Intermittent Water Discharge, Applicable to the Washing out of Drains, Water Closets, and to similar Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
Intermittent Water Discharge, Applicable to the Washing out of
Drains, Water Closets, and to similar Purposes.
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, Mechanical Engineer, residing at Thurlow Lodge,
377 Norwood Road, West Norwood, London, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
It is found in practice that where the supply of water is limited, it is much more
efficacious to collect a suitable quantity of water and then to discharge this water
suddenly through the pipes or passage ways, than to allow it to trickle slowly in a
small stream. Many attempts have been made to construct apparatus which by means
of syphons, floats or traps, should hold a quantity of water back and then suddenly
let it flow, but all of these devices have been somewhat complicated and the ordinary
plumber has failed to understand them.
To avoid these troubles, I have designed a new form of intermittent water discharge
so that no valves, syphons or small tubes are required, an apparatus so simple that it
may be placed in position and operated by any one and still may be produced at a
much lower price than those heretofore made.
My invention consists of two parts, a stationary metallic casing which is connected
to both the pipe supplying the water and to the drain or closet pipes which are to
he washed out. Inside of this metallic casing, I provide a tilting chamber, made
somewhat smaller than the external case to enable it to turn freely on its trunnions
which are supported by the outer case, the inside and tilting vessel being mounted on
trunnions in such a manner that while it is empty, it remains in an upright position
As the quantity
and the water which flows in from the water pipes falls into it.
increases and the center of gravity gets above the centre of motion, the vessel is tilted
over and discharges its contents, the water flowing out of the outer case into the
pipes to be washed. When the inside tilting vessel is relieved of its weight of water,
it is brought back again to an upright position by the weight of its bottom or by
the weight of some heavy substance attached to the bottom or side of the vessel.
some cases, to produce a more sudden action, I arrange a partition in the tilting
In

page_text: chamber, thus dividing the tilting chamber into two chambers. When the vessel is
in an upright position, the water from the water pipes flows into the larger of the
two chambers; when, however, the water has risen to a certain height in the larger
chamber, it flows over into the second chamber and this may be accelerated by a
slight tilting of the chamber. When the water flows into the smaller chamber, it
throws the weight-to one side of the trunnions and the tilting vessel instantly capsizes
and discharges its contents. When the tilting chamber is in an upright position
ready to receive the water, the weights are so arranged that one side of it rests against
a stop fixed to the external chamber.
As the water flows in, the pressure against this stop continues until the vessel is
nearly full when the center of gravity will have changed to the other side of the
trunnions and the tilted chamber will move away from the stop, tip over, and
discharge its contents, and again be returned into an upright position and against
the stop, by the weights attached to the bottom or side.
I sometimes prefer to arrange a trap in the bottom of the external chamber to
arrest the backward flow of any gases. This apparatus may be made so simple that it
may be soldered up in the external casing, the parts being so simple, that very little
occasion arises for repair. It may thus be buried under ground, or placed in
inaccessible positions with very little chance of its getting out of order.
Moreover, as there are no valves, syphons, small pipes or intricate parts needing
adjustment, the apparatus can be put in position by any one and will work well on
either clean or muddy water.
When my apparatus consists of a simple tilting vessel placed inside a chamber,
there need be no communication with the external air and consequently no danger of
odors blowing back through it. When a very large discharge of water is required at
each particular action, then I sometimes make the external chamber considerably
larger than is necessary for the tilting internal one, leaving a space at the bottom so
that when setting the apparatus at work, the first discharge of water from the tilting
vessel is held and retained in the bottom of the external chamber.
When, however, the second discharge takes place, then the sudden overflow of water
through the discharge pipe forms a suction and sucks out not only the second, but
also the first quantity of water deposited by the tilting chamber; therefore, at each
action, a quantity of water equal to twice or more than twice the contents of the
tilting chamber inay be discharged.
Doted this Eighth dair of Danahan 1007

page_text: Drains, Water-closets, and to similar Purposes.
