Improvements in Syphon Flushing Cisterns.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 14th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Syphon Flushing Cisterns.
We, WILLIAM REUBEN LANE, General Manager of Winfields Limited, of.
Cambridge Street, in the City of Birmingham, and ARTHUR ABBOTT of Holly
Cottage, Falconer Road, Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Department, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has relation to syphon flushing cisterns of that type in which a.
long and short legs are employed, and in which the long leg forms the standpipe,
and the short leg the emptying or exit pipe of the system.
The syphon system is without a bell, and the initial flush in our invention is
obtained by the downpipe being made in two sectional parts, and the upper part
with the short leg lifted, so as to admit of water passing into and down the stand-
pipe below the water level in the cistern.
Thus, our invention relates first to the automatic releasing of the movable part
of the syphon, after the picking up; secondly, in the general construction of the
said syphon.
In carrying out our invention, we take a syphon system or pipe of the figure of
an inverted letter U, and with a short leg or inlet coming within a short distance
of the bottom of the system, and with the lower end of the other or stand-pipe part
being fixedly secured to the bottom of the cistern by any well-known means.
The standpipe part is divided about one third from its bottom, and with the
extension of the other sectional part working telescopically within the lower
sectional part, and with the other sectional part having a flange, with an underside
facing of rubber, which, when down, comes upon an opposed face of the lower and
fixed sectional portion. The lifting of the syphon, or that part comprehended by
the short leg, and the sectional part of the stand-pipe, makes an opening between
the flange of the lower fixed part, and the flange of the upper movable part,
wherethrough water rushes, so long as the said upper part is away from the
lower part.
We propose that the telescopic extension of the upper part, which works within
the mouth of the interior of the lower part should be gapped or pierced, so that
instantly the upper part is picked up, the valve, as it were, is opened.
In the automatic releasing part, the lever is, at its inner and acting end,
bifurcated or branched, with the extreme ends of the branches provided with butt-
jointed short arms, terminated by. rollers, and adapted to pick up the lifting part of
the syphon cistern, on the pulling of the lever by the usual pull, and after the said
arms have described a given radius, they become clear of rollered arms or trunnions
of the said syphon system, which before then, lay within the path of the rollers of
the butt-jointed arms.
Thus, assuming the syphon to have at its upper end, and upon its two opposite
sides rollered trunnions or axes, and with the rollers of the butt-jointed arms
coming thereunder, the turning of the lever, picks up the syphon, and as the said
lever describes an arc about its centre of motion, the rollered ends of the butt-
jointed arms come without the path of the picking up arms of the syphon, when the
said syphon becomes instantly released, and falls by its own weight.
The return movement of the lever causes the rollered end to come in contact with
the syphon picking-up trunnions, and the butt-jointed arms then make an angle to
the lever, and wipe past the said trunnions.

page_text: OPERATION.
Assuming that the syphon part of the cistern is down, the pulling of the pull
depresses the outer end of the lever, and raises the inner end, when the rollered
ends of the butt-jointed arms come against the undersides of the syphon trunnions,
and thereby lift the said syphon to a predetermined height, when the same is
suddenly and automatically released, by the passing of the rollered arms from in
contact with the rollered trunnion.
The momentarily lifting allows water to pass through the opening made between
the fixed and movable parts, and as a partial vacuum has been created in the lower
part of the down pipe, the closing of the said lower part now creates a partial
vacuum in the upper part, and as there is now unequal pressures at the inside and
outside parts of the syphon, water is forced up the short leg, hence the complete
flushing.
The releasing of the chain allows the lever to resume is normal position, and the
butt jointed ends are made to wipe over and past the syphon trunnion.
Dated this 14th day of December 1892.
WILLIAM REUBEN LANE,
ARTHUR ABBOTT,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Syphon Flushing Cisterns.
We, WILLIAM REUBEN LANE, General Manager of Winfields Limited, of
Cambridge Street, in the City of Birmingham, and ARTHUR ABBOTT, of Holly
Cottage, Falconer Road, Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Department, 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 :-
This invention has relation to syphon flushing cisterns of that type in which a
long and short legs are employed, and in which the long leg forms the stand-pipe,
and the short leg the emptying or exit pipe of the system.
The syphon system is without a bell, and the initial flush in our invention is
obtained by the downpipe being made in two sectional parts, and the upper part
with the short leg lifted, so as to admit of water passing into and down the stand-
pipe below the water level in the cistern.
Thus, our invention relates first to the automatic releasing of the movable part
of the syphon, after the picking up; secondly in the general construction of the
said syphon.
