Improvements in Valve Apparatus for Water Closet Supply Cisterns and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valve Apparatus for Water Closet Supply Cisterns
and the like.
.
I, WILLIAM THOMSON, of Violet Bank, Dumbreck, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, 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 to valve apparatus for controlling the supply of water to
single or simplex cisterns for water closets and for discharging a measured quantity
at each operation so as to prevent waste of water. For this purpose the valve
lever operated by the pull or push rod or chain is arranged to close a valve
in the supply pipe in advance of the operation of opening the discharge valve in
the cistern so that whilst the cistern discharges there shall be no inflow of water,
the object attained being the same as results from the use of the invention described
in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,131 of 1895, but the means employed
being different.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Figure I is
a vertical section of the cistern showing one modification of the valve apparatus.
Figures 2 and 3 are plans of other modifications of the valve apparatus as attached
each to the side of a cistern, Figure 5 is an elevation of still another modification
as attached to part of a cistern in vertical section, and Fig. 6 illustrates another
form of pull or push rod.
Referring to Figure 1 of these drawings the cistern A is furnished with a
discharge valve B of any ordinary pattern adapted to be raised from its seat over
the discharge pipe for emptying the cistern the said valve being surrounded by a
tube C designed to retain a portion of the water in the cistern to serve as an after-
flush the tube being perforated to permit of the slower outflow of the water so
retained. The discharge valve B is lifted by means of a lever D to one end of
which it is connected by a link E, the opposite end of the said lever D, which is
centred on the top edge of the cistern or at any other convenient point, having
attached to it a chain or rod F and pull or equivalent device which may be
operated from the closet handle. The cistern is furnished with the usual ball or
float H and lever I arranged to act on the inlet valve or ball cock J to close off
the water supply when the desired water level is attained in the cistern.
On the supply pipe coupling K is fitted a supplementary valve L interposed
between the supply pipe and the ball cock J and connected to them as shown or in
any other convenient way. The valve shown is an equilibrium valve of the piston
type having a suitable face at I adapted to close against a seat and having a
stem L' projecting through the valve casing L the end of the stem piece being
rounded or otherwise suitably shaped to bear against and be acted on by the
discharge valve lever D. The valve L may be of any other form adapted to
close off the passage of water through it by the operation of the valve lever D.
On the supply pipe coupling K, or other part of the supply pipe, a small recoil
chamber M of any suitable form is or may be fitted to prevent or lessen shock or
surge in the pipes due to sudden closing of the valve L. This recoil chamber
may be applied with advantage in combination with any valve fitted on a water
supply pipe. The air chamber may be fitted with a diaphragm or air bag or
endless elastic tube to yield under sudden pressure or shock.

page_text: In the operation of the apparatus when the chain F is pulled to discharge the
contents of the cistern the rounded or bulbous part D¹ on the lever D first acts to
close the supplementary valve L and the further movement of the lever D raises
the discharge valve B, the link E permitting of the requisite amount of play so
that it does not act on the discharge valve until the valve L is closed. When the
pull on the chain is relieved the discharge valve closes by its own weight and the
supplementary valve is forced open by the pressure of the water the cistern being
filled and the ball cock brought into action to stop the water supply in the usual
way. In order that the discharge valve may be kept open sufficiently long to
ensure the discharge of the whole contents of the cistern, the chain may be
engaged by pressing it into a notch R on a bracket piece to retain the valve
lever D in the desired position; or as indicated by Figure 1 the chain may be
attached to a crank pin O on a disc P which is turned to pull the chain and by
drawing the latter to rest against a stop Q beyond the centre of rotation the pull
on the chain is maintained until the disc is turned back by hand; or any equivalent
device may be employed to retain the chain. The closet seat may be so connected
to the supply valve lever as to open the valve to fill the cistern when the closet is
in use, the pull or push rod being operated to empty the cistern in the usual
manner.
The pull or push rod F represented by Fig. 6 is formed of suitable metal or
alloy and has a portion of its length spread as shewn so that when pulled or
pushed through the notch R it will be compressed at this part and will again
spring back to its normal form and catch on either side of said notch to lock the
rod in the position in which it is left.
The bulbous part D' of the lever D is curved to the arc of a circle so that as
the outer end of the lever is depressed the curved part bearing on the rounded end
of the valve stem L' maintains the same degree of leverage.
In the modification represented at Figure 2 the supplementary valve is made in
the form of a ground plug tap or cock L the stem of which is attached to and
operated by the discharge valve lever D. The orifice through the plug is so
formed in relation to those in the casing of the tap that the tap is closed by the
movement of the lever D before the discharge valve is lifted from its seat.
In the modification represented at Figure 3 the discharge valve lever D is
secured on a spindle D¹ having on it a cam D2 adapted to act on the stem L' of
the supplementary valve L to close it, and on the end of this spindle is an arm D³
to which is hung the link connected to the discharge valve.
In the modification shewn at Figure 4 the discharge valve lever D has formed
on or secured to it at D' a wedge piece which acts on the stem L' of the
supplementary valve L to close it on the operation of the lever D, and said
wedge piece may have a portion of its surface flat in order to so act on the
valve stem as to lock the valve against its seat until the valve lever is again
operated on.
In the arrangement shown at Figure 5 the supplementary valve is dispensed
with and the pull on the discharge valve lever D is caused to close the ball cock
or ordinary inlet valve in advance of raising the discharge valve, the cock being
maintained in the closed position to prevent inflow of water to the cistern so long
as the discharge valve is open. The inner end of the lever D is connected by a
link E to a weighted lever E' whose end is jointed at e¹ to the stem J¹ of the ball
cock or other inlet valve J while near the opposite end is attached a chain E
connected to the discharge valve B. On pulling the chain to operate the lever D
the end of the lever E' jointed to the valve stem J' is first raised to close the inlet
valve J and the further movement of the lever D tilts up the lever E on its joint
centre e and raises the discharge valve B. On freeing the chain and the lever D
the discharge valve first drops on to its seat and then the inlet valve J opens and
admits water to the cistern until the ball cock lever I rises and acts in the usual
way to close the inlet.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with a water closet cistern the provision of a supplementary
valve interposed between the supply pipe and the ordinary ball cock and operated
by the discharge valve lever substantially as described.
2. In combination with a water closet cistern the arrangement of the discharge
valve lever to operate the inlet valve and shut off the water supply in advance of
raising the discharge valve substantially as described.
3. In combination with valves or taps for controlling the supply of water a
recoil chamber applied between the supply pipe and the valve substantially as
described.
Dated this 5th day of March 1896.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.