IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING WATER
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Haigh of West Bromwich in the County of
Stafford Plumber and Isaac Haigh of West Bromwich aforesaid Plumber
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING WATER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Haigh and Isaac Haigh
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1883.
JOHN HAIGH of West Bromwich in the County of Stafford Plumber and ISAAC
HAIGH of West Bromwich aforesaid Plumber "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR FLUSHING WATER CLOSETS AND URINALS AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
"
Our invention has reference principally to water closets and consists of the
construction and arrangement of the parts of apparatus for flushing hereinafter
described our invention is however applicable to the flushing of urinals and to
other like purposes such for example as the flushing of wash basins drains sinks
and the like.
We will describe our invention in connection with a water closet.
The service pipe of the water closet which is made of iron rises through the
bottom of the water cistern to a height somewhat below the water level Over the
service pipe is an inverted cup or bell jointed to a lever and supported in its raised
position by a counter balance weight. The lower edge of this bell is scolloped or
has an undulating figure so that when the said edge rests on the bottom of the cistern
there is a free passage for water to the interior of the bell. Fixed in the interior
of the bell and at its top is a short copper pipe which slides water tight upon and
constitutes a virtual prolongation of the service pipe. Openings at the top of this
sliding pipe permit of a free passage of water.
"
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the cord or chain of the
apparatus is pulled it depresses the end of the lever carrying the bell. By this
depression of the bell the pipe fixed in its interior is depressed upon the service pipe
until its openings are below the water level Water entering the service pipe
through these openings a syphon action is set up the service pipe constituting the
.. 077

page_text: :
long leg of the syphon and the bell the short leg. The flow of water down the
sevice pipe continues until the level of the water in the cistern sinks below the
scollops on the bottom edge of the bell when air entering the bell the flow of water
ceases. In order to prevent waste of water by the fixing of the lever carrying the
bell the apparatus is used in connection with a divided cistern in which the fixing
down of the lever closes the communication between the two compartments of the
cistern as is well understood.
By modifying the apparatus as follows it may be used with an undivided cistern
and the waste of water by fixing the handle prevented.
The service pipe terminates at the bottom of the cistern in a valve seat. The
inverted cup or bell carries a central tube with openings at top as in the first
described arrangement and at its lower end the said tube carries a valve of a size
and shape suitable to fit on the valve seat at the bottom of the cistern. We will
call this the service pipe valve. Fixed on the bottom of the cistern and surrounding
the service pipe valve seat and valve described is a cylindrical vessel open at top
and communicating with the cistern by means of a pipe and small valve so that
water can only enter the said cylindrical vessel through the said small valve. The
inverted cup or bell is of a somewhat larger diameter than the cylindrical vessel
described and surrounds it.
The said cup or bell is jointed to one arm of the weighted lever and the small
valve described is hung by a chain to the other arm of the weighted lever. When
the parts are in their normal positions the service pipe valve is closed and the
small valve is open and the level of the water is the same in the cistern and the cylin-
drical vessel. When the closet is used the end of the lever carrying the small valve
is drawn down and the said small valve is closed.. The service pipe valve is raised
and the water in the cylindrical vessel runs down the service pipe and sets up a
syphon action. The water of the cistern passes under the bell and down the
central tube. When the level of the water in the cistern has sunk below the
scolloped edge of the bell air enters and the action of the syphon ceases. If the
handle has been fixed down the apparatus cannot be put into action again until the
handle has been released and the small valve opened.
Or the apparatus may be modified as follows so as to prevent the waste of water
by fixing the handle when an undivided cistern is used.
In this modification of our invention the service pipe terminates in a valve seat
on the bottom of the cistern. The bell carries in its interior and concentric with
it a weighted ring through a central hole in which a pipe slides. The lower end of
this pipe carries a valve which has on its underside a washer to fit on the valve
seat described and has on its upperside a disc of india rubber with conical edge.
The bottom of the weighted ring is conical interually and fits on the conical edge
of the india rubber disc In this modification of our invention the apparatus is put
in action by raising the bell. On the raising of the bell the weighted ring carried
by it is raised the said ring drawing up with it the valve by the close fitting of
the said ring upon the india rubber disc on the upper side of the valve. . The valve
being opened water runs down the service pipe but water slowly passing between
the ring and the india rubber disc the valve falls on its seat and the passage of
water through the valve is stopped. But the service pipe being full of water acts
as the long leg of a syphon and now draws water in the bell over the top of the
pipe on which the weighted ring slides. When the water level has sunk below
the scollops on the bottom edge of the bell air enters and the apparatus ceases
'to act.
