Improvements in Water Closets, and in Flushing Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Closets, and in Flushing Apparatus
therefor.
I DAVID STEEL WALLACE, of 2426 Gilpin Street, Denver, Arapahoe County,.
in the State of Colorado U.S.A., Plumber, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in water closets and especially to that
class known as double trap siphon closets. The objects of my invention are first
to provide a closet having the flushing reservoir secured directly to the top of the
closet or cast integral with it; second, to provide a closet which is retrapped
directly from the city pressure and consequently does not require a portion of the
reservoir contents at each flushing to retrap the bowl; third to provide a closet
adapted to receive the entire contents of the reservoir at each flushing; fourth to
provide a siphon closet with deep traps; fifth to provide perfectly noiseless
closet and reservoir; sixth, to provide means to automatically regulate the flushing
valve to retrap the closet from the city water supply; seventh, to provide a double
trap noiseless closet with an independent air passage to the top of the reservoir;
eighth to provide a noiseless flushing rim and reservoir attached directly to
another or cast integral, which can be attached to or cast on auy make or design
of bowl or arrangement of trap or traps at present in use.
a
one
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated and described in the
accompanying drawings and specifications, in which:
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation through the broken plane A of
Figure 3;
Figure 2 represents a sectional end elevation of the reservoir and a fragment
of the closet showing the operating mechanism therein, parts of which are shown
in section;
Figure 3 represents a plan view of the closet and reservoir drawn on
scale.
a smaller
Figure 4 represents an end elevation of the closet and a fragment. of the
reservoir, and shows in dotted lines the arrangement of the discharge passage of
the second trap.
Figure 5 represents the seat of the flushing valve.
Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several
views.
Referring to Figure 1, B designates the bowl of the closet. Its rim C is
enlarged in the form of an oval. It has a water passage C¹ formed in it which is
continuous around it. It is also open all around at its inner under side at Eas
shown. The water passage extends backward into the body of the closet and
registers with an aperture E' in the bottom of the reservoir F. This passage is
controlled by a valve G and its seat G'. The bowl B discharges into the discharge
passage H, which is arranged to extend backward from the front of the closet and
upward to near the top of the closet. It is also diverged to one side of the longi-
tudinal centre of the closet. It then curves downward to the base of the closet and
then turns across the centre and upward, forming a second trap, the bowl and the
first part H of the discharge passage to its highest point forming the first trap.
I carry the first run of the discharge passage as high as possible and the downward

page_text: passage as far down as possible in the closet in order to get deep traps, and also a
large volume of water in the bowl, and in addition, a long siphon leg H'. The
second upward turn I, of the discharge, is carried up to get as deep a trap as
possible and have its highest point above the lowest point of the first trap. It then
extends toward the front of the closet and opens out at the bottom of it at I',
where the closet is flanged to connect to the soil-pipe. I provide the second trap
with a vent outlet 12, by which this trap may be vented. J is an air passage
formed in the top of the closet from the top of the first trap to the pipe K, which
is secured to the reservoir and closet. It is provided with a perforation K', which
is arranged to register with the air passage and continue it to the top of the
reservoir F, or above the water level. I arrange this air-pipe in reservoirs which
are secured to the closets so that I can use it to take the place of a holt to secure
the two together as illustrated in most of the figures. To accomplish this, I
thread the lower end which is closed by a plug or other means and provided with
nuts L arranging them to clamp the two together as shown. When the reservoir
is separated from the closet, it is constructed of wood or other suitable material,
and lined with metal, and must be secured by bolts or other means to
the closet, but when made of porcelain it is cast integral with it. The
reservoir when separate sets directly on the closet, which is formed to project
laterally on each side of its longitudinal centre to make a base for it.
A. water-tight joint is made between the two by inserting a gasket M.
I secure the reservoir to the closet preferably by the air-pipe K and also
by the water inlet pipe N, which is threaded and provided with nuts similar
to the air-pipe K or valve G', which has a third nut between the two.
These two pipes are arranged at one end of the reservoir. At the opposite end,
in place of using bolts, I preferably form the valve seat with two depending
rods O and O', which extend through the closet. The ends of these rods are
threaded and provided with nuts which are adapted to secure the closet and
reservoir together. The body of the valve-seat is threaded and provided with
nuts M, by which it is secured to the buttom of the reservoir. The flushing
valve proper and seat, with the exception of the depending rods, are old, but in
order that I may noiselessly flush the closet and use in so doing the entire contents
of the reservoir and retrap the closet from the city pressure, it is necessary to
automatically control it so that it will remain open a short period of time after
the closet has been flushed, and also so that it will close itself quickly and easily
without that swash or wire-drawing noise being made by the water, so common in
most closets.
