IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR SANITARY PURPOSES, TO BE EMPLOYED IN WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER APPARATUS OR PLACES WHERE BAD AIR OR FOUL GASES ACCUMULATE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ezra Holden, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Scissor
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR SANITARY
PURPOSES, TO BE EMPLOYED IN WATERCLOSETS AND OTHER APPARATUS OR
PLACES WHERE BAD AIR OR FOUL GASES ACCUMULATE."
led the 11th June 1878, and dated the 20th February 1878.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ezra Holden at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1878.
'
EZRA HOLDEN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Scissor Manufacturer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR SANITARY PURPOSES, TO BE EMPLOYED IN WATER-
CLOSETS AND OTHER APPARATUS OR PLACES WHERE BAD AIR OR FOUL GASES
ACCUMULATE."
This Invention relates to certain useful improvements in valves for sanitary
purposes, to be employed in waterclosets and other apparatus or places where bad
air or foul gases accumulate.
The Invention comprises various modifications, in some of which the valve appa-
ratus is self-acting, while in others the action is more or less dependent upon
manipulation, as will be herein-after described.
The self-acting valve apparatus is most applicable to wash-hand basins, baths,
sinks, or slopstones, urinals, or where there is a passage or escape of liquid only,
while the apparatus needing some kind of manipulation (though the nature of the
manipulation is altogether immaterial) is more especially applicable to waterclosets,
or where there is sometimes a passage or escape of solid matter as well as liquid.
The principal objects sought to be attained by the application of these improve-
ments it should be understood are to allow of a free passage of the liquid and solid
matter, and to prevent the return or escape of bad air or foul gases from the urinal,
closet, or other place.
In constructing the said self-acting apparatus, according to one method or modi-
fication I provide a square or other suitably shaped vessel or receptacle, with which
inlet and outlet pipes communicate the inlet pipe being at the top. The bottom of

page_text: the inlet pipe I close by a valve on one end of a balanced lever, carried by a bracket
bolted to the top or other part of the vessel, the lever being balanced by a weight
at its other end, the weight having a constant tendency to keep the valve against
its seating at the bottom of the inlet pipe; but any liquid descending this pipe
overcomes the tendency of the weight, and escapes past the valve, which imme-
diately closes, preventing any return of bad or foul air or gas; the liquid passes into
the vessel and escapes therefrom by the outlet pipe.
According to another method I scat the valve at the upper end of the outlet
pipe, and connect it to one of a pair of linked levers carried by a [double pivotted
bracket bolted to the vessel, the other lever carrying a hollow ball or float. The
action of this modification is that upon the liquid descending by the inlet pipe into
the vessel, and rising therein it lifts the float, and consequently the valve which
allows of the passage of the liquid, but immediately closing, prevents any return of
foul air or gas.
According to another modification I mount a suitably shaped ball or float on a
rod, or I provide it with top and bottom spindles, the bottom end or one of which
carries the valve, the rod or spindles being carried by and having a vertical motion
in brackets carried by the vessel. The action of this modification is the same as
that of the preceding modification, the liquid rising till it lifts the float from its
seating on the outlet pipe, when it can freely escape.
According to another modification the arrangement of the parts and their action
are mainly the same as in the preceding modification, but I dispense with the
brackets and fix the rod in the vessel, and make it act as a guide to the float and
valve, which are connected and work together, and rise and fall on the rod.
In constructing the apparatus, which is more especially applicable to waterclosets,
or where there is sometimes a passage of solid matter as well as liquid. I form
the receptacle, vessel, basin, or pan, open as is usual at the top, but with a much
freer exit than in the said self-acting apparatus, suitable for liquids only, and I
prefer to form its exit opening at an inclination (or it may be curved), and this
opening I close by a valve or flap hung on centres and actuated by a crank on a
spindle carried by the casing or lower part of the apparatus, the spindle passing
through the casing and being provided externally thereof with a toothed wheel,
into which gears a toothed are, on the end of a lever, also carried by the said casing,
or by an extension thereof, and which lever is actuated simultaneously with the
water supply, being turned on and turned off, the lever being suitably connected to
the usual handle or other means (whatever means be used) by which the water
supply is actuated. Thus when the handle or other means of the water supply is lifted
or actuated to flush the basin the said crank is simultaneously and by the same
action removed from supporting the said valve or flap, which immediately falls,
allowing of the discharge of the contents of the basin, and of the latter being
sufficiently flushed, but upon the said handle or other means being released the
crank immediately returns the valve to its position, and prevents any return of foul
air or gas, the basin being simultaneously charged with a sufficient quantity of
water to ensure the soil pipe being effectually sealed when at rest.
This improved apparatus can be applied to existing waterclosets or such like
places.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ezra Holden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th August
1878.
EZRA HOLDEN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Scissor Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR SANITARY PURPOSES, TO BE EMPLOYED IN WATER-
CLOSETS AND OTHER APPARATUS OR PLACES WHERE BAD AIR OR FOUL GASES
ACCUMULATE."
This Invention, which relates to certain useful improvements in valves or valve
apparatus for sanitary purposes, to be employed in waterclosets and other apparatus
or places where bad air or foul gases accumulate, is illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings in Figures 1 to 11, which will herein-after be severally described and
referred to.
