Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 21st Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1887.
I, WILLIAM SMEATON, the Elder of No. 7 Drury Court, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
My present invention relates to improvements in flushing apparatus in which a
cistern or tank is gradually charged by a slow flow of water therein which water is
suddenly and automatically discharged therefrom into the drain or other place it is
desired to flush whereby an intermittent flush is obtained.
The apparatus forming the subject of this present invention consists of a store
cistern or tank provided at or near its bottom with an outlet leading to the drain or
other place it is desired to flush. This outlet is provided with one of the well known
forms of syphon in which the longer leg thereof is formed of an extension of the
outlet pipe carried up to a suitable height inside the store cistern or tank, the shorter
leg consisting of a bell or pipe passed loosely over the said outlet pipe and closed at
its upper but open at its lower end.
In any suitable or convenient position above the store cistern or tank, I provide a
tumbling bucket which is normally retained in the vertical position by means of a
balance weight and catch or fastening, the latter being actuated by means of a ball or
float suspended over the said store cistern or tank.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:
Water is admitted by a regulating cock or tap into the tumbling bucket and after
filling same, overflows into the store cistern or tank. When water has accumulated
in the store cistern or tank in sufficient quantity as to cause the water level to coincide
more or less with the top of the longer leg of the beforementioned syphon, the ball or

page_text: float is raised by the water and thereby releases the tumbling bucket which upsets,
and empties its contents into the store cistern or tank. This sudden increase in the
contents of the store cistern or tank causes water to rush down the longer leg of the
syphon which is thereby started and continues to act until the store cistern or tank is
emptied and air is admitted under the open end of the shorter leg of the syphon.
The tumbling bucket after emptying itself is automatically returned into the vertical
position by means of its balance weight, and the ball or float is reset ready for further
operation. I prefer to provide the tumbling bucket with a suitable buffer or buffers
in order to reduce the noise and shock of its movements to a minimum.

page_text: New or Improved Flushing Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM SMEATON the elder, of Heddon Street, Regent Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Sanitary Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this 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 present invention relates to improvements in flushing apparatus in which a
cistern or tank is gradually charged by a slow flow of water thereinto, which water
is suddenly and automatically discharged therefrom into the drain or other place it is
desired to flush, whereby a regular intermittent flush is obtained.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings illustrates in partial vertical section
flushing apparatus forming the subject of the present invention. Figure 2 is an
elevation of same, and Figure 3 is an isometrical sketch illustrating the means
whereby the automatic discharge is effected. Similar letters of reference relate to
like parts in each of the Figures. A is a store cistern or tank provided at or near its
bottom with an outlet B leading to the drain or other place it is desired to flush.
This outlet B is provided with one of the well known forms of syphon in which the
longer leg thereof is formed of an extension of the outlet pipe B carried up to a
suitable height inside the store cistern or tank A, the shorter leg consisting of a bell
or pipe D passed loosely and secured over the said outlet pipe B and closed at its
upper, put open at its lower end as shown. E is a tumbling bucket which may be
placed in any suitable or convenient position above the store cistern or tank A. This
tumbling bucket E is hung in bearings from gudgeons or hollow trunnions F carried
by the brackets H and is so shaped and balanced that when it is empty it assumes the
vertical position shown in the Drawing (I being a counterbalance weight for the
purpose of assisting this action) and when full of water has a tendency to upset in
the direction of the arrow as hereinafter described. J is a pipe preferably provided
with a regulating cock or tap for supplying water to the bucket E through the
hollow trunnion F but if preferred water may be admitted thereto in any other
suitable or convenient manner. K is an arm or lever carrying at one end a ball or
float Land hinged at its other end to the tank A. This lever is also provided with
a pin or tooth N (see Figure 3) which is adapted to take into a suitable notch or
recess on a disc or snail mounted on and turning with the gudgeon or trunnion F..
The action of the apparatus is as follows:- Water is admitted slowly by a
regulating cock or tap into the tumbling bucket E either through the supply pipe J or
otherwise, and after the said tumbling bucket is full, overflows into the store cistern
or tank A. When water has accumulated in the store cistern or tank A to a sufficient
height, the ball or float L is raised thereby until the pin or tooth N is lifted out of
the notch or recess in the disc or snail Ŏ. The tumbling bucket being no longer
retained in the vertical position by the pin or tooth N then upsets or overbalances
:

page_text: in the direction of the arrow and empties its contents into the store cistern or
tank A. The consequent rise of water level in the store cistern or tank A causes
water to rush down, the longer leg C of the discharging syphon which is thereby
started and continues to act until the store cistern or tank A is emptied or nearly
SO. The tumbling bucket E, after emptying itself of its contents, returns into the
vertical position, being assisted in such action by the counterbalance weight I, and
the pin or tooth N on the lever K re-enters the notch or recess in the disc or
snail thus placing the apparatus in position for further operation. In order to
reduce the noise and shock of the movements of the tumbling bucket E to a
minimum suitable buffers may be provided, but I have not thought it necessary to
illustrate these in the Drawings.
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 intermittent flushing apparatus consisting of a store cistern or tank
provided with a discharging syphon, a tumbling bucket and means for retaining,
releasing, and returning the said bucket into position, the whole combined, arranged,
and operating as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Second In flushing cistern apparatus the use of the automatically acting tumbling
bucket for the purpose of starting into action intermittently a discharging syphon,
as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Dated this 19th day of March 1887.
W. SMEATON, SENR.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London,
Agent.