IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGU- LATING AND SUPPLYING WATER POR WATER CLOSETS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah George Jennings, of Great Charlotte Street,
Blackfriars, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGU-
LATING AND SUPPLYING WATER POR WATER CLOSETS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 4th August 1854, and dated the 6th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah George Jennings
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1854.
I, JOSIAH GEORGE JENNINGS, of Great Charlotte Street, Blackfriars, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING AND SUPPLYING WATER FOR WATER CLOSETS AND OTHER PURPOSES"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for supplying
and regulating the supply of water for water closets and other purposes, in
such manner that a regulated supply of water may at any time be made to a
water closet, or for any other use. And the apparatus consists of a cistern,
which is supplied from a water main or other source, and the supply regulated
by a ball-cock or float, as is well understood. From this cistern the longer
leg of a syphon descends to a water closet or otherwise, the shorter leg of the
syphon being in the cistern, and the bend of the syphon comes just above the
ordinary level of the water in the cistern. In order to cause water to descend
from the cistern, the level of the water is raised, and this, by preference, is
done by introducing a plunger into the water, which raises the water level, so
that it comes above the bend of the syphon, when the syphon will immediately
come into action, and the water in the cistern run off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Josiah George Jennings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
GEORGE JENNINGS, of Great Charlotte Street, Blackfriars, send greeting.
r
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Josiah George Jennings, Her special licence that I, the said Josiah
George Jennings, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Josiah George Jennings, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND SUPPLYING WATER FOR WATER
CLOSETS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Josiah George Jennings by an instrunient in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Josiah George Jennings, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object improvements. in apparatus for supplying
and regulating the supply of water for water closets and other purposes,-in
such manner that a regulated supply of water may at any time be made to a
water closet as for any other use. And the apparatus consists of a cistern,
which is supplied from a water main or other source, and the supply regulated
by a ball-cock or float, as is well understood. From this cistern the longer
leg of a syphon descends to a water closet or otherwise, the shorter leg of the
syphon being in the cistern, and the bend of the syphon comes just above
the ordinary level of the water in the cistern. In order to cause water
to descend from the cistern, the level of the water is raised, and this,
by preference, is done by introducing a plunger into the water, which

page_text: raises the water level, so that it comes above the bend of the syphon, when
the syphon will immediately come into action, and the water in the cistern
run off.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention; I will proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for performing the same.
1
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows, a plan, and. Figure 2 shows a section, of a cistern, of a size
suitable for containing one charge of water for a water closet; or it may be for
another basin or other vessel, according to the. purpose to which this apparatus
is to be applied. This Figure shows the parts in the position when the small
cistern is fully supplied with water, whilst Figure 3 shows a like sectional
view at the time the water in the cistern is being run off therefrom by the
longer leg of the syphon into a water closet or other basin or vessel. a, a; is
a cistern, supplied by a pipe b, having thereon a ball-cock c, which I prefer to
be such as are now well known, and have-long been made by me, wherein an
internal tube of vulcanized india-rubber is pressed; so as- to close the water
passage but other ball or float cocks or valves may be used; the object being
to keep up a supply of water-at.all times to the cistern a, a, after one supply
has been run off for use. d is a lever, which at one end is ordinarily kept
drawn downwards by the weight e, and it has at its other end a plunger f, the
object of which is to raise the water level in the cistern a, a, when it is desired
to empty the cistern of its contents. The lever d is put in motion by the lever
and pull g, which by its slotted end embraces the pin at the end of the lever d,
on which the weight e is suspended. The ball or float of the cock is prevented
descending too low by the slotted link i, through which a pin is passed and
fixed in the lever d. The water is run off from the cistern by the action of a
suitable syphon apparatus, the longer leg h of which descends from the bottom
of the cistern a to the basin of a water closet or other vessel; the shorter leg
of the syphon I prefer to produce by an inverted cap j, as is shewn, though an
ordinary form of bent syphon may be employed; and the effect of this arrange-
ment of apparatus will be, that supposing the cistern a to contain a charge of
water, the ordinary level of which will be just below the level of the bend or
elbow of the syphon, and so long as this state of things remains, the water will
not flow off from the cistern a, but on causing the level of the water in the
cistern a to be above the bend or elbow of the syphon, the water will imme-
diately flow off'; hence, on causing the plunger to descend, and thus displace the
water, the level will rise, and the syphon will act, and the contents of the
cistern will flow off. It is not, however, essential that the water level should

page_text: be raised in the cistern a, a, as the same effect will be obtained by lowering the
elbow or bend of the syphon, as will be readily understood by reference to
Figures 4, 5, and 6, which show a plan and two sections of the apparatus
above described, modified so as to admit of the bend or elbow of the syphon
apparatus being lowered below the level of the water in the cistern when it is
desired to empty the cistern. In this case the plunger is dispensed with, and
the cap, forming the shorter leg of the syphon apparatus, is attached to the
lever, and will be raised and lowered thereby, the cap being fixed to a sliding
part of the longer leg of the syphon.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately, and the details may be varied without departing from my
Invention. What I claim is, the application of syphon and other apparatus
for regulating and supplying water to water closets and other vessels, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah George Jennings, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOSIAH GEORGE JENNINGS. (L.S.)
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
12, Cursitor Street,
Chancery Lane.