In- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO WATERCLOSET AND OTHER COCKS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS A SELF-ACTING RELEASER FOR PILE- DRIVING MACHINERY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Penn, of Westbury Street, Wandsworth
Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO WATERCLOSET AND OTHER COCKS,
WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS A SELF-ACTING RELEASER FOR PILE-
DRIVING MACHINERY AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 18th April 1873, and dated the 20th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Penn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th December 1872.
I, THOMAS PENN, of Westbury Street, Wandsworth Road, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO WATER CLOSET
AND OTHER COCKS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS A SELF-ACTING RELEASER
FOR PILE-DRIVING MACHINERY AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its chief object the prevention of the waste
of water from watercloset and other cocks, and also the ensuring the
discharge of a given amount of water into the pan of the closet, or
through the cock to which my Invention may be applied.

page_text: According to my Invention as applied to any ordinary watercloset, I
employ a self-acting releasing apparatus for releasing the ordinary lever
of the valve of the closet after the valve has been opened, such apparatus
being fitted underneath the seat of the closet and consisting of a vertical
slide carrying two lugs or projections which engage with the lever of the
pan of the closet. This slide carries also a spring lever suspended from
a fulcrum at its upper end, and is connected by a pin and slot at its
lower end with an upright catch and releasing lever which works on a
centre at its lower end. The upper end of this catch and releasing lever
bears underneath the lever of the closet or other cock or valve to be:
controlled, so that when the handle or pull of the closet is raised the
slide will be lifted also and will consequently lift the lever of the valve
or cock so as to open the same, but by the time the said cock, has. been
fully opened and the pan emptied a swell or incline on the front of the
before-mentioned spring lover will be brought in contact with an anti-
friction bowl or stop, and on passing the same will be forced back,
thereby withdrawing the catch and releasing lever from under the valve
lever so as to leave the said valve free to be closed slowly by the action of a
counterweight and a regulator, the latter being constructed and operating
in the manner described in the Specification of my Patent dated
August 11th, 1870, No. 2229.
It is obvious that my improved apparatus may be applied to closets
whether they are supplied from cisterns or direct from the main.
In applying my Invention to pile drivers or to other purposes where
a self-acting releasing apparatus is required the weight or other thing
to be released is attached to the lower end of the spring lever, the
releasing action being accomplished by the antifriction bowl before
referred to. In this modification the upright catch and releasing lever
may be entirely disponsed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said Thomas Penn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PENN, of Westbury Street, Wandsworth Road, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
3 give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Penn, Her special license
that I, the said Thomas Penn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Penn, my executors, ad-
ministrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO WATERCLOSET AND OTHER COCKS, WHICH APPARATUS
IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS A SELF-ACTING RELEASER FOR PILE-DRIVING MACHINERY
AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Penn, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Thomas Penn, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:—
My said Invention has for its chief object the checking or prevention
of the waste of water from watercloset and other cocks, and also the
ensuring the discharge of a given amount of water into the pan of the
closet, or through the cock to which my Invention may be applied.
According to my Invention as applied to any ordinary watercloset I
employ a self-acting releasing apparatus for releasing the ordinary lever
of the valve or supply cock of the closet after the valve or cock has been
opened. This apparatus which is to be fitted underneath the seat of the
closet or in any other convenient place consists of a vertical slide
carrying two lugs or projections which engage with the ordinary lever of
the pan of the closet. This slide carries also a spring lever suspended

page_text: from a fulcrum at its upper end, which lever is connected by a pin at its
lower end with a slot in an upright catch and releasing lever which
works on a centre at its lower end of the said slide. The upper end of
the catch and releasing lever bears underneath the lever of the closet or
other cock or valve to be controlled, so that when the handle or pull of
the closet is raised the slide will be lifted also and will consequently
lift the lever of the valve or cock, thereby opening the same, but by the
time the said cock has been fully opened and the pan emptied, a swell
or incline on the front of the before mentioned spring lever will be
brought in contact with a stationary antifriction bowl or stop, and on
passing the same will be forced back, thereby withdrawing the catch
and releasing lever from under the valve lever so as to leave the said
valve free to be closed slowly by the action of a counterweight and a
regulator, as is well understood, the latter being by preference however
constructed and mado to operate in the manner described in the Specifi-
cation of my Patent, dated August Eleventh, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy, Number 2229.
It is obvious that my improved self-acting releasing apparatus may be
applied to waterclosets whether they are supplied from cisterns or direct
from the main.
When the supply is obtained direct from the main, my improved high
pressure cock described in the before-mentioned Specification may be
advantageously combined with my improved self-acting releasing
apparatus.
In some cases I propose to employ a self-acting lever working on a
centre in the releasing lever, and governed in its descent by a piston
working in a cylinder containing oil hinged to the lower part of the
before mentioned catch and releasing lever. By this arrangement, should
any attempt be made to hold the cock or valve open, by raising very
slowly and gradually the pull or handle of the closet the weight on the
lever of the cock will depress the catch lever against the resistance of its
controlling piston and the cock or valve will fail to open, thus pre-
venting any supply of water being obtained. But if the pull be fully
elevated in the usual manner the controlling piston will not have time
to be elevated, and consequently the supply cock or valve will be opened
fully and then released by the backward motion of the catch lever
produced through the intervention of the spring lever and antifriction
bowl herein-before referred to.

