Certain Improvements in Flushing Cisterns.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1895-Accepted, 7th Seif., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Flushing Cisterns.
I, MATTHEW JOSEPH MCNAMARA, of Rea Works, Balsall Heath Road, in the
City of Birmingham, Plumbers Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in constructing flushing cisterns as hereindescribed
whereby the starting of the syphon is rendered more certain (particularly when the
cistern is only partly filled with water) and a very rapid emptying of the cistern by
the syphon is ensured.
I will first describe iny invention as applied to flushing cisterns of that class
which is provided with an open topped upright pipe standing up from a well at the
bottom of the cistern the said stand pipe being continued through the well and
forming the long leg of the syphon which is set in action by moving a bell which
is carried by a lever or otherwise and closes the stand pipe and dips into the said
well.
According to one arrangement of this invention I provide inside the well and
resting on or near the bottom of the same a starting cone or flange which is by
preference of a hollow conical form open at the top and bottom surrounding the
stand pipe and almost as large as the inside of the well. This starting cone or
flange is formed with a tube which extends to or almost to the top of the stand
pipe within the bell and is fixed to the bell by small studs or otherwise so as to
move up and down with it. There is a free access for water from the well through
the bottom of the bell and up the same round the outside of the starting cone or
flange and over the top of the said tube down the stand pipe.
The bell and starting cone or flange attached thereto having been raised so that
the water flows round the narrow space between the starting cone or flange and the
inside of the well to the underside of the cone or flange, then when the bell and
cone or flange are allowed to fall the underside of the cone or flange acts on the
water below it and as the water cannot quickly return round the outside of the
starting cone or flange back to the cistern the water is by the cone or flange
forced up the annular space between the outside of the stand pipe and the inside of
the tube thus starting the syphon and tbeu the water from the cistern enters the
bottom of the bell above the starting cone or flange where as aforesaid the
water has very free access and the water rushes up the bell and down the stand
pipe until the cistern is empty.
:.
In a modification of my invention the upper tubular part of the starting cone or
flange is dispensed with the starting cone or flange is fixed within the lower part of
the bell so as to leave an upwardly inclined annular space or spaces between the
outside of the upper part of the starting cone or flange and the inside of the lower
part of the bell up which inclined space the water from the cistern is sucked as
soon as the syphon is set in action.
In a further modification of my invention the starting cone or flange and the bell
are cast or otherwise formed together in one piece, that is to say, the bottom part of the
bell is made like an enlarged bell mouth or flange and immediately above this
I provide in the bell one or more upwardly inclined slots or holes so that when the
bell has been raised and allowed to fall to start the syphon as above described the
water below the starting cone or flange has, owing to the peculiar inclined form of

page_text: the slots or holes in the bell, but little tendency to flow out through these slots or
holes and is therefore forced upwardly within the bell and down the top of the
stand pipe and then when the syphon has thus been set in action the water rushing
up inside the bell forms an induced current and sucks the water from the outside
through the said slots or holes continuing the flush and emptying the cistern very
rapidly.
According to another arrangement of my invention the bell is fixed to the stand
pipe so as to remain stationary and is provided with the starting cone or flange at
its lower end this starting cone or flange being in this case located some little
distance above the bottom of the well. In the well below the bottom of the
starting cone or flange I provide an annular or other plate corresponding with the
shape of the well which by means of wires or rods passing up through holes in
the starting cone or flange is lifted or allowed to fall. Under ordinary conditions
this plate rests on or near the bottom of the well but when it is required to start
the syphon the plate is lifted by the wires or rods thus lifting the water which is
above the plate and forcing it up inside the bell round and down the stand pipe thus
starting the syphon and then the water from the tank rushes up through the inclined
passage or passages between the top of the starting cone or flange and the lower
part of the bell giving the rapid flush as stated above.
When my invention is applied to one of those flushing cisterns which is made with
an inverted U shaped syphon I arrange the starting coue or flange with the moving
plate underneath it in the well similarly as in the example of my invention last
described, but the starting cone or flange is fixed to the bottom of the short leg of
the syphon which dips in the well and is made with an inclined or other flange so as
to form the upwardly inclined or other passage or passages for the water from the
cistern up the syphon when the syphon is in action.
It will be understood that what I have described as a starting cone or flange need
not necessarily be circular in plan as it may be square oblong or of other shape
corresponding with the interior of the well and inclined like a cone or made
bellmouthed or flat.
Dated this 18th day of October 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
Certain Improvements in Flushing Cisterns.
1, MATTHEW JOSEPH MCNAMARA, of Rea Works, Balsall Heath, in the City
of Birmingham, Plumbers Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this
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 in constructing flushing cisterns as nerein described
whereby the starting of the syphou is rendered more certain (particularly when the
cistern is only partly filled with water) and a very rapid emptying of the cistern
by the syphon is ensured.
I will first describe my invention as applied to a flushing cistern of that kind
which is provided with an open topped upright pipe standing up from a well at the
bottom of the cistern the said stand pipe being continued through the well and
forming the long leg of the syphon which is set in action by moving a bell which is
carried by a lever or otherwise and closes the stand pipe and dips into the
said well.
On the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a flushing cistern of this kind with any invention
annlied

