IMPROVEMENTS IN SANITARY APPLIANCES FOR BUILDINGS, AND IN TRAPPING, FLUSHING, AND VENTILATING SAME
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Percy Holt, of 15, Park Row, Leeds, in the
County of York, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SANITARY APPLIANCES FOR BUILDINGS, AND IN TRAPPING, FLUSHING, AND
VENTILATING SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Percy Holt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th April 1881.
HENRY PERCY HOLT, of 15, Park Row, Leeds, in the County of York, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SANITARY APPLIANCES FOR BUILDINGS, AND IN
TRAPPING, FLUSHING, AND VENTILATING SAME.'
My Invention relates to appliances for trapping or stopping the entrance of sewer
gases into buildings, for flushing or cleansing the trap, and ventilating or carrying
off noxious vapours from the same.
I usually prefer to have for each building only a single connection with the drain
or sewer, which should be fixed at the ground level, or, where necessary, in an
open area, at such a level that all connections from the building will flow into
same through metal pipes which are arranged to deliver above the level of the
trap.
"
I trap the gases in two places, and use an inclined open trench, formed in
concrete or other suitable material, and having an inclined semicircular bottom
falling towards the sewer, in which bottom two lodges or cavities are formed to
hold liquid to trap the gases.
The first trap, which is the farther away from the sewer, forms a grease box,
which is fixed over the centre of the upper cavity, with its bottom dipping into
the same.
The second trap is fixed before the connection to the sewer, and consists of an
inverted box with its open edges dipping into the lower cavity over which it is
fixed.
The grease box is formed with holes in the usual manner, and both it and the
lower bell or box are made to lift out easily for cleaning purposes.

page_text: The grease box divides the open trench into two parts; all connections are con-
ducted into the part further from the sewer except those from sinks, which are
conducted over the grease box.
A grate may be put over the second part for ventilation and to form the drain
for the area into which all fall pipes for the building may empty.
For flushing the closet basin and trap I use a cistern provided with a ball cock
for water supply, and a syphon taken over the top of the cistern in the usual
manner; but according to my Invention I start or prime this syphon when
required to flush by exhausting the air from its upper bend, a trap or valve being
fixed in the pipe below the level of the bottom of the cistern to prevent air from
entering at that end.
Exhaustion may be performed in the main syphon; firstly, by means of a plunger
or piston moved in a cylinder of sufficient capacity fitted with suction and delivery
valves, which are well understood; secondly, by means of a secondary syphon
formed by a smaller exhausting cylinder.
It is evident that the exhausting cylinders in either case may be worked from
the door, the seat, or by hand, but I prefer the two former methods.
I prefer in either case to fix the cylinder so that its plunger or piston may be
operated by the door or seat direct, and a small pipe taken on to connect with
syphon.
When the seat is used for the flushing motion, I make it to lift on pivots and
form a sink above the basin, which is cleaned by the flushing apparatus.
In order to cause more water to pass down I prefer to connect the bath waste
pipe with the closet basin.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Percy Holt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
October 1881.
HENRY PERCY HOLT, of 15, Park Row, Leeds, in the County of York, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SANITARY APPLIANCES FOR BUILDINGS, AND IN
TRAPPING, FLUSHING, AND VENTILATING SAME."
My Invention relates to appliances for trapping or stopping the entrance of
sewer gases into buildings for flushing or cleansing the trap, and ventilating or
carrying off noxious vapours from the same.
I usually prefer to have for each building only a single connection with the drain
or sewer, which should be fixed at the ground level, or, where necessary, in an open
area, at such a level that all connections from the building will flow into same
through metal pipes which are arranged to deliver above the level of the trap.
I trap the gases in two places, and use an inclined open trench, formed in concrete
or other suitable material, and having an inclined semicircular bottom falling
towards the sewer, in which bottom two lodges or cavities are formed to hold
liquid to trap the gases. The first trap, which is the farther away from the sewer,
forms a grease box, which is fixed over the centre of the upper cavity with its
bottom dipping into the same. The second trap is fixed before the connection to
the sewer, and consists of an inverted box with its open edges dipping into the
lower cavity over which it is fixed. The grease box is formed with holes in the
usual manner, and both it and the lower bell or box are made to lift out easily for
cleaning purposes. The grease box divides the open trench into two parts, all
connections are conducted into the part farther from the sewer except those from
sinks which are conducted over the grease box. A grate may be put over the
second part for ventilation, and to form the drain for the area, into which all fall
pipes for the building may empty. For flushing the closet basin and trap I use a
cistern provided with a ball cock for water supply, and a syphon taken over the
top of the cistern in the usual manner; but according to my Invention I start or
prime this syphon when required to flush by exhausting the air from its upper
bend, a trap or valve being fixed in the pipe below the level of the bottom of the
cistern to prevent the air from entering at that end. In some cases, for simplicity,
I use a vertical stand pipe in the cistern having a bell over it in lieu of a syphon.
Exhaustion may be performed in the main syphon; firstly, by means of a plunger
or piston moved in a cylinder of sufficient capacity, fitted with suction and delivery
valves which are well understood; secondly, by means of a secondary syphon
primed by a smaller exhausting cylinder. In lieu of the above a pair of bellows
may be used for exhausting or charging the syphon. An inverted bell will also
answer the same purpose, as shown, either with or without a bottom.
