IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO VALVES CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR WATER CLOSET AND OTHER TANKS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lako, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO VALVES CHIEFLY
DESIGNED FOR WATER CLOSET AND OTHER TANKS " to be as follows:-
This invention relates to valves for the outlet or discharge passages of tanks or
cisterns containing water or other liquid and to the mechanism for operating said
valves; and in substance, it consists partly in combining with the outlet pipe or
discharge of a tank or cistern containing water or other liquid, a chambered or
hollow valve. which has openings or passages for the ingress and egress of water
and air and is otherwise so constructed and arranged that when seated, (closing the
said discharge passage) it is incapable of floating but when raised from its seat,
(opening the said discharge passage) it is capable of floating until from the ingress
of water and the egress of air its floating capacity or power is overcome and it is
caused to descend to its scat again, closing said discharge, and the water that had
entered the valve while open, then passes or discharges therefrom thereby rendering
the valve again capable of floating, when it is lifted from its seat, to open said
discharge, to be then again closed by the ingress of water and the egress of air, and
80 on as before. It also partly consists in combining with a valve mechanism which
is constructed and arranged when properly operated to open the said valve and
after so opening it, leave it free to be closed independently thereof, substantially as
hereinafter described.
-
According to the said invention the tank has an outlet pipe or water-escape
leading from its bottoin and an overflow-pipe communicating with said outlet-pipe,
all as usual in the water system of dwelling-houses, hotels, and other buil lings.
The valve which is hollow or chambered is made of sheet metal or other suitable
material, and of suitable shape, as for instance, its body being partly spherical and
its end or head flat and parallel.
The under or bottom-head of the valve has a washer or packing of leather, or
other suitable material by which the valve rests upon and makes close contact with
Dnes 11

page_text: the end or seat of the outlet-pipe opening to the water tank, and thus the said pipe
is closed to the escape of water into it, from the tank.
This seat is below the water level of the tank and the float when at rest upon it.
is wholly submerged in the water of the tank.
A passage leads from the outside to the inside of the valve-shell, through its said
washer and bottoin head, and when the valve is closed the said passage is in
communication with the water passage of the outlet pipe.
A vertical air-pipe leads from the top of the spherical body and from the inside
of the valve-case to a plane above the established level of the water in the tank,
and there it is closed with a screw-cap having a side opening or port. This side
port of the vertical air passage has an outward downward incline and the screw
cap, has an eye connected by a chain or other flexible connection to the outer end
of an arm, of a crank or angular lever of the valve-operating mechanism hereinafter
described.
A central stem projects downward from the bottom of the valve-shell and passes
through a centrally located guiding collar of the outlet pipe. This stem at its lower
end has a shoulder or collar to limit the upward movement or lift of the valve from
its seat upon the outlet-pipe and, in the operation of the valve, said stem and
guiding collar act together to guide the valve in a vertical line. The vertical air
pipe and vertical stein are preferably in line with each other and their axes coin-
cident with the vertical axis of the valve-case.
The crank-lever having the valve suspended from its arm as has been described,
turns upon a stationary pin, and when the lever is in its normal position of rest said
arın is horizontal, and its other arm is vertical, and the horizontal arm is held from
further movement downward by its abutment against a suitably located stationary
rest-pin. The outer end of the vertical arm is made downwardly rounding or
convex, from its side or edge toward the horizontal projecting arm to its opposite
side or edge.
A second crank or angular lever having three arms is provided. Two of the said
arms are in the same line and the third arm is at right angles thereto, intersecting
them in line with the fulcrum pin of the lover. The said lever is hung upon said
fulerum pin by an elongated bearing or slot running in the direction of the said
two arins.
The third arın has a weight secured to it by a set-screw and is otherwise
arranged to be adjusted on said arm to increase or decrease its leverage as may be
desired.
The second crank-lever, when in its normal position and at rest, has its weighted
arm horizontal and its other two arms which are in continuation of each other,
vertical, and the rounded and convex end of the lower arm of said lever in contact
with the rounding end of the vertical arm of the first crank-lever, and the second
crank lover is held in this position by the abutment of its lower vertical arm against
the stationary rest pin,
The outer end of the upper arm is connected in any suitable manner to the
crank-lever, of which it forms a part, as for instance, from the seat or door, or floor
of a water-closet, or from a pull handle.
