Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets and Urinals and for other like Purposes, and for Regulating the Supply of Water for Flushing.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets and Urinals
and for other like Purposes, and for Regulating the Supply of
Water for Flushing.
I JOSEPH BREEDEN of New Mill Works Fazeley Street Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
:-
My invention consists in the construction and arrangements hereinafter described of
the parts of flushing apparatus for flushing water closets and for other like purposes
such for example as sinks and drains and for regulating the supply of water for
flushing and other purposes.
In making a flushing apparatus according to my invention I take a cistern having
a capacity equal to the quantity of water to be discharged at each flushing operation.
In this cistern a hollow cylinder open at bottom but nearly closed at top is fixed the
said hollow cylinder being supported on feet on the bottom of the cistern. Into the
said hollow cylinder the short branch of a syphon opens the connection of the syphon
with the cylinder being at the highest part of the side of the cylinder. The bend of
the syphon is a little higher than the water level of the cistern. The said bend of the
syphon is flattened horizontally so that a slight rise of the water level suffices to set
the syphon in action. The longer branch of the syphon passes through the bottom of
the cistern and communicates with the closet or place to be flushed. In the hollow
cylinder described is a circular disc or piston carried by a rod passing through a hole
in the top of the cylinder. The disc or piston is of slightly less diameter than the
internal diameter of the hollow cylinder and the hole in the top of the cylinder is
sufficiently large to allow the piston rod to work in it without friction. The top of
the piston rod is jointed to one end of a lever above the cistern and a chain or cord is
attached to the other end of the said lever. The cistern is automatically filled after
discharge by a ball cock constructed as hereinafter described.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
:-
The cistern being full of water when it is wished to flush the closet or place the cord
or chain of the lever is pulled downwards the piston or disc in the hollow cylinder is

page_text: thereby raised in the said cylinder. The lifting of the said piston raises the water
above it to the level of the bend of the syphon the syphon is thereby brought into action
and the water of the cistern discharged until its level descends below the level of the
bottom edge of the cylinder. Air then enters the cylinder and syphon when the flushing
operation ends. As the pulling of the chain or cord to the full extent raises the piston
or disc to the top of the cylinder the said disc is then above the side opening to the
syphon and the flow of water is unobstructed by the said disc during the flushing
operation.
The automatic filling of the cistern with water after each flushing operation is
effected by a ball cock of the following construction. The body of the said cock is a
hollow cylinder having a valve seat at its junction with the supply pipe which pipe is
in a line with the said body. The delivery pipe is at right angles to the hody and
supply pipe and the three parts namely the hody supply pipe and delivery pipe
together with the snugs to which the lever carrying the float or ball is jointed are all
cast in one piece. The short arm of the said lever is curved the curve being excentric
to the centre on which the lever turns. The valve of the cock consists of a plug
working approximately water tight in the body and having at its inner end an india
rubber or other washer which when the cock is shut bears on the valve seat described.
The curved end of the short arm of the ball lever bears against the outer end of the
plug. The lower part of the curved end of the lever is of shorter radius than the
upper end and when the ball end of the lever sinks by the emptying of the cistern
the plug of the valve is no longer pressed to its scat and water passes through the
open cock to the cistern. As the cistern fills the float or ball rises and the upper part
of the curved end of the lever of longer radius than the lower part is made to bear
on the plug which is thereby pressed to its seat and when the water has reached the
proper level the cock is closed and the supply of water cut off.
Dated this Twenty fourth day of December 1887.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets and Urinals
and for other like Purposes, and for Regulating the Supply of
Water for Flushing.
I JOSEPH BREEDEN of New Mill Works, Fazeley Street, Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
My invention consists in the construction and arrangements herein after described
of the parts of flushing apparatus for flushing water closets and for other like purposes
such for example as sinks and drains and for regulating the supply of water for flushing
and other purposes.
In making a flushing apparatus according to my invention I take a cistern having
a capacity equal to the quantity of water to be discharged at each flushing operation.
In this cistern a hollow cylinder open at bottom but nearly closed at top is fixed the
said hollow cylinder being supported on feet on the bottom of the cistern. Into the
said hollow cylinder the short branch of a syphon opens, the connection of the syphon
with the cylinder being at the highest part of the side of the cylinder. The bend of
the syphon is a little higher than the water level of the cistern. The said bend of
the syphon is flattened horizontally so that a slight rise of the water level suffices to
set the syphon in action. The longer branch of the syphon passes through the bottom
of the cistern and communicates with the closet or place to be flushed. In the hollow
cylinder described is a circular disc or piston carried by a rod passing through a hole
in the top of the cylinder.
The disc or piston is of slightly less diameter than the internal diameter of the
hollow cylinder and the hole in the top of the cylinder is sufficiently large to allow
the piston rod to work in it without friction. The top of the piston rod is jointed to
one end of a lever above the cistern and a chain or cord is attached to the other end
of the said lever. The raising of the disc or piston in the hollow cylinder causes the
syphon action to be set up and the flushing effected as herein after described. The
cistern is automatically filled after discharge by a ball cock constructed as hereinafter
described.
The body of the said cock is a hollow cylinder having a valve seat at its junction
with the supply pipe which pipe is in a line with the said body. The delivery pipe is
at right angles to the body and supply pipe and the three parts, namely, the body,
supply pipe and delivery pipe together with the snugs to which the lever carrying the
float or ball is jointed are all cast in one piece. The short arm of the said lever
is curved, the curve being excentric to the centre on which the lever turns. The
valve of the cock consists of a plug working approximately water tight in the
hody and having at its inner end an india rubber or other washer which when the
cock is shut bears on the valve seat described. The curved end of the short arm of

