CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS AND URINALS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY,
RISHTON, of Kendal, in the County of Westmoreland, Plumber, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by.
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom.
of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first
day of July, (One thousand eight bundred and fifty), in the fourteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto.
me, the said Henry Rishton, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Henry
Rishton, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry.
Rishton, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully night make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention:
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS AND URINALS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Henry Rishton, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my,
hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said,
Henry Rishton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and ?

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the present Specification thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
Firstly, my improvements in water-closets have chiefly for their object the
construction of them in such manner that they may be supplied with water
directly from high-pressure or other service pipes, and the cisterns and
service boxes usually employed may be dispensed with.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation, of a water-
closet of this improved construction. A is the pan; B, the basin; C, a spiral
screw-cock or valve, a vertical section of which is given separately on an
enlarged scale in Figure 3. The case of the valve C is connected to the
main water service by the pipe D, to the scatterer by the pipe E, and to the
trap or inverted syphon F of the closet by the pipe G. H is a rod connected
to one end of a beam I, to the other end of which there is joined another
rod K, which is again connected to the spindle L of the valve C by an arm M,
which latter is, through the parts connecting it with the rod Z of the sunk
handle, made to partake of the same movements as that rod. When the
arın M is pulled down, it makes the spindle L turn upon its axis, and by
means of the screw N which forms a part of the spindle, the valve O is raised
up from its seat and permits the water to flow into both the pipes E and G.
The descent of the weighted lever P when the sunk bandle is let go causes
the valve spindle to be turned round in the opposite direction, and screws
the valve tightly down upon its scat, and cuts off the supply of water.
Q, Q, are two regulators, which are shewn separately in plan in Figures 4
and 5. Figure 4 shews the regulator in its full open position; Figure 5
shews it half open. These regulators are placed between the valve O and the
openings into the pipes E and G, so that the proportionate quantities of
water admitted into those pipes may be regulated to the desired extent, and
allow more water to be thrown into the pan than into the trap, or vice versa,
according as may be found necessary for keeping the closet perfectly clear.
It will be seen that it is necessary that the upper end of the valve spindle
should be provided with a stuffing box to prevent leakage. In the sectional
view given, Figure 3, I have shewn it, as fitted with a packing formed of
vulcanized india-rubber tubing, which has the great advantage over hemp
.and metal packing of moving along with the spindle, instead of the spindle
having to move upon it, and thus very considerably reduces the friction. a is
a collar formed upon the valve spindle and in one piece with it; b, the piece
of vulcanized india-rubber tubing; c, a ring of metal, around which the
lower end of the tube is folded, and which serves to retain the end of the tube

page_text: firmly between the collar a and the nut d, which is screwed upon the valve
spindle and brought close home upon the india-rubber. The upper end of
the vulcanized india-rubber tubing is fixed in a similar manner, being folded
over a metal ring e, and then firmly gripped between the upper end f of the
valve box C and the cap g which is screwed upon it. This arrangement of
the stuffing box admits of the valve spindle either turning round or moving
up and down within certain limits, without at all affecting the stuffing
injuriously, and this stuffing also forms an effectual obstacle to the passage of
water in that direction.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of another water-closet, differing from that
Jast described in the arrangement of levers for communicating the motion
from the sunk handle to the valve for flushing the basin and trap, and also
in the form of the upper edge of the basin and scatterer, which latter are
so constructed as to be more especially applicable where the closet is not
provided with a cistern and service box. A is the pan; B, the basin; and
C, the valve case; D, the supply pipe; E and G, the pipes to the scatterer
and trap, all as before explained.
a
The valve spindle is caused to make a partial revolution when the sunk
handle is drawn up or pressed down, through the intervention of the rod H,
the bell crank I, the connecting rod K, and arm L. The partial revolution
so produced either allows the water to flow or stops it off, as in the water-
closet valve first herein-before described, but the valve itself does not in this
instance move up or down, but simply turns upon its axis, for opening and
closing the water-ways, as will be understood by reference to Figures 7 and 8,
the former of which is an elevation, and the latter a vertical section of the
valve case.
is the valve spindle; b, b, the vulcanized india-rubber packing,
which has been already explained; c, the valve, which is affixed to and turns
with the spindle a; d is the valve seat, which is formed of a disc of leather
superimposed upon the surface of another disc of metal, the two being firmly
held together by the screwing down of the cap O upon the lower branch P
of the valve case. The valve and valve seat are both perforated with holes,
like the regulators shewn in Figures 3, 4, and 5, so that water is admitted
to flow through only when the holes are brought opposite to each other.
Figure 9 is an elevation, partly in section, of the basin of the water-closet
which has just been described; the upper part or rim forms a hollow
chamber a, which serves to hold a sufficient quantity of water to fill the
bowl after the handle is pressed down and the flow of water through the
valve has ceased.
c is the scatterer, which while it serves the purpose of
dispersing the flow of water around the inner surface of the basin also serves
•

page_text: to retain the requisite quantity in the chamber a for a short interval after the
stopping of the valve. Two scatterers may be used with this chamber, in
which case the water would be introduced at one side of the basin and the
scatterers would be placed, one at front and the other at the back. This
arrangement admits of the service box now in general use with water-closets
being entirely dispensed with.
Figure 10 is a vertical section of another valve case and regulating valve
for supplying water to the scatterer and trap, which is constructed on the
same principle as the valve first herein described, but differs from it in
having a single regulating valve. This valve is placed in the supply pipe, so
that the quantity of water allowed to enter the valve may be regulated
according to the pressure on the service pipes. a is the spindle; b, b, the
vulcanized india-rubber stuffing; c, the valve; d, a bridge formed in the valve
case; e, a boss formed in the bridge, which is screwed so as to fit a cor-
responding screw on the valve spindle, whereby the valve is slightly raised
up from its scat while it is being turned round; ff, are the passages througli
the valve and seat, which are similar to the passages in the regulating valves;
Figures 3, 4, and 5, before described; g is a recess for the reception of the
lower end of the valve spinille, which is constructed as represented in the
Drawing for the purpose of allowing the valve to be securely fixed to
the spindle, and at the same time obviating the necessity of cutting througli
the valve seat at the central part; any leakage between the valve and the
spindle is thus also prevented; h is the regulating valve, which is moved
closer to or farther from its seat by the screwed part of its spindle i; k is
a stuffing box for the regulating valve.
Figure 11 is a sectional elevation of another valve case and valve, which
differs from that last described only in this, that the valve in being opened is
screwed down from its seat, so that when it is in its closed position it has tho
full pressure of the water in the service pipes upon it, which has a tendency
to force it still closer down.
Figure 12 is a front elevation of a water-closet of a common description,
shewn as being fitted with my improved flushing valve apparatus. A is the
pan of the closet; B, the seat; D, the handle; F, a bell crank, which, with
the connecting rod G, opens and shuts the valve contained in the case E;
F is the pipe for washing the pan; G2, the supply pipe; and H, the branch
to which the pipe (not shown in the Drawing) for flushing the trap is
attached.
Figure 13 is a front elevation of a common water-closet, which is flushed
by means of one of my improved flushing valve apparatuses. In this case it

