IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS AND SEWERS
Year: 1884

page_text: We THOMAS ABBOTT of the County Asylum, Lancaster in the County of
Lancaster, Clerk of Works, and MILES HAWTHORNTHWAITE of Cable Street
Lancaster aforesaid, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for
IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS AND SEWERS
to be as follows:-
"
Our said Invention relates to the flushing apparatus of water closets and
particularly to the arrangements wherein a certain measured quantity of water is
discharged into the flushing pan. The said improvements consist of a simple and
novel application of the ordinary syphon whereby the usual valves are dispensed
with and the liability to get out of order is lessened.
According to our arrangement the syphon is suspended in the small flushing
cistern from the end of a lever fixed or formed on a cross shaft worked by the
flushing handle so that as the said shaft is turned in one direction or the other the
syphon is lowered or raised. The discharge arm of the syphon may be made of
india rubber or other suitable flexible material strengthened by an internal coiled
spring and placed in communication with a pipe projecting through the bottom of
the cistern which pipe leads into the flushing pipe. Instead however of making
the discharge arm of the syphon of flexible material as aforesaid we may make it
of metal and form a water tight pivot or hinged joint with the communication
leading to the flushing pipe. The feed bend of the syphon may be arranged to dip
into a recess or box formed in or fixed to the bottom of the cistern. Water is
supplied to the cistern through a ball cock which re-fills the cistern when emptied
through the syphon. When the cistern holds its proper supply of water the syphon
is partly filled leaving the knee above the water level. The mode of operating our
invention is as follows.
When it is desired to flush the pan the handle is pulled so as to turn the
weighted cross shaft and lower the syphon so as to submerge the knee. The
water in the cistern then rushes through the syphon into the flushing pipe and
[Price 6d1

page_text: thence to the pan. To prevent the ball cock from opening, to supply more water
while the syphon is lowered a weighted lever is provided which is pivoted to the
side of the cistern and which holds up the arm of the ball after the water has
subsided so as to keep the valve shut. When the cross shaft is allowed to regain
its normal position and to raise the syphon, a finger on the said shaft depresses the
weighted lever and allows the ball to drop and open the valve so as to refill the
cistern. We do not however confine ourselves to this arrangement. Our invention
is also applicable to flushing tanks for cleansing and flushing sewers.

page_text: We THOMAS ABBOTT of the County Asylum Lancaster in the County of
Lancaster, Clerk of Works, and MILES HAWTHORNTHWAITE of Cable Street
Lancaster aforesaid Clerk do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS AND SEWERS'
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings :-
"
Our Invention relates principally to the flushing apparatus of water closets and
particularly to the arrangements wherein a limited quantity of water is discharged
into the flushing pan and the object of our invention is to dispense with the valves
usually employed in this class of apparatus.
According to our invention a syphon is mounted in the flushing cistern so that
the mouth of the sypbon can be lowered or raised. The discharge arm of the
syphon is in communication with a pipe which leads into the flushing pipe. Water
is supplied to the cistern by means of a ball valve as is usual. The water is
discharged by lowering the syphon so as to submerge the bend. The water in the
cistern then rushes through the syphon into the flushing pipe. To prevent the ball
valve from opening to supply more water while the syphon is lowered a weighted
lever is provided which holds the arm of the ball until the syphon rises so as to
keep the valve shut. When the cross shaft is allowed to regain its normal position
and to raise the syphon a finger on the said shaft depresses the weighted lever and
allows the ball to drop and open the valve so as to refill the cistern Our invention
is also applicable to flushing tanks for cleansing and flushing sewers.
Our invention will be more readily understood when reference is made to the
accompanying sheet of drawings which is made to a scale of about four inches to
the foot as compared with the apparatus selected for illustration. In the said
drawings Fig: 1. represents a vertical longitudinal section. Fig: 2. a vertical cross
section and Fig: 3 a plan view of the apparatus. In the said Figures: a. is the
flushing cistern b. is the syphon c. is the ordinary ball valve and d is the connection
for the discharge pipe. The cistern may be of any ordinary or suitable size, and
form with the exception that it is provided with a well a' or with an equivalent
space for the reason hereinafter mentioned. The syphon is formed or provided
with an elbow 6' at its lower end and the outer or horizontal arm.of this elbow is
turned or made suitable to work in a stuffed gland e. which is screwed upon the
upper end of the connection d. which projects into the cistern. A connection for
the flow of water from the syphon to the discharge pipe is thus established and at
the same time the syphon is free to turn upon an axis which is the centre of the
gland c. At the upper part of the cistern a rocking shaft f. is mounted in the
usual or in a suitable manner and on one of the outer ends of this shaft is
secured or formed a weighted lever g. seen in Fig: 3. and also in Fig: 1ª which
represents the lever in the position it would occupy if it appeared in Fig 1. The
unloaded end of this lever is connected with the ordinary wire (indicated by h.)
whereby the apparatus is put into action. On the same shaft and inside the
cistern is a second lever i. which is connected by means of a link k. with the
syphon. A loaded lever l. is mounted on a fulcrum stud m. and a finger l on
the unloaded end of this lever projects below the ball stem n. of the ball valve.
A finger o. on the shaft f. depresses the end n of the lever when the parts are in the
position as represented in Fig: 1.
The action of the apparatus may be described as follows:
When the lever g. is not being acted upon the parts assume the positions as in
Fig: 1. the upper bend of the syphon being above the water level so that the water

