Improvements in Waterclosets and Water Supply Apparatus for the same, and like Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Waterclosets and Water Supply Apparatus for
the same, and like Apparatus.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Tubal Works, Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to improve the cleansing action of the water
used in waterclosets, and to avoid waste of water, by improved constructive details,
which whilst simple and effective are such as to prevent to a large extent the noise
found so objectionable in existing apparatus.
In carrying out my invention the closet basin is made of an ordinary shape in
plan, with the main discharge aperture at the middle of the bottom or more or less
to one or other side. The cleansing water is supplied to a hollow rim whence it
finds its way into the basin through two or three sets of holes. The holes of one
set are placed and shaped so as to direct part of the water down the sides of the
basin; and the holes of another set are placed and shaped so as to throw water
inwards from the rim in a shower converging upon the middle of the basin in a
manner to insure the wetting of paper or other substance in the basin; whilst the
third set may be intermediately between the other two sets.
By another improvement in connection with the closet basin the siphoning of all
the water from the basin when a large quantity of water is emptied into the basin
from another vessel, is prevented by a small passage or pipe formed or fixed at one
side of the basin, down through which air is drawn by the suction of the siphoning
action and stops that action.
One of my present improvements is applicable to any arrangement of water
supply cistern operating with a siphon in connection with a watercloset or to a trap
bend or siphon connected to the main discharge outlet from a closet basin. The
improvement consists in forming an enlargement on the long leg of the siphon or
trap bend in a position a short distance below the highest point. This enlargement
causes the siphon action to take place with certainty, probably by diminishing the
interfering action of the air in the pipe.
When using a siphon in a water supply cistern I prefer to connect the short leg
to the top of a cylindrical chamber, to the bottom of which the water of the cistern
has free entrance. In the chamber I have a disk fitting as closely as possible
whilst freely movable, this disk being raised by a rod and lifting the water so as to
start the siphon. At the part of the cylindrical chamber to which the disk is
lifted there is an enlargement formed round the chamber which allows the water to
pass up freely round the edge of the disk, when the disk is thus raised. A small
air pipe connected to the top of the siphon has its bottom open end in the cistern in
a position a little above the level at which air would enter the bottom of the
cylindrical chamber, if the water in the cistern got down to that level.
entering the small pipe stops the siphoning action quietly and without the noise
which would be produced by air entering the bottom of the cylindrical chamber.
Dated this Nineteenth day of December 1892
Air
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: .COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Waterclosets and Water Supply Apparatus for
the same, and like Apparatus.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Tubal Works, Barrhead in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Sanitary Engineer, 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, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to improve the cleansing action of the water
used in waterclosets, and to avoid waste of water, by improved constructive details,
which whilst simple and effective are such as to prevent to a large extent the noise
found so objectionable in existing apparatus.
Apparatus as made with my improvements is shown on an accompanying sheet
of explanatory drawings, Figure, I, thereof being a plan, and Figures, 2, and, 3,
being respectively a vertical section and a sectional elevation, as at right angles to
each other, and Figure, 4, a perspective view. In these drawings the same
reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
In carrying out my invention the closet basin, A, is made of an ordinary shape
in plan, with the main discharge aperture, B, at about the middle of the bottom, or
if desired it might be arranged more or less to one or other side. The cleansing
water, is supplied to a hollow rim, C, around the top of the basin, A, whence it
finds its way into the basin through three sets of holes, D, E, and, F. The holes, D,
of the lowest of the three sets are placed and shaped so as to direct part of the
water down the sides of the basin, A; and the holes, E, of the uppermost set are
placed and shaped so as to throw water inwards from the rim, C, in a shower con-
verging upon the middle of the basin, in a manner to insure the wetting of paper or
other substance in the basin; whilst the third set of holes, F, are placed and direct
the water intermediately between the other two sets. Portions of the water passing
round the two sides of the rim, C, issue at a part, G, diametrically opposite to the
water inlet, H, into the rim. The two streams of water are prevented from
interfering with each other by a small partition, J, dividing a discharge opening, K,
and the streams uniting on leaving the opening are guided down a groove, L,
formed in the basin, A, and extending from the opening, K, nearly to the
bottom of the basin, the stream of water being concentrated and directed by
the groove so as to propel the contents of the basin out through the discharge
aperture, B.
By another improvement in connection with the closet basin (A) the siphoning
of all the water from the basin when a large quantity of water is emptied into the
basin from: another vessel, is prevented (as shown in Figure, 4) by a small pipe, M,
fixed at, (or it might be a small passage formed at) one side of the basin down
through which air is drawn by the suction of the siphoning action and stops that
action. A valve, N, is provided inside the pipe, M, near the bottom and is attached
by a cord or chain, P, to the lever, Q, of the cistern, R, which lever is as usual
connected to the closet handle. The valve, N, is arranged to close when the
lever, Q, is moved by the closet handle to discharge the closet so that air entering
by the pipe, M, may not then interfere with the siphoning action.
One of my present improvements is applicable to any arrangement of water
supply cistern operating with a siphon in connection with a watercloset, or to a trap
bend or siphon connected to the main discharge outlet from a closet basin. This
improvement is shown in Figures, 1, 2, and, 4, and consists in forming an enlarge-
ment, S, on the long leg, of the siphon, T, or trap bend, U, in a position a short
distance below the highest point. This enlargement, S, causes the siphonal action
to take place with ease and certainty, probably by diminishing the interfering action
of the air in the pipe.

page_text: When using a siphon, T, in a water supply cistern, R, I prefer to connect the
short leg to the top of a cylindrical chamber, V, to the bottom of which the water
of the cistern has free entrance. In the chamber, V, I have a disk, W, fitting as
closely as possible whilst freely movable, this disk being raised by a rod, X, con-
nected to the lever, Q, the disk lifting the water so as to start the siphon, T. At
the part of the cylindrical chamber, V, to which the disk, W, is lifted there is an
enlargement, Y, formed round the chamber which allows the water to pass up freely
round the edge of the disk, W, when the disk is thus raised. A small air pipe, Z,
connected to the top of the siphon, T, has its bottom open end in the cistern, R, in
a position a little above the bottom edge of the cylindrical chamber, V, and when
the water level reaches the bottom of the small pipe, Z, air entering up that pipe
stops the siphoning action quietly and without the noise which would be produced
by air entering the bottom of the cylindrical chamber, V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a watercloset basin the cleansing water for which is supplied through a
hollow rim, forming the rim with three sets of holes shaped to direct jets of water,
some down the sides and some over towards the middle, substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbefore described with reference to Figures, 1, 2, and 3, of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The improved combination of parts constituting the watercloset and water
supply apparatus shown in Figure, 4, of the accompanying drawings, and herein-
before described.
3. Providing a watercloset basin having a siphonal discharge with an air
pipe (M) substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference
to Figure, 4, of the accompanying drawings.
4. Constructing the water-supply siphons and the discharge siphons of water-
closets with enlargements (S) on the long legs, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
5. In connection with a watercloset water-supply siphon, combining a lifting
starting disk, with a cylindrical chamber constituting part of the short leg and
having an enlargement at the upper part, and with an air pipe having its bottom
open end above the bottom of the chamber substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described with reference to Figure, 4, of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Eighteenth day of September 1893.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.