Improvements in Apparatus for Sanitary Flushing and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Sanitary Flushing and the like.
I, ROBERT CROMPTON FLETCHER, of Tarleton Rectory, near Preston, in the
County of Lancaster, Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for flushing waterclosets
urinals and the like and the chief object of my improvements is to prevent noise
and to dispense with the usual ball tap.
In carrying my improvements into effect I substitute for the usual small supply
cistern controlled by a ball tap an airtight box or cylinder of suitable size entered
by a water supply pipe from the main or other source from which water under
pressure is supplied the supply pipe being fitted with such valve or stop cock as
may be found suitable. To this receptacle is also connected a flush pipe controlled
either by the improved tap hereinafter described or by any suitable cut off valve
and the valves or taps on the two pipes may if necessary be so connected that
motion of the one will affect the other. At the top of the receptacle or in other
convenient place is fixed an air valve arranged to open and allow air to enter
from the outside whenever the pressure within falls below that of the external
atmosphere.
In operation the water under pressure admitted to the receptacle compresses the
air confined therein until the air pressure on its surface equals the water pressure
from the main or other source of supply. On opening the tap or valve which con-
trols the flush pipe the elasticity of the compressed air drives the water forcibly out
by the pipe and so flushes out the basin of the watercloset and as the pressure
decreases the force of the flush diminishes whereby the last portion of the water
discharged flows gently and lies in the bottom of the basin.
Any air lost from the receptacle during the flushing is replaced by a fresh supply
entering through the air valve.
It will be understood that this improved arrangement is practically noiseless in
action and further that there is no complicated valvular arrangement.
Another advantage is that the pressure generated in the airtight box or cylinder
removes the necessity of fixing the cistern at a certain height above the point of
discharge for the sake of obtaining sufficient fall. An S bend or trap may be made
or inserted in the flush pipe to prevent the barely possible ascent of sewage gas.
Where the water pressure is low it may be sufficient to substitute for the air valve
a simple air pipe carried up to a point above the level of the source of supply and
to raise the airtight box or cylinder to the position usually given to the supply
cistern.
The tap controlling the flush pipe may as already stated be of any approved
design but I prefer to employ my improved tap which consists of a simple push
valve so arranged that the pressure of the water always acts to close or tend to close
the valve which has to be moved from its seating against the resistance of the
water pressure by the thumb or by an elbow lever or equivalent. The novelty
consists in the valve being self closing without the aid of springs.
Deted this 18th day of Avant 1891
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Sanitary Flushing and the like.
1, ROBERT CROMPTON FLETCHER, of Tarleton Rectory, near Preston, in the
County of Lancaster, Clerk in Holy Orders, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for flushing waterclosets
urinals and the like and the chief object of my improvements is to provide a
reliable flush without undue noise or waste and to dispense with the usual
ball tap.
In carrying my improvements into effect I substitute for the usual small supply
cistern controlled by a ball tap an airtight box or cylinder forming a supply cistern
which is controlled by taps or valves the peculiar features of which are hereinafter
explained.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a self closing tap X made according to my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a similar view of a tap Y arranged to be self opening.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the supply cistern with its arrangement of feed pipe,
flush pipe and valves.
Fig. 4 is an elevation showing an arrangement of levers as applied to the scat of
a watercloset for automatic flushing.
Fig. 5 illustrates an arrangement of levers operated either by hand or foot for
voluntary flushing.
In Fig. 3, a designates the supply cistern which may be of any suitable size
and shape; but which in place of the usual removable cover has a fixed airtight
top, and is provided with an air inlet pipe b controlled by an air inlet valve c of any
approved pattern.
The cistern a is adaptable for either voluntary or automatic flushing.
For voluntary flushing I connect it to a feed pipe from the main service pipe or
other source of supply which will fill the cistern up to the level at which the
pressure of the inflowing water is counterbalanced by the resistance of the air
imprisoned and compressed between the surface of the water and the top of the
cistern. When a flush is required a tap or valve is opened which controls the flush
or discharge pipe from the cistern and the water is ejected with all the force of the
compressed air in addition to the impetus of its fall from the cistern. If desired all
fall may be dispensed with and the air pressure employed alone.
The feed pipe is fitted with such valve or stop cock as may be found suitable and
the valve or tap which controls the flush pipe may also be of any suitable kind;
but I prefer to use one of my own design arranged as a self closing tap X as
shown in Fig. 1, and opened by hand or foot as shown in Fig. 5, or otherwise
suitably actuated.
For automatic flushing I adopt the arrangement illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4
which I will now proceed to describe as applied to a watercloset of the ordinary
flush out pattern; but which may be readily arranged for use at sinks, urinals and
the like to act automatically by means of a movable footboard on which the person
would step or stand instead of by the movable seat shown in Fig. 4. To a strong
cross stay d I fix both an X and a Y valve substantially as shown. The water is
brought to the valve X by a pipe e from the main or other source of supply and
when the valve X is open it passes up through the pipe f and into the cistern a.
Here the air is compressed and the water is confined until the valve Y which
controls the flush or discharge pipe g is opened, then the water descends through

page_text: the pipe g, and passing through the valve Y and delivery pipe h, which is secured
to the socket ', it is discharged into the closet basin i. The action of the valves X Y
is controlled by the seatboard k which may be connected at the back to the cross
stay d by hinges and is supported at the front by resting on a lever or levers m.
