IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR' REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER SIMILAR PLACES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Preston and John Prestige, of the Firm
of J. Stone and Company, of Deptford, in the County of Kent,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR'
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER SIMILAR
PLACES."
Sealed the 31st May 1870, and dated the 8th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left, by the said George Preston and
John Prestige at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th December 1869.
We, GEORGE PRESTON and JOHN PRESTIGE, of the Firm of J. Stone
and Company, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER
SIMILAR PLACES," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to regulate the closing of the water
supply tap in such a manner that when the ordinary handle or pull has.
been acted upon to open the tap the descent of the lever and weight.

page_text: which acts on the water supply tap shall be governed and caused to fall
gradually, so that the water shall flow into the bason for a short time
after the ordinary handle or pull has been acted upon in lieu of stopping
suddenly as is usually the case.
The Invention consists in the arrangement and employment of two
cylinders or barrels placed side by side or in close connection one with
the other, so that a tube or passage which is fitted to their lower ends
shall form a communication between them for the passage of air and
oil or other lubricant. The air is drawn into one cylinder by a valve
piston to be forced through into the other cylinder and escape through a
valve fitted thereon. We prefer to furnish the piston cylinder with a
quantity of oil or other liquid lubricant for the cup leather on the
piston to dip into, in order to lubricate the same at each stroke. The
upper part of the piston cylinder is sufficiently open to admit of the
air entering therein and passing the edge of the cup leather on cach up
stroke, so that a supply is obtained below it, and on its down stroke,
which is effected by the descent of the ordinary lever and weight, the
cup leather expands and touches the inside of the cylinder so that the.
air is forced through the oil and the tube or passage into the other
cylinder, from whence it escapes through the orifice in the air cscape
valve. This other cylinder forms, a lubricant receiver when the piston
falls to the bottom of its cylinder. The air escape valvo is adjustable
on its seat, and can be opened to a larger or less degree to limit the
escape and thus regulate the closing of the water supply tap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Preston and John Prestige in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 8th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
PRESTON and JOHN PRESTIGE, of the Firm of J. Stone and Company,
of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing. date. the Eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One. thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto us, the said George Preston and John Prestige, Her
special licence that we, the said George Preston and John Prestige,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said George Preston and John Prestige, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER SIMILAR PLACES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Preston and John
Prestige, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our; or one of our or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Preston and John Prestige,.
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
The object of our Invention is to regulate the closing of the water
supply tap in such a manner that when the ordinary handle or pull has
been acted upon to open the tap the descent of the lever and weight
which acts on the water supply tap shall be governed and caused to fall
gradually, so that the water shall flow into the basin for a short time
after the ordinary handle or pull has been acted upon in lieu of stopping
suddenly as is usually the case.
The Invention consists in the arrangement and employment of two.
cylinders or barrels placed side by side, so that a tube or passage which
is fitted to their lower ends shall form a communication between them
for the passage of air and oil or other lubricant. The air is drawn into
one cylinder by a valve piston, to be forced through into the other
cylinder and escape through a valve fitted thereon. We prefer to furnish
the piston cylinder with a quantity of oil or other liquid lubricant for
the cup leather on the piston to dip into, in order to lubricate tlie same.

