IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS AND IN VALVES FOR THESE AND OTHER SERVICES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATER CLOSETS AND IN VALVES FOR THESE AND OTHER SERVICES Com-
municated to him from abroad by Robert Henderson Lecky and James Hay
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th September 1882.
"
JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS AND IN VALVES FOR THESE AND
OTHER SERVICES [Communicated to him from abroad by Robert Henderson
Lecky and James Hay both of Pittsburg Pennsylvania in the United States of
America]
According to this invention, the pan of a watercloset is made in one piece with
the service cistern at the side of it, and with a lateral guide for the pull, so that
the expense of fitting and connecting these parts and the risk of their derangement
are avoided. The upper flange of the pan is made with a face slightly sloping
towards the pan so that no liquid can lodge thereon. The bottom of the pan is
made with a neck having its face inclined from 30° to 45° downwards and against
this face fits a flap valve, which when it is opened hangs nearly vertical within the
throat that is fixed against the inclined lower surface of the pan. The valve is
jointed to an internal arm on a rocking spindle which passes through packing in
the side of the throat. An external arm of this rocking shaft is connected through
a pair of toggle levers to the pull handle, and these toggle levers have their joints
made to butt when their fulcrum pins are in line so that they cannot be pushed
beyond their dead centre. The cistern communicates with the neck of the pan by
several rectangular apertures so arranged as to direct currents of water on the

page_text: interior of the pan neck and of the inclined valve which closes it. Within the
cistern is an overflow siphon communicating with the throat below the valve. The
cistern is supplied by a service valve governed by a float in the following manner.
To the stem of the valve is jointed the float lever, and to a pin on this lever is
jointed one end of a radius the other end of which is jointed to an adjustable
fulcrum carried on a bracket projecting from the valve box, these parts being
so arranged that the part of the float lever next the valve and the radius constitute
together a toggle joint which has its pins in line when the float is raised, the valve
being then firmly closed. When the float descends bending the toggle joint out of
line the valve is opened. This construction of float valve is obviously applicable
to services other than those for water closets.
1

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th March
1883.
"
JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER CLOSETS AND IN VALVES FOR THESE
AND OTHER SERVICES A communication to me from Abroad by Robert
Henderson Lecky and James Hay both of Pittsburg Pennsylvania in the United
States of America
According to this invention, the pan of a watercloset is made in one piece with
the service cistern at the side of it, and with a lateral guide for the pull, so that
the expense of fitting and connecting these parts and the risk of their derangement
are avoided. The upper flange of the pan is made with a face slightly sloping
towards the pan so that no liquid can lodge thereon. The bottom of the pan is
made with a neck having its face inclined from 30° to 45° downwards and against
this face fits a flap valve, which when it is opened hangs nearly vertical within the
throat that is fixed against the inclined lower surface of the pan. The valve is
jointed to an internal arm on a rocking spindle which passes through packing in
the side of the throat. An external arm of this rocking shaft is connected through
a pair of toggle levers to the pull handle, and these toggle levers have their joints
made to butt when their fulcrum pins are in line so that they cannot be pushed
beyond their dead centre. The cistern communicates with the neck of the pan by
several rectangular apertures so arranged as to direct currents of water on the
interior of the pan neck and of the inclined valve which closes it. Within the
cistern is an overflow siphon communicating with the throat below the valve.
The cistern is supplied by a service valve governed by a float in the following
manner. To the stem of the valve is jointed the float lever, and to a pin on this
lever is jointed one end of a radius the other end of which is jointed to an
adjustable fulcrum carried on a bracket projecting from the valve box, these parts
being so arranged that the part of the float lever next the valve and the radius
constitute together a toggle joint which has its pins in line when the float is raised,
the valve being then firmly closed. When the float descends bending the toggle
joint out of line the valve is opened. This construction of float valve is obviously
applicable to services other than those for water closets.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: having on its face a suitable packing makes a watertight closure of the pan, so
that it retains the water supplied from the service.
The pan A, the neck B, the cistern C, the overflow pipe D, the siphon trap m
and the air vent n are all made in one piece, without joints, of glazed earthenware
or ceramic material. The socket E for the pull is also formed in the flange a of
the pan, so that no woodwork fitting is required for the pull socket, and the
correct working of the pull and valve connections is ensured.
The cistern D communicates with the neck above the valve G by two or more
passages k, so that several jets spurt simultaneously into the neck and valve and
cause a thorough cleansing.
The float valve has a casing A¹ with a branch B' and pipe B₁ leading to the
pan; a¹ is the seat of the valve, 6' a socket screwed on to A¹ to hold the flange c
of the guide bracket C' in which works the stem d' of the valve e¹ and in which
are formed four guide slots f¹. g¹ is the fulcrum pin made with a collar k¹ movable.
in a recess h¹ and resting upon a spring ¹. A screw cap adjusts the position
of the pin g¹. To the stem d and pin gis pivotted a pair of toggle levers m¹ n¹
and from m extends an arm p' to which is attached the stem q' of the float P¹.
The joint of the toggles has an abutment o¹ which prevents them from passing
their dead centres. A washer is pressed by a spring s¹ against the end of C
to prevent leakage past the stem d. When, on opening the valve G, the water
level descends in the cistern the float P¹ descends bending the toggles m¹ n¹ and
opening the valve e¹. As the float rises the toggles become straightened and close
the valve with great power due to the toggle action, and so gradually that there,
is no shock. By means of the screw cap the toggles are adjusted to effect
complete closure of the valve and to take up wear.. Variation of pressure in the
service pipe does not affect the valve because when it is closed the toggles are on
their dead centre. The valve mechanism being all attached to the bracket C¹ can
obviously be applied to any suitable casing such as A¹ by simply screwing thereon
the socket b'. And the valve instead of being worked by a float, may obviously
be worked by a hand lever so as to take the place of an ordinary service cock or
valve. By properly directing the flushing jet from the pipe B, splashing of the
water in the pan is avoided, the usual splash guard or downwardly turned lip at
the mouth of the pan is therefore dispensed with.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I
claim :-
First. Constructing the pan of a water closet with a neck having an inclined
face covered by a valve worked by toggles, substantially as herein described with
reference to Fig 1.
Second. Constructing in one piece the pan of a water closet with its flange and
pull socket and neck, and the cistern and passages with its overflow, its siphon
trap and air vent, substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1, 2
and 3.
Third. The construction of float or service valve with toggle action, substantially
as herein described with reference to Fig. 4.
In Witness whereof I the said John Imray have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Sixteenth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three.
JOHN IMRAY (L.S.)