Improvements in and relating to Flushing Apparatus for Water-closets.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 14th June, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Flushing Apparatus for
Water-closets.
I, WILHELM WITTORF, of 65 Hoheluft-Chaussee, Hamburg in the Empire of
Germany, Tavern-keeper, 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 relates to flushing apparatus for water-closets.
In the flushing apparatus heretofore used for water-closets a handle, pressing knob
or similar device serves for causing the quantity of water necessary for the flushing to
enter the basin. As the aforesaid devices must be set in operation by the occupant of
the water-closet they do not operate automatically, so that when the flushing is
neglected all those inconveniences occur which are to be obviated by the flushing. A
water closet which is used by people upon whose knowledge as to the necessity for such
flushings no absolute dependence can be placed must therefore be flushed automatically,
if its object is to be fulfilled.
The well known valves and other devices for regulating the automatic admission of
the flushing water into the basin are constructed in such a manner that they supply
quite a definite quantity of water, that is to say, as much as is deemed sufficient.
Frequently it is however desirable to employ a greater or smaller quantity than the
valvo admits, as the conditions under which the water-closet was constructed render
this necessary.
For this purpose I provide an improved apparatus by means of which the quantity
of water to be used for flushing the basin can be determined at will. This apparatus
enables the descent of the valve, which has been opened by the use of the water-closet
to be optionally accelerated or retarded for the purpose of varying the quantity of
water deemed necessary for the flushing. Moreover, the apparatus operates quite
automatically so that the flushing will invariably take place even if the water-closet
has been occupied by persons who are unable to set the Hushing apparatus in operation
such as children or weak persons.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 represents the entire arrangement of the apparatus, the flushing tank or
cistern being shown in section.
Figure 2 shows the side view of the flushing tank or cistern.
Figures 3 and 4 show two positions of the device whereby the flushing valve is
actuated.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate details of the float.
The basin of the water-closet A, Figure 1 is flushed by water supplied by the tank
or cistern B only when the person who has used the closet rises from the seat. The
water-closet has a hinged lid a provided with an opening which is caused to descend
by the weight of the occupant. With this lid is connected a rod b which moves down-
wards simultaneously with the lid. This rod has at its upper end a wedge-shaped
part c and below this part is a notch c¹ (Figures 3 and 4). A stationary rod dis
placed opposite the aforesaid movable rod and is provided at its upper end with a
wedge-shaped part e and a notch e'. Through the intermediate spaced formed by the
above-mentioned two notches c¹ and e¹ extends the lever f for actuating the flushing
valve. In lieu of the stationary rod d the use of a pin stop or the like against which
the wedge shaped part c bears is sufficient. The wedge shaped part c of the rod b is
continually forced against the wedge-shaped part e of the stationary rod d by a
spring o The lever is supported by means of a bolt f¹ (Figure 1) forming its
pivot which is fixed in a suitable manner either on the wall or on the water tank or
cistern.
From the lever f is suspended the flushing valve g. If this lever f is raised to the

page_text: 2
position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, the valve g suspended by means of
a rod or wire g¹ is likewise raised, and the water contained in the tank or cistern B
passes through the pipe h into the basin of the water-closet. This flow of water
from the tank or cistern lasts until the valve in its downward movement, will again
bear upon its seat. Accordingly the time of the downward movement of the lever f
determines the quantity of the water running into the basin.
For regulating this downward movement at will, the float C, represented separately
in Figures 5 and 6, is arranged at the end of the lever for at another suitable
point of the latter. This float is preferably made of the shape of a cylinder or
truncated cone. It is open below and carries upon its lid a knee pipe & having a
downwardly extending part which contains a valve, preferably a ball-valve i which
opens inwardly and allows air to enter the float from the outside, whereas it prevents
the passage of the air from the interior. In order that the bail shall not get fixed
in the pipe k, a wire is passed across the pipe against which the ball strikes in
case it passes too high by reason of too rapid an admission of air.
In the
Simultaneously with the above mentioned lever the float C is raised; this however
would not be possible if air could not enter the float from the outside.
upward movement of the lever f and float C air will be conveyed past the ball i
and through the knee pipe k into the float C. If the lever f has reached its highest
point it could move down with the float only if provision were made for the escape
of the air which has passed into the float. Such an escape is provided for at on
the knee pipe by the arrangement of a valve adapted to be adjusted by hand, or some
other device used for the purpose. The downward movement of the lever is there-
fore retarded by the valve of the float C; the air contained in the latter can only
escape through 1, and the greater or loss the extent to which this takes place the
more rapidly or slowly the float will descend, and with it the lever fand the flushing
valve suspended therefrom. If therefore much water is to be used for flushing the
valve must be almost closed in order that the air shall escape very slowly from the
float C. If the valve is quite closed the float and the flushing valve g cannot
descend at all, the supply of water to the basin will therefore be permanent; if the
valve is quite open the float will move downwards very rapidly, and the flushing of
the basin lasts only a short time.
For raising the lever use is made of the rods and d hereinbefore described and
represented in Figures 3 and 4.
When the water-closet is occupied the lid a is pressed down by the weight of the
person sitting thereon, the rod & being then in its lowest position, Figure 4. In this
position the lever fextending through the notches c¹ and e¹ is held by the edge which
limits the notch c¹ in the rod b. A spring o always tends to press the rod 6 against
the rod d.
Now if the person using the water-closet rises the lid a and consequently also the
rod is raised by a spring m (Figure 1) provided at a suitable point, the said rod
carries the lever with it upwards until, by the sliding of the wedge-shaped part c
upon the wedge-shaped part e the space left between band d has become as wide as
the thickness of the lever f, when the latter drops down. In the upward movement
of the lever f the flushing valve g is opened; this valve remains open and the flushing
takes place until the float C has quite descended as above described, and again
occupies the position represented in Figure 1.
By means of this arrangement the basin of the water-closet is flushed quite
automatically so that this operation will not be neglected either from ignorance,
incapacity or from any other causes.
My improved apparatus is very simple, acts surely, and can be employed with
facility.
The devices above described may be replaced by other means without causing any
material change in the operation of the apparatus. For example instead of the
rod d having a wedge-shaped part e a simple pin, stop or the like against which the
wedge-shaped part c bears can be used as above stated; if in this case the rod b
is raised the wedge-shaped part c will slide along the said pin or stop. Provision is

page_text: made in this arrangement for a lateral guide for the lever f, in order to prevent the
latter from yielding to the right hand side (Figures 3 and 4). In like manner the
spring m can be replaced by other means to suit the conditions of locality, this
spring being shown in Figure merely to indicate that the lid a is always pulled
upwards, which object can of course be obtained in various manners. The pivot fi
for the lever may be fixed directly to the water tank or cistern B, in which case
the dimensions of the lever f must be changed. Similar modifications may however
be made withont departing from the character of the invention.
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,
First. A water-closet the lid a of which descends when the occupant sits down and
which when the occupant rises moves upwards carrying away a rod b which raises a
leverf together with the flushing valve g until it has been displaced laterally by
means of its wedge-shaped part c to such an extent that the said lever is liberated
and allowed to descend, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The combination, with the lever of a float C provided with a ball or
other valve which in the upward movement of the said lever allows the access of
air into the interior of the float, but is closed in the downward movement of the
latter so that the air can only escape through an adjustable cock or other valve l,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 8th day of March 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.