page_text: LENN & Improved Keteaser for watercloset valves ana Fue DriCTS.
In applying my Invention to pile drivers, or to other purposes where
a self-acting releasing apparatus is required, as for example to insure
safety cages for the prevention of overwinding, the weight or other
thing to be released is attached to the lower end of the before-mentioned
spring lever, the releasing action being accomplished by the antifriction
bowl before referred to. In this modification the upright catch and
releasing lever before described may be entirely dispensed with.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed two Sheets of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of my Drawings is a side elevation of one arrange-
ment of my improved self-acting releasing apparatus for preventing
waste of water as applied to one of Warner's regulator cocks, the cock
being in its closed position, and the releasing apparatus in its normal
condition ready for action. Figure 2 is a corresponding front elevation
of my self-using releasing apparatus; and Figure 3 (Shect 2) represents
a side elevation of the combined apparatus in action, the cock having
been fully opened and the catch and releasing lever thrown back to
release the lever of the cock and allow it to descend slowly out of the
control of the user.
A represents the supply cock of a watercloset which is opened by
clevating the lever B, such lever being controlled in its descent by a
piston working in a cylinder C containing oil or other liquid, the duration
of the descent, which is assisted by the weight D, being regulated
according to the amount of water to be discharged through the cock at
cach operation, as is well understood. This apparatus forms no part of
my present Invention which has reference to the self-acting arrange-
ment for releasing the lever B after it has been elevated, and which I
shall now proceed to describe. This apparatus consists of an upright E
which is fixed by means of a foot plate or otherwise under the seat of
the closet, or in any other convenient locality at a proper distance from
the end of the lever B. The said upright is furnished with projecting
guides a, a¹, which works the vertical slide F, which slide has fitted
or formed thereon the lugs b, b, engaging with the ordinary lever
of the pan of the closet, such lever being shown in end elevation at G in

page_text: Figure 1, and partially in side elevation broken away in Figure 2. H is
a spring lever suspended at its upper end from a fulcrum c in the
slide F, the said lever being maintained in an outward position, as shewn
in Figure 1, by a spring d or by a counterweight, and prevented from
moving too far forward by a pin d working in a slot in the slide F. A 1
swell or incline is formed upon the front edge of the spring lever, and
an antifriction bowl e is carried by the upper guide a² in order to force
the spring lever inwards when the swell or incline is brought in contact
with the said roller on elevating the slide F, as herein-after more fully
described. The lower end of the spring lever H is connected by a studƒ :
with a vertical slot in the upright catch and releasing I which is
pivotted at its lower end g to the bottom of the vertical slide F. The
upper end of the vertical catch and releasing lever I is expanded at h so
as to form a bearing or support for the cross piece K fitted on to the end
of the valve lever B to rest upon when the apparatus is in its normal
position, and the supply cock A is closed, as shewn in Figure 1.
When it is desired to flush the closet by admitting a given supply of
water through the supply cock or other valve at A, the closet lever G is
elevated by means of the usual pull or handle, as is well understood; the
result of this action is not only to open the pan of the closet for the
discharge of its contents, but also to elevate the slide F with the spring
lever H and the "catch and releasing lever" I, which latter through the
intervention of the cross piece K clevates the lever B, and opens the
cock or valve A, allowing water to flow into and flush the closet.
Before the slide F however reaches its maximum elevation, the swell or
incline on the front of the spring lever H comes in contact with the
antifriction bowl e which forces back the spring lever, and with it the
upper end of the "catch and releasing lever" I sufficiently far to release
the cross piece K, the parts assuming the relative position shown in
Figure 3 (Sheet 2). The lever B having been thus elevated the slide F
is returned to its normal position again by releasing the pull of the
closet, and the catch and releasing lever I is ready to receive the cross
piece K again by the time the lever B has descended sufficiently to close
the cock or valve A.
It will thus be seen that after the pull of the closet has been fully
drawn up the cock A is left entirely beyond the control of the operator,
and will close more or less slowly, according to the adjustment of the
piston in the cylinder C, thereby all waste of water is prevented, whilst