page_text: at each stroke. The upper part of the piston cylinder is sufficiently open
to admit of the air entering therein and passing the edge of the cup
leather on each up stroke, so that a supply is obtained below it, and on
its down stroke, which is effected by the descent of the ordinary lever
and weight, the cup leather expands and touches the inside of the
cylinder, so that the air is forced through the oil and the tube or passage
into the other cylinder, from whence it escapes through the orifice in the
air escape valve. This other cylinder forms a lubricant receiver when
the piston falls to the bottom of its cylinder. The air escape valve is
adjustable on its seat, [and can be opened to a larger or less degree
to limit the escape and thus regulate the closing of the water supply
tap.
The manner in which we carry our Invention into effect is represented
in the annexed Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a section of our apparatus
as before referred to, consisting of two cylinders placed side by side, and
connected by a tube or passage for the air and oil to pass through from
one cylinder to the other, and vice versa.
с
a is one of the cylinders fitted at the upper part with an adjustable
valve or cock b, which can be screwed down to close the opening. or
passage c leading from the interior of the cylinder to the outer air, so
as to regulate the inlet and outlet of the air according to the desire of
the person fixing the apparatus in place, whereby he is enabled to
determine as to whether the water supply tap should be shut off more
or less quickly to regulate the supply of water to the basin or other
receiver. The lower part of the cylinder a is attached to the cylinder d
by a tube or passage to form the connection, and we prefer that the
passage should be through the base plate e, as shewn, which acts as a
tube for the communication between one cylinder and the other. This
passage admits of the oil with which the cylinder a is furnished flowing
into the cylinder d to find its own level, when the pull handle or lever
lifts the piston g by means of its rod m. The piston of the cylinder d
is provided with a cup leather which yields to the pressure of the air
in the cylinder when the piston is lifted, so that the air finds itself below
it by passing between the edges of the leather and the inner face of the
cylinder. When this takes place the oil flows from the cylinder a by the
tube or passage e and finds its own level, as before explained, the space
vacated by it being filled with air which enters through the valve b.
In the down stroke of the pistop the cup leather expands and drives the

page_text: air before it, which percolates through the oil and enters the cylinder a
by the tube or passage e, and thence out through the valve or cock b. A
fresh supply of air to the cylinder d passes into it by the space formed in
the cover or cap 1, in which the piston rod is made to work loosely. The
cap k on the cylinder a is fitted air-tight, so that all the air leaving that
cylinder must pass through the opening c. By this means as the valve b
is more or less opened the air can be allowed to escape to the greatest
nicety in proportion, and thus regulate the descent of the piston and
consequently the closing of the valve i of the water supply pipe. The
upper part of the piston or plunger rod m is provided with a cup n to
fit over the cover or cap / to prevent the entrance of dust or dirt into
the aperture in which the rod works. When the piston g is at the
bottom of its stroke it dips into the oil, as seen in the Figure, so that it
is thoroughly lubricated at each descent. If a fresh supply of oil should
be required at any time, it is only necessary to unscrew the cap of the.
cylinder a and pour some in, when the cap can be rescrewed on and the
apparatus is ready for action.
Having therefore described the nature of our said Invention, we now,
with reference to Figure 2 of the Drawings, show how we propose to fit
the apparatus in connection with a watercloset of the most improved
construction. The upper end or eye of the rod m is pinned to the
weighted lever h, so that it can be lifted by the rod of the pull handle f
to the required height. By this means the water valve or cock i is
opened so that water from the pipe j can pass into the pan to flush it in
the usual manner. The instant the handle is let free the weight or
weights o, p, cause the piston to descend so that the valve i can be
closed to shut off the supply, but the sudden descent is checked by the
leather of the piston g expanding to confine the air below it; the
pressure of the weight, however, compels the piston to fall and drive the
air before it. The air percolates through the oil to enter the cylinder a,
from whence it finds its outlet by the valve b, as before mentioned.
Thus the water continues to flow into the basin until the piston has
reached the bottom of its stroke.
We have illustrated our Invention as applied to one kind of apparatus
with a watercloset pan, and wo have. done so to show how it can be
fixed when used in connection therewith; but we do not limit ourselves
to its application to that class of waterclosets alone, as it is applicable to

page_text: all other kinds as well as to urinals, wash basins, and other articles or
places in which a weighted lever is employed.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we would have it understood
that apart from our combination and arrangement of parts we do not
claim the use of the piston or cup leather or escape valve, as they are
old and have been long used for analogous purposes; but what we claim
is, the combination and arrangement of parts constituting our improved
ŕegulating apparatus, wherein two cylinders are placed side by side and
connected at the base by a tube or passage, one of them being provided
with an air escape outlet, the said apparatus being constructed substan-
tially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and
represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Preston, for myself and on
behalf of the said John Prestige, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of June One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.
GEORGE PRESTON. (L.S.)