AN IMPROVED SELF- REGULATING WATER WASTE PREVENTOR
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOSEPH ANDERSON of Wortley near Sheffield in the County of York Plumber
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for AN IMPROVED SELF-
REGULATING WATER WASTE PREVENTOR to be as follows:-
This invention is for an improvement in apparatus for preventing the waste of
water, and is especially applicable to the cisterns of water closets, the object being
not only to prevent any waste of water, in excess of the quantity required for the
flushing of the closet, but to enable such apparatus to be put in a large cistern,
instead of in a boot of some special capacity (such as two gallons) so that a second
flushing can be had directly after the first, and also that by a very simple arrange-
ment the amount of water required for flushing can be varied if desirable.
In carrying my invention into practice, I place a cylinder or receiver by
preference at the bottom of the Cistern, the top part being in connection with a
syphon pipe leading to the closet, the end of the pipe projecting a short distance
into the body of the Cylinder or receiver.
A plunger or piston fits loosely in the receiver and is connected to the pull chain,
by means of a valve and rod passing through the top of the Cylinder.
The Piston is open at the top side, but is closed at the bottom by an enclosed air
chamber, through the centre of which is an open ended tube or water way.
The valve rod passes down through this water way and terminates in a flat face
valve which when drawn up, closes the bottom end of the tube or water way.
The bottom of the Cylinder is either perforated, or raised from the bottom of the
Cistern to give access to the water in the tank to the underside of the Cylinder,
and to the valve and water way.
The valve rod is provided with a stop to prevent the piston being drawn up to
the top of the Cylinder.
The action of the apparatus is as follows, The piston in its normal position is
nearly at the bottom of the Cylinder, with the valve open, and the cylinder is full
of water.
When the chain is pulled down, the valve rod is raised, the valve closed, and the
piston raised in the Cylinder, compressing the water and forcing it up the syphon
pipe and thus starting the apparatus.

page_text: The action of the water flowing through the water-way and the syphon, aided
by the floating capacity of the airspace causes the piston to rise slowly until the
top plate of the air compartment comes in contact with and closes the end of the
syphon pipe. This stoppage and a small inlet of air through a pinhole in the bend
of the syphon, breaks the circuit and the piston descends, the Cylinder at the same!
time filling with water through the water way.
If a larger quantity of water is required, the piston may be weighted to cause it
to rise more slowly, or the end of the syphon pipe may be made shorter, to lengthen
the distance the piston has to travel before it closes the end of the pipe.

page_text: I JOSEPH ANDERSON of Wortley near Sheffield in the County of York Plumber
do hereby.declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED SELFREGULATING
WATER WASTE PREVENTOR and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that
is to say:
My invention is for an improved construction of Apparatus for preventing the
waste of water, and is especially applicable for use in connection with the cisterns
of water Closets, and also for other purposes where measured quantities of water or
other liquids are required or used. The object is not only to prevent waste of
water, but to enable a given quantity of water to be drawn out of a large cistern,
without the use of a boot, or partition-as is usually the case, and by which a second
flushing (in the case of Closets) may be had directly after the first; also a method
by which the quantity of water to be given may be regulated, and in order that
my invention may be clearly understood I annex a sheet of drawings illustrating
the same as fixed in a water closet cistern. Similar letters indicate similar parts
in both figures.
Fig. 1. represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus at rest.
Fig. 2. shows the bucket or plunger closing the syphon after the desired quantity
of water has been delivered.
In carrying my invention into practice I place a cylinder or receiver A, at the
bottom of the cistern B, preferably in a small well which I have omitted in tho
drawings.
The top part of the Cylinder A, communicates with the short end of a syphon
pipe C, the long end being connected with the closet.
The short end C₁ of the syphon pipe C, projects a certain distance into the
cylinder and is provided with a small air escape holo close to the roof of the
cylinder,
A Bucket or plunger D, fits loosely in the interior of the cylinder A, and is
connected to the pull chain E, by means of the valve V, and the valve rod F,
which passes through the top G, of the Cylinder.
The Bucket or plunger is open both at the top and bottom, but is divided into
two compartments by a diaphragm H, through the centre of which is an opened
tube or water way I. The botton compartment retains a quantity of air as shown
by the dotted line, which gives the Bucket a certain amount of floating power; if
desired the air may be contined and enclosed between the partition H and a lower
partition.
The valve rod is provided with a stop J to prevent the bucket being drawn up
to the top of the cylinder, and sufficient distance is allowed between the stop J and
the valve V to permit of a vertical floating movement of the bucket until the
diaphragm H can come in contact with the end of the syphon pipe The syphon
pipe is provided with a small air Tap K.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows, it being understood that the Cylinder
is full of water, which stands in the syphon pipe up to the dotted line or there-
abouts; the bucket and valve are in the position shown in fig. 1.
When the valve rod is raised by pulling the chain the valve closes the water
way tube I and raises the bucket until the stop J comes in contact with the top of
the cylinder. This movement of the bucket raises the water in the syphon pipe
and sets it in action. Partly from the impetus given to it, partly from its floating
capicity, and partly from the stream of water passing through the water way Ï,
the bucket rises until the diaphragm H, closes the end of the syphon pipe; this
with a small amount of air admitted through the tap K, stops the action of the
syphon, and the bucket sinks to the bottom of the cylinder. The Cylinder filling
with water at the same time as the bucket descends, the apparatus is very quickly
ready for the operation to be repeated.
The quantity of water to be delivered may be varied, either by weighting the
bucket so that it will not, rise so rapidly up to the end of the syphon, or the end
of the syphon may be shortened, so as to lenghten the distance the bucket has to
travol before it closes the end of the pipe, or by the opening of the small tap. K.
Although I have described my, invention, as being particularly applicable for
drawing off a given small quantity of liquid out of the body of a large tank or
cistern, I sometimes modify my apparatus and place it in a cistern of the same
capacity as the quantity to be delivered, in this case I disponse with the protruding
end of the syphon pipe, and leave it flush with the top of the cylinder. There
are no leathers, or elastic seatings or washers required in my apparatus, which is
simple to make and certain in its action.
Although I have called receiver A, a Cylinder, it is not necessary to make it
cylindrical as it may be square or of other shape; the long arm of the syphon may
be taken outside the cistern instead of inside as shown in the drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st A selfregulating water waste preventor constructed substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
2nd In selfregulating water waste preventors, the use of a floating bucket, with
an enclosed or open air-chamber, working in conjunction with a syphon, substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated.
3rd In apparatus for delivering given quantities of liquids, the combination of a
bucket D, a valve V and rod F, a syphon C, and a receiver A. for the purpose
specified and substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated the 10th day of November 1885.
ROBT F. DRURY, ·
Agent for the Applicant.