When a
bottom is provided with valve no trap is required to the syphon. It is evident
that the exhausting cylinders or bellows in either case may be worked from the
door, the seat, or by hand, but I prefer the two former methods. The bellows may
be provided with an outlet valve as usual, or a very small hole may take the place
of this to allow the bellows to. collapse, ready for re-using. I prefer in either case
to fix the cylinder so that its plunger or piston may be operated by the door or
seat direct, and a small pipe taken on to connect with syphon. When the seat is
used for the flushing motion I make it to lift on pivots, and form a sink above the
basin which is cleaned by the flushing apparatus. In order to cause more water to
pass down I prefer to connect the bath waste pipe with the closet basin.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
In order to render the foregoing description of my said Invention clearer,
I append the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and the letters and figures marked
and shewn thereon refer as follows:-Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) shews a section, and Fig. 2
a plan of the traps and apparatus mentioned in the first part of my Invention, and
in which a, a, a, a, are soil pipes or fall pipes which are suitably led to the
apparatus, and b, b, b, are grates for receiving the flushings and for ventilation;
b¹ is a receiving box for sink pipes, and which retains any solid or greasy matter,
and allows the water to escape through the perforations shewn in the box sides;
c, c, c, is a concrete vessel sunk or made in the ground, and forms the general
casing containing the parts of my Invention; d is the entrance passage to the first
trap in the apparatus, which trap is shewn by d¹, and which is formed by a cavity
in the concrete casing c and a lip cast on the receiving box b¹; c is a second cavity
in the said concrete casing c, and in which is cemented a pipe e¹ which is the
connection to the sewer; e² is a bell trap with a opening sufficiently low in its side
and which belt trap is placed over the said connecting pipe e¹; e³ is a connecting
rod passing upwards and through the grate b, and is used for the purpose of lifting
the bell trap e for cleaning purposes.
Sheet 1, Figs. 3 and 4, are a vertical section and back elevation respectively of
the cistern, and syphon, and apparatus mentioned in the second part of my Invention,
used for the purpose of flushing a water closet and trap according to my said
Invention, and in which a is the cistern named, and which is filled by a ball cock
in the usual manner; b is the syphon passing over the side of same; c is a trap
used for the prevention of air entering by the longer leg of the syphon; d is a
smaller syphon from which air is exhausted in its working by pipe d¹ and bellows d²,
which in turn is worked by lever d³ and seat d. The smaller syphon d is led into
the main syphon b at the bend do, and water which flows through small syphon d
falls into the funnel ejector do, and by that means discharges the air from main
syphon b, and thus induces the flow of the flushing water from cistern a. Sheet 1,
Fig. 5, shows a vertical section of a direct acting application of exhausting bellows
to the main syphon b, the bellows d³ being worked by lever and chain with hand
link d', d, which is balanced by weight ds, an air trap as before being provided
at e. Sheet 1, Fig. 6, shews a vertical section of a modified arrangement of
exhausting apparatus similar to Fig. 3, in which b is the main syphon; d is a
smaller syphon; b¹, an air chamber communicating with main syphon b by
small hole 62; d¹ is the suction pipe for air to bellows d2, which are worked
by the lever d³ and seat d' as before. An air trap c is also provided with this
arrangement.
Sheet 2, Figs. 7 and 8, shews a vertical section and plan respectively of a further
modification of my said Invention, in which a is the cistern; b, the flushing pipe ;
62, a syphon bell exhauster which is suspended over b by the lever and chain b³.
The bottom of the bell exhauster is provided with two inlets for water, which are
covered by back valves 64, 6, and the action of this modification is, that when the
bell exhauster 62 is raised over the flushing pipe b by lever and chain b³, b³, the
valves 6, 6, close, and consequently the water in the said bell is raised above
the level of the top of the flushing pipe b, and the water commencing to flow down
the said pipe carries with it the air contained in the said bell, and forms the said
bell and pipe into a syphon which empties the cistern a.
Sheet 2, Figs. 9 and 10, shew a vertical section and plan of a further modification
of the arrangement in Figs. 7 and 8, and consists in having a bell exhauster 62
over a flushing pipe b, which is provided with an air trap c, as the bell b² has no
bottom, as in Figs. 7 and 8. A lever and chain 68, 68, is provided for working the
bell, and in its action by raising the bell b² a partial vacuum is formed in the upper
part of the same, and consequently the water rises above the level of the said

page_text: flushing pipe, and in flowing down the same exhausts the air from the upper part
of the bell, and as before converts the same into a syphon with the flushing pipe,
and empties the cistern a as before. A very small hole in the top of bell is useful
to let out air to allow the bell to refill with water.
Having now described and illustrated the carrying out of my Invention, I claim
the following features:-
1. The special arrangement of combined disconnected trap, substantially as
shown with reference to Drawings, Figs. 1 and 2.
2. The several arrangements for exhausting air from and charging flushing
syphons, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The arrangement of bellows or exhausting cylinder, with reference to Figs. 3, 4,
and 6, substantially as shewn and described.
4. The use of a very small hole in the bellows or inverted bell to allow the
bellows or bell to fall without disturbing the water level in syphon or bell ready
for reuse for the purpose named.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Percy Holt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
HENRY PERCY HOLT. (L.S.)