IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George E. Waring, junior, of Newport, Rhode Island,
United States of America, at present residing at the Royal Hotel, Blackfriars,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATERCLOSETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George E. Waring at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1881.
GEORGE E. WARING, junior, of Newport, Rhode Island, United States of
America, at present residing at the Royal Hotel, Blackfriars, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS.'
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in waterclosets.
I form the pan of a watercloset without a valve and with a siphon like outlet
rising from the bottom to such a height as to retain a suitable depth of water in
the pan. The descending and longer limb of the siphon enters a trap like
receptacle in which water is retained, but the outlet to the drain is at such a level
that the water runs out of the receptacle so far as to uncover the lower end of the
siphon. The descending limb of the siphon is normally empty, or rather contains
When a flow of water is admitted to the pan the action is as follows:-The
trap like receptacle fills to a higher level and seals the outlet from the siphon, and
the flow of water drives the air from the siphon and fills it with water sufficiently
to set up the siphon action by which the pan is very rapidly emptied. The pan is
then again filled by an after flow.
air.
The pan with its siphon delivery passage and base I mould in one piece, making
the pan deep at the back, and tapering gradually into the siphon outlet which
ascends behind. The capacity of the pan at the lower part is small, but at a short
distance below the water level it is suddenly extended forward, so as to provide
the usual extent of water surface. Thus the water is shallow except where the soil
falls, and here it becomes suddenly deep. The soil being received into a part of the
pan where the capacity is small and the sides incline at a steep angle, the
conditions are very favorable to the pan being kept thoroughly clean by the
scour action of the water, resulting from the sudden emptying of the pan by
the siphon. The same conditions are favorable to economy of water.
The siphon can also be set in action by a jet of water thrown either up the
ascending or down the descending limb, and under these circumstances the trap
like receptacle can be dispensed with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George E. Waring in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th April 1882.
GEORGE E. WARING, junior, of Newport, Rhode Island, United States of
America, formerly residing at the Royal Hotel, Blackfriars, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in waterclosets. I form the pan
of a water closet without a valve and with a siphon like outlet rising from the
bottom to such a height as to retain a suitable depth of water in the pan. The
descending and longer limb of the siphon enters a trap like receptacle in which
water is retained, but the outlet to the drain is at such a level that the water runs
out of the receptacle so far as to uncover the lower end of the siphon.
The descending limb of the siphon is normally empty, or rather contains air.
When a flow of water is admitted to the pan the action is as follows:--The trap
like receptacle fills to a higher level and seals the outlet from the siphon, and the
flow of water drives the air from the siphon and fills it with water sufficiently to
set up the siphon action, by which the pan is very rapidly emptied. The pan is
then again filled by an after flow.
The pan with its siphon delivery passage and base I mould in one piece, making
the pan deep at the back and tapering gradually into the siphon outlet which
ascends behind.
The capacity of the pan at the lower part is small, but at a short distance below
the water level it is suddenly extended forward, so as to provide the usual extent
of water surface. Thus the water is shallow except where the soil falls, and here it
becomes suddenly deep. The soil being received into a part of the pan where the
capacity is small and the sides inclined at a steep angle, the conditions are very
favorable to the pan being kept thoroughly clean by the scouring action of the water
resulting from the sudden emptying of the pan by the siphon.
The same
conditions are also favorable to economy of water.
The siphon can also be set in action by a jet of water thrown either up the
ascending or down the descending limb, and under these circumstances the trap
like receptacle can be dispensed with.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a water closet constructed according to my
Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of parts of the same. In the closet here shown the
pan A with the rising limb B of the siphon like outlet are formed together in one
piece of earthenware. This is connected by a joint with another piece, in which is
formed the greater portion of the descending limb C of the siphon, with other parts
hereinafter described. D is a trap like receptacle, which I term the "weir
chamber" it is connected at the lower part of the descending limb C, and it also
may be advantageously constructed in earthenware, although other materials may
be employed. The outlet from the weir chamber is in direct connection with the
soil pipe leading into the drain. E is a water chamber, through which the water
passes on its way to the pan. This chamber and the small lower chamber F are
moulded of a piece with the descending siphon limb C.