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of Thurlow Lodge, 377 Norwood Road, West Norwood,
in the County of Surrey, Mechanical 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for the intermittent discharge of water or other
liquid for washing out or flushing drains, water-closets and the like, and for similar
purposes.
When the supply of water for flushing drains or closets or for similar purposes is
limited, it is found in practice much more efficacious to collect a suitable quantity of
water and then to discharge this water suddenly through the pipes or passages, than
to allow it to trickle slowly through the same in a small stream. Many attempts have
been made to construct apparatus which, by means of syphons, floats or traps, should
hold back or collect a quantity of water and then suddenly let it flow; but such
apparatus as hitherto constructed have been somewhat complicated and the ordinary
plumber has failed to understand them.
The chief object of my invention is to obviate the above defects and to provide an
intermittent discharge apparatus in which no valves, small tubes or other parts liable
to get out of order are required, and which is so simple in construction that it may
be placed in position and set in operation without the necessity for employing skilled
labor. My improved apparatus can, moreover, be manufactured at a much lower cost
than those heretofore made.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown how my said invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2a vertical central section on the line x, c. Figure 1, showing one form
of my improved apparatus.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in these two Figures.
In
A is a tank or vessel provided with a discharge-pipe A which is to be connected in
any convenient manner with the drain or closet-pan to be washed out or flushed.
this tank or vessel is arranged another vessel or receptacle B having trunnions C
whereby it is supported in bearings D in the said tank or vessel A, so that it can turn
or tilt freely as, and for the purpose, hereinafter specified.
The tilting vessel B is provided with a partition B* so as to form in the lower end
of the said vessel at one side, thereof a chamber or compartment B'. This compart-
ment is formed with an aperture B² for the purpose hereinafter specified.
E is a stop or buffer which is fitted with a capability of sliding in a tube F attached
to the external tank or vessel A, and is provided with a spring E1 which tends to push
it outward. G. G¹ are buffers, or cushions of india-rubber or other suitable material
secured in sockets H, Hattached to the tilting vessel or receptacle B.
The discharge-pipe A is provided with an extension A projecting upward into a
casing 1 fixed in the interior of the outer tank or vessel A with its lower end a short

page_text: distance above the bottom thereof, thus forming a syphon for the purpose hereinafter
specified.
The apparatus is to be placed beneath a supply pipe a from the main, so that the
water which flows from the said pipe will fall into the vessel B. This vessel or
chamber is held slightly out of the perpendicular by the stop E. It will be seen,
moreover, that, by reason of this inclination of the vessel B, the water as it rises
therein will gradually raise the centre of gravity of the said vessel and its contents
and will move the said centre to one side of the axis of the trunnions C. The
reduction in the capacity of one side of the vessel B by the partition B* further
increases the tendency of the said vessel to tilt over when filled with water.
Therefore, although while the said vessel is empty it will remain in the position
shown in Figure 2, yet as soon as the required quantity of water is delivered into the
said vessel B, the said vessel will be tilted over into the position shown in dotted
lines and will discharge the water which it contains into the tank or vessel A, whence
it will be intermittently discharged through the pipe A¹ as hereinafter described. By
the tilting of the vessel B in the manner above set forth, the aperture B2 is brought
into such a position that the water from the supply pipe flows into the smaller chamber
or compartment B'. This chamber or compartment is made of such capacity that,
when it is full of water, the weight of this water will cause the vessel B to resume
its vertical or nearly vertical position, so that it will again be filled from the supply
pipe a and will discharge its contents into the outer tank or vessel A.
This operation
will be repeated as long as water is allowed to flow from the supply pipe a into the
apparatus.
When the vessel B is tilted, its motion is arrested by its buffer or cushion G¹
striking the top of the casing I. When the said vessel returns to its normal position,
its motion is arrested, without any appreciable shock, by the buffer or cushion G
striking against the stop or buffer E.
In order that a large quantity of water may be collected in the tank or vessel A
previous to each discharge therefrom, I prefer to make the said vessel A considerably
larger than the tilting vessel B and to provide it with a syphon as above described.
