IN- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE Supply AND FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Powell, of East Lane, Bermondsey,
in the County of Surrey, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "IN-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE Supply
AND FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 23rd February 1875, and dated the 23rd December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Powell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd December 1874.
I, JOHN WILLIAM POWELL, of East Lane, Bermondsey, in the County
of Surrey, Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING
THE SUPPLY AND FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," to be as follows, that
is to say :-
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction of
apparatus and valves or water waste preventers for regulating and
controlling the supply of water to waterclosets, urinals, wash-band

page_text: basins, and baths, also in ball valves for the supply of water to cisterns,
and otherwise.
_ My first improvement consists in the construction of a regulator to bo
placed under the seat of a watercloset, and connected to any ordinary
submerged cistern valve, so as to render such valve a wasto preventer.
This regulator is constructed of two cylinders opening into a small
chamber provided with a regulating screw or air cock; in one of these
cylinders works an air-tight plunger, the rod of which is connected to
the weighted lever operating the submerged cistern valve; the other
cylinder has a valve placed in the bottom thereof, and has also an air-
tight plunger, which is provided with a valve opening in the opposite
direction to the valve in the bottom of the cylinder; the rod of this
plunger is connected to the lever or handle of the watercloset. Tho
operation of this regulator is as follows:-The handle of the watercloset
being raised raises with it the plunger to which it is connected, pro-
ducing a partial vacuum in the herein-before described chamber, whereby
the plunger connected to the lever of the cistern valve is drawn inwards
and the valve is raised; the valve is then gradually closed by the action
of the weight drawing the plunger again outwards, the time occupied by
the falling of the valve (and consequently the quantity of water supplied)
being regulated by the licrein-before described set screw or air cock; tho
handle of the watercloset and the plunger to which it is connected aro
lowered by means of their own weight.
My second improvement consists in the construction of a regulator
for operating and controlling an ordinary watercloset valve placed under
the soat. This regulator is constructed of a fixed cylinder having a valvo
at its lower end and provided with a piston working air-tight; the rod of
this piston passes through the cover of the cylinder and is made hollow,
with a regulating set screw or air valve at its upper end; it is connectod
to the weighted lever working the supply valve; the lower end of the
fixed cylinder is provided with cup Icathers, and passes into and works
air-tight within a moveable cylinder closed at its lower end, which is
connected to a lever operated by the handle of the closet. The operation
is as follows:-The handle of the closet being raised raises the moveable
cylinder on the fixed cylinder, compressing the air, thereby raising the
piston, the rod of which is connected to the lever of the valve, which is
thus opened; the valve then gradually closes by the action of the weight,
the compressed air slowly escaping through the rogulating air valve; the

page_text: moveable cylinder is carried downwards into its normal position with the
handle of the watercloset.
My third improvement consists in the construction of a valve which,
when a supply or discharge of water is required, must be first raised and
then released, so that such valve cannot be kept open. In carrying out
this part of my Invention I employ a cylinder with inlet and outlet
passages, and piston or valve with piston rod similar to that employed
in "Kirkwood's " piston cock; to the lower end of the rod which passes
through the piston or valve I fix a metal tube or cylinder, open at each
end, and forming a moveable seating of the valve; this moveable seating
works air-tight in the outlet passage of the valve; a small cock or set
screw is provided for regulating the closing of the valve. This con-
struction of valve may be adapted for a submerged cistern valve, or for
a valve placed under the watercloset seat.
My fourth improvement consists in an improved construction of ball
valve and cam lever arrangement for working the same. Instead of
employing the usual shaped valve I employ a solid or hollow valve (of
the same diameter throughout) and connected to a spindle passing
through a stuffing nut in the top of the body of the valve; through the
outer end of this spindle passes a cam lever, one end of which pivots on
a suitably placed joint, and the other end is of a curved form and passes
through a slot (provided with a small friction roller) in the ball lever,
which is bent at right angles; the inner end of the ball lever, which
works on a suitablo joint is provided with a short arm, which bears
against the under side of the cam lever. A ball lover of this con-
struction will resist a greater amount of pressure and will work with
greater freedom than those hitherto constructed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John William Pugh in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILLIAM POWELL, of East Lane, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey,
Brassfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John William Powell, Her
special licence that I, tho said John William Powell, my exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John William
Powell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any timc
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE
SUPPLY AND FLOW OF WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John William Powell, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said John William Powell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say :—
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction of
apparatus or regulators, and valves or water waste preventers, for
regulating and controlling the supply of water to waterclosets, urinals,
wash-hand basins, and baths, also in ball valves for the supply of water
to cisterns, and otherwisc.
My first improvement consists in the construction and employment of a
regulator to be placed under the scat of a watercloset and connected to
any ordinary submerged cistern valve, so as to render such valve a wasto
preventer. This regulator is constructed of two cylinders opening into
a small chamber provided with a regulating screw or air cock; in ono
of these cylinders works an air-tight plunger, the rod of which is con-
nected to the weighted lever operating the submerged cistern valve; the
other cylinder has a valve placed in the bottom thereof, and has also an

