Year: 1886

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 19th day of August 1886, amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
[The Amendments are shower in erased and štalic toma]

page_text: :
at Figure 1 the ball cylinder is continued to the bottom of the cistern, but it need
only be so deep as to permit a drop of the ball float sufficient to open the supply
cock. The ball float C is connected to the supply cock D in the ordinary way by
a straight rod C¹ as shown in the Drawings, in which case the ball cylinder B is
provided with an inclined trough B¹ which extends from the wall of the cistern A
under the supply cock D to the ball cylinder B, or instead of being fitted as just
described the ball C may be attached to the supply cock D by an arched, or bent
lever, or a lever with a goose neck, so that, the ball C will be free to rise and fall
in the ball cylinder B when the cylinder fills and empties. When the trough
attachment B as shown in the Drawings is used, the discharge nozzle of the
cock D passes through a hole in the bottom of the trough B¹ in such a manner
that the supply cock D and the ball float lever C¹ lie in the trough B¹ and are by
it separated entirely from the cistern A. The ball cylinder B is connected with
the cistern A by an overflow orifice 6 having its upper lip level with the full water
level of the cistern A. This overflow orifice b must be of less area than the area
of the nozzle of the supply cock D so that it will not admit into the ball cylinder B
as much liquid as flows through the supply cock D. Attached to the ball cylinder B
there is a syphon pipe e. The short leg of this syphon pipe e enters the ball
cylinder B just at the level to which the ball float C sinks, in opening the cock D.
The bend of this syphone is placed just above the overflow orifice 6 from the
cistern A to the ball cylinder B so that the bend of the syphon is clearly above the
upper lip of the overflow orifice b. The long leg of the syphon e must be of such
a length that if filled to the bend of the syphon and if the ball cylinder B be
afterwards filled to the over flow level b and the ball C floating, the column of
water in the long leg of the syphone will draw the contents of the ball cylinder B
by syphonage into the cistern A so that the water level in the ball cylinder B and
with it the ball C sink to the level of the entry of the short leg of the syphon e in
the ball cylinder B. For "service" cisterns" the cock D should be arranged above
the overflow level as shown in dotted lines at Figure 4.
The beforegoing gives an example of our Invention as applied to a flushing
cistern, or any other hydraulic apparatus, the supply of water to which and the
discharge of water from which requires to be regulated; the discharge from the
cistern, or vessel being through a syphon, valve, or by other equivalent means.
The operation being presuming the cistern to be empty and the ball cylinder to be
empty, the cistern A will fill until the water level reaches the orifice b when the
ball cylinder B will fill through the overflow orifice b and when full the water in
the ball cylinder B will by floating the ball C, close the cock D and stop the supply.
Now the whole of the contents from the cistern A can be drawn off without a fresh
supply being given until the water level falls so as to untrap the long leg of the
syphon e (which may be before the falling water clears the end of that long leg)
when the contents of the ball cylinder B will be discharged into the cistern A through
the syphon e and the ball float C will sink and the supply to the cistern A will be
again opened.
In further explanation of our Invention and of the example shown in the
Drawings and of dimensions which we find suitable, the cistern may be eighteen
inches long, twelve inches deep and twelve inches wide. The ball cylinder B may
be six and a half inches in diameter. The overflow orifice b must-be is of such size
that it will not quite receive the full bore of the nozzle of the supply cock D. The
ball C and the lever Care connected with the supply cock in the ordinary way,
the full lines show the position of the ball C when the cock D is shut; the dotted
lines show the position of the ball C when the cock D is open. The ball C is five
and a half inches in diameter, and the supply nozzle of the cock D passes through
the bottom of the trough B. The syphon e which discharges the cylinder B down
to the water level 2 from the water level 1, to the lower end of the long leg of the
syphone measures eight and a half inches and from the crown of the syphon e to
the entry of its short leg in the cylinder B measures three and a quarter inches.
The syphon is of one half inch sectional area and the bend of the syphone is as