page_text: at the same time a given amount of supply sufficient for the flushing of
the closet is ensured each time the pull or handle is fully drawn up.
Figure 4 (Sheet 1) represents a side elevation of a modified arrange-
ment of my self-acting releasing apparatus applied to the same system
of regulator cock as that shown in Figure 1, the apparatus being in its
normal position, that is to say, with the cock closed. Figure 5 is a
corresponding front elevation of the releasing apparatus.
In this modification the whole of the parts with the exception hercin-
after mentioned are the same in construction and action as those in the
arrangement first described, and as they are indicated by the same
letters of reference no further description of them need be given here.
The exception above referred to consists of a simple self-acting con-
trivance adapted to the "catch and releasing" lever I for preventing the
cock A being designedly held partly open by maintaining the pull of the
closet, say half elevated, which would have the effect of allowing an
indefinite quantity of water to pass down the closet although at a slower
rate. This contrivance consists of a quadrant lever am i working on a
fulcrum k in the upper end of the "catch and releasing" lever I, and
serving to lift the valve lever B through the cross piece K fitted thereon.
This quadrant lever is maintained, elevated, or in the horizontal position
shown in Figure 4, by the counterweighted lever arm also mounted on
the fulcrum k, which lever is prevented from dropping below its hori-
zontal position by a short arm m bearing against a fixed stop n carried
by the "catch and releasing" lever I. To the weighted lever arm / thero
is jointed the end of a piston rod o which works through a stuffing box
in the top of a small cylinder p jointed at its lower end to an arm q
projecting from the lower part of the "catch and releasing "lever I.
This cylinder is filled with oil or other suitable liquid, and the piston "
which works fluid tight or nearly so therein, and which is shown in full
sized sectional detail at Figure 6, is provided with a valve & opening
upwards, such valve having a fine perforation made therein. When the
piston is drawn upwards within the cylinder p, the fluid above it can
only pass slowly through the fine perforation to the opposite side of the
piston, and thus it offers a resistance to the sudden drawing up or
3 elevation of such piston; but when the piston has to descend again the
flow of the fluid from the under to the upper side of the piston through
the large opening of the valves allows of the descent of the piston to be
made rapidly and with very little resistance.

page_text: The action of this contrivance is as follows:-When the pull of the
closet is suddenly elevated to its full extent as shown by the black lines
in Figure 7 (Sheet 2) so as to completely open the cock A, the resistance
offered by the fluid in the cylinder p is sufficient to enable the quadrant
lever i to lift the lever B of the supply cock or valve, and when so liſted |
the spring lever H by pressing against the bowl e forces back the lever I
and with it the quadrant lever i, and parts in connection therewith,
sufficiently far to release the lever B, which then descends gradually as
before described. The quadrant shape of the lever i prevents it from
accidently catching over the piece K, and enables it to pass the
piece K. and take its position beneath it again in descending. Should it
be attempted to maintain the cock A partly open by not raising the pull
sufficiently to ensure the releasing action of the apparatus, that is to say,
by raising it only to the point at which the bowl e is just about to
operate upon the lever H, then the pressure of the lever B induced by:
the weight D thereon will gradually depress the quadrant lever i, the
resisting piston having time to rise slowly in its cylinder p, and con-
sequently the lever B will either not be elevated at all as will be the
case when raising the pull very slowly, or if partly raised will imme-
'diately commence to descend again and close the cock. The red lines:
in Figure 7 illustrate this action of the apparatus which is shewn by
them as only clevated to about one half the full extent. Should the use
of the spring d for forcing forward the lever H be found objectionable a
counter weighted arm may obviously be substituted therefor.
In adapting my self-acting releasing apparatus to pile drivers for
releasing the monkey there will be provided a flat stand with foot plate,
and a single upright or pair of uprights corresponding to the upright E,
but of course of the proper height, the top of a pile showing at the
bottom or base of the uprights. The monkey rests on the top of the
pile, and a catch on the lower end of the swell lever H engages there- a
with. The projecting guides a, a', which carry the antifriction bowl e
will be made adjustable to any height up and down, the uprights to be
sent any desired fall of the monkey, and there fixed by screws or other-
wise. The top of the slide F that carries the spring lever H will have a
chain attached which passes over a pulley in the top of the uprights and
down to a winding drum. Projecting stops should be fitted into the
slide F carrying the swell lever to prevent it from being over lifted after
the monkey has been released by the action of the swell against the

page_text: bowl e.
The lever I is in this application dispensed with. The same
arrangement of releasing apparatus is obviously applicable for preventing
the overwinding of miners' safety cages.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination of a vertical slide and spring lever or counter-
weighted lever having a swell or incline thereon with a stationary
antifriction bowl or its equivalent, and a "catch and releasing" lever,
the whole being arranged and operating together so as to form a self-
acting releasing apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The combination with the above described self-acting
releasing apparatus of the yielding lever i, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Third. The application and use of the herein described self-acting
releasing apparatus in combination with a cock or valve, the closing of
which is regulated or controlled in any suitable manner, substantially as
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
-
Fourth. The application and use of the slide, the spring lever, and an
adjustable antifriction bowl or its equivalent when combined together to
form a self-acting releasing apparatus for the monkies of pile drivers,
mines' safety cages and other like purposes, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof. I. the said Thomas Penn, have to this my