INDRANSKET IN SELF-ACTING WATER-CLOSETS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hewett, of the Firm of Hewett, Allott, and
Walker, Accountants, of High Street, Sheffield, in the County of York,
for the Invention of " INDRANSKET IN SELF-ACTING WATER-CLOSETS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hewett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
August 1859.
I, JOHN HEWETT, of the Firm of Hewett, Allott, and Walker, Accountants,
of High Street, Sheffield, in, the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS' IN SELF-ACTING WATER-
CLOSETS," to be as follows:
Hitherto in all self-acting closets external pressure has been transmitted
from one end of the seat to the flushing apparatus by means of a single
lever or crank; in lieu of this arrangement, I propose to introduce two lever's
with fixed or adjustable fulcri to act upon the ends of a cross bar as rigid as
may be consistent with lightness; this bar acts upon the lever, crank, or piston
connected with the flushing apparatus. This arrangement is adapted for all
closets which can be advantageously worked by a direct lift in the centre, but
it is more especially adapted and intended to be applied to Wright's patent
self-acting closet, No. 1722, dated the 20th June 1857, of which I am part
proprietor; I propose also to modify the construction of the valve box used in

page_text: Wright's Invention, so as to adapt it for high and direct pressure from water
mains or elevated cisterns. Instead of placing the inlet immediately over the
outlet pipe to be acted upon by the tongue valve, as described in Wright's
Specification, I propose to prolong the arm of the tongue or outlet valve, and
form the end thereof with a cup, immediately above which I fix the inlet pipe.
In the mouth of this pipe I fix a valve with a rod or projection downward;
the end of this rod fits into the cup or indentation in the arm of the outlet
valve, and its length is regulated by the length of the valve arm and the depth
of the valve box, in order that when the outlet is closed the inlet may be open.
An ordinary conical valve may be used for the inlet, or a valve with a
diaphragm of vulcanised india-rubber or other material fixed on the lower side
to act on the valve seat. The arm of the outlet is fixed on a pivot at any
convenient distance from the outlet and the inlet pipes; the pivot projets
through the side of the valve box, and to it is affixed an arm or lever, which
is acted upon by the cross bar herein-before referred to in such manner that
when the front of the closet seat is depressed, the cross bar being pressed
upward by the levers, raises the cup end of the arm of the outlet valve, which
in its turn lifts the inlet valve from its seat to admit water into the valve box;
the same motion closes the outlet valve. On the removal of external pressure
from the closet the inlet valve falls on its seat and the outlet valve opens, the
water then flows into and flushes the basin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hewett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HEWETT, of the Firm of Hewett, Allott, and Walker, Accountants, of High
Street, Sheffield, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Hewett, Her special licence that I, the said John Hewett,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Hewett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
: after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF-ACTING WATER-CLOSETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Ilewett, 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 Hewett, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
In ordinary self-acting water-closets the pressure on the seat is transmitted
from one end of the seat to the flushing apparatus by means of a single lever
acted on by the seat, which lever communicates the motion either directly or in-
directly through another lever or levers to the flushing apparatus; in lieu of
this arrangement, I propose to introduce two levers with fixed or adjustable
fulcra, both of which levers are actuated by the seat, and act upon the ends of
a cross bar as rigid as may be consistent with lightness; this bar acts upon
the lever, crank, or piston connected with the flushing apparatus. This arrange-
ment is applicable to self-acting water-closets generally, and is particularly well
adapted to self-acting water-closets constructed according to an Invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to William Wright, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, Plumber, on the Twentieth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven, No. 1722. I propose also to modify the construction
of the valve box used in the aforesaid Invention of William Wright, so as the
better to adapt it for high and direct pressure from water mains and elevated
cisterns, as herein-after described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a perspective view of a water-
closet with my improved arrangement of levers adapted to it. A, A, are two
levers which turn upon pins or fulera B, B, which are supported by wooden
uprights. The levers are shewn on a larger scale in plan in Figure 3, and in
side view in Figure 4, and in front view in Figure 5. The front ends of the
levers A, A, are turned up or formed with projections a, a, on which the front
part of the wooden seat of the closet rests; the other ends of the levers are
connected together by a cross bar D, which is rivetted or otherwise fixed to
them; or the two levers A, A, may be made of one piece of iron bent into a