page_text: the ball lever bears against the outer end of the plug and by the position of the ball
end of the lever, the said curved and excentric end of the lever closes or permits of
the opening of the cock.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal sections of a flushing apparatus constructed
according to my invention in combination with a ball cock also constructed according
to my invention for regulating the supply of water to the cistern of the flushing
apparatus Figure 3 represents a plan of the flushing and regulating apparatus. In
Figures 1 and 3 the parts of the apparatus are represented in their normal positions
ready for effecting the flushing operation and in Figure 2 the flushing apparatus is
represented in action and the flushing cistern partly emptied.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent the ball cock or regulating apparatus separately
drawn to a large scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
and 3.
1 will first describe the flushing apparatus represented in Figures 1,
a is the flushing cistern; bis the hollow cylinder fixed in the said cistern, the said
cylinder being open at bottom and supported on feet on the bottom of the said
cistern so that there is free access of water from the cistern to the said cylinder: e dis
the syphon, being the short leg or branch and d the long leg, the said long leg
passing through the bottom of the cistern and opening into the down pipe e in con-
nection with the closet or place to be flushed. The short branch or leg c of the syphon
is flattened as represented and opens into the cylinder at the side and highest part of
the cylinder b. It will be seen by an examination of Figures 1 and 2 that the bend d²
of the syphon is flattened horizontally for the purpose herein before explained, the
said bend being situated a little higher than the normal water level of the cistern a:
is a circular disc or piston working in the hollow cylinder b. The said disc or
piston is of less diameter than the cylinder as represented and is carried by the
rod
which passes through the top of the cylinder and is connected by the link . to
the quadrant head of the lever the outer arm of the said lever being provided
with the ordinary pull down or hand chain & and handle. On the upper side of the
disc or piston is an india rubber washer 7 to act as a buffer for preventing the said
disc or piston striking against the top of the cylinder when the said disc or piston is
fully raised and also for closing airtight the opening through which the piston rod
works when the piston is raised as in Figure 2.
The ball cock m by which the cistern is automatically filled after discharge is
hereinafter particularly described.
The action of the flushing apparatus is as follows:-
The cistern a being full of water and the parts in the respective positions represented
in Figure 1 the apparatus is ready for flushing. When it is wished to flush the
and
closet or place the chain of the lever is pulled downwards by its handle; the
piston or disc in the hollow cylinder is thereby raised to the top of the said
cylinder as illustrated in Figure 2. The lifting of the said piston raises the water
above it forcing the said water up the short lege of the syphon and filling the bend d
of the syphon. The syphon is thereby brought into action and the water of the
cistern a discharged through the long leg d and down pipe e until its level descends below
the level of the bottom edge of the cylinder b. Air then enters the cylinder
syphon c d when the flushing operation ends. As the pulling down of the chain k to
the full extent raises the piston or disc to the top of the cylinder b, the said disc
is then above the side opening to the syphon c, d as represented in Figure 2 and in
this position it is maintained by the ascending current of the flushing water passing
through the cylinder. The flow of water is thus unobstructed by the said disc during
the flushing operation. The syphon action having ceased, the piston is no longer
supported by the ascending current of the flushing water in the cylinder & and the
said piston falls to the normal position represented in Figure 1 ready for another
flushing operation.

page_text: I will now describe with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6 the construction of the
ball cock.
Figure represents in side elevation partly in section and Figure 5 in plan of
underside the said ball cock closed and Figure 6 represents in section the said cock
opened by the descent of the float lever.
m is the cylindrical body of the ball cock; n is the supply pipe in a line with the
body and p is the delivery pipe at right angles to the body m and supply pipe n. Tho
said body m, supply pipe n and delivery pipe p together with the snugs 7, 7 in which
the float lever turns are cast in one piece. At the junction of the body m with the
supply pipe n is a valve seats on which an india rubber washer, carried by the valve
or plug t, seats itself to close the cock as represented in Figure 4: ² is the short
curved and excentric arm of the float lever which arm bears against the outer
end of the plug t. It will be seen by an examination of Figures 4 and 6 that the
lower part of the curved arm 2 of the float lever is of shorter radius than the upper
part and when the ball end of the lever sinks by the emptying of the cistern the
plug t being no longer pressed to its seat takes the position represented in Figure 6
and opens the cock and water passes through the open cock to the cistern. As the
float or ball rises the upper part of the curved arm of the lever of longer radius
than the lower part is made to bear on the plug which is thereby pressed to its seat
as represented in Figure 4 and when the water has reached the proper level in the
cistern the cock is closed as represented in the said Figure 4 and the supply of
water cut off.
The ball cock described and represented may be used with flushing apparatus
generally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in apparatus for flushing water closets and urinals and
for other like purposes and for regulating the supply of water for flushing."
b
First In flushing apparatus the combination of the open bottomed hollow
cylinder (supported on the bottom of and opening into the flushing cistern) and the
disc or piston working in the said cylinder with the syphon c, d the short leg or
branch of which opens at the side and the highest part of the said cylinder, the
several parts being constructed and acting substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly Flattening the bend of the syphon of flushing apparatus horizontally so
that a slight rise of the water level suffices to set the syphon in action as herein before
described aud illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly Making the cylindrical hollow body, supply pipe and delivery pipe of ball
cocks together with the snugs to which the float or ball lever is jointed in one
piece substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Dated the 17th day of Santamber 1888