IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER- CLOSET APPARATUS
Year: 1865

page_text: North Britain, Plumber, for the Invention of-" IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-
CLOSET APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shanks at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th March
1865
.
I, JOHN SHANKS,, of Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
"In-
Plumber,. do hereby. declare the nature of the said Invention for
PROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSET APPARATUS," to be as follows, that is to
say:
:
.
This Invention relates, to various modifications of improved watercloset
apparatus to suit different situations and requirements, such apparatus being
simple. and economical in construction and use, and not liable to get out of
order..
Some of the improved arrangements are additions to and further develop-
ments of improvements described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to the present applicant, and dated 30th August 1864, No. 2129.
P
In an arrangement in which the main discharge valve is opened by the
action on the valve-spindle lever of an inclined groove in a vertical slide (or
[Price 8d.]

page_text: vertically sliding plate) there is added a second grooved slide to act on the
water tap. This second slide is above the first, and is lifted by it, but does
not descend with it, its descent being retarded, in order to allow of the
partial filling of the basin after the main valve is closed, by any suitable
"regulator."
In one simple modification the regulator consists of a hemispherical cup of
vulcanised rubber, the centre of which is attached to the spherically shaped
top of the grooved slide (or it might be any other convenient part moving
with the tap). When the slide or equivalent piece is raised (by the action of
the closet handle) the rubber cup is compressed into a metal cup, from which
it expels the air by a valve or its equivalent. On the handle being let go.
the weight of the parts and the elasticity of the rubber makes the parts
return, but they do not do so at once, as the air can only return slowly into
the space above the rubber. A very simple and efficacious air valve for the
regulator consists of a strip of rubber or leather held down by a pin at each
end over an opening in the metal cup, and which strip is lifted up by the
issuing air, thereby giving free egress, but is closed by the re-entering air,
thereby retarding but not wholly stopping it.
In some cases a long lever actuated by the closet handle is used instead of
the slide to act on the valve-spindle lever, and the long lever is formed with
a straight groove to act on the pin or antifriction roller on the valve-spindle
lever. When a long lever is used, the water tap is actuated by a lever
which lies on the top thereof, and which is connected to the regulator.
In other modifications the regulating details are fitted in immediate con-
nection with the water valve or tap. The waterway is in one case through a
cylindrical chamber, entering and leaving it at opposite sides, but at different
levels. A contraction or valve seat is formed between the inlet and outlet,
and is closed by a valve on a spindle fitted with water-tight pistons above and
below. One end of the barrel beyond the piston near the inlet may form the
regulating air chamber, or the spindle may be connected to a hemispherical
rubber regulator, such as is herein-before described.
spindle is connected to the actuating lever or slide.
is lifted, the valve on the spindle is moved so as
allow the water to pass, and it returns slowly to its seat when the handle is
let go. When closed this valve is in equilibrio, and there is only the friction
of the parts to overcome in opening it. The outlet may be through one end
of the cylindrical chamber, in which case one of the pistons will be dispensed
with, and the valve spindle will issue at the other end. The piston or pistons
may be fitted with what is known as "rolling packing."
The other end of the
When the closet handle
to uncover the inlet and

