Im- PROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shanks, of Barrhead and Greenock, in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, Plumber, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS."
Sealed the 24th February 1865, and dated the 30th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shanks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
August 1864.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Barrhead and Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS," to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention relates to the construction of waterclosets for various
situations in an economical and simple manner, and so as not easily to get out
of order.
In a modification for ordinary use the discharge valve is in the form of a
flap, which closes up against a seating formed in an inclined position in.the
passage. When closed the valve has an inclination of from thirty to sixty.
degrees of the circle, and is in a vertical position when full open.. On the
projecting spindle of the valve there is a lever with a pin and small antifriction
roller, and this is acted on by a curved or inclined groove or slot in a sliding
plate worked by the handle, whereby the valve is opened or closed.. An
ordinary pan valve may also be actuated in the same way..

page_text: In a convenient modification for a ship's watercloset two valves like those
herein-before described are used and are worked by the one sliding plate, but
the inclined or curved parts of the actuating grooves or slots are disposed
reversely, so that the lifting movement which closes the lower valve opens the
upper one, and vice versa. The grooves or slots are in addition made with
straight parts so arranged that one valve is fully closed before the other
begins to open. The levers on the valve spindles may be formed with suitable
slots or grooves, the pins with antifriction roller's being on the sliding plate or
bar, instead of the reverse arrangement herein before described.
In a modification of ship's closet for use below the water level the pump is
formed with a flexible diaphragm of vulcanised rubber or the like, and is
by preference placed below the basin, so that the matters can descend instead
of ascending into it. The use of a diaphragm dispenses with the packings
required with an ordinary piston and its rod, and with valves connected to the
part of the cylinder above the piston.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,. I, JOHN
SHANKS; of Barrhead and Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Plumber, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.
the said John Shanks, Her special licence that I, the said John Shanks,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such athers as-I, the said John
Shanks, 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 Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATERCLOSETS," upon the condition (amongst others).that I, the
said John Shanks, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: the actuating grooves or slots 7, 15, are disposed reversely, so that the lifting
movement which closes the lower valve 14 opens the upper one 1, and vicé
versa. The grooves or slots 7, 15, are in addition made with straight parts
so arranged that one valve 14 is fully closed before the other (1) begins to
open. With these arrangements there is thus never at any time a complete
thoroughfare through the discharge passages, so that there can be no back!
ward surging action from the sea. A pipe leading to the outside of the
ship or elsewhere is to be attached at 25 to allow air to escape from the space
between the two valves. The levers on the valve spindles may be formed
with suitable slots or grooves, the pins with the antifriction rollers being on
the sliding plate or bar instead of the reverse arrangement herein-before
described.
A modification of ship's watercloset for use below the external water level
is shown in Figures 7 and 8, these being sections taken at right angles to each
other. In this arrangement the basin discharge 16 communicates with a
pump body 17, from which a return backwards is prevented by a flap valve
18. The discharge into the sea is through a flap valve 19, which prevents
ingress from the sea. My improvements in this class of closet consist in
making the pump with a flexible diaphragm 20 of vulcanised rubber or the
like, and in placing the pump below the basin, so that the matters can descend
instead of ascending into it. I prefer to make the flexible diaphragm 20 of a
hemispherical form, and to depress it by means of a metal cup 21 of a spherical
form, upon which the rubber bears whilst being depressed. The depressing
cup 21 is formed with studs, which are acted on by the ends of a forked of
double lever 22, the other end of which is jointed to the handle rod 23.
The use of a flexible diaphragm as described dispenses with the packings
required with an ordinary piston and its rod, and with valves connected to the
part of the cylinder above the piston. The parts are put together in a very
simple but satisfactory manner, the flexible diaphragm 20 being moulded
with a flange which is held between a flange ou the pump body 17 and
a flange on an open casting 24, which last is also formed with slots for
guiding the studs of the depressing cup 21 and with the bearing for the
lever 22.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
1, the arranging and combining together of the valvular and actuating

page_text: 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 John Shanks, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the construction of waterclosets for various
situations in an economical and simple manner, and so as not easily to get out
of order..
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly, understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory. Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing various
modifications of my improved arrangements.
. .
One simple modification for ordinary use is shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
but without the usual wooden seat fittings, Figure 1 being a side elevation,
Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a vertical section. The discharge valve 1 is in
the form of a flap, which closes up against a seating 2, formed in an inclined
position in the passage 3. When closed the valve 1 has an inclination of
from thirty to sixty degrees of the circle, and is in a vertical position when
full open. The valve 1 is fixed on a horizontal spindle 4; which passes out
through the side of the casing 5, and has fixed on its outer end a lever 6,
with a pin and small antifriction roller. This roller is acted on by a curved
or inclined groove 7 in a. plate 8, fitted to slide on a guide pillar 9, and
worked by the usual handle 10. When the handle is raised the inclined
groove 7 turns over the lever 6, and thereby opens the valve 1; and when the
handle is lowered or the sliding plate 8 descends by its own weight the reverse
action takes place, and the valve 1 is closed. The same movement opens and
closes the water tap 11. for flushing, the lever 12 for working that tap being
entered into a slot in the sliding plate 8 so as to be raised or lowered thereby.
An ordinary pan valve may be actuated by means of a sliding plate and
inclined groove in the same way as the flap valve, as herein-before described:
Figure 4 represents a modified arrangement of the sliding plate 8, wherein' it
is.guided upon a frame 13 instead of upon a single pillar.
A convenient modification for a ship's watercloset is represented in side
elevation in Figure 5, and in vertical section in Figure 6. In this arrange-
ment there are two valves 1, 14, like that herein-before described, and they
are both worked by one sliding plate 8, but the inclined or curved parts of
:

page_text: letails of single-valved and double-valved waterclosets, substantially in the
mproved manner herein-before described.
And 2, the arranging and combining together of pump details for water-
closets, substantially in the improved manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shanks, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN SHANKS. (L.B.)