IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO WATER CLOSETS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Arthur Hornby, of Menai Bridge, in the County of
Anglesea, Plumber, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE
TO WATER CLOSETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Arthur Hornby at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1881.
JAMES ARTHUR HORNBY, of Menai Bridge, in the County of Anglesea, Plumber.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO WATER CLOSETS."
The object of the said Invention is so to construct or fit water closets, that any
noxious gases shall have free exit to the atmosphere before they reach the trap or
valve leading to the basin or pan of the closet, and at the same time ensure that
the soil pipe shall be air tight, and act as a syphon when the soil and liquid are
passing therethrough.
As hitherto carried into effect, the ventilation of soil pipes has prevented their
acting as syphons, on account of such pipes being permanently in free communi-
cation with the atmosphere.
Now my Invention consists essentially in constructing or fitting water closets in
which there is a ventilating pipe opening into the soil pipe or pan beneath the
closet basin, with a valve or valves so arranged or fitted that when the soil pipe is
open to allow the soil and liquid to flow away, the orifice in communication with
the ventilating pipe is closed. When two or more ventilating pipes and one or
more than one trap or retaining valve is or are used, the said valves are so arranged
that the opening of the trap or retaining valves closes the ventilating valves. In
the construction I prefer, the trap or retaining valve is in a chamber at the head
of the soil pipe, and closes a passage lending from the said chamber to a water trap
situated beneath the closet pan or basin. The ventilating pipe also opens into the
said chamber, and is so placed that the same valve closes both orifices. In practice
a valve free to turn on an axis is used by preference.
The valve or valves and flushing apparatus are operated by a handle and lever
or levers in any usual or desired manner.

page_text: carries the valve e for closing the ventilating pipe d opening into the chamber 7.
b, trap; d, ventilating pipe opening into the soil pipe; e¹, valve secured to the
spindle f¹. The spindles ff, are connected by the link n, and are operated
together by the handle h. It will be seen that when the pan m is lowered so as
to allow the soil and liquid to flow from the basin a, the valves e, e¹, close the
ventilating pipes d, d'. The valve e¹ may be arranged to close the trap b when the
ventilating pipe is open, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
It will be obvious that closets may be constructed and fitted with my improve-
ments in many ways, but the two varieties shown will enable manufacturers to
understand and apply the Invention to any of the varieties of water closets now in
the market, or to new forms thereof.
Having now described and illustrated my said Invention in such manner that
others will be able to carry my improvements into effect, I claim,-
Constructing or fitting water; closets with a valve or valves, and ventilating pipe
or pipes, substantially as herein specified for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Arthur Hornby, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES ARTHUR HORNBY. (L.S.)