IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS & IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Booth Bryan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th March 1881.
WILLIAM BOOTH BRYAN, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS & IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention has reference to those closets which are generally flushed by
means of common valves from ordinary tanks, or by flushing apparatus arranged
so as to prevent waste of water. They are built at a level somewhat lower than
the ground floor of the houses, and in some cases the slop water is caused to pass
through the traps below the pans or basins with a view of flushing them.
The latter method is of no use whatever in removing away the excretal matter,
and the pans become exceedingly offensive and injurious to health, as the weight
of slop water passed into the trap at one time is never sufficient.
In towns where the water supply is more or less limited other systems have of
necessity been resorted to, such as the "pail system" and the "dry earth
system."
According to my present Invention I intercept and use the slop water and other
waste water from the premises as well as the roof water or part thereof, and as
much surface water as can be conveniently drained into the tank of my improved
system, but I do-not require any fresh water for flushing purposes from the town
service pipes.
Instead of allowing the slop water to flow direct to the closet pans or traps, or
to continually dribble through when only small quantities are emptied into the
house drain, I intercept this water by a tank of suitable capacity, which I prefer
to have provided with self acting arrangements for emptying itself once or twice &
day, but only when it becomes full.
In applying these improvements to the closets of artizans' cottages where the
self acting flushing tanks may be deemed too expensive, an ordinary tank may be
used, with an outlet valve placed so as to be very accessable, and this valve can be
opened once or twice a day. This tank is provided with an overflow, so that
during rainy weather and whenever.it is full it can overflow to the sewer so long
as the valve remains closed.

page_text: The flushing tanks when self acting may be constructed according to the method
invented by Rogers Field, or in any other way that is not liable to derangement,
but in all cases I prefer to make them of pieces of glazed earthenware, although
iron may be used for the minor parts thereof.
The pans or basins of the closets are fixed in the line of the drain which leads
from the tank to the main or other sewer near to that part of the premises. The
bottom of the pan rests upon a suitable trap with the inlet from flushing tank a
little higher than the outlet to sewer.
In horizontal section these pans are oval, so as to get a greater distance than
usual from front to back, and the opening in the closet seat is kept well to the
front, leaving considerably more space to the back of the pans. than to the front,
so as to prevent excreta falling on the sides of the pans. They are of glazed
earthenware and in sections for handiness in making and fixing, as well as to be
capable of adjusting themselves to different heights.
In the self acting tank when the water rises to nearly the top thereof, the
flushing arrangement is set in motion and the water rushes through the drain
towards the closet. By entering the pan trap above the level of the excretal
matter in the trap, the force of water from the tank propels the contents of the
trap to the sewer, leaving the pan clean for future use.
In the ordinary tank worked by a hand valve the action in the flushing is the
same as just described, but the system is not so perfect or satisfactory as when
worked by self acting tanks.
A great advantage will accrue to local authorities by reason of there being no
increase required in the quantity of town's water and in the volume of sewage to
be dealt with afterwards, as would otherwise be the case in extending every other
system of water closets which have to be supplied with fresh water.
The entire cost of the collection and disposal of the contents of the pails, where
the pails or dry earth system is adopted, will be saved by adopting my improved
system as herein before described.