Improvements in Flushing Cisterns for Water Closets, Urinals, and the like purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application 16th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flushing Cisterns for Water Closets, Urinals, and
the like purposes.
We, THOMAS HOLT Plumber of 1 Oxford Street Liverpool Lancashire and
JAMES HOLT Plumber of 1 Oxford Street Liverpool Lancashire do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a syphon flushing cistern so arranged that the
water may stand so high up to the mouth of the syphon as just not to overflow into
the syphon, and yet permit of the overflow pipe being fixed in its usual position
above the normal level of the water actuating the ball or float of the cock
supplying the cistern, and that the charge of water may always be the same in
quantity.
Also in a bell & trap syphon that there may be very little compression of air
possible in the bell, and trap..
Also that the quantity of air in the bell, and bell end of syphon to attenuate or
exhaust shall be small.
Also that sufficient water may remain in the trap of syphon after cistern is
discharged.
And also a cistern bracket to carry the cistern so formed as to dispense with the
usual brass coupling and soldar joint to connect flush pipe to cistern.
A cistern divided into two unequal sized cisterns by a vertical division the larger
cistern to contain the flushing water, and the smaller cistern the water to actuate
the ball cock float, the top edge of the division is below the outer walls of the
larger cistern, and the outer walls of the smaller cistern are either on the same
level or below the top edge of the division, and the overflow pipe is in the outer
walls of the smaller cistern, thus therefore when the larger cistern has filled the
water will then overflow the division and into the smaller cistern, lift the float, and
shut off the supply, and if the cock leaks the water will still overflow into the smaller
cistern, and thence when sufficiently high into the overflow pipe.
A ball cock or supply valve delivering water into the larger cistern, and having
its ball or float in the smaller cistern.
A bell, and trap syphon fixed in the larger cistern with its out-go leg attached
to the flush pipe, and the in-go leg standing up in the cistern with its mouth
higher than the division between the two cisterns so that water cannot overflow
into the syphon.
flat, and
Over, and covering the in-go leg of the syphon, and suspended to a lever or
other means of lifting it is a bell, or cap going so low into the cistern as when
raised the bottom edge of the cap cannot rise quite up to the normal level of the
water in the trap, and inside the bell attached to it at the top may be fixed a plug,
or piston nearly filling the whole of the air space between the top of the bell, and
the normal level of the water in the trap, the top of the bell, or cap
when the bell or cap is down the top stands clear off the top of the in-go leg.
To determine the quantity of water discharge there is fixed on to the upper bend
of the trap a pipe rising above the water level in larger cistern, and then bent down
into this cistern so that its other end shall be above the normal level of the water
in the trap, the lower part of the bend of this pipe must be above the water level
of the larger cistern-this arrangement also ensures that sufficient water will remain
in the trap.
To almost absolutely prevent compression of air in the bell, or cap, and bell end
of the syphon a small pocket is attached to the side of the bell in such a position
that when the bell is down the top edge of the pocket will only be sufficiently

page_text: below the top edge of the division between the two cisterns as to ensure water
flowing into the pocket at about the same time the water is overflowing the
division on the top of the bell a small pipe is fixed and the other end bent down
into the pocket so that when the pocket is full of water this end is sealed and
when no water in the pocket this end of the pipe is open-When the pocket is filled
with water and the bell raised the water in the pocket is drawn into the bell.―This
arrangement also prevents continuous syphonage.
To empty the smaller cistern so that the float may fall and open the supply cock
a small syphon is fixed having one leg in the smaller cistern and the other leg
connected to the flush pipe, the passing of the flushing water when it is discharged
through the flush pipe. inducing syphonic action in the small syphon between the
smaller cistern and the flush pipe.
Any other of the well known means for charging the syphon may with great
advantage be used in conjunction with this cistern, but those now described are
considered the best.
A bracket, or cantilever to carry the cistern, and having a hole formed in the
bracket into which one end of the flush pipe is first placed, and secured by tafting,
the cistern then placed on the bracket, the short piece of syphon passing through
the cistern bottom entered into the end of the flush pipe secured to the bracket
and a little cement used to make all sound though in many cases the cement may
be omitted.
