Improvements relating to Water-closets or Latrines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1891-Accented, 16th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM CLARK, of 137, Elizabeth Street,
Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, Inspector of Sanitary Plumbing.]
Improvements relating to Water-closets or Latrines.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 :—
This improved water-closet and apparatus is more especially adapted for use in
schools, factories, or other places where large number of persons congregate. The
apparatus comprises a long trough, over which are placed the seats, which may be
adapted to the simultaneous use of two, three, or more individuals. Under the
seats are pans, which are in the form of truncated cones, the bases being turned
downwards. The pans are made sufficiently deep for their basic ends to enter the
water that is contained in the trough, and thus form a water seal. At the end of the
trough is placed a cistern, provided with a ball cock in connection with the water
main. Mounted on a suitable framing, preferably near and above the cistern, is a
larger cistern, provided with a syphon apparatus. The elevated cistern is, by
means of a down pipe, in direct communication with the trough, and as soon as the
water in the elevated cistern arrives at the requisite height, the syphon apparatus
will be started, and the body of water (by syphon action) be discharged from the
cistern into the trough. The elevated cistern is filled from a constantly running
tap, which may be regulated so as to fill the cistern in a specified time. The
bottom of the trough is inclined, an exit aperture being at the bottom of the incline,
the aperture leading to a double syphon trap, through which the sewerage water
will pass to the waste pipe, and thence to the sewer. The whole apparatus is
entirely automatic in its action.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the closet and apparatus in connection there-
with, but with the syphons in elevation, the section being taken on the line 1. 2 of
Fig. 3.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the trough and seats, the down pipe from the elevated cistern
being in section, and the elevated cistern removed (see the line 3, 4 of Fig. 1).
Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-6 of Fig. 1; while
Fig. 4 is a partial plan view, shewing the relative positions of the trough, the
lower cistern, and the elevated cistern.
A is the trough, the bottom A' of which is slightly inclined. Over the trough
are placed the seats B B, that are provided with undercut truncated cone-shaped
pans C, that dip just below the surface D of the water in the trough. The pans C
are made of the peculiar shape shewn in the drawings, in order that they shall not
be soiled by falling foccal matter. At the end of the trough A. is a small service
cistern E, provided with a ball cock F, that governs the supply of the water from
the water main. A framework G supports the elevated cistern H, into which water
is constantly flowing through the tap 1. The inflow of water through I may be
regulated so that the cistern H shall be filled to the level shewn in the drawings in
any specified time, say, in two, three, or four hours. A syphon apparatus J, K, is
placed in the cistern H. The syphon apparatus consists of a cover J, provided
with apertures at the bottom, through which the water in the cistern H can enter,
and a down pipe K, the top of which is provided with an internal lip k, over which
the water will flow when it has reached the required height in the cistern H. The
down pipe K passes through the bottom of the cistern H, and dips into water in a
small chamber L below, so as to form a water scal or trap. A down pipe M

page_text: projects upwards into the chamber L, and extends downwards, passing through the
small cistern E into the trough A. At the opposite end of the trough A is an exit
aperture N, through which the water can How into the double syphon trap O P,
and from thence into the waste pipe Q leading to the sewer or drain.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The gauge tap I is turned on, so as to fill the cistern H in, say, three hours.
The trough being empty, the ball cock will be depressed, and water will flow
into the service cistern E, and from thence into the trough A, through the
apertures ee (see Fig. 3), until the water attains the level shown in Fig. 1. The
closet is now ready for use. While in use, the pan C will only allow of a minimum
escape of bad smell, as each pan in itself forms a water seal. We will now suppose
the water to have attained the level in the cistern II shewn in the drawings, when
it will be on the point of starting the flushing operation. Directly the first drop of
water passes over the lip of the syphon apparatus J-K in the cistern H, the
flushing action will have commenced, and will continue until the whole of the water
is syphoned out of the cistern H. The syphon J-K discharges into the chamber L
below, and from thence the water will gravitate down the pipe M into the trough A,
raising the level of the water in the trough, and starting the syphon O-P, which
will discharge the whole of the water in the trough into the waste pipe Q. As
soon as the flushing operation is completed, the trough is again automatically filled
from the cistern E. In cases where the pans C are used, it will be necessary to
provide a vent pipe a (see Figs. 1 and 2) and vent holes, but the pans C may, if
desired, be altogether dispensed with. Their use is however recommended as being
of considerable advantage to the satisfactory working of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
from abroad, I declare that what I claim is:—
1. In water closets, the under-cut par C, dipping below the surface of water in a
trough beneath, as herein specified.
2. The combination with a trough provided with one or more scats and a suitable
exit opening, of an elevated cistern provided with a gauge tap, syphon apparatus,
and auxiliary chamber, and connected to the trough by a down pipe, as herein
described, and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination of a trough, an elevated cistern containing a syphon
apparatus, and a supply cistern to the trough, the water supply to which is governed
by a ball cock or analogous contrivance, as herein specified, and for the purposes
set forth.
4. The general combination of parts constituting this invention, and consisting
mainly of a trough that is automatically filled with water, and automatically
flushed by syphon action periodically, by water contained within an elevated cistern,
as herein specified
Dated this 15th dox of Anril 1801
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.