IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS." A communication from abroad by
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th May 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS." [A com-
munication from abroad by Désiré Apollonius Leteurtre, of Paris, France, Tutor.]
This Invention relates to improvements in water-closets, the chief novel feature
being the employment of two valves or flaps operating in combination and in such
a manner that the pan or basin is always closed by one of the said valves, and
thus the escape of foul gas or bad odours is entirely prevented.
when
One of the said valves is placed at the upper part of the pan, and the other at
the lower part thereof, the upper one being ordinarily closed, and the lower one
open. The said valves are arranged to operate automatically, that is to say,
a person sits down upon the seat the upper valve opens and the lower one closes,
and at the same time a streain of water is caused to enter the pan or basin.
The upper valve, which when the water-closet is not in use is visible, does not
become soiled, and the stream of water maintains the pan in a clean condition.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I arrange the pan or basin under a
cast iron plate forming the seat, which, instead of descending vertically, works
upon hinges, and has at its front end two pins or projections, each of which rests
upon a rod jointed to a pivotted lever, which being in one piece with upwardly
extending arms operates the aforesaid valves by means of toothed blocks or sectors
gearing with pinious fixed upon the axes of the valves. By means of this arrange-
ment, when a person sits down upon the seat the latter is caused to move upon its
hinges, and the aforesaid pins or projections press upon the upper end of the rods,
the latter operating the toothed blocks or sectors through the levers and arms;
thus the pinions are caused to turn far enough to open the upper valve or flap and

page_text: close the lower one. When the person rises a counter-weight fixed upon a rod,
which connects the prolongations of the two levers, descends, carrying with it the
toothed blocks or sectors, and thus the two valves or flaps are returned to their
original position. The lower valve is placed in a pipe or piece joined to the lower
extremity of the pan, this arrangement affording facility for mounting or setting
up the parts and ensuring cleanliness.
A small pipe is attached to the front part of the pan to carry off the water, and
a clack-valve prevents the emanation of foul gases from this pipe.
If desired the upper and the lower valve or flaps may be operated by rods and
handles, cams, forked levers, or by a screw and gear wheel instead of as above
described.
The valves and flaps and the water-supply may in some cases be controlled by
hand instead of by the act of sitting down upon and rising from the seat. For
this purpose I provide the following arrangement, that is to say:-One of the
levers is prolonged in a forward direction, and a vertical rod is jointed to the end
of this prolongation, the said rod having a handle or knob at its upper end, and
which projects above the seat. By pressing upon this knob the lever is pushed
down by means of the rod, and the valves are thereby operated in the same manner
as when the levers are depressed by the descent of the seat. For controlling the
water-supply in this forin of my Invention I provide a cock attached to a pipe,
which leads to the pan. A rod is attached to this cock, and is depressed or raised
in the following manner, namely:-When the aforesaid knob is depressed an
inclined collar forming part of the vertical rod comes into contact with a spur at
the end of the rod controlling the cock, so that if the knob be turned the inclined
face of this collar will cause the rod to move, and the cock will thus be opened,
and by turning the knob in the opposite direction the cock will be closed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
November 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-CLOSETS." A com-
munication from abroad by Désiré Apollonius Leteurtre, of Paris, France, Tutor.
This Invention relates to improvements in water-closets, the chief novel feature
being the employment of two valves or traps operating in combination and in such
a manner that the pan or basin is always closed by one of the said valves or traps,
and thus the escape of foul gas or bad odours is entirely prevented.
One of the said traps is placed at the upper part of the pan, and the other at the
lower part thereof, the upper one being ordinarily closed and the lower one open.
The said traps are arranged to operate automatically, that is to say, when a person
sits down upon the seat the upper trap opens and the lower one closes, and at the
same time a stream of water is caused to enter the pan or basin.
The upper trap, which, when the water-closet is not in use is visible, does not
become soiled, and the stream of water maintains the pan in a clean condition.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my improvements;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, and
Figure 3 is a rear view of such apparatus.
The remaining Figures are hereinafter described.
This apparatus consists of a pan or basin A arranged under a cast iron plate B
forming the seat, which instead of descending vertically works upon hinges a, and
has at its front end two pins or projections a¹, which rest upon rods fjointed to
levers d pivotted at o³, which levers d being in one piece with the upwardly
extending arms e operate the aforesaid traps by means of toothed blocks or sectors c, c¹,
gearing with pinions b and b¹ fixed upon the axes o, o¹, of the said valves or traps.
By means of this arrangement, when a person sits down upon the seat B the latter
is caused to move upon its hinges a, and the aforesaid pins or projections a' press
upon the upper end of the rods f, the latter operating the toothed blocks or sectors
c and c through the levers & and arms e; thus the pinions 6 and 6₁ are caused to
turn far enough to open the upper trap C and close the lower trap D. When the
person rises a counter-weight p fixed upon a rod p², which connects the pro-
longations of the two levers d, descends, carrying with it the toothed blocks or
sectors c, c, and thus the two traps are returned to their original position. The
lower trap D is placed in a pipe or piece E joined to the lower extremity of the
pan, this arrangement affording facility for mounting or setting up the parts and
ensuring cleanliness of the same.
A small pipe h is attached to the front part of the pan for the flow of the water,
and a clack-valve k prevents the emanation of foul gases.
If desired the aforesaid traps may be operated by rods and cranks, cams, forked
levers, or by a screw and wheel gearing instead of actuating the same in the
manner above described.
Figure 4 shews an elevation, and Figure 5 a plan of a lever-arrangement, which
allows the two traps to be operated by hand, and these Figures also illustrate the
manner in which the apparatus is supplied with water.
One of the levers & has an extension d', which is hinged to a vertical rod
having a handle or knob m at its upper end, and which projects above the seat.
When this knob m is depressed the lever or extension d¹ is pushed down by means
of the rod l, and the traps are thereby operated in the same manner as when the
levers are depressed by the descent of the seat.

page_text: For controlling the water supply I provide a cock n attached to a pipe r, which
leads water to the pan A. A rod 8 serves to actuate this cock, and is depressed or
raised in the following manner, namely:-When the aforesaid knob m is depressed
an inclined collar t forming part of the vertical rod comes into contact with a
spur at the end of the rod s controlling the cock, so that if the knob m be turned
the inclined face of this collar t will cause the rod to swing round its fulcrum, and
the cock will thus be opened, and by turning the knob m in the opposite direction
the lever u is rendered free to rise again, and the cock will be closed.
In some cases I provide my apparatus with a pedal k, one end of which rests on
the ground or floor, and the other end of which is connected with the levers d by
means of two connecting rods g or by means of chains, or by any equivalent
connecting devices.
When the closet provided with such a pedal is to be used as a urinal only there
will be no necessity to sit down upon the same or to stoop to actuate the handle m,
but the weight of the person standing on the pedal will operate the traps. When
the person withdraws from the pedal the levers d will, by the counter-weight p.
be caused to resume their normal position, and the pedal / rises.
It is obvious that I may apply this pedal-arrangement to any form of my
apparatus either alone or with a movable seat, or with the operating-handle, or
with both the latter combined.
I may also apply this pedal arrangement to urinals of any construction. In
this case it would operate upon a valve which covers the water supply opening,
and the valve opens and closes according to whether a person is standing upon the
pedal or not.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
An improved water-closet, characterized by the two traps or valves arranged in
combination with the other parts of the closet, as shewn in the Drawing, (either
with or without the pedal apparatus), and so operating that the pan or basin is
always closed by one of the said traps or valves, the soiling of the upper trap is
prevented, and the pan or basin is always kept clean by the water supplied thereto,
as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.