IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS AND URINALS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dawes, of Kingston Grove, Leeds, in the County
of York, Engineer, and William Henry Thompson and David Thompson, of
Queen Square, Leeds, in the County of York, Plumbers and Glaziers, for an
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dawes, and William
Henry Thompson, and David Thompson at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 14th July 1881.
WILLIAM DAWES, of Kingston Grove, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer,
and WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON and DAVID THOMPSON, of Queen Square, Leeds,
in the County of York, Plumbers and Glaziers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER
CLOSETS AND URINALS."
"
The first part of this Invention consists in an improved arrangement and
construction of what are known as definite supply syphon actions for water
closets and urinals, and refers more especially to the starting, priming, or charging
of the syphon, so as to enable us to employ with promptness and certainty a
plain, simple, bent tube syphon without enlargement, joint, slide, or any special or
unusual features or additions. For this end or purpose, we employ a double or
compound "boot
or service cistern in lieu of the single one heretofore used; and
we construct this compound boot in such a manner that one of its chambers or
compartments shall be about twice the horizontal area and capacity of the other,
and we fix the said plain tube syphon in the smaller of these two chambers. The
communication between these two compartments consists in a number of holes,
about one inch diameter, furnished with simple leather or other "clack valves,"
placed near the bottom, and opening towards or into the said smaller chamber of
the compound boot, the action and utility of which will be hereinafter explained.
Into the larger of these two boot chambers we fit in a manner to slide easily up
and down a block or float of wood or other suitable material, and we furnish this
also with similar clack valves on the under side, that is, opening downwards, and

page_text: we connect this block or float by a central upright stem to a simple over-head
lever, placed by preference longitudinally of the main cistern so as to cause the
pull down action to be in the most convenient position, and the supporting and
relifting of the latter parts into position after use or action, we prefer to effect by
a brass or other spring placed inside the larger boot chamber, to lift direct under-
neath the float or plunger, although in some cases we employ a weight upon the
prolonged back end of the beforenamed longitudinal lever, and cause either it or a
spring to lift the lever without the said float or plunger, leaving it to rise
gradually as the boot refills with water, and the "clack valves" in the float may
then be omitted.
The action of the foregoing parts may be thus explained; the lever depresses
the block or float in the larger boot chamber, which raises the water in the smaller
chamber at about twice the speed and to twice the distance or height of its own
depression, and thus rapidly and efficiently charges the syphon, the water in this
(smaller) boot chamber being "caged" or prevented from returning to the larger
chamber by the beforenamed clack valves, so that however hastily the pull down
or other handle may be loosed the charging and flushing are secured; and as a still
further security against failure we sometimes"
"
cap or enclose the smaller or
syphon chamber of the compound boot so as to add to the "caging" the benefits
of force or compression and "air cushioning," and thus obtain greater certainty of
action than has heretofore been practicable with syphon flushing.
As a modification of the before-described construction, we sometimes effect the
charging of the syphon by moving the division or partition between the two
compartments of the double or compound boot.
The second part of this Invention consists in a simpler, cheaper, and more frost
proof construction of the cistern or cisterns of water closets and urinals than those
heretofore employed; and for these ends and purposes we construct the said
cisterns of wood (oak by preference) and in such a manner as not to require sheet
lead or other metal lining to render them "water tight", this we effect by adopting
in most respects the ordinary Cooper's construction of upright staves and strong
metal hoops, and the oval or the "round cornered oblong" as the form of the bottom
round which these staves are placed, the service cistern or "boot" being of the
same or other suitable material placed inside the said main cistern and constructed
according to the foregoing description of that part of our Invention, though in some
cases, as a means of obtaining additional "head-room over the scat we construct
the main cistern and service cistern or boot, as two separate and similar cisterns,
and we fix these in the corners of the head-room space over the seat, leaving about
24 inches distance or clear space between them, and across which we establish the
necessary communication or connection by means of a lead or other pipe of any
convenient diameter, taking care that the apperture for supplying the boot from
the main cistern, which should be at the main cistern end of the said pipe, is not
more than rd of an inch diameter.
دو

