IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING THE SYPHONS SOMETIMES USED FOR THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM CISTERNS TO WATER-CLOSETS AND URINALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN WHOLE OR IN PART TO Other
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Goode Messenger, of Loughborough, in the
County of Leicester, Valve Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING THE SYPHONS SOMETIMES USED FOR
THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM CISTERNS TO WATER-CLOSETS AND URINALS,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN WHOLE OR IN PART TO Other
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Goode Messenger at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November 1881.
THOMAS GOODE MESSENGER, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester,
Valve Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING THE SYPHONS
SOMETIMES USED FOR THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM CISTERNS TO WATER-CLOSETS
AND URINALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN WHOLE OR IN
PART TO OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH SYPHONS ARE USED."
Supposing the syphon to be so placed that its short leg is partly immersed in
a cistern or other vessel containing water or other liquid. Near the short leg of
the syphon I place a vertical pipe, the upper extremity of which is at a higher
level than the bend of the syphon, and the lower extremity of which communicates
with the orifice of the short leg of the syphon by a horizontal passage, so that
there is free communication between the syphon & the vertical pipe, the latter
forming a continuation of the former.
At or near the bottom of the said vertical tube I make an opening of the same
size, or larger than the bore of the syphon, which aperture may be closed by a
check, flap, or other valve opening inwards, or its equivalent. When the syphon
is charged as hereafter described this flap prevents the water flowing back from
the syphon into the cistern until the syphon begins to act, when it opens and
allows the whole contents of the cistern, or nearly so, to pass through the syphon.
I sometimes however dispense with this flap or valve altogether.

page_text: In order to charge the syphon I construct a vessel of a cylindrical or other
convenient shape, of a suitable depth and of a capacity sufficient to contain enough
water to charge the syphon. In the bottom of the vessel is an opening to admit
the above mentioned vertical pipe, upon which the vessel slides up and down. It
is raised by a rod or chain and lever operated upon by a handle or in any
convenient way. When not in use the vessel falls into the cistern, and becomes
filled or partly filled with water through apertures provided for the purpose.
When a supply of water is required the vessel is raised by the operator; it is
caused to slide up the vertical tube, and its contents are discharged into the latter.
The syphon becomes charged, and as it begins to act the water flows through the
above named opening in the vertical tube, and the cistern or other vessel is
emptied.
For certain purposes, as for instance for drawing out the contents of casks, I
dispense with the vessel above described, and charge the syphon by pouring the
liquor into the vertical tube from a suitable vessel by hand, and in this latter case
the short leg of the syphon and the vertical tube should be as close together as
possible.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Goode Messenger in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1882.
THOMAS GOODE MESSENGER, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester,
Valve Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING THE SYPHONS
SOMETIMES USED FOR THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM CISTERNS TO WATER-CLOSETS
AND URINALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN WHOLE OR IN
PART TO OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH SYPHONS ARE USED."
My Invention is applicable to syphons which may be used for a variety of
different purposes, but more particularly to those used for flushing water closets,
urinals, wash basins, and such like purposes.
For such purposes the arrangement in which my Invention is embodied consists
essentially of three parts.
1. A cistern; 2, a syphon; 3, a vertical tube or vessel hereinafter called the
receiver.
Since filing my Provisional Specification I have found that the check valve
which I proposed to place at the bottom of the receiver is unnecessary, and
therefore I have omitted it from this Specification.
The cistern is shown at A, Figures 1, 2, and 3; it may be of any suitable shape,
dimensions, and material, such as those in common use for similar purposes, and is
provided with a ball cock or other means of filling it to any given water line in
the usual way.
The syphon is shown at B, Figs. 1, 2, and 3; it may consist of metal or any
other suitable material, and be of any convenient section, and should be of equal
or nearly equal bore throughout. I prefer however to make it of cylindrical
section at the point where the longer leg passes through the cistern, or is on a level
with the floor of the cistern, and to make the bend and the shorter leg somewhat
flattened vertically, but of the same sectional area as shown in Figs. 1, 2,
and 3.
The short leg of the syphon extends nearly to the bottom of the cistern, and the
bend is so placed that its under surface is at or a little above the water line. The
extremity of the short leg is at all times in free communication with the cistern,
so that the water stands at the same level in both till the mechanism hereunder
described is brought into action.
The receiver is shown at C, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4; it is this vessel that contains
iny improvements. It is constructed of metal or other suitable material, and may
be of a cylindrical or any other desired section, and should be of equal or nearly
equal bore throughout.
It is open at the top, and has two lateral orifices C and C' at or near the bottom.
C forms a communication with the short leg of the syphon, and C with the
cistern.
The top of the receiver must be above the water line, and its sectional area must
be greater than that of the syphon, and as it is at all times in free communication
with the cistern and the syphon the water will stand at the same level in it as in
them till disturbed by the action of the mechanism shortly to be described.
The object of the receiver is to provide a means by which the level of the water
can be raised over a confined and comparatively small area only, and a head of
water thus created by the downward pressure of which the water is caused to rise
in the syphon till the bend is filled and the action of the syphon commences.
This may be effected by several different contrivances, two of which I now proceed
to describe.

