AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING SHIP'S WATER-CLOSET
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thrift and Adam High, of Stepney, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING
SHIP'S WATER-CLOSET."
Sealed the 18th June 1858, and dated the 21st December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thrift and
Adam High at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 21st December 1857.
We, WILLIAM THRIFT and ADAM Hion, of No. 2, Bedford Street,
Commercial Road East, Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING SHIP'S
WATER-CLOSET," to be as follows:-
A 1, front of seat; B, upright lever from front of seat; C, lever attached
to B; D, lever for opening sea and water valves; E, sea valve; F, lever
attached to F,for opening water valve; G, tumbler attached to D to open sea
valve; H, front lever attached to C to lift weight at back; I, swinging
weight attached to C for opening sea and water valves; J, counterbalancing
weight; K, basin of closet; L, cup leather for compressing and closing sea
valve and regulating supply of water; M, upper cylinder for compressing
water to ease sea and water valves; N, small valve to admit water to upper
cylinder; O, valve to supply closet; P, service to closet; Q, inlet from
cistern; R, globular receiver.
Our Invention consists, first, in its being constructed without springs, hence
its non-liability to become deranged; second, its adaptability to general use,

page_text: heing suitable for small or large vessels, the space necessary for fitting same
being 12 by 14 inches, thereby allowing the soil pipe a greater external height
from water line, also a larger amount of internal head room, consequently
insuring greater accommodation and convenience than any closet in present
use; third, the vibration being accurately registered and adjusted to th of
an inch by self-acting process; fourth, the globular form of receiver tending
to facilitate the discharge of deposit; fifth, the introduction of metal cylinder
with compartment, likewise motion of sen valve, all of which are operated
upon by action of seat; when in use the valves remain inactive and all
communication shut off, on leaving closet valves open and dischargo all
sediment, and lets in a suflicient supply of water into pan; a portion of
compressed water together with back action cases the valves to, and in the
event of a sea striking the valve while discharging its contents shuts instantly,
and thereby prevents the sea water from forcing in the discharge of the
sediment; the supply of water for cleansing and keeping closet sweet when
not in use conveyed from one cistern or any leading service pipe, shutting off
water, opening and closing of sea valve, performed by simple action of seat, as
before stated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thrift and Adam High in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
THRIFT and ADAM HIGH, of Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said William Thrift and Adam High, Her special licence,
that we, the said William Thrift and Adam High, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Thrift and
Adam High, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein oxpressed, 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 Invention for "AN IMPROVEI

page_text: "
SELF-ACTING SHIP'S WATER-CLOSET, upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William Thrift and Adam High, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or one of our 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 we, the said William Thrift and Adam High,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
Our improved self-acting ship's water-closet relates to the application of
certain gear or parts for actuating the water supply valve, and also the escape
valve of the soil pan, the motion being communicated thereto by the rising
and falling of the seat of the closet by the weight of the person sitting on and
removing therefrom. For this purpose we employ two levers, the one of
which is placed in connection with the seat of the closet, the other with the arm
on the axis of soil valve, and also with the valve to admit the supply of water.
These levers are placed in such relation to each other, that a catch suspended
to the end of the first lever (that connected with the seat), when the seat is
depressed and the catch raised, swings' over stop or catch formed on the valve
lever, the catch lever is weighted, so that when the person seated rises, the
catch descends and imparts motion to the valve lever, but again releasing
itself before it arrives at its lowest position. The valve for the supply of the
water is placed in a small cylinder having a horizontal partition, through
which the valve rod passes up to the lever before mentioned. The water valve
is placed in the bottom of this small cylinder, and when opened admits the
water, which passes from thence by another pipe and enters the fan or spread
of the closet. The water admitted and passing through the lower part of the
small cylinder by its pressure raises a small valve in the partition before.
mentioned, and enters a space between it and an inverted cup leather fixed to
the valve rod. The water thus entering prevents the descent of the valve
when the weighted lever falls, by reason of the water having no other escape.
than by a small return passage through the partition, which retards the
closing of the valve more or less and causes it to shut slowly.

page_text: it self-acting; Fig. 2, a front view of the same; and Fig. 3, a section of the
soil valve and receiver. a is the ordinary basin furnished with a soil valve b
as usual, opening into a receiver c; d is the seat of the closet; it is hinged at c.
and is free to rise and fall to a certain extent, as seen in dotted lines; f, g, are
two levers, one of which f, is mounted on a fulcrum h, and is connected to the
seat by two rods i, i, and cross bar k. The opposite end of this lever f carries
a swinging catch, mounted on pin 1, which takes on to a stop m, formed on
lever g. This lever is mounted on a fulcrum at n, and at the opposite end
carries a stud pin which engages with the slot arm p, fixed on the axis of the
soil valve b, when the sent d is depressed by a person sitting on it, the lever f
takes the position shown dotted, and disposes the catch above the stop m.
In rising from the seat d the lever f is released; the weight which is suspended
to lever now preponderates, when that lever resumes its original position,
bringing with it the lever 9 into the position shown, dotted red. Before the
lever g arrives at its lowest position the catch slips off the catch or stop m,
and allows the lever g so far as lever is concerned, to resume its original
position also. This motion of lever 9 gives motion to the soil valve b,
and opens it, as seen dotted in Fig. 3. This valve and its action being similar
to ordinary ship's closets will not require any special mention. The lever g by
its motion opens the supply valve of the closet by means of a valve rod s.
The valve is placed on the lower chamber of a cylinder t, having a partition
w, in which a clack x is placed, opening upwards; n is the ingress or supply
pipe which is opened by the rising of valve r, and admits free passage of
the water to pipe v, and thence by that pipe to the basin of the closet to effect
its office as usual. The water on entering through r fills the lower chamber
of t, and passes up through valve x, and fills the space below the inverted cup.
leather y, which also rises with the rod s, being fitted to an inverted metal cup
fixed to that rod. The water thus entering the upper chamber of t'has only
a small escapo around the valve rod s into the lower chamber; consequently,
although the lever g is released by the weighted lever f, the lever 9. doos not
rise immediately, and therefore cannot at once cut off the supply of water.
Neither the soil valve b or water valve r. can closo, until the water escapes
from under the cap leather a, the passage for which is of a regulated size,
according to the length of time it is, required that they should be left open.
Morcover, these valves close gently, and are. therefore not subject to any
violent action; 2 is a small pipe of communication between the upper part
of and the receiver c. The action is this:-Tho person in sitting down
depresses the seat and moves the lever f to its position, as described, which
motion, however, does not open either of the valves of tho closet, or produce

page_text: any other effect on the closet, but on the person rising from the seat the
weighted leverf is released, and produces the action described.
Another part of our Invention relates to the forming one side of the
receiver of a spherical form, as represented in the section, Fig. 3, which
facilitates the escape of the soil, and renders it freer than the passage afforded
by the ordinary receivers.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we desire it to be understood that we do not make any
claim to rendering the closet self-acting by the weight of the person sitting on
and removing from the closet seat, but that what we claim as our Invention,
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the arrangement and combination of the weighted levers actuating
the valves 6 and 2, as and for the purpose herein before described.
We also claim the application of the double valve chamber t, as
described.
Lastly, we claim the spherical or rounded form of receiver c, as described
and represented.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Thrift and Adam High,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
eight.
5
Witness,
W. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
WILLIAM THRIFT. (L.S.)
ADAM HIGH.
(L.S.)