In carrying out our invention, we take a syphon system or pipe of the figure of
an inverted letter U, and with a short leg or inlet coming within a short distance
of the bottom of the system, and with the lower end of the other or standpipe part
being fixedly secured to the bottom of the cistern by any well-known means.
The standpipe part is divided about one third from its bottom, and with the
extension of the other sectional part working telescopically within the lower
sectional part, and with the other sectional part having a flange, with an underside
facing of rubber, which when down, comes upon an opposed face of the lower and
fixed sectional portion. The lifting of the syphon, or that part comprehended by
the short leg and the sectional part of the standpipe, makes an opening between
the flange of the lower fixed part, and the flange of the upper movable part,
wherethrough water rushes, so long as the said upper part is away from the
lower part.
We propose that the telescopic extension of the upper part, which works within

page_text: the mouth of the interior of the lower part should be gapped or pierced, so that
instantly the upper part is picked up, the valve, as it were, is opened.
In the automatic releasing part, the lever is, at its inner and acting end,
bifurcated or branched, with the extreme ends of the branches provided with butt-
jointed short arms, terminated by rollers, and adapted to pick up the lifting part
of the syphon system, on the pulling of the lever by the usual pull, and after the
said arms have described a given radius, they become clear of rollered arms or
trunnions of the said syphon system, which before then, lay within the path of the
rollers of the butt-jointed arms.
Thus, assuming the syphon to have at its upper end, and upon its two opposite
sides, rollered trunnions or axes, and with the rollers of the butt-jointed arms
coming thereunder, the turning of the lever, picks up the syphon, and as the said
lever describes an arc about its centre of motion, the rollered ends of the butt
jointed arms come without the path of the picking-up arms of the syphon, when the
said syphon becomes instantly released, and falls by its own weight.
The return movement of the lever causes the rollered end to come in contact
with the syphon picking-up trunnions, and the butt jointed arms then make an
angle to the lever, and wipe past the said trunnions.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, represents partly in longitudinal vertical
section, and partly in elevation, a syphon flushing cistern constructed according to
one form of our invention.
Figure 2 represents a topside plan of the same, with parts in section.
Figure 3 represents a modified form of our invention, with the lifting and
releasing means of the bell modified.
Figure 4 represents a topside plan of Figure 3.
In Figures 1 and 2, a is the syphon, embodying a long hollow leg a¹, and a short
hollow leg a², and with the termination of the latter having a caged or perforated
end a*, working telescopically within the upper part 6', of the inside of a hollow
pillar or stand-pipe b, terminated at its upper end by a flange or seating b³, upon
which the rubber facing at, of the flange or valve seating a³, comes, when the said
syphon is down or in its closed position.
When in the position as in Figure 1, the initial rarification of the air within the
system is occasioned by the inflowing of the water.
When the syphon is liberated by automatic or other means as hereinafter
described, the facing at, of the valve or flange a', of the upper part of the syphon a,
takes upon the opposed facing of the table flange 6, and makes a water-tight joint
thereby.
Upon the tail-end 63, of the stand pipe b, which extends through and below the
bottom of the cistern e, the down pipe is screwed, whilst the said stand-pipe is
connected to the said bottom of the cistern by nuts f, f'.
Now the movable part of the syphon is lifted by the rollered ends g², of wiper
arms or pawl arms g', jointed at g³, to the end of a pull lever g, jointed at 9', and
operated by a pull g, which rollered ends g³, come under and act upon the rollers h¹,
mounted on the trunnions or axes at h, although the said rollers may act upon
trunnions unprovided with rollers.
The jointed ends of the pawls g', have butt joints or bearings g³, against which
the inner jointed ends of the said wiper arms bear, and are thereby prevented from
turning downwards, or are kept rigid when the lever is operated for lifting.
Now assuming that the syphon or the movable part of the same is required to be
lifted for the initial rarification of the air within the system for starting, depress
the pull go, when the inner end of the lever is elevated, and with it the pawl arms g',
which are kept rigid, during the movement, and on the rollers g³, passing or getting
clear of the rollers h', by the radius described by the arm, the syphon is then
automatically released, and drops into its closing position.
Thus again, assuming that the syphon part of the cistern is down, the pulling of
the pull depresses the outer end of the lever and raises the inner end, when the
rollered ends of the butt-jointed arms come against the undersides of the syphon

page_text: trunnions, and thereby lift the said syphon to a predetermined height, when the
same is suddenly and automatically released, by the passing of the rollered arms
from in contact with the rollered trunnions.
