A New Appa- RATUS FOR GAUGING THE SUPPLY OF WATER WHEN USED FOR FLUSHING CLOSETS. DOMESTIC OR OTHER PURPOSES. IN order to Prevent Waste
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Harrics, of No. 18, Commercial Road,
Landport, in the Parish of Portsca, in the Borough of Portsmouth,
in the County of Southampton, for the Invention of "A New Appa-
RATUS FOR GAUGING THE SUPPLY OF WATER WHEN USED FOR FLUSHING
CLOSETS. DOMESTIC OR OTHER PURPOSES. IN order to Prevent Waste.”
CLOSETS. DOMESTIC OR OTHER PURPOSES. IN order to Prevent Waste.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Harries at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th April 1875.
I, BENJAMIN HARRIES, of No 18, Commercial Road, Landport, in
thic Parish of Portsca, in the Borough of Portsmouth, in the County of
Southampton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW APPARATUS FOR GAUGING THE SUPPLY OF WATER WHEN USED FOR
FLUSHING CLOSETS, DOMESTIC OR OTHER PURPOSES, IN ORDER TO PREVENT WASTE,"
to be as follows, viz. :—
A cistern or tank (made to any pattern or design) to contain a
sufficient quantity of water to flush a closet or to furnish a supply

page_text: for domestic or other purposes; the said cistern or tank is to be fitted
with an inlet pipe which furnishes the supply; this pipo enters the cistern
or tank on the top, and passing through the same to within a short dis-
tance from the bottom; at the end of the said pipe is fixed an inlet valve
plate; at the top of the cistern or tank is fixed a compartment in which
is inserted a float with a valve on the top, which closes itself when the
cistern or tank is full; this valve hermetically seals the cistern or tank
and prevents any waste, at the same time forcing an air inlet when the
water is emptying itself from the said cistern or tank; at the bottom of
the cistern or tank and under the supply pipe before described is inserted
a chamber, inside of which is a valve worked with a lever when water is
required to flush a closet or for any other purpose this lever is pulled
down which raises a pendant and valve which is guarded by a rod, thus
opening-the-bottom valve or outlet and at the same time closing the
supply pipe, the water then rushes out of the cistern or tank-and
thoroughly flushes the closct, or furnishes a measured quantity for
domestic or other purposes; the quantity of water consumed is proved by
the number of times the cistern or tank is emptied; this is shewn by
Lixing to the lever beforo described a ratchet wluch causes a wheel to
revolve one cog cach time such cistern or tank is emptied, the said
ratchet acting upon a series of wheels indicates upon a dial plate the
quantity of water consumed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Harries in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, BENJAMIN
HARRIES, of No. 18, Commercial Road, Landport, in the Parish of
Portsca, in the Borough of Portsmouth, in the County of Southampton,
send greeting
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Harrics, Her special licence,
that I, the said Benjamun Harries, my executors, administrators, and 3

page_text: assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Harries, my exccutors,
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, usc, excrcise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW APParatus
FOR GAUGING THE SUPPLY OF WATER WHEN USED FOR FLUSHING CLOSETS, DOMESTIC
OR OTHER PURPOSES, IN ORDER TO PREVENT WASTE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Пarries, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and scals, 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
3 of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Harries, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 consists of a cistern or tank (made to any pattern or
design) to contain a sufficient quantity of water either in a continuous
supply or otherwise, to flush a closet or to furnish a supply for domestic
or other
purposes; the said cistern or tank is to be fitted with an inlet
pipe which furnishes the supply; this pipe enters tho cistern or tank on
the top and passing through the same to within a short distance from
the bottom; at the end of the said pipe is fixed an inlet valve plate; at
the top of the cistern or tank is fixed a compartment in which is inserted
a float with a valvo on the top, which closes itself when the cistern or
tank is full; this valve hermetically seals the cistern or tank and pre-
vents any waste, at the same time forming an air inlet where the water
is emptying itself from the said cistern or tank; and under the supply
pipe before described is inserted a chamber, inside of which is a valve
worked with a lever or spring or in any other suitable manner; when
water is required to flush a closet or for any other purpose this lever is
pulled down, which raises a pendant and valve which is guarded by a
rod, thus opening the bottom valve or outlet and at the same time
closing the supply pipe, the water then rushes out of the cistern or tank
and thoroughly flushes the closet, or furnishes a measured quantity of

page_text: water for domestic or other purposes, the quantity of water consumed is
proved by the number of times the cistern or tank is emptied, this is
shewn by fixing to the lever before described a ratchet which causes a
wheel to revolve one cog each time such cistern or tank is emptied, the
said ratchet acting upon a series of wheels indicates upon a dial plate
the quantity of water consumed
'And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood
and carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with
reference to the annexed Drawings The same letters of reference
indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In the annexed Drawings a represents the cistern or tanks; b, the
inlet pipe; c, the outlet pipe, the piston or cup leather to-inlet; e,
the valve for outlet; is clevation of air chamber containing float and
valve, g, the lever box, h, the lever worked by handle to move lever 1
box g; ?, rod connected to lever box to act as buffer to float
Fig 1 is a section of tank or cistern showing elevation of valves, also
clevation of indicator and section of lever box. Upon the moving of the
handle through a slot attached to the lever box g the ball in the lever
box is set in motion and acts upon rod 2, which sets in motion the 2
tappot in outlet pipe c raising the valve 6 which forces the cup leather
or piston d into inlet pipe b, thus effectually stopping ingress of water
at the same time allowing water to escape through the outlet pipe c
Fig. 2 represents front elevation of cistern or tank with fittings 1,
indicating waste and inlet for air.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation; k indicates a connection between air
chamber and supply pipe to prevent the tank or cistern being syphoned
to the main.
2
Fig. 4 represents an enlarged section through outlet pipe, shewing the
action of the tappet and valve, the tappet a¹ being in connection with a
the lover box causes the valve to rise, thereby allowing the water to
escape.
Fig. 5 shews a section through air chamber f, shewing float and air
pipe, also the working of the rod acting as a buffer The float is kept
in position by the guards m, n, which are attached as shown in Drawings. 3

page_text: If preferred the connection between the inlet pipe and air
chamber could be done away with, and a valve substituted in the inlet
pipe.
In lieu of the lever box a balance weight or other equivalent may be
fitted to act upon a slot instead of the lever box g, and if preferred the
apparatus may be fixed with or without the indicator.
In the event of desiring to disinfect waterclosets the same may be
effected by using the same action as puts into operation the apparatus
herein-before described.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect I may observe it is
obvious that any suitable material may be used for the purpose of my
Invention, and I do not confine myself to the precise details herein
given, so long as the general principles of my Invention aro adhered to,
and I declare that what I claim as my Invention and desire to be
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
combination and arrangement of the several parts comprising the new
apparatus for gauging the supply of water when used for flushing closets,
domestic or other purposes for the prevention of waste, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated on Drawings or any mere modi-
fication thereof.
In witness whercof, I the said Benjamin Harrics, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.