page_text: In place of the air chamber regulator there may be used a hollow lever
partially filled with shot or the like; this is connected to the tap, so as when.
opening the tap to be lifted to a position such that the shot run to one end;
but on the handle being let go, a spring or equivalent moves the hollow lever
just sufficiently far back for the shot to begin to run to the other end, and
when they have all run thereto their weight closes the tap, but this. takes as
much time as is needed to partially fill the basin as required.
"
Where it is important to economise the water as much as possible. a cistern
with a float tap is used. The discharge from the cistern is through an opening
in the cistern, closed by preference by a rubber ball valve, which is lifted by
a rod inside the cistern. The discharge valve rod and the float lever are acted
on by a lever (connected to the closet handle), which when it opens the dis-
charge holds up the float lever to keep any more water from entering the
cistern; on the closet handle being let go, the discharge valve closes, and
the float falling, the cistern is again filled. The overflow pipe, with which the
cistern is of course fitted, communicates with the pipe leading to the closet.
The quantity of water for partially filling the basin after the main discharge
valve is closed is regulated by the action of the float when refilling the cistern,
either by the lever being arranged when opening the main water supply tap
to open a small branch tap communicating in any convenient way with the
basin, or simply by leading a small branch pipe from the discharge spout of
the main tap into the overflow pipe; then when the float opens the tap to
fill the cistern, a part of the supply, depending on the comparative effective
size of the branch pipe, finds its way by the overflow to the basin, but on the
cistern being filled this supply to the basin is stopped. An important feature
of this arrangement consists in the stopping of the main supply to the cistern
by lifting the closet handle, and in its being impossible to keep the water
continually running by improper means.
The various arrangements herein-before described can be made self-acting
by connecting the actuating parts with a movable seat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. JOHN
SHANKS, of Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain. Plumber.
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Shanks. Her special licence that 1, the said John
Shanks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Shanks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATERCLOSET APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Shanks, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Shanks, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:
My said Invention relates to various modifications of improved watercloset.
apparatus to suit different situations and requirements, such apparatus being
simple and economical in construction and use, and not liable to get out of
order.
And in order that my said Invention. and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing various
modifications of my improved arrangements. The same reference numerals
are used to mark the same or corresponding parts in all the Figures in which
they occur.
Some of my improved arrangements are additions to and further develop-
ments of improvements described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me, and dated 30th August 1864, No. 2129.
In one arrangement, shown in side elevation in Figure 1, in which the main
discharge valve is opened by the action on the valve-spindle lever of an inclined
groove 2 in a vertical slide (or vertically sliding plate) 3, there is added a second

page_text: grooved slide 4 to act on the lever 5 of the water tap 6. Both slides 3, 4,
work on two guide rods 7, and the tap slide 4 is above the other 3, and is
lifted by it, but does not descend with it, its descent being retarded by any
suitable regulator, in order to allow of the partial filling of the basin after
the main valve is closed.
In one simple modification I make the regulator of a hemispherical cup 8
of vulcanised rubber, having its centre attached to the spherically shaped
top 9 of the tap slide 4 (or it might be to any other convenient part moving
with the tap). When the slide 4 or equivalent piece is raised (by the action of "
the closet handle 10) the rubber cup 8 is compressed into a metal cup 11, from
which it expels the air by a valve 12.
On the handle 10 being let go, the
weight of the parts and the elasticity of the rubber makes the parts return,
but they do not do so at once, as the air can only return slowly into the space
above the rubber. A very simple and efficacious air valve for the regulator
consists of a strip of rubber or leather held down by a pin at each end over
an opening in the metal cup 11, and which strip is lifted up by the issuing air,
thereby giving free egress, but is closed by the re-entering air, thereby retarding
but not wholly stopping it.
In some cases, of which an example is delineated in Figures 2 and 3, I use
a long lever 13, instead of the slide 3, to act on the valve-spindle lever 1,
and this lever is formed with a groove 2 to act on the pin or antifriction
roller on the valve-spindle lever 1. In such cases the water tap 6 is actuated
by a lever 14, which lies over the top of the long lever 13, and which is con-
nected to the regulator 8, 11. An earthenware basin 15, such as is made for
ordinary "pan closets, is shown as adapted to the modification shown in
Figures 2 and 3, and an overflow passage 16 is formed in the casting 17, into
which the basin 15 is fitted. This closet is formed with a single discharge
valve, but the long lever and other details are equally applicable to a double-
valve closet for ships' use, and a modification of this application is herein-after
described.
Another modification of my improved regulating apparatus is shown in
vertical section in Figure 4, and in it the regulating details are applied in
immediate connection with the water valve or tap. The waterway is through
a cylindrical chamber 18, entering and leaving it at opposite sides, but at
different levels 19, 20. A contraction or valve seat 21 is formed between the
inlet 19 and outlet 20, and is closed by a valve 22 on a spindle 23, fitted with
water-tight pistons 24, 25, above and below. The upper end of the barrel 18
forms the regulating air chamber 26, the cover being formed with an air valve
12, whilst the lower end of the spindle is formed with a cross slot to receive

