Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 27th Apr., 1889
WILLIAM DEVOLL Cuba Villa, Chester Road Erdington, in the County of Warwick
Engineer 1 do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in syphons for flushing water closets and
consists in combining in one piece with the syphon apparatus a fulcrum for the
operating lever and also suitable stops for regulating the stroke so as to make the
syphon apparatus complete in itself and independent of any fittings on the sides of the
cistern, so as to avoid the necessity of casting a fulcrum for the lever, and also snugs,
or stops, for regulating the stroke, on the sides of the cistern.
One advantage of this invention is that a syphon apparatus made as herein described,
may be placed in any kind of cistern or tank having plain sides such as wood cisterns
lined with lead and also earthenware cisterns, as no fittings of any kind would be
required on the sides of the cistern.
Another advantage is that it would be most valuable for export as it can be placed
in any kind of cistern of any capacity and of simple construction, without the
necessity of having to send the tanks with the syphon apparatus.
For this purpose I form a syphon the long limb of which is screwed at its
lower end, and is fitted with a suitable nut to secure it to the bottom of the
cistern or tank in which it may be fixed, the screw being of sufficient length also
to allow of the usual connections for the fall pipe. The short leg of the syphon is
connected to a cylinder by means of a flange cast on the end of the short leg which
is holted to the cylinder cover, the connection being made on one side of the centre
of the cylinder to allow the lever to work in a line with the centre of the cylinder.
The cylinder is fitted with a piston of the usual kind having a valve which opens
inwards and also a piston rod which is connected to the lever in a suitable
manner.
The cylinder and piston are for the purpose of charging the syphon by lifting or
forcing the water out of the cylinder through the hole in the cylinder cover, over the
crown or bend of the syphon. On the upper part of the long leg of the syphon, and
at a suitable distance from the centre, I form or cast a bracket which serves as a

page_text: fulcrum for the operating lever, and on the side of the syphon leg I also form or cast
a round stud on which I fix a India Rubber Collar to act as a buffer. This stud serves
to regulate the strokes of the lever on the decent of the piston.
For the purpose of regulating the upward stroke of the lever by the ascent of the
piston. I form a strong collar on the piston rod and this is also fitted with a India
Rubber Collar which by pressing against the underside of the cylinder cover forms a
buffer to regulate the upward stroke.
The action is as follows,
When the lever is pulled down by means of the chain until the rubber collar presses
against the underside of the cylinder cover the water that has rose in the cylinder
through the piston valve, will be forced upwards out of the cylinder over the bend of
the syphon, and will draw off the air and charge the syphon, which will then continue
to draw water from the cistern or tank in which it is fixed until it is below the
level of the cylinder (which is open at the bottom), when air will enter and break
the syphon action. Immediately the syphon has ceased to draw water, the piston
which is made sufficiently heavy for the purpose will decend until the lever rests on
the stud herein described which is cast on the side of the syphon. A sufficient space
is left between the lower end of the cylinder and the bottom of the cistern or tank,
for the inflow of water to the cylinder.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Syphons for Flushing Water Closets.
WILLIAM DEVOLL Cuba Villa, Chester Road Erdington, in the County of Warwick
Engineer I 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 to improvements in syphons for flushing water closets and
consists in combining in one piece with the syphon apparatus a fulcrum for the
operating lever and also suitable stops for regulating the stroke so as to make the
syphon apparatus complete in itself and independent of any fittings on the sides of
the cistern so as to avoid the necessity of casting a fulcrum for the lever, and also
snugs, or stops, for regulating the stroke, on the sides of the cistern.
One advantage of this invention is that a syphon apparatus made as herein described,
may be placed in any kind of cistern or tank having plain sides such as wood cisterns
lined with lead and also earthenware cisterns, as no fittings of any kind would be
required on the sides of the cistern.
Another advantage is that it would be most valuable for export as it can be placed
in any kind of cistern of any capacity, and of simple construction, without the
necessity of having to send the cisterns or tanks with the syphon apparatus.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of the complete syphon apparatus which is
here shewn fixed in a cistern or tank.
Figure 2 is a plan of figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the piston with the valve removed.
For this purpose I form a syphon a, the long limb of which is screwed at its lower
end, and is fitted with a suitable nut b, to secure it to the bottom of the cistern or
tank C, in which it may be fixed the screw being of sufficient length also to allow of
the usual,connection's for the fall pipe. The short leg of the syphon is connected to
a cylinder d, by means of a flange e, cast on the end of the short leg which is bolted
to the cylinder cover f the connection being made on one side of the centre of the
cylinder, to allow the lever g, to work in a line with the centre of the cylinder.
The cylinder is fitted with a piston h, of the usual kind having a valve I, which
opens inwards and also a piston rod J, which is connected to the lever in a suitable
manner.
The cylinder and piston are for the purpose of charging the syphon by lifting
or forcing the water out of the cylinder through the hole K, in the cylinder
cover over the crown or bend of the syphon. On the upper part of the long leg
of the syphon and at a suitable distance from the centre I form or cast a bracket L,
which serves as a fulcrum for the operating lever and on the side of the syphon leg
I also form or cast a round stud m, on which I fix a India Rubber collar n, to act as
a buffer. This stud serves to regulate the stroke of the lever on the descent of the

page_text: piston. For the purpose of regulating the upward stroke of the lever by the ascent
of the piston I form a strong collar o, on the piston rod, and this is also fitted with a
India Rubber Collar p, which by pressing against the underside of the cylinder cover
forms a buffer to regulate the upward stroke.
The action is as follows,
When the lever g, is pulled down by means of the chain until the rubber
collar p, presses against the underside of the cylinder cover f, the water that has
rose in the cylinder through the piston valve I, will be forced upwards out of the
cylinder over the bend of the syphon a, and will draw off the air and charge the
syphon which will then continue to draw water from the cistern or tank c, in which
it is fixed until it is below the level of the cylinder (which is open at the bottom)
when air will enter and break the syphon action. Immediately the syphon has ceased
to draw water, the piston-which is made sufficiently heavy for the purpose-will
descend until the lever g rests on the stud m, which as herein described is cast on the
side of the syphon. A sufficient space is left between the lower end of the cylinder
and the bottom of the cistern or tank for the inflow of water to the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed and used, I declare
that what I claim is,
1. In syphons used for the purpose of flushing water closets, the arrangement and
combination of parts as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
1000