page_text: cannot pass the bend to flow to the discharge pipe. The ball valve is also free to
open to supply the cistern. When the lever g. is acted upon as is usual in ordinary
forms of apparatus for the same purpose the shaft f. turns in its bearings so that
the lever i. is moved somewhat into the position indicated in Fig: 2. whereby the
syphon is lowered until its upper bend is, below the water line indicated by the
As this
dotted line p. the mouth of the syphon being lowered into the well a¹.
well is only required to furnish room for the descent of the syphon it might be
dispensed with if the cistern were made of a sufficient depth below the axis of
motion of the syphon." The bend being below the water level as stated the water
rushes through the syphon and is delivered to the flushing pipe which is in coin-
munication with the pan of the closet. It will be seen that the flow of water will
continue until the mouth of the syphon is uncovered so as to admit air to the
syphon. The described movement of the shaft f. also has the effect of releasing
the lever . and the finger : being raised by the movement of the lever, due
to the load thereon the said finger sustains the ball so as to prevent the valve
from opening during the time that the tension upon, the wire h. is maintained. It
will thus be seen that the flow of water will cease when the regulated quantity has
been discharged. When the lever g. is released the load upon the lever turns back
the shaft f. whereby the syphon is raised into its position of rest and at the same
time the end . of, the lever l. is depressed by the finger o. whereby the ball is
released and the valve is permitted to open to re-fill the cistern. We do not
confine ourselves to the exact details of the apparatus so long as the syphon raised
and lowered for the purposes of our invention is retained.. We may substitute for
the gland e. an elastic connection or a ground joint or any other suitable connection
which would furnish a suitably water-tight joint and at the same time permit.of
the lowering and raising of the syphon. As hereinbefore mentioned the syphon
may be employed in the construction of apparatus for flushing drains and sewers
being fitted to turn so as to be submerged when the discharge of the flushing water
is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The combination of parts forming the apparatus substantially as and for the
purposes set forth and indicated hereinbefore and in and by the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a flushing cistern for use in connection with a water closet the syphon
connected with the discharge pipe and suspended or arranged so that its open
mouth can be lowered until the water will pass the bend in combination with a
loaded lever for keeping the ball valve closed during the discharge of the flush
'substantially as set forth.
4
3. The use in flushing apparatus of a syphon jointed to or connected with the
discharge outlet pipe or fitting in such a manner as that the bend of the syphon can
be depressed below the level of the water to effect the discharge substantially as
set forth and indicated.