IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUSHING CISTERNS AND APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
We JOHN CRIGHTON Plumber and STEWART ROBERTSON Sanitary Engineer both
of Dundee in the County of Forfar North Britain do hereby declare the nature of
our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUSHING CISTERNS AND APPARATUS IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statenient :-
Our principle of Syphonage may be applied to Automatic or Self Acting flushing
Cisterns, or to Flushing Cisterns started by Seat Action, Pull, Handle and Lever or
any other method, and used for Flushing Water Closets, Trough Closets Urinals
Drains, or other similar purposes.
Our Apparatus may be applied to any Valve or Syphon Flushing Cistern, as for
example as shewn by Vertical Section Fig. I. Said Flushing Cistern consisting of an
outer shell A A of wood lined with Lead, Cast Iron, Wrought Iron, Copper or other
suitable material; a Syphon B, consisting of an inner and outer pipe; and a pipe (
connected with outlet of said Syphon and carried through bottom into interior of
Cistern. At the furthest end of said pipe from the Syphon is fixed a brass ground or
other Valve D. and to the upper part of said Valve is attatched a ring or slid E of
brass or other suitable metal joining said Valve with the Connecting-rod F and giving
sufficient play to said rod, so that there will be no vibration or other motion
communicated to the Valve, to cause escape of water until the Flushing Cistern is
filled to the desired level.
Particularly our Invention consists of the following Apparatus, for starting or

page_text: putting into action the foregoing Valve or Syphon Flushing Cistern. The Rolling
Lever I Fig. I and Fig. II and III, made of Lead, Zinc, Tinplate, Brass or other
suitable Metal consists of a circular or other shaped Tube or Hollow Cylinder, having
the ends thereof closed, and Flange J Fig. I. II and III made of same or other
metal fixed on edge of said Tube or Cylinder for purposes hereafter described.
Inside said Tube or Cylinder is placed a Ball K. Fig. II and III of Lead, Brass,
Glass or other suitable metal or material which while the Cistern is filling lies in said
Tube or Cylinder near its junction with Connecting-rod F Fig. I, but as soon as the
water has risen in the Cistern to the desired level, the Ball rolls to the opposite end
of the Tube or Cylinder thus acting as a weight on the Lever and overbalancing the 1
respective weights of the Connecting-rod Float or Ball H and upper part of
Valve D. said Valve is thus opened and the water passing in causes a vacuum in the
Syphon B. whereby Syphonage takes place and the Cistern is emptied. The
Flange J, of the Rolling Lever I. is fixed to the Cistern by the Stud L or by other
suitable method said stud being placed nearest the end of Rolling Lever having
Connecting-rod, so that when the Ball K. rolles to opposite end, it may have the
necessary power or leverage as afore described. The Rolling Lever may also be
made solid with any form of rolling weight to give same result. A Connecting-
rod FF Fig. I of Iron Brass, or other suitable metal or material joining said Rolling
Lever I to Float H. and Valve D. On said Connecting-rod are placed two
Screws G. G. for fixing Float or Ball to any desired level, so that any quantity of
water may be drawn from Cistern. A hollow Float or Ball H. H. of Copper plate,
Tin or other suitable metal is fixed on, or to, or between the parts of Connecting-rod F
and regulated by the Screws G. G. Said Float or Ball is raised by the water entering
Cistern until it comes into contact with the upper Screw G. where it becomes fixed,
until it has gained the necessary strength by the pressure of the water acting thereon,
to raise the Connecting-rod F and displace the Ball, K, which acting on the Lever as
before described sets the Syphon into action. So soon as Syphonage has taken place
the pressure of the water being removed from Float or Ball, the weight of said Float
or Ball H. Connecting rod F and Valve D. overbalancing the respective weights of
Rolling Lever I and Ball, K. said Valve falls back into its former position and the
Cistern is again ready for another flush.
Our Invention may be applied to Syphon Flushing Cisterns started by Seat-Action,
Pull, Handle and Lever or other similar method, Connect Chain or rod from said
Seat, Pull or Handle to end of Rolling Lever. The water most be conveyed into
Cistern by Ball Cock in usual way, and so arranged as to stop the supply when the
water rises to within half an inch of the line where the Cistern would act Automaticly,
when the slightest pull or pressure of Handle or Seat will throw the Rolling Lever of
its balance and start the Syphon. Or the water may be admitted by Ball Cock
without being regulated as afore described, and the weight of the Ball K. Fig. II or
Float H-Fig. I so increased as to overbalance the pressure of the water on said
Float, and the respective weights of said Float, Connecting-rod and Valve so that it
will require the application of force to throw the Rolling Lever off its balance and
start the syphon.
Our Invention may also be applied to Valve or Non Syphon Automatic Flushing
Cisterns as follows, Remove Syphon B. B. Connecting pipe, C. Lower Screw G and
Slid E, join Connecting-rod F to upper part of Valve D. allowing said rod to have
same amount of play as shown at Slid E. Outlet of Cistern to be as shown at dotted
line M, Lower Valve D so that upper part will be half an inch above bottom of
Cistern. The action will be the same as before described, except that whereas the
Valve D closed when the Float H. rested on lower Screw G. it will in this case close,
when said Float rests on upper part of Valve D. thus empting Cistern same as by
Syphon action.
To apply our Invention to Valve or Non Syphon Flushing Cisterns started by Seat
Action Pull, Handle and Lever, or other similar method, it would be necessary to
provide Ball Cock and increase weight of Ball K or Float H as before described in
its application to Syphon Cisterns started by similar means,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
First: The principle of starting or putting into action Self-Acting or other
Valve or Syphon Flushing Cisterns by the combined action of Rolling Lever and
Float or Ball as before described and as shown by Figure I.
Second Great saving of water.
Third-Any quantity of water can be drawn off for a Flush from any size of
Cistern by regulating Float or Ball H as shewn on Fig. I.
Fourth Certainty of Action.