THOMAS HOLT.
JAMES HOLT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flushing Cisterns for Water Closets, Urinals, and
the like purposes.
We,
THOMAS HOLT and JAMES HOLT, both of Back Oxford Street, Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster, Plumbers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of our present invention is to provide a syphon flushing cistern which
will require a very small amount of energy to start the syphon, and one in which
the charge of water will always be practically the same.
In syphon flushing cisterns as usually constructed, water authorities usually
require the cistern walls to be kept below the level of the bend of the syphon in
order to prevent a continuous waste of water through the latter in the event of the
overflow pipe being accidently or intentionally stopped up; as the overflow pipe is
always lower than the top of the cistern walls, and the normal water level lower
than the overflow pipe, it follows that the normal water level is necessarily
considerably lower than the bend of the syphon, and considerable energy is there-
fore required to raise the water sufficiently high to start the syphon; moreover, in
the case of such cisterns, the flush may vary considerably in quantity, first because
considerable time is required to fully recharge the cistern owing to the gradual
cutting off of the supply as the water level rises, so that it may happen that the
cistern has to be discharged before it is fully recharged, and secondly, because any
alteration or defect in the ball cock, float or lever will permanently raise or lower
the water level.
In cisterns constructed according to our present invention, the before mentioned
objections are obviated, and, while fulfilling the requirements of water authorities,
we are enabled to keep the bend of the syphon only a very slight distance (as little
as, say, one quarter of an inch) above the normal water level, so that the syphon
can be very easily started; also the main compartment of the cistern is rapidly
charged, as the ball cock does not begin to cut off the supply until this is accom-
plished, and further the quantity of the flush is not materially affected by defects

page_text: in the ball cock, as the main compartment is always charged to the same lever
exactly.
We effect these objects by dividing the cistern into two compartments by a
vertical division wall; one of these compartments which we term the main compart-
ment, is preferably considerably larger than the other which we term the secondary
compartment; it contains the main body of the flush water and the main discharge
syphon and it receives its supply direct from the ball cock; the secondary com-
partment contains the ball float and is charged by the overflow from the main
compartment as hereinafter described.
The division wall between the compartments is considerably lower than the
remaining walls of the main compartment and the walls of the secondary compart-
ment are lower than the division wall; the secondary compartment is fitted with an
overflow pipe in the usual way and we provide for the discharge of this compart-
ment (in order to open the ball cock) by fitting thereto a syphon, which we term
the secondary syphon, with its long or discharge leg entering the discharge leg
of the main syphon and with its bend above the level of the walls of the said
secondary compartment.
The action is as follows:-
Both compartments being discharged, the water supply enters the main compart-
ment until it reaches the normal level therein when it begins to overflow the
division wall, the ball cock remaining fully open in the meantime; the overflow
from the main compartment enters the secondary compartment, raises the ball float
therein and cuts off the supply when this compartment is charged to the normal
level, which is a little below the overflow pipe thereof. When the cistern is
discharged by starting the main syphon, the flow of water through the latter
induces syphonic action in the secondary syphon so that both compartments are
simultaneously discharged; in order to prevent continuous syphonage through the
secondary syphon, it must be made sufficiently large to discharge the secondary
compartment and stop the syphonage before this compartment can begin to refil.
It will be seen that the water level in the main compartment is positively
determined by the level of the top of the division wall; the water must always rise
as high as this level because the supply is not cut off until it is reached, and the
level cannot possibly rise higher unless the walls of the secondary cistern or the
division wall are banked up, which is scarcely practicable; any leakage that there
may be at the ball cock will escape by the overflow pipe or if this be stopped up
will overflow the walls of the secondary compartment, thus fulfilling the require-
ments of the water authorities.
it
As the height of the normal water level in the main compartment is thus
positively determined we are enabled to lower the neck of the main syphon almost
to the same level without incurring any risk of water waste over the said neck.