page_text: Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same kind of flushing cistern illustrating a
modification of my invention and
Fig. 3 shews my invention applied to one of those flushing cisterns which is made
with an inverted U shaped syphon for emptying the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
According to one arrangement of this invention illustrated by Fig. 1 I provide
inside the well a cf the tank A and resting on or near the bottom of the same what
I call a starting cone marked B which is open at the top b' and at the bottom 6* and
is by preference made of the hollow bell mouth form shewn and circular in plan
corresponding with the circular shape of the well a, but this starting cone need not
necessarily be circular in plan as it may be square, oblong or of other shape in plan
corresponding with the interior of the well a and instead of being bell mouthed as
shewn it may be a straight incline. The starting cone B surrounds the usual stand
pipe C and is almost as large as the inside of the well and is fixed to the bottom of
the hell D as by the connecting pegs k and moves up and down with the bell D to
start the syphon as hereinafter described. The top of the starting cone B euters
the open bottom of the bell D which latter is slightly enlarged so as to form an
upwardly inclined annular space or spaces e between the outside of the upper
part of the starting cone or flange B and the inside of the lower part d' of the
bell. Up this inclined space e the water from the cistern A is sucked as soon as the
syphon is set in action as hereinafter described.
To start the syphon the bell D with the starting cone B attached thereto have
first to be raised which can be done by well known means such as the lever f (and
a pull chain) so that the water in the tank and well flows round the narrow space g
between the starting cone B and the inside of the well a to the inside of the cone B.
The bell and cone are then allowed to fall and the underside of the cone B will
then act on the water below it and as the water cannot quickly return to the tank
round the outside of the starting cone B the water within the cone and bell is by
the conical or bell mouthed or inclined form of the cone B forced up the annular
space between the outside of the stand pipe C to the inside of the bell D thus
starting the syphon, and then the water continues to be sucked from the well a up
the inclined space or spaces e until the cistern A is empty. It will be observed
that when the bell D has been raised and allowed to fall to start the syphon
as above described, the water within the starting cone and bell has, owing to the
peculiar inclined form of the passage e, but little tendency to flow out therethrough
and is therefore forced upwardly within the bell and down the top of the stand pipe
as aforesaid, and then when the syphon has thus been set in action the water
rushing up the inside of the bell forms an induced current and sucks the water from
the outside through the inclined passage or passages e. as stated above thus
continuing the flush and emptying the cistern very rapidly.
According to another arrangement of my invention shewn by Fig. 2 the bell D
is fixed as by the studs to the stand pipe C so as to remain stationary and is
provided with the starting cone B at its lower end this starting cone being in this
case located some little distance above the bottom of the well and leaving the
upwardly inclined water passage or passages e at the bottom of the bell as stated
above. In the well a below the bottom of the starting cone B, I provide an
annular or other plate J corresponding with the shape of the well a which by
means of wires or rods j passing up through holes in the starting cone B can be
lifted or allowed to fall. The wires or rods are or may be operated by
the ordinary starting lever f shewn in Fig. 1. Uuder ordinary conditions this
plate J rests on or near the bottom of the well a but when it is required to start the
syphon the plate J is lifted by the wires or rods thus lifting the water which
is above the plate J and forcing it up inside the hell B round and down the stand
pipe C thus starting the syphon, and then the water from the tank A rushes up
through the inclined passage or passages e between the top of the starting cone B
and the lower part of the bell D giving the rapid flush as stated above.

page_text: When my invention is applied to one of those flushing cisterns which is made
with an inverted U shaped syphon I arrange the starting cone B with the moving
plate J underneath it in the well a similarly as' in the example of my invention last
described, but the starting cone or 'flange is fixed as shewn in Fig. 3 to the bottom
of the short leg C on the syphon which dips in the well a and is made with an
inclined or other flange d' so as with the bell to form the upwardly inclined passage
or passages e for the water from the cistern to flow up the syphon when the syphon
is in action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a flushing cistern made with a well having a bell syphon therein, the
combination with the moving bell of the syphon of a starting cone fixed to the
bottom of the same so as to form an upwardly inclined passage or upwardly inclined
passages through which the water will only flow freely up the bell when the syphon
is started, said cone being also made to almost fit the well to prevent the water
passing back between the bell and the well when the bell is falling to start
the syphon, all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 1 of
the accompanying drawings.
2. In a flushing cistern made with a well and having a bell syphon therein, the
combination with the fixed bell D of the syphon of the starting cone B fixed to the
bottom of the same so as to form an upwardly inclined passage e or upwardly
inclined passages through which the water will only flow freely up the bell when
the syphon is started and the disc or plate J arranged in the well under the
starting cone and adapted to be moved up to start the syphon, all substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a flushing cistern made with a well and having an inverted syphon dipping
therein, the combination with the short leg C' of the syphon of the starting cone B
fixed to the bottom of the same so as to form an upwardly inclined passage e or
upwardly inclined passages through which the water will only flow freely up the
syphon when the syphon is started and the disc or plate J arranged in the well
under the starting cone and adapted to be moved up to start the syphon all
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 2 of the accompanying
.drawings.
Dated this 18th day of July 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.