NEW OR IMPROVED WATER SUPPLYING AND REGULATING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Smith at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 27th January 1880.
"
ROBERT SMITH, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain, Foreman
Brass Finisher. NEW OR IMPROVED WATER SUPPLYING AND REGULATING
APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to a new or improved construction of water supplying
and regulating apparatus for water closets and other analogous purposes, specially
designed for preventing waste of water, by regulating the flushing and after-
flushing of the closet basin or other receptacle; and which is more simple and
efficient in its action as well as less liable to get out of order, and more easily
repaired than apparatus of this kind hitherto in use.
The improved apparatus comprises a lower shallow cylindrical or annular water
chamber, connected either directly to a main water service pipe or with a service
supply cistern, and fitted with an upper hollow chambered cover, carrying the
regulating valve or valves and operating lever, the two parts being formed with
flanges and held together by bolts, and the joint between them being rendered
fluid pressure tight by a strong leather or vulcanised rubber washer, which passes
entirely across to form a diaphragm valve, and divides the space enclosed between
the lower chamber and upper cover into two separate compartments. The water
enters through the bottom of the lower chamber by a tubular opening or inlet
orifice, suitably screwed and fitted with a coupling for attachment to a service pipe,
or so as to be fitted in a water cistern, this tubular opening being at or near the
centre of the lower chamber, and reaching up to the leather or rubber diaphragm
valve to form a seat for it. The water passes into the lower chamber when the
diaphragm valve is open, and through an outlet at one side to the discharge pipe
leading to the closet basin, but a portion of the water entering the tubular, inlet is
also allowed to pass into the hollowed chamber in the cover, above the diaphragm,
by a small water-way or passage cored out in one side of the castings forming the
diaphragm valve chamber, and leading from the tubular admission orifice up
through the cover joint or washer into the upper compartment; and the size of
this passage may be contracted or varied to regulate the flow of the water through
it by means of a screwed plug or tap, or other equivalent actuated by a handle or
lever outside, and secured by a jam nut and washer. The upper hollowed compart-
ment or part of the water chamber communicates by a larger lateral open water
way with a valve chamber fitted with a pair of rubber washer valves on a vertical
spindle with an intermediate or central double valve seat, through which the water
can only pass when both valves are open; and the valve spindle passes up and out
through a stuffing-box in the upper part of the valve chamber, and is connected to
the usual weighted lever, acted on by the closet handle. This bandle, when lifted,
causes the valve spindle to descend, and the lower valve to open whilst the upper
valve descends, and on the full depression of the spindle closes the upper valve on

page_text: its seat, the spindle and valves rising again when the closet handle is let go; and
when this handle is lifted and lowered the water from the upper compartment or
hollow cover of the chamber passes through the open waterway into the valve
chamber and through the valve seats to the discharge outlet to the closet basin.
The surface of the diaphragm valve is considerably greater on its upper side than
the area of the inlet orifice on its under face, and when the apparatus is not in
action (the pressure of the water above and below being equal, but acting on a
greater area above than below), the valve then remains closed; but the escape of
this water from the upper compartment by the opening of its outlet valve relieving
the pressure of the water above the diaphragm, the now greater pressure of the
water below lifts the diaphragm valve, and allows a full flow of water to pass.
through the inlet into the lower compartment, and thence through the discharge
outlet and pipe to flush the closet basin. The upper outlet valve being now
closed by the holding up of the closet handle, the upper compartment is gradually
filled again through the small regulated passage communicating with the water
inlet, and as it fills the diaphragm is pressed down till it closes the inlet, and the
flushing of the closet ceases. When the closet handle is dropped and the pan of
the closet closed, a further quantity of water again escapes from the upper com-
partment through the outlet valves during their travel until the lower valve closes
up against its seat, and this allows the diaphragm to be lifted again, to admit of a
discharge of water into and through the lower compartment of the water chamber
sufficient for the after-flush of the closet before the gradual filling of the upper
compartment through the small regulated water-way or passage causes the
diaphragm valve to close down.
The diaphragm valve may consist merely of a sheet of leather or vulcanised
rubber, also serving the purpose of a washer between the joints; or it might have
a stiffening and strengthening metal plate or washer fitted on its upper side
immediately over the inlet orifice, and held by a screwed nut and pin or other
equivalent, which would reach nearly to the top of the upper hollow chamber, and
prevent the force of the water when entering below from pressing the diaphragm
too high and bursting it.
The only part of the apparatus requiring occasional renewal is this leather or
rubber diaphragm; and with the arrangements described the advantage is obtained
that only a definitely fixed quantity of water can be used at one operation, both
for the flushing and after-flushing of the closet; but this supply can however be
regulated to suit particular cases by adjusting the size of the communicating
water way or passage between the upper compartment of the water chamber, and
the inlet from the lower, so as to allow a greater or shorter interval and pro-
portionate flow of water to effect the flushing and after-flushing operations.
By another modification of the improved apparatus intended to be used more
especially where the saving of water is not a desideratum, or where a continuous
uninterrupted flow is desired for flushing a closet, the upper outlet valve on the
valve spindle is dispensed with, and by this means when the closet handle is
drawn up, the single valve is lowered from its seat and the water escaping from
the upper compartment of the chamber a continuous flushing occurs, so long as the
handle is held up; but on its being lowered again the valve closes up against its
seat, allowing the upper compartment to fill again, and only gives time before the
diaphragm valve closes for a sufficient discharge of water through the lower
chamber for the after flush.
Either of the modifications of the improved apparatus described may obviously
be used for the water supply for shower baths, and for other similar purposes.