IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER WASTE PREVENTING APPARATUS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER WASTE PREVENTING APPARATUS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
The improvements forming the subject of the present invention relate more
especially to water waste preventing apparatus for water closets, but they are also
more or less applicable to water taps, valves and such like appliances for the
delivery of water in houses, and they consist of arrangements of self-acting
hydraulic apparatus whereby a pre-arranged quantity of water, depending upon the
adjustment of certain parts of the apparatus, is always delivered without the
possibility of the quantity being improperly increased.
This apparatus utilizes in water closets the pressure of the flushing water,
effecting thereby a quick opening of the closet valve (the motion thereof being
arrested by a cushion of water) and a slow closing of the closet valve, whereby the
shock caused by striking of the same on its seat is avoided. It also produces
automatic and silent action.
In closets which are actuated by the weight of the person on the seat, the closet
valve remains closed while the seat is occupied, the opening and closing of the
valve and the delivery of the flushing water taking place only at the moment when
the person leaves the seat.
"
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed represents a longitudinal_vertical
section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, and Figure 2
is an end view of the same.
This apparatus consists of an obstructor valve A.; a distributor valve B, termi-
nating in a pneumatic piston C; and an actuating piston D to which is connected
the flushing valve E and the guide stem F of the valve.
The water entering by the passage G fills the space I, and thence passes round
the piston D, which is somewhat slack in its cylinder, into the space J behind the
said piston. It then passes by the hole M into, and fills, the space K whence it
passes into, and fills, the space N through the passage O,

page_text: The water being cut off from the outlet H by the flushing valve E, and the
distributor valve B, if the stem a which carries the valve A, is pressed down by the
depression of the closet seat or otherwise, the said valve A first meets the upper
part of the valve B, forcing down the said valve B and with it the pneumatic
piston C, until the said valve A itself closes on to its seat. The valve B is thus not
opened until after the valve A. has closed on to the upper part of the said valve B.
The pneumatic piston C in descending drives out the water from the space N,
allowing it to escape past the edges of its own cup leather.
The first movement of the apparatus is thus effected without allowing any escape
of the water contained in the space K; but when the stem of the valve A is raised
again by the raising of the closet seat or otherwise, the valve B cannot follow it in
its upward movement because it is held down by the pneumatic piston C, pre-
venting the entrance of water into into the space N by the pressure of its cup
leather against the sides of such space. The valve B can only be raised to its seat
(by the pressure of water in the space K) in proportion as the space N is filled
again through the passage O which may be closed more or less by the regulating
screw P. The pressure of the water entering at the orifice G and finding an outlet
past the piston D through the hole M, through the opening of the valve B and
through the passage L leading to the outlet orifice H, forces the piston D to move
from I towards J, drawing the valve E and the stem F with it, but its movement
is stopped by the obstruction produced by the entrance of the stem. T into the
hole M, the small quantity of water remaining in J, not finding sufficient outlet
through the hole M thus partly closed, forms a cushion and reduces the momentum
of the parts.
The water now finding an outlet through the valve E escapes by the outlet
orifice H and the stem F causes the valve S of the closet to turn on the point R
whereby it is opened.
At the moment when the space N has become filled through the passage O,
(which takes place at the end of a period determined by the adjustment of the
screw P in the passage O) the valve B closes on to its seat, and pressure on both
sides of the piston D becomes equal by reason of the passage of water past it;
pressure at I then acts on the valve E and closes it on to its seat, moving the
piston D and the stem F, whereby the closet valve S is turned round the point R
so as to close the said valve on to its seat.
The piston D being suddenly released by the opening of the valve B, will have
produced a quick movement of the stem F, and consequently, of the valve S. But
as the closing can only take place in proportion to the play of the piston in its
cylinder D, (which is trifling) it requires some little time for the pressure to act
upon the valves E. and S and to close then on to their seats, thus avoiding the
shock that a sudden closing would produce.
Figure 3 shows a simpler arrangement of the distributor and obstructor valves
producing the same effects. This Figure shows a section of the distributor
apparatus which is composed as before of an obstructor valve A and a distributor
valve B terminated by a pneumatic piston C.
When the stem a, which carries the obstructor valve A, is pushed down, the
round part of the said stem, situated below the valve A and above the guide wings
at the lower end of the stem, enters the seating of the valve A, the lower end of
the stem meeting the upper part of the valve B only at the moment when this
round part is sufficiently engaged in the seat to obstruct the passage of the water,
which would otherwise take place in consequence of the opening of the valve B.
The movement of the stem A. ceases when the shoulder or collar D reaches the seat.
As in the first described arrangement, the water will not have found any outlet at
the first movement of the stem a, but at the moment when the said stem a is raised
again, the valve B, not being able to follow it in its ascensional movement (being
retained by the pneumatic piston C) the valve B can only approach its seat in
proportion as the space N .becomes refilled with water,