Usually I should place one such lever m under each side of the seat k and fulcrum
the said levers on brackets n the back ends of the levers m being placed and
adjusted so as to simultaneously operate the spindles of the valves X Y.
In operation a person's weight on the seat k depresses the front end of the levers m
and raising the back ends forces in the valve spindles, thereby opening X and
closing Y and allowing water to flow from the feed pipe through the valve X thus
charging the cistern a; on the weight being removed from the seat k, the valve X
closes and shuts off the further supply of water and the valve Y opens and allows
the water from the cistern a to flush out the closet. It is worthy of note that the
pressure of the water above and below the valve X being equal when the cistern is
charged and the water being in equilibrium between the forces from the compressed
air on the one hand and from the main or source of supply on the other hand, the
valve X will close without any violent shock or concussion, such as occurs when
As the
the water pressure is not restrained by any countercheck or resistance.
cistern a remains empty until the seat k is again occupied there can be no waste of
water and the hermetical sealing of the cistern procures a noiseless action which
may be further perfected by placing a rose or sprinkler over the mouth of the
pipe f
It is not necessary that the pipes and valve X which feed the cistern a should be
as large as the flush pipes and the valve Y unless it be desired to be able to draw a
fresh Hushing charge in a very short time; but by making them all equal as shown
this end would be secured and an important advantage thus gained over most systems
in use.
present
at
will now describe the construction of the valves, remarking at the outset that X
and Y may be precisely the same taps but with their parts differently arranged.
In Fig. 1 the parts are arranged as an X or self closing tap the water passing
through the tap when open in the direction of the arrows will obviously operate to
close the valve o against its seating. p; leakage from the tap when closed is
prevented by the cone q which is accurately fitted into its seating by screwing down
the plugs upon it when the valve o is resting firmly on its seating p; and when the
tap is open leakage from it is prevented by the cone t being pressed home to a well
fitted seat; leakage through the tap is prevented by the coned edge of the valve o
fitting the correspondingly coned seating p; but in all these cases flat or horizontal
faces may be substituted and leather, rubber or other rings, washers or packing may
be used, or a stuffing box may be formed in the plug s around the valve spindle
which is furnished with a suitable head, ring or equivalent u for convenience in
operating the valve.
The inlet and outlet arms of the tap may be parallel to one another, as in Figs. 1
and 2, or they may be arranged at right angles to one another, as in Fig. 3, where
the unseen arms of the valves X and Y pass backward under the cross stay d to
the elbows of the pipes f and g, or the arms may be set at any other convenient
angle.
To convert an X valve into a Y valve, that is, to make it self opening instead of
self closing, the water might be passed through the tap in the opposite direction
and a pull substituted for a thrust at u; but this is not recommended as it is easy
to retain the push action by simply re-arranging the parts-Unscrew the plug v
and the nut which secures the valve o on its spindle; then unscrew the plugs and
draw the spindle out of the valve o; then re-mount the valve o on its spindle but
in the reverse position, screw the nut on the valve spindle, screw the plugs into
the position formerly occupied by the plug and the plug into that formerly
5 occupied by the plugs and the reversal is complete as drawn in Fig. 2.
The broad flange of the plug vis prepared to receive the screws by which it is
fastened to the part which carries it.

page_text: Fig. 5 shows the arrangement for flushing at will, mentioned at the beginning of
this Specification, where X is fixed upon the discharge pipe from an airtight cistern
with air valve and water feed pipe, and is operated by a pull up handle 2, jointed
at 3 to a lever 4 which is fulcrumed at 5 and rests upon the valve spindle u as
shown; or by a foot lever 6 fulcrumed at 7 as indicated by the dotted lines, the
latter being specially recommended for attachment to a falling or rocking footboard
or platform in urinals; but the double valve system described for closets may also
be used here by applying the footboard to the levers in a manner similar to the
closet seat.
In all cases it is to be understood that to the levers or valve spindle heads any
necessary weights may be hung to act for counterpoises or to secure the effective
and immediate movement of the valves, and the cistern may be fixed at any level,
above, at, or below the point at which the flush is discharged.
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 apparatus for sanitary flushing compressing a certain quantity of air in an
airtight flushing cistern by the pressure of the inrushing water and at the proper
moment utilizing the air pressure thus obtained to expel the charge of water from
said cistern in order to flush the given part or place.
2. The combination with an airtight flushing cistern controlled by an air inlet
valve and furnished with water through a pipe controlled by a self closing tap or
valve, of a discharge pipe connected to the cistern and controlled by a tap or valve
which is arranged, to open automatically and allow the flush to be ejected by the
action of the compressed air in the cistern with or without the assistance of
gravitation immediately the first named tap or valve is allowed to close.
3. The construction and combination of parts constituting the reversible self
closing and self opening tap or valve as described and illustrated by Figs. 1
and 2.
4. The several constructions combinations and arrangements of parts substantially
as herein described and as illustrated by Figs. 3, 4 and 5.
Dated this 18th day of May 1892.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.