IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Taylorson Jopling, of Dunning Street,
Bishop Wearmouth, Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATERCLOSETS."
Sealed the 5th October 1858, and dated the 13th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Taylorson Jopling
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1858.
I, THOMAS TAYLORSON JOPLING, of Dunning Street, Bishop Wearmouth, Iron-
founder, do hereby declare the, nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WATERCLOSETS," to be as follows:-.
This Invention consists in arranging waterclosets in the manner herein-after
described, to prevent waste of water, and to render them self-acting. The
closet is furnished with a small supply cistern, for containing the measure of
water to be used at each action of the closet, and the water is supplied to the
cistern by a ball valve, which may be of any ordinary construction, and the
water escapes from the cistern by an outlet valve. The ball valve and outlet
valve are so connected together that when one is opened the other must
necessarily be closed, and this is effected by connecting together the arm of
the ball and the outlet valve by a chain, which passes over a pulley mounted
at the end of a lever, by which the valves are worked. When the end of the
lever with its pulley begins to rise, the chain runs over the pulley, and only

page_text: the arm of the ball valve is lifted so as to shut off the water, but when the
ball has closed the inlet pipe, the ball comes in contact with a stop, which
prevents it from rising higher, and then as the pulley at the end of the lever
still ascends, it lifts the outlet valve, which before was kept down by its own
weight, and the measure of water runs out of the cistern. The lever which
carries the pulley, and which works the valves in the manner above described,
is connected with, a counterpoise, which when the closet is out of use, keeps
the pulley constantly in its highest position, but the weight of a person on the
seat of the closet lifts this counterpoise, and allows the outlet valve of the
cistern to close, and the inlet valve to open, the cistern consequently fills with
water; but when the pressure on the seat is removed, the lever returns to its
former position, and the measure of water is discharged into the pan. In
order by self-acting apparatus to work the valve at the bottom of the pan,
the lever with which this valve is in connection, in place of being attached to
a handle, as has been usual heretofore, is attached to a rod which carries a
float placed in the supply cistern before mentioned. The weight of this float
when the cistern is empty, keeps the valve of the pan closed, but when
water enters the cistern the float has a tendency to rise with the water and to
open the pan; but to prevent this action from taking place too soon, the
movement of the seat caused by the weight of the person using the seat, and
which movement admits the water to the cistern, as above explained, also
locks the valve of the pan, so that it cannot open till the seat again rises, but
then it immediately opens, and remains open while the greater part of the
water runs out of the pan.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Taylorson Jopling in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
TAYLORSON JOPLING, of Dunning Street, Bishop Wearmouth, Ironfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Taylorson Jopling, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Taylorson Jopling, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such

page_text: others as I, the said Thomas Taylorson Jopling, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that the said Thomas Taylorson Jopling, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Thomas Taylorson Jopling, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in arranging waterclosets in the manner herein-after
described, to prevent waste of water, and to render them self-acting. Tho
closet is furnished with a small supply cistern for containing the measure of water
by be used at each action of the closet, and the water is supplied to this cistern
to a ball valve, which may be of any ordinary construction; and the water
escapes from the cistern by an outlet valve. The ball valve and outlet valve
are so connected together, that when one is open the other must necessarily be
closed; and this is effected by connecting together the arm of the ball and the
outlet valve by a chain which passes over a pulley mounted at the end of a
lever by which the valves are worked. When the end of the lever with its
pulley begins to rise, the chain runs over the pulley, and only the arm of the
ball valve is lifted so as to shut off the water, but when the ball has closed the
inlet pipe, the ball comes in contact with a stop, which prevents it from rising
higher, and then as the pulley at the end of the lever still ascends, it lifts the
outlet valve, which before was kept down by its own weight, and the measure
of water runs out of the cistern. The lever which carries the pulley, and which
works the valves in the manner above described, is connected with a counter-
poise, which when the closet is out of use keeps the pulley constantly in its
highest position, but the weight of a person on the seat of the closet lifts this
counterpoise, and allows the outlet valve of the cistern to close, and the inlet
valve to open, the cistern consequently fills with water; but when the pressure
on the seat is removed, the lever returns to its former position, and the

page_text: measure of water is discharged into the pan. In order by self-acting apparatus
to work the valve at the bottom of the pan, the lever with which this valve is
in connection in place of being attached to a handle, as has been usual
heretofore, is attached to a rod which carries a float placed in the supply
cistern before mentioned. The weight of this float when the cistern is empty
keeps the valve of the pan closed, but when water enters the cistern the float
has a tendency to rise with the water and to open the pan; but to prevent
this action from taking place too soon, the movement of the seat caused by
the weight of the person using the seat, and which movement admits the
water to the cistern, as above explained, also. locks the valve of the pan so
that it cannot open till the seat again rises, but then it immediately opens, and
remains open
while the greater part of the water runs out of the pan. .
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a section of a watercloset and apparatus taken from side to
side; Figure 2 shows a section taken from front to back, and Figure 3 is a
plan. A is a cistern to contain the desired quantity of water, and this cistern
is supplied with water from any suitable source by the inlet valve. or. cock B.
The water from the cistern is supplied to the basin D of the watercloset by
the valve C, which is acted on by the weight J, which is used to balance the
lever F, the valves B and C, and to keep the seat of the closet in position.
E is a chain connecting the arm of the cock B and the valve C, such chain
passing over a pulley G, carried by the lever F. The seat I of the closet is
connected to the lever F by the rod H. The seat I moves on axes or
centres K; to the back of the seat a projecting lever or arm L is affixed, to
which the weight J is suspended. The rod L, by which the seat and the
lever F are connected, is attached as shown. N is a lever, which acts on the
pan O by means of a pin which moves in the slot formed in the arm on
the axis to which the pan is attached; M is a stud or upright on the lever N.
At the back end of the lever N is a rod P, which connects that lever with the
float Q, which is kept down till the seat is released, when the buoyancy of the
float moves the pan, and discharges the contents.
I would remark that the above is, I believe, the best means of combining
the mechanical parts used in carrying out my Invention, but variations may
be made therein, which will be understood by reference to Figures 4 and 5,
where two other sections of the reservoir A are shewn in the
arrangement,
Figure 4; the lever F is connected directly to the valve C, and acts by its

page_text: other end under the lever of the cock or valve B. The outlet or supply pipe
is in this arrangement made to rise and fall through a stuffing box or diaphragm.
In the arrangement, Figure 5, there are two levers F, F, used; the other parts
are similar to what have before been described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately; but what I claim are means of
combining the same, herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Taylorson Jopling, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
THOMAS TAYLORSON JOPLING. (L.B.)
JOHN VAUX WOODIFIELD,
5, Somerford Place,
Bishop Wearmouth.