Improvements in Flushing Cisterns.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flushing Cisterns.
I, MATTHEW JOSEPH MCNAMARA, of Rea Works, Balsall Heath Road,
Birmingham, Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to flushing cisterns of that class provided with an open
topped upright tube standing up from a well at the bottom of the cistern and
passing through the well and forming the long leg of the syphon which is set in
nction by moving a bell which is carried by a lever or otherwise and encloses the
said upright tube and dips into the said well.
In carrying out this invention I use in combination with the lower part of the
said bell a loose plate of metal or other suitable substance preferably of annular
form surrounding the said long leg of the syphon.
According to one arrangement of my invention this annular or other plate is
located within the lower enlarged part of the bell where the plate is perfectly free
to move up or down. When in its normal position the said plate rests upon a
flange formed on the upright tube on which latter there are ribs to keep the plate
in position and permit of the water passing through the central hole in the plate
when the plate is raised. This plate acts as follows:-When the tank is charged
with water and the bell is raised as is usual to start the syphon an increased
quantity of water passes round and through the central opening of the plate to the
top side thereof and when the ball is allowed to fall the plate, if it has risen, falls
again on to the flange and prevents the water flowing back to the underside of the
plate so that this additional water flows down the long leg and starts the syphon.
So soon as the syphon is started the water rushing up the bell lifts the plate off the
flange so that the water has a free passage between the plate and the flange causing
a full flush of water down the long leg.
In a modification of my invention the flange, against which the said plate acts,
is formed around the outside of the bottom of the bell and the said plate is carried
underneath the flange by screws or rivets or other means which permit of the plate
either rising up close to the flange or falling a short distance therefrom. The
outside of the said plate is of nearly the same size as the inside of the well in which
it is located. In this modification the said plate acts in combination with the flange
in a similar manner to that above described the plate separating from the flange
for a short distance to permit of the water passing up into the bell when the bell is
being raised or when the syphon is in action and then closing up against the plate
to prevent the water passing up when the bell is being lowered in starting the
syphon.
Deted this 13th day of May 1900
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flushing Cisterns.
I, MATTHEW JOSEPH MCNAMARA, of Rea Works, Balsall Heath Road,
Birmingham, Brassfounder, 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 flushing cisterns of that class provided with an open

page_text: topped upright tube standing up from a well at the bottom of the cistern and
passing through the well and forming the long leg of the syphon which is set in
action by moving the bell which is carried by a lever or otherwise and encloses the
said upright tube and dips into the said well. My said invention applies to those
cisterns in which the area of the well is considerably smaller than the area of the
bottom of the cistern and to those cisterns of which the well is of the same area or
almost the same area as the bottom of the cistern.
In carrying out this invention I use, in combination with the lower part of the
said bell, a loose plate of metal or other suitable substance preferably of annular
form surrounding the said long leg of the syphon and arranged as herein described
in combination with a flange formed on the long leg of the syphon or on the bell so
as to set the syphon in action when a flush is required.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a flushing cistern with my invention applied ;
Fig. 2 shews the said loose plate of the same separately;
Fig. 3 shews a similar arrangement to Fig. 1 except that the said flange is
somewhat differently constructed;
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the bell and upright pipe parts of the flushing cistern
shewn by Fig. 3 also shewing the flange part in plan;
Fig. 5 shews a modified form of my invention;
Fig. 6 is another slightly modified form of the same and
Fig. 7 shews a further modification.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
A is the usual flushing cistern and B is the well of the same; C is the ordinary
open topped upright tube standing up from the bottom of the well and passing
through the well and forming the long leg of the syphon. D is the bell enlarged
at the bottom d' and standing in the well and provided with the usual two armed
lever E and turning on a cross fulcrum e and provided with a chain fat the outer
end by pulling which the bell is raised (Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6) or lowered (Fig. 7) to
set the syphon in action.
According to one arrangement of my invention shewn by Figs. 1 and 2 the said
annular plate G (or this plate may be of other form corresponding with the bell)
is located within the lower enlarged part d' of the bell D where the plate G is
perfectly free to move up or down. The plate D (shewn separately by Fig. 2)
when in its normal position rests upon the said flange H formed on the upright
tube C on which latter there are outer projecting vertical ribs e to keep the plate G
in position concentric with the tube C and permit of the water passing through the
central hole g' in the plate G when the plate is raised. The flange H may be
much smaller than the inside of the lower part d' of the bell as shewn in Fig. 1 or
the flange H may
be of nearly the same size as the bell and have openings !
formed in it as shewn in the arrangement illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 hereinafter
described.
The plate G acts as follows:-When the tank A is charged with water say to
the water line I (by means of the usual ball cock or valve not shewn upon my
drawing) and the bell is raised as is usual by pulling the chain f to start the
syphon, an increased quantity of water passes from the well B round and through
the central opening g' of the plate G to the top side thereof the plate being lifted
slightly off the flange by the rush of water from underneath; then when the bell D
is allowed to fall, the plate G, if it has risen, falls again on to the flange H and thus
prevents or checks the water flowing back to the underside of the plate through
the central opening g', and as there is too little space for the water to flow back
between the outer edges of the plate G and the inside of the bell this additional
water above the plate flows down the long leg C and starts the syphon. So soon
as the-syphon is started the water, running up the bell D from the well B and
cistern A lifts the plate G off the flange H so that the water has a free passage

