Improvements in Flush Starting Devices for Flushing Cisterns.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flush Starting Devices for Flushing Cisterns.
I, EDGAR HARRISON PARKINSON, of 18, Claremont, Bradford, in the County of
York, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that type of flush starting device
for flushing cisterns in which the flush is started by releasing the air from an "air
trap" in the syphon on breaking a mercury seal and for which Letters Patent were
granted to me dated the 28th September 1895 and numbered 18121.
To carry out my present invention I float the cup or vessel forming the mercury
seal in an outer vessel of mercury consequently it is simply necessary to press
down the sealing cup and immerse it further into the mercury in the outer vessel
to break the seal. The vessels are made of suitable form for this purpose and are
covered in to exclude dust. Shield or baffle pieces may be provided to prevent the
mercury being thrown out by the discharge of air from the trap or by vibration.
An externally projecting push piece may be provided upon the sealing cup by which
such cup may be depressed to break the seal.
To enable the flush to be started by means of the downward motion of a
depressable seat or footboard or the like I employ an intermediate hollow vessel
having a small hole in the bottom communicating with the outer vessel and within
this intermediate vessel I float the sealing cup.
The intermediate vessel is normally held partially immersed in the mercury in
the outer vessel and is attached to the footboard.
When pressure is applied to the footboard the intermediate vessel is lowered,
consequently the sealing cup is lowered with it, which breaks the seal and so
starts the flush; then the mercury flowing into the intermediate vessel through the
hole in the bottom raises the sealing cup and renews the seal.
When the pressure is removed from the footboard the intermediate vessel is
raised to its normal position and mercury gravitates therefrom into the outer vessel
until its level in each vessel is the same.
To enable the flush to be started by means of the rising motion of a depressable
seat or footboard or the like I employ a single vessel containing mercury to form
the seal and I provide a plunger arranged to work on the same principle as the
said intermediate vessel. This plunger is normally upon or close to the mercury
and I so arrange the said seat or footboard that when it is depressed the said
plunger is more or less submerged in the mercury which flows into it by the small
opening in its bottom so that when the seat or footboard rises the plunger is at once
lifted out of the mercury and lifts with it sufficient mercury to break the seal and so
start the flush before the mercury in the plunger has had time to escape back into
the mercury vessel. When it is required to discharge the contents of a cistern
by the action of a footboard or its equivalent immediately the footboard is depressed
as well as to discharge the contents of a second cistern immediately the footboard is
released I employ a combination of the two automatic arrangements hereinhefore
specified in which the intermediate vessel and the outer vessel of the one serve also

page_text: as the plunger and the sealing cup respectively of the other. A cistern having two
chambers fed by the same ball tap and having a syphon in each chamber may be
used with this arrangement.
Instead of making the double syphon in the form shown in the Specification of
my above cited Letters Patent I may employ a syphon consisting of three concentric
cylinders surrounding that portion of the flush pipe which projects into the cistern.
The outer of these cylinders is closed at the top and its sides extend down to a
suitable distance from the bottom of the cistern. The intermediate cylinder is
closed at the bottom and extends up to a suitable distance from the top of the outer
cylinder. And the innermost cylinder is closed at the top which is located a
suitable distance above the top of the flush pipe and extends down to within a
suitable distance from the bottom of the intermediate cylinder. In this case it will
be seen that there are two water columns, and the cylinders are made of such a
length that together the length of the columns is greater than the maximum depth
of the water in the cistern. The contents of the cistern are discharged by allowing
the air to escape from between the two columns by the means described above.
Dated this 11th day of June 1898.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Patent Agents, Bradford.
Improvements in Flush Starting Devices for Flushing Cisterns.
I, EDGAR HARRISON PARKINSON, of 18, Claremont, Bradford, in the County of
York, Architect, 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 improvements in that type of flush starting device
for flushing cisterns in which the flush is started by releasing the air from an "air
trap" in the syphon on breaking a mercury seal and for which Letters Patent were
granted to me dated the 28th September 1895 and numbered 18121.
To fully describe my invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings
forming a part of this specification in which similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents a vertical section of my improved device.
Figure 2, is also a vertical section but cut at right angles to Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a plan view of the cap to which the air pipe is connected.
Figure 4, is a sectional view of a modification by which the air seal can be
broken to start a flush syphon by the downward movement of a depressable seat or
a footboard or the equivalent.
Figure 5, is a sectional view of a modification whereby a flush can be started
by the rising motion of a depressable seat or its equivalent.
Figure 6, represents a diametrical section of my improved syphon, and
Figure 7, is a horizontal section of the same.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 2, I float the cup or vessel A
containing the mercury forming the scal in an outer vessel B consequently it is
simply necessary to press the cup A far enough down into the mercury contained
in B to uncover the end C of the air tube and so breaking the seal start the
flush. I find glass to be a good material from which to make the different parts.
The complete device is enclosed within a suitable case, a side view of which is
repr. sented by the broken lines ) Figure 1.