The momentarily lifting allows water to pass through the opening made between
the fixed and movable parts, and as a partial vacuum has been created in the lower.
part of the downpipe, the closing of the said lower part now creates a partial
vacuum in the upper part, and as there are now unequal pressures at the inside and
outside parts of the syphon, water is forced up the short leg, hence the complete
flushing.
The releasing of the chain allows the lever to resume its normal position, and the
butt jointed ends are made to wipe over and past the syphon trunnions, or to come
from the top to the bottom side, ready again for action.
The said cistern e, is provided with a ball valve and its pull lever m, m', and its
accessory parts for controlling the inflow of the water from the supply to the cistern
after flushing.
In Figures 3 and 4, a is the syphon or syphon system, with a long leg a', and a
short leg a² and a stand pipe b. hare trunnions furnished with rollers, and i is a
lifting wheel, consisting of wiper or cam shaped arms, mounted upon an axis j,
turning within suitable bearings within the sides of the cistern, and upon which
said axis j, is a range wheel k, having arms k², with which the pawl or wiper arm g³,
jointed at g³, with a butt g, and carried at the inner end of the arm gl, jointed at o*,
engages, so that as the inner end of the lever g, is elevated, so the axis j, is turned,
by the wiper arm 9', coming in contact with the arms , of the range wheel k,
hence the rotation of the said axis j, the turning of the lifting wheel i, and the
making of its arms, come under the roller and axis h, h', of the syphon a, which
is lifted to the range of the said arms i", when the syphon is suddenly released and
falls, so that each time the lever g, is pulled, the wiper arm acts upon one of the
teeth, of the range wheel k, and as the lever resumes its normal position, the
said arm 9, wipes over the arms 2, and thus passes from one side of the arm to
the other.
e is the cistern, and m, m¹ the ball valve and lever.
Figure 5 shows a modification of the pull lever, in which the butt-jointed pawl
arms g², of the pawl lever g, have secondary or supplementary pawl arms 9º,
connected and jointed thereto at g'.
This said arrangement admits of the lever and parts carried by it more easily
resuming their normal positions.
Figure 6 shows a further modification of the acting end of the pull lever 9, in
which the butt jointed arms (as in the preceding arrangements) are dispensed with,
and the extreme inner end of the arm g', of the lever g, is vertically slotted or
gapped at, and is provided or fitted with a sliding lifting piece 92, which on the
litting of the syphon, covers up the said slot or gap 98, and comes against one of
the arms of the range wheel k. On the return of the lever to its normal position,
the lifting piece is pushed back or slid up the arm g', of the lever g, by wiping over
one of the arms of the range wheel k, and when fully past the said arm, the lifting
piece again falls into its acting position.
Instead of employing a sectional syphon, we may employ a bell or other syphon
flushing expedient, which requires to be lifted to give the initial start.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In a syphon flushing cistern, forming or making the syphon up of two
component parts, viz., a fixed part, with an elevated facing or table facing or seating,
and a movable part with a valve or flange facing, substantially as described and set
forth in Figures 1 and 2.
Secondly. In a flushing cistern, the combination with a cistern or tank
part a, a¹, a³, a³, and a part b. b¹. substantially as described and act forth
e
of a

page_text: Thirdly. In syphon flushing cisterns, picking up and automatically releasing the
syphons or part syphons or the syphon systems, by or through the medium of a
lever, fitted at its end with a butt jointed wiper arm or pawl arm which acts upon
roller trunnions of the syphon, substantially and for the purpose described and set
forth in Figures 1 and 2.
Fourthly. In syphon flushing cisterns, picking up and automatically releasing
the syphons or part syphons or syphon systems by or through the medium of a lever
fitted with a sliding lifting piece, substantially as and for the purpose as described
and set forth in Figure 6.
Fifthly. In syphon flushing cisterns, the means herein described for picking up
and automatically releasing the syphon system substantially as described and set
forth.
Sixthly. The improvements in, and the general construction, arrangement and
combination of the parts of, syphon flushing cisterns, substantially as described and
set forth in Figures 1 and 2.
Seventhly. In syphon flushing cisterns, the means for lifting and automatically
releasing the syphon systems, or part syphons or bell syphons, substantially as
described and set forth in Figures 3 and 4.
Eighthly. In syphon flushing cisterns, the means for lifting and automatically
releasing the syphon or part syphons or bell syphons substantially as described and
set forth in Figures 5 and 6.
Dated this 13th day of September 1893.
WILLIAM REUBEN LANE,
ARTHUR ABBOTT,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.