CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE, CONSTRUCTION OF WATERCLOSETS AND IN THE VALVES CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hackett and William Marsden, both of
Leek, in the County of Stafford, Plumbers, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE, CONSTRUCTION OF WATERCLOSETS AND IN
THE VALVES CONNECTED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hackett and
William Marsden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th May 1866.
We, WILLIAM HACKETT and WILLIAM MARSDEN, both of Leek, in the
County of Stafford, Plumbers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATERCLOSETS AND
IN THE VALVES CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
Our improvements relate, first, to a novel construction of waterclosets.
whereby space is economized, the depth of water in the pan may be regulated,.
and the inlet valve for water is readily accessible; the syphon of the soil pipe

page_text: may also be easily cleaned, and the means and fittings for actuating the water
and pan valves are simplified.
The improvements consist, first, in the use and application of a hinged or
"flap valve" to the bottom or outlet of the pan which is to stop or open
communication with the syphon or soil pipe; the upper surface of this valve
is to be covered with india-rubber or other yielding substance, and the shaft
on which the valve is fixed or hinged is provided with a weight, which keeps
the yielding surface in close contact with the bottom edge of the pan to close
the outlet, and to this weight the ordinary lift handle is connected. Outside
the soil pan is cast or formed a chamber which contains a float, and which is
in communication with the soil pan by means of a pipe, duct, or water way,
and the float is connected by a lever with the water inlet valve, which is
situated outside and near the soil "pan." If the handle be lifted and the pan
valve opened the water (and soil if any) in the pan flows away, and the water
in the outside vessel also flows from beneath the float and away down the soil
pipe, and as the float falls it opens the water supply valve and lets water into the
pan, and as long as the handle is held up the water flushes through the pan,
but on releasing the handle the bottom valve is closed, and the water rises in
the "soil pan," passes up the water way, and lifts the float which closes the
water inlet valve, and as the lever connecting the float and valve is rendered
adjustable by screw or slide the water valve may be closed when sufficient
water has been admitted to the pan.
.'
The second part of the Invention relates to the water inlet valve, which
may also be applied for other purposes where valves are required to open full
and close with short action. This part of the Invention consists in' the use of
a valve having an annular space to which water is admitted, the exit there-
from being closed by a disc of india-ruuber which the pressure of water keeps
tight against a ring or seating, and the disc is pressed from such seating to
open the valve by means of the head of a shaft on which is formed a spiral
twist of long angle, which working in a correspondingly formed nut in the
valve case effects the opening or closing of the valve...!

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hackett and William Marsden in the Great Seal
⚫ Patent Office on the 10th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HACKETT and WILLIAM MARSDEN, both of Leek, in the County of Stafford,
Plumbers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by, Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said William Hackett and William Marsden, Her special license that
we, the said William Hackett and William Marsden, our executors, adminis-
_trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Hackett and
William Marsden, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATERCLOSETS, AND IN THE VALVES CONNECTED
THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Hackett and William Marsden, our executors or administrators, by an.
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their bands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and -in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Hackett and William Marsden,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
Our improvements relate, first, to a novel construction of waterclosets
whereby space is economized, the depth of water in the pan may be regulated,
and the inlet valve for water is readily accessible; the syphon of the soil pipé
also be easily cleaned, and the means and fittings for actuating the water and
pair valves are simplified.
The improvements consist, first, in the use and application of a hinged or
flap valve" to the bottom or outlet of the pan, which is to stop or open
communication with the syphon or soil pipe; the upper surface of this valve