The Invention comprises various modifications, in some of which the valve appa-
ratus is self-acting, while in others the action is more or less dependent upon
manipulation or operation, as will be herein-after described.
The self-acting valve apparatus, which is illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, is most
applicable to wash-hand basins, baths, sinks, or slopstones, or urinals, or where there
is a passage or escape of liquid only, while the apparatus needing some kind of
manipulation or operation (though the nature of the manipulation is altogether
immaterial), and which is illustrated in Figures 9 to 11, is more especially applicable
to waterclosets, or where there is sometimes a passage or escape of solid matter as
well as liquid.
The principal objects sought to be attained by the application of these improve-
ments it should be understood are to allow of a free passage of the liquid and solid
matter without a liability to accumulate at any part, and to prevent the return or
escape of bad air or foul gases from the urinal, closet, or other place.
In constructing the said self-acting apparatus according to one method or modi-
fication illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in Figures 1 and 2, I provide a
square or other suitably shaped vessel or receptacle 1, with which inlet and outlet
pipes 2, 3, communicate, the inlet pipe 2 being at the top, and the bottom of the
vessel by preference inclining towards the outlet pipe 3. The bottom of the pipe 2
I close by a valve 4 on one end of a balanced lever 5, carried by a bracket 6
bolted to the top or cover 29 or other part of the vessel, the lever being balanced
by a weight 7 at its other end, the weight having a constant tendency to keep the
valve against its seating at the bottom of the pipe 2, as shown in Figure 1, but
any liquid descending this pipe overcomes the tendency of the weight and escapes
past the valve, which is then in the position shown in Figure 2, but immediately
after which it closes again, assuming the position shown in Figure 1, and preventing
any return of bad or foul air or gas; the liquid passes into the vessel 1, and escapes
therefrom by the pipe 3.
According to another modification, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, I set the valve
4 at the upper end of the pipe 3, and connect it by a link 9 to one (10) of a pair of
linked levers 10, 11, carried by a double pivotted bracket 12, bolted to the vessel 1,
the other lever (11) carrying a hollow ball or float 13. The action of this modifi-
cation is that upon the liquid descending by the pipe 2 into the vessel 1, and rising
therein, it lifts the float, and consequently the valve (as shown in Figure 4) which
allows of the passage of the liquid, but immediately closing (as shown in Figure 3)
prevents any return of foul air or gas.
According to another modification, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, I mount a
suitably shaped ball or float 13 on a rod (14), or I provide it with top and bottom
spindles (14), the bottoni end or one of which carries the valve 4, the rod or spindle
being carried by and having a vertical motion in brackets 15, carried by the cover
of the vessel 1. The action of this modification is the same as that of the preceding
modification, the liquid rising till it lifts the float from its seating on the pipe 3, when

page_text: it can freely escape. The closed and open positions of the valve are shown
respectively in Figures 5 and 6.
According to a variation of this modification, which needs no separate illustration,
arrangement of the parts and their action are mainly the same as in the preceding
modification, but I dispense with the brackets (15), and fix the rod (14) in the
vessel (1), and make it act as a guide to the float (13) and valve (4), which are
connected and work together, and rise and fall on the rod in substantially the
manner illustrated in Figure 7, which illustrates another variation of this modifica-
tion in which the principal difference is that the guides 14 are placed externally of
the float 13.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 8, the float and valve are combined in
one in the form of an india-rubber ball 16.
In constructing the apparatus, which is more especially applicable to water-
closets, or where there is sometimes a passage of solid matter as well as liquid, I
form the receptacle, vessel, basin, or pan 17, open as is usual at the top, but with a
much freer exit 18, having a straight descent or outlet into the soil pipe 28, as
shown most clearly in the sectional view, Figure 9, and prefer to form its exit
opening 19 into the soil pipe at an inclination (or it may be curved), and this
opening I close by a valve or flap 20, hung on centres 21, and actuated by a crank
22 on a spindle 23, carried by the casing or lower part 24 of the apparatus, the
spindle 23 passing through the casing, as shewn most clearly in the sectional view,
Figure 10, and being provided externally thereof with a toothed wheel 25, into
which gears a toothed are 26 on the end of a lever 27, also carried by the casing
24 or by an extension thereof, as shewn most clearly in the side elevation, Figure
11, and which lever is actuated simultaneously with the water supply, being turned
on and turned off, the lever being suitably connected to the usual handle or other
means (whatever means be used) by which the water supply is actuated. Thus
when the handle or other actuating means of the water supply is lifted or actuated
to flush the basin, the crank 22 is simultaneously and by the same action removed
from supporting the valve or flap 20, which immediately falls, allowing of the
discharge of the contents of the basin, and of the latter being sufficiently flushed, but
upon the said handle or other means being released the crank immediately returns
the valve to its position and prevents any return of foul air or gas, the basin being
simultaneously charged with a sufficient quantity of water to ensure the soil pipe
being effectually sealed when at rest.
This improved apparatus can be applied to existing waterclosets or such like
places.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into prac-
tical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the above-
described improvements in valve apparatus for sanitary purposes, and the employ-
ment thereof in waterclosets and other apparatus or places where bad air or foul
gases accumulate, the whole being substantially as described, and as illustrated in
the accompanying Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ezra Holden, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
EZRA HOLDEN. (L.S.)