Improvements in Water Closets.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Closets.
I, WALTER BROWN HARVEY DRAYSON, of 2 Newgate Street, in the City of
London, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in closets in which what are known as
apron basins are employed, and refers more especially to means and arrangements
whereby what are known as valve closets are made applicable to such apron basins,
that is to say by the means and arrangements forming the subject of this invention
I am enabled to produce an independent valve closet with a basin having an apron
forming part thereof and adapted to support the wooden seat without the necessity
of a wooden riser, the said apron forming a shield which hides all the working
parts of the closet from view. Part of my improvements are rendered necessary in
applying a valve closet to an apron basin, because the apparatus connected with an
ordinary valve closet is not sufficiently compact to be hidden by the apron or shield
of such a basin but requires to be enclosed in woodwork framing or other large separate
or independent enclosure to hide the somewhat straggling and objectionable looking
mechanical parts. In order to reduce the valve actuating apparatus to smaller
dimensions, I make the actuating lever much shorter than usual and place its
fulcrum between the actuating rod and the tumbler instead of placing the tumbler
between the actuating rod and the fulcrum; by this means I not only reduce the
space occupied by the valve actuating apparatus but I decrease very considerably
the height of the pull necessary to open the valve, and this arrangement is applicable
more or less to closets of all kinds.
I preferably arrange the water supply or regulator valve so that it opens down-
wards, and is closed by a spring instead of by a weight; the regulator acts however
as heretofore with a cup leather piston and adjustable byepass..
I arrange the overflow from the basin so that it is not taken into the trap, but is
carried instead into a receiver which may be so placed that it receives not only the
overflow from the basin but also any leakage from the supply valve or connections.
An overflow pipe from this receiver carries the waste through the wall of the house
preferably in some conspicuous position where any undue leakage can be observed
by the waterworks inspectors or others. To prevent air blowing through the
above mentioned waste pipe and receiver into the basin, a suitable trap or valve
may be employed, and the receiver may be provided with a light ball adapted to
cover the outlet of such receiver when the same is empty to prevent the entrance
of air from outside, but which ball will float up and leave the outlet open when the
receiver contains liquid.
The disadvantage of allowing the overflow from the basin to be led into the trap
of the closet is, that in the event of the water in the trap of the overflow being
syphoned out or evaporating, so as to break the seal of such trap, sewer gas is liable
to find its way through such unsealed trap, from the closet trap or soil pipe if the
water has also leaked away or been otherwise removed from the said trap. When
the overflow is carried outside the building independently of the closet trap. this
inconvenience cannot happen.
-Dated this: 20th day of August 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Closets.
I, WALTER BROWN HARVEY DRAYSON, of 2 Newgate Street, in the City of
London, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the 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 accom-
panying sheet of drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
This invention relates to improvements in closets in which what are known as
apron basins are employed; and refers more especially to means and arrangements
whereby what are known as valve closets are made applicable to such apron basins;
that is to say, by the means and arrangements forming the subject of this invention,
I am enabled to produce an independent valve closet with a basin having an apron
forming part thereof and adapted to support the wooden seat without the necessity
of a wooden riser, the said apron forming a shield which hides most of the working
parts of the closet from view. Part of my improvements are rendered necessary in
applying a valve closet to an apron basin, because the apparatus connected with an
ordinary valve closet is not sufficiently compact to be hidden by the apron or shield
of such a basin, but require to be enclosed in woodwork framing, or other large
separate or independent enclosure, to hide the somewhat straggling and objectionable
looking mechanical parts.
In the drawings hereto annexed
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apron closet basin with a valve closet adapted
thereto in accordance with my invention, Figure 2 is a plan of same, and
Figure 3 is a side view of the valve actuating apparatus.
A is the closet basin formed with the apron A¹. B is the valve closing the
bottom of the basin A and contained in and working in the valve box B connected
at its lower end with the syphon C. D is the ordinary tumbler by which the
valve B is operated. All these parts are constructed in the ordinary way except as
regards certain particulars to be hereinafter described.
In order to reduce the valve actuating apparatus to smaller dimensions than
usual, I make the actuating lever E much shorter than is customary, and place its
fulcrum F between the actuating rod G and the tumbler D, instead of placing the
tumbler between the actuating rod and the fulcrum as heretofore. By this means
I not only reduce the space occupied by the valve actuating apparatus, but I
decrease very considerably the height of the pull necessary to open the valve,
and this arrangement is applicable more or less to valve closets of all kinds.
In connection with closets constructed in this way, I preferably arrange the
water supply or regulator valve H so that it opens downwards and is closed by a
spring instead of by a weight; the regulator acts however as heretofore with a cup
leather piston and adjustable bye-pass. It is actuated by the lever I, the outer
end of which is raised by the lever E when the latter is pulled up by the
rod G.
I arrange the overflow J from the basin so that it is not taken into the valve
box B₁ as usual but is carried instead into a receiver K which may be so placed
that it receives not only the overflow water from the basin A. through the passage J
but also any leakage from the supply or regulating valve H which stands on the
receiver K. A waste pipe M from this receiver carries the overflow or other
waste water through the wall of the house, preferably in some conspicuous
position where any undue leakage can be observed by the waterworks inspectors or
others.
To prevent air blowing through the above-mentioned waste pipe M and receiver K
into the basin A, a suitable trap or valve, not shown in the drawing, may be
provided with a light ball or valve adapted to cover the outlet of the receiver when

page_text: .
the same is empty to prevent the entrance of air from outside, but which will float
up or open when the receiver contains liquid.
The disadvantage of allowing the overflow from the basin to be led into the
valve box of the closet is that in the event of the water in the trap of the overflow
being syphoned out or evaporating so as to break the seal of such trap, sewer gas
is liable to find its way through such unsealed trap from the closet trap or soil pipe
if the water has also leaked away or been otherwise removed from the said trap.
When the overflow is carried outside the building independently of the closet trap,
this inconvenience cannot happen.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is :---
First In a valve closet, placing the fulcrum of the valve actuating lever
between the actuating rod and the tumbler, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated
in the drawings and for the purpose specified.
Second-The combination of the overflow passage from the basin of a water
closet with a receiver having a waste pipe which conducts the waste water away
independently of the closet valve-box or trap, as hereinbefore described, and illus-
trated in the drawings.
Third The combination of an apron basin with an ordinary valve closet
constructed, arranged, and operating, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
the drawings.
Fourth The improved water-closet constructed, arranged, and operating, as
herein before described, and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 21st day of May 1891.
W. B. H. DRAYSON.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.