Improvements in Double Flush Tanks for Water Closets.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1891-Accepted. 18th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Double Flush Tanks for Water Closets.
JOHN CULVER BEEKMAN, Doctor of Medicine, of No. 21, West 122nd Street
in the City and County of New York, in the State of New York, United States of
America, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improvement in double flush tanks for water closets,
the object being to provide a float valve and mechanisin subject to the action of the
valve, by which a double flush may be obtained by a single impulse of the operating
device.
A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying
drawings, in which―
Fig. 1 is a view of the tank in longitudinal vertical section, shewing the valve
and other operating parts partly in section.
Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through line of Fig. 1, with certain
of the parts partially broken away, to more clearly illustrate other parts.
Fig. 3 is a top plan view, on a reduced scale, and
Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, represent the operative parts in side elevation, and illustrate
the positions which they assume at different stages of operation.
A represents the tank, divided by a cross partition B into the compartments A' A²
The partition B terminates at a point below the sides and ends of the tank A, and
is provided centrally along its upper edge with a depression B¹ for the overflow of
water from one of the compartments into the other. Through the bottom of the
compartment A' extends a discharge pipe C, the same being secured watertight to
the bottom, as herein shown, by an annular flange e, which is intended to rest upon
the bottom of the tank, around the margin of the opening through which the pipe
extends, and the lower portion of the pipe is screw-threaded, and adapted to receive
a mut e, which, when forced home into contact with the bottom of the tank A,
serves to tightly seal the joint between the flange c' and the upper face of the nut c²,
and at the same time hold the pipe securely in position.
The upper portion of the pipe C is provided with a flaring valve seat c³, the face
of which is preferably circular, in order to fit the curved surface of a spherical
valve D. Across the upper end of the discharge pipe C, is a bar or other suitable
support centrally through which there is a perforation to receive the depending
stem which serves to centre the valve within its scat. An overflow pipe
from a point above the water line down to, and opens into, the discharge pipe C.
The spherical valve D, here shown, is provided with an upwardly extending
operating rod d, which extends upwardly through a suitable guide E at the top of
the tank, and between the forked ends e on the arm e' of the operating lever.
leads
Stops to limit the rise and fall of the operating rod d', and hence the valve, are
located in the desired adjustment upon the operating rod d', and are here shown as
collars and d³, provided with set screws, as is common, to secure them in the
desired positions on the rod. The operating lever is fulcrummed upon a suitable
support e, and to the end of its arm e' the operating cord, provided with an operating
handle, is secured. A stationary arm e projects upwardly in a slanting direction
from the tank, in the present instance from the line of the pivotal connection e³, and
to its end, and to the end of the arm of the operating lever, the ends of a spiral
spring are secured.
The tension of the spring e is exerted in a direction to return the operating
valve to its horizontal adjustment, after it has been operated by pulling down on
the handle

page_text: The valve DI term a float valve, as it is intended that it shall be of such specific
gravity, that, when it is wholly immersed in water, it will have a tendency to float
therein, but its weight, as compared with the weight of the water which it displaces,
is such, that when the water pressure shall have been removed from a portion of its
surface, as, for example, that portion below the upper margin of the valve seat, the
pressure of the water on the other portion, together with the weight of the valve,
will be sufficient to hold the valve seated. It is evident, of course, that the valve
itself need not be of less specific gravity than water, as the same function could be
secured by counterbalancing a valve which was of greater specific gravity than
water, in such a manner as to cause it to float, when wholly immersed, and remain
permanently scated when the water pressure was taken off from a portion of its
surface. The stop d² is so located upon the rod d', that the upward travel of the
valve will be terminated before the stem shall have escaped from the guide bar c',
and hence the will always be in position to return centrally to its seat. The
operation of this valve D is as follows:-
When a pull is exerted upon the handle e, the valve D will be lifted from its
seat, through the forked arm of the operating lever e¹, and the rod. The
operating lever, through the tension of the spring e, will be immediately returned
to its normal position, but the valve D being now wholly immersed, will remain
lifted from its seat and floating. The water will rush from the discharge pipe C
until the compartiment A' has been emptied to a point so low as to no longer Hoat
the valve D, when the latter will fall again to its seat, and the discharge pipe will
be closed.
As the compartment A' again fills with water, the valve D being now in a position
to prevent the water from gaining access to its lower portion, will remain seated.
The second flush is under the automatic control of the valve herein above described,
and the mechanism by which it is accomplished is constructed and arranged, as
follows:-
A discharge pipe H is secured to the bottom of the compartment A2, preferably
by means of an annular flange, and nuit 2, engaged upon the threaded portion of
the pipe below the bottom, in a manner quite similar to that described with respect
to the discharge pipe C.
The upper portion of the discharge pipe H, is provided with a concave seat
adapted to receive the lower portion of a spherical valve ³, and a bar 4° extending
across the upper portion of the discharge pipe is provided with an opening to receive
the depending valve stem, which serves to guide and centre the valve in its seat.
The valve is also what I term a float valve, in that when wholly immersed 'in
water, it will tend to float, but when the water pressure is removed from the lower
portion of its surface, the pressure on the remaining part of it will be sufficient, to
hold it seated.
As herein shown, the valve ³ is seated nearer the bottom of the compartment A³
than the valve D is to bottom of its compartment.
An operating rod extends upwardly from the top of the valve and through
a suitable opening in a bracket A secured to the side of the tank.
Stops, shown in the present instance as collars 4 and ', embracing the rod h',
and provided with set screws to hold them in the desired adjustment, are located in
such positions on the rod as to determine the upward movement of the valve, and
also the movement of a float g', located in the compartment A¹, as follows:-
The float is connected to the arm of a lever fulcrummed, as shown at y', to a
suitable support G, secured to the partition B. The other army of the lever
extends in a position to engage the rod, and the forked end of the arm g³
embraces the opposite sides of said rod between the stops 4 and 7. A counter
balance weight is secured, conveniently by means of a set screw, in the desired
position upon the arm, to give the desired preponderance of weight to the arm g².
A float is located within the compartment A, and connected with an arm 73 of
an angle lever pivoted at its angle to a suitable support 7, and having its other
arm connected with a slide valve f6 for controlling the supply of water to tie
.11.