The mechanism described for lifting the valve lifts the valve on its backward or
return movement, and this mechanism may be applied to valves constructed otherwise
than as herein particularly described; and again other arrangements of mechanism
for operating the valve and allowing it to close as described may be used with said
valve.
The valve may be guided in its opening and closing movements in many ways
other than that particularly described.
A valve constructed and arranged and operating in a water tank as has been
herein described secures the discharge of a given quantity of water from the tank,
each time the valve is opened, the tank being supplied with water in any suitable
and in any of the well known manners.

page_text: For the operation of the valve, communication must be made for the air within
the valve to escape from it, as water enters it, and this escape of the air must be at
the outside of the water in the tank, and also communication must be made for the
water which has entered the valve when opened to pass therefrom when the valve
is closed, as particularly described; the said communication for the escape of the
air is at and above the water level of the tank and the communication for the
escape of the water is through the discharge pipe of the tank, but while both of
these forms are efficient it is not intended to limit this invention in these particulars
for said communications may be made in other ways, as by leading the air pipo
from the upper part of the chamber of the valve downward instead of upward and
thence to, and into, the discharge pipe of the tank and by providing a pipe separate
and distinct from the discharge pipe through which to conduct the water from the
valve when the valve is closed.
This invention in substance, consists of a chambered float-valve having air and
liquid passages in combination with a tank for water and its discharge.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1884
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO VALVES CHIEFLY
DESIGNED FOR WATER-CLOSETS, AND OTHER, TANKS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relatos to valves for the outlet or discharge passages of tanks.or
cisterns containing water or other liquid, and to the mechanism for operating said
valves.
The said invention consists partly in combining with the outlet pipe or discharge
of a tank or cistern containing water or other liquid, a chambered or hollow valve,
which has openings or passages for the ingress and egress of water and air, and is
otherwise so constructed and arranged that when seated, closing the said discharge-
passage, it is incapable of floating, but when raised from its seat, opening the said
discharge passage, it is capable of floating, until from the ingress of water and the
egress of air its floating capacity or power is overcome and it is caused to descend
to its seat again, closing said discharge; the water that had entered the valve,
while open, then passes or discharges therefrom, thereby rendering the valve again
capable of floating, when it is lifted from its seat, to open said discharge, to be then
again closed by the ingress of water and the egress of air, and so on, as before.
The invention also partly consists in combining with a valve, mechanism which
is constructed and arranged, when properly operated, to open the valve, and after
so opening it, leave it free to be closed independently thereof, substantially as
hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a water-tank, the outlet and overflow pipes
thereof, and the improved valve for opening and closing said outlet-pipe or water-
escape, and an elevation of the mechanisin for lifting and opening said valve, and
allowing it to close; the valvo being shown as closed and the operating mechanism
in its normal position of rest.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same.
Figure 3 is a similar view slightly modified.
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 1, but showing the valve lifted from its
seat and opened and its operating mechanism in its position directly after lifting
the valve and just previous to the return thereof in its further movement to its
normal position or rest.
Figures 5 and 6 are views of details.
A represents a water tank having an outlet pipe or water-escape B leading from
its bottom and an overflow-pipe C, communicating with said outlet-pipe, all as
usual in the water system of dwelling-houses, hotels and other buildings.

page_text: D is a hollow or chambered valve made of sheet metal or other suitable material,
and of suitable shape, as for instance as shown, E being its body, of a dome or
semi-spherical shape, and F, its end or bottom which is flat.
The end or bottom F of the valve-case D, has a washer or packing G of leather
or other suitable material by which the valve rests upon and makes close contact
with the end or seat H of the outlet-pipo B opening to the water-tank, and the
said pipe is closed to the escape of water into it, from the tank.
This seat H is below the water level of the tank A, and the float when at rest
upon it is wholly submerged in the water of the tank.
J is a passage leading from the outside to the inside of the valve shell, through
the said washer G, and bottom F, and when the valve is closed the said passago
is in communication with the water-passage of the outlet-pipe.
K is a vertical air pipe leading from the top of the semi-spherical body E, and
from the inside of the valve-case to a plane above the established level of the
water in the tank, and there it is closed with a screw-cap L having a side opening
or port M. This side port M has an outward downward inclination.
The screw-cap L has an eyo a connected by a chain b, or other flexible connection
to the outer end of an arm d of a crank or angular lever N, of the valve operating
mechanism hereinafter described.
P is a central stem projecting downward from the bottom of the valve shell
and passing through a centrally located guiding collar fin the outlet-pipe. This
stem at its lower end has a shoulder or collar g to limit the upward movement
or lift of the valve from its seat upon the outlet pipo B. In the operation of
the valve, the said stem and guiding collar fact together to guide the valve in a
vertical line.
The vertical air pipe K, and vertical stem P are preferably in line with each
other, and their axes coincident with the vertical axis of the valve case.
The crank lever N, having the valve D suspended from its arm d as has been
described, turns upon a stationary pin and when the lever is in its norinal
position of rest said arm d is horizontal, and its other arm is vertical. Tho
horizontal arm & is held from movement downward by its abutment against a
suitably located stationary pin m. The outer end n of the vertical arm is made
downwardly rounding or convex from its side or edge q toward the horizontal
projecting arm & to its opposite side or edge ?.
Qis a crank or angular lever having three arms 8, t and u. The arms 8 and t of
the said crank-lever Q are in the same line, and the arm u, is at right angles
thereto, intersecting them in a line with the fulcrum pin of the lever. The said
lever is hung upon said fulcrum pin by an clongated bearing or slot w running in
the direction of the two arms & and t. On the arm u is a weight R secured to it
by a set screw and arranged to be adjusted on said arm to increase or decrease
its leverage as may be desired.
The crank-lever Q when in its normal position and at rest has its weighted
arm u horizontal and its arms 8, t vertical, and the rounded and convex end y of
the lower arm t of said lever in contact with the rounded end n of the vertical
arm of the crank lever N. The crank lever Q is held in this position by the
abutment of its lower vertical arm t against the stationary pin z.
The outer end of the upper arms is connected in any suitable manner so that
the crank lever of which it forms a part shall be operated as for instance, from the
seat or door, or floor of a water-closet, or from a pull-bandle. When so operated the
lover is swung into the position, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the rounded
endy of its arm t passing in its movement over the rounded end n of the arm of
the crank lever N and finally drops so that the edge or side q' of its lower arm t
rests against the vertical edge or side q of said arm of the other crank-lever N,
when, being free to return to its normal position through the action of its weighted
orm u it rocks the crank-lever N, as it so returns, and thus, through its horizontal

page_text: arind and chain connection, the valve shell is lifted. By the immediate return of
the crank lever N to its normal position of rest, said valve is also immediately
released, or left free to return to its seat H
The swing of the crank-lever Q through the connection to its vertical arm 8, is
against its weighted arm u and, in its said swing its elongated bearing or slot w
allows it to lift, in order to pass over the rounded end of the vertical arm t of the
lower crank-lever N, and after it has so passed over to then drop into a position of
abutment against the vertical arm of the under or. lower crank-lever N. Thus,
as the said crank lever Q returns to its normal position of rest, it rocks said lower
crank-lever N, in a direction to lift the valve, and this being accomplished, the
valve as before stated is released or set free to its closing movement; and the crank
levers then come to rest in their original and normal positions for operation as
before.
The valve when closed is at rest upon its seat and is held from rising by the
weight of the water above or over it. The water-passage through its bottom F is
in communication with the water passage of the outlet-pipo or water escape B.
The valve when open, is above its seat, in which position the water passage J
through its bottom F is open for the water of the tank to pass into and fill the
valve, and thereby cause it to drop to its seat and to close upon the outlet pipe B,
when the water which had entered the valve shell D, discharges itself through the
water passage J into the outlet pipe. The valve remains closed during this time
as also afterwards, because of the weight of the water above it and until again
lifted from its seat and opened, when it again fills with water and drops and closes
as before.
The valve emptied of water is filled with air, and being consequently light, the
instant it is lifted from its seat it floats upward, opening the outlet-pipe B to the
free passage of water from the tank, when, by the entrance of water through its
water-passage, it is rendered heavy and finally so heavy as to drop to its scat
closing the outlet pipe to the further escape of water from the tank.
The valve so closed then empties itself of water as before described, and thus is
rendered light and capable of floating, when it is again lifted or opened as has been
explained.
The water in entering the valve case or shell through its water passage forces the
air which is in it out through the air pipe K, and as the water escapes from the
valve shell the air enters it through said air pipe.