page_text: horseshoe or staple form. E is a rod connecting the cross bar D with a
lever Fon the spindle of the valve which admits the water to the closet. The
flushing apparatus of this water-closet is constructed according to the aforesaid
Patent granted to William Wright. Figure 2 is a section of the valve box G
on a larger, scale. H is the tongue or double valve, which closes the inlet pipe I
when it is raised, and closes the outlet pipe K when it is depressed. The
outlet pipe K leads to the basin L; the inlet pipe I communicates with a
cistern M containing water; N is another pipe leading from the valve box G
to the flushing box O, which communicates with the atmosphere by a pipe P.
The basin L has a syphon or bent pipe Q connected to the soil pipe, which
leads to the sewer or other outlet. The front of the seat of the closet rests
upon the front ends of the levers A, A, as herein-before mentioned. The back
of the seat may be binged to the framing, or may be merely lodged in a recess
in the framing, so that it may be removed whenever it may be necessary to
examine the apparatus. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-In the
ordinary state the inlet pipe I is closed by the valve H, but when the seat is
occupied, the weight of the person depresses the front of the seat, and the front
ends a, a, of. the leyers A, A, and thus raises their back ends, and the bar D,
rod E, and lever F, and consequently depresses the valve or tongue H. The
inlet pipe I is thus opened, and the pipe K is closed. The water from the
cistern M now descends through the pipe I, and fills the valve box G, and rises
through the pipe N until it has filled the flushing box O and pipe P up to the
level of the water in the cistern M. When the seat is vacated, it is raised by
the preponderance of the long back ends of the levers A, A, and the bar D,
assisted, if necessary, by a balance weight applied to the same or to the rod E.
The valve or tongue H is thus raised, so as to close the inlet pipe I. The
water contained in the flushing box O now rushes down the pipe N through
the valve box G and pipe K into the basin L, and sweeps its contents through
the syphon Q into the soil pipe. The apparatus has now resumed its original
state. The arrangement of levers herein-before described is much simpler than
those generally employed,. and therefore less liable to derangement. It is
applicable to other descriptions of water-closets as well as to those constructed
according to the aforesaid Patent of William Wright. The arrangement of
the levers admits of some variation; thus, the levers A, A, may be placed
lower down, if more convenient, and the weight of the front of the seat may be
supported by two rods or a frame resting on the front ends of the levers. Or
in lieu of supporting the seat at two points in the front, it may be supported by
one point in the front, as shown at S in Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a plan,
and Figure 7 is a front view showing the levers A, A, pins B, B, and cross

page_text: bar D, as before, except that the levers A, A, have no projections for supporting
the seat.
S is a front bar rivetted or fixed to the levers A, A, or forming one
piece with them. On this bar is a projection s, on which the front of the seat
rests. This may be modified again by making the bar S without the pro-
jection 8, but of such a width or fixing it in such a position that the front edge
of the seat may rest upon it for its whole length. The levers A, A, and bars S
and D may be made in one piece if desired, either of rectangular or D-shape,
or circular, or oval, or other suitable form. In lieu of the projections a and s
on the levers or bars, the seat may be made with projections on its under side
at the parts which are to be supported. In all cases the front of the seat is
supported by two levers connected together or made in one piece of metal, and
placed one on each side of the basin or syphon or soil pipe, the back ends of
which levers communicate the motion to the valve or valves which regulate
the admission of the water. And it will be seen that in all cases the seat may
be completely detached, and merely dropped into its place, so as to be capable
of removal whenever required.
Figure 8 is a section of a valve box and valves which present some advan-
tages over those shown in Figure 2; especially when the inlet pipe I is con-
nected directly to a main from which water is supplied at a considerable
pressure. G is the valve box; H is a valve mounted on a lever h, and
turning upon the spindle i, and serving to close the outlet pipe K when it is
depressed; T is a valve in the inlet pipe I. The stalk t of this valve extends
downwards through a guide U, and rests in a small cup or cavity e in the tail
or back end of the lever h. The top of the valve T carries two or three small
projections to prevent it from being thrown up so high as to obstruct the inlet
pipe. N is the pipe leading to the flushing box. When the valve H is
depressed the outlet pipe K is closed, and at the same time the valve T is
raised; the water then flows from the inlet pipe I through the valve box G
aud pipe N into the flushing box. When the valve H is raised the pressure
of the water in the inlet pipe closes the valve T, and the water rushes down
from the flushing box through the pipe N, valve box G, and outlet pipe K
into the basin. In order to prevent overflow or inconvenience from the high
or varying pressure in the inlet pipe I, various means may be adopted. Thus
the flushing box may have a pipe from its top open to the atmosphere, but
carried up to a greater height than sufficient to balance the greatest pressure
in the inlet pipe. This, however, would be inconvenient in many cases.
Another plan is to have a small air opening in the top of the flushing box,
which opening is fitted with a valve which is attached to a float within the
flushing box. Thus when the water rises to a certain height in the flushing

page_text: box, it will raise the float and close the valve, and thus prevent the escape or
overflow of the water. This valve may be advantageously arranged so that in
the event of its leaking or ceasing to act, any water overflowing at the air hole
may be conducted into the basin of the closet. Another plan is to close the
top of the flushing box entirely. When the water rises in the flushing box, it
compresses the air contained in the box until its elasticity is equal to the
pressure of the column of water. When the valve H is opened, the water is
driven out by the compressed air in the flushing box.
The sizes of the valves and the proportions of the levers must be arranged
according to the pressure of water to be employed, so that the weight of the
person on the seat may be sufficient to raise the back ends of the levers, either
with or without a counterbalance, and to open the inlet valve, and that the
weight of such levers, either with or without the counterbalance, may be
sufficient to produce the return motion and open the outlet valve.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim is,―
First, constructing self-acting water-closets with the peculiar arrangement
or arrangements of levers herein-before described.
Second, constructing self-acting water-closets with valves arranged as
herein-before described in reference to Figure 8.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hewett, have hercunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness;
JANES FRASER,
Accountant, Sheffield.
JOHN HEWETT (L.S.)