Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Waste of Water in Waterclosets and other Places.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Waste of Water in
Waterclosets and other Places.
We, JOHN WALTER TOWNSEND, of Lancaster Road, Wimbledon, in the
County of Surrey, Builder, and WALTER GRITTEN, of 80, Sterndale Road,
Brook Green, in the County of Middlesex, Surveyor, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to what are well known as water waste preventors, by
which in water closets, lavatories, and other places, only a defined and constant
quantity of water is used every time a handle or lever is actuated, waste being thus
prevented and water economized.
J
'
It has for its object a novel method of constructing and arranging apparatus of
the kind and for the purpose described, by which it is very simple, cheap, and
easily applied and used, whilst it is very effective for the purpose required.
The improved apparatus consists of a cistern or tank of suitable material and of
such size as to hold the quantity of water which is to be used at each discharge
(ordinarily about two gallons). This cistern may preferably be in the form of a
vertical cylinder, of copper, zinc, or other material, having either hemispherical
ends or preferably separate flat ends attached by screws, bolts, or other means.
At the bottom of the cistern is a valve of considerable size, opening upwards, and
communicating by a pipe with the watercloset or other place where the water is to
be discharged, and to the valve is connected a rod or wire which passes up through
the.. top of the cistern (preferably with the intervention of a stuffing box or its
equivalent) and is connected with a lever and handle or chain, upon pulling which.
the valve is raised and the water in the cistern discharged.
The valve is made sufficiently heavy to ensure the closing of the former when
the handle is released.
In order to avoid the use of a stuffing box at the upper end of the cistern, the
lower valve may be opened by an external rod, the top of the cistern being;
closed.
At the side of the cistern, preferably near the bottom, is made an opening
through which water is admitted from any convenient source of supply. This:
opening is made preferably in the form of a horizontal slit, or of a horizontal row,
of small holes, which are closed by a valve or slide in the cistern attached to or;
operated by the rod or spindle or the valve so that when the latter is very slightly
raised the openings are closed.
The supply pipe in this case is connected with a suitable box or case which
covers the opening or holes, and may be provided with a strainer to prevent the,
entrance of dirt or impurities. At the upper end or top of the cistern is an opening,
into which is fitted a valve seat directed downward and provided with a cage or
box open at its lower end and containing a ball or valve sufficiently light to be;
raised by the water when the latter has nearly filled the cistern, and thus to be..
pressed against the seat and close the opening.
When on the other hand the water is being discharged through the bottom valve,
the ball falls and allows free access of air to the cistern. The opening above the.
valve seat is provided with an overflow pipe to carry away to any convenient spot
any water accidentally escaping.
Access may be provided to the interior of the cistern when necessary, either.
through a door soldered, screwed, or otherwise fixed to it, or by removing the top
or bottom of the cistern when they are made separate and fixed by bolts or screws
as first described.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows :—
The lower valve being closed, water enters the cistern through the opening or
openings in its side, which are then uncovered by the internal valve, and the
cistern becomes filled until the upper valve is floated and closes the seat above it.
When the chain or handle is pulled the lower valve is opened and at the same
time the inlet openings are closed by the valve or slide attached to or operated by
the rod or wire or the valve and the water is discharged whilst air has free access
to the cistern through the valve above which has fallen from its scat. When the
chain or handle is released the lower valve closes, and the slide or valve in the
cistern uncovers the inlet openings, and the cistern refills.
Instead of the lower valve, a syphon arrangement of the well known kind may
be used, the level of the water being raised above the top of the syphon when the
chain or handle is pulled, so that the syphon is set in action and the cistern
emptied.
The improved apparatus occupies little room and is not likely to get out of order,
whilst it is very simple and cheap, the ordinary ball cock not being used.
The shape, dimensions, and the materials of which the different parts are com-
posed, may be varied more or less according to the circumstances and conditions
under which the apparatus is to be used..
Dated this 24th day of August 1892.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Waste of Water in
Waterclosets and other Places.
We JOHN WALTER TOWNSEND of Lancaster Road, Wimbledon, in the
County of Surrey, Builder, and WALTER GRITTEN of 80 Sterndale. Road,
Brook Green in the County of Middlesex, Surveyor 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 what are well known as water-waste-preventors," by
which in waterclosets, lavatories, and other places, only a defined and constant
quantity of water is used every time a handle or lever is actuated, waste being thus
prevented and water economized.
"
It has for its object a novel method of constructing and arranging apparatus of
the kind and for the purpose described, by which its simplicity, cheapness, and
ease with which it is applied and used are at once apparent, whilst it is very
effective for the purpose required.
