Year: 1886

page_text: I WILLIAM FIRMIN, of 84 Teesdale Street, Hackney Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Brass Founder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference to syphons and more particularly to the means or
method of starting them. Over the lower open end of the short branch or leg,
which should be of considerably larger diameter than the long branch, I place a
pail or vessel which can be lifted by means of a lever or other suitable contrivance.
The bottom of this pail or vessel has a water way fitted with a clack or ball valve
that opens upwards. In order to start the syphon when it has been applied to a
tank, cistern or other reservoir it is only necessary to lift the pail or vessel by
means of the lever or other contrivance; in this lifting movement the valve closes
and prevents the liquid passing out at the bottom of the pail; the level of the
water in the short branch of the syphon is thereby raised up to and beyond the
bend and the syphon is therefore started.
.
Among the uses to which my invention is applicable I may mention the supply
of water to closets and urinals in which case the syphon fitted with my arrangement
for starting will be placed in the usual small supply cistern which it will syphon
out when the pail is lifted as already described.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Syphons.
I WILLIAM FIRMIN, of 84 Teesdale Street, Hackney Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Brass Founder 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 :—.
My invention has reference to syphons and more particularly to the means or
method of starting them. Over the lower open end of the short branch or leg,
which should be of considerably larger diameter than the long branch, I place a
pail or vessel which can be lifted by means of a lever or other suitable contrivance.
The bottom of this pail or vessel has a water way fitted with a clack or ball valve
that opens upwards. In order to start the syphon when it has been applied to a
tank, cistern or other reservoir it is only necessary to lift the pail or vessel by
means of the lever or other contrivance; in this lifting movement the valve closes
and prevents the liquid passing out at the bottom of the pail; the level of the
water in the short branch of the syphon is thereby raised up to and beyond the
bend and the syphon is therefore started.
Among the uses to, which my invention is applicable I may mention the supply
of water to closets and urinals in which case the syphon fitted with my arrange-
ment for starting will be placed in the usual small supply cistern which it will
syphon out when the pail is lifted as already described.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is a vertical section and Figure 2 a 'plan
showing my invention applied in connection with a small supply cistern such as is
used for delivering a regulated quantity of water to a closet.or, urinal.
a is the
cistern and 'the ordinary ball valve through which it receives its water from the
source of supply. c, d is the syphon; the short leg or branch c is of considerably.
larger diameter than the long leg d. Over the lower open end of the leg c is fitted
a pail or vessel e which, in its normal position, as seen in Figure 1, forms an
extension of the leg'c; this pail or vessel is fitted with means whereby it can be
lifted so as to bring its bottom against the end of the leg c or nearly so; various
means of lifting the pail can be employed;. the means shewn consist of a lever f
connected at one end by the intermediation of a link g and rod h to the pail e
while a pull-cord or chain leading to a convenient position is attached to the other
end. At the bottom of the pail is a water-way or opening i fitted with a ball
valve k of about the same specific gravity as or a little heavier than water so that
it shall be normally open. is a cage for the valve.
The action is as follows:-The cistern a fills with water through the valve b up
to the level allowed by this-valve under the action of its float, and the leg c of the
syphon fills to the same level the water entering it through the water-way i and
through the small annular space between the top of the pail e and the lower end of
the leg. Then while the pail e is being lifted into the position shewn in Figure 3,
the valve closes the water-way i, and as the water therefore cannot escape
from the pail the water level in the leg c becomes raised up to and beyond the
bend of the syphon, The syphon is thus started and its action will continue until
the water has been syphoned out of the cistern down to the level of the lower end
J

page_text: of the leg c. The syphoning action is not stopped by the return of the pail e to its
lower or normal position because the water flows up through the valve k and
thence to the leg c.of the syphon.
Instead of the ball valve k any other suitable valve can be employed-such, for
example, as a clack valve, as shown in Figure 4, or a spindle valve, the spindle
of which projects below the vessel e to a sufficient extent to be pushed up by
contact with the bottom of the cistern i when the vessel e is lowered and thereby
open the valve.
It is obvious that the capacity of the pail or vessel e must be sufficient when the
pail is lifted to raise the water level in the leg c up to and beyond the bend of the.
syphon.
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 with respect to syphons, is :-
1. The combination with a syphon, of a pail or vessel, with valve, fitted over
the lower end of the short leg and capable of being lifted by a lever or otherwise,
so as to start the syphon, substantially as set forth.
2. A syphon, whose short leg is of larger diameter than the long leg and has
placed over its lower end a pail or vessel with valve, the said pail or vessel being
fitted with means for lifting it, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 11th day of November 1886.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.