IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin William de Rusett, of Lewisham, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, and Richard Farrell Dale, of Shoe Lane, in
the City of London, Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHIPS' WATERCLOSETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin William de
Rusett and Richard Farrell Dale at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th October 1865.
We, EDWIN WILLIAM DE RUSETT, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, and RICHARD FARRELL DALE, of Shoe Lane, in the City of London,
Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHIPS' WATERCLOSETS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention is intended to be applied chiefly to waterclosets in steami
ships. It consists in fitting by preference under the pan or at any other part
of the pan a box into which a weighted valve fitted to the pan opens, and is
itself fitted with an outlet valve opening into a passage which leads to the sea.
The valve to the box is connected to a pull lever. Another communication
from the sea leads water into a chamber at the side of the box, and from
thence by a pipe into the upper part of the pan. A steam pipe leads steam
from a boiler or otherwise into the chamber and into the box. Steam valves
admit and exclude steam as required.
i

page_text: The action is as follows:-Upon drawing up the pull lever the box valve is
opened and steam is admitted into the box; the steam by its pressure closes
the pan valve and drives the contents of the box through its outlet valve and
through the passage with which it communicates into the sea.
the contents of the box are discharged the valve closes and shuts off the
supply of steam, the pan valve drops, and the contents of the pan fall into
the box to be acted upon as before described, and at the same time opens
the steam valve for admitting steam into the chamber, which forces the water
contained therein through the flush pipe into the pan. The steam con-
densing in the chamber creates a partial vacuum which is supplied by water.
from the sea.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise arrangement described, as our
Invention consists in the employment of steam made to act in waterclosets
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin William de Rusett and Richard Farrell Dale in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th April 1866.
ว
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE-PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
WILLIAM DE RUSETT, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent, Engineer, and
RICHARD FARRELL DALE, of Shoe Lane, in the City of London, Founder,
send greeting.
..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing,date the Fourth day of October, in the year of.our, Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Edwin William de Rusett and Richard Farrell Dale, Her special licence
that we, the said Edwin William de Rusett and Richard: Farrell Dale, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such. others as we, the said Edwin
William de Rusett and Richard Farrell Dale, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' WATERCLOSETS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Edwin, William de Rusett and Richard
Farrell Dale, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument

page_text: .
i.
in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands 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 Edwin William de Rusett and Richard
Farrell Dale, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say:
Our Invention is intended to be applied chiefly to waterclosets in steam
ships. It consists in fitting by preference under the pan or at any other
part of the pan a box into which a weighted valve fitted to the
pan opens,
and is itself fitted with an outlet valve opening into a passage which leads
to the sea. The valve to the box is connected to a pull lever. Another
communication from the sea leads water into a chamber at the side of the box
and from thence by a pipe into the upper part of the pan. A steam pipe
leads steam from a boiler or otherwise into the chamber and into the box;
steam valves admit and exclude steam as required..
The action is as follows:-Upon drawing up the pull lever the box valve
is opened and steam is admitted into the box; the steam by its pressure closes
the pan valve and drives the contents of the box through its outlet valve and
through the passage with which it communicates into the sea. As soon as
the contents of the box are discharged the valve closes and shuts off, the
supply of steam, the pan valve drops and the contents of the pan fall into
the box to be acted upon as before described; and at the same time opens
the steam valve for admitting steam into the chamber, which forces the water
contained therein through the flush pipe into the pan. The steam condensing
in the chamber creates a partial vacuum which is supplied by water from
the sea,
We do no limit ourselves to the precise arrangement before described, as
our Invention consists in the employment of steain made to act in water-
closets, substantially as described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation partly in section,
shewing one method or arrangement for carrying our Invention into effect;
Figure 2 is a plan partly in section. The pan or basin A of the closet is of
the ordinary kind; its lower part opens into a chamber B, which consists of
a vessel having fitted to its upper part an inlet valve C, the raised edge of
which fits into an annular groove formed in the under side of the cover of the
i