page_text: is supposed that the flow of water through the pan and trap is to be continued
during the whole time the weight of the user is upon the seat. A is the pan;
B, the seat, which is attached at front by joints C, C, to an upright lever D,
and at back is hinged to some fixed rail. The lower end of the lever D is
connected by a crank E and rod F to the valve spindle, so that when any
weight presses down the seat the valve is opened. For this purpose the seat
is allowed to fall about one half inch from the position in which it is repre-
sented, an amount of travel which is sufficient to produce the requisite turn
upon the valve spindle to allow the water to flow through the valve. When
the weight is again removed from the seat, the counterbalance weight G
brings the whole of the parts back to their original position, and stops off the
flow of water.
Figure 14 is a front elevation of a water-closet fitted with my improved
flushing valve and apparatus for supplying a determinate quantity of water
to the pan each time the apparatus is used, and which for that reason I have
called the "Economic." The arrangements for opening the valve C, which
admits the water to flow in from the main service pipe are nearly the sanic as
in the water-closet last described, but there is connected to the pipe E (by
which the basin is washed) a cistern into which the water first passes before
entoring the basin, and in which the quantity to be used is first measured off
by means of the following mechanism:-1, 1, 1, 1, represent a system of cranks
and levers by which, when the valve C is opened (by any weight falling on
the seat B), the valve v placed in the bottom of the cistern O is closed, and
water flows through the pipe E into the cistern till the ball p rising up shuts
the cock r, and stops off any further supply of water passing through the
valve C. When the weight is removed from the seat of the water closet,
then the levers immediately resume the position in which they are represented
in the Drawing, by the action of the counterbalance weight k shutting the
valve C and opening v, which allows all the water in the cistern to rush
through a pipe a attached to the valve and to the top of the pan of the
closet, which completely washes out the pan.
Figure 15 is an elevation of an improved water-closet with a new form of
valve for stopping the bottom of the pan. A is the pan; B, a door or cover,
by which access is got into the interior; C is a valve, which is attached to
the spindle D, and consists of a metal plate E attached to the spindle D by
arms F, F, only one of which is seen in the Drawings; G is a covering of
leather, which is fixed upon the upper surface of the plate E, and serves to
make an air-tight joint between the plate E and the frame H, which forms
a bed or seat to the valve; I is one of a pair of levers, which are attached to

page_text: the spindle D, and move the valve up and down by the weighted lover K
when acted on by the handle L. This apparatus may be flushed by means
of one or other of the valves which have been already described as suitable
for the purpose in connection with my improved water-closets, or by means of
any other flushing apparatus.
Secondly, my improvements in urinals consist in an application of one or
other of the improved valves herein-before described in detail, for the purpose
of flushing urinals, and so keeping them in a cleanly state. Figure 16 is an
elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus constructed for this purpose.
A, A, is a box or tank placed beneath the floor line of the urinal, and at such
height that the top B, B, of the box shall form the floor of the urinal. The
lid B, B', is loosely fitted over the top edges of the box A, and with freedom
to move downwards at either edge about one balf inch before it meets the
stops C, C; D is an axis or bearing upon which the lid B, B', oscillates;
E is the flushing valve; F, the supplying pipe connected with the water
main; and G, a pipe leading to a disperser, by which the water is distributed
over the whole surface of the trough of the urinal; H is a lever, jointed at
top to the lid at B and at bottom to another lever I, moving on a centre
at K. The upper end of the lever I is again connected to an arm upon the
spindle of the flushing valve E. The end B is weighted so that it may
preponderate over B, and falling down upon the stop C³, shut off the flow of
water through the flushing valve. The trough of the urinal is placed im-
mediately over B', and any person entering the urinal stands upon the part
marked B. The additional weight thus thrown upon that side raises B' and
along with it the lever E, and opens the valve, thereby allowing the water to
flow the whole time the person occupies the position.
Figure 17 is an elevation, partly in section, of a modification of tho
arrangements last described, differing only in so far as regards the means
employed for raising the floor or lid B, B, which in this case is so constructed
that it rises and falls vertically, and does not oscillate upon an axis; C is
a hollow cylinder, which occupiers a central position in respect of B, B;
D is a set of strong springs, which are placed within the cylinder C, and are
of sufficient strength to raise the cylinder, the floor B, B, the levers E, E, and
to open or close the flushing valve F. When any person going to occupy the
urinal comes upon the floor B, B, his additional weight causes it to descend,
and this, by means of the system of levers E, E, opens the flushing valve,
which operates, as before explained, in flushing the sides of the trough of the
urinal. Again, when the weight is removed, the floor B, B, riscs by the
action of the springs and shuts off the supply of water.