The water chamber E is elevated slightly above the pan A. It is connected
with the supply pipe G, and has an overflow pipe H, which communicates through

page_text: the chamber F with the pan A. The overflow pipe H has a small hole H¹ near its
lower end. The passages B and C constituting the siphon deliver into the weir
chamber D, which has its overflow D¹ at an elevation lower than the lower end of
the discharging limb O, where this lower end crosses the weir chamber D. The
depth to which water is held in the pan A is regulated by the height of the bend
between the receiving limb B and the discharging limb C, and it may be of greater
or less height, according to the depth to which it is desired to retain the water,
without thereby affecting the operation of the closet. In an ordinary water closet
I find it desirable to hold water to a depth of about 9 inches, giving a positive
seal of 6 inches between the intake of the receiving limb and the surface of water
in the pan. This depth should always be so much that the water remaining in the
receiving limb B, on dropping back after the siphon "breaks," will suffice to
furnish a considerable seal at the intake. When the weir chamber is filled with
water to its overflow point, there is a space between the surface of the water and
the lower end of the discharging limb at D". This space brings the air in the
siphon B, C, into free communication with the air of the soil pipe, but this open
space at D is so restricted that the introduction of a small quantity of water into
the weir chamber D raises the level of its contents, so as to bring them into
contact with the bottom of the discharging siphon, thus separating the air of the
siphon passage from the air of the soil pipe. This being done, a continuance of
the flow through the discharging limb C carries with it a portion of the confined
air of the siphon, and so lessens the resistance of its atmosphere below that of the .
atmospheric pressure in the pan A, and induces an increased flow into the receiving
limb B. As the flow increases the withdrawal of air from the siphon increases
also, and a true siphon action is soon set up, which continues until the water in the
pan A descends to the intake of the receiving limb B, when it is followed by air,
which arrests the siphon action. The contents of the weir chamber D continue to
escape at the overflow point D¹ until the surface of its water drops away from the
lower end of the discharging limb at D", and adınits air from the soil pipe. The
siphon is then completely emptied of its water, and so much of its contents as
remained in the receiving limb B drops back through the intake, and seals the exit
from the closet.
Having thus described the principle on which the closet works, I now proceed to
explain its operation in practice.
The water chamber E is empty, the pan A is full to its point of overflow between
B and C, and the weir chamber is full to its point of overflow at D'. The handle I
being lifted, the cock K is opened, and water rushes through the supply pipe G into
the chamber E much more rapidly than it can escape through the hole H¹. The
chamber being filled, it overflows at H, and passes through the compartment F
into the pan A Water rises in the limb B, overflows through C, raises the water
level in the weir chamber D until it reaches the lower end of the discharging limb
at D and imprisons the air of the siphon. The flow into the pan A continuing,
the movement of water through this confined atmosphere continues, and carries
with it, as its delivery increases, an increased volume of this confined atmosphere
until a strong siphon action is established, withdrawing from the pan A not only
the water which it originally contained, and which may have been fouled by use,
but also the clean water flowing from the chamber E. When the emptying of the
pan is indicated by the suction of air at the intake of the limb B, the handle I is
dropped, and the water supply is shut off. The air taken into the siphon when
the pan became emptied arrests the siphon action, the contents of the pipe G full
into the weir chamber D, and overflow into the soilpipe, and the contents of the
receiving limb B fall back and seal the intake. The pan A is now slowly filled by
the discharge of the contents of the chamber E through the hole H'. The weir
chamber discharges its surplus water over the overflow D', and unseals the vent at
D¹¹, so that there can be no further withdrawal of water from the pan A until a
sufficient volume of water is delivered into it to cause another sealing of the
vent D. This can take place only when the supply valve K is again opened, or

page_text: when water in considerable quantity is delivered into the pan A by other means.
For the lowering of the water level in the weir chamber D, I do not wish to
confine myself to a depression of the overflow point D¹; this point may be higher
than the lower end of the discharging limb, and the contents of the weir chamber D
may be lowered by the action of a subsidiary siphon leading from the weir chamber
over the point H, and delivering to the outlet.
As already stated, closets may be constructed without the weir chamber D, and
with a high pressure water jet either in the ascending limb B or in the descending
limb C of the siphon delivery passage to set up the siphon like action.
Attention has already been directed to the peculiar form of the pan, deep at the
part where the soil is deposited into a cavity of small dimensions at the lower end
of the rising limb of the siphon like delivery passage, and shallow in front where
the pan receives the urine.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim, -
First. My improved water closet with siphon delivery appliances, substantially
as described.
Second. The combination, the pan A, the siphon B, C, and the weir chamber D,
substantially as described.
Third. The pan A having the peculiarities of construction herein set forth, and
with its rising delivery B, substantially as described and represented in the annexed
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George E. Waring, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.