IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH SUPPLYING WATER TO CLOSETS, AND FOR DOMESTIC USES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Osmond, of 43, Bishopsgate Street Within, in the
City of London, and of Willington Lodge, 70, Landor Road, Stockwell, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH
SUPPLYING WATER TO CLOSETS, AND FOR DOMESTIC USES."
ealed the 23rd March 1877, and dated the 9th January 1877:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Osmond at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th January 1877.
SAMUEL OSMOND, of 43, Bishopsgate Street Within, in the City of London, and
of Willington Lodge, 70, Landor Road, Stockwell, in the County of Surrey. "IM-
PROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH SUPPLYING WATER TO CLOSETS, AND FOR DOMESTIC
USES."
Water as supplied to houses unfortunately at all times contains a certain amount
of organic matter, although the water companies spare no expense to endeavour to
repair the evil. After they have done their best it is then forced by pressure into
cisterns, most likely gaining extra quantities of deleterious matter en route.
In using water in closets for sanitary purposes, the process, as is well known, is
to pull a handle, which acting on a lever opens a valve, and when pressed down
closes it again after a certain quantity of water has passed into the pan; this in
practice leaves a vacuum in the pipe all the way from the bottom of the soil pipe,
and even a long way into the drain. Waterclosets are often many feet from the
cistern. Nature abhors a vacuum, therefore fills the empty pipes with noxious and
poisonous gases; when again the lever is used these gases, while the valve is open,
mix with the water in the cistern which is drank. The water thus contains much
more organic or poisonous matter than when delivered into the cistern.
Good sanitary measures as regards drainage cannot have effect in what is taken
into the blood of those who drink the water, and which has been proved to act as
deadly poison, and assists in a great measure to produce the sad epidemics human
nature suffers from, such as typhoid, gastric, scarlet, and other fevers (not omitting
small pox) and others too numerous to mention. By my Invention I remedy these
evils and effect my object in a cheap manner so as to bring it within the reach of
the poorest householder's means.

page_text: My Invention consists in obviating the above inconveniences for constructing a.
tank of oblong or other convenient shape, in which the service pipe from the
company's main or other source of supply is furnished, and a ball cock is fitted, as
at present, in addition to an outlet pipe leading to an ordinary draw-off for domestic
uses. This tank which is provided with feet is arranged in another tank of larger
dimensions so as to give a clearance all round and also at the bottom. The first-
named tank is of greater height than the outer one in order that the overflow
water may fall into it, and be there stored for use in closets and other like places
by pipes. The outer tank has also a waste pipe, so that the water from the over-
flow of the inner tank is received by the outer tank, which in its turn gives off its
overflow by the waste pipe leading to the closet or drain. By this means the
water used for drinking purposes is kept separate from the closet water, conse-
quently no contamination of that in the inner tank can take place,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Osmond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
July 1877.
SAMUEL OSMOND, of 43, Bishopsgate Street Within, in the City of London, and
of Willington Lodge, 70, Landor Road, Stockwell, in the County of Surrey. "IM-
PROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH SUPPLYING WATER TO CLOSETS AND FOR DOMESTIC
USES."
Water as supplied to houses unfortunately at all times contains a certain amount.
of organic matter, although the water companies spare no expense to endeavour to
repair the evil. After they have done their best it is then forced by pressure into
cisterns, most likely gaining extra quantities of deleterious matter "en route."
In using water in closets for sanitary purposes, the process as is well known is to
pull a handle, which acting on a lever opens a valve, and when pressed down closes
it again after a certain quantity of water has passed into the pan; this in practice
leaves a vacuum in the pipe all the way from the bottom of the soil pipe, and even
a long way into the drain. Water closets are often many feet from the cistern.
Nature abhors a vacuum, therefore fills the empty pipes with noxious and poisonous
gases; when again the lever is used these gases, while the valve is open, mix with
the water in the cistern which is drank. The water thus contains much more
organic or poisonous matter than when delivered into the cistern.