The cistern refills by the action of the ball cock but the apparatus can only
effect a further discharge of water-by the liberation of the handle and subsequently
operating on it. By a slight modification the weighted ring and valve lifted by it
(may be arranged on the side of the central pipe instead of concentric with it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Haigh and Isaac Haigh in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th October 1883.
IN
JOHN HAIGH of West Bromwich in the County of Stafford Plumber and
ISAAC HAIGH of West Bromwich aforesaid, Plumber. "IMPROVEMENTS
APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING WATER CLOSETS AND URINALS AND FOR OTHER LIKE
PURPOSES
"
Our invention has reference principally to water closets and consists of the
construction and arrangement of the parts of apparatus for flushing hereinafter
described; our invention is however applicable to the flushing of urinals and to
other like purposes, such for example as the flushing of wash basins, drains sinks
and the like.
We will describe our invention in connection with a water closet.
The service pipe of the water closet, which is made of iron, rises through the
bottom of the water cistern to a height somewhat below the water level. Over the
service pipe is an inverted cup or bell jointed to a lever and supported in its raised
position by a counter balance weight. The lower edge of this bell is scolloped or
has an undulating figure so that when the said edge rests on the bottom of the
cistern there is a free passage for water to the interior of the bell. Fixed in the
interior of the bell and at its top is a short copper pipe which slides watertight
upon and constitutes a virtual prolongation of the service pipe. Openings at the
top of this sliding pipe permit of a free passage of water.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the cord or chain of the
apparatus is pulled it depresses the end of the lever carrying the bell. By this
depression of the bell the pipe fixed in its interior is depressed upon the service
pipe until its openings are below the water level. Water entering the service pipe
through these openings, a syphon action is set up the service pipe constituting the
long leg of the syphon and the bell the short leg. The flow of water down the
service pipe continues until the level of the water in the cistern sinks below the
scollops on the bottom edge of the bell when air entering the bell the flow of water
ceases. In order to prevent waste of water by the fixing of the lever carrying
the bell, the apparatus is used in connection with a divided cistern in which the
fixing down of the lever closes the communication between the two compartments
of the cistern as is well understood.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2, represent transverse vertical sections of a flushing apparatus
for a water closet constructed according to our invention applied to a divided
cistern; Figure 3 represents a plan of the same; Figures 4 and 5 represent side
elevations of the same, partly in longitudinal section. The transverse sections
Figures 1 and 2 are taken through the inverted cup or bell and other parts, the
section Figure 1 showing the parts of the flushing appliances in their normal
positions and the section Figure 2 showing the flushing appliances in action;
Figure 4 represents the parts in the same positions as in Figure 1, the broken
off parts of the cistern exhibiting the compartment of the cistern in which the
ball cock and valve opening and closing arrangement are situated; Figure 5
represents the parts in action, that is, in the same positions as in Figure 2, portions
of both of the compartments of the cistern being represented.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a, b are the compartments of the divided cistern connected by the passage o
which is opened and closed by the weighted valve d in the compartment a as
hereinafter described; e is the ball cock by which water is supplied to the
compartment a of the cistern, the water from the compartment a passing by the
passage to the compartment b; fis the overflow pipe of the cistern g is the
service or down pipe of the closet in the compartment b of the cistern. The said

page_text: service or down pipe g rises through the bottom of the water cistern to a height
somewhat below the water level; h is the inverted cup or bell situated over the
surface or down pipe g. The said inverted cup or bell is jointed by the link i to
the weighted lever k fixed to the cross axis . By means of the said weighted
lever k, the bell h when at liberty to move is raised and supported in its raised
position. To one end of the cross axis and external to the cistern, an arm p is
fixed to which arm p the pull down chain or wire q is attached. The other end of
the said axis is provided with a shorter arm p' which bears against a stop p³ on
the side of the cistern as seen in Figure 3. By means of the said arm p* and
stop p the distance to which the bell h can be raised by the weighted axis is
limited. The downward motion of the bell h is limited by its open bottom coming
against the bottom of the cistern. The lower edge of the bell h is scolloped at h³
and, when the said edge rests on the bottom of the cistern as represented in
Figures 2 and 5, there is a free passage for water to the interior of the bell.
Fixed in the interior of the bell h and near its top is a short copper tube or
hollow piston which slides watertight upon the upper part of the down or waste
pipe g in the compartment b of the cistern. The said pipe or hollow piston r is
open at top and is connected by a cross strap or bridge s to the underside of the
bell h in the way best seen in Figures 1 and 2. The open top of the pipe or
hollow piston r is situated when the bell h is in its raised or normal position a
little above the water level in the cistern so that when the pipe or piston r is in
that position no water can pass from the cistern down the service pipe g.