page_text: air-tight plunger, which is provided with a valve opening in the opposito
direction to the valve in the bottom of the cylinder, the rod of this
plunger is connected to the lever or handle of the watercloset.
My second improvement consists in an improved construction of
regulator for operating and controlling an ordinary watercloset valve
placed under the scat. This regulator is constructed of a fixed cylinder
having a valve at its lower end and provided with a piston working air-
tight; the rod of this piston passes through the cover of the cylinder
and is made hollow, with a regulating set screw or air valve at its upper
end; it is connected to the weighted lever working the supply valve; the
lower end of the fixed cylinder is provided with cup leathers, and passes
into and works air-tight within a moveable cylinder closed at its lower
end, which is connected to a lever operated by the handle of the closet.
My third improvement consists in the construction of a valve which,
when a supply or discharge of water is required must be first raised and
then released, so that such valve cannot be kept open. In carrying out
this part of my Invention I employ a cylinder with inlet and outlet
passages, and piston or valve with piston rod similar to that employed
in Kirkwood's piston cock; to the lower end of the rod which passes
through the piston or valve I fix a metal tube or cylinder, open at each
end, and forming a moveable seating for the valve; this moveable seating
works air-tight in the outlet passage of the valve; a small cock or set
screw is provided for regulating the closing of the valve. This con-
struction of valve may be adapted for a submerged cistern valve, or for a
valve placed under the watercloset seat.
My fourth improvement consists in an improved construction of ball
valvo and cam lever arrangement for working the same. Instead of
employing the usual shaped valve I employ a solid or hollow valve (of
the same diameter throughout) and connected to a spindle passing
through a stuffing nut in the top of the body of the valve; through the
outer end of this spindle passes a cam lever, one end of which pivots on
a suitably placed joint, and the other end is of a curved form and passes
through a slot (provided with a small friction roller) in the ball rod,
which is bent at right angles or cranked; the inner end of the ball rod,
which works on a suitable joint, is provided with a short arm, which
bears against the under side of the cam lever. A ball valve of this con-
struction will resist a greater amount of pressure, and will work with

page_text: greater freedom than those hitherto constructed, the pressure of the
water offering no resistance to the opening or closing of the valvo.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention I will now
proceed to more particularly describe the same, and the manner of
carrying it into effect, by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in i
which,―
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is 'a vertical section of the regulator described as
my first improvement.
Figure 2, Sheet 2, sectional clevation of the regulator described as my
second improvement.
Figure 3, Sheet 1, elevation partly in section of the cistern valve
described as my third improvement.
Figuro 4, Sheet 1, elevation of a similar construction of valve, but
adapted to be placed under a watercloset scat.
Figure 5, Sheet 1, elevation, and Figure 0 a plan, of a ball valve and 1
cam lever arrangement, as described as my fourth improvement; Figure 7
section of samo on line A, B, Figure 6.
In Figure 1 A and B are the two cylinders opening into the small
chamber C; D is the regulating screw or air cock; E is the air-tight
plunger of the cylinder A; F, rod of same; G is the valve in the bottom 2
of the cylinder B; H, air-tight plunger in the said cylinder B; I, valve
in the plunger H; J, rod of the plunger H connected to the handle of the
watercloset. The operation of this regulator is as follows:-Tho handle of
the watercloset being raised raises with it the plunger H, which closes
the valve I and opens the valve G, producing a partial vacuum in the 2
chamber C, whereby the plunger E (connected as herein-before described
to the lever of the cistern valve) is drawn inwards and the cistern valvo
will be raised, then by the action of the weight drawing the plunger E
again outwards the cistern valvo will be gradually closed, the timo
occupied by the falling of the valve (and consequently the quantity of 3
water supplied) being regulated by the air cock D. The handle of the
watercloset and the plunger H when released are lowered by their own
weight.
In Figure 2, Sheet 2, K is the fixed cylinder supported by the iron
standard K¹ ; L, valve in the lower end of the cylinder K; M is the piston 3
working air-tight in the same; N, rod of the piston M passing through
the cover of the cylinder K; P air valve at the upper end of the rod M;
Q, weighted lover working the supply valve R; S is the cup leather on

