e, the open area of which can be varied as required by means of
a set screw e', which can be turned so as to project more or less into said passage,
according to the time required to elapse before the cylinder is sufficiently full to
cause it to turn off the tap, and thus stop the supply to the closet, as above
described.
represents a small hand wheel, handle, or other contrivance fitted upon the
spindle C or elsewhere, to enable the valve B to be opened and the water to be
turned on when required, whilst G represents a small cistern, which is mounted in
any convenient position adjacent to the closet, as, for instance, on the seat, as
shown, and which serves to contain the cylinder E and counterbalance weight D.
It has a small pipe g leading to the perforated flushing ring or tube H, around the
upper end of the closet pan I, in order that the water in said cistern may be fed
into the closet as an after-flush, the main high pressure supply being led into
the closet pan from the valve or tap A B, through the pipe a leading to the ring or
tube H.
A partition or diaphragm e² is fitted across the cylinder or vessel E, near the
outer end thereof, so that, in case of the valve B sticking or becoming stiffer to
work, some of the water in said cylinder will pass over into the end compartment
thereof, and will, by its increased weight and leverage, operate the valve.
The flushing ring or tube H may be of metal or other suitable material and may
have a ring of rubber or other packing inserted between it and the pan of the
closet.
The operation of my invention is as follows:
Ordinarily the valve B is held down on its seating b by the weight D tending to
rotate the spindle C in the required direction, said weight being in the position
indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2 with the cylinder E hanging downwards and
empty.
When it is desired to flush the closet the spindle C is turned back by hand with
the aid of the hand-wheel F until the valve B is off its seat and the weight D and
cylinder E are in the positions indicated by full lines in said Figure 2.
Water can then flow from the high pressure main through the pipe a to the
closet pan I, whilst a certain portion of such water will flow through the hollow
spindle C into the cylinder E until there is sufficient weight of water in said
cylinder to overcome the weight D and turn the spindle C of the valve back,
so as to force said valve down on to its seat and thus shut off the supply again.
The time during which the high pressure water will be supplied to the closet is
determinable by altering the area of the passage leading to the cylinder E, either
by means of the set screw e¹ or otherwise.
When the cylinder E is in its lowest position, the water contained in it will be
free to flow out through a discharge opening e³ into the cistern G and thence
through the small pipe g into the pan I, which will be supplied with an after-flush
of water, which will remain in it ready for the next time the closet is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
First. In apparatus for flushing water closets a valve (such as A, B) adapted t
supply bigh pressure water to the closet pan in combination with a cylinder or
vessel (such as E) which, when filled by a portion of the water passing through the
valve, will close said valve substantially as and for the purposes specified, and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In apparatus for flushing water closets a valve (such as A, B) made to
screw down on to its seat and having a passage through its spindle leading to a
hollow cylinder or vessel (such as E), secured upon said spindle substantially as
and for the purposes specified, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In apparatus for flushing water closets a hollow cylinder or vessel (such
.

page_text: as E) supplied with a certain proportion of water when the flushing valve is turned
on in combination with a cistern (such as G) in communication with the closet pan
substantially as and for the purposes specified, and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Fourth. In apparatus for flushing water closets a hollow cylinder or vessel (such
as E) adapted to turn off the supply or flushing valve after a certain time, and
having a diaphragm or partition (such as e³) across it near its end substantially as
and for the purposes herein specified, and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Sixth day of April One thousand eight hundred and ninety-five.
W. Lloyd Wise,
HUGH THOMSON.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.