page_text: is to be covered with india-rubber or other yielding substance, and the shaft
on which the valve is fixed or hinged is provided with a weight which keeps
the yielding surface in close contact with the bottom edge of the pan to close
the outlet, and to this weight the, ordinary lift handle is connected. Outside
the soil pan is cast or formed a chamber which contaius a float, and which is
in communication with the soil pan by means of a pipe, duct, or water way,
and the float is connected by a lever with the water inlet valve, which is
situated outside and near the "soil pan." If the handle be lifted and the
pan valve opened the water (and soil if any) in the pan flows away, and the
water in the outside vessel also flows from beneath the float. and away down
the "soil pipe," and as the float falls it opens the water supply valve and lets
water into the pan, and as long as long as the handle is held up the water flushes
through the pan, but on releasing the handle the bottom valve is closed, and,
the water rises in the "soil pan," passés up the water way, and lifts the float
which closes the water inlet valve, and as the lever connecting the float and
valve is rendered adjustable by screw or slide the water valve may be closed
when sufficient water has been admitted to the pan.
The second part of the Invention relates to the water inlet valve, which
may also be applied for other purposes where valves are required to open full
and close with short action. This part of the Invention consists in the use of
a 'valve having an annular space to which water is admitted, the exit there-
from being closed by a disc of india-rubber which the pressure of water keeps
tight against a ring or seating, and the disc is pressed from such seating to
open the valve by means of the head of a shaft, on which is formed a spiral
twist of long angle, which working in a correspondingly formed nut in the
valve case effects the opening or closing of the valve.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of
about three inches to the foot, similar letters of reference being marked upon
corresponding parts on all the Figures.
Fig. 1 represents a general view of the soil pan and apparatus in connec-
tion therewith 'shewn in elevation. The dotted lines in this view shew an
arrangement of connection between the door and valve whereby the former is
-caused when opening to actuate the valve for discharging the water and soil
from the pan. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3
represents a vertical section of the water inlet valve.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 a, a, is the pan, and 6 the outlet syphon soil pipe;
c is a hinged or "flap valve" fitting the bottom or outlet of the pan a; the
upper surface of this valve is covered with india-rubber or other yielding sub-

page_text: stance, and the shaft d on which the valve is fixed or hinged is provided with
the weight e which keeps the yielding surface in close contact with the bottom
edge of the pan. To this weight e the ordinary lift handle f is connected, or
the lift may be actuated by means of the closet door through the medium of
the pulley shewn in Fig. 1. Outside the soil pan a the chamber 9 is cast or
formed, which contains the float h, and is in communication with the soil pan
by means of the pipe or duct i, and the float is connected by the lever k with
the inlet valve 1; the height of water in the pan a and chamber 9 being
regulated by means of the overflow or pipe m. When the handle f is lifted
the hinged valve c allows the soil and water in the pan a, and also the water
in the chamber g, to pass into the outlet or syphon 6, and the discharge.or
flushing of water from the cistern through the pan into the syphon continues
as long as the handle fis retained, so as to prevent the weight e from closing
the hinged valve cover the outlet of the pan, which takes place instantly the
handle is released. The floath having become lowered by the discharge of
water from the chamber 9 during the time the handle f was raised has caused
the incline formed on the end of the lever k to press against and relieve the
stud n of the water valve, thereby allowing the water to rush through the
inlet pipe o into the pan a; this rush of water takes place after the closing
of the valve c until the float h has risen sufficiently high in the chamber g to
close the inlet water valve l. This outlet water valve, which may also be
applied for other purposes where valves are required to open full and close
with short action, is shewn at Fig. 3, in which p is the casing or body of the
valve; q, the inlet; and n, the outlet pipes; the internal construction of the
valves is formed of a flat ring or plate in which an annular space is formed
encircling the inlet q, the annular space s communicates with the outlet n,
the passage between the two being closed by means of the disc of rubber t,
which is forced against or relieved from the surface u by means of the shaft v,
upon which is formed a spiral twist of long angle; this spiral twist works in
a correspondingly formed nut in the valve cover w, the said cover when
screwed up into its place becomes forced against the disc of india-rubber & so
as to retain and keep it in its proper position.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be distinctly
understood that we claim,―
First, the use of the binged or "flap valve" having its surface covered with
india-rubber or similar elastic material.
Secondly, the application and use of the supplementary chamber containing

page_text: Thirdly, the application and use of the spiral spindle and valve connected
therewith as applied to such purposes as before described.
And, lastly, we claim the novel construction of the soil pan and water
passage, together with the general arrangement of apparatus as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Hackett and William Marsden,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witnessed by
JOHN L. DAVIES,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM HACKETT.
WILLIAM MARSDEN. (L.B.)