IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO WATERCLOSET AND OTHER VALVES OR TAPS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shanks, of Barrhead and Greenock, in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, Plumber, for the Invention of
Sealed the 8th April 1864, and dated the 17th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shanks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
October 1863.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Barrhead and Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain; Plumber, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO WATERCLOSET AND OTHER VALVES OR TAPS," to be
as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention comprises various improvements relating to watercloset and
other valves or taps, and has principally for object simplicity and economy in
construction with a diminished liability to get out of order.
In a modification of the improved arrangements as adapted to waterclosets,
the closing detail consists of a ball of vulcanised rubber made hollow, but wholly
or partially filled with a liquid, such as water, or with loose materials such as
sand, introduced to impart a certain amount of solidity to the ball, but still
permitting the external surface to adapt itself accurately to the valve seat;
this valve detail works in a pipe or passage, which is by preference vertical,
the discharge duct from the closet basin entering. it laterally just above the
valve seat. The valve is opened by a lifting rod carried vertically upwards,

page_text: and to prevent papers getting into the upper part of the vertical pipe, there is
fitted above the ball a perforated shield, which may or may not be lifted with
the ball. As a further protection, a flap of vulcanised rubber is applied to the
side opening in the pipe. A ball of the kind herein-before described may
obviously be applied to various kinds of valves or taps, and the filling it with
a liquid or with loose materials renders it much more manageable and efficient
than rubber balls filled with air, as hitherto used.
Another portion of the Invention relates to the arrangements for opening
and closing valves or taps when these are to be effected by means of a loose
key, as in street wells for example.
In one modification, the casting or covering containing the details of the
tap or valve is formed with a keyhole shaped for a considerable distance
inwards to the form of the key, so that the key must be pushed in so far
before it can be turned. At the inner end of this direct passage a cavity or
opening is formed at the side permitting the key to be turned partly round,
which brings the key bit into gear with the moving part of the valve details.
The key can then be moved outwards or inwards to open the valve, but cannot
be withdrawn from the keyhole without first closing the valve; these arrange-
ments will greatly tend to prevent waste of water whilst the working parts of
the valve cannot be easily tampered with.
It will be obvious that slight modifications of the details of the improved
arrangement will permit of its application to taps or valves of various kinds
when to be placed in situations rendering the arrangements desirable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SHANKS, of Barrhead and Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Plumber, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Shanks, Her special licence that I, the said John Shanks,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Shanks, my executors, administrators and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 RELATING
TO WATERCLOSET AND OTHER VALVES OR TAPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Shanks, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Shanks, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention comprises various improvements relating to watercloset
and other valves or taps, and has principally for object simplicity and economy
in construction, with a diminished liability to get out of order.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing modi-
fications of apparatus embodying my improvements.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a plan of a watercloset with the seat
removed, and Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections taken at right angles
to each other. The closing detail consists of a ball A of vulcanised rubber,.
which is made hollow; but is wholly or partially filled with a liquid such as
water, or with loose materials, such as sand, introduced to impart a certain
amount of solidity to the ball, but still permitting the external surface to adapt
itself accurately to the valve seat B.
The shape of the valve piece A may be modified in various ways, provided
that it has a spherical or approximately spherical or a conical surface at the
part which goes in contact with the valve seat B, thus a half globe with the
spherical part downwards is very suitable. The valve piece A works in a pipe
or passage C, which is by preference vertical, the discharge duct D from the
closet basin E entering it laterally just above the valve seat B. The valve
piece A is opened by a lifting rod F, which is represented as attached to the
top of it, but which, if preferred, may be continued through it and be fixed at
the bottom. This rod F passes up to the usual handle G, and has its lower

page_text: part made of sufficient weight to insure its automatically closing. A shield H
is fitted to the upper side of the valve piece A, to prevent papers getting above
the valve piece, and this shield is shaped to cover the mouth of the discharge
duct D when closed, but does not require to fit tightly. The other parts of
the closet details may be arranged in various ways, but I prefer to adopt the
simple and economical arrangements shown, wherein the water level in the
basin E is determined by a ball float I in a small compartment J formed in
connection with the side passage C, and this side passage is formed with an
overflow duct K; this overflow duct K is made siphon-fashion and so as to be
trapped; but as the lodgement of air in the upper part of it would prevent its
acting on the water reaching the predetermined level, a small float valve L is
provided, which is opened by the water when it rises.
A ball or valve piece, of the kind herein-before described, made of a flexible
or elastic material, such as rubber, may obviously be applied to various kinds
of valves or taps, and the filling it with a liquid or with loose materials renders
it much more manageable and efficient than rubber balls filled with air as
hitherto used.
Another portion of my said Invention relates to the arrangements for
opening and closing valves or taps, when these are to be effected by means of
a loose key, as in street wells, for example.
Figures 4 and 5 are vertical and horizontal sections showing the improved
arrangements as applied to a street well, Figure 6 being an elevation. The
casting or covering a, containing the details of the tap or valve, is formed with
a keyhole b, shaped for some distance inwards to the form of the key c, so that
the key must be pushed in so far before it can be turned. At the inner end of
this direct passage a cavity or enlargement is formed, permitting the key c to be
turned partly round into the position in which it is shown in Figures 4 and 5.
This brings the key bit into gear with the moving part of the valve details;
in the present example the bit simply enters a notch formed in the stem of a
sliding piston d, which forms the closing detail, being fitted with two packings,
which in the closed position are on opposite sides of the inlet e. The key c is
then drawn outwards, which moves the piston d, so that the water has access
beyond its inner end to the discharge spout f. The cavity in which the key
works is shaped to admit of this movement, but so that the key cannot be
turned out of gear from the piston d until it has been pushed in again, and
thereby closed the piston. These arrangements will greatly tend to prevent
waste of water, whilst the working parts of the tap or valve cannot be easily
tampered with.
It will be obvious that slight modifications of the details of my improved

page_text: arrangement will permit of its application to taps or valves of various kinds
when to be placed in situations rendering the arrangements desirable.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,—
1. The arranging or combining of the discharge valve details of water-
closets, substantially as herein-before described.
2. The applying of a flexible or elastic ball or valve piece, filled or partly
filled with liquid or loose materials, to valves or taps, substantially as herein-
before described.
3. The constructing of key-ways of valves or taps, substantially as herein-
before described, more particularly with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6 of
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shanks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JOHN SHANKS. (L.S.)