The apparatus shown in the drawing is so constructed that two discharges of water
from the tilting vessel B will be held or retained in the external tank or vessel A, but,
when a third discharge therefrom takes place, the syphon formed by the casing I and
pipe A2 will be started and will draw out not only the third but also the two previous
discharges deposited in the vessel A by the tilting vessel B. Therefore, at each dis-
charge from the vessel A, a quantity of water equal to three times the cubic capacity
of the tilting vessel B will be caused to flow through the drain or closet.
It is obvious that the apparatus may be constructed to retain any other desired
number of discharges from the tilting vessel before discharging into the drain or
closet.
When it is only desired to discharge, at each operation of the apparatus, a quantity
of water equal to the contents of the tilting vessel B, the said syphon is dispensed
with and the buffer or cushion G¹ is arranged to strike against the bottom of the outer
tank or vessel A or against a suitable stop provided for the purpose.
I have hereinbefore described a convenient and advantageous method of carrying
my said invention into practice for flushing a drain or closet. It is obvious, however,
that I can somewhat modify the construction of my apparatus according to the purpose
for which it is to be used.
I sometimes so arrange the tilting vessel or receptacle that it will be brought back
to an upright position by the weight of its bottom or by the weight of some heavy
substance attached to its bottom or side. The weight is so distributed that, when the
tilting vessel is in an upright or vertical position ready to receive the water, one side
of the said vessel rests against a stop attached to the outer tank or vessel, the pressure
against this stop continuing as the water flows in until the vessel is nearly full, when
the centre of gravity will have shifted to the other side of the trunnions and the
tilting vessel will move away from the stop, tip over and discharge its contents and
will again be returned into an upright or vertical position and against the stop, by the

page_text: weights attached to the bottom or side. I sometimes provide an adjustable stop or
buffer in place of the stop E, to enable the action of the apparatus to be very accurately
determined.
In some cases to ensure a more sudden action, I provide the tilting vessel or
receptacle with a partition which divides it into two compartments of different size,
so that, when the said vessel is in an upright position, the water from the supply pipe
will flow into the larger of the two compartments and upon attaining a certain height
will flow over into the second or smaller compartment, the flow, if desired, being
accelerated by a slight tilting of the said vessel. When the water flows into the
smaller compartment, it throws the greater part of the weight to one side of the
trunnions and the tilting vessel instantly capsizes and discharges its contents.
My improved apparatus may, if desired, be used in combination with a small tank
and a supply pipe provided with a ball or float valve for the purpose of regulating or
controlling the supply of water to water-closets and the like.
I sometimes arrange a trap in the bottom of the external chamber to arrest the
backward flow of gases or vapors from the drain or the like.
When my apparatus consists of a simple tilting vessel placed inside a chambor,
there need be no communication with the external air and consequently no danger of
odours blowing back through it. Moreover the working parts are so few and so simple
that very little occasion is likely to arise for repair, and they may, therefore, be
soldered up in the external tank or vessel. Moreover the apparatus may, if desired,
be buried under ground or placed in inaccessible positions with very little chance of
its getting out of order.
Moreover, as there are no valves, small pipes or intricate or complicated parts
needing adjustment, the apparatus can be put in position by an unskilled person and
will work well with either clean or muddy water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that I
claim:-
First The above described method of providing for the intermittent discharge of
water or other liquid by means of a tilting or oscillating vessel arranged to operate
automatically in the manner specified.
Second The tilting vessel or receptacle provided with the chamber or compartment
so arranged that, when the said vessel is tilted, the said chamber or compartment will
be filled with liquid the weight of which will cause the said vessel to resume its
vertical position, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Third An apparatus for the intermittent discharge of water or other liquid, com-
prising an outer tank or vessel to be put in communication with the drain, closet or
the like, and a tilting vessel or receptacle arranged in the said tank or vessel, with or
without suitable means whereby the liquid discharged from the said tilting vessel into
the outer tank or vessel will be retained therein until it has risen to a predetermined
level and will then be discharged therefrom, for the purposes above specified.
Fourth-The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing and operating
as, and for the purposes, set forth.
latod the hi
LAAD
Loted the sin lov at Nenenner LAAA
HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.