page_text: chamber B. The lower part of the chamber B is fitted with a corresponding
outlet valve D. These valves are operated as required by means of the
ordinary plug rod E, which extends up to the seat of the closet and
terminates in a handle in the usual manner. To the lower end of the rod E
is fixed a tappet F, which lifts the lever G when the handle of the closet is
raised. The back end of this lever is fixed to a spindle H, which extends to
the opposite side of the apparatus. At the centre of the spindle H is keyed
án arm I, which extends to the centre of the outlet valve D, and when the
lever G is in its normal position keeps the valve D up to the face of the soil
chamber B.;-but_when_the_rod E.is raised the valve D falls down_and_allows_
the contents of the chamber to escape into the discharge pipe J, from whence
they are discharged into the sea. A pin K extends laterally from the inner'
side of the lever G, and passes between the forked ends of the spindle L',
which causes the valve M to open and shut as desired; the box of this valve
is in communication with the pipe L, which convey's steam from the boiler,
and passes by the valve M and pipe N into the chamber B. The steam by
its pressure in the chamber B causes its contents to be ejected through the
pipe J into the sea. The upper outlet valve C is arranged with a weighted
lever O in manner similar to the lever G; 'upon the contents of the chamber B
being discharged the valve D closes, at the same time closing the valve M.
The steam within the chamber B is condensed in consequence of the valve M
being closed, this allows the valve C to fall, and the lever O comes into
action. A pin P in the side of this lever raises a projecting arm fornied
on the weighted spindle of the valve Q; the upward motion of the pin raises
'the valve, and thus 'admits the steam through the pipe N into the flushing
chamber B'. The pressure of the steam causes the water in the chamber to
be forced through the pipe N into the pan. The valve C closes by the down-
ward action of the weighted lever O when the chamber B is filled, at the
same time closing the valve Q. On the steam condensing a fresh supply of
water rushes into the flushing chamber through the suction pipe R which
communicates with the water outside the vessel, passing the valve S and up
the pipe N into the pan; and the apparatus is then again ready for
operation.
.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, showing another arrangement of our water-
closet; Figure 4 is a corresponding elevation, taken at right angles to
Figure 3; Figure 5 is 'a vertical section; showing the flushing chamber and
apparatus detached from the closet; Figure 6 is a corresponding section
taken at right angles to Figure 5. The arrangement here shown is adapted
more particularly to ships' closets, where, they admit of being fitted above the

page_text: load water line. The apparatus consists essentially of a flushing chamber
arranged in communication with the steam pipe and with the suction pipe,
which conveys the water from the outside of the vessel into the flushing
chamber. The steam flows in by the steam pipe A, passing through the
valvular passage in which the valve B is fitted, and thence down into the
chamber C. The steam is admitted when required into the chamber C by
means of the plug rod D, which has connected to it the tappet E.. As
the rod is raised the tappet comes in contact with the lever F, which is
attached to the end of the spindle of the cam G, the end of the spindle
extending out through a stuffing box fitted in the chamber C below the steam
valve B. When the apparatus is required to be brought into action, the
operator lifts the plug rod D, as in closets of the ordinary kind; the tappet E
is thus brought in contact with the lever F, which causes the cam G to lift
the valve B, the steam flows through the open valvular passage into the
chamber C, the pressure of the steam causes the water contained in the
chamber to lift the outlet valve H, and the water is forced up the flushing
pipe I and into the pan or basin of the closet. The further upward motion
of the plug rod D causes the tappet E to pass beyond the lever F, which is of
the bell-crank form, and has attached to its lower end the counterweight J,
the action of which causes the horizontal arm of the lever to drop when
liberated from the tappet, and thus close the valve B. The steam being thus
shut off, a partial vacuum is formed by the condensation of that portion of the
steam which is now confined within the flushing chamber C, and this causes
the valve H to close, and thus seal the outlet of the chamber C. Another
supply of water has now to be admitted to the chamber C, so that the closet
may be again ready for use; this is obtained by means of the suction pipe K,
the outer or open end of which communicates with the water outside the vessel.
The inner end of the pipe K is fitted with a valve L, which opens into the
passage leading to the chamber C. When the steam in the chamber C has
become condensed the pressure of the atmosphere on the water outside the
vessel causes it to flow through the pipe K and open the valve L, and thus
replenish the supply of water in the chamber C. The chamber C is fitted
with a float M, which rises and falls upon the admission or emission of the
water to the flushing chamber C, its surface receiving the pressure of the steam
when it is admitted to the flushing chamber. When the plug rod D is
depressed the tappet E comes in contact with the lever F, and steam is again
admitted to the chamber C, forcing another supply of water into the pan, when
the tappet has passed the lever F the steam is shut off, that contained in the
chamber C becomes condensed, and the water flows in through the suction