Good sanitary measures as regards drainage cannot have effect in what is taken
into the blood of those who drink the water, and which has been proved to act as a
deadly poison, and assists in a great measure to produce the sad epidemics human
nature suffers from, such as typhoid, gastric, scarlet, and other fevers (not omitting
small pox). By my Invention I remedy these evils, and effect my object in a
cheap manner, bringing it within the reach of the poorest householder's means.
My Invention consists in obviating the above inconveniences by constructing a
tank of oblong or other convenient shape in which the service pipe (from the
company's main or other source of supply) is furnished in addition to an outlet pipe
leading to the ordinary draw-off for domestic uses. This tank which is provided
with feet is arranged in another tank of larger dimensions, so as to give a clearance
all round and also at the bottom. The first-named tank is of greater height than
the outer one, in order that the overflow water may fall into it and be there stored
for use in closets by pipes. The outer tank has the ball of the ball cock arranged
within it, and has also a waste pipe so that the waste from the overflow of the inner
tank is received by the outer tank, which in its turn gives off its overflow by the
waste pipe leading to the closet or drain. By this means the water used for
drinking purposes is kept separate from the closet water, consequently no containi
nation of that in the inner tank can take place.

page_text: My Invention will be clearly understood by the annexed Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional view of two tanks or cisterns A, B; and Figure 2 a per-
spective view of the same. The inner tank A is shown of rectangular shape, and of
a height greater than that of the outer tank B, but it may be of any shape and height
so long as its top is above the ordinary level of the water in the larger or outer
tank or cistern, which receives its supply from the inner one by overflow.
The height of the water in the outer tank is regulated by the ball C which is
arranged to rise and fall within the outer tank, but outside of the inner tank; con-
sequently the inflow of water to the inner tank by the service pipe or tap D is cut
off by the height of water in the outer tank B. E is the pipe for supplying water
from the outer tank to a closet; and F is the pipe by which water for drinking and
other domestic purposes from the inner tank or cistern A is supplied, the pipe E
passing through the wall of the outer tank B to enable the connection with the
tank Å to be effected, which tank A is covered in on top, a lip being formed at one
end for the flow of water from A to B.
I purpose carrying the service pipe D down to near the bottom of the inner tank
or cistern A, as shown, in order that the agitation produced by the inrush of water
under the pressure of a company's mains or other head or source of supply shall
establish a silting up action of any refuse which may pass through the pipe D and
cause it to flow over into the outer cistern B to be drawn off or allowed to flow
down the pipe E to the closet, or as desired, or in which outer cistern it may accu-
mulate and be removed from time to time. G is the waste pipe.
The outer tank may be of slate, zinc, lead, or other material, and so may also be
the inner tank, but I prefer that the inner tank be of glazed earthenware to prevent
metallic contact with the water therein, which is, as before stated, to be used
exclusively for drinking and other domestic purposes.
I am aware that inner tanks or cisterns have been used in outer ones, but they
have been of small capacity, either to limit the quantity of water furnished to a
closet after each use, or to limit the quantity at each draw off, and termed waste
water preventers.
By my Invention there is no limitation of the quantity taken consistent with the
capacity of the tank itself for its particular purpose; in addition, the object of two
tanks by my plan is to keep separate the waters within cisterns, one enclosed in
the other, that one body of water can be kept untainted and uncontaminated by
vapours, gases, or other objectionable effluvia or obnoxious agent from the outer
body of water which is not to be used for drinking and domestic purposes, but for
sanitary purposes only.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The combination of two water cisterns one within the other, in the inner
of which the main supply of water is received, and from which water for drinking
and other domestic purposes can be drawn, said water being kept distinct from any
connection with closet pipes and from the water in the outer cistern which is to be
used solely for sanitary purposes, as described.
Secondly. I claim the combination of two water cisterns for dwelling houses, one
cistern being within the other, and both supplied with water, as and for the
purposes described, and as shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Osmond, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.