IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER- CLOSETS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Gregson Banner, of No. 11, Billiter Square,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-
CLOSETS."
Sealed the 6th February 1880, and dated the 9th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Gregson Banner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th December 1879.
EDWARD GREGSON BANNER, of No. 11, Billiter Square, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS."
With water-closets as heretofore usually constructed much inconvenience arises
in the case of pan closets, owing to an offensive incrustation or deposit which occurs
on the inside of the container itself and around the back of the basin near its lower
opening into the pan, as well as on the inside and outside of the pan itself; and, in
the case of valve closets, in consequence of the handle being put down or allowed
to descend before the contents of the basin have passed out of it, and complete
closing of the valve being then prevented by paper or other obstruction so that no
water is retained in the basin or closet.
Now my Invention is designed to obviate these inconveniences. For this purpose
I construct the closet in parts so arranged that any person or servant can readily
take apart or separate, cleanse, and replace the whole. I use a hinged pad or seat
and form the container and upper part of the basin in one piece of any suitable
material, with a channel for containing water; and the lower part of the basin I
form as a separate vessel or part, with a turned over rim or lip arranged to dip
into the channel above referred to, thus forming a trap or water sealed joint, but
admitting of ready withdrawal of the lower part of the basin. I provide an inlet
for water, and insure a regulated supply and a thorough flush (if even the handle
be raised and immediately put down again) without the risk of waste or overflow.
The valve or cup below the removeable lower part of the basin I provide with a
slip catch hinge, pivot, or joint, so arranged and fitted into the shaft or axle that
the said valve or cup may be readily taken out and all the parts as well as the
container itself be thoroughly cleansed. The whole may be actuated by the handle
Posing B1

page_text: of the closet or otherwise, or may be arranged to act automatically by means of
weights or springs.
It will be evident that in carrying out my Invention the positions of the outlets
from the removeable part of the basin and from the container, as also the forms of
the container and removeable and fixed parts of the basin, may be varied to suit
circumstances.
By my Invention I am enabled to dispense with D and other traps such as are
now generally employed below the neck of the container and valve closet.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Gregson Banner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th June 1880.
EDWARD GREGSON BANNER, of No. 11, Billiter Square, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS.”
"
With water closets as heretofore usually constructed much inconvenience arises
in the case of pan closets owing to an offensive incrustation or deposit which occurs
on the inside of the container itself, and around the back of the basin near its lower
opening into the pan, as well as on the inside and outside of the pan itself; and, in
the case of valve closets, in consequence of the handle being put down or allowed
to descend before the contents of the basin have passed out of it, and complete
closing of the valve being then prevented by paper or other obstruction, so that
no water is retained in the basin or closet. With ordinary valve closets, moreover,
trouble arises with the overflow pipes, the traps in which are often unsealed, and in
cold weather are liable to breakage by freezing of the water forming the seal.
For this purpose
Now, my Invention is designed to obviate such inconveniences.
I construct the apparatus in parts so arranged that a servant or other person can
readily take apart or separate, cleanse, and replace the whole. I use a hinged pad
or seat and form a kind of container and the upper part of the inner basin in one
piece, which I call the outer basin, of any suitable material with inlet for water
and flushing rim, and below the latter a channel for containing water; and the
lower part of the inner basin I form as a separate vessel, or part of a basin with a
large orifice at bottom and a turned-over rim or lip above, arranged to dip into the
channel already referred to, so as to form a water-sealed joint, and to admit of
ready withdrawal of the said lower part of the inner basin. I provide, as herein
after explained, for, and insure a regulated supply of water, and a thorough flush
(if even the handle be raised and immediately put down again) without the risk of
waste or unnecessary overflow.
The valve or cup below the removeable lower part of the inner basin I make of
oval spoon shape, and I provide it with what I call a "slip-catch" joint; that is to
say, a sort of catch or hook-like part with which the valve or cup is provided
is arranged to fit into a socket, slot, or hole in the shaft or axle, so that the said

