Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets, Urinals, and for other like purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets, Urinals,
and for other like purposes.
WILLIAM HENRY WITHAM, of 11, Langton Road, Brixton, London, S.W., in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference principally to w.c.'s, and consists of the construc-
tion and arrangement of the part apparatus for flushing hereinafter described as
my invention, it is however, applicable to the flushing of urinals, and to other
like purposes, such for example, as the flushing of wash-basins, drains, sinks and
the like.
I will describe my invention with reference to a w.c.
The service or down pipe, which is made of iron, lead, copper, or other like sub-
stance, rises through the bottom of the water cistern to a height somewhat below
the water level, over the service or down-pipe is an inverted cup or bell, the lower
edge of which, is scolloped, or has an undulating figure, so that when the said
edge rests on the bottom of the cistern, there is a free passage of water to the
interior of the bell, connected through the top portion of the bell, is a bent pipe,
with its lower end turned downwards, which, when the cistern has discharged its
contents to the level of the lower end of pipe, allows the air to cuter the bell
and breaks the syphon, this cup or bell is kept in position by a bar, preferably of
iron, fixed upon two flanges inside cistern.
The service or down-pipe is bout (prior to entering the w.c. pan) to form a deep
seal trap, which,—when the cistern is partly or wholly filled with water-confines
the air inside the down pipe.
Fixed on to the service pipe-at a convenient height, is an air valve, made of
copper, iron or other like substance-with a flange-preferably of rubber, leather, or
other like substance-inside same, and is finished at top with a button, which,
when pressed, allows the confined air to escape, and starts the syphon.
The length of down pipe depends upon local circumstances.
The letters of reference and figures in the drawings are as follows, and similar
letters apply to similar parts shewn in the various figures.
Fig. 1. represents a vertical section of a flushing apparatus, constructed accord-
ing to my invention.
Fig. 2. represents a transverse vertical section of cistern.
Figure 3. represents a plan of same.
Letter A. is the inverted cup or bell, with a bent pipe connecting to inside of
bell.
Letter B. is the top portion of the service or down pipe.
Letter C. is a bar of iron, or other like substance, fixed upon two flanges K. K.
nside the cistern, to keep the cup or bell in position.

page_text: Letter D. is the lower portion of the service or down pipe, which is bent, (so as
to form a deep seal trap) prior to entering the w.c. pan.
Letter E is the air valve of which F, G, H, I, and J are the working parts.
From this description it will be seen that I dispense entirely with all chains,
lever cranks, and moveable parts inside the cistern, thus reducing the
number of component parts in contact with the water, and my invention enables
the operation of flushing to be performed without the objectionable noise, notice-
able in other syphon cisterns.
100
Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets, Urinals,
and for other like purposes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY WITHAM, of 11, Langton Road, Brixton, London, S.W.,
Sanitary Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates primarily to flushing apparatus for water closets, but is
applicable also to apparatus for Hushing urinals, wash basins, drains, sinks and
other objects. The purpose of the invention is, to dispense with chains, cranks
and other movable parts or mechanisms inside the cistern, thus reducing the
number of component parts in contact with the water and diminishing the liability
to get out of order; also to avoid or reduce the objectionable noise which accom-
panies the operation of flushing in ordinary syphou cisterns.
The accompanying drawings show by way of example a flushing apparatus
suitable for a water closet, Fig. being a longitudinal and Fig. 2 a transverse
section of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail view on a larger scale.
The service or discharge pipe B, which may be made of iron, lead, or other
suitable material, rises through the bottom of the water cistern or tank T, to a
height below the water level of the cistern, when full. Over the service pipe B there
is mounted concentrically a hood, bell, or inverted cup A, so as to leave an open
space both at the top and on the sides of the pipe B.
The lower edge of the said hood is either situated at a short distance above the
bottom of the tank, as shown by the drawing, where the said hood rests on three
legs, or the lower edge is scalloped, so as to form recesses, through which water
may flow from the tank into the bell. The upper part of the hell communicates
with a bent air pipe a, which is mainly situated on one side of the bell and open
at the bottom, the edge or mouth of the said pipe being slightly above the edge
of the hell. The bell is held in position at the top by an iron bar C extending
across the cistern and bolted at its ends to a pair of flanges or augle irons K fixed
to the sides of the tank. For this purpose the bell is provided with a guide pin a'
passing through a socket of the cross bar C, as shown.
The service or down pipe B is bent, before it enters the pan of the water closet,
so as to form a deep seal trap D, which confines the air within the down pipe by
preventing its escape through the outlet or discharge end of the same.
The draw.
ing shows a one-sided bend D, instead of which a helical or other convenient shape
may be adopted.
At a convenient height the service pipe B has a branch E, the outlet of which