Increasing the diameter of the water passage J of the valve decreases, and
decreasing said diameter increases, the time necessary for the filling of the valve,
when opened, with water, to an extent sufficient to cause it to drop to its seat, and
if desired said passage may be adapted to be increased or decreased in its size of
opening for the purpose stated.
The air pipe K should be of sufficient size for the air to freely pass through
it into and out of the valve-shell; and by having its side-port M made
downwardly inclined any water discharging through it will be guided directly into
the tank.
The mechanism described for lifting the valve D lifts the valve on its backward
or return movement, and this mechanism may be applied to valves constructed and
operating otherwise than as herein particularly described, and again other arrange-
ments of mechanism for operating the valve D, and allowing it to close as described
may be used with said valve.
The valve D may be guided in its opening and closing movements in many other
ways than that particularly shown and described.
A valve D constructed arranged and operating in a water tank A, as has been
herein described, obviously secures the discharge of a given quantity of water from
the tank each time the valve is opened, the tank being supplied with water in any
'suitable and well known manner.

page_text: It is plain from the foregoing description that for the operation of the valve as
explained communication must be made for the air within the valve to escape from
it, as water enters it, and that this escape of the air must be made at the outside of
the water in the tank; also communication must be made for the water which has
entered the valve when opened to pass therefrom when the valve is closed. As
particularly shown and described, the said communication for the escape of air is
at and above the water level of the tank, and the cominunication for the escape of
the water is through the discharge pipe of the tank, but while both of these forms
aro efficient it is not intended to limit this invention in these particulars, for said
communications may be made in other ways, as for illustration, by leading the air
pipe from the upper part of the chamber of the valve downward instead of upward,
as shown, and thence to and into the discharge pipe of the tank, and by providing a
pipe separate and distinct from the discharge pipe through which to conduct tho
water from the valve when the valve is closed.
This invention in substance consists of a chambered float valve having air and
liquid passages in combination with a tank for water and its discharge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The combination, with the outlet or discharge of a tank for water or other
liquid, of a chambered valve which has openings or passages for the ingress and
egress of the liquid of the tank and of air, and is otherwise BO constructed and
arranged that when seated, said discharge is closed, and when raised said dischargo
is opened and from the ingress of liquid which then occurs said valve is again seated
emptying its contents substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination with the seat H of the outlet or discharge B, of a tank
for water or other liquid, a chambered valve D, which has openings or passages J. K
for the ingress and egress of the liquid of the tank and of air, and is provided with
a stem P suitably guided, so that when said valve is seated, said discharge is closed,
and when raised, said discharge is open, and from the ingress of liquid from the
tank which then occurs said valve is again seated emptying its contents into said
discharge, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination, with the outlet or discharge of a tank for water or
other liquid, of a chambered valve which has openings or passages J and K for
the ingress and egress of the liquid of the tank and of air, and the port M of
the air passage made downwardly inclining and otherwise so constructed and
arranged, that when seated, said discharge is closed, and when raised, said discharge
is opened, and from the ingress of liquid which then occurs said valve is again
seated, emptying its contents into said discharge, substantially as described, for the
purpose, specified.
Fourth. The combination with a tank for liquid, an outlet pipe for the liquid,
and a valve to said outlet pipe, of two pivotted levers for operating said valve, one
of said levers being constructed to slide at its pivotal point and to act on the other
lever to open the valve when moved in one direction, and when moved in the other
direction to be shifted at its pivotal point, substantially as described.
Fifth. A crank lever N having an arm & connected to a valve of a tank for
water or other liquid, and an arm rounded at its outer end, in combination with
an operating crank lever Q having arms 8, t and u, the arm t at its outer end being
rounded, and an elongated fulcrum bearing w, substantially as described, for the
purpose, specified.
Sixth. The pivotted lever N having a long arm d and a short arm 2 rounded at
its free end, in combination with a lever having its short arm-t rounded at its
free end and formed with an elongated bearing w whereby said levers are adapted
to operate substantially as described.

page_text: ⋅
Seventh. The combination with a tank for liquid, of an outlet pipe for the
liquid, and a float valve for closing said outlet-pipe provided with an air inlet pipo
and a liquid inlet, the liquid inlet being located at such point that when the valve
is unseated the liquid will pass from the tank into said valve and when seated the
liquid will pass therefrom into the outlet pipe of the tank substantially as 5
described.