INPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Llewellin, John Llewellin, and John Wanklyn
James, all of the City and County of Bristol, Brass Founders, for the
of "INPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS.”
Turcation of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Llewellin, John
Llewellin, and John Wanklyn James at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th September 1863.
We, PETER LLEWLLIN, JOHN LLEWELLIN, and JOHN WANKLYN JAMES; of the
City and County of Bristol, Brass Founders, do hereby the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of waterclosets, and consists in actuating the valve for discharging
the contents of the closet by means of a spiral slot, worm, or screw thread
carried by a rotating spindle and acting upon a tail piece or short projecting
arm on the axis of the valve. This slot, worm, or screw thread is made by
preference of a quick pitch changing at the end of the travel to a slower pitch,
so as to press the valve tightly against its seat, which consists of an india-
rubber collar fixed to the cover of the container just under the lower lip of the
basin holder, which is bolted down thereon. Or in lieu of the basin holder
and cover being made separately and bolted together, they may both be cast

page_text: in one piece, and the collar placed inside the container. A spring or weight
is made to turn the valve-actuating spindle so as to keep the valve closed, and
a handle on the spindle serves to open the valve when requisite. A waste
waterway is made in the basin holder, and in some cases this waterway, is
continued down and made to dip into a cup in the container, so as to form
an hydraulic seal, and so prevent any effluvia from rising into the closet
from the drain. Any convenient contrivance may be adopted for flushing
the basin, such apparatus forming no part of the present Invention.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Peter Llewellin,
John Llewellin, and John Wanklyn James, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PETER
LLEWELLIN, JOHN LLEWELLIN, and JOHN WANKLYN JAMES, all of the City
and County of Bristol, Brass Founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Peter Llewellin, John Llewellin, and John Wanklyn James,
Her special license that we, the said Peter Llewellin, John Llewellin, and
John Wanklyn James, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as us, the said Peter Llewellin, John Llewellin, and John
Wanklyn James, our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATERCLOSETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Peter Llewellin, John Llewellin, and John Wanklyn James,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of them or us, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Peter Llewellin, John Llewellin,
and John Wanklyn James, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly 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:-
Our said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of waterclosets, and consists in actuating the valve for discharging
the contents of the closet by means of a spiral slot, worm, or screw thread
carried by a rocking or a rotating spindle, and acting upon a tail piece or short
projecting arm on the axis of the valve. This slot, worm, or screw thread is
made by preference of a quick pitch changing at the end of the travel to a
slower pitch, so as to press the valve tightly against its seat, which consists of
an india-rubber collar fixed to the cover of the container just under the lower
lip of the basin holder, which is bolted down thereon, or in lieu of the basin
holder and cover being made separately and bolted together they may both
be cast in one piece, and the collar placed inside the container a spring or
weight is made to turn the valve-actuating spindle so as to keep the valve
closed, and a bandle on the spindle serves to open the valve when requisite.
A waste waterway is made in the basin holder, and in some cases this
waterway is continued down and made to dip into a cup in the con-
tainer, so as to form a hydraulic seal, and so prevent any effluvia from rising
into the closet from the drain. Any convenient contrivance may be
adopted for flushing the basin, such apparatus forming no part of the present
Invention.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
we shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a perspective elevation of one form of
our Invention; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same; Figure 3 is a per-
spective elevation of a slightly modified arrangement, and Figure 4 is a vertical
section of the same.
A is a cast-iron container, and B the cover thereof, to which is bolted the
basin holder C. Between the cover B and the basin holder C is placed a
ring D of vulcanized india-rubber, or other suitable packing material, forming a
seat for the valve E to close against, the rim or edges of the valve being turned
up slightly to form a water-tight joint when pressed against the packing ring

page_text: or valve seat, as herein-after described; F is the basin of the closet, and G is
the waste waterway, which in Figure 2 is shewn as dipping into a cup H
forming a hydraulic seal. The valve E is attached at one end to a lever I
working on a fixed centre on axis K, and having a short arm or tail piece L
formed on the lever or fitted on to the axis K, which consists of a short
rocking spindle. This short arm L engages with a cam groove a made in the
cylindrical cam M fast on the cam shaft or spindle N. In Figures 1 and 2
this spindle is represented as placed vertically, being supported at the lower
end in a footstep O, and passing through the lever B of the container. It is
caused to turn in one direction by the action of a volute or other spring P,
which tends always to keep the valve closed against its seat. The valve is
opened by pushing the handle Q to one side in thus imparting a partial rota-
tion to the vertical shaft or spindle K, which is transmitted to the cam shaft.
or spindle N through the levers S, S¹, and link T, as is clearly shewn in
Figure 1. By making the eam groove a of a slower pitch at the bottom the
valve can be forced with considerable pressure against its seating D, thereby
insuring a perfectly water-tight junction. In Figure 4 the valve E is repre-
sented as being pivotted at b, to the end of the lever I, so as to admit of its
having free play therein. The arm shaft or spindle N is placed horizontally in
in lieu of vertically working in bearings c, c, in the side of the container, and in
a bracket d bolted to the cover thereof. A counterweight U is also added to
assist the valve in closing, and in order to afford room for this weight when
the valve is in its lowest position a small recess or chamber V is formed on
the cover B of the container. The cam shaft or spindle N is actuated by
means of a weighted lever W keyed on to the outer end thereof, and con-
nected by a pin joint to the rod X of the handle or pull Y.
The chief advantages of this Invention are simplicity and durability accom-
panied with compactness and greater efficiency. The substitution of a small
effective valve for the ordinary copper pan is a most important improvement.
as when open the valve is brought into such an angle that whatever may lie
upon it when closed will be instantly and entirely discharged when open.
Moreover the valve is more thoroughly washed at each discharge than is
possible with the plan which by reason of its size and position cannot be well
washed or cleansed at that part nearest the axle, and is therefore liable to
become foul and quickly corroded. A much smaller and more compact con-
tainer may also be employed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel

page_text: and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
1st, the general combination of the parts of a watercloset as herein-before
described and illustrated by our Drawings.
2d, the application and use to and in waterclosets of a valve fitting against
an india-rubber or other equivalent seat or packing, and actuated by means of
a cam groove, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
3rd, the application and use to and in waterclosets of a suitable waste water-
way, arranged or disposed in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Peter Llewellin, John Llewellin,
and John Wanklyn James, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-four.