I preferably carry out this feature of my invention in the following manner.
To the top of the valve 1 attach a weight P. To the valve-stem I pivot a
lever Qloose enough to allow the valve always to seat squarely. I pivot the lever
on a shaft R, which I secure in any convenient manner in the reservoir. I illustrate
it secured by pins in a U-slotted clip R', which is soldered to the lining of the
reservoir. In porcelain reservoirs this shaft would have to pass through its sides
and be secured against leakage by suitable nuts and washers. To the opposite
end of the lever, I pivot a box X which may be a water-containing receptacle of
any suitable form. In the bottom of the box are two perforations T and T.
Tis the water inlet into the box and it is made larger than T which is the outlet.
The inlet is controlled by a common clapper valve U which operates to admit the
water into the box through the perforation and retain it. T is a small perfora-
tion which is adjustably controlled by a plate v, which is movably secured laterally
over it by a screw v. A. perforation is made through the plate to register
with T. By moving the plate laterally over the lower perforation, I am enabled
to partially close it and thus regulate the time required to empty the box. As
soon as the box is empty, the flushing valve is closed by the weight. To the top
of the box secure a manually operating push-rod 8, which is shown in Fig. 1.
It extends up through the cover of the reservoir. X' designates the overflow
pipe. It is screwed into an opening in the valve-seat G¹ and communicates with

page_text: the flushing passage C'. It is also open to the atmosphere through the rim C
when the closet is not flushing. N is the water supply pipe and N³ its valve,
which is controlled as those in common use by the float N³. The top outlet of
the air-pipe K is provided with a valve Y, which is pivoted to a lever Z pivotally
supported in a bracket 1, which is secured to the pipe. A depending rod 2 is
pivoted to the opposite end of this lever and supports at its lower end a float 3,
which operates to hold the valve open when the reservoir is full or is being filled
with water. The rod 2 is also supported by a bracket 4 attached to the pipe.
5 designates a casing-preferably a metal casing or box. It is adapted to fit over
the air-pipe K, and also, the overflow pipe X', although it is not necessary that
the overflow pipe be placed under it, as I could vent the top of the casing by
other means. The casing is air-tight. It extends preferably to, and rests on,
the bottom of the reservoir. One side at 6 is cut away a short space above the
floor at a predetermined point in proximity to the float 3 to allow the water to
enter it freely and to exclude outside air from it until the water is below the said
opening.
The operation is as follows. The water supply enters through the pipe N.
The weight on the flushing valve is sufficient to keep it closed when the box X is
empty or nearly so. As the reservoir fills with water, it flows into the box
through both of the perforations in its bottom, the larger one allowing it to fill as
quickly as the reservoir.
Normally the box is not full of water, the line 7 designating approximately
its highest point in the reservoir and box. To flush the closet, press down the
rod 8, which pushes the box under water, filling it full and thereby opening the
valve, allowing the water to rush through the spider which supports its guide-stem
into the flushing discharge passage and closet rim. The box being now full of
water is heavier than the valve and holds it open. The water in the reservoir
quickly runs out, but the water in the box runs out slowly through the small
outlet T which allows the water from the city pressure to flow into the reservoir,
as its float has dropped and opened the valve with the discharge of the water.
This water passes through the valve and retraps the closet, and the small opening
in the box is gauged so as to hold the flushing valve open until sufficient water has
passed through it to retrap the closet. By this time the box is empty and the
weight closes the flushing valve, lifting the box again to its normal position. The
air in the discharge passage H¹ between the traps is removed, and a siphon
established by the outflowing water in the reservoir at the commencement of
flushing, which creates a suction in the casing 5 that draws the air between the
traps through the air passage and pipe by the valve being held open by the
float 3, thereby creating a vacuum between the traps and creating a siphon in
the discharge passages H and H', which empties the closet. The overflow pipe is
closed to the atmosphere the instant flushing commences, by the water passing
through the discharge valve and closing its outlet. When the reservoir commences
to refill, the weight of the float 3 holds the air-valve Y closed until the water
rises high enough to reach it and lift it, when it is opened and held open by
the float until the reservoir is again emptied and the air which accumulates in the
casing 5 is forced out by the rising water through the overflow pipe. The water
flows from the reservoir through the passage C¹ around the rim C and disseminates
evenly over the surface of the bowl through its annular opening E, thus flushing
its entire surface. I preferably make the bowl deep, as the large body of water
it holds gives a more thorough flushing and a longer and better siphon than is
usual, while the placing of the reservoir directly on the closet, or casting it as an
integral part of it obviates the use of pipes and also makes the flushing noiseless.
