Improvements in or relating to Water-waste Preventers Flushing Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Water-waste Preventers
Flushing Apparatus.
or
We, JOHN JONES of 40 Sydney Street, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex,
Builder, FREDERICK TEMPLAR FARRER, of 17 Flood Street, Chelsea aforesaid,
Sanitary Engineer, and WILLIAM WALTERS BROWN, of 15 Milman Street,
Chelsea aforesaid, Plumber, 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 is applicable to water-waste preventers or flushing apparatus
constructed as usually or, as set forth in the Specifications of Letters Patent
granted to us No. 12063 June 19 A.D. 1893 and No. 9189 May 9 A.D. 1894, that is
to say wherein each such device comprises a syphon having a bend or chamber
(seal chamber) in which, when the flushing apparatus is at rest, or in other words,
water is not flowing through it, there is sufficient water, which is independent of
that in the cistern proper, to close the connection between the flushing pipe and the
main body of water in the cistern.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Figure 1 is a view showing our invention applied to flushing apparatus which, in
general, is of ordinary construction, the flushing cistern being shown in section and
all the other parts in elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the valve and part of the pipes connected
thereto, shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan of the valve with the pipes shown in cross section.
Figure 5 shows in vertical section a modified construction of the valve represented
in Figures 1, 3 and 4, applied directly to the flushing cistern instead of connected
at a distance below it as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, and
Figure 7 is a section of a modified form of the valve represented in Figure 5,
showing it applied (principally within the flushing cistern) to a syphon constructed
according to the before-mentioned Letters Patent.
Figures 1 and 2 are drawn to a smaller scale than that to which Figures 4 to 7
(inclusive) are drawn.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the flushing cistern the bottom of which is provided with
two openings for the connection of, one, the flushing pipe B and syphon C and the
other, the pipe D.
The syphon C may be of any ordinary construction but we prefer to flatten it at
the upper part C' as represented so as to convert the pipe which at other parts
may be circular in cross section, into a comparatively narrow passage which is
horizontal in the direction of its greater width and which may be of any desired
width from top to bottom consistent with the maintenance of the full or general
area of the pipe; in other words the narrower it is from top to bottom the longer
must it be in the horizontal or transverse direction. The pipe C however at this
part C¹ need not be flattened at both top and bottom as the flattening of the bottom
only will suffice.
This arrangement we regard as desirable as we have found that with a pipe of

page_text: circular section at the syphon it sometimes happens that the quantity of water
which passes over the syphon at the opening of the controlling valve (hereinafter
described) is not sufficient to start the syphonic discharge but only sufficient to
start the device dribbling which thereafter continues at the same rate as that at
which the water is supplied to the cistern A, this being very slow by reason of the
cistern being practically full and the ball-cock (not shown in the drawings)
consequently nearly closed.
The valve above referred to is secured by a curved flange E¹ to one side of the
flushing pipe B, through the wall of which, for this purpose, a suitable opening is
formed as shown in Figure 3. When the pipe B is of lead, as we generally prefer
it should be, we secure the flange E¹ to it by solder; other means may however be
provided for this purpose if desired. E is the body of the valve (the letter E, for
convenience, is also hereinafter used for referring to the valve as a whole), provided
with a seat E2, Figure 3, against which the valve F is normally held by a spring Fl
which at one end bears upon the cover E³ closing-in the outer part of the body E
and at the other end against the underside of the button or head F' secured on the
outer end of the valve spindle F³.
We prefer to connect the spindle F³ to the valve body E by means of an india-
rubber or other flexible diaphragn G which may be secured to the body E by
means of the cover E³, a washer E being preferably interposed between the
cover E³ and the diaphragm G as shown in Figure 3 to prevent friction between
these two parts when the cover is screwed on to the body. Any indiscriminate
unscrewing of the cover E³ from the body E is prevented by the pinching screw E.
The cover E³ is preferably provided with a sleeve E over which fits a sleeve F
projecting from the underside of the head F2, the two sleeves being arranged to
enclose the before-mentioned spring F' and when the spindle F³ is pushed inwards
to open the valve, to telescope, F over E. H is a screw screwed into a hole in
the sleeve E, and engaging with a slot or recess in the sleeve F* to prevent any
rotation of the head F2 in relation to the valve spindle F3 or to the fixed parts of
the valve.
The valve spindle F³ may be secured to the flexible diaphragm G in any
convenient manner so as to secnre a tight joint between the two parts.
E' is a guide conveniently formed in part with the valve body E for supporting
the valve spindle F3 centrally within the latter. Es is a branch opening out from the
body E and to which is connected the lower end of the before-mentioned pipe D as
shown in Figure 1.
When it is desired to discharge the contents of the flushing cistern A, all that is
necessary is to momentarily push the valve F away from its seat E when the water
contained in the pipe D and probably also some of that from the cistern A will
pass through the inlet E, valve body E and between the valve F and its seat E
into the pipe B in descending through which it forms a partial vacuum above it
and thereby sucks the water over the bend of the syphon Ċ so that the remainder
of the water in the flushing cistern is immediately thereafter discharged by syphonic
action. The valve F should be released and allowed to return to its seat E² under
the influence of the spring F as soon as the syphonic discharge has commenced.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 5 and 6 the valve, which is a modification
of that hereinbefore described, is connected directly to the bottom of the cistern A,
which latter as regards this connection and the syphon C may be similar to the
arrangement shown in Figure 1. Here the valve F is arranged to operate in the
axial line of the pipe D and is pressed on its seat by the spring F which acts at
one end on the shoulder F' of the valve spindle F3 and at the other end against
the inside of the hollow plug or gland E which screws into the stuffing-box E
forming virtually a part of the valve body E, the packing I in said box main-
taining a tight joint around the valve-spindle F³. In the arrangement shown in
Figure 5, the valve body E is formed in part with the tabe B' to which it is
connected by a branch E which in cross section is preferably of oval form as
shown in Figure 6, the tube B₁ constituting virtually a part of the flushing