page_text: tank A through a suitable supply pipe F. The rod, which connects the float/2
with the arm of the angle lever, is fixed to the arm f³, so as to cause the said
arm to move with the rod. The sliding valve ƒ consists, in the example shown
herein, of a cylindrical plug adapted to slide across the opening in the supply
pipe F, and the arm, which is connected with the end of the valve, is provided
with an
clongated slut, to allow for the play of the arm as the angle lever is
rocked upon its pivot. The supply pipe F leads into the compartment A'. The
operation of the whole is as follows:-
When a pull is exerted upon the handle e, and the valve D thereby raised, as
hereinbefore explained, the valve will remain suspended (see Fig. 4), and the water
in the compartment A will rapidly lower. As the water in the compartment A'
lowers, water from the compartment A will flow over the partition B, and through
similar openings B and B (see Fig. 5) in the partition B, into the compartment A',
but the escape of water from the compartment A' will be much more rapid than
the increase of water from the compartment A2, and from the now partially opened
supply pipe. The lowering of the water in the compartment A', will gradually lower
the float guntil the forked end g of the lever connected with the float engages the
stop on the rod, and produces a sufficient lift upon the valve to lift it from
its seat. When lifted from its seat, the valve ³, because of its tendency to float,
will remain open, and the second flush will take place through the pipe H. The
water will then gradually fill the compartment A³, the valve having become
seated, as soon as the water in the compartment A became so low as not to float
the valve, the rise of the float g, and the engagement of the forked end of the
lever with the stop he on the rod, having assisted to seat said valve ³, in case
the water in the compartiment A had not sufficiently lowered to accomplish it.
The refilling of the compartment A2 will again lift the float and close the valve/",
as the tank A. becomes completely filled, and the whole will be ready for a repetition
of the double flush before described.
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 1
claim is :-
1. The combination with a flush tank provided with suitable discharge pipes, of
a valve having a tendency to float, when immersed, for controlling the first discharge
from the tank, and a second valve controlled by the action of the first named valve,
to effect a second discharge, the said valves having no connection with each other,
except through the liquid in the tank, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a tank provided with inter-communicating compart-
ments, and a discharge pipe for each compartment, of a valve under hand control,
having a tendency to float, when immersed, for effecting a discharge from one of
the compartments, and a valve in the other compartment having a tendency to float,
when immersed, and under the immediate control of a float in the first named
compartment, for effecting a second discharge, the connection between the valve for
the second discharge and the float, being such, that the float is allowed to move
through a predetermined distance, before effecting an opening of the said valve,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a tank provided with intercommunicating compartments,
a supply pipe for supplying water to one of the compartments, and a discharge pipe
for each compartment, of a valve under hand control, having a tendency to float,
when immersed, for effecting a discharge from the compartment to which the supply
leads, a float in said compartment having an engagement with a valve for effecting
a discharge from the other compartment, and a float in said last named compart-
ment for controlling the supply, the said floats for operating the second discharge
and the supply being separate from each other, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the tank provided with compartments for the first and
second discharge, the partition between the compartments being provided with
openings therethrough, of a first discharge valve, and means for operating it by hand,

page_text: a second discharge valve in the other compartment, and having its operating rod
connected with a float in the first discharge compartment by a lever, the said float
being wholly separate from the valve and valve operating mechanism of the first
discharge, and the said lever having a free play between stops located at a pre-
determined distance apart upon the second discharge operating rod, and a supply
valve operated by a float in the compartment of the second discharge, and wholly
separate from the discharge valves and their operating mechanism, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this o6th dow of Now 1001
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.