Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1893-Accepted, 24th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets.
We SAMUEL GRATRIX JUNIOR & BROTHER LIMITED Lead Merchants and
HENRY BROCKLESBY, Foreman both of Alport Town, Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the flushing cisterns of water closets, the object being
to make a simple and effective apparatus and one which is also economical in.
construction.
According to our invention we fix above the flushing outlet pipe a valve seating
provided with a perforated flange which is chased with a screw thread upon its
outer edge and forms the bottom of a cylindrical chamber which is screwed
thereon. The top of this cylindrical chamber is closed but. provided at the centre
with a bush or bearing in which slides a short valve spindle which is connected at
its upper end to the lever to which is attached the usual chain or cord of the pull
handle. The spindle is provided with a collar above the bush or bearing by which
it is suspended, and its lower end passes through an opening of comparatively
large diameter in a bridge piece or its equivalent at the upper end of the inner
tube and is terminated by a head preferably curved or coned on its upper surface
and larger in diameter than the opening in the bridge piece.
At the bottom of the said inner tube is an india rubber ring or washer fitting
upon the valve seating above described and forming a valve which can be opened
by raising the valve spindle by means of the lever, chain and pull handle.
We form projections on the inner tube to retain its concentric position in the
cylindrical chamber and the valve spindle is slightly longer than the distance
between the bridge at the top of the inner tube and the cover or top of the
chamber, and since the spindle (as before mentioned) is smaller in diameter than
the plate or ring, the tube or valve is sure to be raised and lowered in true vertical
position in the chamber.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the valve spindle is raised by the lever chain and pull handle the head at
its lower end is first brought up beneath and against the bridge at the upper end
of the inner tube which it then raises (say about half to three quarters of an inch)
up to the top of the cylindrical chamber, thus opening the valve and allowing the
water in the cistern to rush down the flushing pipe. The inner tube can then be
let down and the valve closed but the suction of the water as it descends in the
flushing pipe causes the water in the cistern to rise between the inner tube and the
cylindrical chamber and flow down over the top of the said inner tube into
the flushing pipe, until the level of the bottom of the cylindrical chamber is
reached.
Thus the pull handle need not be held down until the flushing is complete, but
the latter only requires to be started as before described and will complete itself
automatically; and the apparatus being very simple may be made at a very
reasonable cost.
Dated this 15th day of December 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water Closets.
We SAMUEL GRATRIX JUNIOR & BROTHER LIMITED Lead Merchants, and
HENRY BROCKLESBY Foreman, both of Alport Town, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 the flushing cisterns of water closets, the object being
to make a simple and effective apparatus and one which is also economical in
construction.
Our invention will be readily understood from the following description on
reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a flushing cistern with our invention applied
thereto.
Figs. 2 and 3 are views of detached parts hereafter more particularly referred to.
According to our invention we fix above the flushing outlet pipe a a valve
seating provided with a perforated flange c see also detached plan Fig. 3 which
is chased with a screw thread upon its outer edge c' and forms the bottom of a
cylindrical chamber which is screwed thereon. The top of this cylindrical
chamber is closed but provided at the centre with a bush or bearing in which
slides a short valve spindle d which is connected at its upper end to the lever e to
which is attached the usual chain or cord e¹ of the pull handle. The spindle d is
provided with a collar d' above the bush or bearing by which it is suspended, and
its lower end passes through an opening of comparatively large diameter in a
bridge piece for its equivalent at the upper end of an inner tube f¹ and is
terminated by a head d preferably curved or coned on its upper surface and
larger in diameter than the opening in the bridge piece f which is shewn also
detached at Fig. 2.
At the bottom of the said inner tube f¹ is an india rubber ring or washer f
fitting upon the valve seating b above described and forming a valve which can be
opened by raising the valve spindle d by means of the lever e chain e¹ and pull
handle.
We form projections f³ on the inner tube f¹ to retain its concentric position in
the cylindrical chamber c and the valve spindle d is slightly longer than the
distance between the bridge f at the top of the inner tube and the cover or top
of the chamber c³, and since the spindle d (as before mentioned) is smaller in
diameter than the plate or ring of the bridge the tube or valve f1 is sure to be
raised and lowered in true vertical position in the chamber c².
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the valve spindle d is raised by the lever chain and pull handle the
head dat its lower end is first brought up beneath and against the bridge fat the
upper end of the inner tube which it then raises (say about half to three
quarters of an inch) up to the top of the cylindrical chamber c³ thus opening the
valve and allowing the water in the cistern A to rush down the flushing pipe a.
The inner tube can then be let down and the valve closed but the suction of the
water as it descends in the flushing pipe, causes the water in the cistern to rise
between the inner tube f¹ and the cylindrical chamber c³ as shewn by the arrows
on Fig. 1 and flow down over the top of the said inner tube f' into the flushing
pipe a until the level of the bottom c of the cylindrical chamber c² is reached.
Thus the pull handle need not be held down until the flushing is complete, but
the latter only requires to be started as before described and will complete itself
automatically; and the apparatus being very simple may be made at a very
reasonable cost.

page_text: 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 :-
The improved flushing apparatus constructed and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 17th day of May 1893.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.