IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Alexander Forrest and
William Woolhouse Hayes at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th November 1872.
We, JAMES ALEXANDER FORREST and WELLIAM WOOLHOUSE HAYES,
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Glass Manufacturers and Oil
Merchants, do hereby déclare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERCLOSETS," to be as follows, that is to say t
The object of the Invention is,-
First. To dispense with the use of the-air chambers such as those in
the pan and valve closets now in general use, wherein the noxious gases
are generated and retained until such times as they insidiously escape
into the surrounding atmosphere, thus constituting one great source of
epidemic and contagious diseases.
Next. To insure a perfect cleansing of the apparatus after each

page_text: A watercloset constructed according to this Invention may consist
of an ordinary pan, which it is preferred should have an elongated
discharge fitted on to the head of the soil pipe which turns upwards for
a given distance so as to form an S trap; the discharge pipe immediately
below the exis of the soil pan is constructed or fitted with a gland which
it is preferred should be packed with double cupped leathers placed
back to back, similar to those used on the rams of hydraulic presses,
except that the cup leathers forming the gland packing in place of that
of the piston or ram. Through this gland there works a piston rod, the
head of which carries a valve cover representing a horizontal section of
a sphere, which is mounted on a gimmal or other suitable joint so as to
insure its perfect contact with the valve seat formed on the under side of
the neck or throat of the pan. This valve and valve spindle, and so
forth, are actuated through an ordinary vertical closet handle and rod
and horizontal lever, one end of which is jointed to the lower end of
the vertical rod, and the other linked to the lower end of the valve
spindle, which latter it is preferred to fit with a cross head working on
a pair of vertical stationery guide rods to prevent undue friction in the
gland. The horizontal lever is formed with an arm on the under side
thereof, through which the fulcrum pin passes, and is bent or curved
downward between the line of the fulcrum and the lower end of the
handle rod, so that on the rod being drawn up the end of the lever
follows in a direct vertical line. The reverse end of the lever is also
curved downwards at its connection with the cross head and valve
spindle. The lever is provided with a counterweight to cause the inner
end to fall when the handle is released, and thus close the valve on
the lower end of the closet pan. The pan is flushed in the ordinary
way, that is to say, through a supply pipe opening into the basin under
the spreader. The supply pipe is fitted with an "Underhays" or other
suitable valve which can be immediately opened, but which takes a
given time to close, to give the after supply for covering the pan valve.
The end of the lever of this supply valve when at rest lays upon the top
of a stud formed on the side of the vertical spindle, the head of which
carries the actuating handle, so that upon being drawn up, the supply
valve lever is elevated sufficiently to fully open the valve on the down
stroke of the rod, the lever is left by the stud by which it was elevated,.
whereby the supply valve gradually closes, thus allowing the closet
pan to receive the after supply when the valve on the bottom of the pan
is closed.

page_text: When the handle on the head of the vertical spindle is forced down
by hand or on being released is carried down by the weight on the
bent horizontal lever, the pan valve is closed by the elevation of the
reverse end acting on the valve spindle, which at the same time opens
a second supply pipe for flushing the apparatus below, and after the
valve on the bottom of the pan is closed this flushing pipe is fitted with
a valve similar to that on the flushing pipe already described, which is
actuated by means of a small loose pendant rod suspended on the end of
the valve lever, the lower end of which falls and rests upon the end of
the horizontal bent lever in such a manner that when the closet valve
spindle is elevated the supply valve lever is carried upwards for a given
distance, when the lower end of the pendant, which is wedge shaped on
one side, coming in contact with a fixed surface is forced off the lever,
thus allowing the valve to gradually close.
Other time valves than those known as the "Underhays” may be
used, for instance, a good and inexpensive time valve may be made by
using a piston constructed with an up-lift valve, like unto any of the
common lift pump "spear valves," but which has a small through-and-
through orifice to allow the fluid above the piston to gradually and
slowly pass therethrough. This stationary valve piston we enclose in a
closely fitting vertical cylinder having a tight bottom jointed to the
supply valve lever. The top of the cylinder may also if desired be fitted
with a cover, in which case the stationary rod supporting the stationary
valve piston passes through an orifice in the centre of the cover. The
cylinder enclosing the stationary valve is filled or partially filled with
any suitable fluid.
The action of this our improved time valve is, that on the upstroke
of the supply valve lever the cylinder and its fluid contents are elevated,
the fluid on its passage upwards opening the large valve, which
immediately closes on the down stroke, so that the cylinder cannot
descend except as the fluid escapes through the small through-and-
through orifice.