IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING WATER FOR WATER CLOSETS, FOR THE FLUSHING OF DRAINS, AND FOR GENERAL PURPOSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Manwaring, of Southampton, in the County.
of Hants, Engineer, and William Alltoft Summers, also of Southampton,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING WATER FOR
WATER CLOSETS, FOR THE FLUSHING OF DRAINS, AND FOR GENERAL PURPOSES."
ealed the 6th October 1854, and dated the 16th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Manwaring and
William Alltoft Summers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 16th May 1854.
We, GEORGE MANWARING, of Southampton, in the County of Hants,
Engineer, and WILLIAM ALLTOFT SUMMERS, also of Southampton, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SUPPLYING WATER FOR WATER CLOSETS, FOR THE FLUSHING OF DRAINS, AND FOR
GENERAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in supplying water through a closed reservoir, fitted
with an air valve, the outlet from which is closed while the inlet is opened, and
The following is a description of one of the methods we adopt in
following out our Invention :-Water is admitted into a closed reservoir through
a two-way cock; at the top or upper part of the reservoir is an air valve,
which is closed by a float inside the reservoir, and which shuts the air aperture
when the water rises to a given height in the reservoir. The reservoir being
full, and the contents being required to be drawn off or let out, the plug of the
two-way cock is turned, whereby communication with the main will be closed,

page_text: and a communication established between the reservoir and the pipe leading
to the pan of a water closet, or to other source from whence water is to be
taken. In the case of water closets, we find it better to provide a large way
for the water to run from the reservoir, while the pipe leading into it from the
main need be but of small diameter. The object of the large outlet from the
reservoir is for the liberating of a large body of water, for the purpose of
thoroughly cleansing the pan, or for the effectual flushing of sewers, &c. Our
Invention will be found especially adapted to high pressure, as all waste of
water will be effectually prevented, and no leakage is likely to occur.
It may
also be applied with low pressure. The size of the reservoir may be varied to
suit circumstances. It is right, however, to observe, that we find one of the
capacity of a gallon sufficient to supply an ordinary water closet.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Manwaring and William Alltoft Summers in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
MANWARING, of Southampton, in the County of Hants, Engineer, and WILLIAM
ALLTOFT SUMMERS, also, of Southampton, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
George Manwaring and William Alltoft Summers, Her special licence that
we, the said George Manwaring and William Alltoft Summers, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Manwaring
and William Alltoft Summers, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter daring 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 "I-
PROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING WATER FOR WATER CLOSETS, FOR THE FLUSHING OF
DRAINS, AND FOR GENERAL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said George Manwaring and William Alltoft Summers, or one of
us, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: 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 we, the said George Manwaring and William Alltoft
Summers do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in supplying water through a closed reservoir, fitted
with an air valve, the outlet from which is closed while the inlet is opened, and
vice versa. The following is a description of one of the methods we adopt in
following out our Invention:-Water is admitted into a closed reservoir through
a two-way cock; at the top or upper part of the reservoir is an air valve,
which is closed by a float inside the reservoir, and which shuts the air aperture
when the water rises to a given height in the reservoir. The reservoir being
full, and the contents being required to be drawn off or let out, the plug of the
two-way cock is turned, whereby communication with the main will be closed,
and a communication established between the reservoir and the pipe leading to
the pan of a water closet, or to other source from whence water is to be taken.
In the case of water closets, we find it better to provide large way for the
water to run from the reservoir, while the pipe leading into it. from the main
need be but of small diameter. The object of the large outlet from the reser-
voir is for the liberating of a large body of water, for the purpose of thoroughly
cleansing the pan, or for the effectual flushing of sewers, &c. Our Invention
will be found especially adapted to high pressure, as all waste of water will be
effectually prevented, and no leakage is likely to occur. It may also be applied
with low pressure. The size of the reservoir may be varied to suit circum-
stances; we find, however, that one of the capacity of a gallon is sufficient to
supply an ordinary water closet.
a
In the Drawings hereunto annexed we have represented a reservoir or
receiver constructed and fitted according to our Invention; Figure 1 being
a vertical section, shewing it full of water; and Figure 2 a similar view,
representing it as empty. Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts
in both the Figures. A, A, is the reservoir fitted with the two-way cock
A', A', the plug of which is made hollow, and has an opening or passage
through one side of it, and also another at the end communicating with
the interior of the reservoir. B is an inlet pipe, which may be connected to a
cistern or to one of the street mains. C is the outlet pipe, which is in
communication with the spreader of a water closet, or with a drain or any other.

page_text: place where the supply of water is required. D is a tube, made of copper or
other suitable material, and formed with a screwed part a at the upper end of it,
which is tapped through a corresponding hole made in the top of the reservoir.
E is an air hole drilled through the screwed portion of the tube, and thereby
opening a communication between the interior of the reservoir and the external
atmosphere. This hole is closed by means of a float F, made of gutta percha or
any other suitable floating substance, fitting loosely in the tube D. The upper
end of the float may be covered with vulcanized india-rubber or other material; to
act as a valve for more effectually closing the air hole E; or the upper part of
the float may be fitted with a metal button or cap, ground so as to be air-tight
when in contact with the facing G. H, H, are air holes 'drilled through the
tube D. I, I, are strips of metal attached to the lower end of the tube D, in
order to prevent the float from falling out of the tube when the reservoir is
empty. When it is desired to fill the reservoir, the handle of the cock is turned
into the position represented in Figure 1, which allows the water to flow from
the cistern or street main through the pipe B and openings in the plug of the
cock into the reservoir, whilst the air in the upper part thereof escapes by the
air holes H, H. When the water reaches the float F it rises until it closes
the air hole E in the upper end of the tube D, and when the air remaining in
the reservoir is compressed, until it is in equilibrium with the source from
whence the water is derived, the supply ceases. To empty the reservoir, the
handle of the cock is turned in the reverse direction or into the position repre-
sented in Figure 2. This operation shuts off the supply from the cistern or
main, and opens the communication between the reservoir and the outlet pipe
C, whereby the water descends from the reservoir by its gravity, aided by the
pressure of the compressed air in the upper part of it. As the water level in
the reservoir falls, it allows the float F to descend and admit air into the upper
part of the receiver, and thus, the whole contents of it can be discharged with
great velocity through the pipe C into the pan of the water closet, or into the
drain to be flushed, or to any other place where a supply of water is requisite.
By this arrangement great waste of water will be prevented, and the constant
high pressure supply system may be greatly extended, without entailing the
great expenditure and loss of water to which that system has hitherto been
liable, in consequence of the consumers of water having had the uncontrolled
power of leaving the supply cock and water closets constantly running to
waste.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim the supplying
water for water closets, for the flushing of drains, and for general purposes,

page_text: through a closed reservoir or receiver, fitted with an air valve or valves and in
combination with a two-way supply cock or valve, so constructed and operating,
that during the time the reservoir is being filled from a cistern, or from the
street mains, or from any other source, no water can be drawn therefrom, and
when the water is being drawn from the reservoir the communication between
it and the cistern, street main, or other source is closed, all as herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Manwaring and William Alltoft
Summers have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth
day of November, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
A. MORGAN.
GEORGE MANWARING.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM ALLTOFT SUMMERS. (L.S.)