page_text: The improvements in hydraulic apparatuses for ordinary water closets, taps
etcetera consist of arrangements whereby only a certain quantity of water is
delivered each time the apparatus is used, such quantity being regulated by a
regulating device without the possibility of its being increased improperly; such
apparatus opening and closing the closet valve without shock and holding it open
during the whole time the water is flowing.
Figures 4 and 5 represent sections of two hydraulic apparatuses with push and
pull actions.
The apparatus shown in Figure 4 is composed of a stem a, operating a piston A,
furnished with a cup leather and having a capillary or leakage hole b; of a piston B
also furnished with a cup leather and fixed to the flushing valve C and terminated
by a rod or stem I carrying a rack T gearing with a pinion T¹ which actuates the
closet valve F to which it is fixed.
The water enters by the passage G, fills the space J and raising the edges of the
cup leather of the piston B, passes into the space K and is retained in the space J
by the flushing valve C which is held to its seat by the spring l.
When the stem a is pressed down, the piston A is pressed down also, and this
latter pressing on the water in the space K, transmits its motion to the piston B,
and from this to the flushing valve C, opening the latter and giving a passage for
the water, which then flows to the closet pan by the outlet passage H. The
movement of the valve C also moves the rod I, operating the rack T. and thereby
the pinion T, whereby the opening of the closet valve F is effected. If the stem a
is held down at the bottom of its stroke, the water contained in the space K flowing
slowly through the leakage hole b, allows the piston B and valve C (acted on by
the spring ) to return to the closed position. This closing, which is effected
notwithstanding the holding down of the stem a in its lowest position, is produced
at a speed dependent upon the area of the leakage hole b, which allows the cushion
of water to flow slowly out of the space K into the space above the piston A.
The movements of the stem a being subordinate to those of the piston A, can
only be effected very slowly, thereby preventing the shock produced by the sudden
striking of the valve upon its seat.
The apparatus shown in Figure 5 is a hydraulic apparatus with a pull action
composed of a stem a actuating a piston A; of a second piston B, carrying the
flushing valve C to which is connected the rod I as in the apparatus shown in.
Figure 4.
The water entering at G passes through the leakage hole c, fills the space K, and,
raising the edges of the cup leather of the piston A, passes into the space J and is
retained by the flushing valve C.
When the stem a and piston A are drawn up, the water contained in the space J
runs out through the passage L in communication with the outlet E, and the
piston B follows the ascensional movement of the piston A, thereby producing the
opening of the passage for water by the valve C, and the opening of the closet
valve by the rod I, but the valve C can only approach its seat in proportion as the
space K becomes refilled through the leakage hole c.
This closing is therefore effected notwithstanding the holding up of the stem a at
a speed and in a time dependent upon the area of the leakage hole c.
The obstructor and distributor valves may be used in connection with any other
arrangements giving a fixed supply per pulsation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In water closet apparatuses, the utilization of the pressure of the flushing
water for effecting the slow and automatic opening and closing of the closet valve,
as hereinbefore described.
Second. The arrangement of apparatus for water closets acting by the weight
of the person occupying the seat, such apparatus holding the closet valve S closed

page_text: at the moment when and during the time a person occupies the seat, and producing
the opening movement of the closet valve S, and the flushing action only when the
person quits the seat. The said effects being produced by the employment of a
distributor valve B, acting directly upon an obstructor valve A, and preventing the
delivery of a larger quantity of water than that provided for by the part of the
apparatus regulating the supply, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
•
Third. The application and use of the flushing water for the purpose of trans-
mitting motion to the closet and flushing valves in water closets, whereby a certain
quantity of water is always delivered equal to that provided for by a regulating
appliance consisting of an internal or external regulating screw, or of a simple
leakage hole, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the
Drawings hereto annexed.
Fourth. The employment of a screw which can be regulated from the outside,
intercepting the water more or less in the pneumatic valve, as hereinbefore
described.