CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER- CLOSETS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Fielding Fletcher, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-
CLOSETS."
Sealed the 3rd November 1855, and dated the 4th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fielding Fletcher at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th May 1855.
I, FIELDING FLETCHER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer of Water-closets and General Plumber's Work, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS
to be as follows, that is to say:-
My improvements consist in dispensing with the ordinary soil pan, and the
usual flushing of the closet (after use) I effect by means of a side valve acted
upon by a weight or spring attached to a simple or compound lever, and
which has to be lifted or overcome by a lever or vertical handle, by the pulling
of which the closet will immediately empty itself through the now open valve,
and which by the same action will open a valve in the reservoir for reple-
nishing the closet with a fresh supply of water. The lower part or seat for
receiving the basin I propose making of cast iron, and enameling it on the
inside; but it can be made of china or earthenware. This arrangement

page_text: greatly economises the price, and at the same time (from its simplicity of
construction) renders it less liable to the derangement that attends closets
of the usual construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Fielding Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FIELDING
FLETCHER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Fielding Fletcher, Her special license that I, the said Fielding
Fletcher, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Fielding Fletcher, my 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Fielding Fletcher, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Fielding Fletcher, 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 (that is to say):
My Invention has for its object the constructing of water-closets in such a
way that they shall not be liable to the constant and common derangement to
which ordinary closets are almost universally subject. This arises principally
from their too often delicate mechanism, and subjecting the working parts to
sudden and violent action, which from their peculiar position is often corroded
or deteriorated by continued exposure to moisture, in addition to which the

page_text: substantianty and durability at a considerable reduction on the ordinary cost
of water-closets; but as my description will be much aided by reference to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, I will proceed to describe the same, observing that
in the various views I have used the same letter of reference to denote the same
parts as they occur in each Figure.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view of a closet made on my improved arrangements,
but for convenience have represented it as being supplied with water in two
ways; the one being adapted for situations where a reservoir and connecting
wires are already fixed, and the other representing my self-acting arrangement
for the same purpose. C represents a cast-iron pan, which may be enamelled
on the inside, and extends to the flange D, D, in one or more castings; and E
is the valve box, also made of cast iron or other suitable material, and which
may be enamelled on the inside or not. This valve box is united to C by the
screw and flanges D, D, with the leather washer between, as represented. F
is a stand, attached to or cast on to C, for the purpose of resting on the floor
and supporting C in its proper position; G is a continuation of the valve box,
extending down in a circular form, to which the soil pipe must be attached
in the ordinary way; H is simply a standard, screwed into a projecting plate on
the valve box, for the purpose of supporting the handle socket I; J is a lever
attached to an axis K, which axis is cranked on the inside, as will be described
in another Figure; and L is a weight placed on the end of the lever, capable
of regulation as required; and M represents the basin resting on a projecting
flange of the pan; but in some instances, where economy is an object, tho
china or earthenware basin may be dispensed with, and the pan cast suffi-
ciently high up, which, being enamelled on the inside, would render the
addition of a basin unnecessary; or the whole pan and basin may be formed
of china or earthenware. But before proceeding to describe the action, I will
refer to the other Figures.
Figure 2 represents a side view of the closet immediately opposite the valvo
box E, shewing an end view of the weight L and lever J, with a side view of
the axis K, to which the lever is attached.
Figure 3 represents a vertical section of Figure One, shewing the valve N
closed, and the water in the pan extending up on a level with the lower internal
orifice of the syphon or waste pipe O, as indicated by the dotted line extending

