IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATER-CLOSETS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HARRY WHYTE BUCHAN, of the city and county of Edinburgh, Clerk, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES
FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATER-CLOSETS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to valves of improved construction, for regulating or
controlling the supply of water used for flushing and giving the after-flush for
water-closets.
The improved valve comprises a shallow water chamber, of circular form in
plan, provided with a discharge pipe connected to the closet basin, into which
chamber projects the inlet of the water service pipe, the orifice of which is covered
by a diaphragm of rubber, leather, or other elastic material extending across the
water chamber, and secured thereon by an upper hollow chamber fitting over the
first chamber. A small tube, fitted with a variable nozzle or opening, is attached
to the diaphragm and connects the inlet water pipe with the upper chamber, which
is closed by means of a second flexible diaphragm. The water in the service pipe
finds its way through the tube in the first diaphragm, which forms a valve over the
inlet orifice and fills the upper chamber; and as the diaphragm exposes a greater
surface to the pressure of the water on the upper side than on the inlet side, the
diaphragm valve normally closes the orifice of the inlet pipe.
The second or upper diaphragm which forms the cover of the upper chamber,
and which is made by preference of saucer-shape to allow for a considerable extent
of movement, is connected by a spindle to a lever acted on by the pulling of the
closet handle. When the closet handle is pulled this lever bears on a collar on the
spindle, and presses down the diaphragm into the form of a saucer, the diaphragm
in its normal position of rest being raised like an inverted saucer.
The pressing
down of the diaphragm causes a portion of the water in the chamber between it
and the lower diaphragm valve to be displaced, and this water finds an outlet
through a lateral opening, leading into a separate chamber connected to the
discharge outlet of the valve apparatus leading to the closet basin. The direct
outlet through this separate chamber is prevented (unless when there is an excess
of pressure in the diaphragm chamber) by means of a valve or diaphragm, which
may either be normally closed and opened at the proper time by a link connecting
Diss 71

page_text: it to the valve lever acted on by the hand pull, or be fitted with a diaphragın or
valve covering an outlet orifice and retained in the closed position by water which
is admitted above it through a pipe communicating with the water inlet or supply
pipe.
When the closet handle is let go after it has acted through the valve lever to
depress the upper diaphragm and displace part of the water in the diaphragm
chamber, the pressure in the diaphragm chamber is relieved, and is overcome by
the pressure of the water at the inlet orifice. The diaphragm valve is then raised
off its seat on the inlet orifice, and the water enters rapidly, passing through the
shallow chamber below the diaphragm valve and away direct through the outlet to
the closet basin. Meanwhile water also passes through the small inlet tube
connecting the diaphragm chamber at the upper side of the diaphragm valve with
the inlet supply pipe, and this upper chamber gradually fills until the pressure
within it closes down the diaphragm valve, and shuts off the flow of water to the
discharge outlet. The size of the opening in the tube which passes through the
diaphragm valve may be varied to admit the water at a greater or less rate, and
thereby to close the valve more or less rapidly, so that a smaller or greater quantity
of water may be allowed to pass to the discharge outlet to flush the closet basin.
When, in addition to a flushing operation an after-flush is required to fill the
closet basin, an additional diaphragm is fitted over the diaphragm or valve in the
separate outlet chamber (through which the displaced water escapes as herein before
mentioned) and this additional diaphragm is connected by a rod or link to the valve
lever acted on by the closet handle. When the closet handle is raised this additional
diaphragm is also raised, before the diaphragm in the main chamber is depressed.
The valve or diaphragm below it is momentarily raised thereby, and the downward
pressure on the main diaphragm valve is relieved. That valve then rises and
allows a quantity of water to flow through the inlet orifice to the discharge outlet,
sufficient to flush the closet basin. The continued action of the closet handle and
valve lever depresses the upper diaphragm fully and stops the water supply; and
on the closet handle being let go, the diaphragm is again relieved, the diaphragm
valve rises and allows a second supply of water to escape to form the after-flush,
the valve being again closed when the upper chamber fills through the tube
communicating between it and the inlet pipe.
Dated
1 1804

page_text: I, HARRY WHYTE BUCHAN, of the city and county of Edinburgb, Clerk, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES
FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO WATER-CLOSETS," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to valves of improved construction for regulating or
controlling the supply of water used for flushing and giving the after-flush for
water-closets.
The Invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is
a vertical section and Figure 2 a plan (with the cover removed) of a modification
of my improved valve arrangement, and Figures and 4 are corresponding views
of another modification.
The improved valve consists mainly of two sections an upper and lower with a
leather, rubber or other elastic material forming a diaphragm between them bolted
together at thin outer rim or flange making a fluid tight joint.
The lower section comprises a shallow water chamber A of circular form in plan,
provided on the one side with a discharge pipe B connected with the closet basin, and
on the opposite side with another pipe connecting an outlet orifice K¹ in the upper
section with chamber A and discharge pipe B. In the centre of chamber A there
projects the inlet C of the water supply service pipe the orifice of which is covered
by the diaphragm D which extends across the water chamber A, and fitting directly
over it is the hollow chamber E in the upper section of the valve apparatus, which
is closed by a second diaphragm F. A small tube d which may be fitted with a
variable nozzle or opening is attached to the diaphragm D and connects the inlet
water pipe C with the upper chamber E. The water in the service pipe c flows or
presses through continually the tube d in the first diaphragm D which forms a valve
over the inlet orifice C and it fills the upper chamber E and as the diaphragm D
exposes a greater surface to the pressure of the water on the upper side than on
the inlet side the diaphragm valve D normally closes the orifice of the inlet pipe C.
The second or upper diaphragm F which forms the cover of the upper chamber E
and which is made by preference of saucer shape to allow for a considerable extent
of movement, is connected by a spindle G to a lever H acted on by the pulling of
the closet handle, When the closet handle is pulled this lever H bears on a collar
on the spindle G, and presses down the diaphragm F into the form of a saucer, the
diaphragm in its normal position of rest being raised as shown is like an inverted
saucer. The pressing down of the diaphragm F causes a portion of the water in
the chamber E between it and the lower diaphragm D to be displaced, and this
water finds an outlet through a lateral opening I leading into a separate chamber J
connected by an outlet orifice K₁ to the discharge outlet B of the valve apparatus
leading to the closet basin. The direct outlet through this separate chamber J is
prevented (unless when there is an excess of pressure in the diaphragm chamber E
by the depression of the diaphragm F) by means of a valve or diaphragm K
extending over the chamber J and covering the outlet orifice K¹ and is retained in
the closed position by the pressure of water which is admitted above it through a
pipe or duct L communicating with the water inlet or supply pipe C. Or it may
be normally closed and opened at the proper time by a link or spindle connecting
it to the valve lever H acted on by the closet hand pull.

page_text: When the closet handle is let go after it has acted through the valve lever H to
depress the upper diaphragm F and displace part of the water in the diaphragm
chamber E, the pressure in the diaphragm chamber is relieved, and is overcome by
the pressure of the water at the inlet orifice C. The diaphragm valve D is then
raised off its seat on the inlet orifice C, and the water enters rapidly passing
through the shallow chamber A below the diaphragm valve and away direct
through the outlet B to the closet basin. Meanwhile water also passes through the
small inlet tube d connecting the diaphragm chamber E at the upper side of the
diaphragm valve D with the inlet supply pipe C, and this upper chamber gradually
fills until the pressure within it closes down the diaphragm valve D and shuts off the
flow of water to the discharge outlet B. The size of opening in the tube d which
passes through the diaphragm may be varied to admit the water at a greater or less
rate, and thereby to close the valve more or less rapidly, so that a smaller or greater
quantity of water may be allowed to pass to the discharge outlet to flush the
closet basin.
When in addition to a flushing operation an after flush is required to fill the
closet basin, an additional diaphragm M is fitted over the diaphragm or valve K. in
the separate outlet chamber J as in Figure 3, and when at rest in its normal
position it presses upon the valve K as shown. This additional diaphragm M is
connected by a link or spindle N to the valve lever H acted on by the closet
handle.
When the closet handle is raised this diaphragm M is also raised and at same
time the diaphragm F in the chamber E is depressed, and the diaphragm valve K
is thereby raised allowing the water pressed from the main chamber E to escape bý
the outlet orifice K¹. The downward pressure on the main diaphragm valve D is
relieved, that valve then rises and allows a quantity of water to flow through the
inlet orifice C to the discharge pipe B sufficient to flush the closet basin, the water
which has at same time been flowing from inlet C by the duct or pipe L into the
diaphragm chamber on the upper side of the valve K and between it and the
additional diaphragm M is filled and presses down the diaphragm valve K upon
the outlet orifice K₁ so that no more water can escape from the main chamber E and
though the lever H be still held up, the water always flowing by the tube d from
the inlet orifice C into the chamber E and which cannot now escape presses down
the main diaphragm D over the inlet orifice C and stops the discharge by outlet B
to the closet basin. But when the handle is let go the diaphragm F rises and the
pressure on the upper side of the main diaphragm D is relieved which is then
raised from its seat on orifice C and a second flush flows from it by outlet B to fill
the closet basin, the valve D being again closed when the upper chamber E fills
through tube d communicating between it and the inlet pipe C, and diaphragms F
and M are again in their normal condition of rest as shown.
An outlet opening or tube k is formed in the diaphragm K for the escape into
the outlet K³ of the water in the chamber above which as in Figure 1. occurs when
the diaphragm valve K is raised, and is closed again when the tube k attached to
diaphragm K is pressed down against a seat K¹ by the water flowing into a
chamber over valve K by the duct L and in Figure 3 the escape takes place when
diaphragm M is raised and is closed again when it falls by the dished plate O
pressing on the diaphragm K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,―
First. The combination of parts forming the improved valve apparatus sub❤
stantially as herein described and illustrated.
Second. The arrangement in water supply apparatus of a diaphragm (D) fitted
over the inlet orifice, and providing with an opening (d) communicating with a
chamber above, such chamber being- provided. with a. second diaphragm acted on

page_text: by the hand lever, and having an outlet through a second valve chamber (J)
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
2
Third. The combination with the elements mentioned in the foregoing claim of
the diaphragms K M arranged to provide for the discharge of separate volumes of
water to serve for the flushing and afterflushing of water closets, substantially as
herein and illustrated.
Dated thin Whistaenth dass of Danmhan 100A