IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER- CLOSETS, AND THE VALVES AND BASINS OF THE SAME
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Demarest, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-
CLOSETS, AND THE VALVES AND BASINS OF THE SAME."
Sealed the 27th September 1878, and dated the 15th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Demarest at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1878.
JOHN DEMAREST, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS, AND THE VALVES AND BASINS OF THE SAME"
The bowl of the closet is provided with an opening at the bottom closed by a
valve that shuts upwardly.
There is an ascending overflow that allows the escape of surplus water; the same
runs down through a waterway into the receiver behind the upward-closing valve
to keep the receiver clean at this portion.
The receiver opens at the bottom to the sewer pipe.
The basin valve is operated by an arm upon a weighted rock shaft; the opening
through which the shaft passes is rendered tight by a washer. The weighted arm
of the rock shaft outside the receiver is acted upon by teeth upon a lever that
receives motion from the ordinary watercloset pull.
In some instances the basin of the closet is made with nearly.straight sides and
overflow passages, to which a valve is applied to exclude sewer gas.
The valve that admits water to the closet is operated by a cam on the rock shaft,
and it is provided with a cup-leather piston and spring to regulate the gradual
closing of the valve.
A cock is applied at the spreader (where the water issues to wash the basin),
such cock having connected with its barrel a pipe and a jet at the end. When this
pipe is not in use it is around the upper part of the basin; when it is turned down
for use the jet occupies a position nearly central to the basin, and serves to wash
the person when the supply of water is admitted to the basin, thus giving the
bidet" closet.
convenience heretofore obtained by the appliance known as a
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Demarest in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th January
1879.
JOHN DEMAREST, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS, AND THE VALVES AND BASINS OF THE SAME."
The bowl of the closet is provided with an opening at the bottom closed by a
valve that shuts upwardly.
There is an ascending overflow that allows the escape of surplus water; the same
runs down through a waterway into the receiver behind the upward-closing valve
to keep the receiver clean at this portion.
The receiver opens at the bottom to the sewer pipe:
The basin valve is operated by an arm upon a weighted rock shaft; the opening
through which the shaft passes is rendered tight by a washer. The weighted arm
of the rock shaft outside the receiver is acted upon by teeth upon a lever that
receives motion from the ordinary watercloset pull.
In some instances the basin of the closet is made with nearly straight sides and
overflow passages, to which a valve is applied to exclude sewer gas.
The valve that admits water to the closet is operated by a cam on the rock shaft,
and it is provided with a cup-leather piston and spring to regulate the gradual
closing of the valve.
A cock is applied at the spreader (where the water issues to wash the basin),
such cock having connected with its barrel a pipe and a jet at the end. When this
pipe is not in use it is around the upper part of the basin; when it is turned down
for use the jet occupies a position nearly central to the basin, and serves to wash
the person when the supply of water is admitted to the basin, thus giving the
convenience heretofore obtained by the appliance known as a "bidet closet."
In the Drawing,-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the closet.
"
2 is a plan of the valve seat.
"
3 is a section of the spindle of the valve lever; and
"
4 is a section of the valve that supplies water to the closet.
The basin a is of the usual conical form, open at the bottom and provided with a
flange a' that rests upon and is cemented to the upper end of the hopper b, which
hopper is conical in shape and sufficiently large to surround the lower end of the
basin and leave an overflow water space between the two parts; and at one side of
this hopper there is an enlargement forming a channel that opens over the top of
the overflow dam d to the descending waterway e that leads the overflow water
into the receiver f behind the valve hereafter described, so as to wash out such
receiver at this portion, which in valve closets heretofore made frequently becomes
coated with offensive matter.
The hopper b is flanged at its lower end, such flange k resting upon and being
bolted to the flange at the upper end of the receiver f; and in the top of the
receiver is a recess that receives the plate n forming the seat for the valve. This
plate is preferably made with an opening large enough to receive a ring 2 that is
'secured in and preferably projects below the plate for the valve m to close against.
The joints between the flanges and this plate are cemented.
The valve m is made of an elastic ring 3 below the porcelain or enameled
surface 4 and above the flange 5; and the arms o from this valve m extend to the
hinge pin 6 that passes also through lugs 7 on the under side of the plate n.
holes for this pin 6 are sufficiently large to allow the valve to accomodate itself to
its seat.
The