page_text: the end of the actuating lever 14. When the closet handle (10) is lifted,
the spindle 23 is raised, and causes the valve 22 to uncover the inlet 19 and
allow the water to pass, at the same time forcing the air out of the regulator
chamber 26. The spindle 23 is weighted, and after it has been lifted it slowly
descends as the air re-enters the chamber 26, until the valve 22 returns to
its seat 21, in which position the valve is in equilibrio, and there is only the
friction of the parts to overcome in opening it. This combined tap and regu-
lator is shown as applied to a double-valved ship's closet in Figure 5, Figure
6 being a side view of the tap and parts acting on it. A long lever 13 is
substituted for the slide described in my earlier Specification herein-before
referred to, such lever being formed with grooves 22 disposed reversely so as
to act on the valve-spindle levers 1, 1, in the same manner as the said slide.
The lever 13 is formed with a short arm beyond its fulcrum to act on the
valve lever 14.
Figure is a sectional elevation of another modification of my com-
bined tap and regulator, and in it the outlet is through one end of the
cylindrical chamber 18, and one of the pistons 25 is dispensed with, whilst
the valve spindle 23 is acted upon from the other end, and is connected to a
rubber cup regulator 8, 11, of the kind first herein-before described. T'he
piston or pistons 24, 25, may be fitted with what is known as "rolling
packing."
In place of the air-chamber regulator there may be used a modification
shown in vertical section in Figure 8, and comprising a hollow lever 27
partially filled with shot or the like; this is connected to the tap lever 14,
so as when opening the tap 6 to be lifted to a position such that the shot run
to one end, (that at which they are shown in the Figure), but on the handle
being let go, a spring 28 or equivalent moves the hollow lever 27 just sufli-
ciently far back for the shot to begin to run to the other end, and when they
have all run thereto their weight closes the tap 6, but this takes as much time
as is needed to partially fill the basin as required. A screw 29 is applied to
the spring 28, whereby to adjust it so as to draw over the lever just enough to
start the shot.
Where it is important to economise the water as much as possible, I use
a cistern with a tap constructed and arranged as shown in vertical section
in Figure 9. The discharge from the cistern is through an opening 30 in the
cistern, closed by preference by a rubber ball valve 31, which is lifted by a
rod 32 inside the cistern. The discharge valve rod and the float lever 33 are
acted on by a lever 34 (connected to the closet handle). which when it opens
the discharge 31, holds up the float lever 33 to keep any more water from

page_text: entering the cistern; on the closet handle being let go, the discharge valve
31 closes, and the float falling the cistern is again filled. The overflow pipe
35, with which the cistern is of course fitted, communicates with the pipe 36
leading to the closet. The quantity of water for partially filling the basin
after the main discharge valve is closed is regulated by the action of the float
when refilling the cistern either by the lever 33 being arranged when opening
the main water supply tap 6 to open a small branch tap communicating in
any convenient way with the basin, or simply by leading a small branch
pipe 37 from the discharge spout of the main tap 6 into the overflow pipe 35;
then when the float opens the tap to fill the cistern, a part of the supply.
depending on the comparative effective size of the branch pipe 37, finds its
way by the overflow 35 to the basin, but on the cistern being filled this supply
to the basin is stopped. An important feature of this arrangement consists in
the stopping of the main supply to the cistern by lifting the closet handle, and
in its being impossible to keep the water continually running by improper
means.
The various arrangements herein-before described can be made self-acting
by connecting the actuating parts with a movable seat.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arranging and com-
bining together of the parts of watercloset apparatus substantially in the
improved manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shanks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN SHANKS. (L.S.)