IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
AUSTIN, of No. 87, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty hath granted unto me
Her Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Twentieth day of July,
in the seventh year of Her reign, for making, using, exercising, and vending,
within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also within all Her Majesty's Colonics and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATERCLOSETS;" subject to the usual
proviso, obliging me to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in the High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Austin, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as follows (that is to say) :-
The nature of my Invention consists in certain Improvements in the Con-
struction of Waterclosets,-
Firstly, in the machinery or apparatus for the supply, discharge, and dis-
tributing of the water to the watercloset.

page_text: Secondly, in the means of working and actuating this machinery or
apparatus.
Thirdly, in the method of forcing water into the water closet basin, when
there is little or no fall provided for the supply, and otherwise as herein-after
and in the several Figures or Drawings hereunto annexed, described and
shewn.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the watercloset; Figure 2 is a sido
elevation; Figure 3 is a section of the service box; Figure 4 is section
of distributor and basin. A is the receiver or service box; B, the supply
pipe; C, air pipe and waste pipe to cistern; D, lever with valve E
attached; F, discharge tube; G, connecting rod of iron, forming also the
weight; H, iron arm attached to seat; I, pipe to basin; J, distributor;
K, basin; L, pan, with weight attached; M, the seat. In these Figures the
apparatus is drawn as it exists when not in use, and the mode of action is as
follows, viz. The seat M works on pivots on its sides, or is otherwise so
fixed as to move up and down on its frame the distance of about an inch, so
that the weight of the person using the closet coming on to the seat causes it
to ascend at the back, whereby the connecting rod G, attached to the back
part of the seat, is forced upwards, and the valve E, at the other end of the
lever D, is brought down on to and closes the discharge tube F, as seen in
Figure 3, and opens a communication between the supply pipe B and the
service box or receiver A, allowing the latter to fill with water. On the
person getting off the seat the connecting rod G falls again, by reason of its
weight causing the seat to go back again, and brings the valve E to its
original position, closing the end of the supply pipe B and opening the
discharge tube F, when the whole body of water confined in the service box
immediately rushes down into the basin. The water may be supplied to the
receiver or service box, and thence to the basin, by other means than the
valve here shewn, as, for instance by a three-way cock, as in Figure 5, or a
perforated cylinder and piston, as in Figure 6. The sectional capacity of the
discharging tube F, and the pipe to the basin, is to be much larger than in
ordinary use, that is to say, of the diameter of two inches, or thereabouts, and
considerably greater than the supply pipe, in the proportion of two inches
diameter, or thereabouts, to half an inch, or thereabouts. By this means the
whole weight and power of the water is brought to bear on the basin and trap
at once, which, acting at the same time as a periodical flushing of the drain,
effectually clears everything before it. The supply pipe may be of less
sectional capacity than in ordinary use, that is to say, of the diameter of balf
an inch, or thereabouts. The distributor J is so formed as to allow the free

page_text: passage of the water conducting it round the basin, without destroying its rush
or power, as is very much the case with the present fan attached to the
basin. The distributor forms either part of the basin itself, or is made sepa-
rate and riveted thereto, in both cases being fastened or attached to the
pipe conveying the water to the basin. The discharge opening of the dis-
tributor is exactly equal to the sectional capacity of the pipe to the basin.
The apparatus or machinery above described may be used with any of the
forms of basin so now employed, which it will be unnecessary to describe.
When the usual pan or valve is attached to the basin, a counterbalancing
weight is bung thereto, as seen at W, in Figure 1; that after the rush of
water has forced down the pan, and emptied its contents, the weight may
bring it back to its original position. In Figures 1 and 3 an air pipe C is
shewn attached to the receiver or service box, which pipe, when the water-
closet is supplied from a cistern near at hand, may also form the waste pipè
thereto, but when this would be inconvenient I form the air pipe as shewn in
Figure 7, in which (a) is a floatable valve closing the air pipe only; when the
service box is filled with water, and preventing the rising of the water therein.
Any leakage there may be from the valve not being perfectly tight is carried
into the discharge pipe by means of the small air pipe (b) in Figure 7. The
great advantages in these improvements in the construction of waterclosets
is their great simplicity and consequent economy, and the strength and
durability of their different parts rendering them much less liable to be put or
get out of order, whilst the water, from being uninterrupted in its course to the
basin, and descending in a much greater body, the basin and its appurtenances
are kept more effectually cleansed. Figures 8 and 9 are sections of a water-
closet apparatus to provide a rush of water to the basin, where the level of
the supply is such as will not admit of a fall for that purpose. The seat
works and is fixed as before described, and has an iron arm S attached. On
the seat being depressed in front, as before described, the rod T lifts the
weight Q, and causes the piston or valve P to descend just below the small
openings R, R, in the box or receiver O, constructed in the lower part of the
cistern N. The portion of the box or receiver above the piston then fills with
water through the small openings, which, when the seat is released, is forced
up into the basin through the pipe U, with a power in proportion to the
weight Q. The advantage gained by this latter construction of waterclosets
will be that a sufficient power of water is obtained in the basin from water
Iying below the basin to effectually carry off the contents of and to cleanse
the basin, and thus a supply of water from above the basin, as in the ordinary
use, dispensed with.

page_text: I claim as my Invention, first, the working of the machinery or apparatus
of a watercloset, by means of the seat, fixed and worked in the manner
herein-before described.
Secondly, the connecting of the machinery or apparatus, as before described,
by the rod, before described, actuating the machinery in both directions.
Thirdly, the working of the valves or other apparatus for the supply of
the water from below the receiver or service box, instead of above the service
box, in the ordinary manner.
Fourthly, the form of distributor before described.
Fifthly, the supplying of a greater rush of water than is ordinarily obtained
to a watercloset basin by the use of a pipe of much greater sectional capacity,
as before described.
Sixthly, the supplying of a rush of water to a watercloset basin, where there
is little or no fall, by means of a weight acting on a piston, or valve, as before
described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twentieth
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred