IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS IN DEFINITE QUANTITIES TO WATER- CLOSETS, URINALS, AND OTHER PLACES REQUIRING A DEFINITE SUPPLY AT INTERVALS
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William John Purnell at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th September 1878.
WILLIAM JOHN PURNELL, of No. 15ª, Kensington Place, Page Street, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SUPPLYING WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS IN DEFINITE QUANTITIES TO WATER-
CLOSETS, URINALS, AND OTHER PLACES REQUIRING A DEFINITE SUPPLY AT
INTERVALS."
My Invention has for its object to supply a definite quantity of water or other
liquid to waterclosets, urinals, or other places requiring a definite supply of liquid
at intervals, and thereby to prevent waste of water in the case of waterclosets or
urinals.
According to my Invention I construct a cistern or tank of a capacity equal to
the quantity of water or other liquid which it is desired to discharge at one time,
such water being supplied by a ball-cock, which is either connected to a large
cistern or tank or directly to the water main. Within this cistern is a syphon, one
leg of which passes down to near the bottom of the cistern, while the other passes
down through the cistern, and is connected to the pipe leading to the watercloset or
other place where the water is to be discharged. The bend of the syphon rises
somewhat above the water level of the cistern, and its sectional area is considerably
greater than that of the ball-cock, so that it will empty the cistern rapidly even
while the water is flowing in through the cock.
In the side of the long leg of the syphon, just below the cistern, is formed a
branch opening into the bottom of the cistern, within which it is closed by a valve.
This valve is connected by a rod or chain to one end of a lever, the other end of
which is connected by a rod or chain to the handle of the watercloset or other place
where the discharge is to be operated.
From this arrangement it will be seen that the valve being closed the cistern
will be charged with water without any discharge taking place. On then opening
the valve the water in rushing from the cistern into the long leg of the siphon will
cause the water to be drawn through the short leg over the bend, and the siphon
being thus brought into operation it will effect the complete discharge of the cistern,

page_text: although the valve may have been allowed to close again as soon as the siphon was
charged. On the air entering the short leg of the siphon it will be put out of
action again, and the cistern will be again filled by the ball-cock. I prefer to
prevent the entrance of water into the cistern while the valve is being held open
in order to prevent waste by keeping the valve open for a considerable time; for
this purpose I provide an arm on the valve lever, which, when the lever is raised
on opening the valve, raises the ball of the cock, and so keeps the latter closed until
the lever is allowed to descend again for closing the valve. Although I prefer to
fix the syphon inside the cistern, as described; for the sake of compactness, yet, if
preferred, tlie syphon may be outside the cistern, the short leg thereof being in
connection with the bottom or side of the latter.