Improvements in Syphoning or Flushing Apparatus applicable for Lavatory Wash Basins.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL DICITICATION.
Improvements in Syphoning or Flushing Apparatus applicable for
Lavatory Wash Basins.
1, WILLIAM THOMAS, of Reform Street, Llandudno, in the County of Carnarvon,
Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a syphoning or flushing apparatus applicable
for emptying lavatory wash hand basins, which will take the place of the usual
plug or stopper, and which will discharge the contents of the basin in a rapid flush,
thus cleaning thoroughly the waste pipe. Furthermore the invention will act as an
overflow should the supply tap be left running;
In carrying my invention into effect, I provide a basin of any suitable shape,
provided with the usual hot and cold water tap fittings, but instead of providing
the usual plug, washer and chain, for emptying I dispense therewith, and provide
instead the following arrangement. Adjacent to and behind the wash hand
basin there is a vertical water chamber in which is mounted an inverted cup
shaped chamber or bucket open at the bottom to the ingress of water from the
basin, but closed at the top. Concentrically inside this inverted bucket and
attached thereto, is located an upright pipe, which extends to near the top thereof
and somewhat above the customary level of the water in the wash hand basin, the
bucket and concentric pipe constituting a syphon which can be put into action in
the manner hereinafter described. In line with the inner concentric pipe is the
waste pipe leading to the diain, and between these two is a valve which can be
opened or closed by the raising or lowering of the bucket with its inner con-
centric pipe. The water from the basin has always free access into the bucket,
but it cannot run away to waste as normally the valve aforesaid remains closed.
The top of the bucket has a stem with a knob projecting above the basin.
Now assuming the wash basin is filled to a normal height, say half full of water,
it follows that the bucket of the syphon is filled with water to a similar height
as the level of the water in the basin. When the user has finished washing, he
pulls up the knob, thus raising the bucket and opening the valve. The water will
not only run out through the valve into the waste pipe, but also fill the inner
concentric pipe to a certain level. When the knob is let go after being momen-
tarily raised, the bucket together with its inner concentric pipe, which extends
to near the top of the bucket falls, and so closes the valve, thus shutting off the
ingress of water to the waste pipe that way. The consequence is that the water
which was in the first instance forced up the inner concentric pipe, falls down
the waste pipe, and the air which was in the syphon between the water level and the
top of the bucket is sucked down with it, inducing the water which is in the
bucket to rise above the top of the inner concentric pipe, thus starting the syphon.
The flow being once established, the water flows continuously from the wash
basin through the bucket and pipe to the drain until the basin is emptied. The
contents of the basin are thus discharged in a rapid flush and thoroughly clean
the waste pipe. The apparatus also acts as a safety apparatus for preventing the

page_text: water from the basin overflowing into the room, as immediately the water rises
to the top of the waste pipe inside the inverted bucket, the water will overflow
into the inner concentric pipe, or in some cases where the taps are left running
very freely the basin would be emptied automatically by syphonage. Among the
advantages secured by this invention are the following:-
(1) There is no lead trap required underneath the basin.
(2) It requires no plug, washer, and chain, for emptying, thereby dispensing
with the possibility of wetting the hands.
(3) It requires no special overflow pipe.
The waste union being close to a wall is an advantage, because it leaves
more room for storing buckets, tubs or other articles under the basin.
(5) The place where the lifting knob comes through is by preference utilised
as a soap tray and consequently to clean or repair all that is necessary is to lift
the soap tray which is immediately over the syphon and the apparatus can then
be lifted out.
(6) The lower end of the inverted cup-shaped chamber or bucket being lower
than the valve, constitutes a trap or water seal which prevents any smell coming
up from the drain.
(7) The cost of this lavatory will be considerably less than the ordinary kind,
as I save the cost of the lead trap, brass plug, washer and chain, and over-flow,
together with solder and labour in fixing.
Dated this 11th low of Crutomhan 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Syphoning or Flushing Apparatus Applicable for
Lavatory Wash Basins.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS, of Reform Street, Llandudno, in the County of Carnarvon,
Plumber, d 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 for its object a syphoning or flushing apparatus applicable
for emptying lavatory wash hand basins, which will take the place of the usual
plug or stopper, and which will discharge the contents of the basin in a rapid flush,
thus cleaning thoroughly the waste pipe. Furthermore the invention will act as an
overflow should the supply tap be left running.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings in which;.
-
Figure 1 is a sectional view showing my invention applied to a lavatory basin;
Figure 2 a general view thereof.
Figure 3 a sectional view of the valve.
Referring to these drawings, I provide a basin A of any suitable shape and
size, provided with the usual hot and cold water tap fittings, but instead of pro-
viding the usual plug, washer, and chain, for emptying I dispense therewith, and
provide instead the following arrangement. Adjacent to and behind the wash
hand basin there is a vertical water chamber B in which is mounted an inverted
cup shaped chamber or bucket C open at the bottom to the ingress of water from
the basin, but closed at the top. Concentrically inside this inverted bucket C