page_text: pipe B instead however of using the tube B₁, the branch E' may be provided
with a curved flange such as E' in Figures 1, 3 and 4 which may be fitted to
the flushing pipe B in the manner hereinbefore described in reference to those
figures.
To the lower end of the valve spindle F³ is attached a chain or equivalent J by
means of which, against the influence of the spring F1, the valve F may be drawn
away from its seat and some of the water thereby allowed to flow out of the
cistern A through the brauch E' into the pipe B so as to start the syphonic
discharge as previously described.
The valve shown in Figure 7 is of substantially the same construction as that
last described the only appreciable difference being in the way or position in which
it is connected to the cistern A this being modified to suit the different form of
syphon to which it is connected. Here the greater portion of the valve or valve
body is located within the cistern A and the pipe D thereof is connected to the seal
chamber C2 of the syphon C which, as regards the chamber C' and in other
respects is constructed and operates in substantially the manner set forth in our
aforesaid Specifications Nos. 1206393 and 91894
The before described devices may be modified without departing from the spirit.
of the invention for example instead of the valves set forth we may use an ordinary
cock which may or may not be provided with means such as a spring or weighted
arm for closing it as soon as it is released by the operator; again the invention
may be applied to any construction of stationary syphon or to syphons which
originally had moving parts but in accordance with our aforesaid Specification
No. 9189 are used as fixed syphons, that is to say, syphons having no moving
parts; or to a syphon having any of the various forms of seal chamber set forth
in our previous Specifications; moreover instead of the arrangements herein
described and illustrated in the drawings we may employ any other form of
auxiliary jet for starting the syphonic action. By the term "auxiliary jet as
herein employed we imply any device for delivering a jet of liquid other than the
main discharge column into the downtake or discharging leg of the syphon.
By dispensing with the pipe D and valve E the apparatus shown in Figure 1
may be used for automatically flushing drains and other places.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;-
1. Starting syphonic discharge by means of an auxiliary jet delivered into the
discharging or longer leg of the syphon.
2. In a water-waste preventer or flushing apparatus the combination with the
flushing cistern a syphon and a flushing pipe communicating directly with the
syphon of a second pipe for establishing direct communication between the flushing
pipe and the cistern and a cock or valve for making and breaking said com-
munication substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a water-waste preventer or flushing apparatus the combination with the
flushing cistern a syphon a flushing pipe and a seal chamber such as C² of a
second pipe such as D E located within the cistern for establishing communication
between the seal chamber and the flushing pipe and a valve for making aud
breaking said communication substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 7
of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a water-waste preventer or flushing apparatus the combination with two
pipes such as B and D connected in the manner set forth of the complete valve
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In a water-waste preventer or flushing apparatus the combination with two
pipes such as B and D connected in the manner set forth of the complete valve

page_text: substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. In a water-waste preventer or flushing apparatus the combination with the
flushing cistern a syphon and a seal chamber such as C3 of the complete valve
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. A self-closing or screw down tap in which the valve proper opens directly
into the pipe to which the tap is secured without the employment of a special
chamber in the valve body substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st don
JOHN JONES.
WILLIAM WALTERS BROWN.
FREDERICK TEMPLAR FARRER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.