page_text: pipe K, thus leaving the flushing chamber charged with water and ready
for use...
"
Another modification of our Invention adapted more particularly for ships
closets which are arranged at or about. the. level of the water line or below
the water line is shown in side elevation in Figure 7, and in end view in
Figure 8. In this arrangement the steam passes into the soil chamber A¹ by
the pipe A, the passage of which is controlled by a valve in the valve box B.
This valve has fastened to it a rod B', which passes through the float M, and
has fixed to its lower extremity a stop M. The valve in the box B is operated
by means of the plug rod D, which has fixed to it the tappet E, the upward
motion of the plug rod-brings-the-tappet-in-contact-with-the-lever F, which-is
centred on an arm extending upwards from the valve box, and thus opens the
valve. The valve is kept open for a given time by means of the counter:
weight F¹ on the end of the lever F. After the plug rod is depressed the
chamber A¹ is emptied of its contents by the pipe f into the sea by the pressure
of the steam on the surface of the float M. When the float descends so that
it comes in contact with the stop M¹ its pressure is sufficient to overcome the
counterweight F, and thus shut the valve, and prevent the further admission
of the steam. The partial vacuum created by the condensation of the steam
causes the valve T to open and allow the contents of the closet pan to flow
into the lower chamber U, and into the soil chamber A. The valve T-is
connected by means of the spindle W with the crank X, which is attached to
the rod Y.; this rod extends upwards, and is jointed to the end of the weighted
lever Z. This lever controls the action of the valve of the steam pipe a, which
opens into the flushing chamber b. This chamber is filled as often as required
with water by means of the suction pipe c, which is fitted with a valve, as repre-
sented at Figures 5 and 6, and the opening of the steam valve d causes a powerful
current of water to be forced up the flushing pipe e into the pan of the closet,
the contents of the lower chamber U and soil chamber A¹ being ejected into
the sea by the discharge pipe f, as before mentioned. The steam valve being
closed by the float in the chamber b, the steam condenses, and the water flows
down the suction pipe c from the sea, as in the arrangements before described.
The discharge pipe f may be placed in any convenient position in the lower
chamber U. In cases where the closet is placed sufficiently below the water
line so that the external pressure is enough to flush the pan efficiently, then
the flushing chamber may be dispensed with, and in place of it the spindle W
of the valve T may be connected to a suitable valve or cock so as to answer
the same purpose as the flushing chamber. The flushing chamber shewn
separately in Figures 5 and 6, and in Figures 7 and 8, may be advantageously

page_text: used for supplying baths, urinals, and for other generally similar purposes, a
requisite modification being that the lever F (Figures 5 and 6) and Z (Figures 7
and 8) should be raised by any suitable contrivance so as to be easily and
effectually operated as often as required. In lieu of this a valve or valves
may be so arranged that it or they may be self-acting until the steam is shut
off by a steam cock, actuated either by hand or otherwise, whilst for urinals
or other similar places the rod Y, Figure 8, could be connected to a flap or
other suitable mechanical appliance.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our "Im-
provements in Ships' Waterclosets,"-
First, the employment of steam made to act in ships' waterclosets sub-
stantially in manner and for the purpose herein-before described, and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, constructing ships' waterclosets arranged and acting substantially
as herein-before described, and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edwin William de Rusett and Richard
Farrell Dale, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth
day of April, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.