The valve d is connected by the chain n to an arm m on the weighted cross
axis 7. When the flushing apparatus is out of action the valve d is lifted from its
seat by the arm m and chain n as represented in Figures 1 and 4 and there is free
communication for the water between the two compartments a, b of the cistern;
but when the chain q is pulled down to bring the flushing apparatus into action
the arm m on the axis permits the weighted valve d to seat itself on the seat
of the pipe cand cut off communication between the two compartments of the
cistern as represented in Figure 2.
When the flushing apparatus is out of action the several parts occupy the
respective positions represented in Figure 1; that is, the bell h is in its raised.
position and the open top of the tube or hollow piston r working upon the service
or down pipe g, is situated above the water level in the compartment 6 of the
cistern. To put the flushing apparatus into action, the chain q attached to the
lever p on the axis is pulled down and the end of the weighted lever k carrying
the bell is thereby depressed and with it the bell h. By this depression of the
bell h, the piston or pipe r is depressed upon the service pipe g and the open top of
the said piston or pipe r is brought below the water level in the cistern. Water
now entering the service pipe g through the open top of the pipe or piston r, a
syphon action is set up the service pipe g constituting the long leg of the syphon
and the bell h the short leg as represented in Figures 2 and 4. The flow of water
down the service pipe g continues until the level of the water in the compartment b
of the cistern sinks below the scollops h2, h3 in the bottom edge of the bell h when
air entering the bell the flow of water ceases.
ments
α,
So long as the chain q is held down, all communication between the two compart-
6 of the cistern is cut off by the valve d closing the passage c between
them as seen in Figure 2, but on the said chain q being released, the valve d takes
the position represented in Figure 1 and opens the passage c and water now passes
from the compartment a into the compartment b. The diameter of the passage c
between the two compartments a, b of the cistern compared with that of the service
pipe g is such that the slowly refilling of the compartment 6 from the compart-
ment a through the open passage c does not affect the syphon action previously set
up. After the flushing water has ceased to flow the compartment b is refilled from
the compartment a as before stated and the latter compartment is refilled by the
opening of the ball cock e and the several parts now occupy the positions repre-
sented in Figure 1 and the flushing apparatus is again ready for use,

page_text: As the fixing down of the chain q closes the passage c between the two compart-
ments a, b of the cistern and consequently cuts off the water supply to the syphon
arrangement in the compartment b, the waste of water by the fixing down of the
chain q is effectually prevented.
Figure 6 represents in longitudinal vertical section and Figure 7 in plan, our
invention applied to an undivided cistern. In Figure 6 the apparatus is repre-
sented in action, the pull down chain having been released and the bell and parts
carried by it raised to their highest position by the weighted axis.
In this arrangement the syphon appliances and the ball cock and its float are
situated in the same chamber and the arm k carrying the bell and the weight k³ by
which the upward motion is given to the bell are situated on different parts of the
cross axis instead of the two parts constituting a weighted lever as in the first
described arrangement.
In other respects the parts of the syphon arrangement in the undivided cistern
do not differ from corresponding parts in the divided cistern and their action is
precisely the same and corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of
reference.
The undivided cistern is recharged immediately the syphon arrangement ceases
to act by the opening of the ball cock. The water cannot be left flowing by
holding down the pull chain nor can the syphon arrangement be put into action
again until the water reaches the water line in the cistern.
In applying our invention to the flushing of urinals, wash basins, drains, sinks
and the like we construct and arrange the parts substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated with respect to apparatus for flushing water closets.
Having now described the nature of our invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed we wish it to be understood that we claim as our inven-
tion of "Improvements in apparatus for flushing water closets and urinals and for
other like purposes":
First The combination with the inverted cup or bell h, h² situated over the
service or down pipe g in the water cistern, of the pipe or hollow piston r, open or
perforated at or near its top, the said pipe or hollow piston r sliding watertight
upon and constituting an upward prolongation of the said service or down pipe,
the depression of the pipe or hollow piston r upon the service or down pipe by the
descent of the bell virtually shortening the said service or down pipe and thereby
setting up a syphon action therein, the several parts being constructed, arranged
and acting substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly The arrangement or combination of the parts hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for raising the inverted cup or bell
and sliding tube or hollow piston in its interior, into their normal positions when
the pull down chain or wire is released.
Thirdly--The arrangement or combination of the parts hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for closing the passage between the
two compartments of a divided cistern when the chain or wire is pulled down for
putting the flushing apparatus into action.
In witness whereof I the said John Haigh have hereunto set my hand and
seal this-Tenth-day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three
Vitness, RICHARD SKERRETT
37 Temple Street
Birmingham
JOHN HAIGH (L.S.)