page_text: valve or cup may be readily taken out, and it and the other parts be thoroughly
cleansed. The apparatus may be actuated by the handle of the closet or otherwise,
or may be arranged to act automatically by means of weights or springs.
It will be evident that in carrying out my Invention the positions of the outlets
from the removable part of the inner basin and from the outer basin, as also the
forms of that-basin and of the removeable and fixed parts of the apparatus may be
varied to suit circumstances.
By my Invention I am enabled to dispense with traps of various kinds such as
are now generally employed below the necks of pan, valve, and other closets.
valve or cup may be readily taken out, and it and the other parts be thoroughly
cleansed. The apparatus may be actuated by the handle of the closet or otherwise,
or may be arranged to act automatically by means of weights or springs.
It will be evident that in carrying out my Invention the positions of the outlets
from the removable part of the inner basin and from the outer basin, as also the
forms of that-basin and of the removeable and fixed parts of the apparatus may be
varied to suit circumstances.
By my Invention I am enabled to dispense with traps of various kinds such as
are now generally employed below the necks of pan, valve, and other closets.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of so much of a water-closet as is needful to
illustrate my Invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan with part of the pad or seat removed.
1 is the outer basin; 2 is the top part of the outer basin which constitutes the
upper part of the inner basin; 3 is a channel for containing water; 4 is the lower
part of the inner basin which is formed as a separate vessel or part, and it is a
distinctive feature of my Invention that I make the lower opening at 4ª of large
diameter, that is, not less than five inches, and by preference from 8 to 9 inches or
more in diameter, so that solid matter may fall clear of the side and directly into
an ample body of water; 4b is the turned over rim or lip formed with the lower
part of the inner basin so as to dip into the channel 3, thus forming the water-
sealed joint and admitting of ready withdrawal of the lower part of the inner basin,
as will be evident on reference to Fig. 1, where it will be seen the lower part of the
inner basin can be easily lifted out; 5 is the cup below the removeable lower part
of the inner basin; 6 is a shaft or axle which supports and operates this cup when
the axle itself is turned by any suitable means for emptying the cup. The shaft or
axle 6 is formed with a slot or hole 7 to receive the hook-like part or catch 8
formed with or attached to the cup 5, by which arrangement it will be evident
that after the lower part 4 of the inner basin has been removed the cup 5 may also
be easily removed by lifting the part 8 out of the slot or hole 7. I make the shaft
or axle 6 also capable of easy removal. One convenient mode of doing this is by
making the shaft in two parts, as represented in Fig. 2, so that in fixing, the one
part is first inserted with its end in a suitably bushed bearing at 9, then the other
part (6) is passed through the other bushed bearing at 10, and through a collar 11,
and is screwed into the hollow end of the first-named part, and secured by a set-
screw 12. The collar 11 is fastened to the shaft or axle by a set screw 13, and is
to prevent end wise movement of the shaft or axle 6. I have indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 1 the position the cup 5 assumes when the handle 14 is raised so as to
discharge the contents of the cup through the opening 1b arranged to one side in
the bottom of the outer basin 1; 15 is the flushing rim; 16 is the inlet for water
which is regulated so as to give a thorough flush without waste or risk of unneces-
sary overflow by means of a regulator 17, the regulating screw 18 of which I
provide with a lock-nut 19 so as to lock the regulating-screw when the adjustment
has been effected. This method of insuring the maintenance of the adjustment
may be applied in other forms of regulator constructed with regulating screws of
this description.
20 is the hinged pad or seat which may have india-rubber or other elastic material
at its under side. It will be evident that in closets constructed according to my
Invention the cup (or the valve where a valve is used in lieu of a cup) and the
Alushing apparatus may be operated by the pad or seat or by the lid or otherwise as
are cups and valves in water-closets of other constructions; or my improved closets
may be arranged to act automatically by the use of weights or springs, or as
described with reference to Fig. 2 of the Drawings accompanying the Specification
of former Letters Patent granted to me AD. 1875, No. 2401.

page_text: I may thoroughly ventilate the whole apparatus by an outlet (for example, as at
21, Fig. 1) from the inside of the outer basin, such outlet being at any convenient
point below the water-sealed joint so that a pipe or shaft may be led from it or
from the soil pipe near it upwards to above the roof of the house, or otherwise, as
more fully described in my above-named Specification, No. 2401, A.D. 1875.
Having described the nature of my said Invention and explained in what
manner it is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would have it understood that what I consider to be novel and original, and
claim as secured to me under the Letters Patent first hereinbefore in part recited
is,―
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved water-closet, constructed,
arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings.
2. Constructing the outer basin with a channel for containing water, and sup-
porting the removeable lower part of the inner basin in such manner that the part
of the outer basin situate above the said channel forms the upper part of the inner
basin, substantially as described.
3. Constructing the basin of a water-closet in parts, the lower one of which is
formed with a large orifice at its bottom and with a turned-over rim or lip at or
near its upper part which dips into a channel formed inside the other separate part
or outer basin, the whole being so arranged as to form a liquid-scaled joint and to
admit of ready withdrawal of the lower part of the inner basin, substantially as
described for the purpose specified.
4. In a water closet, so constructing and arranging the cup or valve below the
inner basin and the shaft or axle whereby such cup or valve is supported and
operated, that the cup or valve may be readily cleansed or removed for cleansing
and replaced, substantially as described.
5. The method, substantially as described, of insuring by locking the proper
action of the regulator in controlling the supply of water to a water-closet, for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Gregson Banner, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.