IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CISTERNS OR FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS, URINALS, AND THE LIKE."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Urias Bromley, George Crowe, and William James, all of
the City and County of Chester, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND APPERTAINING TO CISTERNS OR FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER
CLOSETS, URINALS, AND THE LIKE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Urias Bromley, George
Crowe, & William James at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
28th October 1880.
URIAS BROMLEY, GEORGE CROWE, and WILLIAM JAMES, all of the City and
County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CISTERNS OR
FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS, URINALS, AND THE LIKE."
This Invention relates to improvements in cisterns (and their appurtenances) for
flushing water closets, urinals, and like.
We construct these cisterns in four ways, namely:-1st. Self acting, as
follows:-The cistern has a syphon cast or fixed therein, and by means of an
adjustable cock, which can be regulated to admit sufficient water to fill the syphon
and flush at any fixed interval of time the periodical flushing is effected.
For the water rising to the top of the syphon fills it, and the entire contents of
the cistern down to the bottom of the syphon are at once discharged and an efficient
cleansing effected.
Second. We construct the cistern as described above, with the addition of
handle, chain, and lever for opening the ball cock when desired to cause a flushing.
This variety is thus both self acting and also controlable by hand.
Third. We have an arrangement of chain, handle, and lever, as used in the second
case. These act on the ball cock, which is adjustable, so as to allow the water to
rise to near the top of the cistern syphon. When it is required to flush, the
handle is pulled, the water then enters, causes the syphon to overflow, and the
flushing is effected.

page_text: 4th. We construct these cisterns with a small pipe coming from the cistern-
bottom, or from the pipe that supplies the cistern into the outlet pipe. By turning
a cock, preferably a push cock, in this small pipe a momentary discharge into the
discharge pipe takes place, causing a partial vacuum, which fills the syphon and
thus causes a general discharge.
The ball cock consists of an orifice, a flexible diaphragm in front of it, and a
valve piston or presser capable of being pressed against the diaphragm, causing the
latter when so pressed to stop the orifice; a pivotted lever with ball float, said
lever pressing against the piston or presser of the cock. Said lever is so arranged,
by reason of having two points of suspension (above & below the presser
respectively), that it can be hung or pivotted on either point at pleasure, and so
be made to shut off when the cistern is empty or when the cistern is full. A small
subsidiary tap or orifice is added if required at the side of the cock to be always
emitting water, so that the cistern can gradually fill against the next periodical
flushing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Urias Bromley, George Crowe, & William James in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th April 1881.
URIAS BROMLEY, GEORGE CROWE, and WILLIAM JAMES, all of the City and
County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CISTERNS OR
FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER-CLOSETS, URINALS, AND THE LIKE.”
This Invention relates to improvements in cisterns (and their appurtenances) for
flushing water closets, urinals, and the like, and will be understood by reference to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the Figures and letters of reference marked
thereon..
Figs. 1, 3, and 4, are sectional elevations showing different modifications of our
improved cisterns; Fig. 2, sectional end elevation of Fig. 1 (the ball float lever
being removed); Fig. 5, elevation of cistern with cover in place, and Fig. 6, an
enlarged section showing details of our improved ball cock.
A is the cistern; B, syphon; C, ball cock; D, lever to which a pull chain may
attached; E, pipe from cistern bottom into syphon or outlet pipe; F, flexible
diaphragm of ball cock; f, piston or presser; G, ball float lever; H, small sub-
sidiary tap.
We construct our cisterns in four ways:-
First. As shown in Fig. 1 self acting or regulated to allow a discharge of the
water at stated intervals of time. To the cistern A syphon B is cast or fixed, and
by means of an adjustable cock C, which can be regulated to admit sufficient water
to fill the syphon, and flush at any fixed interval of time, the periodical flushing is
effected. The water rising to the top of the syphon B fills its, and the entire
contents of the cistern down to the bottom of the syphon are at once discharged
and an efficient cleansing effected. The cock C is closed or nearly so when the
cistern is empty, and water is supplied by the small subsidiary tap H which is
constantly open, and as the ball rises the cock C opens gradually, until when at
the top there is a sufficient flow of water to fill the syphon B and cause the
discharge to take place.
Second. In addition to the cistern described above we employ a lever D (as seen
in Figs. 3 and 6), to which may be connected a chain and handle or other suitable
device for opening the ball cock C when desired to cause a flushing, thus making
the cistern self acting and also controllable by hand should occasion require.
Third. To the cistern A and syphon B we have an arrangement of lever D, chain,
and handle, as used in the second case. These act on the ball cock C, which is
adjustable so as to allow the water to rise nearly to the top of the cistern A and
syphon B. When it is required to flush, or that the cistern should be discharged,
the handle is pulled, the water then enters and causes the syphon to overflow and
the flushing is effected.
Fourth. We construct these cisterns with a small pipe E leading from the cistern
bottom, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or from the inlet pipe that supplies the cistern
into the outlet pipe. By raising a valve K in the bottom of the cistern or by
turning a cock, preferably a push cock, in the small pipe leading from the inlet, a
momentary discharge into the discharge pipe takes place, causing a partial vacuum
which fills the syphon, and thus causes a general discharge. The valve K in the
bottom of the cistern is usually operated by a chain attached to the ball float
lever G; as this lever is raised a certain height by hand or automatically, the
valve K is lifted from its seat and the discharge takes place.
In some cases we fit these cisterns with covers, as shown in Fig. 5. These
covers can be sealed, and so prevent the ball cock C or subsidiary tap H from being
tampered with after having been once adjusted and set.

page_text: The ball cock C, as shown in Fig. 6, consists of an orifice against which a
flexible diaphragm F is pressed by the pressure of the water closing the orifice, and
a valve piston or presser fattached to or capable of being pressed against the
diaphragm, causing the latter when so pressed to allow of the passage of the
water through the orifice; a pivotted lever G with ball float which presses against
the piston or presser f of the cock. The lever G may be so arranged, by reason of
two points of suspension (above and below the presser respectively), that it can be
hung or pivotted on either point at pleasure, and so be made to shut off when the
cistern is empty or when the cistern is full. A small subsidiary tap or orifice H,
Fig. 2, is added if required at the side of the cock to be always emitting water, so
that the cistern can gradually fill against the next periodical flushing.
Having thus described our Invention and the method of performing the same,
what we claim is,-
1st. The manufacture of cisterns for water closots, urinals, and the like, with a
syphon cast or fixed therein, so as to form a part and portion of the cistern.
2nd. The various modes of and apparatus for regulating the flushing of water
closets or urinals, and the like, automatically or by hand, or both automatically and
by hand, substantially as described in paragraphs numbered first, second, third, and
fourth, of the foregoing Specification, no claim being made here for any single
individual part of any of the mechanisms, such as the ball, for instance, when
taken separately or for other purposes, but only when used in combination,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Crowe and the said William James,
on behalf of ourselves and the said Urias Bromley, have hereunto set our
hands and seals, this Twenty Seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.