page_text: the lower end of the cylinder K; T is the moveable cylinder in which
the cylinder K works; the lower end of the cylinder T is connected to
the lever T¹ operated by the handle T of the watercloset.
The operation is as follows:-The handle T of the watercloset being
raised raises by means of the rod T¹ the moveable cylinder T on the fixed
cylinder K, thereby raising the valve L and compressing the air so as to
raise the piston M, the rod N, and the lever Q, thus opening the supply
valve R; the compressed air will then escape slowly through the air
valve P by the action of the weight To forcing down the piston M, and
the valve R will be gradually closed. The moveable cylinder T is carried
downwards into its normal position with the handle T of the water-
closet.
In Figuro 3 the cylinder U, with the inlet and outlet passages a and b,
the piston or valvo, V, and piston rod W, are shown similar to those
employed in Kirkwood's piston cock. To the lower end of the rod W,
which passes through the piston or valve V, I fix the metal tube or
cylinder X, open at both ends; this cylinder X is turned or surfaced on
its outer surface and works air tight in the outlet passage 6 of the valve,
and its upper surface forms a moveable seating; Y, small cock or set
screw for regulating the closing of the valve; the rod W is provided with
a weight W', and is connected to any suitable lever arrangement by
which cistern valves are usually worked.
b
The operation is as follows:-The rod W being raised raises with it the
cylinder X until the upper end of this cylinder is brought against the
under side of the piston or valve V, and the valve V and cylinder X will
then be raised together, but as the cylinder X works air-tight in the
outlet passage 6 no water can pass through the outlet. If the rod W
be now released its weight W¹ will cause it to fall back to its normal
position, carrying with it the cylinder X but not the piston V, and will
thus allow the water to pass through the outlet passage 6 until the
piston valve V falls on to its fixed seating c, the time occupied in the
fall of the valve being regulated by the cock Y, as is well understood.
•
Figure 4 is a view in elevation of a similar construction of valve to
that shewn in Figure 3, but adapted for placing under the watercloset
scat; a is the inlet passage; b, the outlet passage; W, the piston rod
connected to the weighted lever W' operated by the usual handle in the
seat of the watercloset.

page_text: In Figures 5, 6, and 7, A' is tho valve (which may be made hollow)
of the same diameter throughout; B', the spindle of the same passing
through the stuffing nut C' on the top of the body D¹ of the valve; E' is
the cam lever passing through the spindle B'; one end of the cam lever
pivots at F; the other end, which is of a curved shape and forms a cam,
passes through a slot in the ball rod G' and works against the friction
roller '; I', joint on which the ball rod works; J', short arm on the ball
rod G¹ bearing against the under side of the cam lever E'; K', inlet
passage of the valve; L', outlet passage; c, d, flanges on the valve A'
and valve body D' respectively, to regulate the amount of play of the
valve A'. The ball rod G is provided with the usual ball (not shown in
the Drawing).
In the Drawing the valve is shewn closed, the ball being in its highest
position; it will be understood that as the ball and ball rod G¹ fall (with
the level of the water) in the direction of the arrow the short arm J'
pressing against the under side of the cam lever E' will raise the same,
and with it the valve A¹, and allow the water to pass. As the level of
the water rises, and raises with it the ball, the friction roller H' will
press on the outer curved end of the cam lever E' and move it down-
wards, thereby closing the valve.
It will be seen that the valve is placed vertically and does not close
against the direction of the flow of water, as is usually the case, thus tho
valve receives but little resistance from the water in closing, and when
closed will resist a greater amount of pressure than those hitherto con-
structed, and the herein-before described cam lever arrangement will
allow it to work with great freedom.
The cam lever and ball rod and piston roller arrangement, herein-
before described, may be applied to ball valves of the ordinary con-
struction, and the herein-before described ball valve may be operated by
the ordinary ball rod arrangements.
As a modification of the above arrangement I dispense with the short
arm of the ball rod and reverse the position of the ball rod, whereby I
am enabled to employ a straight lever instead of a cam lever. In this
case the under side of the lever will work on the top of the friction
roller and will pivot on the opposite side of the valve.
Figure 8, Sheet 2, is an elevation showing this modification; M' is the
ball rod; N', the straight lever pivotting at Q'; O', spindle of the

page_text: Having thus described my said Invention, and the best means with
which I am acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would wish
it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein laid down, as the same may be varied without deviating from the
main features or character of my Invention; but what I claim is,—
Firstly. The construction and employment of a regulator for rendering
any ordinary submerged cistern valve a waste preventer, as herein-before
described.
Secondly. The peculiar arrangement and construction of regulator for
operating and controlling an ordinary watercloset valve placed under a
watercloset seat, as hercin-before doscribed and represented in Figuro 2,
Sheet 2, of the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The application to the rod of a Kirkwood's piston cock of a
cylinder forming a moveable seating arranged and operating as and for
the purpose herein-before described and represented in Figures 3 and 4,
Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawing.
Fourthly. The improved construction of ball valve, as herein-before
described and represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7, Sheet 1, of the accom-
panying Drawing.
Fifthly. The peculiar arrangement of cam lever and cranked ball rod
(with friction roller) for operating ball valves and the modification
thereof, as herein-before described and represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7,
Sheet 1, and Figure 8, Sheet 2, of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Powell, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
W. A. GILBEE,
44, South St.,
Finsbury.
JOHN WILLIAM POWELL. (L.S.)