IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SYPHON-FLUSHING CISTERNS
Year: 1886

page_text: We ARTHUR HUXLEY of 20 Pine Street in the City of Liverpool, Gasfitter &c.
and PETER CONNOR of 26 Hanover Street, and JAMES M'INTYRE also of
26 Hanover Street in the City of Liverpool, Metal Merchants do hereby declare
the nature of the aforesaid invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
SYPHON-FLUSHING CISTERNS to be as follows:-
An Improved Syphon Cistern, more especially designed to meet. the require-
ments of the following Clauses extracted from the Liverpool Corporation Water
Committe's Specification for Syphon Cistern, viz.
☺
"No Cistern shall give more than two Gallons, at one flush and the flush shall -
not be greater if the pull is quickly released than if held untill the flow ceases,
No connexion will be allowed between the Cistern and the Flushing Pipe .
excepting through the Syphon,
The top of the Syphon Pipe or Bend must be above the top of the Cistern or
the Syphon be otherwise so constructed that a leakage from the Ball-cock when
the Cistern is not in action, will flow over the sides of the cistern before flowing
down the Flushing Pipe.
The Syphon must be capable of being brought into action by a gentle pull of
the lever etc. etc."
1.8.
The chief features of novelty in connexion therewith, being in the construction
of a cavity or well in the bottom of the Cistern, and a Plunger consisting of two
disc's, the upper one of the same diameter as the well, and having a number of
boles perforated therein, the lower disc of a less diameter, but sufficiently large to
cover the holes in the upper, and moving freely in a vertical. direction on a short
spindle fixed in the centre of the upper disc. The operation of Flushing is
completed, by depressing the disc's in to the well by means of a rod and lever; the
resistance of the water presses the lower disc against the upper, the water in the
well is forced in to the Syphon Pipe, followed by the water in the Cistern passing
through the holes in upper disc and over the lower which falls automatically on
the Syphon action being established.

page_text: 3
Improvements in and relating to Syphon-flushing Cisterns.
We ARTHUR HUXLEY, of 20 Pine Street in the City of Liverpool, Gasfitter &c.
and PETER CONNOR of 26 Hanover Street, and JAMES MCINTYRE also of 26 Hanover
Street in the City of Liverpool Metal Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of
our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SYPHON-FLUSHING CISTERNS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
.
Our invention has for its object to improve the construction of Syphon Cisterns
for flushing purposes, so as to secure (amongst others) the following advantages,
namely,
1-To ensure the flush not being greater if the pull of the Cistern is quickly
released than if held until the flow ceases.
2-To prevent connection between the Cistern and the flushing pipe, excepting
through the Syphon.
3-To prevent a constant flow of water being obtained by any manipulation of
the pull.
4-To enable the syphon to be brought into action by a pull of the lever
however gentle, and to enable the Cistern to be quickly emptied without noise or
jar, the appliance being simple, durable, and easily repaired.
And in order that our invention may be readily understood and clearly defined,
we have annexed a sheet of illustrative drawings in which the same letters of
reference indicate similar parts in any of the figures in which they occur.
Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation of a Syphon Cistern made according to our
invention.
Fig. 2, is a plan of same.
Fig. 3, section of plunger and disc.
Fig. 4, section of same showing the holes in plunger closed by the disc.
In constructing a Syphon Cistern as shown in the explanatory drawings, we
make the Cistern A, with a circular or other suitably shaped cavity or well B, in
and below the bottom of the Cistern, either by casting it in one piece with the
Cistern, or by making it separately and attaching it thereto; we prefer to make
it circular so that if desired it may readily be lined with brass or other non-
corrosive material.
At the bottom of the well B, is an opening C communicating with a small
chamber into which the short end of the syphon D projects, and by preference
reaches nearly to the bottom; this forms the only outlet from the chamber E.
F is the flushing pipe, or continuation of the long end of the syphon.
Fitting loosely in the cylindrical well B, is a piston or plunger G, made of any
suitable metal or material (preferably non-corrosive) and connected to a vertical
spindle H, and rocking lever I, to which the pull is attached.
Through the piston or plunger G, a number of holes or ports g are made of any
size or shape but their combined area must be sufficient to admit the passage of a
flow of water enough to keep the syphon in action until the desired quantity is
discharged

page_text: Underneath the plunger or piston is a disc J, having a vertical movement upon
a stud K, and of a sufficient diameter to be able to cover the ports g and when
closed against the underside of the plunger G.
The action of the apparatus is as follows, When the lever I is pulled down, the
plunger G is forced into the well, which with the cistern and the short leg of the
syphon are filled with water; the resistance of the water acting against the disc J,
raises it at once to the position shown in Fig. 4, closing the ports g, so that the
water in the well is forced through the opening C, raising the column of water
in D and putting the syphon in action.
If the plunger is held stationary at any point, or allowed to ascend, the disc at
once falls to the position shown in Fig. 3 and permits the flow of water through
the ports direct to the syphon and the cistern is rapidly emptied through the
syphon and the flushing pipe.
The ball K now falls and opening the balltap L, the cistern is again filled
with water, the quantity required for the flush being regulated by the ball
cock according to the size of the Cistern, or to legal requirements for any given
quantity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner. the same is to be performed, we wish it to be
understood that we are aware that syphons, and plungers for starting the syphons
are not novel and therefore we do not claim them broadly, but what we do consider
to be novel and therefore claim is :-
1. In Syphon flushing Cisterns to be used for any purpose for which such
apparatus are used, a plunger (G) consisting of an upper disc provided with ports
or waterways (g) in combination with a lower disc (J) capable of moving vertically
upon a stud (K) for the purposes specifield and substantially as herein before
described and illustrated.
2. In Syphon Cisterns, the construction of a well (B) in conjunction with and
opening into a chamber (E), the only outlet from which is the syphon, for the
purpose specified, and substantially as shown.
3. The combination and arrangement of all the various parts, constituting the
Syphon Cistern and flushing mechanism, as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated the 3rd day of July 1886.
ROBT F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicants.