Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
[Communicated from abroad by DAVID SMITH KEITH, Plumber, and ALEXANDER
KEITH, Plumber, both of the City of Toronto and County of York, Province of
Ontario, Canada.]
I JOHN FRASER CALDER Solicitor of Number nine Ward Road Dundee Scotland
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a section of
a cistern showing an arrangement for a discharge of the water from the cistern by a
"pull."
Fig. 2 is an arrangement for a Self acting discharge.
A is a cistern which by preference is made with a sloping bottom and having the
discharge by means of a syphon from the low part of the cistern.
In some cases a lower recess is made into which the end of the syphon reaches as
shown at A in Fig. 2.
B is a ball cock or valve for the admission of water to the cistern regulated by the
float D through the lever C.
Referring to Fig. 1 when the cistern is empty D falls and opens the cock or
valve B water flows in until the height of water around the syphon E is nearly
enough to overflow the syphon; at this point the float D and valve B are so adjusted
that B closes off the supply, and the cistern is charged with water.
To make it discharge and flush the closet or other appliance with which the pipe H
is connected, the handle F is pulled down when the mass of the float D being forced
into the water makes a displacement and thereby raises the level of the water
sufficiently high to charge the syphon E and the water in the cistern down to the
level of the entrance to the syphon is discharged. As the water level is lowered
D falls and opens B and water flows in and again charges the cistern.

page_text: Referring to Fig. 2 the same method of filling the cistern is used but the pull F is
connected to a hinged seat on a closet or to a hinged platform at a basin or similar
appliance L is a weighted float or mass of wood or iron which is partially or wholly
in the water when the supply is closed by the action of the float.
II When the closet seat, or platform of basin or urinal is occupied or pressed
down the lever K raises L in the water thereby lowering the level of water, D falls
and more water enters until the level is again restored.
When the pressure is removed from the seat or platform, L again falls into the
water, thereby causing a displacement and raising the level of the water sufficiently
high to charge the syphon E which at once discharges the water through the
pipe H.
The weight L is usually divided into two parts with a space between for the free
movement of the lever C.
We make no claim as to any originality in the ball cock or manner of filling the
cistern or of stopping supply to cistern when full enough, nor do we make any claim
to merely emptying a cistern by means of a syphon, but in no cistern now in use or
that we have heard of is the syphon charged and made to operate in the manner
herein described. We prefer to use a syphon of the form shown with two short legs,
or a flat cylindrical bell syphon as we find that while there must be area sufficient for
the discharge of the water, yet the less the vertical height at the head of the syphon
the more certain is the action in at once starting to discharge.
We also prefer making the float D an open bottom, close top box and covering the
syphon as by that means it reduces the noise of the rush of water.
What we claim and desire to secure by letters patent is
1st With special reference to Figure 1 we claim starting the syphon E in a cistern
by immersing a mass such as the float D in the water and thereby raising the level, as
herein described and for the purpose specified.
2 With special reference to figure we claim connecting to the closet seat or basin
platform the lever K so that the mass L is raised in the water and again lowered and
by this means raising the level of water in the cistern and automatically charging the
syphon and causing it to overflow and discharge the water as herein described and for
the purpose specified.
Dated this Fifteenth day of June 1888.

page_text: Improvements in Cisterns for Water Supply to Water Closets and
other Appliances.
Communicated from abroad by DAVID SMITH KEITH and ALEXANDER KEITH, both
of the city of Toronto, Canada, Plumbers, and described in Provisional
Specification, Number 8829, dated 16th June, 1888.
I JOHN FRASER CALDER of the city of Dundee, Scotland Solicitor 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:
The principal object of the invention is to provide a supply of water to water closets
in such a manner as effectually to wash out the closet when necessary, and at the
same time prevent undue waste of water; and to make a permanently tight joint
between the water closet and the soil pipe.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the closet with cistern above it and soil pipe under it.
Fig. 2 is a section of the cistern at right angles to the one in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the joint between the water closet and the
soil pipe.
On the drawing, A is the closet, B is the seat hinged in front, C is a chain or rod
making a connection between the seat B and a lever E on the cistern D. F F are
two pieces of wood or iron or other material partially immersed in the water in the
cistern and suspended from the lever E in such manner as to tilt up the hinged seat B
into the position shewn on the drawing.
G is the water supply pipe to the cistern with a valve G¹ operated by the lever H
and float H¹.
K is a syphon connected to pipe L which conveys the water to the closet; the
drawing shows a bell syphon but other forms might be used.
By preference His made an open bottomed float and is made to cover the syphon
and so diminish the noise made by the discharge of the water.
The drawing shows the normal position of the parts of the apparatus when the
closet is not in use, and the float Hand valve Gare adjusted to close the water
supply when the level in the cistern is just below the discharging level of the
syphon K.
The action is as follows;
The seat B being hinged at the front, and tilted up at the back by the weight of
the masses F F acting through the lever E and the connection C, is pressed down by
any one sitting on it. This raises the masses F F in the water and consequently
lowers the level of the water in the cistern. As the level is lowered the float H¹ falls
and opens G³, thereby admitting more water until the level is again restored.

page_text: On the pressure being removed from the seat B, the masses F F again descend,
thereby causing the water to overflow the syphon K and discharge the contents of the
cistern through the pipe L into the basin of the closet.
The float H falling opens G¹ and the cistern is again filled to the normal level.
This apparatus is a water saving appliance, as the syphon cannot be made to
overflow except in the manner already described, viz. by pressing down the seat B,
and releasing it after the water level is at its proper height.
There is only one valve and so long as it is in order there cannot be any loss from
leakage and if this valve should leak a little, it would not cause the syphon to act
and there would only be a loss of water equal to the leakage past the valve.
This leakage would show in the basin of the closet and so call attention to the
condition of the valve.-Putting a weight on the seat B will not cause the water to
run continuously, because the float H¹ acts quite independently of the lever E.
Figure 3 represents the improved connection to the soil pipe.-M is the discharge
of the closet. N is the soil pipe, and O is a metallic flange of copper or other suitable
metal with a U shaped recess in it and is soldered or connected to the soil pipe.--The
recess in the flange O is filled with liquid tar or other viscous matter of a similar
nature, and M is set into it.
By this means a joint is made, which will not permit the escape of either water or
gas, and which is not liable to dry up or crack, as commonly happens when the usual
putty joint is made, but will remain flexible and impervious to water or gas.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what 1
claim is-
1st. The cistern for water supply to water closets having a syphon discharge K,
covered by the open bottomed float H¹ and operated by the immersion of the
masses F F as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The cistern for water supply to water closets having a syphon discharge K
operated by the immersion of the masses F F in connection with the hinged seat Bas
herein described and for the purpose specified.
3rd. The joint between closet and soil. pipe made with the recess in the flange O
filled with fluid tar or other similar viscous matter in the manner herein set forth and
for the purpose specified.
Dated this 15th day of April 1889