Any of the well known methods, which are suitable, may be used to start the
main syphon and as the energy required to do so is very small the simplest of such
methods will suffice and there is very little risk of failure in its action. The ease
with which the syphon can be started renders our invention specially useful in
automatic arrangements of the class set forth in the Complete Specification of our
prior Letters Patent No. 10674 of 1888 for flushing urinals, in which the cistern
is operated automatically by the weight of urine caught in a cup or receiver, the
operating force being in such arrangements necessarily very small.
It will be seen that any variation in the water level due to defects in the ball
cock is confined to the secondary compartment and as its capacity is small the
variation in the quantity of the flush will be unimportant.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate our invention
Fig. I. is a sectional elevation on the line A, A, of Fig. II. and
Fig. II. is a plan of a flushing cistern.
Only such details are shown as are necessary to illustrate our invention and
throughout the drawings similar parts are indicated by the same reference figures,

page_text: and in the case of sections, the direction in which they are viewed is indicated by
the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting the plane of section.
1 is the main compartment and 2 is the secondary compartment separated by the
division wall 3, the top edge 4 of which is considerably lower than the top edges of
the walls 5 bounding the main compartment, and higher than the top edges of the
walls. 6 of the secondary compartment; the walls are continued at the higher
level a little beyond the division wall 3 as shown at 7 so as to direct the overflow
into the secondary cistern.
9 is the ball cock, delivering into the main compartment 1 and controlled by the
ball float 10 placed in the secondary compartment, which is fitted with the overflow
pipe 11.
12 is the normal water level in the main compartment, determined positively as
shown by the edge 4, and 13 is the water level in the secondary compartment,
determined by the ball cock; as already explained accidental variations in this
level are unimportant.
14 is the main syphon with its bend slightly above the normal water level 12;
practically the only way in which the depth of the normal water level 12 below the
neck of the syphon 14 can be varied is by tilting the cistern out of the horizontal
and to minimise this possibility the bend may be placed near the division wall 3.
15 is the secondary syphon having its long or discharge leg 15' placed in the
discharge leg 14' of the main syphon.
No means are shown for starting the main syphon as any of the well known and
suitable means may be fitted.
The construction shown may be modified without departing from our invention;
for instance, the division wall 3 might be carried higher than the normal water
level and notched or pierced at the proper level, and means other than the syphon 15
might be provided for discharging the compartment 2.
The arangement shown is considered the best as any hole or notch in the division
wall might be plugged and so defeat one of the objects of the invention.
It is to be understood that we make no broad claim herein to placing the float
ball in a separate compartment which is charged after the main portion of the
cistern has been partially or fully charged, nor to the use of a syphon for discharging
such separate compartment, nor to leading the discharge leg of such syphon into the
discharge leg of the main syphon, but,-
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 :--
(1.) A flushing cistern having a main compartment containing the main body of
the flush water and the main discharge syphon, and having also a secondary
compartment in which the ball float or other supply regulating device is placed;
the main compartment receiving the water supply and having an overflow at the
normal water level delivering to the secondary compartment, whereby the said
water level in the main compartment is positively determined, and the secondary
compartment being provided with means for discharging it and having its overflow
pipe and walls at a lower level than the overflow of the main compartment so that
any waste water necessarily leaves the cistern by the overflow pipe or walls of the
said secondary compartment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
(2.) A flushing cistern having a main compartment containing the main body of
the flush water and the main discharge syphon, and a secondary compartment in
which the ball float is placed; the two compartments being separated by a division
wall the top edge of which is lower than the remaining walls of the main
compartment and over which the water supply, which enters the inain compart-
ment, overflows, when the normal water level is reached, into the secondary
compartment; the secondary compartment having a syphon or other means for
discharging it along with the main compartment, and having its walls and overflow

page_text: pipe lower than the top edge of the division wall so that any waste water
necessarily leaves the cistern by the overflow pipe or walls of the said secondary
compartment, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
(3.) In a flushing cistern, the combination of a main compartment 1 receiving
the water supply, a secondary compartment 2 containing the ball float 10, and
separated from the main compartment 1 by the division wall 3, lower than the
walls 5 and higher than the walls 6, a main syphon 14, secondary syphon 15, and
overflow pipe 11, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
(4.) The improved flushing cistern, substantially as described and illustrated in
the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of October 1891.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.