page_text: The valve lever p is an arm extending from the axis 7, and pressing against or
near the center of the valve at the under side to close it upwardly against its seat.
The axis is provided with a shoulder 17, see Fig. 3, and washer 8, that is
pressed against the plate 9, so as to prevent the escape of smell around the axle;
and the spring 10 acts to keep these parts in contact.
The plate 9 is removable, and it is secured to the side of the receiver by screws;
this allows for the parts being put together.
Outside the receiver the axle r receives a crank arm t with a weight t¹ to counter-
poise the valve m and the water supported by it. This weight this preferably
provided with a spring 12 between the weight and its arm to lessen concussion, but
the arm may be cast with an enlargement to form the weight.
There are teeth u¹ around the hub of the crank arm acted upon by teeth at the
end of the pull lever n, so that the valve is operated by the pull in emptying the
contents of the closet. It is to be understood that an ordinary watercloset pull is
connected with this lever u.
The valve that supplies water to the closet is screwed to the side of the receiver,
and a cam 15 upon the axis r operates upon the stem 16 of the valve when the
closet pull is moved.
Water is supplied into the valve case v by the pipe 18, and conveyed from the
same by the pipe 19 to the closet.
There is a seat for the valve 20 between the pipes 18 & 19, and this valve 20 is
upon the stem 16, so that it is opened by the end motion given to such stem.
There is a cup-leather piston y upon the stem 16, and this stem 16 is free to slide
a short distance through the piston y, and fits the same loosely; or the stem is
grooved longitudinally or removed at one side, so as to form a waterway through
the piston; and the spring 22 between the collar 23 on the stem and the removable
head 24 of the case vacts to close the valve 20 to its seat.
When end motion is given to the stem 16 the collar 23 is moved from the surface
of the cup-leather piston y, and then said piston y is moved, the water in the case v
that is between the piston and head 24 escaping between the stem and piston. As
soon as the stem 16 is liberated the spring 22 cannot close the valve 20 upon its
seat because the movement will only be as fast as water passes from one side of the
cup-leather piston y to the other.
The spring 22 having closed the collar 23 upon the piston y the water cannot
pass around the stem 16. I therefore provide a hole at 25, in which is a screw
having one side partially removed at an inclination, so that the water will
pass into
this chamber with greater or less rapidity, according to the position of this screw.
By removing the head 24 the valve stem and cup-leather piston can be taken out
for cleaning or repair..
The axle, with the shoulder 17, washer 8, spring 10, and removable plate 9,
may be used as the axle of the pan in a pan closet.
Where it is desired to make the watercloset basin with nearly vertical sides, the
basin a and hopper b, shown in Fig. 1, are not employed, and in place of them the
basin shown sectionally in Fig. 5 is made use of; this basin is adapted to rest upon
the plate n, and it is fastened to the same and the flange of the receiver by metal
clips k
The waterway e is either made of porcelain with the basin itself or else a separate
piece cemented thereto. There are holes a² in the side of the basin & opening into
the ascending waterway d'; and the upper ends of the waterways are flat but at
an inclination; and a valve e³ of india-rubber or other suitable material covers the
waterway, but not the waterway e; and a dome-shaped cap f2 secures the edges
of the sheet of rubber, of which the valve e³ is composed. There are bolts provided
for holding this cap in place, as seen in the plan of the valve seat, Fig. 6.
It is to be understood that the surplus water running into the. basin a passes
through the holes a², rises in the waterway d, lifts the valve e³, and escapes freely,
but such valve closes and prevents any smell from the sewer passing up through e

page_text: and escaping into the basin, thereby obviating a difficulty heretofore experienced of
deleterious sewer gases escaping into houses.
There is a hole in the deflector, see Fig. 7, into which is screwed the hollow
plug, and around its projecting tapering end is the tubular sleeve or barrel k²
that is kept to place by a nut or screw o². These parts are similar to the plug and
barrel of a cock.
From one side of the sleeve or barrel k² the tube 12 passes off; it is curved and
terminates as a jet nozzle &² or rose. The shape of this tube is such that when not
. in use it may be turned up close to the top flange of the watercloset basin a, and
when it is required for use it receives with the barrel a quarter revolution upon
the plug, which brings the jet tube or nozzle s³ vertically beneath the person, and
central or nearly so to the watercloset; hence when the handle of the closet is
, raised for emptying the contents and allowing the water to run and wash the basin,
the water is also is projected in a jet or jets against the person for the purpose usual
in "bidet" closets.
I remark that where the exit passage from the hollow plug 22 is only in line with
the pipe in the position for use, as shown in Fig. 7, the water will be shut off
from the bidet attachment when the same is turned up out of use.
It is important that the air in the container or hopper have a free vent when the
water in the pan is allowed to descend, otherwise the air escapes through the closet
in bubbles that disturb the water. To obviate this there is an escape tube v from
the top of the cap f³, see Fig. 5, to a ventilating pipe rising above the building, or
passing to any suitable point for the outlet.
I claim as my Invention,-
First. In a watercloset the combination with the conical hopper b and receiver f
of the separate plate n introduced at the joint between the hopper and receiver,
and having an opening beneath the lower end of the basin a, and the valve m closing
upwardly beneath such plate n, substantially as set forth.
Second. The valve m with its spindle within the receiver f, and the receiver and
plate having an opening above the spindle in combination with the overflow dam d
and the waterway e which empties behind the valve, for the purposes and as set
forth.
Third. The receiver f of the watercloset, the valve seat, and the overflow e above
the valve seat, in combination with the valve m having an elastic face and loose
hinge, and the arm p acting against the center of the valve, the axle r and the
actuating arm of the axle outside of the receiver f, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the valve or pan in a watercloset of the actuating
pull lever u, pinion teeth u¹, counterpoise t¹, axle », and lever arm p, substantially
ns set forth.
Fifth. The axle r introduced within the hopper or container of the watercloset,
and having a shoulder 17 and washer 8 in combination with the plate 9, against
the inside of which the washer rests, and the spring 10, as and for the purposes set
forth.
Sixth. The case v of the watercloset valve provided with a screw at one end
around the stem 16 in combination with the watercloset receiver f into which the
stem passes and the case screws, and the cam 15 on the axle r within the receiver
acting against the stem 16, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. In a valve for waterclosets, a stem passing loosely through the cup-
leather piston, and having a collar against which the spring acts, in combination
with the leakage opening through the piston, and the adjusting screw thereof,
substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination of the passages e, d', Fig. 5, and valve e³ with the
watercloset basin a, substantially as described.
Ninth. The combination with the water passages e, d', and valve e³ of a cover f
having an opening connected with a ventilating pipe, substantially as set forth.
Tenth. The combination with the deflector or spreader in a watercloset of the

page_text: plug, barrel k², tube 12, and nozzle s², constructed and applied substantially as set
forth, whereby the bidet attachment receives its water through the same pipe as
the water that washes the closet.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Demarest, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, A.D. 1878.
Witnesses,
CHA³. H. SMITH, 76, Chambers St., New York.
GEO. T. PINCKNEY,
"
"
"
JOHN DEMAREST. (LS.)