page_text: The cup A containing mercury reaching approximately up to the broken
line a,
b is secured by the cement A2 in the top of the float A3 dipping down into
the mercury contained in the vessel B. The vessel B is filled with mercury
approximately up to the broken line c, d. A baffle tube E is placed round the
air pipe, and the walls F of the cap F2 are made in the form shewn by the broken
lines F, Figure 3, in order to loosely hold this tube in position. This tube E
and cap are designed to prevent the mercury being thrown out of the cup A.
The cap F2 is secured to the tube C2 in any convenient way. In the drawing an
oblong hole F3 is shewn in the cap through which the oblong flange C on the
pipe C2 is passed. The cap is then turned round ninety degrees and fixed by the
cement F. The press button G is secured on the top of the stud or pin G² pro-
jecting through a hole 12 in the top of the case and the bottom of this pin is fixed
to the piece G³ the ends G+ of which branch down on opposite sides and are
embedded in the cement A².
In the arangement shewn in Figure 4 the intermediate vessel H is introduced
and is arranged in any convenient way to be controlled by a depressable seat
or footboard. The vessel H is made with a small hole H2 in the bottom and when
the air vessel is lowered the sealing cup A at once goes down with it and breaks
the seal. then the mercury flowing into the intermediate vessel raises the sealing
cun and renews the seal.
In Figure 5 the sealing vessel A is not moveable and a plunger vessel J is
provided in which a hollow plunger J2 controlled by a depressable seat or the like
is located. The mercury reaches approximately to the broken line y, z. The
plunger is made with a hole J3 in the bottom consequently when it is pressed down
into the mercury the latter flows into the interior of the plunger and then when it is
lifted again it carries sufficient mercury temporally with it to lower the level of the
mercury in A so as to break the seal of the bottom C of the nipe C².
When it is required to discharge the contents of a cistern by the action of a
footboard or its equivalent immediately the footboard is depressed as well as to
discharge the contents of a second cistern immediately the footboard is released I
emplov a combination of the two arrangements last described in which the inter-
mediate vessel and the outer vessel of the one serve also as the plunger and the
sealing cup respectively of the other. A cistern having two chambers fed by the
same ball tap and having a syphon in each chamber can be used with this
arrangement.
Instead of making the double syphon in the form shewn in the Specification of
my above cited Letters Patent I employ a syphon consisting of the arrangement
shewn in Figures 6 and 7. The outer cylinder K is closed at the top and its sides
extend down to a suitable distance from the bottom I of the cistern. The inter-
mediate cylinder N is closed at the bottom and extends up to a suitable distance
from the top of the outer cylinder. And the innermost cylinder 0 is closed at
the ton which is located a suitable distance above the top of the flush pine P
and extends down to within a suitable distance from the bottom of the intermediate
cylinder. It will seen that there are two water columns, and the evlinders are
made of such a length that together the length of the columns is greater than the
maximum depth of the water in the cistern. The contents of the cistern are
discharged by allowing the air to escape from between the two columns by the
air nine A2. The evlinder K is supported on feet (not shewn in the drawings)
fixed to the bottom L.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A flush starting device, consisting of a cup floating in a mercury vessel and
adapted to contain a mercury seal, and means for depressing said cup to break the
seal, substantially as herein shewn and described."

page_text: 2. The modification of the above described with reference to Figure 4.
3. The modification of the above described with reference to Figure 5.
4. The combination with the flush pipe P, of the cylinders O, N and K, and the
air pipe A2, all arranged and operating substantially as herein shewn and
described.