IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS AND URINALS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Harding Terry, of the Local Government Board,
Whitehall, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS AND URINALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Harding Terry at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th January 1882.
STEPHEN HARDING TERRY of the Local Government Board, Whitehall, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS AND
URINALS."
This Invention relates to improved means for actuating the moving parts of
water closets and urinals and is applicable to all kinds of closets or urinals in
which a valve, a copper pan, a water service valve, a flush regulator, a waste
preventer, or other part is required to be moved after the closet or urinal has been
used. According to the arrangements in general use, these parts are actuated by
means of a handle which is taken hold of by the person using the closet. This
arrangement is objectionable especially in the case of water closets or urinals which
are accessible to the public. My improvements consist in arrangements whereby
a pedal moved by the foot is employed for actuating the closet instead of a handle
moved by the hand. For this purpose the said pedal is connected to the lever or
levers or other instrument by which the working parts of the closet or urinal are
moved and is placed in any convenient position above the floor, for example, in the
case of a closet it may be arranged to project through and somewhat beyond the
front of the seat thereof, or in the case of a urinal, from the wall or otherwise.
By these improved arrangements increased cleanliness and convenience are
secured, as on the one band it is not necessary to touch any part of the apparatus
with the hand, and on the other there is no necessity to place the head over the
pan when actuating the closet as frequently happens when the hand has to be
employed for that purpose.
The Invention is applicable as above stated to all kinds of closets such as for
example, valve, pan, hopper, or syphon closets, whether for use on land or on board
ship, or to the actuating of the water supply, waste preventing or other valves in
connection with the said closets or urinals, whether such valves be placed near
the closets or urinals or in overhead cisterns, or otherwise, at a distance therefrom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stephen Harding Terry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th July 1882.
STEPHEN HARDING TERRY of the Local Government Board Whitehall, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS AND
URINALS."
This Invention relates to improved means for actuating the moving parts of
closets and urinals, and is applicable to all kinds of closets or urinals in which a
'valve, a copper pan, a water service valve, a flush regulator, a waste preventer, or
• other part is required to be moved after the closet or urinal has been used.
According to the arrangements in general use these parts are actuated by means
of a handle which is taken hold of by the person using the closet. This arrange-
ment is objectionable, especially in the case of closets or urinals which are accessible
to the public. My improvements consist in arrangements whereby a pedal moved
by the foot is employed for actuating the closet instead of a handle moved by the
hand. For this purpose the said pedal is connected to the lever or levers or other
instrument by which the working parts of the closet or urinal are moved and is
placed in any convenient position above the floor; for example, in the case of a
closet it may be arranged to project through and somewhat beyond the front of the
seat thereof, or, in the case of a urinal; from the wall or otherwise.
In the Drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is an elevation of a valve closet with
my pedal action applied thereto, Figure 2 is a plan of same. A is the lever by
which the valve of the closet is actuated in the usual way--but instead of having
the usual handle connected to the weighted end thereof the said lever is extended
beyond its fulcrum in the opposite direction, and being cranked outwards passes
through the riser of the closet seat through the slot B, and is furnished with a
pedal C. D is the ordinary flush regulating valve and E the weighted lever of
same, the end of the said lever E projecting over the weighted end of the lever A.
'It will now be understood that on pressing down the pedal C with the foot, the
lever A is operated, its weighted end being raised actuating the closet valve and
lifting the flush regulator lever in the same manner as when the ordinary handle
is used. When the foot is removed from the pedal C the weighted end of the
lever A falls, the closet valve is closed thereby, and the flush regulator lever falls
'more or less slowly according as it may be regulated.
In the example shown in these Figures the main lever A is shown parallel to the
front riser of the closet, and this involves the cranking or bending out of the pedal
end of the said lever in order that it may pass through the front riser but it will
be obvious that in cases where the said lever A can be placed at right angles to
the front riser of the seat, the pedal end of the said lever may pass directly
through the said riser without being bent as shown in plan in Figure 3. When a
"safe" F is employed care should be taken that the pedal end of the lever A which
passes through the riser is so shaped that it shall not be necessary to cut away the
rim of the said "safe" to allow the said lever A to clear it.