page_text: between the plate G and the flange H causing a full flush of water through the
central opening g' in the plate G and down the long leg C. In the arrangement
shewn by Figs. 3 and 4 the plate G is inade somewhat smaller than the plate G
in Fig. 1 and the flange H is made almost as large as the inside of the bell and
provided with openings so that when the plate G is raised off the flange H.the
water rushing upwardly passes through the holes h¹ in the flange H and round the
outer edge of the plate G as well as through the central opening g¹.
:
In the modifications of my invention shewn by Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the flange H
against which the plate G acts, is formed around the outside of the bottom of the
bell D which in this case is by preference made parallel throughout as shewn and
the plate G is carried underneath the flange H by screws or rivets (say three or
four in number) fitting loosely in the flange and plate or in one of them; or other
means may be employed, which like the said screws or rivets will permit of the
plate G either rising up close to the flange H or falling a short distance therefrom
as shewn on my drawing. The outside of the plate & is of nearly the same size
and is of the same shape as the inside of the well B in which it is located. In this
modification the plate G acts in combination with the flange H in a similar manner
to that above described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 the plate G separating
from the flange H by falling for a short distance (instead of rising off the flange
as in Figs. 1 and 3) to permit of the water passing from the tank between the
plate G and flange H and up into the bell D when the bell is being raised or when
the syphon is in action, and closing up against the flange H to prevent the water
passing up out of the well and bell into the cistern when the bell D is being lowered
in starting the syphon.
The flange H in the arrangement above described and shewn by Figs. 5 and 7 is
as in Fig. 1 much smaller than the well B and may be of any shape but in the
arrangement shewn by Fig. 6 where the flange H is almost as large as the well
and is perforated the flange H must be of the same shape as the well so as to
prevent as little water as possible passing round the edge of the flange. In this
latter case there is sufficient space for the water to pass between the outer edges of
the plate G and the inside of the well B.
The bell D may either be carried by a lever E of the first order (Figs. 1, 3, 5
and 6) and be normally in its lowest position as shewn and then raised by pulling
the chain and allowed to gravitate to start the syphon when the chain is released,
or the lever E may (as shewn in Fig. 7) be a lever of the second order and the bell
be kept normally in its highest position by a counterweight & so as to be moved
down and start the syphon by pulling the chain f
It will be evident that the area of the well B relatively to the area of the
cistern A is not important so long as (in the arrangement shewn by Figs. 1 and 3)
the bell D has room in which to be moved up or down; as for instance the same
bell D shewn in Figs. 1 and 3 would work equally well if the well or lower part B
of the cistern were as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 made of the same area
as the upper part of cistern proper A. Also in the arrangement shewn by Figs. 5,
6 and 7 the apparatus would work equally well if the tank A were reduced as shewn
by the dotted lines Fig. 5 to the same area as the well B but the plate G (Figs. 5
and 7) or the flange H (Fig. 6) must be made of the same shape and nearly the
same size as the well or bottom part B of the cistern as above described.
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 flushing cistern and in combination with the upright tube thereof such
as C and the bell thereof such as D made with an enlarged lower part d', the
employment of a flange such as H fixed to the upright tube within the enlarged
lower part of the bell and an annular or other plate such as G resting on the
said flange and adapted to rise and allow water to flow from the cistern to the
upper part of the bell when the bell is being moved up or when the syphon is in

page_text: action, and so as to close against the flange and check the water flowing back from
the upper part of the bell to the lower part thereof when the bell is moving down
in starting the syphon, substantially as herein before set forth and shewn by
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a flushing cistern and in combination with the upright tube thereof such
as C and the bell thereof such as D, the employment of a flange such as H fixed to
the outside of the bottom of the bell and an annular or other plate such as G carried
from the flange and underneath the same by bolts or other means so as to fall and
allow water to flow from the tank to the upper part of the bell when the bell is
being moved up or when the syphon is in action, and so as to close against the
flange and prevent or check the water flowing back from the upper part of the bell
and from the underside of the said plate to the cistern when the bell is moving
down in starting the syphon, substantially as hereinbefore set forth and shewn by
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of February 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.