page_text: to the same letter on the pan M; the lever J, weight L, and handle box I being
shewn in dotted lines.
Figuro 4 is a sectional view identical with Figure 3, with the exception that
the valve N is represented open, and the contents of the closet having emptied
itself, as indicated by the arrows; and to effect this, the lever J must have
been raised from its position, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, to the position
shewn in dotted lines in this Figure, which would be effected by pulling up
the handle P attached to the lever J by the connecting rod Q.
Figure 5 represents a vertical section of the valve box E, taken through
A and B of Figure 1, shewing a front view of the valve N and the crank
part of the axis K, K, which crank part being clipped by the loop R, repre-
sented in an edge view, Figures 3 and 4, shews that when the lever J is pulled
up by the handle it opens the valve, which from its capacity allows the pan to
at once empty itself, the rushing or sudden falling of which renders this
operation most complete.
The flushing of this closet may be effected in the ordinary way, as shown
by the wire connected with the lever J, in Figure One, which should be extended
by cranks and wires to a reservoir above; and by opening a valve in the reser--
voir, the water will descend by the supply pipe S, and distribute itself around
the basin in the usual way, the surplus being carried away by means of the
pipe or syphon O, which is connected with the bottom of the pan C (as shewn
in the sections 3 and 4), and the other end to the top of the valve box E, thus
precluding the escape through this pipe or siphon of any unpleasant effluvia,
by it being constantly wholly or partially charged with water; but as this
old mode of flushing closets has been found (from experience) to be subject to
great irregularities, such as the freezing of the water in the reservoir in the
winter seasons, as well as the stretching of the wire from the frequent straining
and pulling to which it is subjected, independant of its irregular action, and
almost constant waste of water, a defect so universal and glaring that water
companies have universally objected to supplying closets from the main, and
this defect is entirely remedied by my self-acting arrangement, which I will
proceed to describe:-Just bebind the basin, and connected with the supply
pipe, I introduce a valve, and for this purpose I bave found Lambart's valve
tap to answer well, and its construction being well understood, I have not
thought it necessary to draw it in detail, but have simply shown its outward
forms, and which is exhibited in a side view at T, Figure 2, where it is repre-
sented connected with the basin or pan at the lower end, and to the supply
pipe S by a union joint, shewn in section at U, U. From the lower side of
this valve projecting downward is a pin marked V, which rests on a lever,

page_text: which lever is united by a hinge joint to the clip X, which may be fastened
in any convenient way, or rest on a wood support, as here represented broken
off, marked Z.
As this description will be better understood from a front view, I will proceed
to describe it as exhibited at Figure One, observing that the lover W, clip X,
and pin V are shewn in dotted lines, as also the lower part of the valve T and
wood block Z; and continuing the further description of the parts, it will bo
seen that at the end of the lever W is a float, shewn in section, and marked A',
baving a regulating rod screwed into it from the top, with a slot at the top
end, through which the lever passes. The float A' is placed within the vessel,
shewn in section, and marked B', B', B', B', resting on a cast-iron stand,
marked C, C, (but of course any suitable stand may be substituted.) At the
bottom of the vessel B', I attach a tube, marked D', the other end of which is
united to the back of the pan in the position represented by the dotted circle
E', and from the top of the vessel B' is united the tube F, which is bent
down in the syphon form, and extends along behind the pan, as shewn by the
dotted lines, and terminating on the top of the valve box E, in the same way
in which the tube O now terminates; and I will observe, that acccording to
the amount of pressure required to the under side of the valve to resist the
pressure of the water in the main or reservoir, so must the float be regulated;
I mean as to size or length of the lever. And having described the different
parts, I will now explain their use in action.
We will suppose the handle in the cup I to be pulled up, opening the valve,
as shewn in Figure 4: it is evident that the water in the pan will immediately
flow out, as also will the water in the vessel B', B', by passing away through
the tube D' and E', when the float A' will immediately descend as its support
leaves it, and the upward pressure against the valve V being removed, a free
passage will be opened through the supply pipe to the pan, through which a
rush of water will pass according to the pressure, thereby flushing the closet;
and if the handle P, shewn in Figure 4, be liberated, the valve will be again
closed by the weight L, thereby stopping the flow of water through the pan,
and as it rises it will flow back through the pipe E' and D₁ to the vessel,
causing the float A' to rise up, lifting the lever, which by means of the float
presses on the valve pin V until the flow of water in the supply pipe is entirely
stopped; but should there be (from any accidental cause or a want of adjust-
ment in the parts) an excess of water in the pan, the surplus would be carried
off by the syphon F', F', as in the former case.
Figure 6 represents a pan, partly shewn in section, extending down and
fitting into a cast-iron socket, into which it is secured by cement. G³, G', are

page_text: flanges for uniting this part to the valve box. As in the former case, this Figure
is introduced for the purpose of exhibiting the basin best suited to the self-
acting flushing apparatus, as before described at Figures 1 and 2.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and how the same may
be carried into effect, I wish it understood that I lay no claim to any particular
size or dimensions, or to the particular shape or material of any part thereof;
but what I do claim as my Invention is,―-
The dispensing with the ordinary soil pan in the manner herein exhibited,
without any regard to the shape of the side valve, as the case may be round,
oval, or any other suitable shape, or to the material such valve may be made
of, or whether such valve be regulated by an helical or other suitable spring
or weight.
Secondly, I claim as my Invention the self-acting apparatus, as herein
described, for regulating. the supply of water to water-closets, by means of a
lever and float without any regard to the shape or size of the several parts, as
they are capable of considerable modification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Fielding Fletcher, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
FIELDING FLETCHER. (LS.)
Witness to the signing of Fielding Fletcher,
J. S. COCKINGS,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.