The oval hollow rim and top part of the closet containing the air passage and air
pipe, the reservoir, the box and water column for automatically closing the flushing
valve and regulating it so that the closet can be retrapped by the water pressure
can be applied to any arrangement or system of traps in water closets at present
in use. The holes q are used to secure a seat to the closet.

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:
Claim 1. The combination of a double trap siphon water closet having a flushing
rim and a rearward table portion, a flushing reservoir adapted to set directly on
said table portion, a flushing valve seat G secured in one end of said reservoir
having two depending threaded rods carrying retaining nuts and extending through
said table portion of said closet, a water inlet pipe and an air-pipe arranged in
the opposite end of said reservoir to depend through said reservoir and through
said table portion, and having threads and retaining nuts upon their ends and
adapted with said valve seat rods and nuts to bolt the said reservoir to said closet
substantially as described.
Claim 2. A siphon water closet comprising a bowl with a flushing rim and with
siphon discharge passages from said bowl and closet a reservoir or flushing tank
bolted directly to said bowl, a water passage from said reservoir to said bowl rim
and an air passage from said bowl discharge passage communicating with the top of
said reservoir substantially as described.
Claim 3. A siphon closet having the reservoir or flushing tank secured to the
body of the closet, a hollow flushing rim open continuously around the bowl,
a water passage in said closet connecting with said rim and with said reservoir, a valve
arranged to control said passage, a lever pivoted to said valve, a pivotal support in
said reservoir for said lever, a box or water receptacle pivoted to the opposite end of
said lever, a water column flowing in and out of said receptacle intermittently, an inlet
valve in the bottom of said box and an adjustable outlet valve whereby the outward
flow of water from said box may be regulated or timed, a manually operated rod
attached to said box and extending above said reservoir for opening said flushing valve,
an air passage in said closet extending above the water level of said reservoir and
connecting with the bowl trap, a valve arranged to control the outlet of said air
passage, and an air tight casing in said reservoir surrounding said air passage
substantially as described.
Claim 4. A double trap siphon closet having a discharge passage at its bottom
curving backward from the front of the bowl and upward, also diverging
obliquely to one side of the closet's longitudinal center, then turning downward to
the base of closet, then laterally across the centre and upward, and then toward
the front of the closet and downward and out near the centre, a vent outlet at the
top of the second trap, a reservoir or flushing tank secured directly to the body of
the closet substantially as herein shown, an air-passage from the top of the first
turn of the discharge passage to the top of the reservoir, a hollow rim or other
flushing device connected by a valve-controlled passage to the reservoir, and
mechanism substantially as herein shown and described for automatically flushing
Faid closet as specified.
Claim 5. The combination with a bowl, a siphon discharge passage extending
upward and diverging obliquely from its centre, then turning vertically downward
to the base and then across the centre and upward, and then downward to a soil
pipe connection arranged on the bottom of the closet, a vent pipe at the top of the
second trap, an air-duct leading from the first bend of the siphon passage to the
reservoir, a pipe secured in said reservoir and closet provided with a side opening
registering with the air-duct and a valve-controlled outlet to said pipe substantially
as described.
Claim 6. The combination in a siphon water closet of a bowl provided with a
hollow flushing rim, a double trap siphon discharge passage arranged substantially
as herein shown, an air-duct communicating with the siphon passage in the air
space between the two traps in the top of the closet, a pipe secured in said
reservoir provided with an outlet registering with said air duct having its lower
end closed, and at its upper end a valve arranged in operative engagement with the
outlet, a lever pivoted to said valve, a bracket supporting said lever and attached

page_text: to said pipe, a float secured to the opposite end of said valve lever by an inter-
mediate rod operating to close said valve, a valve-controlled flushing passage
arranged in the closet and reservoir, a tilting lever pivoted at one end to said
flushing valve, a box or water-holding device pivoted to the opposite end of said
lever, means substantially as herein described for filling said box with water and
regulating its overflow, an overflow pipe connecting the top of said reservoir with
the atmosphere through said rim and an air-tight casing in said reservoir enclosing
said air-duct pipe and valve and overflow pipe all arranged substantially as herein
described.
Claim 7. The combination with the reservoir and closet of an air-pipe extending
through said reservoir and closet having its lower end threaded and provided with
nuts adapted to clamp the closet and reservoir together, having its lower end
closed, a side opening in said pipe, an air-duct in said pipe registering therewith
and communicating with the air-space above the closet's first trap and an
automatically controlled valve arranged in operative engagement with the pipe's
outlet in the reservoir and a casing surrounding said air pipe as specified.
Dated this 21st day of March 1896.
DAVID STEEL WALLACE.
F. W. Golby,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.