Figure 3 is a plan of a syphon closet adapted for ship or other use with my
pedal action applied thereto. A is the main lever, having its fulcrum at A' and
extending out straight through the riser at its front or pedal end where it is
furnished with the pedal C as before. This lever extends backwards beyond the
fulcrum A¹ and is suitably weighted at that end. D is the flush regulator valve, E
the weighted lever of same, and A¹¹ a pin or bent prolongation of the lever A
taking under the back end of the lever E. On pressing down the pedal C the

page_text: lever E is raised and the valve D opened as before. On releasing the pedal C
the weighted end of the lever A falls and the regulator valve D closes slowly in
the usual way.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a syphon closet and flush regulator with a somewhat
different arrangement of pedal action. In this case the pedal C is adapted to slide up
and down in a guide G fixed to the base or frame of the closet and carrying at its
upper end a pulley H. A chain or cord I is connected at one end to the pedal C and at
the other end to a weight J, but passes through a hole or slot in the lever E of the
flush regulator D. On pressing down the pedal C the weight J is raised and with
it the lever E, opening the valve D. On releasing the pedal O the weight J (which
is considerably heavier than the pedal C) falls, raising the pedal and leaving the
lever E to follow according as it is weighted more or less."
Figure 5 shows the pedal arrangement applied to a closet supplied with water
direct from an overhead tank or from a waste preventing service box. The pedal
lever A is bell cranked and works on a fulcrum pin A¹ connected to the base plate of
the closet the chain or wire connection K is fixed to the end of the bell crank and
passes under the guide pulley L up to the weighted lever on the cistern which it
operates in the same way as the ordinary handle. The action of the pedal lever on
the chain or wire connection K and the valves in the cistern or service box will be
readily understood without further explanation.
Figure 6 shows the application of the pedal arrangement to an earth closet. A is
the pedal lever, bell cranked and carried on a fulcrum pin at A' the upper end of
the bell crank operates a sliding shutter M or an earth stirrer or scoop for allowing
a certain quantity of earth to be discharged on to the soil in the tub N in the
manner well understood in connection with this class of closet. The pedal lever A
is returned to its normal position along with the sliding shutter M after each action
by means of a spring O or a counterbalance weight P.
The application of the pedal arrangements to the purposes of a urinal are so
obvious from the various examples of closets above described and illustrated in the
Drawings that I have deemed it unnecessary to specially describe or illustrate the
same.
By these improved arrangements increased cleanliness and convenience are
secured, as on the one hand it is not necessary to touch any part of the apparatus
with the hand, and on the other there is no necessity to place the head over the
pan when actuating the closet, as frequently happens when the hand has to be
employed for that purpose.
The Invention is applicable as above stated to all kinds of closets, such as for
example, valve, pan, hopper, syphon or other closets, whether for use on land or on
board ship, or to the actuating of the water supply waste preventing or other
valves in connection with the said closets or urinals, whether such valves be
placed near the closets or urinals, or in overhead cisterns, or otherwise at a
distance therefrom.
I am aware that foot plates sunk into the floor have been employed for the
purpose of actuating the water valves of closets and urinals, but so far as I am
aware, such foot plates have not been used to actuate the pans or valves of closets
and their action has been involuntary. According to my arrangements the pedal
action is wholly above the floor and its actuation is entirely at the pleasure of the
person using the closet and as above described it may be arranged to operate the
pan or valve as well as the water regulator.
I prefer to arrange the parts so that the whole mechanism is self-contained and
consequently the fixing is much facilitated and is in fact as simple as that of the
hand action closet.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in
which the same is to or may be carried into effect I would have it understood that
what I claim is ;-
The employment in connection with closets and urinals of a pedal lever for
actuating the closet valve or pan and the water valve or flush regulator, such pedal

page_text: lever being arranged and operated substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof I the said Stephen Harding Terry have hereunto set
my hand and seal this 13th day of July in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
STEPHEN HARDING TERRY. (L.S.)