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Dawes,. and William Henry Thompson, and David Thompson
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th January 1882.
WILLIAM DAWES, of Kingston Grove, Leeds, the County of York, Engineer, and
WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON and DAVID THOMPSON, of Queen Square, Leeds, in
the County of York, Plumbers and Glaziers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER
CLOSETS AND URINALS."
The first part of this Invention consists in an improved arrangement and
construction of what are known as definite supply syphon actions for water closets
and urinals, and refers more especially to the starting, priming, or charging of the
syphon, so as to enable us to employ with promptness and certainty a plain,
simple, bent tube syphon without enlargement, joint, slide, or any special or
unusual features or additions. For this end or purpose we employ a double or
compound "boot" or service cistern in lieu of the single one heretofore used; and
we construct this compound "boot ".in such a manner that one of its chambers or
compartments shall be about twice the horizontal area and capacity of the other,
and we fix the said plain tube syphon in the smaller of these two chambers. The
communication between these two compartments consists in a number of holes about
one inch diameter, furnished with simple leather or other "clack valves" placed
near the bottom, and opening towards or into. the said smaller chamber of the
compound boot, the action and utility of which will be hereinafter explained.
Into the larger of these two boot chambers we fit, in a manner to slide easily up
and down, a block or float of wood or other suitable material, and we furnish this
also with similar clack valves on the under side, that is, opening downwards;
and we connect this block or float by a central upright stem to a simple
over-head lever placed, by preference, longitudinally of the main cistern so as
to cause the pull down action to be in the most convenient position, and the
supporting and relifting of the latter parts into position after use or action we
prefer to effect by a brass or other spring placed in the foregoing arrangement
inside the larger boot chamber to lift direct underneath the float or plunger,
although in some cases we employ a weight upon the prolonged back end of the
beforenamed longitudinal lever, and cause either it or a spring to lift the lever
without the said. float or plunger, leaving it to rise gradually as the boot refills
with water from the main cistern; and when so arranged the clack valves in the
float may be omitted.
The action of the foregoing parts may be thus explained -The lever depresses the
block or float in the larger boot chamber, which raises the water in the smaller chamber
at about twice the speed and to twice the distance or height of its own depression,
and thus rapidly and efficiently charges the syphon, the water in this (smaller)
boot chamber being "caged" or prevented from returning to the larger chamber
by the beforenamed clack valves, so that however hastily the pull down or other
handle may be loosed, the charging and flushing are secured, and as a still further
security against failure, we sometimes "cap or enclose the smaller or syphon
chamber of the compound boot, so as to add to the "caging" the benefits of force
or compression and "air cushioning," and thus obtain greater certainty of action
than has heretofore been practicable with syphon flushing.
"
As a modification of the before-described construction we sometimes effect the
charging of the syphon by causing the closet handle to move the division or
partition between the two compartments of the double or compound boot.
The second part of this Invention consists in a simpler, 'cheaper, and more frost
proof construction of the cistern or cisterns of water closets and urinals than those
heretofore employed; and for these ends and purposes we construct the said
cisterns of wood (oak, by preference), and in such a manner as not to require sheet
lead or other metal lining to render them "water tight." This we effect by
adopting, in most respects, the ordinary.coopers construction of upright staves and

page_text: strong metal hoops, and the oval or the "round cornered oblong," as the form of
the bottom, round which these staves are placed, the service cistern or "boot" being
of the same or other suitable material placed inside the said main cistern, and
constructed according to the foregoing description of that part of our Invention;
though in some cases, as a means of obtaining additional" head-room"
over the
seat, we construct the main cistern and service cistern or boot as two separate and
similar cisterns, and we fix these in the corners of the head-room space over the
seat, leaving about 24 inches distance or clear space between them, and across
which we establish the necessary communication or connection by means of a lead
or other pipe of any convenient diameter, taking care that the apperture for
supplying the boot from the main cistern, which should be at the main cistern end
of the said pipe, is not more than 3rd of an inch diameter.
In the accompanying illustrations, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of
a cistern and the double or compound "boot; " Figure 2 is a plan of the same
without the "cap" for enclosing the syphon part or chamber of the boot; Figure 3
is a vertical section, complete, and ready for, action; Figure 4 is the same after the
charging of the syphon; and Figures 5 and 6 show the pair of cisterns, one the
main cistern and the other the compound boot, parted for obtaining head-room.
In all the foregoing, a is the main cistern; b, the compound boot; c, the air-
tight cap over the smaller portion or chamber; d, the clack or retaining valves;
e, the syphon; f, the ram, float, or plunger; g, the lever; h, the balance weight;
and i, the pull down cord or chain.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to
the precise details or arrangements which we have described or referred to, as
many modifications and variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of the said Invention, but what we consider to bo
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The use or application and general arrangement of the special parts
explained and shown herein, and embracing the double or compound "boot" or
flushing cistern, the midway "clack" or retaining valves for "caging" the-charging
or priming water, the air-cushioning and elastic compression for prolonging the
charging, the loose-fitting and downward acting ram, float, or plunger in one
chamber of the compound boot, and
Second. The oval, oblong, or other shaped cisterns or boots constructed with
vertical staves placed round a plain level bottom and secured by iron or other
metal bands or hoops, for the purposes and virtually as or after the manner of the
foregoing description.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Dawes, William Henry Thompson,
and David Thompson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Witness,
GEORGE GRAHAM SPENCER,
Wesley Terrace,
Wortley.
WILLIAM DAWES.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON.
(L.S.)
DAVID THOMPSON.
(L.S.)