CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON WATER-CLOSETS
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DOWNE, Senior, of Exeter, in the County of Devon, Plumber and Brass
Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the seventh year of
His reign, did for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Downe, His especial licence that I, the said William
Downe, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Downe, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON WATER-CLOSETS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Downe, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Downe, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention and

page_text: the manner in which the same. is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
My said improvements are applicable to that description of water-closets
which are usually known by the term or denomination of self-acting water
closets, and I effect the said improvements in the following manner :-In the
Drawing, Fig. 1, is a perspective view of the different parts of the machinery
bason, container, trap, and outlet pipe, and a section of the cistern with the service
box, air pipe, and valve; Fig. 2, an elevation of the container, with parts of
the machinery affixed upon it; and Fig. 3, a plan thereof; in all of which
said Figures the same letters of reference indicate the similar parts. A is the
bason, formed of earthenware, and made deeper than usual, as shown in Fig. 4,
which is a side view of it, Fig. 5 being a top view of it. B, the container,
made as usual of cast iron, but smaller than those commonly employed; C, the
trap; and D, the outlet pipe; E, the long lever, turning upon the axis as a
fulcrum, and of which the necks or pivots move in holes formed in the two
pillars G, G, which are secured to the metal plate H, which forms the cover
of the container. The axis F is prolonged in front, and carries upon it the
short arm or lever I, which is secured by a screw and nut. Upon the arm I
is jointed a pushing piece or rod J, having a forked end K, with holes through
it for a screwed pin to enter, and through either of the adjusting holes, which
are formed to receive it on the arm I. The rod J is screwed at its lower end,
and is fitted into a screwed hole made in the fork, and secured therein by a
binding nut, and can thus be adjusted at the required height. To one end of the
lever E, the swing catch L is jointed, it turning upon a screwed pin which is
fitted into the holes made in the catch L, and passes through a hole made in the
lever E. In the lower end of the catch L,.a friction roller is mounted upon a
similar screwed pin. Upon the opposite end of the lever E the weight M is
affixed by means of a screw and two binding nuts, and by which it may be
adjusted at the required situation. A hook N is affixed in the plate H, which
serves to prevent the lever Ę from rising too high. The pan or valve O is hung or
mounted to an axis P, P, with necks or pivots turning in holes made in two
eyes screwed underneath the plate H,.and is furnished with an open crank Q
in the usual manner, and as shewn separately in Fig. 6. A lever tumbler R
is likewise provided, which turns upon a pin hung in a forked piece screwed
underneath the plate H at S, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; the stud in the tumbler
falls into a recess made in the open crank to receive it, and retains the pan or
valve in its horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, owing to the pall
being in a direct line of the centres, as shown by the dotted line T, in Fig. 7

page_text: when however the tumbler R is raised that pall is changed, and the pan can
be moved to the vertical position shown in Fig. 6, in the manner to be here-
after described. The pushing piece or rod J is adjusted immediately under
the front of the seat of the closet, which is hung upon centres, and upon the
seat becoming depressed in use the rod J is depressed also, and gives motion to
the arm I and lever E connected with it, which brings the catch L down into
the position shewn in Fig. 1, the tumbler R being also supposed to be in the
situation shown in the Figure, the roller at the lower end of the catch L
having glided down the inclined plane upon the top of the tumbler and swung
into a vertical position, the roller being brought underneath the tumbler ready
to lift the tumbler, on the seat rising again by the action of the weight M
upon the pushing piece J; when this takes place the descent of the weight M
causes the catch L to lift up the tumbler R into the position shown in Fig. 2,
where tho catch L is shown as being prevented from gliding up the inclined
plane formed upon the under side of the tumbler R, and slipping off its end
by sliding against a friction roller U, which is mounted in a carriage piece
affixed to the plate H, until the pan or valve O is completely open or brought
into the vertical position shewn in Fig. 6; upon the end of the lever E rising
into contact with the hook N, as shewn in Fig. 2, by the dotted line, the
catch L passes the friction roller U and flies out into the position shewn by
the dotted lines, at the same time slipping off the end of the tumbler R, which
falls by the action of the weight V affixed upon an arm W which is mounted
upon the outer end of the axis P of the pan or valve. Upon the axis P and
opposite to the arm W a toothed quadrant X is affixed, which works into a
pinion Y (shewn in Fig. 3), which is mounted upon an axis Z, the necks or
pivots of which turn in holes made in a carriage a, affixed to the plate H-at S.
Upon the same axis is also affixed the ratchet wheel b, the click or catch of
which c and its spring are affixed to the fly wheel d, which revolves or turns
loose upon that axis. The use of the toothed quadrant pinion and fly wheel
is to retain the pan or valve O in a vertical position whilst it is completely
washed by the water flowing through the bason, and which pause is occasioned
by the rotation of the fly wheel, which produces a frictional action or rubbing
on the tops of the teeth of the ratchet wheel through the pressure of its spring
upon the click or catch, and thus retains it until its momentum is exhausted,
when the fly wheel returns by a contrary movement, regulating by its motion
the return of the pan or valve O, occasioned by the weight V communicating
to the fly wheel its falling action, and thereby putting it into motion through
the agency of the toothed quadrant X upon the pinion Y, and the ratchet
wheel b, and that upon the click or catch c bringing the pan or valve O up

page_text: again slowly to its horizontal position, when the stud upon the tumbler R
again falls into the recess made in the open crank Q, and locks or retains it
securely until the closet is again used. In Fig. 1 a wire is shewn connecting
the tumbler R with a crank e, from whence another wire passes to a second
crank f, and from the latter another wire passes up to a lever g fixed upon
the top of the cistern h, and from the opposite end of that lever another wire
descends to the longer end of a lever i, turning upon a pin or screw, affixed in a
forked pillar J, which is secured upon the brass cover of the service box k, and
which is furnished with an air pipe as usual. The shorter end of the lever i
is coupled to the stem of a conical valve 7, which opens downwards, and is
kept up to its place in its seat by the weight m upon the longer end of the
lever. The rising of the tumbler R, through the agency of the cranks and
levers, raises the lever i and weight m into the position shewn by the dotted
lines, and opens the valve, as shewn separately in Fig. 8, and the valve shuts
again on the descent of the tumbler R. In order to render the falling of the
seat less perceptible, the rod n is jointed to the arm I by the same pin which
connects the pushing rod J to it. This rod n has a loop at its lower end, by
which it is connected with a hinged flap or rising board o, Fig. 9, which extends
along the front of the seat, and forms part of the floor. Upon this hinged flap
being stepped upon, it will fall and bring down the seat with it to its resting
place.
I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Inventions any of the
various parts herein described which are already known or in use; but I do
hereby claim the machinery by which I afford the proper time for the pan or
valve O to become properly cleansed or washed by the falling water from the
cistern, and to be shut so as to retain a sufficient quantity of clean water
within it, and which said machinery I believe to be quite new in its application
to this object. The said machinery consists of the lever E, the adjusting
weight M, the catch L, the arm I, with the pushing rod J, and pulling rod n
as connected with it, the inclined planes on the end of the lever tumbler R, the
prolongation P of the axis of the pan or valve O, and the toothed quadrant X
and adjusting balance weight V, the pinion Y, and its axis carrying the ratchet
wheel a and fly wheel d, and the hinged flap or rising board o, or any other
obvious means to put the machinery in action, as connected with my said
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Downe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of ou
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.
WM (L.S.) DOWNE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1827, the aforesaid William Downe came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.