Improvements in Water-closet Fittings and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water-closet Fittings and the like.
We ROBERT FRAME and CHARLES AUGUSTUS NEFF, both of the City and County of
Newport, State of Rhode Island, U.S.A., Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to the construction of water-closets, urinals, slop-hoppers &c.;
which hold water at a fixed level, being the level of a permanent overflow point to be
discharged on additional water entering the bowl by siphonic action; and it consists
of a new and improved device for inducing this siphonic action; also of a device for
reducing the noise made in such closets by the "breaking" of the siphon when it
takes air at the mouth of the receiving limb as the closet is discharged of its contents.
In siphon-closets hitherto constructed this noise has been a serious objection.
The principle of our invention is as follows, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. Figure 1 is a vertical
section through the centre of a water-closet used for convenient illustration. Fig. 2
is a horizontal section through DE on a larger scale.
In the drawings like letters indicate like parts.
In Fig. 1, A, B, C, represents a water-closet, in which A is the bowl. Band-C
constitute an outlet so bent as to constitute a siphon, of which B is the receiving-
limb and C is the discharging-limb. The height of the water in the bowl is that of
the overflow-point X, which may be more or less without affecting the operation of
our invention.
G is a restriction in the course of the discharging limb for the deflection of water
flowing through this limb. It may be a ring or rim, or it may consist of one or
more projections on the same horizontal plane, or with one higher than the other.
The upper surface or surfaces may be on a horizontal or on an inclined plane.
ef is a channel with its lower end opening into the bowl of the closet substantially
at the position indicated, and its upper end opening into the siphon for the admission
of air into the siphon during the latter part of the discharge to the end that the
level of the water in the bowl may be prevented from descending as low as the
point y before the siphon begins to break, for the purpose hereinafter explained.
The operation of our invention is as follows: Water stands in the bowl A to the
height of the overflow-point X. On additional water being admitted to the bowl the
level of the water is raised and it overflows at X. Descending through the dis-
charging-limb a part of it strikes upon the restriction G, is deflected across its
aperture, and forms a film or spray, which partially confines the contained air above
it in the siphon. Water continuing to flow into the bowl passes through the air
thus confined and carries a part of it with it. This action continues until a sufficient
amount of this air is thus withdrawn as so to rarefy it that it is unable to sustain the
pressure of the normal atmosphere on the water in the bowl and siphonic action
thereupon ensures, by which the contents of the closet are discharged. When.
thus the contents of the bowl have been lowered to the mouth of the channel or
opening ef, sufficient air is admitted to the siphon to partially break or stop its
action. To accomplish this breaking with the least possible noise is the object of
our use of the channel ef. Heretofore this breaking in siphon-closets has not begun
to take place until air was sucked at the point y, and a considerable gulping noise was
inevitable. The object of the channel ef as used heretofore in siphons has not had
the effect of preventing the noise in breaking. In our invention the opening is
placed vertically and is of such a shape as to admit air to the crown of the siphon
gradually as the water falls into the bowl, so that when the point y is reached the
additional air required to break the siphon completely will not be sufficient to cause

page_text: the disagreeable gulping noise attendant on the breaking of a siphon without this
device. The vertical position of the mouth of our pipe ef with the consequent
gradual admission of air obviates the noise that is made when such air pipe has a
horizontal mouth and takes its air all at once. When the siphon is broken, the water
in the limb B falls back and stands at a point above the mouth of the channel ef,
while the water in the limh C flows away into the soil-pipe. The bowl is now
gradually refilled to the point X, usually by means of an arrangement for the
purpose in the flushing apparatus which supplies the closet with water for flushing,
and the closet is ready for the next operation.
For uses other than as a water-closet-as for a urinal or a slop-hopper-our inven-
tion may be readily altered in dimensions more completely to fit it for the respective
uses desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a water-closet, the combination with a bowl, of a siphon composed of an
inverted U-shaped pipe having communicating receiving and discharging limbs, the
inner wall of the latter being provided with an integral abrupt projection for
deflecting the water dropping thereon, said bowl being the only opening through
which air or water is supplied, substantially as set forth.
2. In a water-closet, the combination with a bowl, of a siphon composed of an
inverted U-shaped pipe having communicating receiving and discharging limbs, the
inner wall of the latter being provided with an integral abrupt projection for
deflecting the water dropping thereon, and an air-channel leading from the top of
the U-shaped pipe one end opening into the bowl in a substantially vertical plane,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a water-closet, the combination with a bowl, of a siphon composed of an
inverted U-shaped pipe the discharging limb of which is provided with a deflecting
projection on its interior surface, substantially as set forth.
4. In a water-closet, the combination, with a bowl, of a siphon composed of an
inverted U-shaped pipe the discharging limb of which is provided with a deflecting
projection on its inner surface, said discharging-limb being curved forward under the
bowl, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of May 1890.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicants.