IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC INTERMITTENT SYPHON OR FLUSHING CISTERNS OR WATER WASTE PREVENTERS APPLICABLE ALSO AS A WATER METER
Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the General Patent Office N° 4 South
Street Finsbury in the county of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for"" IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC INTERMITTENT
SYPHON OR FLUSHING CISTERNS OR WATER WASTE PREVENTERS APPLICABLE ALSO
AS A WATER METER" (a communication from abroad by Paul Carette of Vendeuil
(Aisne) in the republic of France, Agriculturist) and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
For keeping in a state of cleanliness and free from obstruction the soil or
discharge pipes of water closets, of urinals, of pipes for running off liquids
containing matters in suspension, the water pipes of baths, lavatories, manufactories
and the like, rain water pipes, the pipes of sinks drains sewers or the like,
flushings are effected at intervals, periodically or not, which flushings are obtained
by discharging a certain volume of suitable liquid, (stored up more or less slowly
but discharged rapidly) by causing it to flow with a speed sufficient to carry with
it any deposits which may have formed. These discharges are effected either
mechanically or automatically.
Mechanical apparatuses are liable to get out of order and become unworkable
and it is therefore preferable to employ automatic means particularly as such do
not require inspection nor to be put in action by a mechanical operation, whilst
operating with certainty in the manner above mentioned-Intermittent automatio
flushing siphons come within this latter category-In order to be certain that
these apparatuses give good results it is necessary during the time that the
flushing liquid is being collected that the delivery of the cleansing liquid should
be in proportion to the section of the discharge but if the cleansing liquid is stored
either drop by drop or in small quantities it frequently happens that on reaching
a certain level the said liquid as it accumulates flows through the siphon in a
continuous manner without causing the rapid flow or flushing and consequently
the cleansing and the removal of the deposits does not take place.
This invention has for object to obviate this defect by the employment of the
arrangement hereinafter described whereby an efficient flushing is secured in all
cases,
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
ho reference to the accompanying drawing in which figures 1 and 2 represent

page_text: sectional elevations shewing the improved arrangement; figures 3 and 4 similar
views shewing a slightly modified construction; figures 5 to 9 detailes; figures 10
to 13 detached views shewing modifications. Similar letters in all the figures
represent similar parts.
In the drawing A is a cistern provided with a siphon S and with a small
cistern C containing liquid L up to the level of the overflow P, through which the
discharge takes place. Into the liquid L dips a central tube T forming the long
leg of the syphon. To ensure the proper working of this apparatus I enclose the
lower part of the long leg T in a casing E of cylindrical or other shape making &
tight joint with the bottom of the cistern A (as shewn in figure 1) or with the
leg or tube T (as shewn in figure 3) above holes t, t, and on the lower end of the
said leg or tube T-I thus obtain one or more small chambers H between the leg
or tube T and the casing E which I call air chambers.
The said bolest, t, in the long leg T are above and below the level of the
liquid L and serve to establish communication between the chamber H and the
interior of the said leg or tube T. The casing E is also provided with one or more
openings q, either above or below the level of the overflow P. One of the
communications between the chamber H and the long leg T or the small cistern-C
must be under water, that is to say, below the overflow P.
From each of the openings q, passes a dipping piece p, formed by a tube or by a
watertight partition. The inclination of the base of the tube or of the partition
does not affect in any way the operation of the apparatus. The dipping tube p,
extends towards the lower part of the chamber H. In practice in order to simplify
the construction I arrange the air chamber, its various communications and the
dipping tube in the following manner.
I provide at the lower part of the long leg Ta piece H figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
The air chamber is formed by the side of the long leg T and the inner side of the
piece H. The dipping tube becomes the conduit p, q; I sometimes in place of this
piece employ a simple bend or elbow with two equal or unequal arms as shown in
figures 10, 11, 12 and 13. These elbows may be of any desired shape and may be
of any suitable material. The arrangements for communicating between these
elbows and the long leg T, and small cistern C, can be varied but in all cases at
least one of the openings must be at a lower level than the overflow P of the siphon
in order that the elbow after each discharge of air will again become filled with
liquid as hereafter described,
I sometimes provide the mouth of the short leg D with a small hole m, but I
find that this is not absolutely necessary in practice.
To facilitate the entrance of a further supply of air into the short leg D. after
each discharge, I hollow out the lower part of the said short leg or provide it with
a series of tapering holes. This arrangement applies equally to all intermittent
siphons and is independent of the shapes of the siphon and air chamber and of
the material of which they are constructed.
To construct an apparatus to work independently of the speed of the flow of the
liquid into the small cistern the volume of liquid in which produces the flush, the
section of the siphon will depend upon the volume of water to be discharged and
of the speed thereof or the time during which the discharge is to last.
If the height of T be given with respect to the lower end of the short leg D, the
dimensions of the air chamber and the number of partial discharges of air which
precede the flushing, it will be easy to calculate the charge which will produce the
flushing.
If on the contrary the flushing charge be given the capacity of the air chamber
or the number of partial discharges of air (which may be one, two, three, four or
other number) or other element may be easily ascertained.
The improved system of flushing used with any siphon will only produce the
flushing in the case where all the parts of the siphon combined between them fulfil
the conditions of equilibrium and of rupture of the equilibrium which each
apparatus requires and which can be determined by calculation.

page_text: OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS.
I will describe the operation with relation to a siphon so constructed that
there shall be three partial discharges of air before the flushing.
The cistern C is filled with liquid and the cistern A is fed until the level of the
liquid in the cistern A reaches either the lower end of the leg D or the upper part
of the hollowed out portion, or of the holes formed in the said leg D; the air contained
in the two legs of the siphon and in the air chamber H is thereby confined therein.
In proportion as the liquid arrives in the cistern A the air is compressed up to the
point where such pressure sufficiently exceeds the height p, q, to destroy the
equilibrium established between the interior and the exterior of the siphon-At
the moment of such rupture the water is projected by p, q, as in Héron's fountain
and is followed by an escape of air which produces a fall of pressure and a rapid
rising of the liquid in the interior of the siphon. The pressure in the interior of
the siphon is brought back to the atmospheric pressure and the levels again become
nearly the same in the cistern A and the short leg D and the same in the long
leg T, in the air chamber H, and in the cistern C.
The apparatus is thus in the same condition as at starting. The liquid continuing
to flow into the cistern A compression recommences followed by another escape of
air, a lowering of pressure and rising of the liquid in the interior of the siphon.
The apparatus then redescends a second time into its first position. The feeding
of the cistern A continuing, the remaining air is again compressed and another
discharge of air is produced and the flushing takes places. It will thus be seen
that siphons may be constructed in which the flushing will take place at the
end of one, two, three or any number of partial discharges of air provided that this
number is lower or at the most equal to that which has been calculated as above
named.
In the case of impure water I place in front of the orifices t, and q, wire cloth.
In order to make use of the improved apparatus as a water meter all that is
required is to add a suitable counter thereto.
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. The arrangement of parts forming the improved automatic intermittent
siphon or flushing apparatus operating in the manner substantially as herein before.
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. In an automatic intermittent siphon or flushing apparatus, forming one or
more air chambers on the lower part of the long leg of the siphon substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
3. In an automatic intermittent siphon or flushing apparatus the method of
putting the air chamber in communication with the interior and the "overflow"
of the siphon by openings of which at least one must be below the level of the
overflow of the cistern substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
4. The use in combination with a suitable counter of the described apparatus as
a water meter as hereinbefore described.