Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
I, JOHN HOWIE of Hurlford in the County of Ayr, Fireclay Manufacturer do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to service cisterns for flushing water closets and the like the
improvements having for object to provide a limited supply of water for flushing and
when desired for giving an after flush for filling the closet basin. The service
cistern which is by preference made of glazed fire clay or carthenware is provided
with the usual ball valve and float and with a discharge valve which is operated by a
lever acted on by a chain or otherwise from the closet handle. The rod or link by
which the discharge valve is connected to the valve operating lever has formed on it
an inclined or wedge like arm which as the valve rod is raised presses laterally aside
the ball cock lever and rides over it thereby preventing the lowering of the discharge
valve until by the discharge of the water for flushing the closet the water level in
the cistern is considerably lowered. The ball lever thereupon descends and is
pressed aside by contact with a stationary incline or wedge fitted on the side or other
part of the cistern so that it disengages the inclined piece on the valve rod and
permits the latter to drop the discharge valve being thus closed. In cases in which
an afterflush is desired a double incline or wedge may be used to permit the valve rod
to descend in two stages the first drop bringing the valve nearly in contact with the
valve seat but permitting of a slow outflow of water for the after flush and the second
drop closing the valve entirely.
Under a modification the valve operating lever has formed on it a projection or
notch and when the valve is raised on lifting the closet handle to flush the closet the
notch engages a pin formed on or projecting from a weighted catch lever or bar
jointed to or centred on a cross guide provided for the valve rod, the pin slipping
under the notch or projection on the valve rod and preventing the immediate descent
of the valve on the closet handle being released. Sufficient water is thus perinitted
to pass from the service cistern to flush the closet, and on the water level in the
cistern being thereby lowered the float lever of the ball cock strikes an arm or

page_text: projection on the catch lever before referred to and tilts it so that the pin on it becomes
disengaged from the notch in the valve rod and thus permits it to drop and the valve
to close. In cases in which an after flush is desired a second notch is formed in the
valve rod and when the pin on the catch lever is released from the first or lower notch
by the movement of the float lever it drops into the second or higher notch and
retains the valve rod in a position in which the discharge valve is barely shut and
allows sufficient water to escape for the after flushing of the closet the catch pin being
disengaged from the second notch by the action of the float lever on the water level
becoming still lower.
As means for preventing waste of water by the pull on the closet handle being
maintained the valve operating lever is formed with an arm or provided with a link
connected to or arranged to depress or otherwise act on a valve in the service pipe
when the handle is pulled. This valve when thus closed shuts off the supply of
water through the ball valve to the cistern and effectually prevents the discharge of a
greater quantity of water at each action than the contents of the service cistern; or
a sucker valve or similar automatically closing discharge valve may be used in
conjunction with the flushing arrangements above described to effect the like
purpose.
°
Dated this Twauire sixth day of Tanne
1888
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flushing Cisterns for Water Closets and the like.
1. JOHN HOWIE of Hurlford in the County of Ayr, Fireclay Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relates to service cisterns for flushing water closets and the like, the
improvements having for object to provide a limited supply of water for flushing and
when desired for giving an after flush for filling the closet basin.
a
As represented in the accompanying drawings in longitudinal and transverse vertical
sections at figures 1 and 2 the service cistern A which is by preference made of glazed
fire clay or earthenware is provided with the usual ball valve B and float Cand with
a discharge valve D which is operated by a rod or link and lever F acted on by
chain G or otherwise from the closet handle. The rod or link E by which the discharge
valve D is connected to the valve operating lever F has formed on it an inclined or
wedge like arm G which as the valve rod is raised presses laterally aside the ball
cock lever and rides over it thereby preventing the lowering of the discharge
valve D until by the discharge of the water for flushing the closet the water level in
the cistern is considerably lowered. The ball lever C₁ thereupon descends and is
pressed aside by contact with a stationary incline or wedge HL fitted on a cross bar H¹
or on the side or other part of the cistern so that it disengages the inclined piece G
on the valve rod E and permits the latter to drop, the discharge valve D being thus
closed on its seat D'. In cases in which an afterflush is desired a double incline or
wedge or notch as at g on the wedge piece GI may be used to permit the valve rod E
to descend in two stages the first drop bringing the valve D nearly in contact with the
valve seat D' but permitting of a slow outflow of water for the after flush and the
second drop closing the valve entirely and occurring when on the full descent of
the ball float lever C the said lever is pressed off the notchy and allows the wedge
piece to pass as indicated by dotted lines in figure 2.
Under a modification represented at figures 3 and 4 of the drawings the valve
operating rod E has formed on it a projection e and when the valve D is raised on
lifting the closet handle to flush the closet the projection e engages a notch i formed
in a sliding or eccentric block I attached to a weighted catch lever or bar l'jointed to
or centred on a cross guide 12 provided for the valve rod E the pin or projection e
slipping over the notch on the eccentric block I and preventing the immediate descent
of the valve on the closet handle being released. Sufficient water is thus permitted
to pass from the service cistern to flush the closet, and on the water level in the
cistern being thereby lowered the float lever of the ball cock strikes an arm or
projection 13 on the weighted catch lever I and tilts it so that the pin e on the valve
rod E becomes disengaged from the notch i in the block I and thus permits it to drop
and the valve D to close. In cases in which an after flush is desired a second notch?
is formed in the eccentric block I and when the pin or projection on the valve rod E
is released from the first notchi by the movement of the float lever it drops into the
second notch and the valve rod is retained in a position in which the discharge valve

page_text: is barely shut and allows sufficient water to escape for the after flushing of the closet,
the projection e being disengaged from the second notch by the action of the float
lever on the water level becoming süll lower. The pin or projection may be formed
on the weighted lever and the notches on a block formed on the valve rod to obtain a
like result.
In a further modification represented at figures 5 and 6 the valve operating lever F
has formed in it a notch which on the closet handle being raised and the lever F
therchy lifted tilts from the position in which it is shown dotted to that in which it
appears in full lines and engages the forked end of a weighted catch lever I centred
on a bracket I on the cistern. This catch lever has on it a pin which when the
ball float lever descends is struck and the lever I thereby tilted to throw its forked
end out of the notch i whereupon the valve D is closed.
As means for preventing waste of water by the pull on the closet handle being
maintained the valve operating lever F is formed with an arm or provided with a
link connected to or arranged to depress or otherwise act on a valve K in the service
pipe L when the handle is pulled. This valve when thus closed shuts off the supply of
water through the ball valve to the cistern and effectually prevents the discharge of
a greater quantity of water at each action than the contents of the service cistern; or
a sucker valve or similar automatically closing discharge valve may be used in con-
junction with the flushing arrangements above described to effect the like purpose.
The waste preventing devices may be applied in conjunction with any of the several
modifications of flushing arrangements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The employment in conjunction with the ball valve lever and discharge valve rod
in flushing cisterns of apparatus substantially such as herein before described under
several modifications with reference to the annexed drawings for controlling the closing
of the discharge valve.
2. In a flushing cistern the combination with the ball valve lever and discharge
valve rod of wedges or inclines arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings.
3. In a flushing cistern the combination with the ball valve lever and discharge
valve rod of the tilting lever arm and engaging notch devices operating by the descent
of the ball valve lever substantially as herein before described with reference to the
annexed drawings.
4. In conjunction with flushing cisterns for water closets the combination of a valve
in the service pipe and a link or lever connecting said valve and the discharge valve
operating lever whereby the supply of water to the cistern is cut off whilst the
discharge valve is raised substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-sovanth day of October 1000