IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE WATER-CLOSETS
Year: 1857

page_text: TO
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 "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE
WATER-CLOSETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Stubbs and James Burrows, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what 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: And whereas we, the said William Stubbs
and James Burrows, in pursuance of the proviso in the said Letters Patent
contained, did, by a Specification (being an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven,) particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
did cause the same instrument to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within the time and in the manner by the said proviso required: And whereas
since the filing of our said Specification we have discovered that certain parts
of our Iuvention described in the said Specification, and represented in the
Drawings thereto annexed, that is to say, the small chamber and valve above
the service chamber or cistern A, are not of such public utility as at the time
of filing our said Specification, we verily believed them to be, and are not
necessary nor essential to the efficient working of our said Invention, and we
are therefore desirous of making, entering, and filing such Disclaimer and
Memorandum of Alteration as herein-after expressed or contained.
NOW KNOW YE, therefore, that by and with the leave of Sir Henry
Singer Keating, Knight, Her Majesty's Solicitor-General, and for the reasons
aforesaid, we, the said William .Stubbs and James Burrows, do hereby
disclaim all the parts of our Specification and Drawings relating to the small
chamber and valve above the service chamber or cistern A, that is to say, we
disclaim the words "The small chamber is provided at the top with an air
"valve to be worked by the action of the water in any convenient manner, say
"such as a floating ball valve," contained in the seventh, eighth, and ninth
lines of the third page of the printed copy of our said Specification, as printed
by Her Majesty's Printers. And by and with the leave aforesaid, and for the
reasons aforesaid, we insert the words "closed at the top" after the words
"A is a service chamber or. cistern" contained in the thirty-second line of the

page_text: third page of the said printed Specification, and we disclaim the words and
letters. "B is a spherical floating ball, made of india-rubber or other buoyant
"substance, which is now shewn resting upon C, a wire or other porous grating
"within D, an air valve box; E is an air valve opening, and which is closed by
the action of the water floating up B, the spherical valve, on to its upper seat,
formed in the upper side of the air valve chamber; F is a small cylindrical
"chamber to receive any escapement water which may arise in consequence
"of the valve not being sufficiently tight against its upper seat. This recep-
"tacle may be supplied with a small," contained in the thirty-second to the
thirty-ninth lines (inclusive) of page three of the said printed Specification, and
the words "waste pipe as an additional security against accident" contained in
the first line of page four of the said Specification. And by and with the leave
aforesaid, and for the reasons aforesaid, we alter the Drawings annexed to, the
said Specification by erasing all the parts above the line A, B, in the printed
copy aforesaid, that is to say, the parts marked B, C, D, E, and F, in
Figures 1, 2, and 3, and the parts marked B, F, in Figure 4, and, by con-
tinuing the section lines across the opening C, C, in Figure 1; and further
in the claim of the said Specification, we disclaim the words. " with an air
"valve," contained in the nineteenth line of the fourth page of the aforesaid
printed copy of our Specification. And, by and with the leave aforesaid, and
for the reasons aforesaid, we, do alter the said Specification, so that the same
shall, in pursuance of the aforesaid Disclaimer, be in the words, letters, and
figures following (that is to say) :-

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WATER-CLOSETS," upon the con-
"dition (amongst others) that we, the said William Stubbs and James
"Burrows, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should
"particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what 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.
66
"NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Stubbs and James
Burrows, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
"manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
"tained in and by the following statement, reference, being had to the accom-
"panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
66
"This Invention has for its object the regulating and supplying of water-
"closets with water from the street mains of towns or from a head of water,
"and which may be done, if required, without the water passing into the cisterns
"now used for the usual domestic purposes, and at the same time effectually
"prevent the waste of water either by carelessness or accident. We accom-
plish these improvements by the means of a small inclosed chamber, through
"which the water to be used passes, the inlet and outlet of this chamber
being regulated by a two-way cock or a valve, which by one motion opens
one passage, and cuts off the other, that is to say, suppose the supply port
"is open, by the action of closing it the discharge passage is opened, and by
"the reverse action the outlet is closed and the supply passage opened. This
"chamber or supply cistern can be placed in any convenient position above
"the water-closet, and may be either independent of or connected with any
"existing overhead cistern, by being placed in the interior or the exterior
." thereof, or the small chamber may be constructed so as to form a portion of
"the cistern itself, or it may be supplied directly from the street mains or a
head of water.
"It will readily be seen that an apparatus constructed according to this
"Invention may be applied with advantage to other purposes than that of
"regulating the supply of water to water-closets; and it will be found useful
" where it is applied to prevent waste of liquids (to any considerable extent),
arising from accident or carelessness, as a greater amount of liquid than
" the contents of the supply cistern cannot be drawn off without reversing the
"valve.
That this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and under-

page_text: "stood, we have hereto annexed Drawings in illustration of one of the
modifications of our Inventions, like letters marked thereon having reference
"to similar parts.
66
$6
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of one of our improved service
"cisterns, shewing the valves and so forth attached thereto; Figure 2 is an
exterior view of a vertical front elevation of the same, having a weighted
"valve lever for the purpose of closing the outlet valve, when the pressure on
"the extremity of the lever is removed; Figure 3. is ditto ditto, having a
plain hand-key lever applied thereto for working the valve; Figure 4 is
a top view of the same.
66
'
A is a service chamber or cistern closed at the top; G, a two-way valve
"plug; H, inlet or supply passage of liquid valve; I, outlet passage, which is
"now shewn closed, but which may be immediately opened by turning G,
"the valve plug one turn round, and by which action the inlet passage is
"closed; K, valve lever; L, counterweight for closing outlet passage when
"the pressure on the outer end of the lever K is relieved. KI is a hand
lever, for working the supply and discharge valve directly by hand; M, a
"small chain, cord, or wire attached to the end of the lever K, which being
"drawn downwards cuts off the supply and opens the discharge ports, and
being again relieved from the downward pressure of the hand, is brought
"back to its normal position by means of the counterweight L, whereby the
discharge passage from the cistern is again closed, and the supply port
"opened; N, the supply pipe; O, the discharge pipe.
66
Having now fully described our said Invention, and how the same may
"be performed, we wish it to be understood that although we have herein-
"before described what we consider the best means to put our said Invention
"into practice, we do not confine ourselves to the precise details, as the same
may be considerably varied to suit particular circumstances, without
departing from our said Invention; but what we claim is, the supply cistern
"in combination with the two-way cock or valve, as herein-before [described,
or any more modification of the same.
66
." In witness whereof, we, the said William Stubbs and James Burrows,
66
"
have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals, this Twenty-second
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
66 and fifty-seven."
"
WILLIAM
61 JAMES
(L.S.) STUBBS.
(L.S.) BURROWS."

page_text: And we; the said William Stubbs and James Burrows, do hereby declare
that the above-written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration are not,
nor is either of them, nor is any part thereof respectively, intended to extend
the exclusive right granted by the said Letters Patent, and that these Presents
shall not extend, the said exclusive right in any way whatsoever.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Stubbs and James Burrows,
have hereunto set our hands' and seals; this Seventeenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above-mentioned William
Stubbs and James Burrows to file in the Great Seal Patent Office, with the
Specification to which the same relates, the above-written Disclaimer and
Memorandum of Alteration.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stubbs, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Civil Engineer, and James Burrows, of Wigan, in the said
County, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE
TO WATER CLOSETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stubbs and
James Burrows, at the Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 24th January 1857.
We, WILLIAM STUBBS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer, and JAMES BURROWS, of Wigan, in the said County, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO WATER CLOSETS," to be as follows (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object the regulating and supplying of water
closets with water from the street mains of towns or from a head of water,
and which may be done if required without the water passing into the cisterns
now used for the usual domestic purposes, and at the same time effectually
prevent the waste of water either by carelessness or accident.
It is proposed to accomplish these improvements by the use of a small
enclosed chamber, into which the water to be used is received; the inlet and
outlet of this chamber being regulated by a two-way cock, or a valve, which by
one motion opens one passage and cuts off the other. This small chamber
may be provided at the top with an air valve, to be worked by the action of
the water in any convenient manner, say, such as a floating ball valve. The

page_text: chamber can be placed in any convenient position above the water closet, and
may be either independent off or connected with any existing overhead cistern
by being placed in the interior or on the exterior thereof, or. the small
chamber may be constructed so as to form a portion of the cistern itself.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Stubbs and James Burrows in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
STUBBS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, and JAMES
BURROWS, of Wigan, in the said County, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, or
such others as we, the said William Stubbs and James Burrows, our exe-
cutors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WATER CLOSETS,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Stubbs and
James Burrows, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and to cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calender months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Stubbs and James Burrows,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-.
This Invention has for its object the regulating and supplying of water
closets with water from the street mains of towns or from a head of water,
and which may be done if required without the water passing into the cisterns
now used for the usual domestic purposes, and at the same time effectually
prevent the waste of water either by carelessness or accident.

page_text: We accomplish these improvements by the means of a small enclosed
chamber, through which the water to be used passes; the inlet and outlet of
this chamber being regulated by a two-way cock, or a valve, which by one
motion opens one passage and cuts off the other; that is to say, suppose the
supply port is open, by the action of closing it the dischargé passage is opened;
and by the reverse action the outlet is closed, and the supply passage opened:
The small chamber is provided at the top with an air valve, to be worked: by
the action of the water in any convenient manner, say, such as a floating ball
valve. This chamber or supply cistern can be placed in any convenient
position above the water closet, and may be either independent of or con-
nected with any existing overhead cistern' by being placed in the interior or
the exterior thereof; or the small chamber may be constructed so as to form
a portion of the cistern itself, or it may be supplied directly from the street
mains or a head of water.
It will readily be seen that an apparatus constructed according to this
Invention may be applied with advantage to other purposes than that of
regulating the supply of water to water closets, and it will be found useful
where it is applied to prevent waste of liquids (to any considerable extent)
arising from accident or carelessness, as a greater amount of liquid than the
contents of the supply cistern cannot be drawn off without reversing the
valve.
That this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
we have hereto annexed Drawings in illustration of one of the modifications
of our Inventions, like letters marked thereon having reference to similar
parts.
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of one of our improved service
cisterns, shewing the valves, and so forth, attached thereto; Figure 2 is an
exterior view of a vertical front elevation of the same, having a weighted
valve lever for the purpose of closing the outlet valve when the pressure on
the extremity of the lever is removed; Figure 3 is ditto, ditto, having a plain
hand key lever applied thereto for working the valve; Figure 4 is a top view
of the same. A is a service chamber or cistern; B is a spherical floating ball,
made of india-rubber or other buoyant substance, which is now shewn resting
upon C, a wire or other porous grating, within D, an air valve box; E is an
air valve opening, and which is closed by the action of the water floating
up B, the spherical valve, on to its upper seat, formed in the upper side of the
air valve chamber; F is a small cylindrical chamber, to receive any escape-
ment water which may arise in consequence of the valve not being sufficiently
tight against its upper seat. This receptical may be supplied with a small

page_text: waste pipe as an additional security against accident. G, a two-way valve
plug; H, inlet or supply passage of liquid valve; I, outlet passage, which is
now shewn closed, but which may be immediately opened by turning G, the
valve plug, one quarter round, and by which action the inlet passage is closed;
K, valve lever; L, counterweight for closing outlet passage when the pres-
sure on the outer end of the lever K is relieved; K 1 is a hand key lever for
working the supply and discharge valve directly by hand; M, a small chain;
cord, or wire attached to the end of the lever K, which being drawn down-
wards cuts off the supply and opens the discharge ports, and being again
relieved from the downward pressure of the hand is brought back to its
normal position by means of the counterweight L, wherby the discharge
passage from the cistern is again closed and the supply port opened; N, the
supply pipe; O, the discharge pipe.
Having now fully described our said Invention, and how the same may be
performed, we wish it to be understood, that although we have herein-before
described what we consider the best means to put our said Invention into
practice, we do not confine ourselves to the precise details, as the same may
be considerably varied to suit particular circumstances without departing from
our said Invention; but what we claim is, the supply cistern with an air valve
in combination with the two-way cock or valve, as herein-before described, or
any mere modification of the same.
In witness thereof, we, the said William Stubbs and James Burrows,
have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals, this Twenty-second
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
WILLIAM (L.S.) STUBBS.
JAMES (L.s.) BURROWS.
of 44, Castle Street, Liverpool.