page_text: and attached thereto, is located an upright pipe D, which extends to near the top
thereof and somewhat above the customary level of the water in the wash hand
basin, the bucket C and concentric pipe constituting a syphon which can be
put into action in the manner hereinafter described. In line with the inner
concentric pipe D is the waste pipe E leading to the drain, and the end of the
pipe 1 constitutes a valve resting on its valve seat F1 on the pipe E. This valve
is opened or closed by the raising or lowering of the bucket C with its inner
concentric pipe D. The water from the basin A has always free access into the
bucket C, but it cannot run away to waste as normally the valve Faforesaid
remains closed on its seat. The top of the bucket C has a stem with a knob G
projecting above the basin.
The arrangement of valve which I prefer to employ is set forth in Figures 1 and
3, but I do not limit myself to this arrangement. In this it will be seen that the
top of the waste pipe enters the pipe 1), and acts as a guide therefor in its up
and down movement. This part of the top of the pipe is perforated at e, besides
being open at the extreme end, and below these perforations e I provide a valve
seat Fround the outside of the pipe E, on which the annular valve F of the
pipe D rests.
Now assuming the wash basin is filled to a normal height, or say half full of
water, it follows that the bucket of the syphon is filled with water to the level of
the water in the basin. When the user has finished washing, he pulls up the
knob G, thus raising the bucket C and opening the valve. The water will not
only run out through the valve into the waste pipe E, but also fill the inner
concentric pipe 1) to a certain level. When the knob G is let go after being
momentarily raised, the bucket C together with its inner concentric pipe D,
which extends to near the top of the bucket C falls, and so closes the valve F,
thus shutting off the ingress of water to the waste pipe E that way.
The con-
sequence is that the water which was in the first instance forced up the inner
concentric pipe 1) falls down the waste pipe E, and the air which was in the syphon
between the water level and the top of the bucket C is sucked down with it,
inducing the water which is in the bucket C to rise above the top of the inner
concentric pipe D, thus starting the syphon. The flow being once established,
the water flows continuously from the wash basin A through the bucket C and
pipe D to the drain until the basin is emptied. The contents of the basin are thus
discharged in a rapid flush and thoroughly clean the waste pipe. The apparatus
also acts as a safety apparatus for preventing the water from the basin over-
flowing into the room, as immediately the water rises to the top of the waste pipe D
inside the inverted bucket C, it will overflow into the inner concentric pipe D,
or in some cases where the taps are left running very freely the basin would be
emptied automatically by syphonage. It will be obvious that the invention can
be applied equally well to baths or other like purposes where the contents of the
receptacle are required to be discharged in a rapid flush, thus cleaning thoroughly
the waste pipe.
The lower end of the inverted cup-shaped chamber or bucket C being lower
than the valve F constitutes a trap or water seal J which prevents any smell
coming up from the drain. The water when it is sucked through the syphon of
course empties itself down as low as the bottom of the inverted cup-shaped
chamber and then when it is as low as the bottom, that is in line with the
bottom, air will enter the syphon which immediately stops the syphonage. The
consequence is that the water which filled the space between the inverted cup
shaped chamber and the inner pipe D, falls down into the bottom of the
vessel B and this water forms the water seal or trap J.
Among the advantages secured by the use of this invention are the following
(1) There is no lead trap required underneath the basin.
(2) It requires no plug, washer, and chain, for emptying, thereby dispensing
with the possibility of wetting the hands.
(3) It requires no special overflow pipe.

page_text: (4) The waste union H being close to a wall is an advantage, because it leaves
more room for storing buckets, tubs or other articles under the basin.
(5) At the place where the lifting knob G comes through is a lid I to the syphon
chamber and consequently to clean or repair, all that is necessary is to lift the
said lid I which is immediately over the syphon and the apparatus can then
be lifted out.
(C) The trap or water seal J prevents any smell coming up from the drain.
(7) The cost of this lavatory will be considerably less than the ordinary kind,
as it saves the cost of the lead trap, brass plug, washer and chain, and over-flow,
together with solder and labour in fixing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I am aware that lavatory basins have previous to this my application been
constructed with a vertical water chamber through which the waste water must
pass to the drain, and in which vertical chamber there has been fitted an upright
pipe extending to near the top of the water chamber and somewhat above the
customary level of the water in the hand basin, and at bottom provided with an
annular valve closing on to a valve seat at the extreme bottom of chamber,
whereby by raising the pipe with its annular valve by a handle the water will,
so long as the valve is raised from its seat, flow out into the drain but will cease
running to waste immediately the pipe is lowered again, or said pipe will act
automatically as an overflow should the basin be filled too full. I do not claim
said construction, which is already in public use, but I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In syphoning or flushing apparatus the improvement in the former inven-
tion set forth in the last paragraph, said improvement consisting in mounting
round the upright pipe and attached thereto, an inverted cup-shaped chamber or
bucket open at the bottom to the ingress of water but closed at the top, the said
bucket and upright pipe constituting a syphon or flushing apparatus which are
put into action substantially as and in the manner described.
2. In syphoning or flushing apparatus of the kind described, arranging the
bottom of the inverted cup-shaped chamber or bucket somewhat lower than the
valve that leads to the drain, whereby there will always be a body of water in
the bottom of the vertical chamber, which constitutes a water seal or trap to prevent
any smell er ming up from the drain, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus of the kind described, the special arrangement of the valve on
bottom of upright pipe, and valve seating near top of waste pipe leading to the
drain substantially as set forth.
4. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming my
improved syphoning or flushing apparatus, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 29th day of December 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.