AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FLUSHING APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM BENJAMIN GEORGE BENNETT, of Cranleigh, Portswood, in the town
and county of the town of Southampton, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention for:-" AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FLUSHING
APPARATUS" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved construction of automatic flushing apparatus,
and it is designed to periodically, regularly, and thoroughly flush sewers and drains,
tidal or otherwise. It is of the following nature:-
A tank is provided of capacity proportioned to the desired amount of flush, and
connected to the sewer or drain by a suitable pipe. At or about the desired leve!
of the water in the tank is an elongated open float, pivotted at the sides to suitable
supports, at such a position that the weight of the float is unequally divided, its
normal position, when the tank is empty, tending to the vertical.
The heavier end of this pivotted float acts as a counterpoise to a heavy ball valve,
connected to its lighter end, and normally holds the ball raised from its seating in
the mouth of the connecting pipe, thus freely admitting the inlet of the tidal
waters or other liquids from the sewer or drain. The connection of the valve ball
to the lighter end of the pivotted float is conveniently effected by a chain running
over a pulley, and the ball travels in suitable guides.
Upon the entry of the water into the tank the foregoing normal conditions are
disturbed. The rising water overcomes the counterpoise of the open float by
flotation, and the float assumes a horizontal position, thereby allowing the ball to
drop on to its seating, and to close the connecting pipe.
The open float is cupped deeper at the heavier end, and over it is a ball cock with
its orifice proportioned to fill the float to sinking point within any given time,
such, for instance, as when the tide or sewage has left the sewers. This ball cock
is operated by the rise of the water or liquid in the tank, and is connected to the
service pipes or other suitable source of supply.
Immediately the flotation of the float is overcome by the weight of the water
from the ball-cock, its value as a counterpoise is restored, the ball valve is thereby
opened, and the water or sewage, suddenly free to flow through the connecting
pipe, empties from the tank and hanging float and flushes the sewers or drains; the
ball cock is closed; and the apparatus is ready to receive a fresh charge,
D '

page_text: Where the water is derived from tides, the tank may be divided into two com-
partments each containing floats &c, set at different levels; for instance high water
level of the neap tide in one compartment, and high water level of the spring tide
in the other.
A second pipe may be employed for the entry of the water or sewage, and the
tank may be filled from the watermains or other suitable source of supply, or it may
form an intercepting tank in the course of the sewer or drain, and intermittently
discharge as it is filled.
In place of the ball cock, hereinbefore specified to be operated by the rise of the
water or sewage in the tank, in order to overcome the flotation of the counterpoise,
I may construct one or both of the supports hollow and in communication with a
suitable water supply. On the side or sides of the float or in one or both of the
pivots (made hollow and in communication with the inside of the float) are ports,
placed to correspond with others constructed on the supports, and to admit the
water into the float upon the said float reaching any desired position. The ports
are dimensioned proportionately to the time in which it is desired to fill and sink
the float and cause the flush; and they are provided with suitable stuffing boxes.

page_text: I, WILLIAM BENJAMIN GEORGE BENNETT, of Cranleigh, Portswood, in the Town
and County of the Town of Southampton, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FLUSHING APPARATUS 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 an improved construction of automatic flushing apparatus,,
and it is designed to periodically, regularly, and thoroughly flush sewers and drains,
tidal or otherwise.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the drawings attached hereto and to the figures
and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device as applicable to an ordinary sewer or
drain.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of my alternative device applied to a tidal sewer.
Figure 3 is a detail of the hollow trunnion joint of the float.
A tank or chamber A is provided of capacity proportioned to the desired amount
of flush, and connected to the sewer or drain by a suitable pipe or culvert.
At or about the desired level of the water in the tank is an elongated open
float B, pivotted at its sides to suitable supports C, at such a position that the
weight of the float is unequally divided, its normal position when the tank is empty
tending to the vertical.
The heavier end of this pivotted float B acts as a counterpoise to a heavy ball
valve D connected to its lighter end, and normally holds the ball raised from its
seating in the mouth of the connecting pipe E, thus freely admitting the inlet of
the tidal waters or other liquids from the sewer or drain. The connection of the
valve ball to the lighter end of the pivotted float is conveniently effected by a
chain Frunning over a pulley f and the ball travels in suitable guides.
Upon the entry of the water into the tank the foregoing normal conditions are
disturbed. The rising water overcomes the counterpoise of the open float by flota-
tion and the float assumes a horizontal position, thereby allowing the ball D to drop
on to its seating and to close the connecting pipe E.
The open float B is cupped deeper at the heavier end, and over it is a ball cock G
with its orifice proportioned to fill the float to sinking point within any given time,
such for instance as when the tide or sewage has left the sewers.-This ball cock G
is operated by the rise of the water or liquid in the tank and is connected to the
service pipes or other suitable source of supply.
The tank may be filled from the water main or other source of supply such as
the bath or lavatory waste and be fitted to the ordinary house drains or other
sewers, or may form an intercepting tank in the said sewers or drains and discharge
intermittently as it fills.
Immediately the flotation of the float is overcome by the weight of the water
from the ball cock, its valve as a counterpoise is restored, the ball valve is thereby
opened, and the water or sewage, suddenly free to flow through the connecting pipe,
empties from the tank and hanging float and flushes the sewers or drains; the ball
cock is closed; and the apparatus is ready to receive a fresh charge.
Where the water is derived from tides, the tank may be divided into two com-
partments A A', Figure 2, each containing floats & B B', set at different levels;
for instance, high water level of the neap tide in one compartment, and high water
level of the spring tide in the other.

page_text: A second pipe may be employed for the entry of the water or sewage, and the
tank may be filled from the water main or other suitable source of supply, or it
may form an intercepting tank in the course of the sewer or drain, and intermittently
discharge as it is filled.
In place of the ball cock G herein before specified to be operated by the rise of
the water or sewage in the tank in order to overcome the flotation of the counter-
poise, I may construct one or both of the supports hollow, as shewn in detail in
Figure 3 and as shewn applied in place in the right hand tank Fig: 2, in which case
the ball tap is omitted.
The hollow supporting tube is in such case in communication with a suitable
water supply. On the side or sides of the float, or in one or both of the Pivots H
(made hollow and in communication with the inside of the float B) are ports placed
to correspond with others constructed on the support C and to admit the water into
the float upon the said float reaching any desired position. The ports are dimen-
sioned proportionately to the time in which it is desired to fill and sink the float
and cause the flush and the pivots are provided with suitable stuffing boxes K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. In a flushing apparatus the combination of a weighted valve and a counter-
poise float attached thereto and operated intermittently by a water supply through
a ball tap or a hollow trunnion joint to produce a periodical flush substantially as
described:
2nd The combination with any ordinary house drain or sewer of a tank fitted
with the above claimed flushing apparatus and filled from the water main or any
other source of supply such as the bath or lavatory waste or placed as an inter-
cepting tank in the said drain or sewer substantially as and for the purposes
described.
3rd In a flushing apparatus the combination of two or more of such sets of
valves & floats operated through ball taps or hollow trunnions in different flushing
tanks or chambers and at two or more various levels to suit the rise of the tides
at different portions of the year to effect periodical tidal flushes substantially as
described.
Dated this 25th day of October 1884.