page_text: In Figures 1 and 2, D is a vessel of a cylindrical or other suitable shape of
metal or other suitable inaterial.
It is of larger sectional area than the receiver, open at the top and with an
aperture in the bottom of corresponding shape, but larger dimensions than the
receiver, so that when it is caused to slide upon the latter it fits only loosely upon
it. When D is down or in the position shown in Figure 2 water flows into it
through the space between its bottom and the wall of the receiver, till it stands at
the same level as in the cistern. The inward flow of water may be assisted if
desired by piercing the sides of D with small holes.
The vessel D is connected by suitable mechanism, such as the well known
contrivances in common use for similar purposes with a handle, the action of which
when pulled or lifted by the operator is to raise D quickly, lifting the bulk of the
contained water with it, and discharging it into the upper end of the receiver C,
thus temporarily raising the level of the water in the latter and creating a down-
ward pressure, and a consequent flow of water from the receiver into the syphon,
which thus becomes charged and begins to act, and this happens in spite of the
fact that there is an opening C into the cistern unprotected by a valve in order
however to guide the flow of water as much as possible in the desired direction.
I prefer to shape the lower part of the receiver as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
The capacity of the vessel D must be such that it will contain a supply of water
sufficient for the above mentioned purpose.
When the office of the vessel D is thus accomplished, and the handle is released
by the operator, it falls back into its original position by its own weight, where it
rests upon stops or studs provided for the purpose. If desired this can be facilitated
by placing a weight at the end of the lever L.
The syphon being thus charged_and_brought_into action a flow of water imme-
diately sets in through the opening C' from the cistern into the syphon, which
continues till nearly the whole contents of the cistern have been discharged.
The object therefore of the receiver C is merely to charge the syphou. When
that is accomplished the water flows direct into the syphon from the cistern, and
not over the top of the receiver.
Figures 3 and 4 show an alternative method of charging the syphon. E is a
float, which may consist either of wood or of a hollow vessel of metal or other
suitable material closed at the bottom. It is of similar shape to the receiver, but
smaller in sectional area than the bore of the receiver, so that when it is lowered
into the latter an annular space is left between the two.
When the cistern is to be emptied the float E is forced into the receiver C by
the action of suitable mechanism. The water in the receiver rises by displacement
to a point higher than the level of the syphon bend, and consequently rises also in
the syphon till the latter is charged, and begins to act when a flow of water sets
in as before described through the orifice C, and the cistern is discharged.
When the float E has performed its office it rises to its first position either by
its own buoyancy or by suitable mechanism, or by a combination of the two.
"
The receiver may also be charged by hinging to it a simple elevator, which dips
in the water of the cistern when at rest, and which when raised by the action of a
lever or its equivalent turns upon its hinge, carrying with it a measured quantity
of water until it is high enough to deposit its contents into the top of the receiver.
In order to prevent waste of water through the handle being held by the operator
longer than is necessary to charge the syphon I adopt a contrivance described by
me in my Specification, No. 1745, 1880, page 3, and there called an adjustable
stud or catch pin," the action of which is to prevent the hall H of the ball cock
from falling till the release of the handle allows the charging vessel 1) to fall also.
This is effected by fixing a stud or in p, Figs. 1 and 2, to the said vessel D in
a position immediately under the lever h of the ball cock, so that the said lever is
held up as long as the handle is held by the operator, and water is thus prevented
from flowing into the cistern.
In order to prevent waste of water through the opening of the ball cock before

page_text: the cistern is empty I adopt a contrivance, also described by me in the above
mentioned Specification, pages 3 and 4, and there called a "self acting balance
weight," the construction and action of which is as follows:-
In Figures 1 and 2, G is an open vessel suspended from one end of a beam K,
the other end of which is connected with the ball H of the ball cock. G is of
such capacity as to hold when full a quantity of water more than sufficient to
counterbalance the weight of H. In the bottom of G is a hole, the size of which
can be regulated in any desired way.
So long as the cistern is full G is under water, and when the cistern is discharged
G temporarily retains its contents, which being heavier than H the latter is
prevented from falling, which it would otherwise do. The cock therefore remains
closed till enough water has escaped through the aperture in the bottom of G to
allow the full of H. By regulating the size of the said aperture the time during
which the cock remains closed after the emptying of the cistern may be exactly
fixed. This self acting water balance weight is equally applicable, with certain
slight modifications, to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3; the vessel G however
is not there shown.
For certain purposes, as when a portable syphon is used for drawing off the
contents of a cask, I dispense with the charging vessel and mechanism above
described, and charge the syphon by hand, either by pouring liquid into the
receiver from a suitable vessel or by displacing the liquid in the receiver by a
rod or other contrivance similar in principle to the displacer shown in Figures 3
and 4.
As the charging of the syphon does not depend upon a vacuum or partial
vacuum, there is no atmospheric resistance to overcome, and as a consequence the
flow is as uniform from first to last as though it was due to the opening of a
valve.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of performing the same,
I wish it understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The charging of a syphon and bringing it into action by creating a head
of water in an adjoining vessel in free cominunication with the syphon, said vessel
being such as above described as a receiver or its equivalent, which vessel is of
small sectional area compared with the cistern which contains it, substantially in
the manner above described and illustrated.
Second. In syphons which are thus charged and brought into action the employ-
ment of an orifice without a valve at or near the bottom of the receiver or its
equivalent, and communicating with the cistern or other vessel containing the
liquid to be drawn off, by which orifice the liquid flows to the syphon as soon as
the latter is charged and begins to act, substantially in the manner above described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Goode Messenger, have hereunto set
my hand and seal; this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
THOMAS GOODE MESSENGER. (L.S.)