page_text: short as possible without flattening. These measurements are made with special
regard to the certain working of the syphon. In a cistern discharging through a
one and a quarter inch pipe and having a length of pipe below the cistern of six
feet, the ball C opens the supply cock D before the discharge is completed, so far
that from three to four ounces of water are a small quantity of water is supplied
before the discharge is completed, therefore the apparatus is inaccurate in action to
the extent of from three to four ounces such quantity in each discharge. To over-
come this inaccuracy we provide a cup F of size about four inches diameter by three
and a quarter inches deep fitted with a syphon G of one half inch sectional area, the
crown of which is placed about two thirds from the bottom of the cup F. The short
leg of the syphon G is one quarter inch from the bottom of the cup Fand the long leg
of the syphon G opens into the cistern A two inches below the bottom of the cup F.
The supply cock D discharges into the cup F. By providing the cup F, the discharge
of the cistern A constructed and regulated as above described is absolutely accurate,
provided the valve on the supply pipe be tight, whatever may be the pressure under
which the water is supplied to it through the cock D, or whatever the length
and nature and size of the discharge pipe from the cistern. By accurate we mean
accurate for most practical purposes but not for the purpose of a water meter.
In action presuming the cistern A to be empty and the float ball C to be floating
in the ball cylinder B at the water level 2, (the ball cylinder B after its first
discharge being always left charged with water to that level), and the supply
cock D being opened, the water flows from the supply cock D into the cup F and
fills the cup F and overflows into the body of the cistern A. The water continues.
to be supplied full bore until it overflows into the ball cylinder through the orifice
at b. It overflows through the overflow pipe orifice b and fills the ball cylinder B
to the level 1 which is the ordinary full level of the cistern: the ball float C rising
with the water shuts off the water supply by closing the supply cock D. While
the water has been rising in the cistern A it has filled the long leg of the syphon e
to the level 1 but the syphon e is arranged as before described so that the column
of water in its long leg when that column falls will exhaust ita short leg and draw
the contents of the ball cylinder B that cylinder being full, down to the level 2 when
the water level in the cistern A has fallen, through the discharge of the cistern A.
The lower level 3 is the level to which the cistern A is to be emptied and if the
cistern A be emptied to this level the syphon e discharges the contents of the ball
cylinder B as soon as the long leg of the syphone is untrapped. By emptying the
ball cylinder B to the level 2 the ball C drops and the full bore supply through.
the cock D recommences and the process already described is repeated. By careful
regulation of the length of the long leg of the syphon e, the falling of the ball C
and the opening of the supply cock D may be so adjusted that no supply given:
to the cistern A until its discharge is completed, but we prefer to adjust the
syphon e so that it discharges the ball cylinder B just before the discharge of the
cistern A finishes. If so arranged the supply cock D will pass from-three-to-six:
ounces of water a small quantity of water before the discharge of the cistern A is
completed but by the fitting and use of the cup F this initial discharge is caught
and prevented from passing into the cistern A but when the water level in the
cistern A has fallen below the long leg of the syphon G, the cup F empties by
syphonage and the first few ounces of water which have been supplied through the
cock D are thus discharged by syphonage into the cistern A after it has been
emptied. By this arrangement the discharge from the cistern A is accurate. In
all forms of hydraulic apparatus in which such a cup F is used, its size must be
apportioned to what is required, namely to catch and retain the initial discharge
of the supply until the discharge of the apparatus is completed.
In the description of our Invention we have referred more particularly to a
flushing cistern having a discharge at K but our Invention can be applied to any
form of cistern, or hydraulic apparatus of like type with the results above described,
provided the conditions above specified for its action are carried out. In flushing
cisterns and like apparatus the ordinary overflow orifice must be provided, as at L

page_text: In order to avoid any ambiguity we beg to define the conditions under which
this apparatus for controlling the supply and discharge of cisterns works. This
apparatus consists of a separate chamber of limited size which we have named the
ball cylinder. To this chamber a syphon named syphon e in the foregoing, is
attached. With this a subsidiary apparatus named cup F with its syphon G is
used. In describing the relation of the ball float C to the ball cylinder the term
a" sufficient clearance" is employed, and certain proportions are indicated as
necessarily obtaining between the long and short legs of syphon e. By" sufficient
clearance" we mean that when the ball floats in the ball cylinder at the high water
level there must always be in the ball cylinder between the overflow orifice b and
the extremity of the short leg of the syphon e. such a quantity of water that when
the long leg of the syphone is "untrapped" the syphone will be put in action
from the ball cylinder. We wish further to state that the emptying of the ball
cylinder is occasioned by the action of a column of water in that leg of syphon e
which hangs down in the cistern and which becomes effectively the charged leg of
syphon e, by the fall of the water level in cistern A, when the contents of that
cistern are discharged. When the water fulls sufficiently in cistern A. the condi-
tions are produced by which the column of water in the long leg of syphon e
becomes effective to empty ball cylinder B by syphonage, and it is this condition
of syphone which we wish to describe when we speak of its long leg as being
untrapped by the fall of water in cistern A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
First. The means substantially herein described of regulating the action of
flushing cisterns, or other hydraulic apparatus of like type, which means consist in
the employment of a subsidiary chamber having a syphon and in which chamber
the float ball of the supply cock works as described, and whereby the volume of
water, or other liquid passing through the cistern can be controlled as set forth.
Second. In combination with a flushing cistern, or hydraulic apparatus of like a
type the use of a cup such as F having a syphon such as G proportioned and
operating as described and whereby the volume of water, or other liquid passing
through the cistern can be accurately gauged as set forth.
Third. In flushing cisterns, or hydraulic apparatus of the like type and of various
forms and capacities, the combination in connection with such apparatus, of a ball 3
cock and lever (such as CC') and a supply cock (such as D) of a subsidiary chamber
(such as B) an overflow orifice (such as b) a syphon (such as e) a cup (such as F)
a syphon (such as G) all constructed on the conditions hereinbefore described,
whereby the filling of the cistern with liquid to a fixed level at the full bore of
the supply cock and an iminediate closure of the supply cock is ensured and an 4
accurate discharge of the contents of the cistern is obtained, substantially as herein
described and shown in reference to the Drawings hereto annexed.
Fourth. The construction and arrangement of parts of a "flushing cistern"
substantially as herein described and shown in reference to the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Dated this twenty fifth day of February 1886
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