The improved apparatus consists of a cistern or tank A. of suitable material and
of such size as to hold the quantity of water required at each discharge (ordinarily
about two gallons). This cistern may preferably be in the form of a vertical
cylinder of cast-iron, copper zinc or other material, baving cither hemispherical
ends or separate flat ends attached by screws bolts, or other means.
The accompanying drawing shews a cast-iron cistern with flanges cast onto
the ends & the body of the same, bolted together and made water-tight with
india-rubber rings N & N.
At the bottom of the cistern is a discharge orifice, d. and ordinary connection for
union with lead pipe d' this orifice is in the form of a valve of considerable size
opening upwards, in order to overcome the great weight of water pressing on this
larger valve, a smaller one V₁ is inserted thus utilizing the ordinary duplex valve
thus when the valves are lifted by the rod B the smaller one V allows a small
quantity of water to pass before the larger one is lifted and thus reducing the
pressure of water.
:
To these valves is connected a rod which passes through the top of the cistern,

page_text: with the intervention of a stuffing-box or its equivalent, our drawing shews the use.
of an ordinary piece of india-rubber tube T hermetically wire tied to the block H
attached for this purpose to the rod, B and at the other end similarly fixed to the
slide H through which the rod actuates. To the top of this valve rod B is fitted
a lever pivotted on a fulcrum and having the usual operating chain at its free end,
upon pulling which the valves are raised and the water in the cistern discharged.
The rod B is made sufficiently heavy with lead weights W which rest upon the.
table L affixed to the rod to ensure the closing of the valves when the handle is.
released.
At the side of the cistern preferably near the bottom is made an opening through
which water is admitted from any convenient source of supply. This opening is.
preferably in the form of a horizontal pipe, fastened with a flange & back-nut into.
the side of the cistern, the interual end of this pipe is connected to a small chamber.
containing a buoyant ball, preferably made of brass or copper hollow & hermetically
sealed or it may be made of cork or wood coated with india-rubber. The upper-
part of this chamber is fitted with an india-rubber seating for the ball to press.
against and shut off the water supply. Since this ball floats it would of necessity
never allow water to gain access to the inside of the cistern unless held down by
some means, for this purpose we use a small rod M attached to the table L and
finished in the form of an inverse seating to conveniently hold the ball down when
the cistern is to be filled. At the upper end of the tank is a similar ball Y and
chamber connected to an opening into which is fitted a valve seat directed down-.
wards and provided with a cage or box open at its lower end and containing a
precisely similar ball to that used in the supply pipe, this ball is raised by the water
when the latter has nearly filled the cistern and thus is pressed against the seating.
and closes the opening. When on the other hand the water is being discharged
through the valves, the ball falls into the bottom of the cage and allows free access.
of air to the cistern.
An opening in the side of the upper end, (a.) above this valve seat may be made.
for an overflow pipe to be affixed say at (0) in case of any slight leakage occurring:
at any time.
The action of the apparatus is as follows.
The lower valves being closed by the weights W upon the rod B immediately.
the handle chain & lever has been released, water enters the cistern at S and passes.
round the ball Y which is now held down by the arm M which is attached to the.
lower side of the table L carrying the weights, the cistern becomes filled until the
upper valve is closed by the water rising up the cage C and floats the ball Y¹ up.
to the seating c which closes or shuts off the supply.
The action when the chain is pulled and the lever lifts the rod B is shewn by
dotted lines on our drawing, and is as follows
The lower valves are opened, the water is discharged at the same time the inlet.
opening is closed, as since the rod B is lifted all attached to it is also lifted including
the arm M which no longer holding the ball Y down allows it to rise up to the
seating and closes the supply, at the same time the other ball Y at the top of the.
cistern falls into the cage and allows free access of air to the cistern, the chain is.
released the rod & its attachments fall, the ball Y of the supply pipe S is pressed
down & the cistern refills.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we.
claim is.
1. The use of a duplex valve under these circumstances to obviate the water.
pressure.
2. The use of a floating ball in the supply pipe (S.) and the novel way in which
it is acted upon by the arm (M).
.
3. The use of a floating ball to prevent an overflow when the cistern is full under-
the circumstances and in the way we use it.

page_text: 4. The cylindrical shape of our cistern occupying as it does little space and is
less ugly than others.
Dated this 22nd day of Mar 1893.
JOHN WALTER TOWNSEND,
Lancaster Road, Wimbledon, Applicant.
WALTER GRITTEN,
183, Blythe Road, West Kensington,
(late of 80, Sterndale Road, Brook Green).