-FLUSHING APPARATUS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ross at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th December 1883.
WILLIAM ROSS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
AUTOMATIC DRAIN-FLUSHING APPARATUS ;"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to improved apparatus, to be employed for automatically
flushing drains or sewers by discharging thereinto, at suitable intervals, the
contents of large water tanks in connection with which the apparatus is fitted.
The improved apparatus, which is by preference fitted within the water tank,
consists of a long tilting beam lever which is carried by a bracket and pin, and at
one end has suspended to it, by a link or rod, a flat or inverted cup-shaped sucker
and valve of the type known as Ross' Paragon valve, fitting over a valve seat in an
outlet opening which leads to the drain or sewer to be flushed. The other end of
the lever is weighted to an extent sufficient to overbalance the weight of the valve
at the opposite end, and at this weighted end is jointed a rod or spindle rising
vertically or nearly so over it. On this spindle is fitted a sucker over which is a
weight connected to a hollow spindle fitting over the central spindle, the arrange-
ment being similar to that used in Ross' Paragon valves. On the hollow spindle,
which is free to slide on the central one as a guide, is fitted a large ball or float of
sufficient size to raise the weighted end of the lever with it when it is floated by
the water rising within the tank.
The tank is supplied with water by a service pipe, which may be fitted in the
usual way with a regulating cock or tap set to fill the tank in any given time. As
the water rises in the tank the ball or float is buoyed up, and by the connection
through the sucker and weight on the ball spindle, raises the weighted end of the
tilting lever, thereby lowering the sucker at the opposite end of the lever into
contact with the sucker valve. When the tank is very nearly filled to the extent
desired the ball comes in contact with a fixed bracket, and a small air or water
admission spring valve, which is fitted in the hollow spindle, is thereby opened to

page_text: admit air through the spindle between the sucker and the weight to which the
sucker adheres. The vacuum or partial vacuum existing between the sucker and
weight is thereby destroyed and the sucker falls away, the weighted end of the
tilting lever dropping with it. By this action the sucker at the opposite end of
the tilting lever is raised and raises with it the sucker valve from its seat, whereby
the outlet to the drain or sewer is opened, and the contents of the tank are
discharged through it, A small air hole, provided with a regulating screw, is
formed in the sucker valve spindle, and through it air slowly enters, and after an
interval of sufficient length to admit of the contents of the tank being discharged,
the air admitted destroys the partial vacuum existing between the sucker and
valve and allows the valve to fall away and close the discharge outlet. As the
ball or float descends, the sucker at that end of the lever again engages with the
weight on its spindle. The same operations are repeated each time the tank fills,
the inflow of water by the service pipe being continuous.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Ross in the Patent Office on the 26th June 1884.
WILLIAM Ross, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
AUTOMATIC DRAIN-FLUSHING APPARATUS
"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My said Invention relates to improved apparatus to be employed for automatically
flushing drains or sewers by discharging thereinto, at suitable intervals, the
contents of large water tanks in connection with which the apparatus is fitted.
My Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawing, which is a vertical
section of a water tank fitted with a modification of my improved automatic
flushing apparatus. The improved apparatus which is by preference fitted within
the water tank A consists of a long tilting beam lever B which is carried by a
bracket C and pin c, and at one end has suspended to it, by a link or rod D, a flat
or cup-shaped sucker E and valve F (of the type known as Ross' Paragon Valve)
fitting over a valve seat G in an outlet opening or pipe H which leads to the
drain or sewer to be flushed. The other end of the lever B is weighted by a
sliding block I to an extent sufficient to overbalance the weight of the valve Fat
the opposite end, and at this weighted end is jointed a rod or spindle J rising
vertically, or nearly so, over it. On this spindle J is fitted a sucker K over which
is a weight L and under it a metal cup K¹ connected to a hollow spindle M fitting
over the central spindle J, the arrangement being similar to that used in Ross'
Paragon Valves. On the hollow spindle M which is free to slide on the central
one J as a guide, is fitted a large ball or float N of sufficient size to raise the
weighted end of the lever B with it when it is floated by the water rising within
the tank.
The tank A is supplied with water from any convenient source, by a service pipe
O, which may be fitted in the usual way with a regulating cock or tap set to fill
the tank in any given time. As the water rises in the tank the ball or float N is
buoyed up, and by the connection through the sucker K and cup K¹ on the ball
spindle, raises the weighted end of the tilting lever B, thereby lowering the
sucker E at the opposite end of the lever B into contact with the sucker valve F.
When the tank is very nearly filled to the extent desired, the ball N comes in
contact with a fixed bracket P and a small air or water admission spring valve m
which is fitted in the hollow spindle M, strikes the bracket and is thereby opened
to admit air or water through the spindle M underneath the sucker K and between
it and the metal cup K¹ to which the Sucker adheres. The vacuum or partial
vacuum existing between the sucker K and cup K¹ is thereby destroyed, and the
cup K falls away from the sucker K, the weighted end of the tilting lever B
dropping with it, and the end of the rod J remaining in the guide M. By this
action the sucker E at the opposite end of the tilting lever B is raised and raises
with it the sucker valve F from its seat G whereby the outlet A to the drain or
sewer is opened, and the contents of the tank A are discharged through it. A
small hole d provided with a regulating screw, is formed in the sucker valve
spindle D, or a groove is formed on the edge of the valve between it and the
sucker, and through it air or water slowly enters; and after an interval of sufficient
length to admit of the contents of the tank being discharged, the air or water
admitted destroys the partial vacuum existing between the sucker E and valve F,
and allows the valve to fall away and close the discharge outlet G, H. As the
ball or float N descends, the sucker K at that end of the lever again engages with
the cup K¹ on its spindle J. The same operations are repeated each time the tank
fills, the inflow of water by the service pipe being in general continuous. The
Drawing shows the position of the parts when the tank A is about full, the

page_text: sucker E having been brought into contact with the valve F by reason of the
water in the tank bearing up the float. The dotted line shows the position
assumed by the lever B, when the air or water valve has been opened and has
allowed the sucker to let go the weighted end of the lever, the outlet being now
open to discharge the contents of the tank.
The form of sucker and valve shown in the Drawings is a modification of that
known as Ross' Paragon Valve, but any other form of sucker valve may be
employed to effect the same purpose.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,-
First. The arrangement or combination of parts forming the improved automatic
drain flushing apparatus herein described and illustrated.
Second. The employment in drain flushing apparatus of suckers or sucker valves
to effect automatically the operations of opening and closing the discharge outlet as
the flushing tank is filled or emptied, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Ross have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty fourth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-four.
* WILLIAM ROSS
(L.S.)