page_text: is controlled by an air valve F made of gun metal or other suitable material.
The drawing shows a disc valve provided with a washer or packing ring of leather or
india-rubber, and with a valve spindle G surrounded by a helical spring H. The
top of the valve-spindle ends with a button g, and the valve seat I is screwed
into the valve casing which constitutes the upper end of the branch pipe E. It
is evident, however, that other known types of self-closing valves may be used,
which can be opened by hand.
The length of the down pipe depends upon local circumstances, but for the
proper working of the apparatus the ratio between the air space in the down-pipe
and that contained in the syphon cup should not exceed a given limit.
Provision should be made also, that while the cistern is discharging, no air will
enter the syphon and stop its action, until the water level has sunk a short distance
below the inlet or mouth m of the arm a. This may be done by giving to the
nir pipe a great length, preferably by forming above the syphon bell a helical
curve, instead of which, however, it might form a high bend. L is an ordinary
float, which is attached to a lever M and controls the flow of water from the supply
pipe N into the cistern T, as is the case in other flushing apparatus.
The apparatus acts as follows:-
Supposing, that the water in the tank T reaches above the lower end m of the
pipe, and that the air valve is in its closing position (which it occupies until
the button g is pressed down by hand), the air in the down pipe B will be enclosed
between the level of the water in the trap D and that inside the bell A.
As the water in the cistern T rises, it will compress the air enclosed in the
bell A and down pipe B, but will not rise to the edge of the latter.
If now the button 7 be pressed down, and thereby the valve F opened, air will
escape from the branch pipe E, and the pressure in the bell A will be reduced to
that of the atmosphere. Consequently, the water in the bell will rise, then
descend through the down pipe B and escape through the trap D, at a speed
depending on the height of the cistern T above the same. As the valve F is
only open a short time, owing to the action of the spring II, the jet of water
descending through the pipe B will produce a vacuum, which causes the flow of
water to continue, until the level in the cistern has descended to the edge of the
air pipe a, after which air will enter the said pipe and break the vacuum in the
bell A, so that the apparatus ceases to act as a syphon. The connection between
the down pipe B and the tank Tis not shown in detail, as detachable water-tight
joints suitably for this purpose are well-known and do not form part of this inven-
tion.
In conclusion, I would remark, that instead of a bell A which surrounds the
down pipe B concentrically and forms an annular syphon, an ordinary one-sided
syphon fixed to or mounted in the tank be employed, in which case the air pipe a
communicates with the crown or bend of the syphon. If the apparatus is not
used for flushing purposes, the down pipe may simply dip into a water tank or
may be twisted helically, instead of having a hend which forms a deep water seal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Apparatus for discharging a limited quantity of water from a tank or
cistern, comprising in its construction a stationary syphon fixed to or mounted in
the said tank, so that its inlet communicates with the water space of the sume;
a down pipe or discharge pipe communicating at the top with the outlet of the
said syphon and having at or near its lower end a deep seal, a relief valve adapted
to be operated by hand, so as to allow the escape of air from the down pipe or
syphon, and an air pipe connected with the top of the syphon, substantially as
described.
2. In apparatus substantially as described for discharging a limited quantity
of water from a tank by means of a stationary syphon and a discharge pipe pro-

page_text: vided with a seal, a self-closing valve adapted to be opened by hand and thereby
to allow the escape of air from the discharge pipe.
3. A syphon fushing apparatus, constructed and adapted to operate substan-
tinlly as described.
ስሰ
1
1000
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents, 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London.